WO2013094487A1

WO2013094487A1 - Connector and connection mechanism using said connector

Info

Publication number: WO2013094487A1
Application number: PCT/JP2012/082175
Authority: WO
Inventors: 千田高寛; 吉野敬亮
Original assignee: テルモ株式会社
Priority date: 2011-12-19
Filing date: 2012-12-12
Publication date: 2013-06-27

Abstract

A first connector (20) configuring a connection mechanism (10) is provided with a housing (24) with a flow channel (32) therein and a valve body (26) that allows opening and closing of the flow channel (32). Inside the housing (24), an accommodating section (30), a cutoff part (54), and an elastic member (28) are disposed. The valve body (26) is provided with: a blocking part (62) that is inserted into a through hole (56) of the cutoff part (54); an outer ring (64) located to the side of the blocking part (62); and multiple supports (66) that connect the blocking part (62) with the outer ring (64). The areas between the multiple supports (66) are configured as flow holes (72) that allow fluid to flow therethrough in the axial direction.

Description

Connector and connection mechanism using the connector

The present invention relates to a connector applied for connecting two tubes through which fluid can flow, and a connection mechanism using the connector.

Generally, when two tubes are used in the construction of a fluid flow path, a connector is disposed at an end of the tube in order to easily connect the tubes. In particular, in the medical field, there are many opportunities to use a tube such as a catheter, and various connectors are used in order to easily construct a fluid path (see, for example, JP-A-9-327519).

In the connector disclosed in FIG. 8 of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-327519, the internal space of the housing (first and second portions) is configured as a fluid flow path, and a valve body and a spring are arranged in this internal space. Is done. When the connector is not connected (when the tubes are not connected), the valve body is supported at a position where the flow path (the front end opening of the housing) is blocked by the biasing force of the spring. On the other hand, when the connector is connected (when the tubes are connected), the valve body is pressed against the spring in the proximal direction of the housing, thereby opening the flow path. And the fluid which distribute | circulates a housing passes between the inner side and the outer side of a spring (namely, clearance gap comprised by the filament of a spring).

Incidentally, in the connector disclosed in FIG. 8 of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-327519, when the connector is connected, the valve body is pressed and the spring is contracted. Therefore, inside the housing, the fluid flow path (the gap formed by the filament of the spring) is narrowed by the contracted spring, and the fluid cannot be smoothly distributed. In particular, when the viscosity of the fluid is high, it becomes a major factor that hinders the flow of the fluid.

Furthermore, the upstream connector is configured so that the fluid travels in the axial direction inside the spring and then flows from the inside to the outside of the spring and further flows outside (side surface) of the valve body. The downstream connector has a fluid path opposite to that of the upstream connector. That is, the fluid is greatly bent in the inside of the housing and flows, and the circulation thereof is further hindered.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and can accurately prevent fluid leakage when the fluid flow path is closed, while reducing fluid resistance when the fluid flow path is opened. An object of the present invention is to provide a connector that can smoothly circulate the fluid without greatly changing the course of the fluid, and a connection mechanism using the connector.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a connector comprising a housing having a flow path communicating in the axial direction therein, and a valve body disposed inside the housing and capable of opening and closing the flow path. And a housing part that is provided inside the housing and houses the valve body so as to be displaceable in an axial direction, and a through-hole that is disposed on the tip side of the housing part and forms a part of the flow path And a blocking member disposed in the through hole, and an elastic member that is disposed in the housing unit and biases the valve body toward the blocking unit. A pressing portion located on a side of the closing portion, a plurality of support portions connecting the closing portion and the pressing portion, a flow hole formed between the plurality of support portions and capable of flowing a fluid in the axial direction; And when the pressing portion is pressed in the proximal direction, Displaced to the side is separated the blocking portion from the through hole, characterized in that to open the flow path.

According to the above, the fluid flow path can be reliably closed by disposing the closing portion of the valve body in the through hole. In addition, when a plurality of support parts support the closed part laterally and a flow hole is formed between the plurality of support parts, the valve body is displaced and the closed part is separated from the through hole. When the flow path is opened, the fluid can be easily circulated through the flow hole without greatly changing the course when flowing through the inside of the housing. In addition, since the flow passage cross-sectional area of the flow hole can be sufficiently secured by the support portion, that is, the fluid resistance can be reduced, the fluid can be circulated more smoothly.

In this case, the elastic member is formed in a cylindrical body having a hollow portion penetrating in the axial direction and surrounding the hollow portion in a liquid-tight manner, and one of the hollow portions communicates with the flow hole. It is preferable.

