JP7540197B2 - Male connector unit for medical tubing - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a male connector unit that is attached to the end of a tube used for medical purposes.

Enteral nutrition therapy is used when a patient's intestines are functioning but they are unable to take in nutrition through their mouth due to swallowing disorders or other reasons. In enteral nutrition therapy, nutrition is supplied to the body through a nasogastric tube inserted from the patient's nose into the stomach or jejunum, or through a PEG catheter passed through a gastrostomy or enterostomy. At this time, connectors are used to connect an extension tube or a syringe or bag containing nutrients to the external end of the nasogastric tube or PEG catheter (hereinafter collectively referred to as "enteral nutrition tube") (Patent Document 1).

This patent document 1 discloses a male connector for connecting to a female connector, which includes a male lure that is inserted into the female connector, and a locking part that screws into both the male lure and the female connector. In addition, the locking part is detachable from the male lure so that the male connector can be washed as needed during use, and a mechanism (anti-rotation mechanism) is also disclosed that prevents the locking part from unintentionally coming off the male lure.

International Publication No. 2015/087880

The rotation prevention mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 is composed of a recess on the male lure side and a protrusion on the locking part side, and when the male lure and the locking part are screwed together to a predetermined position, these recess and protrusion engage with each other to prevent relative rotation between the male lure and the locking part. In other words, this rotation prevention mechanism is designed in such a way that when the male lure and the locking part are separated from each other by rotating them relatively from a predetermined screwed state, the initial rotation torque is increased by the amount required to release the engagement between the recess and protrusion.

However, whether such a mechanism can properly function depends on the dimensional accuracy of the recess and protrusion. Depending on the individual differences of each product, the rotational torque for disengagement may become too large, resulting in poor operability, or may become too small, failing to provide the desired anti-rotation function. In addition, when connecting a male connector and a female connector, the recess of the male lure and the protrusion of the locking part must be screwed together until they engage, but this operation is dependent on the user. Therefore, if the user does not screw together the recess and protrusion until they engage, there is a concern that the locking part may come off the male lure.

The present invention aims to provide a male connector unit that connects a medical tube to another tube, etc., that can be easily disassembled for cleaning and that can prevent unintended separation.

The male connector unit used in the medical tube according to the present invention is a male connector unit including a male luer at the tip end that is inserted into a female luer of a female connector having a female luer, and a coupler having a screw-in portion at the tip end into which the male connector can be inserted and which can be screwed into the female connector, the male connector having a connector-side protrusion that protrudes radially outward from the outer surface of the base end, the coupler having a coupler-side protrusion that protrudes radially inward from the inner surface of the base end, and the connector-side protrusion and the coupler The coupler side protrusion is formed to engage when the axis of the tip of the male connector coincides with the axis of the tip of the coupler. When the axis of the tip of the male connector coincides with the axis of the tip of the coupler, the connector side protrusion and the coupler side protrusion engage, restricting the separation of the coupler from the male connector. When the axis of the tip of the male connector does not coincide with the axis of the tip of the coupler, the connector side protrusion and the coupler side protrusion disengage, allowing the coupler to be separated from the male connector.

According to this configuration, a connector consisting of a female connector and a male connector unit (male connector and coupler) is connected by inserting the male connector into the female connector and screwing the coupler into the female connector. At this time, the axis of the tip of the male connector and the axis of the tip of the coupler coincide and become coaxial. Therefore, according to the male connector unit of the above configuration, when the two axes coincide (when the connector is in a connected state), the connector side protrusion and the coupler side protrusion engage, making it impossible for the coupler to be detached from the male connector. Therefore, in a connected connector, it is possible to prevent the coupler from being unexpectedly detached from the male connector. Also, when the connector is in a disconnected state, the positions of the male connector and the coupler are shifted so that the two axes do not coincide, and the connector side protrusion and the coupler side protrusion are disengaged. Therefore, at this time, the coupler can be detached from the male connector and can be easily disassembled.

In addition, when the axis of the tip of the male connector and the axis of the tip of the coupler coincide to form a common axis, the axis of the inner surface of the coupler-side protrusion or the axis of the outer surface of the connector-side protrusion may be eccentric with respect to the common axis, so that the connector-side protrusion and the coupler-side protrusion are engaged.

As a result, when the connector is connected, the coupler side protrusion and the connector side protrusion engage with each other, preventing the coupler from coming off the male connector.

The outer peripheral contour shape when the connector side protrusion is viewed along the axial direction may be the same as the inner peripheral contour shape when the coupler side protrusion is viewed along the axial direction.

This makes it possible to remove the coupler from the male connector by rotating the male connector and coupler relative to one another and manipulating the connector-side protrusion and the coupler-side protrusion so that their contour shapes match. Therefore, even when the male connector and female connector are separated, it is possible to prevent the coupler from unintentionally coming off the male connector.

The male connector may also have a gripping portion provided on the opposite side of the male lure across the connector-side protrusion, and a pair of gripping surfaces may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the gripping portion.

This allows the male and female connectors to be easily separated by holding the gripping portion.

The male connector unit used in the medical tube of the present invention can be easily disassembled for cleaning, etc., and can reliably prevent unintended separation.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a connector including a male connector unit for an enteral feeding tube according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a part of the connector 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the tube, the male connector, and the coupler. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the male connector. FIG. 5(a) is a perspective cross-sectional view of the coupler, and FIG. 5(b) is an external view of the coupler as seen from the distal side along axis A3. FIG. 6(a) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the male connector has been displaced relative to the coupler in the radial direction, and FIG. 6(b) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the coupler is in the process of being pulled out from the male connector. FIG. 7A is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a coupler-side protrusion according to Modification 1, and FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a coupler-side protrusion according to Modification 2. As shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a male connector and a coupler according to the third modification in a separated state. FIG. 9 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a male connector and a coupler according to the third modified example in an inserted state. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a male connector and a coupler of a connector according to the fourth modification. FIG. 11 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a connector according to the fourth modification in a state in which the male connector and the coupler are fitted together. FIG. 12 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a coupler according to the fourth modification.

The following describes a male connector unit for use with a medical tube according to an embodiment of the present invention, taking an enteral nutrition tube as an example of the medical tube, with reference to the drawings. The present invention provides significant benefits for all male connector units used with medical tubes, but is particularly effective when applied to a male connector unit for an enteral nutrition tube.

(Embodiment)
Fig. 1 is a front view of a connector 1 to which a male connector unit 6 for an enteral feeding tube according to the present embodiment is applied, and Fig. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a part of the connector 1. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the connector 1 comprises a male connector 3 connected to a tube 2, a female connector 4 connected to the male connector 3, and a coupler 5 that covers the male connector 3 and the female connector 4. Of these, the male connector 3 and the coupler 5 constitute a male connector unit 6 according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the tube 2, male connector 3, and coupler 5 are shown in solid lines, and only the outline of the female connector 4 is shown in two-dot chain lines. In FIG. 2, the female connector 4 is shown in its external appearance, and the tube 2, male connector 3, and coupler 5 are shown in cross section. Also, FIG. 3 shows an oblique cross-sectional view of the tube 2, male connector 3, and coupler 5.

The tube 2 is a nasogastric tube or a catheter that extends from inside the body to the outside through a gastrostomy tube, and is made of silicone or the like. The distal end, which is the end inside the body of the tube 2, is located in the patient's stomach, duodenum, or jejunum, and the proximal end 10, which is the end outside the body, is connected to the base end of the male connector 3. In the following explanation, the downstream side of the flow direction of the nutrient through the connector 1 is referred to as the "distal side," and the upstream side is referred to as the "proximal side."

[Male connector]
4 is an external perspective view of the male connector 3. The male connector 3 is approximately cylindrical, and has a tube connection part 20, a grip part 21, a connector side protrusion 22, and a male luer 23, which are located along its own axis A1 (e.g., the axis of the internal passage 25 of the male luer 23). That is, the male connector 3 has the tube connection part 20 to which the proximal end 10 of the tube 2 is connected, and the male luer 23, which is the tip side part to which the female connector 4 is connected. In addition, the grip part 21 and the connector side protrusion 22 are located between the tube connection part 20 and the male luer 23, and the male luer 23 and the grip part 21 are located with the connector side protrusion 22 between them.

The male connector 3 has an internal passage 25 that extends along the axis A1 and opens at both the distal end (base end) and the proximal end (tip end). The internal passage 25 includes a first passage 26, a second passage 27, and a third passage 28 that are aligned from the distal side to the proximal side along the axis A1. The first passage 26 is the portion through which the tube 2 is inserted, and opens at the distal end of the tube connection part 20 and extends to the vicinity of the proximal end of the tube connection part 20. The first passage 26 has a substantially constant inner diameter over its entire length, but a tapered section 29 with an enlarged cross-sectional shape is formed at the distal end. This makes it easier to insert the tube 2 into the first passage 26.

The second passage 27 is formed inside the proximal portion of the tube connection part 20, has a smaller inner diameter than the first passage 26, and has a step that goes around the tube 2. The tube 2 can be inserted into the first passage 26 until its tip hits the step. The second passage 27 is a passage that gradually reduces in diameter from the distal side to the proximal side. The third passage 28 has a constant inner diameter that is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the second passage 27 at the proximal end, and opens at the proximal end of the male connector 3 (the proximal end of the male luer 23).

As shown in FIG. 4, the tube connection part 20 has a cylindrical main body 30. A flange 31 that protrudes in the radial expansion direction is formed around the entire circumference of the proximal end of the outer peripheral surface of the main body 30. In addition, a plurality of ribs 32 (six in the example of FIG. 4) that extend along the axis A1 direction are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body 30 at predetermined intervals from each other in the circumferential direction. The proximal ends of the ribs 32 abut against the distal surface of the flange 31, and the distal ends of the ribs 32 are located near the distal end of the main body 30.

The gripping part 21 is connected to the proximal end of the tube connection part 20 via a cylindrical part 33 whose outer diameter is smaller than that of the main body 30. The gripping part 21 is generally cylindrical, and a pair of gripping surfaces 34 are provided on its outer circumferential surface. The gripping surfaces 34 are substantially rectangular. More specifically, the gripping surfaces 34 are curved in a concave shape with a central portion recessed compared to both ends in the circumferential direction (the upper and lower ends in FIG. 4). Therefore, the pair of gripping surfaces 34 are easy to grip, for example, with the thumb and index finger. Note that the gripping surface 34 is not limited to the curved surface described above, and may be, for example, a cone-shaped curved surface with a central portion recessed compared to the periphery, or a flat plane. The gripping surface may also be formed by providing multiple protrusions to improve the frictional force on the fingers that come into contact with it.

