JP2022130123A - connector cover - Google Patents

Abstract

To prevent unintentional damage of a male connector.SOLUTION: A connector cover 1 includes a hollow cylinder body 10 capable of storing a hood 120 of a male connector 100. The cylinder body 10 includes a slit 19 connecting both ends in an axial 1a direction of the cylinder body 10, and a pair of projections 21 and 22 projecting radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder body 10, so as to be engageable with the hood 120. The pair of projections 21 and 22 have respective different heights from the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder body 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a connector cover attachable to and detachable from a male connector.

BACKGROUND ART When a patient receives an infusion or a blood transfusion, or when extracorporeal blood circulation is performed in a surgical operation, it is necessary to form a flow path through which a liquid such as an infusion or blood flows. A flow path is generally constructed by sequentially connecting a plurality of members (eg, hollow flexible tubes). Male and female connectors are used to connect different members. The male connector has a male member that can be inserted into and removed from the female connector. 2. Description of the Related Art A lever-lock type male connector is known that has a lever provided with a claw that engages with the female connector in order to maintain the connected state between the male connector and the female connector. This male connector has a hollow cylindrical hood surrounding the male member, and when the female connector is connected to the male connector, the female connector is accommodated in the hood (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

JP 2013-252165 A JP 2015-073664 A JP 2017-200534 A

The hood of the male connector is a thin, substantially cylindrical member. Therefore, if the male connector collides with a surrounding member (for example, a metal handrail provided on the bed on which the patient is lying), the male connector may be damaged, such as cracking the hood.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to prevent unintended damage to male connectors.

The connector cover of the present invention can be detachably attached to a male connector having a substantially cylindrical hood. The connector cover has a hollow tubular body that can accommodate the hood. The cylinder body includes a slit connecting both axial ends of the cylinder body, and a pair of projections protruding radially inward from an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder body so as to be engageable with the hood. The pair of protrusions have different protrusion heights from the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder main body.

The connector cover of the present invention comprises a hollow tubular body capable of accommodating the hood of the male connector. Therefore, by attaching the connector cover to the male connector, it is possible to prevent the male connector from being unintentionally damaged due to collision of the male connector with surrounding members.

A pair of protrusions with different heights protrude radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the tubular body of the connector cover so as to be engageable with the hood of the male connector. As a result, it is possible to prevent the connector cover from being unintentionally separated from the male connector and the male connector from being damaged due to a collision or the like, while securing the ease of attachment and detachment of the connector cover to the male connector.

1A is a perspective view of a connector cover according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 1B is another perspective view of the connector cover according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1C is a cross-sectional perspective view of a connector cover according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional perspective view from another direction of the connector cover according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1E is a plan view of a connector cover according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a connector cover, male connector, and female connector according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a male connector; FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the male connector. FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view of the male connector. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a female connector. FIG. 5A is a perspective view showing a state in which the male connector is connected to the female connector; FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of male and female connectors connected together. FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a connector cover according to one embodiment of the invention attached to a male connector connected to a female connector; FIG. 6B is a plan view of FIG. 6A. 6C is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane containing line 6C-6C of FIG. 6B. 6D is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane containing line 6D-6D in FIG. 6B. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing that only the higher projections of the cover engage the hood of the male connector. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a connector cover, a male connector, and a mixed injection port as a female connector according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a connector cover according to one embodiment of the present invention attached to a male connector connected to a mixed injection port.

In one aspect of the connector cover of the present invention, the tubular body may include a pair of tubular pieces provided with the pair of protrusions, and a connecting portion that connects the pair of tubular pieces. According to this aspect, the cylinder body can be elastically deformed so that the distance between the pair of projections is increased. This is advantageous in facilitating attachment and detachment of the connector cover with respect to the male connector.

In one aspect of the connector cover of the present invention, a pair of grip pieces may extend from ends of the pair of cylindrical pieces opposite to the slit. The connecting portion may be provided between the pair of grip pieces. According to this aspect, the connector cover can be attached/detached to/from the male connector by gripping the pair of grip pieces. The pair of grip pieces is advantageous in facilitating attachment and detachment of the connector cover with respect to the male connector.

In one aspect of the connector cover of the present invention, a pair of cutouts extending toward the proximal end may be provided at the distal end of the tubular body. Such an aspect is advantageous for attaching the connector cover of the present invention to the male connector connected to the mixed injection port.

In one aspect of the connector cover of the present invention, an abutting member that limits an insertion depth of the hood into the tubular main body by abutting against the male connector may be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the tubular main body. . This aspect avoids damage to the connector cover or the male connector and difficulty in separating the connector cover from the male connector due to inserting the hood of the male connector too deeply into the connector cover of the present invention. It is advantageous to

In one aspect of the connector cover of the present invention, when viewed parallel to the axis of the connector cover, the pair of projections may be arranged to face each other in the first direction with the axis of the connector cover interposed therebetween. A direction connecting the axis and the slit may be perpendicular to the first direction. According to this aspect, the cylinder body can be elastically deformed so that the distance between the pair of projections is increased. This is advantageous in facilitating attachment and detachment of the connector cover with respect to the male connector.

In one aspect of the present invention, the male connector includes a lever provided with a claw that engages the female connector when the male connector is connected to the female connector, and an operating arm extending from the lever, an operating arm operable to move the pawl such that the pawl is disengaged from the female connector when the operating arm is pushed radially inwards. The connector cover may further include a pair of grip pieces. The operating arm may be accommodated between the pair of grip pieces when the connector cover is attached to the male connector. Such an aspect is advantageous in preventing damage to the operating arm due to collision of the operating arm with surrounding members.

The pair of grip pieces may protrude radially outward from the operation arm. Such an aspect is advantageous in reducing the likelihood that the operating arm will be forced radially inwardly to unintentionally disengage the pawl of the male connector from the female connector.