Thus, the elastic member is formed in a cylindrical body having a hollow part, and the hollow part of the elastic member can be used as a fluid flow path by communicating the opening of the hollow part with the flow hole. Thereby, a flow path can be comprised in an axial direction from a hollow part to a circulation hole, and a fluid can be circulated still more smoothly.

The housing includes a first housing in which the elastic member can be disposed, and a second housing having an internal space that is mounted in the axial direction of the first housing and accommodates the valve body so as to be displaceable in the axial direction. The housing portion may be formed as the first housing and the second housing are mounted.

Thereby, the valve body and the elastic member can be easily arranged from the divided part of the first housing and the second housing. And in this state, the accommodation part which accommodates a valve element and an elastic member is simply formed by attaching the 2nd housing to the 1st housing in the direction of an axis. That is, it is possible to easily assemble a connector that accommodates the valve body and the elastic member.

The present invention also provides a connection mechanism comprising a first connector using the connector having the above-described configuration and a second connector that is detachable from the first connector, wherein the first connector and the second connector are provided. As the connector is connected, the second connector presses the pressing portion, thereby displacing the valve body in the proximal direction and separating the closing portion from the through hole.

Thus, the connection mechanism easily separates the blocking portion from the through hole by opening the flow path when the second connector presses the pressing portion in accordance with the connection operation of the first connector and the second connector. be able to.

Here, the second connector includes an outer cylinder that presses the pressing portion, and an inner cylinder that is disposed inside the outer cylinder and has a fluid flow passage in an axial direction. In a state where the second connector is separated from the first connector, the opening on the front end side communicating with the flow passage is closed, and when the first connector and the second connector are connected, It is preferable that the opening on the distal end side is opened by contact.

In this way, the opening (flow passage) is automatically closed when the inner cylinder of the second connector is separated from the first connector, and when the first connector and the second connector are connected, they contact the blocking portion. Since the opening is opened in contact with the first connector and the second connector, the fluid flow paths of both connectors can be easily communicated with each other.

According to the present invention, when the fluid flow path is closed, fluid leakage can be accurately prevented, and when the fluid flow path is opened, the fluid resistance is reduced and the course of the fluid is not greatly changed. Fluid can be distributed smoothly.

It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows partially the urination set to which the connection mechanism which concerns on this Embodiment is applied. It is a perspective view which expands and shows the connection mechanism of FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the connection mechanism of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line VA-VA in FIG. 2, FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VB-VB in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5C is an arrow view seen from the arrow VC in FIG. is there. It is sectional drawing which shows the connection state of the connection mechanism of FIG.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a connector according to the present invention and a connection mechanism using the connector will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view partially showing a urination set 12 to which the connection mechanism 10 according to the present embodiment is applied. The connection mechanism 10 according to the present embodiment is provided in a urine set 12 applied to a patient who has difficulty urinating or a patient who has just undergone surgery. The urination set 12 includes a urinary catheter 16 having one end inserted into a living body bladder and indwelled, and a urine storage bag 14 connected to the downstream side (the other end side) of the urinary catheter 16. The urine in the bladder is discharged to the urine storage bag 14 via the urinary catheter 16 and accumulated in the urine storage bag 14.

The urine storage bag 14 is configured as a transparent (or translucent) container capable of storing a predetermined amount of urine, and a scale or the like is printed on the surface so that the accumulated amount of urine can be confirmed. Further, the urine storage bag 14 is provided with a ventilation portion 14a for discharging the internal air as the urine accumulates, a drainage tube 14b for discharging the accumulated urine by a predetermined operation, and the like.

Furthermore, a urination tube 18 is connected to a predetermined location (upper side) of the urine storage bag 14. The urination tube 18 has a lumen (flow path) (not shown), and one end thereof is connected to the urinary catheter 16 to guide the urine discharged from the urinary catheter 16 into the urine storage bag 14. The other end of the urination tube 18 is integrally formed with the urine storage bag 14 so as to be liquid-tightly connected, and liquid leakage is reliably prevented.

The urinary catheter 16 has a lumen (not shown) similar to the urination tube 18. One end (upstream end) of the urinary catheter 16 is provided with, for example, a balloon (locking structure) (not shown), and the balloon is expanded after insertion into the bladder, thereby preventing the urinary catheter 16 from falling off.

The materials constituting the urinary catheter 16 and the urination tube 18 are not particularly limited, but for example, it is preferable to use a polymer material considering kink resistance, appropriate flexibility, stiffness and the like. In this case, a thermoplastic elastomer such as polyurethane elastomer, polyester elastomer, polyamide elastomer, polyolefin elastomer, styrene elastomer, or the like can be used. A polybutadiene elastomer may be used as a polymer material made of non-polyvinyl chloride.