The gripping portion 21 also has an arcuate surface 35 on its outer periphery other than the pair of gripping surfaces 34. The cross section of the arcuate surface 35 perpendicular to the axis A1 is an arcuate shape coaxial with the axis A1, and is provided at two locations between the pair of gripping surfaces 34 (two locations at the top and bottom in FIG. 4). At the distal end of the gripping portion 21, a corner 36 that is the boundary between the end face and the arcuate surface 35 is chamfered and rounded.

The male connector 3 has a connector-side protrusion 22 that protrudes radially outward on its base-side outer surface (particularly, the outer surface on the base-side side with respect to the male lure 23). This connector-side protrusion 22 is connected to the proximal end of the gripping portion 21 described above and is formed to protrude outward. More specifically, the connector-side protrusion 22 is coaxial with the axis A1 and has a cylindrical shape with a small dimension in the axis A1 direction. The connector-side protrusion 22 has an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the arc surface 35 of the gripping portion 21. Therefore, the connector-side protrusion 22 is formed to protrude outward (in the direction of expanding diameter) from any part of the gripping portion 21 in the circumferential direction over the entire circumference around the axis A1. Furthermore, the connector-side protrusion 22 is formed to protrude outward from other parts of the male connector 3 (including the gripping portion 21, the tube connection portion 20, and the male lure 23) over the entire circumference around the axis A1. When viewed along the axis A1, the contour shape (outer contour shape) of the outer peripheral surface 37 of the connector side protrusion 22 is circular (e.g., a perfect circle). At the proximal end of the connector side protrusion 22, the corner 38 that is the boundary between the end face and the outer peripheral surface 37 is chamfered and rounded.

The male lure 23 that fits into the female connector 4 is connected to the proximal end of the connector side protrusion 22. The male lure 23 is roughly cylindrical and coaxial with the axis A1, and has a cylindrical portion 39 on the distal side and a tapered portion 40 on the proximal side. The cylindrical portion 39 has a constant outer diameter that is smaller than that of the connector side protrusion 22. The tapered portion 40 has an outer shape that has the same outer diameter as the cylindrical portion 39 at the distal end and is slightly smaller in diameter toward the proximal side. In addition, at the proximal end of the tip portion 23, the corner portion 41 that is the boundary between the end face and the tapered portion 40 is chamfered in a tapered shape. Therefore, when the male connector 3 is fitted into the female connector 4, it is easy to insert the male lure 23 into the female connector 4 (more specifically, the female lure 51 described below).

[Female connector]
As shown in Fig. 2, the female connector 4 is approximately cylindrical and has a female luer 51 on the distal side and a tube connection part 52 on the proximal side. The female connector 4 also has an internal passage 50 that extends along its axis A2 and opens at the distal end and the proximal end. The female luer 51 is cylindrical with a constant inner diameter and outer diameter, and the inner diameter is approximately the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the male luer 23 of the male connector 3. The tube connection part 52 has a tapered part 53 whose inner and outer diameters gradually decrease, and a cylindrical part 54 whose inner and outer diameters are constant. The tapered part 53 is located distal to the cylindrical part 54, and both the outer surface and the inner surface are smoothly connected to the female luer 51.

The male lure 23 of the male connector 3 is inserted into the female lure 51 of the female connector 4, and the male connector 3 and the female connector 4 are engaged. At this time, the internal passage 25 of the male connector 3 and the internal passage 50 of the female connector 4 communicate with each other, and their respective axes A1 and A2 coincide. In other words, the axis A1 of the male lure 23 located at the proximal end side (tip side) of the male connector 3 coincides with the axis A2 of the female lure 51 located at the distal end side (tip side) of the female connector 4. Also, as can be seen by considering the state in which the coupler 5 is omitted in FIG. 2, when the male connector 3 and the female connector 4 are engaged, the gripping portion 21 is exposed to the outside of the female connector 4.

A male thread portion 55 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the female lure 51 of the female connector 4 near the distal end. This male thread portion 55 screws into the female thread portion (screw portion) 72 of the coupler 5, which will be described later.

[Coupler]
1 and 2, the coupler 5 is a member that covers the male connector 3 and the female connector 4 in a mated state to maintain this mated state, and is roughly cylindrical. The coupler 5 has a small diameter portion 61 on the distal side (base end side) and a gripping portion 62 located on the proximal side (tip end side) and having an outer diameter larger than that of the small diameter portion 61. Furthermore, the coupler 5 has an internal space 60 that opens at each of the distal end and the proximal end (see FIG. 2).

The small diameter portion 61 and the gripping portion 62 each have a cylindrical shape that is coaxial with the axis A3 (see FIG. 1). This axis A3 is, for example, an axis that coincides with the screw center of the female screw portion 74 of the coupler 5. The gripping portion 62 has a portion whose cross section tapers in diameter from the small diameter portion 61 toward the proximal side, and a cylindrical portion of a constant outer diameter. In addition, the outer peripheral surface of the gripping portion 62 has multiple ribs 63 (six in the example of FIG. 1) that extend along the axis A3 and are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction.

Next, the internal structure of the coupler 5 will be described. Figure 5(a) is an oblique cross-sectional view of the coupler 5, and Figure 5(b) is an external view of the coupler 5 seen from the distal side along the axis A3. The internal space 60 of the coupler 5 is defined by a first external fitting portion 70 located on the distal side and externally fitted onto the male connector 3, and a second external fitting portion 71 located on the proximal side and externally fitted onto the female connector 4.

