Abstract: An articulating ball-and-socket fluid coupling includes a ball body, a socket body, a primary retainer structure, an annular seal assembly and a secondary retainer structure. The primary retainer structure has a shaft extending through the ball and socket bodies to connect the ball body and the socket body together while permitting the ball body and the socket body to articulate relative to each other. The secondary retainer structure includes an annular member disposed in a ball receiving conduit portion of the socket member and connected to the socket body at or adjacent to an opening into the ball receiving conduit portion. The annular member has an inner secondary retainer diameter less than a spherical diameter of a partially spherical exterior surface defining a ball portion of the ball body so that the secondary retainer structure retains the ball body and the socket body connected if the primary retainer structure fails.

Abstract: An articulating ball-and-socket fluid coupling includes a ball body, a socket body, a primary retainer structure, an annular seal assembly and a secondary retainer structure. The primary retainer structure has a shaft extending through the ball and socket bodies to connect the ball body and the socket body together while permitting the ball body and the socket body to articulate relative to each other. The secondary retainer structure includes an annular member disposed in a ball receiving conduit portion of the socket member and connected to the socket body at or adjacent to an opening into the ball receiving conduit portion. The annular member has an inner secondary retainer diameter less than a spherical diameter of a partially spherical exterior surface defining a ball portion of the ball body so that the secondary retainer structure retains the ball body and the socket body connected if the primary retainer structure fails.