Device for temporarily coupling-uncoupling two members, and for subsequent ...

[54] DEVICE FOR TEMPORARILY
COUPLING-UNCOUPLING TWO
MEMBERS, AND FOR SUBSEQUENT
SEPARATION THEREOF

[75] Inventors: Jean-Jacques Delarue, Paris Cedex;

Michel Patin, Les Mureaux;
Jean-Claude Slama, Plaisir, all of
France

[73] Assignee: Aerospatiale Societe Nationale
Industrielle, Paris, France

[21] Appl. No.: 417,760

[22] Filed: Oct 5,1989

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data

Oct. 5, 1988 [FR] France 88 13028

[51] Int. CI.5 F16B 19/00; F42B 15/10

[52] U.S. CI 411/354; 411/267;

411/511; 102/378

[58] Field of Search 411/267, 266, 353, 354,

411/348, 433, 511; 403/322, 325; 102/378, 351,

357

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

475,664 7/1888 Gehrke .

2,858,726 11/1958 Robinson et al. .

3,196,745 7/1965 Sustrich et al. .

3,334,536 8/1967 Armstrong .

3,597,919 8/1971 Lily .

4,002,120 1/1977 Swales et al. .

4,064,783 12/1977 Ess .

4,187,759 2/1980 Toy et al. .

4,585,369 4/1986 Manesse et al 403/322

4,636,135 1/1987 Bancon 403/322

4,836,707 6/1989 Myers 403/325

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 2550832 2/1985 France .

Primary Examiner—Neill R. Wilson

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Browdy and Neimark

[57] ABSTRACT

A device for temporarily coupling together and subsequently separating a first member and a second member, comprises:

a male member joined to the first member;

a female member joined to the second member and comprising an axially elongate hollow body in which are disposed a retaining sleeve adapted to retract radially onto the male member or to expand, a piston sliding axially to retract/expand the retaining sleeve and, in the piston, disposed along the axis, an ejector finger joined to the piston by a readily broken member, and

selective control means for the piston adapted to command movement of the piston and optionally simultaneous breaking of the readily broken member and to cause the ejector finger to slide axially, the finger projecting axially relative to the piston.

12 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets