CN109715517B - Female connector - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a female connector, wherein a small-diameter part (13) having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of a female part (11) having a hollow cylindrical shape is provided at the base end of the female part. The seal body (30) is connected to the small diameter section (13) via an annular thin section (14) and seals the small diameter section (13). The thin portion (14) can be broken to separate the sealing body (30) from the small diameter portion (13), and the small diameter portion (13) is open. When a male connector (100) is connected to a female connector (1) in which a small-diameter portion (13) opens, a male member (921) of the male connector (100) is inserted into a female member (11), and the small-diameter portion (13) communicates with the male member (921).

Description

Female connector

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a female connector which can be satisfactorily installed in a container storing a liquid material.

Background

In enteral nutrition therapy, Ready To Hand (RTH) preparations are widely used in which a liquid material containing a nutrient To be administered To a patient is filled in a bag (so-called pouch) in advance. In the RTH formulation, a connector (spout) for pouring and discharging a liquid substance is welded to a bag. Before administering the liquid substance, the connector is opened, and an administration member (a flexible tube connected to the upstream end of a catheter inserted into the patient) is connected to the connector. In general, a connector provided in a bag is a male connector provided with a cylindrical male member, and a female connector into which the male member can be inserted is provided at an upstream end of a dispensing unit (see, for example, patent document 1).

Patent documents 2 and 3 describe a male connector provided in a bag. This male connector is a so-called "twist-off" (also referred to as "snap-off") type male connector configured to be opened by removing a sealing body (breaking member) that seals a flow path. The seal body is provided at the tip of a cylindrical male member in which the flow path is formed so as to seal the opening of the flow path. The male member and the seal body are connected via a thinned weakened portion. When the seal body is twisted, the weakened portion is broken to separate the seal body from the male member, and the flow path of the male member is opened.

In recent years, in order to prevent erroneous connection with a connector used in a field other than enteral nutrition therapy, the following is studied: the female connector 910 shown in fig. 13 a and fig. 13B is internationally standardized as a connector on the upstream side (container side) with respect to the flow of the liquid material (hereinafter referred to as "container-side connector") as an international standard ISO80369-3 relating to medical equipment of the nutrition system, and the male connector 920 shown in fig. 14 a and fig. 14B is internationally standardized as a connector on the downstream side (patient side) with respect to the flow of the liquid material (hereinafter referred to as "patient-side connector") as an international standard ISO80369-3 relating to medical equipment of the nutrition system.

The female connector (container-side connector) 910 shown in fig. 13 a and 13B has a hollow cylindrical female part 911. An inner peripheral surface 912 of the female member 911 is a tapered surface (so-called female tapered surface) whose inner diameter increases as it approaches the distal end. A spiral protrusion (male thread) 915 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the female member 911.

The male connector (patient-side connector) 920 shown in fig. 14 a and 14B includes a cylindrical male member 921 and an outer cylinder 923 surrounding the male member 921. The outer peripheral surface 922 of the male member 921 is a tapered surface (so-called male tapered surface) whose outer diameter becomes smaller as it approaches the distal end. The male member 921 has a flow path 927 that penetrates the male member 921 along the longitudinal direction thereof. The inner peripheral surface 928 of the male member 921 defining the flow path 927 is a cylindrical surface having a constant inner diameter in the longitudinal direction of the male member 921, or a tapered surface (so-called female tapered surface) having an inner diameter that increases as it approaches the distal end of the male member 921. An internal thread 925 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the outer tube 923 facing the male member 921.

The female connector 910 and the male connector 920 are connected by inserting the male member 921 into the female member 911 and screwing the spiral protrusion 915 into the internal thread 925. The inner peripheral surface 912 of the female member 911 and the outer peripheral surface 922 of the male member 921 are tapered surfaces having the same diameter and taper angle, and therefore, they are in surface contact with each other with liquid-tight sealing. The helical protrusion 915 and the internal thread 925, which are screwed together, constitute a thread locking mechanism for locking the connection state of the female connector 910 and the male connector 920.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: international publication No. 2008/152871 pamphlet

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open No. 2006 and 341908

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2013-060213

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

When an RTH chemical preparation is configured by attaching a female connector (container side connector) 910 (see fig. 13 a and 13B) conforming to ISO80369-3 to a bag as an inlet/outlet, the female connector 910 is preferably configured to be provided in a sealing body that seals a flow passage, as in the male connectors of patent literatures 2 and 3, and to be opened by removing the sealing body.

However, in the case where the seal is provided at the distal end of the female member 911 as in patent literatures 2 and 3 in which the seal is provided at the distal end of the male member, the liquid material adheres to the inner peripheral surface 912 of the female member 911 before the seal is removed from the female member 911. The liquid substance adhering to the inner peripheral surface 912 may make it difficult to liquid-tightly fit the inner peripheral surface 912 of the female member 911 and the outer peripheral surface 922 of the male member 921, or may flow into the gap 926 between the male member 921 and the outer tube 923 of the male connector 920, thereby deteriorating the sanitary state of the gap 926. Therefore, it is not preferable to adhere the liquid material to the inner circumferential surface 912 of the female member 911.

A first object of the present invention is to provide a female connector having a female member into which a male member can be inserted, and opened by removing a seal body that seals a passage. A second object of the present invention is to provide a female connector including a female member into which a male member is inserted, in which a liquid substance is less likely to adhere to an inner circumferential surface of the female member.

Means for solving the problems

The first female connector of the present invention is a male connector capable of connecting a male member having a cylindrical shape. The female connector includes: a female part having a hollow cylindrical shape; a small diameter portion provided at a base end of the female member and having an inner diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the female member; and a seal body connected to the small diameter portion via an annular thin portion, and sealing the small diameter portion. The thin portion is configured to be breakable so that the sealing body is separated from the small diameter portion, and the small diameter portion is opened. The female connector is configured such that, when the male connector is connected to the female connector having the small diameter portion opened, the male member is inserted into the female member, and the small diameter portion communicates with the male member.

The second female connector of the present invention is capable of connecting a male connector having a cylindrical male member. The female connector includes: a female part having a hollow cylindrical shape; an inner cylinder that is coaxial with the female part, is disposed so as to be surrounded by the female part, and has a hollow cylindrical shape; and a seal body connected to the inner cylinder via an annular thin portion, and sealing a flow path provided in the inner cylinder. The thin portion is configured to be breakable so that the sealing body is separated from the inner tube and the flow path of the inner tube is opened. The female connector is configured such that, when the male connector is connected to the female connector in which the flow path of the inner tube is opened, the male member is inserted into the female member, and the inner tube communicates with the male member.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a female connector that is opened by breaking a thin portion and removing a seal portion.

In the first and second female connectors according to the present invention, the liquid material does not adhere to the inner peripheral surface of the female member unless the seal portion is removed.

Drawings

Fig. 1A is an exploded perspective view of a female connector and a cap according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, as viewed from below.

Fig. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the female connector and the cap according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, as viewed from above.

Fig. 1C is an exploded cross-sectional view of the female connector and the cap according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, cut along a plane including the central axis.

Fig. 1D is an exploded sectional view of the female connector and the cap according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, taken along another plane including the central axis.

Fig. 1E is a perspective view of the female connector according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, as viewed from the front end side.

Fig. 1F is a perspective view of the cap according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, as viewed from the side attached to the female connector.

Fig. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the female connector according to embodiment 1 of the present invention with the cap attached, taken along a plane including the central axis.

Fig. 2B is a sectional view of the female connector according to embodiment 1 of the present invention with the cap attached, taken along another plane including the central axis.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a state in which a male connector is connected to the female connector according to embodiment 1 of the present invention having been opened.

Fig. 4A is a perspective view of the female connector according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, as viewed from the front end side.

Fig. 4B is a perspective view of the cap according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, as viewed from the side attached to the female connector.

Fig. 5A is a sectional view of the female connector according to embodiment 2 of the present invention with the cap attached, taken along a plane including the central axis.

Fig. 5B is a sectional view of the female connector according to embodiment 2 of the present invention with the cap attached, taken along another plane including the central axis.

Fig. 6A is a perspective view of the female connector according to embodiment 3 of the present invention, as viewed from the front end side.

Fig. 6B is a sectional perspective view of a cap according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 7A is a sectional view of the female connector according to embodiment 3 of the present invention with the cap attached, taken along a plane including the central axis.

Fig. 7B is a sectional view of the female connector according to embodiment 3 of the present invention with the cap attached, taken along another plane including the central axis.

Fig. 8A is an exploded perspective view of the female connector and the cap according to embodiment 4 of the present invention, as viewed from below.

Fig. 8B is an exploded perspective view of the female connector and the cap according to embodiment 4 of the present invention, as viewed from above.