In one aspect of the present invention, the male connector includes a lever provided with a claw that engages the female connector when the male connector is connected to the female connector, and an operating arm extending from the lever, an operating arm operable to move the pawl such that the pawl is disengaged from the female connector when the operating arm is pushed radially inwards. The connector cover may further include an arm stopper provided so as to be positioned radially inward with respect to the operating arm when the connector cover is attached to the male connector. The arm stopper may limit radially inward movement of the operating arm. Such an aspect is advantageous in reducing the likelihood that the operating arm will move radially inward and unintentionally disengage the pawl of the male connector from the female connector.

The present invention will be described in detail below while showing preferred embodiments. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. The drawings referred to in the following description show, for convenience of explanation, the main members constituting the embodiments of the present invention in a simplified manner. Accordingly, the present invention may include optional members not shown in the following drawings. Also, each member shown in the following drawings may be changed or omitted within the scope of the present invention. In the drawings referred to in the following description, members corresponding to members shown in the preceding drawings are given the same reference numerals as those shown in the preceding drawings. Duplicate descriptions of such members are omitted, and the descriptions of the preceding drawings should be appropriately considered.

In the present invention, the "axis" of a member (eg connector cover, male connector, female connector) means the central axis of the member. An "axis" passes through the center of a circle contained in the member and/or coincides with the central axis of a cylinder or cone (taper) contained in the member. To simplify the drawings, the axes are not shown in some drawings. A direction along a straight line perpendicular to the axis is called a “radial direction”. In the radial direction, the side closer to the axis is called the "inner" side, and the side farther from the axis is called the "outer" side. The direction of rotation around the axis is called the "circumferential direction".

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a connector cover (hereinafter simply referred to as "cover") 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the cover 1 viewed from another direction. For the convenience of the following description, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system as shown is set for the cover 1 . The Z-axis is parallel to the axis 1a of the cover 1 (see FIG. 1E described later). 1A and 1B, the upper side of the cover 1 (the side to which the Z-axis arrow points) is referred to as the "distal end" side of the cover 1, and the lower side of the cover 1 is referred to as the "base end" side of the cover 1. FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional perspective view of the cover 1. FIG. FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional perspective view of the cover 1 seen from another direction. The cross-sections of FIGS. 1C and 1D contain the axis 1a of the cover 1 and are parallel to the YZ plane. FIG. 1E is a plan view of the connector cover viewed from the tip side.

The cover 1 has a hollow cylindrical body 10 . The central axis of the cylinder body 10 coincides with the axis 1 a of the cover 1 . A slit 19 is provided in the cylinder body 10 so as to connect both ends (that is, the distal end and the proximal end) of the cylinder body 10 in the direction of the axis 1a. The slit 19 extends parallel to the axis 1a (or Z-axis). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1E, when viewed along the axis 1a (or Z-axis), the cylinder body 10 (or the cover 1) is divided in the circumferential direction by the slits 19 to form a substantially "C" shape. It has a plan view shape of "". The slit 19 is positioned in the Y-axis direction when viewed from the axis 1a. Although the width of the slit 19 (the dimension in the X-axis direction) is not limited, it is preferably smaller than the outer diameter of the tube 109 (see FIG. 2 described later) connected to the male connector 100 .

More specifically, the tube main body 10 includes tube pieces 11 and 12 that face each other in the X-axis direction, and a connecting portion 16 that connects the tube pieces 11 and 12 . The cylinder pieces 11 and 12 have a shape substantially along a cylindrical surface coaxial with the axis 1a. As shown in FIG. 1E, when viewed along the axis 1a (or Z-axis), the tubular pieces 11 and 12 have a substantially arc shape in plan view. One circumferential end of the cylindrical piece 11 and one circumferential end of the cylindrical piece 12 face each other in the X-axis direction with a slit 19 interposed therebetween. The connecting portion 16 connects the other circumferential end of the tubular piece 11 and the other circumferential end of the tubular piece 12 . Grip pieces 17 and 18 extend from the other ends of cylinder pieces 11 and 12 toward the side opposite to slit 19 . The grip pieces 17 and 18 are plates (preferably flat plates) substantially parallel to the YZ plane, and sandwich the connecting portion 16 in the X-axis direction. As shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D, the connecting portion 16 is separated from the tips of the tubular pieces 11 and 12 (upper ends of the tubular pieces 11 and 12 in FIGS. 1C and 1D) by a predetermined distance in the Z-axis direction. It extends from the position toward the proximal side substantially along the Z-axis direction. The connecting portion 16 has a substantially wedge shape whose dimension in the Y-axis direction (thickness along the radial direction) increases toward the base end of the tubular body 10 . The connecting portion 16 is arranged radially inwardly with respect to the grip pieces 17 and 18 .

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, approximately “U”-shaped cutouts 13 and 14 are provided at the ends of the tubular pieces 11 and 12 . The cutouts 13 and 14 extend from the tip ends of the cylindrical pieces 11 and 12 toward the base ends in parallel with the axis 1a by a predetermined length. The notch 13 and the notch 14 are arranged to face each other in the X-axis direction with the axis 1a interposed therebetween.

As shown in FIGS. 1C to 1E, protrusions 21 and 22, four ribs (first ribs) 23, two ribs are arranged from the inner peripheral surface of the tube body 10 (or tube pieces 11 and 12). A (second rib) 24 protrudes radially inward.

The protrusions 21 and 22 are provided on the cylinder pieces 11 and 12, and are arranged substantially at the center of the length of the cylinder body 10 in the direction of the axis 1a in the direction of the axis 1a. The four ribs 23 extend parallel to the Z-axis (axis 1a) from the distal end of the cylinder body 10 to a position slightly closer to the proximal side than the projections 21 and 22 . The two ribs 24 extend parallel to the Z-axis (axis 1a) from a position slightly closer to the proximal side than the projections 21 and 22 to the proximal end of the tubular body 10. As shown in FIG. The rib 24 has an abutment surface 24a at its upper end (end on the tip side of the cylinder body 10). The contact surface 24a is a flat surface substantially parallel to the XY plane in this embodiment, but may have any shape such as an inclined surface, a convex curved surface, or a concave curved surface.