The second fitting portion 71 on the proximal side is located approximately corresponding to the inside of the gripping portion 62, and has a female thread portion 72 protruding from its inner periphery. When the coupler 5 is fitted onto the female connector 4, this female thread portion 72 screws into the male thread portion 55 formed on the female luer 51. As described above, the female thread portion 72 is formed coaxially with the axis A3. Therefore, when the female thread portion 72 screws into the male thread portion 55, the axis A2 of the female connector 4 and the axis A3 of the coupler 5 coincide (see FIG. 1).

The distal first outer fitting portion 70 is located approximately corresponding to the inside of the small diameter portion 61, and a coupler side protrusion 74 is formed on a part of the entire circumference of its inner surface (i.e., the inner surface of the base end side of the coupler 5) so as to protrude radially inward. Furthermore, an introduction portion 73 is provided on the inner surface of the first outer fitting portion 70 on the distal side of the coupler side protrusion 74, and a loose fitting portion 75 is provided on the proximal side of the coupler side protrusion 74.

The distal introduction section 73 defines an introduction space that guides the male connector 3 into the internal space 60 when the male connector 3 is fitted into the coupler 5. Therefore, the inner peripheral surface 76 of the introduction section 73 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the connector side protrusion 22 so that there is a relatively large margin relative to the outer diameter dimension of the connector side protrusion 22 of the male connector 3. In addition, the corners 77 at the distal end of the introduction section 73 are chamfered and rounded, making it easier to insert the male connector 3.

The coupler side protrusion 74 has a circular inner surface shape (e.g., a perfect circle) when viewed along the axis A3. In other words, the contour shape (inner peripheral contour shape) of the inner peripheral surface 78 of the coupler side protrusion 74 is the same as the outer peripheral contour shape of the connector side protrusion 22. In addition, the inner diameter of the coupler side protrusion 74 is substantially the same as (or, more precisely, slightly larger than) the outer diameter of the connector side protrusion 22.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the axis A4 passing through the center of the inner peripheral surface 78 of the coupler side protrusion 74 does not coincide with the axis A3, and is set eccentrically from the axis A3 by a predetermined dimension in the radial direction. In the configuration of FIG. 5(a), the axis A4 is eccentric downward from the axis A3. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the coupler side protrusion 74 is smaller than the inner diameter of the introduction portion 73. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5(b), when viewed along the axis A3 (or axis A4), the coupler side protrusion 74 is located within the introduction portion 73, and the coupler side protrusion 74 and the introduction portion 73 are located in an eccentric state (misaligned state) with respect to each other's centers.

The proximal loose-fitting portion 75 has an inner surface 84 including an inner peripheral surface 82 that is flush with the inner peripheral surface 78 of the coupler-side protrusion 74, and a concave surface 83 that is recessed in the radially expanding direction from the inner peripheral surface 78 of the coupler-side protrusion 74. The concave surface 83 is located on the opposite side (upper side in FIG. 5(a)) of the direction in which the axis A4 is eccentric with respect to the axis A3 on the inner surface 84 of the loose-fitting portion 75. The concave surface 83 forms an arc surface whose shape and dimensions are approximately consistent with the outer peripheral surface 37 of the connector-side protrusion 22, and its center is substantially aligned with the axis A3. The internal space of the loose-fitting portion 75 is defined by the inner peripheral surface 82 and the concave surface 83, so that a predetermined clearance 90 is formed in the eccentric direction between the outer peripheral surface 37 of the connector-side protrusion 22 of the male connector 3 and the inner surface 84 of the loose-fitting portion 75 (see FIG. 3).

As a result, when viewed from the proximal side along the axis A3, the coupler side projection 74 has a protruding portion 80 that protrudes inward (toward the axis A3) from the inner surface 84 of the loose fitting portion 75, and a flush portion 81 that does not protrude inward. In FIG. 5(a), the protruding portion 80 is located at the top, and the flush portion 81 is located at the bottom. In this embodiment, this protruding portion 80 is formed in the circumferential direction of the inner circumference of the first outer fitting portion 70, approximately half of the entire circumference (a region with a central angle of 180 degrees).

[Connector connection]
The connection of such a connector 1 will be described. Before the connector 1 is connected, the male connector 3 and the female connector 4 are separated, and as shown in Fig. 3, the coupler 5 covers only the male connector 3. At this time, the connector-side protrusion 22 of the male connector 3 is located within the loose-fitting portion 75 of the first outer fitting portion 70 of the coupler 5, and the male connector 3 can be displaced (offset) in the radial direction by the clearance 90 relative to the coupler 5. In other words, the male connector 3 can be displaced in the radial direction between a position where the outer circumferential surface 37 of the connector-side protrusion 22 abuts against the concave surface 83 of the loose-fitting portion 75 and a position where the outer circumferential surface 37 is separated from the concave surface 83.

In this state, the proximal end of the male lure 23 of the male connector 3 protrudes further proximally than the proximal end of the coupler 5 (see FIG. 1). When mating the male connector 3 and the female connector 4, first, the female lure 51 of the female connector 4 is brought close to the protruding male lure 23 so that it faces it, and the male lure 23 is inserted into the female lure 51. When the two are brought close to each other from this point, the male threaded portion 55 of the female connector 4 and the female threaded portion 72 of the coupler 5 come into contact, and the female connector 4 and the coupler 5 are rotated relatively to each other to screw the male threaded portion 55 and the female threaded portion 72 together.