Fig. 8C is an exploded sectional view of the female connector and the cap according to embodiment 4 of the present invention, cut along a plane including the central axis.

Fig. 8D is an exploded sectional view of the female connector and the cap according to embodiment 4 of the present invention, taken along another plane including the central axis.

Fig. 8E is a cross-sectional perspective view of the female connector according to embodiment 4 of the present invention, viewed from the front end side.

Fig. 9A is a sectional view of the female connector according to embodiment 4 of the present invention with the cap attached, taken along a plane including the central axis.

Fig. 9B is a sectional view of the female connector according to embodiment 4 of the present invention with the cap attached, taken along another plane including the central axis.

Fig. 10A is an exploded perspective view of the female connector and the cap according to embodiment 5 of the present invention, as viewed from below.

Fig. 10B is an exploded perspective view of the female connector and the cap according to embodiment 5 of the present invention, as viewed from above.

Fig. 10C is an exploded sectional perspective view of the female connector and the cap according to embodiment 5 of the present invention, cut along a plane including the central axis.

Fig. 10D is an exploded sectional perspective view of the female connector and the cap according to embodiment 5 of the present invention, cut along another plane including the central axis.

Fig. 11A is a cross-sectional view of the female connector according to embodiment 5 of the present invention with a cap attached, taken along one plane including the central axis.

Fig. 11B is a sectional view of the female connector according to embodiment 5 of the present invention with the cap attached, taken along another plane including the central axis.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view showing a state where a male connector is connected to the female connector according to embodiment 5 of the present invention having been opened.

Fig. 13 a is a perspective view of a female connector studied as ISO 80369-3. B of fig. 13 is a sectional view along a plane containing the central axis of the female connector.

Fig. 14 a is a perspective view of a male connector studied as ISO 80369-3. Fig. 14B is a sectional view along a plane including the central axis of the male connector.

Detailed Description

In the first female connector according to the present invention, the seal body may be disposed on the same side as the female member with respect to the small diameter portion. In the above configuration, since the seal body is easily accessed from the female member side, it is advantageous to easily perform the work of opening the female connector.

Alternatively, the seal may be disposed on the opposite side of the small-diameter portion from the female member. In the above configuration, even when the female member is not attached with the cap, or the female member collides with a peripheral object, there is a low possibility that an external force is applied to the seal body, and therefore, the thin-walled portion is prevented from being unintentionally cracked or broken by the external force. Further, according to the above configuration, the female connector can be easily opened by inserting the rod into the female member and pressing the distal end thereof against the sealing body.

In the second female connector according to the present invention, the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube may be configured to form a liquid-tight seal with the inner peripheral surface of the male member when the female connector is connected to the male connector. The liquid-tight seal prevents the liquid substance from flowing to the outer peripheral surface of the male member through the inner cylinder and the male member. Therefore, in the above configuration, it is advantageous to maintain the sanitary state of the male connector well.

In the second female connector according to the present invention, the female member may be configured not to be liquid-tightly fitted to the male member when the female connector is connected to the male connector. In this configuration, since the inner cylinder and the male member are easily and reliably brought into close contact with each other locally, it is advantageous to improve the liquid-tightness of the seal formed between the inner cylinder and the male member.

In the first and second female connectors according to the present invention, the sealing body may be disposed so as to be surrounded by the female part and to be separated from the female part. According to the above configuration, the seal body is displaced by applying a force in the radial direction, whereby the thin portion can be broken to open the female connector. In addition, in the above configuration, the insertion portion of the cap can be inserted into the gap between the seal body and the female member, and therefore, it is advantageous to reduce the possibility that the cap unintentionally falls off from the female member when an external force is applied.

In the first and second female connectors according to the present invention, the sealing body may not protrude from the distal end of the female member. In the above configuration, even when the female connector collides with a peripheral object or the like in a state where the cap is not attached to the female member, the possibility of external force being applied to the seal body is low, and therefore, it is advantageous to avoid unintended crack rupture or breakage of the thin-walled portion due to the external force.

Alternatively, in the first and second female connectors according to the present invention, the sealing body may protrude from a distal end of the female member. According to the above configuration, the thin portion can be broken and the female connector can be opened by directly applying a force to the sealing body without using a cap.

The first and second female connectors of the present invention may further include a cap that is detachable from the female member. In this configuration, it is advantageous to maintain the hygienic state of the female member well.

In the above-described aspect, the cap may be configured such that, when an external force in a central axis direction of the female member and an external force in a direction orthogonal to the central axis direction are applied to the cap attached to the female member, the cap does not substantially displace with respect to the female member, or the cap after displacement does not collide with the seal body. In the above configuration, it is advantageous to avoid the thin wall portion from being unintentionally cracked or broken when an external force is applied to the cap due to collision of the cap with a peripheral object or the like.

The sealing body and the cap may have an engagement structure in which the sealing body and the cap are partially engaged with each other.

In one configuration example, when the cap is rotated with respect to the female member, a rotational force is transmitted to the sealing body via the engagement structure, and the thin portion is broken. According to the above configuration, the female connector can be opened by a simple operation of rotating the cap in a state where the cap is attached to the female member.

In another configuration example, when the cap is separated from the female member, the sealing body engaged with the cap via the engagement structure is taken out of the female connector together with the cap. According to the above configuration, the seal body separated from the female connector can be prevented from coming off or being lost. Further, before the thin portion is broken, the cap can be prevented from falling off the female member due to gravity or light vibration.

In the first and second female connectors according to the present invention, the cap may include an insertion portion that is insertable into the female member. In this case, the engaging structure of the cap may be provided in the insertion portion. In the case where the cap has an insertion portion to be inserted into the female part, it is advantageous to reduce the possibility that the cap unintentionally falls off from the female part when an external force is applied. In the case where the engaging structure is provided in the insertion portion, the structure of the cap can be advantageously simplified.

The present invention will be described in detail below while showing preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. For convenience of explanation, the drawings referred to in the following description simply show the main components constituting the embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention can include any member shown in the following figures. In addition, within the scope of the present invention, each member shown in the following drawings may be modified or omitted. In the drawings referred to in the description of the respective embodiments, the same reference numerals as in the drawings of the previous embodiments are given to the components corresponding to the components shown in the drawings referred to in the previous embodiments. For such components, redundant description should be omitted, and the description of the previous embodiments should be referred to as appropriate.

(embodiment mode 1)

Fig. 1A is an exploded perspective view of the female connector 1 and the cap 80 according to embodiment 1 of the present invention as viewed from below, and fig. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the female connector 1 and the cap 80 as viewed from above. Fig. 1C is an exploded sectional view of the female connector 1 and the cap 80 along one plane including the central axis 1a, and fig. 1D is an exploded sectional view of the female connector 1 and the cap 80 along the other plane including the central axis 1 a. The cross-section of FIG. 1D is orthogonal to the cross-section of FIG. 1C. Fig. 1E is a perspective view of the female connector 1 as viewed from the front end side. Fig. 1F is a perspective view of the cap 80 as viewed from the side mounted to the female connector 1. The central axis 1a is a central axis common to the female connector 1 and the cap 80. For convenience of the following description, the direction parallel to the central axis 1A is referred to as "vertical direction", "up" and "down" as defined based on fig. 1A to 1D. Here, "upper" and "lower" do not mean the orientations of the female connector 1 and the cap 80 at the time of the substantial use. The dimension along the central axis 1a is referred to as "height". The direction perpendicular to the central axis 1a is referred to as "radial direction", and the direction rotating around the central axis 1a is referred to as "circumferential direction".

As shown in fig. 1A to 1D, the female connector 1 includes a female connector body 10 and a welding part 50. A thin plate-shaped partition plate 59 having a substantially rhombic shape in plan view is provided between the female connector body 10 and the welded part 50. The partition plate 59 protrudes outward in the radial direction than the female connector body 10 and the welded part 50.

The female connector body 10 includes a female member 11, and the female member 11 has a hollow cylindrical shape coaxial with the central axis 1 a. The inner peripheral surface 12 of the female member 11 is a tapered surface (so-called female tapered surface) whose inner diameter increases as it approaches the distal end (the lower end in fig. 1C and 1D). A spiral protrusion (male thread) 15 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the female member 11. These cases are substantially the same as the female connector 910 shown in fig. 13 a and fig. 13B, and preferably conform to ISO 80369-3.

As shown in fig. 1C and 1D, a small-diameter portion 13 having an inner diameter smaller than the inner circumferential surface 12 is provided at the base end of the female part 11 (the end of the female part 11 on the opposite side from the tip end, in the present embodiment 1, the portion corresponding to the partition plate 59). The small diameter portion 13 is a circular opening coaxial with the female part 11.