As shown in FIG. 1E, the four ribs 23 are arranged at approximately equal angular intervals with respect to the axis 1a. Two of the four ribs 23 are provided on the tubular piece 11 and the remaining two are provided on the tubular piece 12 . In the cylindrical piece 11, two ribs 23 are spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and the projection 21 is arranged between the two ribs 23. As shown in FIG. Similarly, in the tubular piece 12 , two ribs 23 are spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and the projection 22 is arranged between the two ribs 23 . An inscribed circle (not shown) inscribed in the four ribs 23 is coaxial with the shaft 1a, and the diameter of the inscribed circle is equal to the hood 120 of the male connector 100 to be inserted into the tubular body 10 (Fig. 2, see FIG. 3A). In the present invention, the number, arrangement and shape of ribs 23 are arbitrary. The rib 23 may be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1E, when viewed along the axis 1a (or Z-axis), the first protrusion 21 and the second protrusion 22 are arranged on a straight line passing through the axis 1a and parallel to the X-axis, They face each other in the linear direction. The radial projection height of the first projection 21 from the inner peripheral surface of the tubular body 10 (or the first tubular piece 11) is higher than the radial projection height from That is, the top of the first projection 21 (the location of the first projection 21 closest to the axis 1a) is closer to the axis 1a than the top of the second projection 22 (the location of the second projection 22 closest to the axis 1a). there is The protrusions 21 and 22 protrude to the inner side (toward the shaft 1a) of the inscribed circle that inscribes the four ribs 23. As shown in FIG.

The two ribs 24 are arranged closer to the connecting portion 16 than the protrusions 21 and 22 are. The radius of the inscribed circle (not shown) inscribed in the two ribs 24 and concentric with the axis 1 a is smaller than the outer diameter of the hood 120 of the male connector 100 .

Except for protrusions 21 and 22, cover 1 is symmetrical with respect to the YZ plane including axis 1a.

Although the cover 1 is not limited, it is preferably made of a resin material. Usable resin materials include, for example, polycarbonate, polypropylene, polyacetal, polyamide, rigid polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, styrene ethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, butylene styrene block copolymer and the like. It is preferable that the cover 1 has toughness so as not to be damaged by repeated attachment/detachment to/from the male connector 100 or collision against surrounding members. From this point of view, the cover 1 is preferably made of polypropylene. It is preferable that the cover 1 is composed of a single part integrally manufactured entirely from the same material by injection molding the above resin material.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view explaining how to use the cover 1. FIG. The cover 1 can be attached to and removed from the male connector 100 repeatedly. The male connector 100 can be repeatedly connected to and disconnected from the female connector 200 . A male connector 100 is provided at one end of a hollow flexible tube 109 (shown in dashed lines). A female connector 200 is provided at one end of a hollow flexible tube 209 (shown in dashed lines). The tube 109 penetrates through the tubular body 10 of the cover 1 . By connecting the male connector 100 to the female connector 200, the tube 109 and the tube 209 are communicated. Tubes 109 and 209 form flow paths through which fluids such as infusions and blood flow. The XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is also applied to male connector 100 and female connector 200 as shown. The Z-axis is parallel to the axis of male connector 100 (not shown) and the axis of female connector 200 (not shown).

3A is a perspective view of male connector 100. FIG. 3B and 3C are cross-sectional views of the male connector 100. FIG. The cross section of FIG. 3B and the cross section of FIG. 3C include the axis (not shown) of the male connector 100 and are orthogonal at that axis. As shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C, the male connector 100 comprises a connector body 110, a shield 140 and a fixing member 150. As shown in FIG.

The connector body 110 has an elongated rod-shaped male member 111 extending along the axis of the male connector 100 . A channel 112 is formed in the male member 111 along its longitudinal direction. Two lateral holes 113 extending in the radial direction are provided near the distal end of the male member 111 . The horizontal hole 113 communicates with the flow path 112 and opens on the outer peripheral surface of the male member 111 . Although two horizontal holes 113 are provided in the male member 111 in this embodiment, the number of horizontal holes 113 may be one or three or more. Instead of the horizontal hole 113 , a vertical hole (a hole extending along the Z axis) communicating with the flow path 112 may be provided, and the vertical hole may open at the tip of the male member 111 .

A circular substrate 119 protrudes outward from the proximal end of the male member 111 in a flange shape. A hood 120 is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the substrate 119 . The hood 120 has a hollow cylindrical shape coaxial with the male member 111 and is radially spaced from the male member 111 to surround the male member 111 .

A notch (opening) 128 is provided in the hood 120 as shown in FIG. 3A. Notch 128 is a hole that extends radially through hood 120 . A lever 130 is provided within the notch 128 . The lever 130 faces the male member 111 in the Y-axis direction and extends substantially parallel to the male member 111 . The lever 130 is cantilevered on the substrate 119 . A claw 131 protrudes toward the male member 111 from the tip (free end) of the lever 130 or its vicinity (see FIG. 3B). An operating arm 135 is provided on the surface of the lever 130 opposite to the male member 111 . The operation arm 135 extends toward the connection tube 115 beyond the substrate 119 while being spaced radially outward from the lever 130 . An operation portion 136 is provided at the tip of the operation arm 135 . When the operating portion 136 is pushed radially inward, the lever 130 is elastically deformed and the claw 131 is displaced away from the male member 111 (that is, radially outward).

A hollow, substantially cylindrical connection tube 115 is provided on the side of the substrate 119 opposite to the male member 111 . The connection tube 115 communicates with the flow path 112 of the male member 111 . A male screw 116 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the connection tube 115 . A hollow flexible tube 109 (see FIG. 2) is connected to the connecting tube 115 directly or indirectly via some member (not shown). Tube 109 communicates with channel 112 of male member 111 .

