JP2011070951A - Connector for medical application - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector for medical application with a lock structure capable of attaining space saving, miniaturization, and improved operability of lock release while securing certain rigidity with a simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: A lock mechanism has a first engagement member (locking pawl 120) arranged on a connector plug 110, a second engagement member (locking pawl 160) prepared in a connector receptacle 150 capable of connecting with the first engagement member, and an operation section (lock release buttons 122, 124) for releasing an engagement state. Either (the locking pawl 120) of the first engagement member and the second engagement member is slidable along an outer peripheral surface 116 of a connector body 112 corresponding to a direction orthogonal to an insertion and pulling-out direction of the connector plug 110, and is biased by elastic force in the retaining direction of the engagement state, and is slid in the releasing direction of the engagement state against the elastic force upon operation of the operation section. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a medical connector.

  Generally, an electrical connector is composed of a connector receptacle (hereinafter simply referred to as “receptacle”) attached to the device side and a connector plug (hereinafter simply referred to as “plug”) that is attached to a cable and can be fitted into the receptacle. Some electrical connectors include a lock mechanism for maintaining or releasing the fitting state between the receptacle and the plug.

  As an example of an electrical connector provided with a locking mechanism, there are medical connectors such as an electrocardiogram measurement connector used for an electrocardiograph and a biological signal measurement connector used for a biological information monitor.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conventional medical connector. In particular, FIG. 1A is a side view showing the appearance on the plug side, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure on the plug side.

  The connector 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a lock structure called a so-called laundry scissors method (or lever method). The connector 10 is provided with locking mechanisms 18 and 20 at the upper and lower portions of the housing 14 of the plug 12 (that is, above and below the connector main body 16), respectively. The lock mechanisms 18 and 20 each have a lock claw 22, a spring 24, and a lock release button 26. The lock claw 22 is urged in a direction to engage with a lock claw (not shown) on the receptacle side by the elastic force of the spring 24. When the lock release button 26 is pressed, the lock claw 22 moves in the direction in which the engagement with the lock claw (not shown) on the receptacle side is released against the elastic force of the spring 24 according to the principle of leverage. As a result, the lock is released and the connector 10 (plug 12 and receptacle) can be removed.

  Further, although not shown, as another type of lock structure in the electrical connector, for example, a semi-lock structure having no dedicated button for unlocking is known. In the semi-lock structure, the connector (plug and receptacle) can be inserted and removed without providing a dedicated lock release button by providing an angle to a commonly used engaging claw.

  As yet another method, Patent Document 1 (and the prior art in the specification of the document) discloses various lock mechanisms provided in a connector used in a medical electrical device. Here, various methods such as a system in which a mechanical locking mechanism is incorporated in a plug and a structure in which a mechanical locking mechanism is provided in a receptacle are shown.

JP 2004-22391 A

  However, in the case of the lock structure in the conventional connector 10 shown in FIG. 1, the volume of the mechanism portion (that is, the lock mechanisms 18 and 20) increases in proportion to the length between the lock claw 22 and the lock release button 26. The width or vertical size of the connector 10 is increased. For this reason, when a large number of connectors are arranged, it is necessary to increase the connector mounting interval accordingly. That is, since the lever-type lock mechanism has a larger occupied volume than the connector body 16, the longer the length between the lock claw 22 and the lock release button 26, the larger the size of the connector 10 and the larger the space. Need.

  In addition, when the distance between adjacent upper and lower or left and right connectors 10 is small, a hand cannot enter the unlocking portion including the unlocking button 26, so that a larger connector mounting interval is required. That is, when the connector 10 is attached at a small interval, the operation space is reduced, and the lock release button 26 is difficult to operate.

  Further, in the case of a lever type lock mechanism, the lock claw 22 requires a certain level of strength and rigidity because of its structure, so the use of metal is indispensable. Therefore, it is necessary to take a very difficult countermeasure against static electricity.