As shown in fig. 1C and 1D, the seal body 30 is connected to the end edge of the small diameter portion 13 via the thin portion 14. The sealing body 30 as a whole has a substantially cylindrical shape. The seal body 30 is disposed inside the female part 11 on the same side as the female part 11 with respect to the small diameter part 13, coaxially with the female part 11. The seal body 30 is radially separated from the inner circumferential surface 12 of the female part 11 so as to be surrounded by the female part 11. The thin portion 14 is continuous in a ring shape so as to seal between the circular end edge of the small diameter portion 13 and the circular end edge of the seal body 30 on the base end side. As a result, the opening of the small diameter portion 13 is sealed by the seal body 30. The thin portion 14 is thinner than any of the small diameter portion 13, the female member 11, and the seal body 30 in the vicinity thereof, and as a result, becomes a weakened portion in which the mechanical strength is relatively reduced. As shown in fig. 1E, a substantially cross-shaped projection 32 is provided at the tip of the sealing body 30.

As shown in fig. 1A to 1D, the welded portion 50 is a substantially quadrangular prism having a substantially rhombic shape in plan view similar to the partition plate 59. The flexible 2 sheets (not shown) are stacked with the welded portion 50 interposed therebetween, and the outer peripheral edges of the 2 sheets are welded by a heat sealing method to manufacture a bag filled with a liquid material. The sheet is welded to an outer surface (welding surface) 51 of the welded portion 50. The female connector 1 can be used as a spout for taking out a liquid material filled in the bag. The bag may be, for example, an RTH preparation filled with a liquid substance to be administered to a patient in enteral nutrition therapy. The shape of the welded portion 50 need not be a substantially quadrangular prism, but may be any shape that can be welded to a sheet. As shown in fig. 1C and 1D, a flow path 52 communicating with the small diameter portion 13 penetrates the welded portion 50. The inner diameter of the flow path 52 is larger than the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 13.

The cap 80 includes a bottom plate 89 and an outer wall 88 provided along an outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate 89, and has a bottomed box shape opened to one side of the female connector 1. In embodiment 1, the bottom plate 89 has a substantially rhombic shape, and the outer wall 88 forms a substantially quadrangular prism surface. The cap 80 further includes an inner wall 85 inscribed in the outer wall 88 and an insertion portion 81 surrounded by the inner wall 85. The inner wall 85 and the insertion portion 81 each have a hollow cylindrical shape, are disposed coaxially with the central axis 1a, and are radially separated from each other. The outer wall 88 is almost the same as the inner wall 85 with respect to the height from the bottom plate 89, and the insertion portion 81 is lower than these. As shown in fig. 1C and 1D, an annular rib 86 that is continuous in the circumferential direction is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the inner wall 85 at a position slightly apart from the bottom plate 89. The annular rib 86 is a protrusion protruding toward the center axis 1a from the inner circumferential surface of the inner wall 85. As shown in fig. 1F, 4 protrusions 82 protruding toward the center are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the insertion portion 81. The 4 projections 82 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

The material of the female connector 1 is preferably a hard material, and in consideration of the weldability to the welded part 50 of the sheet constituting the bag, a resin material such as polypropylene or polyethylene is preferable. The material of the cap 80 is also preferably a hard material, and is not limited, but is preferably a resin material such as polycarbonate, polypropylene, polyacetal, polyamide, rigid polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, styrene ethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, butylene styrene block copolymer, or the like. The female connector 1 and the cap 80 can be integrally manufactured as one piece by injection molding the resin material.

As shown in fig. 2A and 2B, the cap 80 is attached to the female connector 1. Fig. 2A is a sectional view along the same section as fig. 1C, and fig. 2B is a sectional view along the same section as fig. 1D. Although not shown in fig. 2A and 2B, a sheet constituting a bag for storing a liquid material is fused to the fused part 50 of the female connector 1.

The female part 11 of the female connector 1 is inserted into the gap between the inner wall 85 of the cap 80 and the insertion portion 81. The insertion portion 81 of the cap 80 is inserted into the gap between the female part 11 of the female connector 1 and the sealing body 30. The sealing body 30 of the female connector 1 is inserted into the insertion portion 81 of the cap 80. The outer wall 88 and the front end of the inner wall 85 of the cap 80 abut against the partition plate 59 of the female connector 1.

As shown in fig. 2B, the spiral protrusion 15 protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the female member 11 engages with the annular rib 86 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the inner wall 85 of the cap 80. Therefore, the cap 80 does not fall off the female part 11 due to gravity or light vibration. When the cap 80 is attached to and detached from the female part 11, the annular rib 86 of the cap 80 needs to pass over the spiral protrusion 15 of the female part 11. At this time, the operator feels a click feeling, and can recognize that the cap 80 is reliably attached and detached.

Although not explicitly shown in fig. 2A and 2B, 4 projections 82 (see fig. 1F) projecting from the inner peripheral surface of the insertion portion 81 of the cap 80 engage with substantially cross-shaped projections 32 (see fig. 1E) provided at the distal end of the sealing body 30 of the female connector 1. Therefore, the cap 80 cannot be relatively rotated with respect to the sealing body 30.

In order to perform enteral nutrition therapy for administering a liquid substance in the bag to a patient, the female connector 1 needs to be opened. In order to open the female connector 1, the cap 80 may be rotated with respect to the female part 11. Since the protrusion 82 of the cap 80 engages with the protrusion 32 of the sealing body 30, when the cap 80 is rotated, the rotational force applied to the cap 80 is transmitted to the sealing body 30, and the sealing body 30 and the cap 80 rotate integrally. Since the mechanical strength of the thin portion 14 is relatively low, the thin portion 14 is broken, and the seal body 30 is separated from the small diameter portion 13. As a result, the small diameter portion 13 is opened. The cap 80 and the sealing body 30 are removed from the female connector 1.

Then, the female connector 1 is connected with the male connector 100. Fig. 3 is a sectional perspective view of the female connector 1 to which the male connector 100 is connected. The female connector 1 shown in fig. 3 is similar to the female connector 1 shown in fig. 1A to 1E in that the thin portion 14 is broken and the sealing body 30 is removed.

The male connector 100 is provided at an upstream end of an administration set used for enteral nutrition therapy, for example. The administration set is used to connect the mouth of the bag containing the liquid substance (i.e., the female connector 1) with a catheter (e.g., a PEG catheter, a nasal catheter) inserted into the body of the patient. The male connector 100 includes a male connector body 120 at one end and a base 110 at the other end.

The male connector body portion 120 conforms to ISO 80369-3. In fig. 3, the same elements as those of the male connector 920 shown in fig. 14 a and 14B are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. The male part 921 of the male connector 100 is inserted into the female part 11 of the female connector 1, and the internal thread 925 is screwed to the spiral protrusion 15. The inner peripheral surface 12 of the female member 11 and the outer peripheral surface 922 of the male member 921 are tapered surfaces having the same diameter and taper angle, and therefore, they are in surface contact with each other with liquid-tight sealing. The small diameter portion 13 communicates with the flow path 927 of the male member 921. The helical projection 15 and the internal thread 925, which are screwed together, constitute a screw locking mechanism for locking the connection state of the female connector 1 and the male connector 100.

A connecting cylinder 112 is provided in the base 110. The connecting cylinder 112 is coaxial with the male member 921, and communicates with a flow path 927 provided in the male member 921. The upstream end of the flexible hollow hose constituting the dispensing assembly is inserted and fixed in the connecting cylinder 112. The liquid material stored in the bag flows through the passage 52 of the female connector 1, the small diameter portion 13, the female member 11, and the passage 927 of the male member 921 in this order to the administration set.

As described above, the female connector 1 according to embodiment 1 includes the female member 11 having a hollow cylindrical shape and the sealing body 30 sealing the small diameter portion 13. The female connector 1 can be attached to a bag containing a liquid material to construct an RTH formulation. Before administering the liquid substance to the patient, the seal body 30 is removed from the female connector 1, and then the male connector 100 provided at the upstream end of the administration member can be connected to the female connector 1.

The sealing body 30 is provided to seal the small diameter portion 13 of the female connector 1. This produces the following effects.

Unlike embodiment 1, for example, even if the seal body 30 is provided at the distal end of the female member 11 via the thin portion, the flow passage of the female connector 1 can be sealed. In this case, even if the seal body seals the female connector, the small diameter portion 13 is opened, and thus the liquid material in the bag fills the space inside the female part 11 through the small diameter portion 13. When the seal body is removed from the female connector 1, a liquid material adheres to the inner circumferential surface 12 of the female member 11. The male member 921 is inserted into the female member 11 (see fig. 3).