Approximately "U"-shaped cutouts 123 and 124 are provided at the tip of the hood 120 (the end of the hood 120 opposite to the connecting tube 115). Notches 123 and 124 extend from the tip of hood 120 (upper end of hood 120 in FIG. 3A) toward substrate 119 in parallel with the axis of male connector 100 for a predetermined length. The notch 123 and the notch 124 are arranged to face each other in the X-axis direction with the axis of the male connector 100 interposed therebetween.

As shown in FIG. 3C, a pair of holes 121 and 122 are formed in the hood 120 at positions in the vicinity of the substrate 119 of the hood 120 so as to penetrate the hood 120 in the radial direction. The holes 121 and 122 are arranged to face each other in the X-axis direction with the axis of the male connector 100 interposed therebetween. Protrusions 125 and 126 protrude radially inward from the upper (opposite to substrate 119 ) open ends of holes 121 and 122 . Holes 121 and 122 are inevitably formed by nesting for forming projections 125 and 126 when connector body 110 is resin-molded.

Shield 140 is positioned within hood 120 over male member 111 as shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C. The shield 140 has a head portion 141, a peripheral wall 145 and a base portion 148 in this order. The shield 140 is made of a soft material (so-called elastomer) having elasticity (or flexibility) so that it can be deformed relatively easily by an external force and immediately recovers to the state before deformation (initial state) when the external force is removed. ). Soft materials that can be used include, but are not limited to, soft polyvinyl chloride, thermoplastic elastomers (e.g., styrene elastomers, olefin elastomers, polyurethane elastomers, etc.), rubbers (e.g., isoprene rubber, silicone rubber, butyl rubber, etc.). can be exemplified. The shield 140 can be integrally manufactured as a whole piece using the materials described above.

The peripheral wall 145 has a hollow tubular shape as a whole. When a compressive force in the Z-axis direction is applied to the shield 140, the peripheral wall 145 is elastically deformed so that its Z-axis direction dimension is shortened (see FIG. 5B described later). It is configured to return to the initial state immediately. A base 148 projects radially outward from the lower end of the peripheral wall 145 .

Head 141 has a lumen 142 communicating with the inner space of peripheral wall 145 . A distal end of the male member 111 is inserted into the lumen 142 . The inner peripheral surface of the lumen 142 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the male member 111 to liquid-tightly seal the horizontal hole 113 provided in the male member 111 . A slit 143 is formed in the deepest part of the lumen 142 so as to pass through the head 141 in the Z-axis direction. When viewed along the Z-axis, the slit 143 is a linear cut having a "-" (minus) shape in plan view. In the initial state where the peripheral wall 145 is not compressively deformed, the mutually opposing edges (or lips) forming the slit 143 are in contact so that the slit 143 is sealed in a liquid-tight manner.

The fixed member 150 is a circular annular member. A fixing member 150 is used to fix the shield 140 to the connector body 110 . That is, as shown in FIG. 3B, the shield 140 is inserted into the hood 120 of the connector body 110 so as to cover the male member 111 . The fixing member 150 is then inserted into the hood 120 . Shield 140 is inserted within stationary member 150 . The fixing member 150 is engaged with the projections 125, 126 projecting from the inner peripheral surface of the hood 120 (see FIG. 3C). A base portion 148 of the shield 140 is sandwiched between the fixing member 150 and the substrate 119 in the Z-axis direction.

Each of the connector body 110 and the fixing member 150 is preferably made of a resin material, although not limited thereto. Usable resin materials include, for example, polyacetal, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyamide, polypropylene, rigid polyvinyl chloride, and the like. Each of the connector main body 110 and the fixing member 150 is preferably composed of a single component integrally manufactured entirely from the same material by injection molding the above resin material.

The male connector 100 is known, for example, from US Pat.

4 is a cross-sectional view of the female connector 200. FIG. The female connector 200 includes a base 210 , a disk-shaped partition member (hereinafter referred to as “septum”) 220 , and a cap 230 .

The base 210 has a pedestal 211 on one side and a base tube 215 and an outer tube 217 on the other side. The pedestal 211 has a hollow, substantially cylindrical shape. A pair of engaging claws 213 and an outer peripheral protrusion 214 protrude radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the base 211 . The outer peripheral protrusion 214 extends along the circumferential direction and is slightly separated from the engaging claw 213 toward the outer cylinder 217 .

The base tube 215 has a hollow, substantially cylindrical shape and communicates with the lumen 212 of the base 211 . The outer peripheral surface of the base tube 215 is a male tapered surface (conical surface) whose outer diameter decreases as it approaches its tip (that is, as it separates from the pedestal 211). The outer cylinder 217 has a substantially cylindrical shape and surrounds the base pipe 215 coaxially with the base pipe 215 while being spaced apart from the base pipe 215 in the radial direction. A female thread 218 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 217 facing the base tube 215 . A hollow flexible tube 209 (see FIG. 2) is connected to the base tube 215 either directly or indirectly through some member (not shown). Tube 209 communicates with lumen 212 of base 211 .

The septum 220 has a circular sheet shape. A linear slit (notch) 221 is formed in the center of the septum 220 to penetrate the septum 220 in the thickness direction (Z-axis direction). The septum 220 is made of a soft material having elasticity (or flexibility) (so-called elastomer) so that it can be deformed relatively easily by an external force and immediately returns to the state before deformation (initial state) when the external force is removed. ). Soft materials that can be used include, but are not limited to, soft polyvinyl chloride, thermoplastic elastomers (e.g., styrene elastomers, olefin elastomers, polyurethane elastomers, etc.), rubbers (e.g., isoprene rubber, silicone rubber, butyl rubber, etc.). can be exemplified. The septum 220 can be manufactured integrally as a whole piece using the materials described above.