The connection mechanism 10 according to the first embodiment is applied as a mechanism for connecting the urinary catheter 16 and the urination tube 18. Specifically, the connection mechanism 10 includes a first connector 20 provided at the downstream end of the urinary catheter 16 and a second connector 22 provided at the upstream end of the urination tube 18. 2 Separation or integration (connection) of the urine set 12 is realized by attaching and detaching the connector 22.

2 is an enlarged perspective view of the connection mechanism 10 of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the connection mechanism 10 of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. FIG. In the following description, “base end side (base end direction)” indicates the side of the first and

second connectors

20 and 22 to which the urinary catheter 16 and the urination tube 18 are connected. The description “(tip direction)” indicates a side where the first connector 20 and the second connector 22 are connected to each other.

First, the first connector 20 of the connection mechanism 10 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the first connector 20 includes a housing 24 connected to the urinary catheter 16, and a valve body 26 and an elastic member 28 disposed inside the housing 24. In the first connector 20, a urine (fluid) flow path 32 communicating in the axial direction is formed by accommodating the valve body 26 and the elastic member 28 in the housing 24 (accommodating portion 30).

The housing 24 is preferably made of a material that is harder than the urinary catheter 16 and the urinary tube 18, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), and the like. Examples thereof include polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polystyrene, polyamide, polyimide, polyamideimide, polycarbonate, other resin materials such as fluororesin, and blends containing one or more of these. In addition, it can be composed of various glass materials, ceramic materials, and metal materials.

The housing 24 is further divided into two members (a tube connection tube portion 34 and a connector connection tube portion 36), and the connector connection tube portion 36 is attached to the tube connection tube portion 34 in the axial direction. The housing 24 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape whose side surfaces are flush with each other by mounting the tube connecting tube portion 34 and the connector connecting tube portion 36.

The tube connecting cylinder portion 34 (first housing) includes a connection port 38 extending in the axial direction on the proximal end side, and a substantially intermediate portion of the connection port 38, and a distal end side of the connection port 38 in the distal direction. And an extending tube portion 40 that extends.

The connection port 38 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and has an external port 38 a that protrudes in the proximal direction from the end surface of the extended cylinder part 40, and an internal port 38 b that protrudes in the distal direction inside the extended cylinder part 40. The connection port 38 is provided with a lumen 42 that penetrates the inside of the external and

internal ports

38 a and 38 b in the axial direction and constitutes a part of the flow path 32. The urinary catheter 16 (see FIG. 1) is liquid-tightly attached to the outer peripheral surface of the external port 38a. In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, this outer peripheral surface may be formed in the taper shape which diameter reduces gradually toward a base end side. Thereby, the connection port 38 can be easily inserted into the lumen of the urinary catheter 16.

The extended cylinder part 40 is formed in a bottomed cylinder shape, and includes a bottom part 40a that expands radially outward from the connection port 38, and a side wall part 40b that extends in the distal direction and continues to the bottom part 40a. The elastic member 28 is accommodated in a space formed by the bottom 40a and the side wall 40b of the extension cylinder 40 and the side peripheral surface of the internal port 38b. Further, the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion of the extended tube portion 40 is formed in a stepped shape, and a fitting surface 44 that is fitted to the connector connecting tube portion 36 is provided in the stepped portion.

The connector connecting cylinder part 36 (second housing) is formed in a cylindrical shape whose outer diameter substantially matches the outer diameter of the extended cylinder part 40. Both end portions (base end and distal end) of the connector connecting cylindrical portion 36 are open, the tube connecting cylindrical portion 34 is attached to the proximal end portion, and the second connector 22 is attached to the distal end portion.

The inner side of the base end side of the connector connecting tube portion 36 in the axial direction is configured as an internal space 46 in which the valve body 26 is disposed and urine can flow. Further, the inner peripheral surface of the base end portion of the connector connecting tube portion 36 is formed in a stepped shape, and a fitting surface 48 having an inner diameter substantially matching the outer diameter of the fitted surface 44 is formed in the stepped portion. .

The mechanism which can connect the 2nd connector 22 is formed in the side wall part 36a at the front end side of the connector connecting cylinder part 36. Specifically, a pair of locking holes 50 are formed at predetermined positions (upper and lower positions in FIGS. 2 and 3) of the side wall portion 36a of the connector connecting cylinder portion 36, and the inner peripheral surface of the side wall portion 36a has A guide groove 52 is provided in the axial direction so as to be continuous with the locking hole 50. The hook portion 100 of the second connector 22 is locked in the locking hole 50. The guide groove 52 guides the hook portion 100 in the axial direction when the hook portion 100 is locked in the locking hole 50 (that is, when the first connector 20 and the second connector 22 are connected).