The liquid substance adhering to the inner circumferential surface 12 of the female member 11 makes it difficult to liquid-tightly fit the inner circumferential surface 12 of the female member 11 and the outer circumferential surface 922 of the male member 921. Therefore, the liquid substance may leak from between the inner peripheral surface 12 and the outer peripheral surface 922, and the connection strength between the female connector 1 and the male connector 100 may be reduced.

When the male member 921 is inserted into the female member 11, the liquid material adhering to the inner circumferential surface 12 of the female member 11 overflows from the female member 11 and flows into the gap 926 between the male member 921 and the outer cylinder 923. Alternatively, the liquid substance adhering to the inner peripheral surface 12 of the female member 11 is transferred to the outer peripheral surface 922 of the male member 921 after the male connector 100 and the female connector 1 are separated. As can be understood from B in fig. 14, since the gap 926 is very narrow, it is difficult to wipe off the liquid material flowing into the gap 926 and the liquid material adhering to the outer peripheral surface 922 of the male member 921. Therefore, the male connector 100 (particularly, the gap 926 of the male connector body 120) is likely to be in an unsanitary state.

In contrast, in embodiment 1, the sealing body 30 is provided to seal the small diameter portion 13 of the female connector 1 (see fig. 1C and 1D). Therefore, unless the seal 30 is removed, the liquid material in the bag does not adhere to the inner peripheral surface 12 of the female member 11. When the male connector 100 is connected immediately after the seal 30 is removed from the female connector 1 before the liquid substance is administered to the patient, the male member 921 can be inserted into the female member 11 without adhering the liquid substance to the inner circumferential surface 12 of the female member 11. Therefore, the possibility of the above problem is low. Thus, the seal body 30 sealing the small diameter portion 13 is advantageous in improving the close contact between the inner peripheral surface 12 of the female member 11 and the outer peripheral surface 922 of the male member 921 and maintaining a good sanitary state of the gap 926 of the male connector 100.

The seal body 30 is disposed on the same side as the female member 11 with respect to the small diameter portion 13. In this case, the sealing body 30 is easily accessed from the female part 11 side, and the work of removing the sealing body 30 from the female connector 1 is advantageously easily performed.

The sealing body 30 is radially separated from the female part 11. Therefore, as shown in fig. 2A and 2B, the insertion portion 81 of the cap 80 can be inserted into the gap between the sealing body 30 and the female part 11. In this case, the insertion portion 81 can be inserted deeply into the female part 11 to such an extent that the distal end thereof reaches the vicinity of the base end (or the small diameter portion 13) of the female part 11. Since the facing region of the female member 11 facing the insertion portion 81 is increased, when a radial external force is applied to the cap 80, the region where the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 81 abuts against the inner peripheral surface 12 of the female member 11 is increased. In this case, it is advantageous to reduce the possibility that the cap 80 unintentionally falls off from the female part 11 when such an external force is applied.

However, the insertion portion 81 may not be inserted into the gap between the sealing body 30 and the female part 11. For example, the insertion portion 81 may be inserted into the female part 11 such that the distal end of the insertion portion 81 and the distal end of the seal body 30 face each other in the direction of the central axis 1 a. In this case, the protrusion 82 may be provided at the tip end (the surface facing the sealing body 30) of the insertion portion 81.

A cap 80 is mounted on the female part 11. In one embodiment, the bag (for example, RTH preparation) containing the liquid material is transported to a medical institution such as a hospital in a state where the cap 80 is attached to the female connector 1, and the cap 80 is continuously attached to the female member 11 until the enteral nutrition therapy is performed (that is, until the female connector 1 is opened) (see fig. 2A and 2B). When the cap 80 is not attached to the female part 11, bacteria may adhere to the female part 11 by, for example, a hand of an operator coming into contact with the female part 11. Therefore, when the male connector 100 is connected to the female connector 1 and enteral nutrition therapy is performed thereafter, bacteria attached to the female member 11 invade the patient's body, or the bacteria migrate to the male connector 100, and the sanitary state of the male connector 100 (particularly the gap 926 thereof) deteriorates. If the cap 80 is attached to the female member 11 until the female connector 1 is opened, the female member 11 (particularly, the inner peripheral surface 12 thereof) can be kept in a good sanitary state, and in the enteral nutrition therapy method, the invasion of bacteria into the body of the patient or the transfer to the male connector 100 can be prevented.

When an external force is applied to the cap 80 due to, for example, the cap 80 colliding with a peripheral object in a state where the cap 80 is attached to the female part 11, the cap 80 may be displaced with respect to the female connector 1, and the insertion portion 81 may collide with the sealing body 30 to displace the sealing body 30. As a result, the thin portion 14 may crack or break, and the liquid substance may leak out. To avoid this, the cap 80 is preferably configured such that when an external force is applied to the cap 80, the cap 80 does not substantially displace with respect to the female part 11, or the displaced cap 1 does not collide with the sealing body 30. Specifically, for example, the following avoidance measures can be considered.

In the first avoidance measure, in a state where the cap 80 is attached to the female part 11 (see fig. 2A and 2B), the insertion portion 81 of the cap 80 is separated from the sealing body 30 of the female connector 1 in the radial direction. In more detail, the radial spacing between the insertion portion 81 and the sealing body 30 is preferably greater than the radial spacing between the insertion portion 81 and the female part 11. In this first avoidance measure, even if the cap 80 is displaced in the radial direction with respect to the female connector 1, the insertion portion 81 collides with the female part 11 but does not collide with the sealing body 30.

In the second avoidance measure, the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 81 of the cap 80 is fitted to the inner peripheral surface 12 of the female member 11 in a state where the cap 80 is attached to the female member 11 (see fig. 2A and 2B). For example, the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 81 may be formed of a male tapered surface similar to the outer peripheral surface 922 of the male member 921 (see fig. 14 a and 14B). Preferably, the insertion portion 81 is radially separated from the sealing body 30. In the second avoidance measure, since the cap 80 cannot be substantially displaced in the radial direction with respect to the female connector 1, the insertion portion 81 does not collide with the sealing body 30 or displace the sealing body 30.

In the third avoidance measure, as described above, the insertion portion 81 is configured such that the sealing body 30 is not inserted therein. In this third avoidance measure, even if the cap 80 is displaced in the radial direction with respect to the female connector 1, the insertion portion 81 does not collide with the sealing body 30.

The first to third avoidance measures described above are effective for preventing cracks and fractures in the thin portion 14 when a radial external force acts on the cap 80. As a countermeasure (fourth countermeasure) for avoiding cracking or breaking of the thin portion 14 when an external force in the central axis 1a direction acts on the cap 80, for example, the cap 80 is configured such that when the outer wall 88 and/or the inner wall 85 of the cap 80 abuts against the partition plate 59 of the female connector 1 along the central axis 1a direction, substantially no force in the central axis 1a direction is applied to the sealing body 30 by the cap 80 (for example, the cap 80 is separated from the sealing body 30 in the central axis 1a direction). The second avoidance measure described above is effective also when an external force in the direction of the central axis 1a acts on the cap 80.

In order to achieve both prevention of unintended crack or fracture of the thin portion 14 due to external force and easiness of rotation of the cap 80 with respect to the female connector 1 for removing the seal body 30 from the female connector 1, it is preferable that the cap 80 be separated from the seal body 30 in the radial direction and the direction of the central axis 1a in a state where the cap 80 is attached to the female member 11 so that the cap 80 does not collide with the seal body 30 even if the cap 80 is displaced with respect to the female member 11 by the external force in the radial direction and the external force in the direction of the central axis 1 a.

In another embodiment, the cap 80 is not attached to the female part 11 until the female connector 1 is opened. For example, when the hygienic state of the female member 11 can be ensured by packaging the entirety of the bag (for example, RTH agent) provided with the female connector 1, etc., it is not necessary to attach the cap 80 to the female member 11. If the cap 80 is not attached to the female member 11, the thin portion 14 is not cracked or broken by an external force applied to the cap 80. As shown in fig. 1C and 1D, the sealing body 30 is surrounded by the female part 11 and does not protrude from the distal end of the female part 11. Therefore, even when the female connector 1 collides with a peripheral object or the like in a state where the cap 80 is not attached to the female member 11, the external force is less likely to be applied to the sealing body 30. Therefore, from the viewpoint of avoiding unintended crack or breakage of the thin-walled portion 14 due to an external force, it is preferable that the cap 80 is not attached to the female member 11. In this case, the cap 80 is used only for removing the sealing body 30, and is attached to the female part 11 before the sealing body 30 is removed.