The septum 220 is provided at the tip of the pedestal 211 so as to close the opening of the pedestal 211 . A cap 230 covers the septum 220 and is engaged with the engaging claws 213 of the base 211 . The septum 220 is sandwiched between the tip of the base 211 and the top plate 231 of the cap 230 in its thickness direction. A slit 221 of the septum 220 is exposed in an opening 232 formed in the center of the top plate 231 (see FIG. 2). 2 and 4 show the septum 220 in its initial state. In the initial state, the slit 221 is liquid-tightly closed. The septum 200 functions as a self-closing valve body.

Each of the base 210 and the cap 230 is preferably, but not limited to, made of a resin material. Usable resin materials include, for example, polyacetal, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyamide, polypropylene, rigid polyvinyl chloride, and the like. It is preferable that each of the base 210 and the cap 230 is composed of a single part integrally manufactured entirely from the same material by injection molding the above resin material.

A female connector 200 having a septum 200 in which a slit 221 is formed is known, for example, from Patent Documents 1 and 2.

A method of using the cover 1 will be described.

First, as shown in FIG. 2, cover 1 is attached to tube 109 connected to male connector 100 . Since the tube 109 is flexible, it can be passed through the slit 19 of the cover 1 while being diametrically compressed. The cover 1 can be attached to and detached from the tube 109 with the male connector 100 attached to the tube 109 . Since the width of the slit 19 is smaller than the outer diameter of the tube 109 , once the cover 1 is attached to the tube 109 , the possibility of the cover 1 falling off from the tube 109 is low. The tip of the cover 1 faces the male connector 100 side. The attachment of the cover 1 to the tube 109 may be performed after the connection of the male connector 100 to the female connector 200, which will be described later, is completed.

Next, the male connector 100 is connected to the female connector 200 . That is, the female connector 200 (particularly its cap 230 ) is inserted into the hood 120 of the male connector 100 . Although not shown, when the female connector 200 is inserted into the hood 120, the female connector 200 (in particular, the top plate 231 and the septum 220) collides with the head 141 (see FIGS. 3B and 3C) of the shield 140, The portion 141 is moved to the substrate 119 side. In parallel with this, the outer peripheral edge of the top plate 231 of the female connector 200 collides with the pawl 131 (see FIG. 3B) of the lever 130, and the pawl 131 moves away from the male member 111 (radially outward). is elastically bent and deformed.

5A is a perspective view showing a state in which the male connector 100 is connected to the female connector 200. FIG. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of male connector 100 and female connector 200 connected together. In FIG. 5B, illustration of the cover 1 and the tubes 109 and 209 is omitted. As shown in FIG. 5B, male member 111 passes through slit 143 of shield 140 (see FIG. 3B) and slit 221 of septum 220 (see FIG. 4) in that order. Septum 220 is largely deformed into lumen 212 of pedestal 211 by male member 111 and shield 140 . The lateral bore 113 of the male member 111 is exposed within the lumen 212 . Channel 112 of male member 111 communicates with lumen 212 of female connector 200 . The shield 140 receives a compressive force in the Z-axis direction, and particularly the peripheral wall 145 is compressed and deformed so that its Z-axis dimension is reduced. The claw 131 of the lever 130 is engaged with the outer peripheral protrusion 214 of the female connector 200 (locked state). Even if a tensile force is applied between male connector 100 and female connector 200 , male connector 100 cannot be separated from female connector 200 . The tube 109, the flow path 112 of the male connector 100, the lumen 212 of the female connector 200, and the tube 209 communicate in this order.

Next, the cover 1 is attached to the male connector 100 . That is, the cover 1 is moved toward the male connector 100 in FIG. 5A. The male connector 100 is inserted into the cover 1 from its base end side (connection tube 115 side).

6A is a perspective view showing a state where the cover 1 is attached to the male connector 100 connected to the female connector 200. FIG. FIG. 6B is a plan view of FIG. 6A. 6C is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane containing line 6C-6C of FIG. 6B. 6D is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane containing line 6D-6D in FIG. 6B. The cross section of FIG. 6B and the cross section of FIG. 6C include the axis (not shown) of the cover 1 and are orthogonal at this axis. Illustration of the tubes 109 and 209 is omitted in FIGS. 6B to 6D. The hood 120 of the male connector 100 is housed inside the cover 1 (particularly, the cylinder main body 10) except for the portion near the tip.

As shown in FIG. 6D, projections 21 and 22 projecting from the inner peripheral surface of cylinder body 10 are fitted into holes 121 and 122 provided in male connector 100 (or hood 120).

A contact surface 24a (see FIG. 1D) of the rib 24 protruding from the inner peripheral surface of the tubular body 10 approaches or contacts the substrate 119 of the male connector 100 in the axial direction (Z-axis direction). The rib 24 having the contact surface 24a functions as a "contact member" that limits the insertion depth of the hood 120 into the cover 1 (cylinder body 10) by contacting the male connector 100 in the direction of the axis 1a. The ribs 24 as contact members prevent the hood 120 from being inserted too deeply into the cover 1 . Therefore, damage to the cover 1 or the male connector 100 and difficulty in separating the cover 1 from the male connector 100 can be avoided.

In the state shown in FIGS. 6A to 6D, necessary treatments such as fluid transfusion, blood transfusion, and extracorporeal blood circulation are performed via the tube 109, male connector 100, female connector 200, and tube 209. FIG.

Separation of the cover 1, the male connector 100, and the female connector 200 can be carried out in a generally reverse order to that described above. 6A to 6D, the projections 21 and 22 are released from the male connector 100 (or the hood 120) to separate the cover 1 from the male connector 100 (see FIGS. 5A and 5B). Next, the operating portion 136 of the operating arm 135 is pushed radially inward. The lever 130 is elastically deformed so that the claw 131 moves away from the male member 111 (outward in the radial direction), and the engagement of the claw 131 with the female connector 200 (peripheral projection 214) is released. In this state, the male connector 100 can be separated from the female connector 200 by pulling the male connector 100 and the female connector 200 away from each other. The septum 220 recovers elastically as soon as the male member 111 is pulled out, and the slit 221 is liquid-tightly closed. Shield 140 expands due to its own elastic recovery force. The male member 111 is housed within the shield 140 and the lateral hole 113 is closed by the shield 140 . The slit 143 is liquid-tightly closed as soon as the male member 111 is withdrawn. When the force applied to the operating portion 136 is released, the lever 130 elastically recovers to its initial state. The cover 1, male connector 100, and female connector 200 return to their initial states (see FIGS. 2 to 4).