  On the other hand, in the case of a semi-locked connector, the connector (plug and receptacle) can be easily detached if the fitting force between the male and female pins is not strong. Therefore, in the case of a semi-locked connector, it is necessary to increase the fitting force in order to maintain the holding force in the fitted state. As a result, a strong force is required to insert and remove the connector (plug and receptacle).

  For this reason, in order to insert and remove a connector with hand force, a sufficient operation space is required, and the interval between adjacent connectors must be increased. That is, when the distance between the connectors is small, it is impossible to insert / extract the connector with a hand, and it is not possible to use it in a small operation space.

  Further, in order to maintain the connector insertion / removal force at a constant force for a certain period, a strong structure and material are required. On the one hand, this becomes a factor that increases the size of the connector, and on the other hand, in many cases, it is necessary to use a rigid material such as a metal, and this causes a problem in countermeasures against static electricity.

  Furthermore, in the case of a semi-locked connector, the click feeling is not sufficiently obtained when the plug is inserted into the receptacle, and it is difficult to confirm the secure insertion and the connection between the constituent pins.

  The various lock structures described in Patent Document 1 (and the prior art in the specification of the document) mainly detachably connect a part used in a sterilization area such as an endoscope and a part belonging to a non-sterilization area. -Since the electrical connector for fixing is intended, all have a complicated structure, and are not suitable for a medical connector used for an electrocardiograph or a biological information monitor.

  For example, some electrocardiographs are equipped with a plurality of connectors for acquiring electrocardiogram signals so that a single electrocardiograph can efficiently acquire the electrocardiograms of a plurality of subjects. In the case of a biological information monitor, since there are many parameters to be measured from one patient, usually, a large number of connectors are used at one time, and the parameters to be measured are changed according to the patient's symptom and condition. Since the patient to be monitored is changed (changed) due to discharge or moving to the hospital ward, the frequency of connector insertion / removal is very high. Therefore, it is desirable that a medical connector used for an electrocardiograph or a biological information monitor is suitable for such a special use environment. Specifically, it is desirable that the medical connector is configured so that it can be easily pulled out even when a wide variety of connectors are densely packed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has a simple structure and a lock capable of saving space, reducing the size, and improving the operability of unlocking while ensuring a certain rigidity. An object of the present invention is to provide a medical connector having a structure.

  The medical connector of the present invention is a medical connector having a lock mechanism that holds or releases the fitting state of the connector plug and the connector receptacle. The lock mechanism is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the connector main body of the connector plug. A first engagement member; a second engagement member provided on an outer peripheral portion of a connector main body of the connector receptacle; and engageable with the first engagement member; the first engagement member and the second engagement member; An operation portion for releasing the engagement state, and either one of the first engagement member and the second engagement member is in a direction perpendicular to the insertion / extraction direction of the connector plug, Slidable along the outer peripheral surface of the corresponding connector body, and urged by an elastic force in a direction in which the engagement state of the first engagement member and the second engagement member is maintained; and The above When work unit is operated in the direction to release the engagement of the first engagement member and the second engagement member is slid against the elastic force, with the configuration.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve space saving, downsizing, and improvement in unlocking operability with a simple structure and a certain rigidity.

It is a figure which shows an example of the conventional medical connector, (A) is a side view which shows the external appearance of the plug side, (B) is sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of the plug side The perspective view which shows the structure of the medical connector which concerns on one embodiment of this invention It is a figure which shows the plug side of the medical connector of FIG. 2, (A) is a top view of a plug, (B) is sectional drawing in alignment with the BB line of FIG. 3 (A), (C) is Front view of the plug, (D) is a side view of the plug 2 is an exploded perspective view of the medical connector of FIG. 2 on the plug side. It is a figure for demonstrating the locking mechanism of the medical connector of FIG. 2, (A) is a top view which shows a connector fitting state, (B) is a side view which shows a connector fitting state, (C) is Sectional drawing which follows the CC line of FIG. 5 (A), (D) is a side view which shows a connector isolation | separation state

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the medical connector according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  2 is a medical connector such as an electrocardiogram measurement connector used for an electrocardiograph and a biosignal measurement connector used for a biological information monitor. And a plug 110 and a receptacle 150. The receptacle 150 is a connector attached to the device side. The plug 110 is a connector that is attached to the cable 180 and can be fitted into the receptacle 150.