The seal body 30 and the cap 80 are provided with a projection 32 (see fig. 1E) and a projection 82 (see fig. 1F) as engaging structures for engaging with each other. Therefore, when the cap 80 is rotated about the central axis 1a with respect to the female part 11, the rotational force applied to the cap 80 is transmitted to the sealing body 30 via the protrusion 82 and the protrusion 32, and the thin portion 14 can be broken. Since the sealing body 30 does not protrude from the distal end of the female member 11, it is difficult for a hand to directly contact the sealing body 30. According to embodiment 1, the sealing body 30 can be removed and the female connector 1 can be opened by a simple operation of rotating the cap 80 with respect to the female connector 1 in a state where the cap 80 is attached to the female member 11. Therefore, a so-called twist-off type female connector can be realized.

Of course, the female connector 1 can be opened without using the cap 80. For example, if a thin rod is inserted into the female part 11 and a radial force is applied to the seal body 30, the thin portion 14 can be broken and the seal body 30 can be removed. Therefore, in embodiment 1, the cap 80 may be omitted. The case where the seal body 30 and the female member 11 are separated in the radial direction is advantageous in that the seal body 30 can be removed without using the cap 80.

In the above example, the protrusion 32 is provided on the sealing body 30 and the protrusion 82 is provided on the cap 80 as the engaging structure provided on the sealing body 30 and the cap 80 to be engaged with each other, but the engaging structure is not limited to this. The engagement structure may have any configuration as long as it can transmit the rotational force about the center axis 1a applied to the cap 80 to the sealing body 30. For example, the engaging structure may be constituted by a convex portion and a convex portion or a convex portion and a concave portion that engage with each other. The shape of the convex portion and the concave portion is arbitrary. When the engagement structure is formed of the convex portion and the concave portion, the convex portion may be provided on any one of the sealing body 30 and the cap 80. The engagement structure of the sealing body 30 need not be provided at the tip of the sealing body 30, and may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the sealing body 30 as in embodiment 2 described later. The engagement structure provided in the insertion portion 81 can be set according to the position of the engagement structure of the sealing body 30. Preferably, the engagement structure of the sealing body 30 and the engagement structure of the cap 80 are configured such that when the cap 80 is brought close to the female member 11 along the central axis 1a, the engagement therebetween is engaged, and when the cap 80 is separated from the female member 11 along the central axis 1a, the engagement therebetween is released.

(embodiment mode 2)

Fig. 4A is a perspective view of the female connector 2 according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, as viewed from the front end side. Fig. 4B is a perspective view of the cap 280 according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, as viewed from the side attached to the female connector 2. Embodiment 2 will be described mainly with respect to differences from embodiment 1.

In embodiment 2, instead of the substantially cross-shaped projections 32 (see fig. 1E) of embodiment 1, 4 grooves 232 are provided along the longitudinal direction of the sealing element 30 on the outer peripheral surface of the sealing element 30 as shown in fig. 4A. The grooves 232 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The seal body 30 of embodiment 2 is longer than that of embodiment 1, and as a result, protrudes downward from the distal end of the female member 11 (see fig. 5A and 5B described later).

As shown in fig. 4B, 4 rib-like protrusions 282 extending in the longitudinal direction of the insertion portion 81 are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the insertion portion 81 of the cap 280. The protrusions 282 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

Fig. 5A and 5B are sectional views of the female connector 2 to which the cap 280 is attached. The cap 280 covers the female part 11 and the sealing body 30 protruding from the female part 11. As in embodiment 1, the outer wall 88 and the front end of the inner wall 85 of the cap 280 abut against the partition plate 59 of the female connector 2. As can be easily understood by comparing fig. 5A with fig. 2B showing embodiment 1, the heights of the outer wall 88, the inner wall 85, and the insertion portion 81 of the cap 280 of embodiment 2 from the bottom plate 89 are higher than those of embodiment 1.

Although not explicitly shown in fig. 5A and 5B, 4 projections 282 (see fig. 4B) projecting from the inner peripheral surface of the insertion portion 81 of the cap 280 are fitted into and engaged with 4 grooves 232 (see fig. 4A) formed in the outer peripheral surface of the sealing body 30 of the female connector 2. Therefore, the cap 280 cannot be relatively rotated with respect to the sealing body 30.

Similarly to embodiment 1, in embodiment 2, when the cap 280 is rotated with respect to the female part 11, the rotational force applied to the cap 280 is also transmitted to the seal body 30 via the protrusion 282 and the groove 232, the thin portion 14 is broken, and the seal body 30 is separated from the small diameter portion 13. The female connector 2 from which the sealing body 30 is removed is substantially the same as the female connector 1 according to embodiment 1 from which the sealing body 30 is removed. As in embodiment 1, the female connector 2 can be connected to the male connector 100 (see fig. 3).

In embodiment 2, the seal body 30 protrudes downward from the distal end of the female member 11. Therefore, when the cap 280 is not attached to the female member 11, the female connector 2 collides with a peripheral object or an operator touches the female connector 2, and thus an external force may be applied to the sealing body 30. This may cause cracking or breakage of the thin portion 14, leakage of liquid substances, or invasion of bacteria into the bag. Therefore, in embodiment 2, it is preferable that the cap 280 is attached to the female part 11 until the female connector 2 is opened.

When the cap 280 is attached to the female part 11, as described in embodiment 1, when an unintended external force is applied to the cap 280 due to, for example, the cap 280 colliding with a peripheral object, the thin portion 14 may crack or break. In this case, avoidance can be performed by applying the same avoidance measures as the first to fourth avoidance measures described in embodiment 1 to embodiment 2.

In the above example, the groove 232 is provided in the sealing body 30 and the protrusion 282 is provided in the cap 280 as the engaging structure provided in the sealing body 30 and the cap 280 to be engaged with each other, but the engaging structure is not limited to this. The number of the grooves 232 and the number of the protrusions 282 need not be 4, respectively, and may be more or less than this. The engaging structure for engaging with each other is not limited to the groove 232 and the protrusion 282, and may be any as described in embodiment 1. The engagement structure may be provided at the distal end of the sealing body 30 and the bottom surface of the insertion portion 81.

In embodiment 2, since the seal body 30 protrudes beyond the distal end of the female part 11, if a force in the radial direction is applied to the distal end of the seal body 30 in a state where the cap 280 is removed, the thin portion 14 can be broken to remove the seal body 30. That is, even if the cap 280 is not used, the female connector 2 can be opened. Therefore, the groove 232 on the outer peripheral surface of the sealing body 30 and/or the protrusion 282 on the inner peripheral surface of the insertion portion 81 can be omitted. By omitting the engagement structure for engaging the sealing body 30 and the insertion portion 81 with each other, even if the cap 280 rotates with respect to the female connector 2 due to collision of the cap 280 with a peripheral object or the like, the rotation is not transmitted to the sealing body 11. This is advantageous in preventing the thin-walled portion 14 from being unintentionally cracked, broken, or the like due to collision of the cap 280 with a peripheral object. In this case, a cap is attached to the female part 11 in order to maintain the hygienic state of the female part 11 well. In embodiment 1 described above, the engaging structure (the projection 32 and the projection 82) that engage with each other may be omitted.

Embodiment 2 is the same as embodiment 1 except for the above. The description of embodiment 1 can also be applied to embodiment 2.

(embodiment mode 3)

Fig. 6A is a perspective view of the female connector 3 according to embodiment 3 of the present invention, as viewed from the front end side. Fig. 6B is a sectional perspective view of the cap 380 according to embodiment 3 of the present invention. Embodiment 3 will be described mainly with respect to differences from embodiments 1 and 2.

As shown in fig. 6A, a projection 335 is provided at the distal end of the sealing body 30 of the female connector 3 according to embodiment 3. The projection 335 includes a columnar projection 336 coaxial with the sealing body 30, and a pair of side projections 337 projecting in mutually opposite directions in a radial direction from a tip of the columnar projection 336 or a vicinity thereof, and has a substantially T-shape as a whole. The seal body 30 of the female connector 3 of embodiment 3 is longer than that of embodiment 1, and as a result, the projection 335 projects downward from the distal end of the female part 11. The outer peripheral surface of the sealing element 30 is provided with 2 grooves 332 (in fig. 6A, one groove 332 is not visible) extending in the longitudinal direction (the direction of the central axis 1 a) of the sealing element 30. The grooves 332 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

As shown in fig. 6B, a pair of first projections 387 facing each other and a pair of second projections 388 (only one projection 388 is shown in fig. 6B) facing each other are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 81 of the cap 380. The direction in which the pair of first projections 387 oppose is substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of second projections 388 oppose. The second projection 388 is provided below the first projection 387. Further, on the inner peripheral surface of the insertion portion 81, 2 rib-like projections (third projections) 382 (in fig. 6B, only one projection 382 is shown) are provided along the longitudinal direction thereof. The projections 382 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The annular rib 86 provided in embodiments 1 and 2 is not provided on the inner peripheral surface of the inner wall 85 of the cap 380.