As described above, the cover 1 of this embodiment can be attached to and detached from the male connector 100 . When the cover 1 is attached to the male connector 100 (see FIGS. 6A to 6D), the hood 120 of the male connector 100 is accommodated inside the cylinder main body 10 .

In general, treatment such as fluid transfusion, blood transfusion, or extracorporeal blood circulation is performed with the male connector 100 connected to the female connector 200 . Unlike this embodiment, when the cover 1 is not attached to the male connector 100 (see FIG. 5A), the male connector 100 remains exposed to the outside. For this reason, if the male connector 100 collides with a surrounding member (for example, a metal handrail of the bed) due to the patient moving or the operator touching the tube (109 or 209) during the above procedure, the hood A situation may occur in which the male connector 100 is damaged, such as cracks occurring in the male connector 120 .

When the cover 1 is attached to the male connector 100 , most of the hood 120 is accommodated inside the cylinder body 10 . The cover 1 (particularly the cylinder body 10) can protect the male connector 100 (particularly the hood 120). Male connector 100 (especially hood 120) is less likely to collide directly with surrounding members. Therefore, the cover 1 can prevent unintended damage to the male connector 100 due to collision or the like.

As shown in FIG. 6D, when the cover 1 is attached to the male connector 100, the projections 21, 22 of the cover 1 fit into the holes 121, 122 of the male connector 100. As shown in FIG. Since the protrusions 21 and 22 are engaged with the male connector 100 (hood 120), the possibility of the cover 1 falling off the male connector 100 unintentionally is low. The cover 1 continues to be attached to the male connector 100 stably. The possibility that the cover 1 falls off from the male connector 100 and the exposed male connector 100 is unintentionally damaged due to a collision or the like is further reduced.

In this embodiment, the first protrusion 21 has a higher protrusion height from the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder body 10 than the second protrusion 22 . The effect of this will be described below.

When attaching the cover 1 to the male connector 100, as shown in FIG. preferably combined. With the first projection 21 fitted in the first hole 121, the cover 1 is rotated in the XZ plane with respect to the male connector 100 with the first projection 21 as a fulcrum. The second protrusion 22 can relatively easily climb over the outer peripheral edge of the substrate 119 of the male connector 100 and fit into the second hole 122 .

Also, when separating the cover 1 from the male connector 100, as shown in FIG. is preferably disengaged from. Since the second projection 22 is relatively low, in the state where the projections 21 and 22 are fitted in the holes 121 and 122 (see FIG. 6D), compared to the first projection 21 escaping from the first hole 121 first. Therefore, it is easier to remove the second projection 22 from the second hole 122 first. As shown in FIG. 7, the cover 1 is rotated in the XZ plane with respect to the male connector 100 with the second protrusion 22 as a fulcrum while the second protrusion 22 abuts against the outer peripheral edge of the substrate 119 of the male connector 100 . The first protrusion 21 can be made to escape from the first hole 121 relatively easily.

Unlike the present embodiment, if the projection heights of the first projections 21 and the second projections 22 from the inner peripheral surface of the tubular body 10 are the same, the following problems arise. If both the protrusions 21 and 22 are low (that is, the depth of the protrusions 21 and 22 inserted into the holes 121 and 122 is shallow), the protrusions 21 and 22 can easily escape from the holes 121 and 122, so that vibrations or the like will cause the protrusions to move. The cover 1 is unintentionally separated from the male connector 100. - 特許庁As a result, the protective function of the cover 1 that the cover 1 protects the male connector 100 and prevents the male connector 100 from being damaged cannot be obtained. On the other hand, if both projections 21 and 22 are high (that is, the insertion depth of projections 21 and 22 into holes 121 and 122 is deep), the insertion and withdrawal of projections 21 and 22 into and out of holes 121 and 122 will affect male connector 100. On the other hand, it becomes difficult no matter how the cover 1 is tilted. In this way, when the protrusion heights of the first protrusions 21 and the second protrusions 22 are the same, the cover 1 can be prevented from being unintentionally separated from the male connector 100, and the cover 1 can be easily attached to and detached from the male connector 100. It is difficult to ensure both By making the protrusion heights of the first protrusions 21 and the second protrusions 22 different as in the present embodiment, the cover 1 can be easily removed from the male connector 100 while securing the ease of attachment/detachment of the cover 1 to the male connector 100. It is possible to prevent a situation in which the male connector 100 is separated from the male connector 100 and damaged due to a collision or the like.

When viewed parallel to the axis 1a of the cover 1, the first projection 21 and the second projection 22 are arranged to face each other in the X-axis direction with the axis 1a interposed therebetween. It is parallel to the Y-axis direction (see FIGS. 1E and 6B). Therefore, when the cover 1 is tilted with respect to the male connector 100 as shown in FIG. The cover 1 (or the cylinder main body 10) can be slightly elastically deformed so that the distance between the two is enlarged (that is, the width of the slit 19 is enlarged). This deformation of the cover 1 is advantageous in facilitating attachment and detachment of the cover 1 with respect to the male connector 100 (engagement and disengagement of the protrusions 21 and 22 with the hood 120).