  Plug 110 and receptacle 150 are used in a male / female combination and have different polarities. The male is the side where the electrical contact, that is, the connecting portion of the core wire (metal electrode portion) is convex, and the female is the side where the electrical contact, that is, the connecting portion of the core wire is concave. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the connector main body 112 of the plug 110 is a male (convex), and the connector main body 152 of the receptacle 150 is a female (concave). May be reversed.

  Connector 100 has the number of pins corresponding to the number of core wires. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the connector 100 has 15 pins. Therefore, the connector main body 112 (male) of the plug 110 is provided with 15 connector pins 114, and the connector main body 152 (female) of the receptacle 150 is provided with 15 pin holes 154. Of course, the number of pins of the connector 100 is not limited to this.

  Further, the connector 100 employs a touch proof structure as shown in FIG. That is, the plug 110 and the connector main bodies 112 and 152 of the receptacle 150 have a structure in which the metal electrode is not exposed and the hand does not contact the electrode. In addition, the specific example of a touch-proof structure is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 2, A well-known arbitrary structure can be taken.

  The connector 100 also has a lock mechanism that maintains or releases the fitting state of the plug 110 and the receptacle 150.

  In the present embodiment, the locking mechanism of the connector 100 is provided with, for example, an engaging member that is slidable along the outer circumferential surface 116 in the longitudinal direction of the connector main body 112 at the outer peripheral portion in the longitudinal direction of the connector main body 112 of the plug 110. As the engaging member, a lock claw 120 that is engaged with the plug 110 at an angle perpendicular to or nearly perpendicular to the pulling direction of the plug 110 is adopted.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the locking mechanism of the connector 100 includes a lock claw 120 (first engagement member) that can slide up and down along the longitudinal outer peripheral surface 116 of the connector main body 112 toward the plug 110. And has a lock claw 152 (second engaging member) fixed on the receptacle 150 side, which is engaged with the lock claw 120 on the plug 110 side. The slidable lock claw 120 on the plug 110 side and the fixed lock claw 160 on the receptacle 150 side engage with each other at a vertical position or a near vertical angle with respect to the pulling direction of the plug 110 (locked state). Then, the lock claw 120 on the plug 110 side is configured to be lowered downward (in the direction of arrow A in the figure) so that the meshing with each other is released. The movement of the lock claw 120 on the plug 110 side in the vertical direction is restricted between the lock position (upper limit) and the lock release position (lower limit).

  Further, in order to release the locked state, that is, the engagement (meshing) state of the lock claw 120 on the plug 110 side and the lock claw 160 on the receptacle 150 side, the plug 110 has two lock release buttons 122 and 124 (operation unit). Is provided. One lock release button (hereinafter referred to as “upper lock release button”) 122 is provided on the top of the plug 110, and the other lock release button (hereinafter referred to as “left / right lock release button”) 124 is paired on the left and right sides of the plug 110. Is provided. The pair of left and right left / right lock release buttons 124 are provided at places where they are difficult to touch by hand, for example, left and right behind the main body of the plug 110 so that they are not accidentally (unintentionally) released.

  Next, the locking mechanism on the plug 110 side will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 is a diagram showing the plug 110 side of the connector 110 in FIG. 2. In particular, FIG. 3 (A) is a plan view of the plug 110, and FIG. 3 (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 3 (A). FIG. 3C is a front view of the plug 110, and FIG. 3D is a side view of the plug 110. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the connector 100 of FIG. 2 on the plug 110 side. 3 and 4, the same reference numerals are given to the portions common to FIG. 2.

  As shown in FIG. 4, for example, the lock mechanism on the plug 110 side includes a housing 118, a lock cover 126, a first slide lock member 128, a second slide lock member 130, an upper lock release button 122, It has a left / right lock release button 124, a first spring 132, and a second spring 134. Among the components of the plug 110, components other than the contact pins 114, specifically, a housing 118 (including portions other than the contact pins 114 of the contact body 112), a lock cover 126, a first slide lock member 128, a first The two-slide lock member 130, the upper lock release button 122, and the left / right lock release button 124 are all formed of resin.

