For

hose A hose is a flexible hollow tube designed to carry fluids from one location to another. Hoses are also sometimes called ''pipes'' (the word ''pipe'' usually refers to a rigid tube, whereas a hose is usually a flexible one), or more generally '' ...

s and

piping Within industry, piping is a system of pipes used to convey fluids (liquids and gases) from one location to another. The engineering discipline of piping design studies the efficient transport of fluid. Industrial process piping (and accompan ...

, a quick connect fitting is a coupling used to provide a fast, make-or-break connection of gas or liquid transfer lines. Operated by hand, quick connect fittings replace threaded or flanged connections, which require wrenches. When equipped with self-sealing valves, quick connect fittings will, upon disconnection, automatically contain any fluid in the line.

Uses

There are a large variety of quick connect fittings, also called push fittings. They are used many kilometers underwater, in drilling operations, in outer space to dock spacecraft, pneumatic-power, plumbing, heating, electrical, and fire-suppression applications. Quick connect fittings are intended to be applied more easily than traditional fittings, requiring only that that pipes be pushed together firmly to lock the teeth of the fitting firmly. The teeth are forced deeper into the tubing when opposing force is applied to them, preventing their separation from the tubing. An o-ring provides a water and airtight seal.

Types

Fittings come in a variety of generic and proprietary types, with market dominance highly dependent on global region. North America: * Industrial-type interconnect/interchange, based on military specification MIL-C-4109F * ARO-type interconnect/interchange, developed by

ARO ARO (short for Auto Romania) was a Romanian off-road vehicle manufacturer located in Câmpulung. The first ARO vehicles were produced in 1957, and the last in 2003. For a short while, Daihatsu-powered AROs were sold in Spain and produced in Portu ...

(now part of

Ingersoll-Rand Ingersoll Rand is an American multinational company that provides flow creation and industrial products. The company was formed in February 2020 through the spinoff of the industrial segment of Ingersoll-Randplc (now known as Trane Technologies) ...

), mainly for fluid applications. * Automotive-type interconnect/interchange, based on a standard set forth by TruFlate for automotive shops, including inflation and pneumatic tools.Kostelnicek, Dick. "Quick-Connect Pneumatic Couplers". Home Metal Shop Club, Volume 8 Number

Europe: * European standard, also known as the Highflow European standard * British standard Japan: * Nitto standard

Cost

Unit cost varies from a few dollars, for mass-produced

compressed air Compressed air is air kept under a pressure that is greater than atmospheric pressure. Compressed air is an important medium for transfer of energy in industrial processes, and is used for power tools such as air hammers, drills, wrenches, and o ...

couplings, to a million dollars for large bore couplings used in the ship-to-shore transfer of

liquified natural gas Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas (predominantly methane, CH4, with some mixture of ethane, C2H6) that has been cooled down to liquid form for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or transport. It takes up about 1/600th the volu ...

References

{{Reflist Plumbing Seals (mechanical) Hoses

Uses

Types

Cost

See also

References