An annular blocking portion 54 is disposed inside the distal end side of the connector connecting cylinder portion 36. The hole formed in the central part of the blocking part 54 functions as a through hole 56 constituting a part of the flow path 32. The cross-sectional area of the through hole 56 is preferably formed to have a size (for example, about 28 mm ² ) that substantially matches the cross-sectional area of the lumen 42. Thereby, the through-hole 56 can distribute urine with a margin.

5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line VA-VA in FIG. 2, FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VB-VB in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5C is an arrow view seen from the arrow VC in FIG. is there. As shown in FIG. 5A, the blocking portion 54 is supported by a connecting portion 58 that is formed at an axially intermediate portion of the connector connecting cylinder portion 36 (base end side with respect to the locking hole 50). The end surface on the front end side of the blocking portion 54 is disposed at a position that coincides with the front end opening of the housing 24 (connector connecting cylinder portion 36) (see FIG. 4). In addition, a pair of arm holes 60 into which an arm portion 70 of the valve body 26 to be described later can be inserted are formed at predetermined positions of the connecting portion 58.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the housing 24, a housing portion 30 in which the valve body 26 and the elastic member 28 are disposed is formed by the connection of the tube connecting tube portion 34 and the connector connecting tube portion 36. In assembling the first connector 20, one end side of the elastic member 28 is disposed on the bottom portion 40 a of the tube connection tube portion 34 (extension tube portion 40), and the valve body 26 is accommodated in the internal space 46 of the connector connection tube portion 36. In this state, the tube connecting cylinder part 34 and the connector connecting cylinder part 36 are mounted in the axial direction. And the assembly is made by fitting the to-be-fitted surface 44 of the tube connection cylinder part 34 and the fitting surface 48 of the connector connection cylinder part 36, and the 1st connector 20 is completed. In addition, when attaching the connector connection cylinder part 36 to the tube connection cylinder part 34, it can assemble | attach more firmly by apply | coating an adhesive etc. to the to-be-fitted surface 44 (or fitting surface 48). Further, the mounting means for the tube connecting tube portion 34 and the connector connecting tube portion 36 is not limited to such a structure. For example, the tube connecting tube portion 34 and the connector connecting tube portion 36 can be screwed together. Etc. may be adopted.

On the other hand, the valve body 26 is formed to have an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the connector connecting cylinder portion 36, and is accommodated so as to be axially displaceable with respect to the accommodating portion 30 of the housing 24. The valve body 26 closes the through-hole 56 (that is, the flow path 32) in cooperation with the blocking portion 54 at the distal end side position of the accommodating portion 30, and is displaced by shifting from the distal end position in the proximal direction. The through hole 56 of the part 54 is opened. As shown in FIG. 3, the valve body 26 includes a closing portion 62 that is located at the center and passes through the through hole 56, and an outer ring portion 64 (pressing portion) that surrounds the proximal side of the closing portion 62 in the circumferential direction. ) And three support portions 66 (see also FIG. 5B) that connect the closing portion 62 and the outer ring portion 64.

The valve body 26 is formed of the same material as that of the housing 24, for example, so that the material cost can be suppressed. Further, for example, even if a low friction material is applied so that sufficient slidability (displaceability) is exhibited in the accommodating portion 30 according to the use of the connection mechanism 10 (for example, the type of fluid). For example, a rubber material or the like may be applied so as to improve liquid tightness with the blocking portion 54. Of course, these materials may be appropriately combined depending on the part of the valve body 26.

The closing part 62 is formed in a cylindrical shape and extends in the tip direction (axial direction). The front end of the closing part 62 is formed on a flat surface orthogonal to the axial direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the first connector 20 closes the through hole 56 by the closing portion 62 being inserted through the through hole 56 and the flat surface reaching the vicinity of the opening of the through hole 56. Therefore, leakage of urine from the through hole 56 can be prevented. Note that the side surface of the blocking portion 62 may be formed in a tapered shape that decreases in diameter toward the distal direction. By forming the side surface in a tapered shape in this way, the through hole 56 is easily blocked by the tapered surface, and the slidability of the valve body 26 can be improved.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the outer ring portion 64 includes a proximal end annular portion 68 connected to the support portion 66 on the proximal end side of the valve body 26, and a predetermined length in the distal direction from the proximal end annular portion 68. A pair of arm portions 70 extending in length. The proximal annular portion 68 supports the closing portion 62 via the support portion 66, and the proximal end surface thereof is in contact with the elastic member 28.