  The housing 118 is formed with a slide groove 136 for accommodating the first slide lock member 128 slidably up and down along the longitudinal outer peripheral surface 116 of the connector main body 112. A pair of lock claws 120 are integrally formed with the first slide lock member 128. The pair of lock claws 120 are provided at symmetrical positions with the connector main body 112 interposed therebetween in a state where the first slide lock member 128 is accommodated in the slide groove 136 of the housing 118. An upper lock release button 122 is attached to the upper portion of the first slide lock member 128 via a first spring 132. The first slide lock member 128 is biased upward (that is, in the direction of the lock position) by the elastic force of the first spring 132. Further, by depressing the upper lock release button 122, the first slide lock member 128 moves downward (that is, in the direction of the lock release position) against the elastic force of the first spring 132.

  On the other hand, a lock cover 126 is attached to the bottom of the housing 118. A second slide lock member 130 containing a second spring 134 is provided inside the lock cover 126 so as to be slidable in the insertion / extraction direction of the plug 110. The second slide lock member 130 is urged in the pulling direction of the plug 110 by the elastic force of the second spring 134. The second slide lock member 130 has a first taper portion 130a at the front portion and second taper portions 130b at the left and right sides of the side portion. The first taper portion 130a abuts on the first slide lock member 128 and acts to push down the first slide lock member 128 when the second slide lock member 130 moves in the insertion direction of the plug 110. Further, the second taper portion 130b abuts on the left / right lock release button 124, and when the left / right lock release button 124 is pressed with a hand, the second slide lock member 130 resists the elastic force of the second spring 134. Thus, the plug 110 is moved in the insertion direction. Thereby, the 1st slide lock member 128 is pushed down by the effect | action of the 1st taper part 130a of the 2nd slide lock member 130 as mentioned above.

  In addition, tapered portions 120 a corresponding to the tapered portions 160 a of the fixed locking claw 160 on the receptacle 150 side are formed at the upper end portions of the pair of locking claw 120 formed on the first slide lock member 128. When the taper portion 120a of the plug-side lock claw 120 comes into contact with the taper portion 160a of the receptacle-side lock claw 160 when the plug 110 is inserted, the plug-side lock claw 120 (that is, the first slide lock member 128) is pushed by the pushing force at the tip angle. Is pushed down against the elastic force of the first spring 132.

  Next, the operation of the lock mechanism having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the locking mechanism of the connector shown in FIG. 2. In particular, FIG. 5A is a plan view showing a connector fitting state, and FIG. 5B is a connector fitting state. 5C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 5A, and FIG. 5D is a side view showing a connector separated state.

  First, a case where the plug 110 is inserted into the receptacle 150 will be described.

  When the connector main body 112 of the plug 110 is inserted into the connector main body 152 of the receptacle 150, the tapered portion 120a of the plug-side lock claw 120 and the tapered portion 160a of the receptacle-side lock claw 160 come into contact with each other. When the connector main body 112 of the plug 110 is further inserted into the connector main body 152 of the receptacle 150, the plug-side lock claw 120 (that is, the first slide lock member 128) is elasticated by the first spring 132 by the pushing force at the tip angle. It is pushed downward against the force and is engaged with the receptacle-side lock claw 160. Then, when the plug-side lock claw 120 and the receptacle-side lock claw 160 are engaged, the plug-side lock claw 120 (that is, the first slide lock member 128) is automatically moved upward by the elastic force of the first spring 132. It will be in a locked state. That is, the plug-side lock claw 120 and the receptacle-side lock claw 160 are engaged (engaged), and the engagement state is maintained by the elastic force of the first spring 132 (locked state), and the plug 110 and the receptacle 150 are electrically connected. (Connector mated state) At this time, since the plug 110 and the receptacle 150 are fixedly held in a connected state, even if the plug 110 is pulled out, it cannot be pulled out as it is.