As shown in FIGS. 1E and 6B, the protrusions 21 and 22 are provided on the inner peripheral surfaces of the cylindrical pieces 11 and 12. As shown in FIGS. Grip pieces 17 and 18 extend from ends of cylinder pieces 11 and 12 opposite to slit 19 . A connection 16 is provided between the grip pieces 17 , 18 . When attaching/detaching the cover 1 to/from the male connector 100, the grip pieces 17 and 18 can be gripped in the X-axis direction. Unlike this embodiment, if the cover 1 does not have the grip pieces 17 and 18, the user is likely to grip the cylindrical pieces 11 and 12 when attaching and detaching the cover 1 to and from the male connector 100. FIG. When the cylindrical pieces 11 and 12 are gripped in the X-axis direction, the cover 1 is elastically deformed so that the distance between the protrusions 21 and 22 is narrowed, and the cover 1 is attached to and detached from the male connector 100 (the protrusions 21 and 22 are engaged with the hood 120). connection and release) can be difficult. Since the grip pieces 17 and 18 are supported by the connecting portion 16, the grip pieces 17 and 18 are not deformed even when the grip pieces 17 and 18 are held. By gripping the grip pieces 17 and 18, the tubular body 10 can be elastically deformed such that the distance between the protrusions 21 and 22 is increased. The grip pieces 17, 18 are advantageous in facilitating attachment and detachment of the cover 1 with respect to the male connector 100 (engagement and disengagement of the protrusions 21, 22 with the hood 120).

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B , when the cover 1 is attached to the male connector 100 , the operating arm 135 (including the operating portion 136 ) of the male connector 100 moves between the grip piece 17 and the grip piece 18 of the cover 1 . stored between. Grip pieces 17 , 18 can protect operating arm 135 . The grip pieces 17 and 18 can prevent the operating arm 135 from being damaged by colliding with surrounding members (for example, metal handrails of the bed).

The grip pieces 17, 18 protrude radially outward beyond the operating arm 135 (see FIGS. 6B and 6C). In the state where the cover 1 is attached to the male connector 100, the possibility of touching the operating arm 135 or the operating portion 136 with a finger or colliding with surrounding members is further reduced. In the worst case, the operating arm 135 is pushed radially inward to unintentionally disengage the claw 131 from the female connector 200, and in the worst case, the male connector 100 is separated from the female connector 200. low.

As shown in FIG. 6C , when the cover 1 is attached to the male connector 100 , the connecting portion 16 of the cover 1 is arranged radially inward with respect to the operating arm 135 of the male connector 100 . The connecting portion 16 radially opposes the operating arm 135 and approaches or abuts it. Therefore, even if a radially inward force is applied to the operating arm 135 (including the operating portion 136), it is difficult for the operating arm 135 to be displaced radially inward. The connecting portion 16 functions as an “arm stopper” that restricts the radially inward movement of the operating arm 135 . In the worst case, the connecting portion 16 as an arm stopper may cause the operating arm 135 to move radially inward, causing the claw 131 to be unintentionally disengaged from the female connector 200, and in the worst case, the male connector 100 may be pulled out of the female connector 200. Reduce the likelihood of separation.

The above embodiments are exemplary only. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate.

The configuration of the cover 1 can be arbitrarily changed within the scope of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the slit 19 extends linearly parallel to the axis 1a, but the present invention is not limited to this. The slits 19 need only connect both ends of the cylinder body 10 in the direction of the axis 1a so as to divide the cylinder body 10 in the circumferential direction, and the slits 19 do not have to be along a straight line parallel to the axis 1a. For example, the slit 19 may extend along a spiral coaxial with the axis 1a, or may extend in a meandering or zigzag manner between both ends of the cylinder body 10 in the direction of the axis 1a.

In the above embodiment, the high first projection 21 is provided on the first cylinder piece 11 and the low second projection 22 is provided on the second cylinder piece 22, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the high first projection 21 is provided on the second cylinder piece 22. A single protrusion 21 may be provided on the second tube piece 12 and a low second protrusion 22 may be provided on the first tube piece 21 .

In the embodiment described above, the rib 24 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder body 10 as a contact member that limits the insertion depth of the hood 120 into the cylinder body 10 . The number, arrangement and shape of the ribs 24 as contact members can be changed arbitrarily. In the present invention, the configuration of the contact member is not limited to the ribs 24 . The contact member need not extend in the direction of the axis 1a, and may extend in the circumferential direction. In the present invention, the contact member may be omitted.

In the above embodiment, when the cover 1 is attached to the male connector 100, the operating arm 135 is housed between the grip pieces 17, 18, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the grip pieces 17 and 18 need not extend radially outwardly from the connecting portion 16 . In this case, when the cover 1 is attached to the male connector 100, the operating arm 135 is not covered with the grip pieces 17,18. Even in this case, since the connecting portion 16 functions as an arm stopper that restricts the radially inward movement of the operating arm 135, the engagement of the claw 131 with the female connector 200 is unintentionally released. The possibility of such a situation occurring is low.

In the above embodiment, when the cover 1 is attached to the male connector 100, the connecting portion 16 functions as an arm stopper that restricts the radially inward movement of the operating arm 135, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the cover 1 is attached to the male connector 100, the connecting portion 16 and the operating arm 135 may be radially spaced apart. In this case, the connecting portion 16 cannot restrict the radially inward movement of the operating arm 135 , and merely connects the tubular piece 11 and the tubular piece 12 . However, if the grip pieces 17 and 18 extend so as to protrude radially outward from the connecting portion 16, it is difficult to apply a radially inward external force to the operating arm 135. It is unlikely that the connector 200 will be unintentionally disengaged. Further, if the cover 1 does not have an arm stopper, the lever 130 can be relatively easily moved radially outward even when the cover 1 is attached to the male connector 100 . The male connector 100 can be connected to the female connector 200 in the attached state.

In the present invention, even if the grip pieces 17 and 18 do not protrude radially outward from the connecting portion 16 and the cover 1 does not have an arm stopper that restricts the radially inward movement of the operating arm 135, good.