The pair of arm portions 70 are provided so as to face each other with the closing portion 62 interposed therebetween. The cross-sectional shape of the arm portion 70 is formed in a substantially arc shape that substantially matches the cross-sectional shape of the arm hole 60 (see FIG. 5A). The arm portion 70 extends in the distal direction from the closing portion 62, and protrudes a predetermined amount from the distal end surface of the housing 24 (blocking portion 54) when the first connector 20 is assembled. The first connector 20 displaces the entire valve element 26 toward the proximal end side of the housing 24 by pressing the arm portion 70 in the proximal direction.

The support portion 66 extends radially (in the radial direction) from the side surface of the closing portion 62 and is connected to the proximal end annular portion 68 of the outer ring portion 64. The support part 66 is formed in a thin plate shape that is formed narrow in front view (see FIG. 5B) and wide in sectional side view (see FIG. 4). Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, the support portions 66 according to the present embodiment are arranged at three equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the closing portion 62 (that is, every 120 °). Accordingly, the valve body 26 is formed with three flow holes 72 so as to be separated from each support portion 66 in a front view. The flow hole 72 has a sufficient flow passage cross-sectional area (for example, the total of the three flow holes 72 is about 28 mm ² ) because the support portion 66 is formed narrow in the circumferential direction. For this reason, the circulation hole 72 can smoothly pass urine (fluid).

As shown in FIG. 4, the elastic member 28 disposed on the proximal end side of the valve body 26 is formed in a cylindrical body having a hollow portion 74 at the axial center and surrounding the hollow portion 74 in a liquid-tight manner.

Openings

74 a and 74 b that continue to the hollow portion 74 are provided in the portion (base end portion and distal end portion). The base end portion of the elastic member 28 is disposed on the bottom portion 40a of the tube connecting tube portion 34 in a state where the internal port 38b is inserted into the opening portion 74a. Accordingly, the hollow portion 74 is communicated with the lumen 42. On the other hand, the distal end portion of the elastic member 28 comes into contact with the proximal end surface of the valve body 26 (the proximal end annular portion 68), and the opening 74 b communicates with the flow hole 72. That is, the hollow portion 74 constitutes a part of the flow path 32 and allows urine to pass therethrough.

Further, the elastic member 28 has a side surface formed in a bellows shape, so that it can be compressed and expanded in the axial direction. In the state where the second connector 22 is not connected to the first connector 20 (see FIG. 4), the elastic member 28 extends and the valve body 26 is disposed at the distal end position of the housing portion 30. When the valve body 26 is pressed in the proximal direction by the second connector 22 (see FIG. 6), the elastic member 28 is compressed to urge the valve body 26 in the distal direction.

Examples of the material constituting the elastic member 28 include various rubber materials such as natural rubber, isoprene rubber, butyl rubber, butadiene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, urethane rubber, nitrile rubber, acrylic rubber, fluorine rubber, and silicone rubber (particularly, Vulcanized), various thermoplastic materials such as urethane-based, polyester-based, polyamide-based, olefin-based, styrene-based, and various elastic materials such as mixtures thereof.

In the first connector 20 according to the present embodiment, the valve body 26 and the elastic member 28 are separated from each other, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the valve body 26 and the elastic member 28 may be bonded to each other at a contact portion. Thereby, the flow hole 72 and the hollow part 74 can be communicated stably. Further, the valve body 26 and the elastic member 28 may be integrally formed as one member. Thereby, the number of parts of the 1st connector 20 can be decreased.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first connector 20 is attached to or arranged in the axial direction with the elastic member 28, the valve body 26, and the connector connection cylinder part 36 with respect to the tube connection cylinder part 34. The assembly of the valve body 26 is completed. In this case, the first connector 20 is formed with a lumen 42, a hollow portion 74, a flow hole 72, an internal space 46, and a through-hole 56 in order from the proximal end side of the housing 24 as the urine (fluid) flow path 32. Is done. As shown in FIG. 4, the first connector 20 can close the flow path 32 by closing the through hole 56 with the closing portion 62 of the valve body 26.

Next, the second connector 22 of the connection mechanism 10 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the second connector 22 includes an outer cylinder 80 connected to the urination tube 18 and an inner cylinder 82 disposed inside the outer cylinder 80. The outer cylinder 80 of the second connector 22 is formed so that its outer diameter substantially matches the inner diameter of the first connector 20 (connector connection cylinder portion 36), that is, slightly smaller than the housing 24 of the first connector 20. . The outer cylinder 80 can be made of the same material as the housing 24 of the first connector 20.