  Next, a case where the plug 110 is pulled out from the receptacle 150 will be described.

  In this case, first, the locked state is released.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, two unlock mechanisms using the two unlock buttons 122 and 124 are provided. One lock release mechanism is that the left / right lock release button 124 is pressed → the second slide lock member 130 moves forward → the first slide lock member 128 moves downward to release the lock. Another unlock mechanism is that the upper unlock button 122 is pushed 122 → the first slide lock member 128 is moved downward to unlock. In the latter case, pressing of the upper lock release button does not interlock with the left / right lock release button 124.

  That is, in the former case, when the left and right lock release button 124 is sandwiched and pushed, the second taper portion 130b of the second slide lock member 130 is in contact with the left and right lock release button 124. However, it moves in the insertion direction of the plug 110 (the direction of arrow C in the figure) against the elastic force of the second spring 134. Thus, the first slide lock member 128 (that is, the plug-side lock claw 120) is pushed downward (in the direction of arrow B in the figure) by the action of the first taper portion 130a of the second slide lock member 130, and the plug side The engagement state (engagement) between the lock claw 120 and the receptacle-side lock claw 160 is released, and the lock is released. When the left / right lock release button 124 is opened, the first slide lock member 128 and the second slide lock member 130 return to their original positions by the elastic force of the first spring 132 and the second spring 134, respectively.

  On the other hand, in the latter case, when the upper lock release button 122 is pressed by hand, the first slide lock member 128 (that is, the plug-side lock claw 120) is not elastically coupled to the first spring 132 without interlocking with the left / right lock release button 124. It is pushed downward (in the direction of arrow B in the figure) against the force, and the engagement state (engagement) between the plug side lock claw 120 and the receptacle side lock claw 160 is released, and the lock is released. When the upper lock release button 122 is released, the first slide lock member 128 returns to the original position by the elastic force of the first spring 132.

  As described above, the plug 110 and the receptacle 150 are separated from each other by pulling out the plug 110 from the receptacle 150 while releasing the locked state by operating (pressing) the left / right lock release button 124 or the upper lock release button 122. The combined state is canceled (connector separation state).

  As described above, in this embodiment, when the left and right lock release button 124 of the plug 110 is sandwiched and pushed by hand, the plug side lock claw 120 is lowered, and the engagement with the receptacle side lock claw 160 is released (unlocked). The connector 100 (plug 110 and receptacle 150) can be removed.

  Even when the upper lock release button 122 is pressed, the plug-side lock claw 120 is lowered and unlocked without interlocking with the left / right lock release button 124.

  On the other hand, when the plug 110 is inserted into the receptacle 150, the plug-side lock claw 120 is lowered by the pushing force of the tip angles (tapered portions 120a, 160a) of the lock claw 120, 160. The lock claw 120 is automatically raised and locked.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the engagement member that is slidable along the outer circumferential surface 116 in the longitudinal direction of the connector main body 112 is provided on the outer peripheral portion in the longitudinal direction of the connector main body 112 of the plug 110. As a member, a lock claw 120 that engages at an angle perpendicular to or almost perpendicular to the pulling direction of the plug 110 is employed. For this reason, even if components other than the electrodes are molded from resin, a lock structure that locks or unlocks with a small spring force (elastic force of the first spring 132 and the second spring 134) while ensuring a certain rigidity. Can be obtained with a simple structure (simplification of structure and securing of rigidity). Further, by arranging the connector main bodies 112 and 152 in the center of the connector 100 (plug 110, receptacle 150), the connector size can be reduced (miniaturized).

  Further, by providing the lock mechanism in the present embodiment, the insertion / extraction force of connector 100 (plug 110 and receptacle 150) can be kept low (reduction of insertion / extraction force) even if the number of pins is large. For this reason, in combination with the arrangement of the unlock buttons 122 and 124 on the upper part of the plug 110 and the left and right sides of the main body, the mounting interval of the connector 100 can be reduced (space saving), and the operation space is reduced. The connector 100 (plug 110 and receptacle 150) can be easily inserted and removed even in a narrow space (improvement of unlocking operability).