As the female connector 4 and the coupler 5 are screwed together, the female connector 4 is drawn distally into the coupler 5. This causes the male connector 3 to be engaged with the female connector 4, and this engaged state is maintained by the coupler 5, so that the connector 1 is connected. The connection procedure of the connector 1 is not limited to the above. The coupler 5 according to this embodiment has dimensions and a shape that allow the male connector 3 to pass through the internal space 60. Therefore, the coupler 5 may be retracted distally, for example, to the tube 2 to expose the male connector 3, and in this state the male connector 3 and the female connector 4 may be engaged, and then the coupler 5 may be returned to be fitted onto the male connector 3 and screwed into the female connector 4.

Here, when the female connector 4 and the coupler 5 are screwed together, the axis A2 of the female connector 4 coincides with the axis A3 of the coupler 5. Furthermore, when the male connector 3 and the female connector 4 are mated, the radial positions of both are fixed, so that the axis A1 of the male connector 3 also coincides with the axis A2 of the female connector 4. Therefore, when the connector 1 is in a connected state, the axes A1 to A3 coincide with each other.

On the other hand, the axis A4 of the coupler-side protrusion 74 of the coupler 5 is eccentric with respect to the axis A3 as described above. That is, the axis A4 of the coupler-side protrusion 74 is offset with respect to the axis A1 of the male connector 3 when the coupler 5 is mated with the male connector 3 and female connector 4 in the mated state (the axis A1 coincides with the axis A3 at this time). At this time, a part of the connector-side protrusion 22 of the male connector 3 enters into the space 85 (see FIG. 5(a)) formed by the concave surface 83 of the loose fit portion 75 of the coupler 5. As a result, the distal end face of the part of the connector-side protrusion 22 that enters this space 85 engages (abuts) with the proximal end face of the protruding portion 80 of the coupler-side protrusion 74.

In this way, when the connector 1 is in a connected state, the first connector member 3 and the coupler member 5 are engaged with each other via the second connector member 4, thereby restricting the relative displacement in the radial direction (eccentric direction). Also, when the connector 1 is in a connected state and the axis A1 (axis at the tip of the male connector 3) and the axis A3 (axis at the tip of the coupler 5) coincide to form a common axis, the axis A4 of the inner peripheral surface of the coupler side protrusion 74 is eccentric with respect to this common axis. At this time, as described above, the male connector 3 and the coupler 5 are restricted in their relative displacement in the direction along the axis A1 by the connector side protrusion 22 and the coupler side protrusion 74 engaging with each other (their end faces abutting against each other). In this way, when the connector 1 is in a connected state, the male connector 3 and the coupler 5 are restricted in their relative displacement in both the radial direction and the axis A1 direction, so that the coupler 5 cannot be separated from the male connector 3, restricting separation, and preventing the coupler 5 from coming off unexpectedly.

[Removing the coupler]
Next, a state in which the coupler 5 is removed from the male connector 3 in a separated state from the female connector 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) in addition to FIG.

The male connector 3 in FIG. 3 is separated from the female connector 4, and the coupler 5 is fitted onto it. As already explained, the connector side protrusion 22 of the male connector 3 is located within the loose fitting portion 75 of the first outer fitting portion 70 of the coupler 5, and the male connector 3 can be displaced (offset) radially by the clearance 90 relative to the coupler 5. In the connector 1 according to this embodiment, in the state shown in FIG. 3, the male connector 3 and the coupler 5 are free to move circumferentially relative to each other without being restricted. In other words, this connector 1 is a so-called free lock coupler type.

Figure 6 (a) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the male connector 3 is displaced relative to the coupler 5 in the radial direction (more specifically, in the direction opposite to the eccentric direction of the axis A4 relative to the axis A3) from the state shown in Figure 3. At this time, the connector side protrusion 22 leaves the concave surface 83 of the loose fitting portion 75 and leaves the space 85 (see also Figure 5 (a)), and the outer peripheral surface 37 abuts against the inner peripheral surface 82 opposite the concave surface 83. At this time, the axis A1 of the male connector 3 and the axis A3 of the coupler 5 do not coincide, while the axis A1 of the male connector 3 and the axis A4 of the coupler side protrusion 74 coincide. Then, the connector side protrusion 22 and the coupler side protrusion 74 are disengaged and the engagement state between them is released. Therefore, in the state shown in Figure 6 (a), the male connector 3 can be removed from the coupler 5.

Figure 6(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the state in the middle of pulling out the coupler 5 from the male connector 3. More specifically, from the state shown in Figure 6(a), the male connector 3 has been moved relatively distally along the axis A1 direction relative to the coupler 5. At this time, the outer peripheral surface 37 of the connector-side projection 22 and the inner peripheral surface 78 of the coupler-side projection 74 are in sliding contact over almost the entire circumference. If the male connector 3 and coupler 5 are then moved in a direction separating them, they can be completely separated.

The connector 1 according to this embodiment is configured so that the male connector 3 and coupler 5 in the state shown in FIG. 3 do not easily separate without user operation. For example, the coupler side protrusion 74 has a protruding portion 80 that spans half the circumferential area of the inner circumference of the first outer fitting portion 70. As a result, the connector side protrusion 22 and the coupler side protrusion 74 tend to engage (interfere) with each other, and therefore do not easily separate without user operation.