Fig. 7A and 7B are sectional views of the female connector 3 to which the cap 380 is attached. As shown in fig. 7A, the first projection 387 of the cap 380 is located above the side projection 337 of the sealing body 30, and both are engaged with each other in the vertical direction. Therefore, even if the cap 380 does not have the annular rib 86, it does not fall off the female part 11 due to gravity or light vibration.

As shown in fig. 7B, 2 projections 382 (see fig. 6B) projecting from the inner peripheral surface of the insertion portion 81 of the cap 380 are fitted into and engaged with 2 grooves 332 (see fig. 6A) formed in the outer peripheral surface of the sealing body 30 of the female connector 3. As can be understood from fig. 6A and 6B, the side projection 337 engages with the second projection 388 in the circumferential direction. Therefore, the cap 380 cannot be relatively rotated with respect to the sealing body 30.

The female connector 3 having the projection 335 can be integrally manufactured as a single part by, for example, two-color molding. Specifically, the projection 335 can be molded by a primary mold, and the female connector 3 having the projection 335 can be molded by a secondary mold that houses the projection 335. After the female connector 3 and the cap 380 are manufactured, the cap 380 is press-fitted into the female connector 3, whereby the side projections 337 can be engaged with the first projections 387.

In embodiment 3, similarly to embodiments 1 and 2, when the cap 380 is rotated with respect to the female part 11, the rotational force applied to the cap 380 is also transmitted to the sealing body 30 via the protrusion 382 and the groove 332, the second protrusion 388, and the side protrusion 337, the thin portion 14 is broken, and the sealing body 30 is separated from the small diameter portion 13. The female connector 3 from which the sealing body 30 is removed is substantially the same as the female connector 1 according to embodiment 1 from which the sealing body 30 is removed. As in embodiment 1, the female connector 3 can be connected to the male connector 100 (see fig. 3).

In embodiment 3, since the side projection 337 of the sealing body 30 is vertically engaged with the first projection 387 of the cap 380, the sealing body 30 cannot be separated from the cap 380. Therefore, when the cap 380 is separated from the female part 11 after the cap 380 is rotated with respect to the female connector 3 to break the thin portion 14, the sealing body 30 is taken out from the female part 11 together with the cap 380 while being housed in the insertion portion 81. Therefore, the sealing body 30 after separation does not fall off or lose.

In the above example, as the engaging structure provided in the sealing body 30 and the cap 380 to be engaged with each other, the groove 332 and the projection 335 are provided in the sealing body 30, and the projections 382, 387, and 388 are provided in the cap 380. As the engaging structure for transmitting the rotational force applied to the cap 380 to the sealing body 30, a combination of the protrusion 382 and the groove 332 and a combination of the second protrusion 388 and the lateral protrusion 337 are provided, but either one (for example, the protrusion 382 and the groove 332) may be omitted. The engagement structure for transmitting the rotational force to the seal body 30 is not limited to the structure of the present embodiment, and may be any as described in embodiments 1 and 2. The engagement structure for engaging the cap 380 with the seal body 30 in the direction of the central axis 1a is not limited to the first projection 387 and the side projection 337, and can be changed arbitrarily. The engaging structure for transmitting the rotational force applied to the cap 380 to the sealing body 30 and the engaging structure for engaging the cap 380 with the sealing body 30 in the direction of the central axis 1a may be constituted by common members or may be constituted by separate members independent of each other.

Embodiment 3 is the same as embodiments 1 and 2 except for the above. The description of embodiments 1 and 2 can also be applied to embodiment 3.

(embodiment mode 4)

Fig. 8A is an exploded perspective view of the female connector 4 and the cap 480 according to embodiment 4 of the present invention as viewed from below, and fig. 8B is an exploded perspective view of the female connector 4 and the cap 480 as viewed from above. Fig. 8C is an exploded sectional view of the female connector 4 and the cap 480 along one plane including the central axis 1a, and fig. 8D is an exploded sectional view of the female connector 4 and the cap 480 along the other plane including the central axis 1 a. The cross-section of fig. 8D is orthogonal to the cross-section of fig. 8C. Fig. 8E is a sectional perspective view of the female connector 4 viewed from the front end side. The cross-section of fig. 8E is the same as the cross-section of fig. 8D. Embodiment 4 will be described mainly with respect to differences from embodiment 1.

In embodiments 1 to 3, the sealing body 30 is disposed on the same side as the female part 11 with respect to the small diameter part 13 of the female connector. In contrast, in embodiment 4, as shown in fig. 8C to 8E, the seal body 430 is disposed on the opposite side of the small diameter portion 13 from the female part 11 so as to protrude toward the flow passage 52 in the welded portion 50. The sealing body 430 has a substantially cylindrical shape or a substantially circular plate shape as a whole. The thin portion 414 is continuous in a ring shape so as to seal between the circular end edge of the small diameter portion 13 and the circular end edge of the seal body 430 on the small diameter portion 13 side. As a result, the opening of the small diameter portion 13 is sealed by the seal body 430. As shown in fig. 8E, a concave portion 432 is provided on the surface of the seal body 430 on the small diameter portion 13 side. The recess 432 is a semi-cylindrical recess.

As shown in fig. 8B to 8D, the cap 480 has an insertion portion 481 coaxial with the inner wall 85 in the inner wall 85. The distal end of the insertion portion 81 in embodiments 1 to 3 is opened so that the sealing body 30 can be inserted, but the distal end of the insertion portion 481 in embodiment 4 is not opened. The insertion section 481 includes a base section 483 and a small-diameter tip section 484 smaller in diameter than the base section 483 in order from the bottom plate 89. A semi-cylindrical protrusion 482 protrudes from the tip of the small-diameter tip portion 483. The convex portion 482 protrudes upward (toward the female connector 4 in fig. 8C and 8D) from the outer wall 88 and the inner wall 85.

Fig. 9A and 9B are sectional views of the female connector 4 to which the cap 480 is attached. A base portion 483 and a small-diameter tip portion 484 of the cap 480 are inserted into the female part 11 and the small-diameter portion 13 of the female connector 4, respectively. The convex portion 482 of the cap 480 is fitted into the concave portion 432 of the sealing body 430. Each of the concave portion 432 and the convex portion 482 has a semi-cylindrical shape as described above. Therefore, the cap 480 cannot be relatively rotated with respect to the sealing body 430.

In embodiment 4, similarly to embodiment 1, when the cap 480 is rotated with respect to the female member 11, the rotational force applied to the cap 480 is transmitted to the seal body 430 via the convex portion 482 and the concave portion 432, the thin portion 414 is broken, and the seal body 430 is separated from the small diameter portion 13. The female connector 4 from which the sealing body 430 has been removed is substantially the same as the female connector 1 according to embodiment 1 from which the sealing body 30 has been removed. As in embodiment 1, the female connector 4 can be connected to the male connector 100 (see fig. 3).

As described above, even if the seal body 430 for sealing the small diameter portion 13 is disposed on the opposite side of the small diameter portion 13 from the female member 11, the small diameter portion 13 can be opened by breaking the thin portion 414 to separate the seal body 430 from the small diameter portion 13.

The sealing body 430 is located deeper than the small diameter portion 13, and therefore it is difficult to access the sealing body 430 from the female part 11 side. Therefore, even if the female connector 4 collides with a peripheral object or an operator touches the female connector 4, there is little possibility that an external force is applied to the sealing body 430. Therefore, the thin-walled portion 414 is less likely to crack or break unintentionally by an external force, and a liquid substance leaks out or bacteria intrudes into the bag.

On the other hand, the female connector 4 can be opened relatively easily. For example, as shown in fig. 9A and 9B, if the cap 480 is rotated with respect to the female connector 4 in a state where the cap 480 is attached to the female part 11, as in embodiments 1 to 3, the female connector 4 can be opened. Alternatively, the female connector 4 can be opened by merely inserting a rod into the female part 11 in a state where the cap 480 is not attached to the female part 11 and pressing the rod into the female part 11 in a state where the tip thereof is in contact with the sealing body 430. Unlike embodiments 1 to 3, in embodiment 4, the seal 430 is positioned in the opening surrounded by the small diameter portion 13, and therefore, the tip of the rod is easily pressed against the seal 430 without being displaced.

The engaging structure provided in the sealing body 430 and the cap 480 to be engaged with each other is not limited to the semi-cylindrical concave portion 432 and the convex portion 482, and may be any as described in embodiment 1. The engagement structure provided in the sealing body 430 is not limited to the recess, and may protrude toward the female part 11. As described in embodiments 1 and 2, the engagement structure (concave portion 432 and convex portion 482) that engages with each other may be omitted in embodiment 4.

Embodiment 4 is the same as embodiment 1 except for the above. The description of embodiment 1 can also be applied to embodiment 4.