  Further, since the click feeling when the connector 100 (plug 110 and receptacle 150) is fitted is obtained by the spring force (elastic force of the first spring 132 and the second spring 134), reliable insertion and connection between the constituent pins are possible. Can be determined more reliably.

  Further, by slightly changing the engagement angle of the lock claws 120, 160 from a right angle, when the cord (cable 180) of the connector 100 is pulled, the lock is released with a certain pulling force or more, and the connected device body is a table or the like. Can be prevented from falling off.

  In short, according to the present embodiment, (1) the pin fitting force can be weakened even with a connector having a large number of pins, and a large force is not required for insertion / extraction, and (2) the connector can be securely held by the lock claw. (3) With a small spring force, it is possible to keep the plug from being pulled out and to obtain a click feeling of the lock when the plug is inserted. (4) A lock proof structure with a large number of pins can be easily unlocked even in a narrow space by pressing either the upper or left unlock button and sliding the lock claw. While being provided, a feature (effect) such as a small connector shape can be obtained.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, a medical connector suitable for a special use environment in which many connectors are used at once and the frequency of insertion / removal is very high has a simple structure and a certain rigidity. It can be obtained while ensuring.

  In this embodiment, the receptacle-side lock claw 160 is fixed and the plug-side lock claw 120 is slidable. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the plug-side lock claw can be fixed and the receptacle-side lock claw can be slid. It is also possible to configure.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the lock release buttons 122 and 124 are provided in the upper part of the plug 110 and the left and right parts, but the present invention is not limited to this, and only one of them may be provided.

  In the present embodiment, the medical connector has been described as an example. However, this is merely a most preferable example, and the present invention is not limited to this. The lock structure in the present embodiment can be widely applied to electrical connectors.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Medical connector 110 Connector plug 112,152 Connector main body 114 Connector pin 116 Longitudinal outer peripheral surface 118 Case 120 Plug side lock claw 120a, 130a, 130b, 160a Taper part 122 Upper lock release button 124 Left and right lock release button 126 Lock cover 128 First slide lock member 130 Second slide lock member 132 First spring 134 Second spring 136 Slide groove 150 Receptacle 154 Pin hole 160 Receptacle side lock claw 180 Cable

Claims (7)

A medical connector having a lock mechanism for holding or releasing a fitting state between a connector plug and a connector receptacle,
The locking mechanism is
A first engagement member provided on an outer peripheral portion of a connector main body of the connector plug;
A second engagement member provided on an outer peripheral portion of a connector main body of the connector receptacle and engageable with the first engagement member;
An operation portion for releasing the engagement state of the first engagement member and the second engagement member;
One of the first engagement member and the second engagement member is
Slidable along the outer peripheral surface of the corresponding connector body in a direction perpendicular to the insertion / extraction direction of the connector plug, and
Biased by an elastic force in a direction in which the engagement state of the first engagement member and the second engagement member is maintained; and
When the operation portion is operated, the first engagement member and the second engagement member are slid against the elastic force in a direction to release the engagement state.
Medical connector. The first engagement member and the second engagement member are respectively provided on the outer peripheral portion in the longitudinal direction of the corresponding connector body.
The medical connector according to claim 1. Each of the first engagement member and the second engagement member is provided in a pair with a corresponding connector body interposed therebetween,
A pair of slidable engagement members of the first engagement member and the second engagement member move in conjunction with each other.
The medical connector according to claim 2. The first engagement member and the second engagement member are claw-shaped lock members that mesh with each other at an angle that is perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the insertion / extraction direction of the connector plug.
The medical connector according to claim 1. The operation portion is disposed on at least one of an upper portion, a lower portion, and left and right sides of a housing on a side provided with a slidable engagement member of the connector plug and the connector receptacle.
The medical connector according to claim 1. The first engaging member is slidable;
The second engaging member is fixed;
The medical connector according to claim 1. All components other than electrodes are molded from resin.
The medical connector according to claim 1.

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