The inner diameter of the coupler side protrusion 74 is substantially the same as (or, more precisely, slightly larger than) the outer diameter of the connector side protrusion 22. Therefore, without any user operation, the connector side protrusion 22 and the coupler side protrusion 74 are unlikely to coincidentally be in the same position, and they are not easily separated.

On the other hand, the outer peripheral contour shape of the connector side protrusion 22 and the inner peripheral contour shape of the coupler side protrusion 74 are both circular (here, a perfect circle) and are the same. Therefore, when attempting to separate the male connector 3 and the coupler 5, they can be pulled out regardless of their relative circumferential positions. In other words, simply by aligning the axis A1 of the male connector 3 with the axis A4 of the coupler side protrusion 74, they can be separated regardless of their relative circumferential positions. Therefore, when a user operates them with the intention of separating them, they can be separated relatively easily.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the loose fitting portion 75 has an inner surface 84 including an inner peripheral surface 82 that is flush with the inner peripheral surface 78 of the coupler side protrusion 74, and a concave surface 83 that is recessed in the radially expanding direction from the inner peripheral surface 78 of the coupler side protrusion 74, as described above. When the connector side protrusion 22 abuts against this inner peripheral surface 82, the connector side protrusion 22 and the coupler side protrusion 74 are disengaged. Then, when the male connector 3 and the coupler 5 are operated in the separation direction from this state, the connector side protrusion 22 comes out of the loose fitting portion 75 and is guided from the inner peripheral surface 82 of the loose fitting portion 75 to the inner peripheral surface 78 of the coupler side protrusion 74 that is flush with it.

Therefore, the user can easily separate the male connector 3 and the coupler 5 by operating them in a direction to separate them from each other, and revolving the male connector 3 around the axis A3 relative to the coupler 5 so that the outer peripheral surface 37 of the connector-side protrusion 22 comes into contact with the inner surface 84 of the loose-fitting portion 75. In other words, the user can disengage the connector-side protrusion 22 from the coupler-side protrusion 74 and easily separate them. In other words, the user can urge the male connector 3 to be pulled out of the coupler 5, while shifting the contact position between the outer peripheral surface 37 of the connector-side protrusion 22 and the inner surface 84 of the loose-fitting portion 75 in the circumferential direction so as to trace along the inner surface 84. In this way, the outer peripheral surface 37 of the connector-side protrusion 22 will come into contact with the inner peripheral surface 82 of the coupler 5 before it has gone around the connector-side protrusion 22 in the circumferential direction, and at that time the male connector 3 will be pulled out of the coupler 5 by the urging force.

(Modifications 1 and 2)
In the above example, the outer peripheral contour shape of the connector-side protrusion 22 and the inner peripheral contour shape of the coupler-side protrusion 74 are the same circular shape, and the inner diameter of the coupler-side protrusion 74 is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the connector-side protrusion 22. Also, the coupler-side protrusion 74 is configured to have the protruding portion 80 on approximately half of the entire circumference. However, the configurations of the connector-side protrusion 22 and the coupler-side protrusion 74 are not limited to this. For example, the contour shape does not have to be circular, and the protruding portion may be less than half or more than half of the entire circumference.

However, the wider the range of the protruding portion of the coupler side projection on the inner surface of the coupler 5, the higher the possibility (probability) of it engaging (interfering) with the connector side projection, which is preferable in that it prevents unintentional disconnection and improves the fastening strength when the connector is connected.

Figure 7(a) is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the coupler side protrusion according to Modification 1, and Figure 7(b) is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the coupler side protrusion according to Modification 2. In each figure, the left figure shows the coupler side protrusion, and the right figure shows the relative positional relationship between the coupler side protrusion and the connector side protrusion. In both figures, the connector side protrusion is illustrated as having the same configuration as the connector side protrusion 22 described in the above embodiment.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 7(a), the inner surface 184 of the loose fitting portion is circular, whereas the coupler side protrusion 174 is circular and has an eccentric inner circumferential surface 178. The protruding portion 180 of the coupler side protrusion 174 that protrudes inward from the inner surface 184 is provided over a large area of the entire circumference, which is wider than the flush portion 181 that does not protrude.

In this configuration, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 7(a), the connector side protrusion 22 easily engages with the coupler side protrusion 174, and therefore the engagement is not easily released without user operation. That is, in the configuration of FIG. 7(a), the protrusion 180 is provided over a wide circumferential range, and therefore the connector side protrusion 22 easily engages with the protrusion 180. Therefore, unless the connector side protrusion 22 and the coupler side protrusion 174 are precisely aligned, the engagement cannot be released, and accidental detachment can be prevented.

The configuration shown in FIG. 7(b) is one in which the engagement can be released relatively easily compared to the configuration shown in FIG. 7(a). To be more specific, in the configuration shown in FIG. 7(b), the inner surface 284 of the loose fitting portion is the same as the inner surface 184 shown in FIG. 7(a) and has a circular shape of the same dimensions. On the other hand, the coupler side protrusion 274 shown in FIG. 7(b) has a protruding portion 280 that is provided over a portion of the entire circumference that is narrower than the non-protruding flush portion 281.

In this configuration, as shown in the right diagram of Figure 7(b), the probability that the connector side protrusion 22 will engage with the coupler side protrusion 274 is lower than in the case of Figure 7(a), so the engagement can be released by a relatively simple operation by the user.

