A female coupler is one-half of a two-piece device used to join cables, pipes, or hoses. Two-piece couplers consist of a male and female half and may be equipped with push-in or screw-down locking mechanism. Couplings used for hoses and pipes will have an open flow path through their center, while those used for electrical connections will include pins and sockets to which individual wire cores are joined. These devices are one of the more desirable coupling solutions, and are also non-permanent, allowing for quick additions or repairs to be made to the relevant system.
Cables, pipes, and hoses or solid rods used in large systems will invariably require joining at some point. There are a wide variety of different methods used to make these joints, one of the most common being the two-piece coupler. These devices consist of male and female coupler halves and are relatively cheap and easy-to-use. They also lend any system the flexibility of quick and efficient disassembly for repairs, additions, or extension.
Two-piece couplers generally fall into two categories, namely those used for pipes and hoses and those used for electrical connections. In both types, the female coupler will pass over the male component during connection. In the case of hose and pipe fittings, both the male and female coupler will feature a open flow path that will match up once the connection is made, allowing for unimpeded passage of fluids or gases with minimal coupling loss. Electrical cable couplers typically feature a series of pins and corresponding sockets located in the male and female halves of the coupler. These mate together when the two halves are connected, ensuring continuity between the two cables.
The security of the connection is achieved in various ways depending on the coupler design. Screw-down fittings feature an internal thread cut on the inside surface of the female coupler. The male coupler will then feature an external thread of a similar pitch. When the two halves are screwed together, they lock up tightly, ensuring a tight, secure joint.
Push-together fittings make use of a variety of locking mechanisms. These include spring-loaded rings or ball bearings in the female coupler that lock behind a corresponding protrusion on the male coupler. This type of mechanism is widely used in quick-release hose and pipe joints. Locking tabs are commonly used to secure electrical couplers, which consist of slots on the female coupler with corresponding tabs on the male coupler that lock into the slots when the connection is made.