Further, the outer cylinder 80 is further divided into two members (a tube connection cylinder part 84 and a connector connection cylinder part 86), and the connector connection cylinder part 86 is mounted on the tube connection cylinder part 84 in the axial direction. . The outer cylinder 80 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape whose side surfaces are integrally connected in the axial direction by mounting the tube connecting cylinder portion 84 and the connector connecting cylinder portion 86.

The tube connecting tube portion 84 is formed in a shape that approximates the tube connecting tube portion 34 of the first connector 20. In other words, the tube connecting tube portion 84 includes a connection port 88 and an extending tube portion 90, and a lumen 92 is provided in the connection port 88 (the external port 88a and the internal port 88b). The urine tube 18 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the external port 88a. Furthermore, the inner cylinder 82 is accommodated in the space formed by the bottom 90 a and the side wall 90 b of the extension cylinder 90 and the side peripheral surface of the connection port 38, and the tip inner circumference of the extension cylinder 40 is A fitting surface 93 that fits into the connector connecting cylinder portion 86 is formed. Note that the tube connection tube portion 84 of the second connector 22 may be the same as the tube connection tube portion 34 of the first connector 20.

The connector connecting cylinder portion 86 of the second connector 22 is formed in a cylindrical body that is open at both ends, one end portion (base end portion) is attached to the tube connecting cylinder portion 84, and the other end portion is the first connector 20. Inserted into. The outer peripheral surface of the base end portion of the connector connecting tube portion 86 is a fitted surface 94 that substantially matches the fitting surface 93 of the extended tube portion 40.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inner peripheral surface of the connector connecting tube portion 86 is formed with a tapered surface 96 that is inclined inwardly in the distal direction. The tapered surface 96 has a function of preventing the inner cylinder 82 accommodated in the outer cylinder 80 from being removed from the opening at the front end of the outer cylinder 80 (connector connecting cylinder portion 86). Further, the distal end surface of the connector connecting tube portion 86 is formed to be thick according to the tapered surface 96 and functions as a contact surface 98 that faces the arm portion 70 of the valve body 26.

Furthermore, a pair of hook portions 100 are formed at predetermined positions (vertical positions in FIGS. 2 and 3) on the side wall portion of the connector connecting cylinder portion 86. The hook portion 100 can be elastically deformed in the radial direction with respect to the side wall portion 86 a of the outer cylinder 80 and is locked in the locking hole 50 of the first connector 20. Thereby, the connection of the 1st connector 20 and the 2nd connector 22 is maintained.

The inner cylinder 82 accommodated in the outer cylinder 80 is made of the same material as the elastic member 28 of the first connector 20. A flow space 102 (flow passage) that forms part of the urine flow path 83 is formed in the inner cylinder 82. As shown in FIG. 4, an opening 82 a is formed at the proximal end portion of the inner cylinder 82, and is arranged at the bottom 90 a of the tube connecting cylinder portion 84. As a result, the internal port 88 b is surrounded by the inner cylinder 82.

The front end surface of the inner cylinder 82 is covered with an elastic film 104 that is integrally formed so as to be continuous with the side surface of the inner cylinder 82, and a single slit 106 is formed in the central portion of the elastic film 104 in the radial direction. It is formed (see FIG. 5C). Further, the side surface of the inner cylinder 82 is formed in a bellows shape like the elastic member 28, so that the entire inner cylinder 82 can be compressed and extended in the axial direction.

The elastic film 104 on the front end surface of the inner cylinder 82 is in a state where the slit 106 is closed in a state where the first and

second connectors

20 and 22 are separated (see FIG. 4). In the connection state of the first and second connectors 20 and 22 (see FIG. 6), the blocking portion 54 of the first connector 20 contacts the elastic film 104. Thereby, the peripheral surface surrounding the slit 106 of the elastic film 104 is pressed and deformed, and the slit 106 can be opened. As a result, the through hole 56 of the blocking portion 54 and the flow space 102 of the inner cylinder 82 are communicated, and urine can flow between the first and

second connectors

20 and 22.

As shown in FIG. 3, the second connector 22 is configured such that the inner tube 82 and the connector connecting tube portion 86 are attached or arranged in the axial direction with respect to the tube connecting tube portion 84, so that the outer tube 80 and the inner tube 82. Assembling is completed. Accordingly, the second connector 22 can be easily assembled in the same manner as the first connector 20.