As explained in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), the wider the circumferential range of the protruding portion of the coupler side protrusion, the more preferable it is in terms of preventing accidental detachment. Also, as mentioned above, it is also preferable in terms of improving the fastening strength when the connector is connected. On the other hand, the wider the circumferential range of the protruding portion, the less easy it is to remove the coupler from the male connector. Therefore, the shape and dimensions of the coupler side protrusion can be set appropriately, taking into consideration the prevention of accidental detachment, the improvement of fastening strength, and the ease of removal.

(Variation 3)
In the above-described embodiment, the connector-side protrusion 22 is formed to protrude outward over the entire circumference, and the coupler-side protrusion 74 is formed to protrude inward only partially over the entire circumference. However, the protruding manner of the connector-side protrusion 22 and the coupler-side protrusion 74 is not limited to this.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the male connector 303 and coupler 305 according to the third modification in a separated state, and Figure 9 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the male connector 303 and coupler 305 according to the third modification in a mated state. Note that in Figures 8 and 9, the same components as those described in the above embodiment are denoted by corresponding reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the connector 301 according to the third modification has a male connector 303 and a coupler 305 that are substantially the same as those described in the embodiment. However, the male connector 303 has a connector-side protrusion 322 that is eccentric with respect to the axis A1, and substantially only a portion of the connector-side protrusion 322 protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the gripping portion 21 or the tip portion 23. In contrast, the coupler-side protrusion 374 of the coupler 305 is formed around the entire axis A3, and its inner circumferential surface 378 is coaxial with the axis A3.

As shown in FIG. 9, the loose-fitting portion 375 of the coupler 305 has an inner surface 384 that is coaxial with the axis A3 and has a constant inner diameter formed around the entire circumference. This inner surface 384 is located in a larger diameter direction with respect to the axis A3 than the inner circumferential surface 378 of the coupler-side protrusion 374.

In this way, the connector 301 according to the third modification has the opposite protruding manner of the connector side protrusion and the coupler side protrusion compared to the connector 1 according to the above embodiment, with the connector side protrusion 322 protruding partially in the circumferential direction and the coupler side protrusion 374 protruding over the entire circumference. Even with this configuration, it is possible to achieve the same effect as the connector 1 according to the above embodiment.

(Variation 4)
Although the male connector unit 6 in the embodiment is a so-called free lock coupler type, the type of male connector unit to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to this. Below, a fixed lock coupler type male connector unit 406 is shown as an example of a male connector unit according to Modification 4.

Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the male connector 403 and coupler 405 of the male connector unit 406 according to variant 4. Figure 11 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the male connector 403 and coupler 405 of the male connector unit 406 according to variant 4 in a mated state. Figure 12 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the coupler 405 according to variant 4. Note that in Figures 10 to 12, the same components as those described in the above embodiment are denoted by corresponding reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 10, this male connector 403 has a flush flat surface 442 on the side portion extending from the grip portion 421 to the connector side protrusion 422. More specifically, in comparison with the male connector 3 of the above embodiment (see FIG. 4), the side portion extending from the grip portion 21 to the connector side protrusion 22 is cut out by a plane along the axis A1 to form the flat surface 442. Such flat surfaces 442 are provided in two locations on either side of the axis A1 so as to be parallel to each other. Hereinafter, in this modified example 4, the direction perpendicular to the axis A1 (or axis A3) in which the two flat surfaces 442 are arranged is referred to as the first direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the axis A1 and the first direction is referred to as the second direction.

As a result, when the gripping portion 421 and the connector-side protrusion 422 are cut along a plane perpendicular to the axis A1, the cross-sectional shape of the outer periphery is a non-circular outer periphery surrounded on all four sides by a pair of parallel line segments aligned in the first direction and a pair of arc-shaped curves aligned in the second direction. Note that both ends of the connector-side protrusion 422 in the second direction protrude in the radial direction further than the gripping portion 421.

A flange 431 is formed around the entire circumference at the proximal end of the base end 420, protruding in the radial expansion direction. The flange 431 has a larger protruding dimension in the radial expansion direction than the flange 31 in the embodiment, and when viewed along the axis A1, its outer shape is located outside the connector side protrusion 422.

On the other hand, the coupler 405 has a first outer fitting portion 470 that has a different configuration from the first outer fitting portion 70 of the coupler 5 of the embodiment. That is, the first outer fitting portion 470 of the modification 4 has a coupler side protrusion 474 and a loose fitting portion 475 as shown in FIG. 12, but does not have an introduction portion 73 like the first outer fitting portion 70 of the embodiment.

The coupler side protrusion 474 of the coupler 405 has an inner peripheral contour shape when viewed along the axis A3 that matches the outer peripheral contour shape of the connector side protrusion 422 of the male connector 403. Specifically, the inner peripheral cross-sectional shape when the coupler side protrusion 474 is cut along a plane perpendicular to the axis A3 has a non-circular inner peripheral contour shape surrounded on all four sides by a pair of parallel line segments aligned in the first direction and a pair of arc-shaped curves aligned in the second direction. In other words, the coupler side protrusion 474 has an inner peripheral surface 478 composed of a pair of flat surfaces 491 and a pair of curved surfaces 492.

The inner surface 484 of the loose fit portion 475 of the coupler 405 has an inner peripheral surface 482 and a concave surface 483. Of these, the inner peripheral surface 482 occupies a portion of the entire circumference of the inner surface 484 (the lower portion in Figs. 10 to 12), and has the same contour shape as the inner surface of the coupler side protrusion 474 (the lower curved surface 492). The concave surface 483 occupies the portion of the entire circumference of the inner surface 484 other than the inner peripheral surface 482 (the upper portion in Figs. 10 to 12), and has a contour shape that is recessed in the radial expansion direction more than the inner peripheral contour shape of the coupler side protrusion 474.

