US Patent 7762525 Pressure-balanced undersea hydraulic coupling

A pressure-balanced hydraulic coupling suitable for undersea use comprises a male member having one or more flow ports on the side of its probe section and a poppet valve actuator extending from the end of the probe section which has a fluid-tight seal around the actuator. The female member has a removable annular flow piece for fluid communication with the flow ports in the probe of the male member. In certain embodiments the annular flow piece has integral probe seals. In other embodiments, the removable annular flow piece comprises a seal retainer. In yet other embodiments, the removable annular flow piece comprises the inner part of a two-part seal cartridge.