(embodiment 5)

Fig. 10A is an exploded perspective view of the female connector 5 and the cap 580 according to embodiment 5 of the present invention as viewed from below, and fig. 10B is an exploded perspective view of the female connector 5 and the cap 580 as viewed from above. Fig. 10C is an exploded sectional perspective view of the female connector 5 and the cap 580 cut along one plane including the central axis (not shown), and fig. 10D is an exploded sectional perspective view of the female connector 5 and the cap 580 cut along the other plane including the central axis (not shown). The cross-section of fig. 10D is orthogonal to the cross-section of fig. 10C. The present embodiment 5 will be described mainly with respect to differences from embodiments 1 to 4.

As shown in fig. 10C and 10D, the female connector 5 includes an inner cylinder 521 having a hollow cylindrical shape. The inner cylinder 521 is provided in the small diameter portion 13 having a relatively small inner diameter at the base end of the female part 11. The inner cylinder 521 is disposed on the same side as the female part 11 with respect to the small diameter part 13 so as to be surrounded by the female part 11. The inner cylinder 521 is disposed coaxially with the female part 11 and is separated in the radial direction. The outer peripheral surface 522 of the inner cylinder 521 is provided with a tapered surface (so-called male tapered surface) whose outer diameter decreases as it approaches the tip end. The inner cylinder 521 is provided with a flow path 523 extending in the longitudinal direction of the inner cylinder 521. The flow passage 523 communicates with the small diameter portion 13.

The seal body 530 is connected to the front end of the inner cylinder 521 via the thin portion 514. The sealing body 530 has a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole. The seal body 530 extends from the distal end of the inner tube 521 toward the distal end side of the female part 11. The seal 530 is coaxial with the female member 11 and is radially separated from the inner circumferential surface 12 of the female member 11. The thin portion 514 is continuous in a ring shape so as to seal between a circular end edge of the front end of the inner tube 521 surrounding the flow path 523 and a circular end edge of the seal body 530 on the inner tube 521 side. As a result, the opening of the inner cylinder 521 on the front end side of the flow path 523 is sealed by the sealing body 530. The thin portion 514 is thinner than any of the inner cylinder 521, the female member 11, and the seal body 530 in the vicinity thereof, and as a result, becomes a weakened portion in which the mechanical strength is relatively reduced.

The sealing body 530 protrudes downward from the distal end of the female member 11. A pair of side projections 537 project radially outward from the front end of the seal body 530 or its vicinity. The sealing body 530 and the pair of side projections 537 have a substantially T-shape as a whole.

The inner circumferential surface 512 of the female member 11 is a cylindrical surface or a female tapered surface having an inner diameter slightly larger than the inner circumferential surface 12 of embodiments 1 to 4 and the inner circumferential surface 912 of the female connector 910 shown in fig. 13 a and 13B.

A pair of first projections 587 facing each other and a pair of second projections 588 facing each other are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 81 of the cap 580. The direction in which the pair of first protrusions 587 are opposed is substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of second protrusions 588 are opposed. The second protrusion 588 extends in the up-down direction from the upper side to the lower side with respect to the first protrusion 587.

Fig. 11A and 11B are sectional views of the female connector 5 to which the cap 580 is attached. The cross sections of fig. 11A and 11B are the same as the cross sections of fig. 10C and 10D, respectively. As shown in fig. 11A, the first projection 587 of the cap 580 is located above the side projection 537 of the sealing body 530, and both are engaged with each other in the vertical direction.

As can be understood from fig. 10C, 10D, and 11A, the side protrusions 537 engage with the second protrusions 588 in the circumferential direction. Therefore, the cap 580 cannot be relatively rotated with respect to the sealing body 530.

The female connector 5 provided with the side protrusions 537 can be integrally manufactured as a single part by, for example, two-color molding. Specifically, the side projections 537 and a part of the sealing body 530 on the distal end side can be integrally molded by a primary mold, and the female connector 3 can be molded by a secondary mold that accommodates the side projections 537 and a part of the sealing body 530. After the female connector 5 and the cap 580 are manufactured separately, the cap 580 is pushed into the female connector 5, whereby the side projections 537 and the first projections 587 can be engaged with each other.

In embodiment 5, similarly to embodiments 1 to 4, when the cap 580 is rotated with respect to the female member 11, the rotational force applied to the cap 580 is also transmitted to the sealing body 530 via the second protrusions 588 and the side protrusions 537, the thin portion 514 is broken, and the sealing body 530 is separated from the inner cylinder 521. The flow path 523 of the inner cylinder 521 is open.

Then, the female connector 5 is connected with the male connector 100. Fig. 12 is a sectional view of the female connector 5 to which the male connector 100 is connected. The female connector 5 of fig. 12 is the same as the female connector 5 shown in fig. 10A to 10D except for the point where the thin portion 514 is broken and the sealing body 530 is removed.

The inner cylinder 521 of the female connector 5 is inserted into the male part 921 of the male connector 100. As described above, the tapered male tapered surface is provided on the outer peripheral surface 522 of the inner tube 521. The minimum outer diameter of the outer peripheral surface 522 on the distal end side of the male tapered surface is smaller than the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface 928 defined in the flow path 927 of the male member 921, and the maximum outer diameter of the outer peripheral surface 522 on the proximal end side of the male tapered surface is larger than the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface 928 of the male member 921. Therefore, the male tapered surface of the inner cylinder 521 is fitted to the inner peripheral surface 928 of the male member 921, and a liquid-tight seal 529 is formed therebetween. As a result, the inner cylinder 521 and the male member 921 communicate with each other in a liquid-tight manner.

The male member 921 of the male connector 100 is inserted into the female member 11 of the female connector 5, and the internal thread 925 is screwed into the spiral projection 15. The helical projection 15 and the internal thread 925, which are screwed together, constitute a screw locking mechanism for locking the connection state of the female connector 5 and the male connector 100. In embodiment 5, since the inner peripheral surface 512 of the female member 11 has a larger inner diameter than the inner peripheral surface 12 of embodiments 1 to 4, the inner peripheral surface 512 and the outer peripheral surface 922 of the male member 921 are separated in the radial direction.

The liquid material stored in the bag flows through the flow path 52 of the female connector 5, the small diameter portion 13, the flow path 523 of the inner cylinder 521, and the flow path 927 of the male member 921 in this order to the administration set (not shown).

As described above, the female connector 5 according to embodiment 5 includes the inner tube 521 coaxial with the female part 11 and the sealing body 530 sealing the flow passage 523 of the inner tube 521 in the female part 11. The female connector 5 can be attached to a bag containing a liquid material to construct an RTH formulation. Before the liquid substance is administered to the patient, the sealing body 530 can be removed from the female connector 5, and then the male connector 100 provided at the upstream end of the administration member can be connected to the female connector 5.

The seal 530 is provided to seal the flow path 523 of the inner cylinder 521. Therefore, as in embodiments 1 to 4 in which the seal 30 is provided to seal the small diameter portion 13, the liquid material in the bag does not adhere to the inner peripheral surface 512 of the female member 11 unless the seal 530 is removed from the inner cylinder 521.

When the liquid material adheres to the inner circumferential surface 512, when the male member 921 is inserted into the female member 11, the liquid material adhering to the inner circumferential surface 512 overflows from the female member 11 and flows into the gap 926 between the male member 921 and the outer cylinder 923, or the liquid material adhering to the inner circumferential surface 512 is transferred to the outer circumferential surface 922 of the male member 921 after the male connector 100 and the female connector 5 are separated. Therefore, the male connector 100 (particularly, the gap 926 of the male connector body 120) is likely to be in an unsanitary state.

In embodiment 5, since the liquid material does not adhere to the inner circumferential surface 512 of the female member 11, the above problem is less likely to occur. That is, the seal body 530 sealing the flow path 523 of the inner tube 521 is advantageous for maintaining the gap 926 of the male connector 100 in a good sanitary state.

When the male part 921 is inserted into the female part 11, the inner cylinder 521 communicates with the male part 921, and a liquid-tight seal 529 is formed between the inner cylinder 521 and the male part 921. The seal 529 inhibits the liquid material from flowing to the inner circumferential surface 512 of the female member 11 and the outer circumferential surface 922 of the male member 921. This is advantageous in maintaining the gap 926 of the male connector 100 in a good hygienic condition.

A liquid-tight seal 529 is formed between the outer peripheral surface 522 of the inner cylinder 521 and the inner peripheral surface 928 of the male member 921. This facilitates the formation of a liquid-tight seal with a simple construction. In this case, when the outer peripheral surface 522 of the inner cylinder 521 has the male tapered surface, it is advantageous to form a liquid-tight seal 529 between the outer peripheral surface 522 of the inner cylinder 521 and the inner peripheral surface 928 of the male member 921.