The connection mechanism 10 is not limited to the above-described configuration of the second connector 22 connected to the first connector 20, and various configurations can be employed. For example, the second connector 22 may include only the outer cylinder 80 without the inner cylinder 82. Even in this case, the outer ring 80 can press the outer ring portion 64 of the first connector 20 in the proximal direction to open the flow path 32. Further, since the second connector 22 does not have the inner cylinder 82, the flow path 83 cannot be closed. However, the reverse flow of the urine discharged downstream can be prevented by picking the urine discharge tube 18 on the downstream side. be able to.

The connection mechanism 10 (first and second connectors 20 and 22) according to the present embodiment is basically configured as described above. Next, the operation when the connection mechanism 10 is used and The effect will be described.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the separated state of the first and

second connectors

20 and 22, the first connector 20 blocks the flow path 32 by inserting the blocking portion 62 of the valve body 26 through the through hole 56. is doing. On the other hand, the second connector 22 closes the flow path 83 by closing the slit 106 formed in the elastic film 104.

When connecting the first connector 20 and the second connector 22, the front end surface of the second connector 22 is opposed to the front end surface of the first connector 20, and the second connector 22 is moved in the axial direction and inserted into the housing 24. I will do it. At this time, the arm portion 70 of the first connector 20 and the contact surface 98 of the second connector 22 come into contact with each other, and the valve body 26 of the first connector 20 is pressed in the proximal direction by the contact surface 98. As a result, the closing portion 62 moves relative to the through hole 56.

Further, when the second connector 22 is inserted into the first connector 20, the hook portion 100 is guided to the guide groove 52 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the first connector 20. When the second connector 22 is advanced as it is, it is inserted into the locking hole 50 on the proximal end side of the guide groove 52. Thereby, the connection state of the 1st and

2nd connectors

20 and 22 is formed.

6 is a cross-sectional view showing a connection state of the connection mechanism 10 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, in the first connector 20, the valve body 26 pressed by the second connector 22 is located on the proximal end side of the housing portion 30 in the connected state of the first and

second connectors

20 and 22. That is, the blocking portion 62 is at a position sufficiently separated from the through hole 56, and the flow path 32 (the lumen 42, the hollow portion 74, the flow hole 72, the internal space 46, the through hole 56) of the first connector 20 is opened ( Opened). In this case, the flow holes 72 and the through holes 56 are formed to have a sufficiently wide flow channel cross-sectional area (for example, about 28 mm ² ), so that urine can flow smoothly.

In the second connector 22, when the elastic film 104 is pressed against the blocking portion 54, the inner cylinder 82 is compressed as a whole, and the elastic film 104 is displaced in the proximal direction. Further, the elastic film 104 is deformed to open the closed slit 106. Thereby, the flow path 83 (slit 106, distribution space 102, lumen 92) of the second connector 22 is opened (opened).

As described above, the connection mechanism 10 can connect the first connector 20 and the second connector 22 linearly (in the axial direction). At this time, the flow path 32 and the flow path 83 can be communicated with each other by a connection operation without performing an operation of separately operating the valve body 26. Thereby, urine can be smoothly circulated from the urinary catheter 16 to the urination tube 18.

Further, when the first connector 20 and the second connector 22 are separated from the connected state, the connection mechanism 10 presses the hook portion 100 that is hooked in the locking hole 50 inward, so that the first connector 20 The two connectors 22 can be easily separated by pulling out. At this time, the valve body 26 of the first connector 20 moves in the distal direction (the distal end side position of the accommodating portion 30) by the elastic force of the elastic member 28. Thereby, the closing part 62 closes the through hole 56 (flow path 32) again.

On the other hand, the inner cylinder 82 of the second connector 22 displaces the elastic film 104 in the distal direction by separating the blocking portion 54. At this time, the slit 106 is positively (automatically) closed by the elastic force (restoring force) of the elastic film 104. Further, as the elastic film 104 is displaced in the distal direction, the distal end edge portion of the inner cylinder 82 is guided inward by the tapered surface 96, so that the slit 106 can be more reliably closed. Therefore, when the first and

second connectors

20, 22 are separated from the connected state, urine remaining in the urinary catheter 16, the urination tube 18, and the first and

second connectors

20, 22 is prevented from leaking. be able to.