In the above embodiment, when the cover 1 is attached to the male connector 100, the vicinity of the tip of the male connector 100 protrudes in the axial direction from the tip of the cover 1 (cylinder body 10) (FIGS. 6A, 6C, 6D). see), the invention is not limited thereto. When the cover 1 is attached to the male connector 100 , the tip of the cover 1 (cylinder main body 10 ) may project axially beyond the tip of the male connector 100 . Furthermore, the cover 1 (cylinder main body 10 ) may accommodate a part of the female connector 200 . This is advantageous in preventing breakage of the male connector 100 (furthermore, the female connector 200) due to collision or the like.

The configuration of the male connector 100 to which the cover 1 is attached is not limited to the above embodiment. Although the protrusions 21 and 22 of the cover 1 are engaged with the opening ends of the holes 121 and 122 of the hood 120 in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in addition to the holes 121 and 122, the outer peripheral surface of the hood 120 may be provided with protrusions or recesses with which the protrusions 21 and 22 can engage.

The configuration of the female connector connected to the male connector 100 is also not limited to the above embodiment. For example, a so-called mixed injection port 300 (see FIG. 17 of Patent Document 2) in which a female connector is provided in the middle of a hollow flexible tube 309 (indicated by a two-dot chain line) as shown in FIG. good. A pair of base tubes 313 and 314 (corresponding to the base tube 215 of the female connector 200) extend radially outward from the co-injection port 300 along the X-axis. A tube 309 is connected to the base pipes 313 and 314 . Although not shown, the base tubes 313 and 314 communicate with the lumen of the mixed injection port 300 (corresponding to the lumen 212 in FIG. 4). In FIG. 8, male connector 100 and cover 1 are the same as in the above embodiment. The male connector 100 is connected to the co-infusion port 300, and then the cover 1 is attached to the male connector 100 (see FIG. 9), as in the above embodiment. As can be seen from FIG. 9, the base pipes 313, 314 are fitted into the notches 123, 124 of the hood 120 and the notches 13, 14 of the cover 1 (in FIG. 9, the base pipe 313 and the notch 13 are , 123 are not visible). Thus, the cutouts 13 and 14 allow the cover 1 to be attached to the male connector 100 connectable to the mixed injection port 300 without interfering with the base tubes 313 and 314 .

In FIG. 9, if the cover 1 does not collide with the base pipes 313 and 314 even if the notches 13 and 14 are not provided, the cover 1 need not have the notches 13 and 14 . Moreover, even if the cover of the present invention does not need to be attached to the male connector connected to the co-infusion port 300, the cover need not have the cutouts 13 and 14. FIG.

In the above embodiment, the cover is attached to the male connector after the male connector is connected to the female connector, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the cover of the present invention may be attached to a male connector that is not connected to a female connector. That is, the cover of the present invention can be attached to a male connector (unused male connector) that has not undergone treatment such as fluid transfusion, blood transfusion, or extracorporeal blood circulation. An unused male connector may also collide with surrounding members. The cover of the present invention can also prevent unintentional damage to the unused male connector.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be preferably used as a cover that can be attached to and detached from a male connector used in the medical field, particularly in transfusion, blood transfusion, extracorporeal blood circulation, and the like. Although the liquid flowing through the channel configured using the male connector is not particularly limited, it is preferably a liquid that needs to be prevented from leaking out to the outside, such as a dangerous drug liquid such as an anticancer drug, or blood.

Reference Signs List 1 Connector cover 1a Connector cover shaft 10 Tube main bodies 11, 12 Tube pieces 13, 14 Notch 16 in the tube main body Connecting portion (arm stopper)
17, 18 Grip piece 19 Slits 21, 22 Projection 24 Rib (contact member)
100 male connector 120 hood 130 lever 131 claw 135 operating arm 200 female connector 300 mixed injection port (female connector)
X-axis first direction

Claims (9)

A connector cover detachably attached to a male connector having a substantially cylindrical hood,
The connector cover has a hollow tubular body that can accommodate the hood,
The cylinder main body is
a slit connecting both axial ends of the tubular body;
a pair of protrusions protruding radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body so as to be engageable with the hood;
The connector cover, wherein the pair of protrusions have different protrusion heights from the inner peripheral surface of the tubular body. 2. The connector cover according to claim 1, wherein the tubular body includes a pair of tubular pieces provided with the pair of protrusions, and a connecting portion that connects the pair of tubular pieces. a pair of grip pieces extending from the ends of the pair of cylindrical pieces opposite to the slit,
3. The connector cover according to claim 2, wherein said connecting portion is provided between said pair of grip pieces. 4. The connector cover according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a pair of cutouts extending toward the proximal end is provided at the distal end of the tubular body. 5. The cylinder body according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an abutment member for limiting the depth of insertion of the hood into the cylinder body by coming into contact with the male connector is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder body. connector cover. When viewed parallel to the axis of the connector cover, the pair of projections are arranged to face each other in the first direction with the axis of the connector cover interposed therebetween, and the direction connecting the axis and the slit is the first direction. The connector cover according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is perpendicular to the The male connector is
a lever provided with a claw that engages with the female connector when the male connector is connected to the female connector;
an operating arm extending from the lever, wherein pressing the operating arm radially inwardly moves the pawl out of engagement with the female connector; prepared,
The connector cover further comprises a pair of grip pieces,
7. The connector cover according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the operation arm is accommodated between the pair of grip pieces when the connector cover is attached to the male connector. 8. The connector cover according to claim 7, wherein said pair of grip pieces protrude radially outward from said operating arm. The male connector is
a lever provided with a claw that engages with the female connector when the male connector is connected to the female connector;
an operating arm extending from the lever, wherein pressing the operating arm radially inwardly moves the pawl out of engagement with the female connector; prepared,
The connector cover further includes an arm stopper positioned radially inward of the operation arm when the connector cover is attached to the male connector, and the arm stopper has a radius of the operation arm. 9. A connector cover according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the connector cover restricts movement in an inward direction.

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