When the inner cylinder 521 is fitted to the male member 921 and a liquid-tight seal 529 is formed therebetween, the inner peripheral surface 512 of the female member 11 and the outer peripheral surface 922 of the male member 921 are not liquid-tightly fitted to each other, but are preferably separated in the radial direction. In this case, since the inner cylinder 521 and the male member 921 can be partially and reliably brought into close contact with each other by the seal 529, the liquid-tightness of the seal 529 can be improved.

However, embodiment 5 is not limited to this, and the female part 11 may be provided with the same inner circumferential surface 12 (inner circumferential surface 912 shown in a and B of fig. 13) as embodiments 1 to 4 in conformity with ISO 80369-3. In this case, almost simultaneously with the formation of the seal 529, the inner peripheral surface 12 of the female member 11 and the outer peripheral surface 922 of the male member 921 are liquid-tightly fitted to each other, and a liquid-tight seal is also formed therebetween. In the above configuration, since a plurality of seals are formed between the female connector 5 and the male connector 100, when the pressure of the liquid substance rises, the liquid substance is advantageously prevented from leaking to the outside through a small gap between the female connector 5 and the male connector 100.

As in embodiment 3, the side projections 537 of the sealing body 530 vertically engage with the first projections 587 of the cap 580. Therefore, when the cap 580 is separated from the female part 11 after the cap 580 is rotated with respect to the female connector 5 to break the thin-walled portion 514, the sealing body 530 is separated from the female part 11 together with the cap 580 in a state of being housed in the insertion portion 81. Therefore, the sealing member 530 after separation does not fall off or get lost.

In embodiment 5 described above, the inner cylinder 521 of the female connector 5 is inserted into the male member 921 of the male connector 100. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the inner cylinder 521 and the male member 921 may be abutted in the longitudinal direction thereof, whereby a liquid-tight seal may be formed between the distal end of the inner cylinder 521 and the distal end of the male member 921. In this case, since the inner diameter of the inner cylinder 521 can be made larger than that in embodiment 5, the flow resistance of the liquid material flowing through the flow path 523 of the inner cylinder 521 can be advantageously reduced.

In embodiment 5 described above, either one of the annular rib 86 and the first projection 587 provided on the cap 580 may be omitted. In this case, the cap 580 does not fall off the female part 11 due to gravity or light vibration.

In the above example, as an engaging structure for engaging with each other provided in the sealing body 530 and the cap 580, the sealing body 530 is provided with the side projection 537, and the cap 580 is provided with the projections 587, 588. The second projection 588 and the side projection 537 are provided as the engagement structure for transmitting the rotational force applied to the cap 580 to the sealing body 530, but the engagement structure for transmitting the rotational force to the sealing body 30 is not limited to this, and may be any as described in embodiments 1 and 2. The engagement structure for engaging the cap 580 with the sealing body 530 in the direction of the central axis 1a is not limited to the first projection 387 and the side projection 537, and can be changed arbitrarily. The engagement structure for transmitting the rotational force applied to the cap 580 to the sealing body 530 and the engagement structure for engaging the cap 580 and the sealing body 530 in the direction of the central axis 1a may be constituted by common members or may be constituted by separate members independent of each other. An engagement structure for engaging the cap 580 with the sealing body 530 in the direction of the central axis 1a may be omitted. As described in embodiments 1 and 2, in embodiment 5, the engagement structure (the side projection 537 and the projections 587 and 588) that engage with each other may be omitted.

The sealing body 530 does not need to protrude downward from the front end of the female member 11. That is, the seal body 30 of embodiment 1 may not protrude from the distal end of the female member 11.

The sealing body 530 does not need to extend downward from the front end of the inner cylinder 521. For example, the sealing body 530 may be provided in the flow passage 523 of the inner tube 521, or may be provided on the opposite side of the small diameter portion 13 from the female part 11 and protrude toward the flow passage 52 in the welded portion 50, as in the sealing body 430 of embodiment 4. In this case, the thin portion 514 connects an arbitrary position on the inner circumferential surface of the inner tube 521 that defines the flow channel 523 (an arbitrary position from the distal end to the proximal end of the inner tube 521) or the small diameter portion 13 to the sealing body 530 in a liquid-tight manner.

While the female connectors 1 to 5 of embodiments 1 to 5 described above include the welding portion 50 welded to the sheet constituting the bag storing the liquid material, the female connector of the present invention may not include the welding portion 50 and the partition plate 59. The female connector of the present invention is attached to a mouth base portion including a welded portion 50 welded to a sheet of a bag to form a mouth of the bag in one configuration example, and is provided at one end of a flexible tube in another configuration example.

Industrial applicability of the invention

The field of use of the present invention is not limited, and the present invention can be widely used in any field where a liquid material is handled, for example, medical treatment, food, chemistry, and the like. Among these, it can be used favorably in the medical field, particularly in enteral nutrition therapy. Specifically, the female connector of the present invention can be preferably used as an injection/discharge port provided in a container (bag) in which a liquid material to be administered to a patient is stored, particularly an RTH preparation.

Description of the symbols

1. 2, 3, 4, 5 female connector

11 female part

12. 515 inner peripheral surface of female part

13 minor diameter portion

14. 414, 514 thin wall part

30. 430, 530 sealing body

32. 335, 537 projection (fastening structure)

80. 280, 380, 480, 580 caps

81 insertion part

82. 282, 382, 387, 388, 587, 588 protrusions (engaging structure)

100 male connector

232. 332 groove (fastening structure)

432 concave (fastening structure)

482 convex part (fastening structure)

521 inner barrel

522 outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder

523 flow path of inner cylinder

529 seal

921 Male type component

922 outer peripheral surface of male member

928 inner peripheral surface of male member

Claims (15)

1. A female connector capable of connecting a male connector having a cylindrical male member, comprising:

a female part having a hollow cylindrical shape;

a small diameter portion provided at a base end of the female member and having an inner diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the female member; and

a seal body connected to the small diameter portion via an annular thin portion to seal the small diameter portion,

the thin portion is configured to be breakable to separate the sealing body from the small diameter portion, the small diameter portion being open,

the female connector is configured such that, when the male connector is connected to the female connector having the small diameter portion opened, the male member is inserted into the female member, and the small diameter portion communicates with the male member,

the female connector further includes a cap that is attachable to and detachable from the female member,

the seal body and the cap each have an engagement structure for engaging with each other.

2. The female connector of claim 1,

the seal body is disposed on the same side as the female member with respect to the small diameter portion.

3. The female connector of claim 1,

the seal is disposed on the opposite side of the small-diameter portion from the female member.

4. A female connector capable of connecting a male connector having a cylindrical male member, comprising:

a female part having a hollow cylindrical shape;

an inner cylinder that is coaxial with the female part, is disposed so as to be surrounded by the female part, and has a hollow cylindrical shape; and

a sealing body connected to the inner cylinder through an annular thin portion to seal a flow path provided in the inner cylinder,

the thin portion is configured to be breakable to separate the sealing body from the inner cylinder, and the flow path of the inner cylinder is opened,

the female connector is configured such that, when the male connector is connected to the female connector in which the flow path of the inner tube is opened, the male member is inserted into the female member, and the inner tube communicates with the male member.

5. The female connector of claim 4,

the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube is configured to form a liquid-tight seal with the inner peripheral surface of the male member when the female connector is connected to the male connector.

6. The female connector of claim 4 or 5,

the female member is configured not to be liquid-tightly fitted to the male member when the female connector is connected to the male connector.

7. The female connector of any one of claims 1, 2, 4, 5,

the sealing body is disposed so as to be surrounded by the female member.

8. The female connector of any one of claims 1, 2, 4, 5,

the seal body does not protrude from the distal end of the female member.

9. The female connector of any one of claims 1, 2, 4, 5,

the seal body protrudes from a distal end of the female member.

10. The female connector of claim 4,

further, the female member is provided with a cap that can be attached to and detached from the female member.

11. The female connector of claim 1 or 10,

the cap is configured such that, when an external force in the central axis direction of the female member and an external force in a direction orthogonal to the central axis direction are applied to the cap attached to the female member, the cap is not substantially displaced with respect to the female member, or the cap after displacement does not collide with the sealing body.

12. The female connector of claim 10,

the seal body and the cap each have an engagement structure for engaging with each other.

13. The female connector of claim 1 or 12,

when the cap is rotated with respect to the female member, a rotational force is transmitted to the sealing body via the engagement structure, and the thin portion is broken.

14. The female connector of claim 1 or 12,

when the cap is separated from the female member, the sealing body engaged with the cap via the engagement structure is taken out of the female connector together with the cap.

15. The female connector of claim 1 or 12,

the cap is provided with an insertion part which can be inserted into the female part,

the engaging structure of the cap is provided to the insertion portion.

Images