Thus, by separating the first connector 20 and the second connector 22 in the connection mechanism 10, only the downstream urine storage bag 14 and the urination tube 18 (including the second connector 22) can be carried. Therefore, the urine accumulated in the urine storage bag 14 can be easily discarded. On the other hand, since the patient can move without carrying the urine storage bag 14 and the urination tube 18, the behavior is not hindered during rehabilitation, bathing, examination, etc., and the urine storage bag 14 is held when eating. Freed from the mental burden of going. Further, when moving in a wheelchair, there is no risk of the urination tube 18 getting tangled in the wheelchair. Furthermore, since the 1st connector 20 and the 2nd connector 22 can be isolate | separated easily, it can avoid that the connection mechanism 10 and the urine storage bag 14 move to a position higher than a patient. Therefore, the back flow of urine can be prevented.

As described above, according to the first connector 20 according to the present embodiment, the valve body 26 is biased by the elastic member 28 and the closing portion 62 is inserted into the through hole 56, whereby the urine flow path 32. Can be reliably closed. Further, since the three support portions 66 support the closing portion 62 laterally and the flow holes 72 are formed between the support portions 66, urine can be guided so as to pass through the flow holes 72. Thereby, when the valve body 26 is displaced and the blocking portion 62 is separated from the through hole 56 (when the flow path 32 is opened), the flow of urine flowing through the inside of the housing 24 is not significantly changed. Urine can be smoothly circulated through the hole 72. In addition, since the flow passage cross-sectional area of the circulation hole 72 can be sufficiently secured by the support portion 66, that is, the fluid resistance can be reduced, urine can be circulated more smoothly.

Further, the elastic member 28 is formed in a cylindrical body having a hollow portion 74, and the opening 74 b of the hollow portion 74 communicates with the flow hole 72, so that the flow path 32 is configured in the axial direction from the hollow portion 74 to the flow hole 72. The fluid can be circulated even more smoothly.

Furthermore, the slit 106 is closed in a state where the inner cylinder 82 of the second connector 22 is separated from the first connector 20, so that the urine flow path 83 can be easily blocked also by the second connector 22. Further, the slit 106 abuts on the blocking portion 54 and is opened, so that the

flow paths

32 and 83 of the first and

second connectors

20 and 22 can be easily communicated with the connection of the first connector 20. .

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various configurations can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Claims

A housing (24) having a flow path (32) communicating in the axial direction therein;
A connector (20) comprising a valve body (26) disposed inside the housing (24) and capable of opening and closing the flow path (32),
An accommodating portion (30) provided inside the housing (24) and accommodating the valve element (26) in an axially displaceable manner;
A blocking portion (54) that is disposed on the tip side of the accommodating portion (30) and has a through hole (56) that constitutes a part of the flow path (32);
An elastic member (28) disposed in the housing part (30) and biasing the valve body (26) toward the blocking part (54),
The valve body (26) includes a closing portion (62) disposed in the through hole (56), a pressing portion (64) positioned on the side of the closing portion (62), and the closing portion (62). And a plurality of support portions (66) for connecting the pressing portions (64), and a circulation hole (72) formed between the plurality of support portions (66) and capable of flowing fluid in the axial direction. ,
When the pressing portion (64) is pressed in the proximal direction, the pressing portion (64) is displaced toward the proximal end side of the housing portion (30), so that the blocking portion (62) is separated from the through hole (56) and the flow path ( 32) A connector (20), characterized by opening.
Connector (20) according to claim 1,
The elastic member (28) is formed in a cylindrical body having a hollow portion (74) penetratingly formed in the axial direction and surrounding the hollow portion (74) in a liquid-tight manner,
One of the hollow portions (74) communicates with the flow hole (72). The connector (20).
Connector (20) according to claim 1,
The housing (24) is mounted in the axial direction of the first housing (34) in which the elastic member (28) can be arranged, and the valve body (26) is freely displaceable in the axial direction. A second housing (36) having an internal space (46) for receiving in the housing,
The connector (20) is characterized in that the housing portion (30) is formed when the first housing (34) and the second housing (36) are mounted.
A connection mechanism (10) comprising: a first connector (20) using the connector according to claim 1; and a second connector (22) detachably attached to the first connector (20),
As the first connector (20) and the second connector (22) are connected, the second connector (22) presses the pressing portion (64), so that the valve body (26) is proximal. The connecting mechanism (10) using a connector, wherein the closing portion (62) is moved away from the through hole (56).
Connection mechanism (10) according to claim 4,
The second connector (22) includes an outer cylinder (80) that presses the pressing portion (64) and an inner flow passage (102) disposed in the outer cylinder (80) in the axial direction. A tube (82),
The inner cylinder (82) has a distal end side opening (106) communicating with the flow passage (102) in a state where the second connector (22) is separated from the first connector (20). And when the first connector (20) and the second connector (22) are connected, the opening (106) on the distal end side is opened by contacting the blocking portion (54). A connection mechanism (10) using a connector.