The center of the coupler side protrusion 474 is set eccentrically as in the above embodiment. That is, the center of the coupler side protrusion 474 is set offset from the axis A1 of the male connector 403 when the coupler 405 is fitted onto the male connector 403 and the female connector in the mated state. The connector side protrusion 422 and the coupler side protrusion 474 are formed to engage (abut) with each other when the axis A1 of the tip side of the male connector 403 and the axis A3 of the tip side of the coupler 405 coincide with each other, but to be disengaged when the axis A1 and the axis A3 do not coincide with each other. The male side connector unit 406 according to this modified example can be connected to the female connector 4 exemplified in the embodiment.

When the male connector unit 406 according to this modified example 4 is connected to the female connector, the male connector 403 and the coupler 405 are in the state shown in FIG. 11 (the female connector is not shown). Therefore, the connector side protrusion 422 is located in the loose fitting portion 475 of the coupler 405 and engages (abuts) with the proximal end of the coupler side protrusion 474 and does not come off. The distance between the proximal end face of the flange 431 of the male connector 403 and the distal end face of the connector side protrusion 422 is substantially the same as the dimension in the axis A3 direction of the coupler side protrusion 474. Therefore, when the user inserts the male connector 403 into the coupler 405, the flange 431 abuts against the distal opening end face of the coupler 405, and the user can determine that the connector side protrusion 422 has reached the loose fitting portion 475.

On the other hand, when the female connector is separated from the male connector 403, in the state shown in FIG. 11, the male connector 403 and the coupler 405 can be displaced relative to each other in the second direction. However, in the case of the configuration according to the present modified example 4, as described above, the cross-sectional shape of the screen when the base end of the male connector 403 is cut along a plane perpendicular to the axis A1 is non-circular, and the cross-sectional shape of the inner surface when the base end of the coupler 405 is cut along a plane perpendicular to the axis A3 is also non-circular. The flat surface 442 of the gripping portion 421 of the male connector 403 and the flat surface 491 of the coupler side protrusion 474 of the coupler 405 face each other and are in contact with each other. Therefore, the relative displacement of the male connector 403 and the coupler 405 in the circumferential direction is restricted. Therefore, this male side connector unit 406 is a fixed lock coupler type in which the male connector 403 and the coupler 405 rotate together (rotate together).

When the male connector 403 of this male connector unit 406 is displaced downward relative to the coupler 405 from the state shown in FIG. 11, the connector side protrusion 422 and the coupler side protrusion 474 become disengaged, and the engagement between the two is released, making it possible to remove the male connector 403 from the coupler 405.

As described above, the male connector unit according to this embodiment and the male connector units according to each of the modified examples can prevent the coupler from unintentionally coming off the male connector when connected, and when the female connector is separated from the male connector, the coupler can be easily detached from the male connector and disassembled by displacing it relative to the male connector in the eccentric direction.

The present invention is not limited to connectors for tubes used in enteral nutrition therapy, but also applies to connectors for various types of tubes used for medical purposes in general. The present invention can be applied to male connector units attached to the ends of tubes used in medical tubes, and is particularly suitable for use in male connector units attached to the ends of tubes used in enteral nutrition therapy.

1 Connector 3 Male connector 4 Female connector 5 Coupler 21 Grip portion 22 Connector side protrusion 34 Grip surface 74 Coupler side protrusion

Claims (4)

A male connector having a male lure at a tip side, the male lure being inserted into the female lure of a female connector having a female lure;
a coupler into which the male connector can be inserted and having a screw-type portion at a tip end thereof that can be screwed into the female connector,
The male connector has a connector-side protrusion that protrudes radially outward on a base-end side outer surface,
The coupler has a coupler-side protrusion that protrudes radially inward on an inner surface on a base end side,
the connector-side protrusion and the coupler-side protrusion are formed to engage with each other when an axis of a tip end of the male connector coincides with an axis of a tip end of the coupler,
When the male luer is inserted into the female luer and the axis of the tip side of the male connector coincides with the axis of the tip side of the coupler, the connector side protrusion and the coupler side protrusion engage with each other to restrict separation of the coupler from the male connector,
When the female lure and the male lure are separated and the axis of the tip side of the male connector does not coincide with the axis of the tip side of the coupler, the connector side protrusion and the coupler side protrusion are disengaged, and the coupler can be separated from the male connector.
A male connector unit used for medical tubing. When the axis of the tip end of the male connector and the axis of the tip end of the coupler coincide with each other to form a common axis, the axis of the inner peripheral surface of the coupler-side protrusion or the axis of the outer peripheral surface of the connector-side protrusion is eccentric with respect to the common axis, whereby the connector-side protrusion and the coupler-side protrusion engage with each other.
A male connector unit for use with the medical tubing according to claim 1. The outer peripheral contour shape when the connector-side protrusion is viewed along the axial direction is the same as the inner peripheral contour shape when the coupler-side protrusion is viewed along the axial direction.
A male connector unit for use with the medical tubing according to claim 1 or 2. The male connector has a gripping portion provided on the opposite side of the male lure across the connector side protrusion, and a pair of gripping surfaces is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the gripping portion.
A male connector unit for use with the medical tube according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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