JP6924368B2 - Male connector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a male connector including a male member. In particular, the present invention relates to a male connector provided with a compressionally deformable shield that prevents liquid leakage from a lateral hole of a male member.

In hemodialysis, hemofiltration, cardiac surgery, etc., an extracorporeal circulation circuit that circulates blood outside the body using a mechanical external force such as a pump in order to perform a predetermined treatment on the blood derived from the patient and return it to the patient. Is configured. In the extracorporeal circulation circuit, a connector consisting of a male connector and a female connector is used to connect a tube through which blood flows.

If the male connector and the female connector are unintentionally separated during blood circulation, an accident may occur in which the blood forcibly flowed by a pump or the like leaks out of the circuit. In order to prevent the occurrence of such an accident, the connector is provided with a lock mechanism for maintaining the connected state between the male connector and the female connector. Further, even if the male connector and the female connector are unintentionally separated, the male connector and the female connector are provided with a self-closing mechanism that automatically closes the flow path so that blood does not leak to the outside world, respectively.

Patent Document 1 describes an example of a male connector having a locking mechanism and a self-closing mechanism.

The lock mechanism of the male connector is a lock lever type lock mechanism provided with a lock lever that can be elastically swung and a claw that is provided at the tip thereof and can be engaged with the female connector. By engaging (locking) the claw with the female connector while the male member of the male connector is inserted into the female connector, the connection state between the male connector and the female connector is maintained.

The self-closing mechanism of the male connector is composed of a shield that can be elastically compressed and deformed. The male member is housed in the shield. A through hole through which a male member can penetrate is formed at the top of the shield. In the initial state in which the male connector is not connected to the female connector, the male member is housed in the shield, and the lateral hole communicating with the flow path of the male member is closed by the shield. When the male connector is connected to the female connector, the shield is compressed and deformed in the longitudinal direction of the male member, and the portion of the male member including the lateral hole protrudes from the shield and is inserted into the female connector. When the male connector is separated from the female connector, the shield returns (extends) to the initial state, and the lateral hole of the male member is closed by the shield.

According to the above-mentioned male connector, the connection state between the male connector and the female connector is maintained by engaging the lock lever of the male connector with the female connector. Even if the lock lever is unintentionally disengaged from the female connector, the shield returns to the initial state, so that the lateral hole of the male member is liquid-tightly closed.

International Publication No. 2016/133139

The above-mentioned conventional male connector has a problem that the reliability of the operation of returning (extending) the shield from the compressed state to the initial state is low. The reason is as follows.

The shield has an inner peripheral surface that can close the lateral hole of the male member in the initial state. This inner peripheral surface having a relatively large area slides on the outer peripheral surface of the male member when the shield is deformed between the initial state and the compressed state. The sliding resistance of the inner peripheral surface of the shield with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the male member prevents the shield from returning from the compressed state to the initial state.

The shield is generally made of an elastic material such as rubber. If the male connector is left connected to the female connector for a long period of time, the shield remains compressed during that period. This reduces the restoring force that attempts to extend the shield to its initial state. If the restoring force is smaller than the sliding resistance, the shield cannot return to the initial state when the male connector is separated from the female connector.

Unless the shield returns from the compressed state to the initial state, the lateral hole of the male member is not sealed by the shield. This leads to unintended blood leakage.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and improve the reliability of the operation of returning the shield from the compressed state to the initial state.

The male connector of the present invention includes a rod-shaped male member provided with a flow path through which a liquid flows, and a shield that covers at least a portion near the tip of the male member. A horizontal hole communicating with the flow path is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the male member. The shield includes an outer peripheral wall that can be elastically compressed and deformed in the longitudinal direction of the male member, and a head portion provided at one end of the outer peripheral wall. The head comprises a lumen into which the male member is inserted. On the inner peripheral surface of the lumen of the head, the first seal portion and the second seal portion that are in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the male member are arranged between the first seal portion and the second seal portion. Moreover, the first seal portion and the recess recessed from the second seal portion are provided. In the initial state in which the outer peripheral wall is not compressively deformed, the recess faces the lateral hole of the male member, and the first seal portion is located on the tip end side of the male member with respect to the lateral hole. The second seal portion is in close contact with the surface, and the second seal portion is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the male member on the proximal end side of the male member with respect to the lateral hole. In the compressed state in which the outer peripheral wall is compressed and deformed, the male member projects from the head so that the lateral hole is exposed to the outside of the shield. A transition region is provided at the edge of the opening on the distal end side of the inner peripheral surface of the lumen so that the inner diameter of the lumen increases toward the distal end.

According to the present invention, the inner peripheral surface of the lumen of the head of the shield is provided with a first seal portion and a second seal portion, and a recess recessed from the first seal portion and the second seal portion. This reduces the sliding resistance of the inner peripheral surface of the lumen with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the male member. Therefore, even if the restoring force of the shield is small, the inner peripheral surface of the lumen can be slid on the outer peripheral surface of the male member. As a result, the shield can be reliably returned from the compressed state to the initial state, and the reliability of the operation of returning the shield to the initial state is improved.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a male connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of a male connector according to an embodiment of the present invention along a surface including a central axis. FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of a male connector according to an embodiment of the present invention along another surface including a central axis. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a male connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional perspective view of a male connector main body constituting the male connector according to the embodiment of the present invention, along a surface including a central axis. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional perspective view of the male connector main body constituting the male connector according to the embodiment of the present invention along another surface including the central axis. FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional perspective view of a shield constituting the male connector according to the embodiment of the present invention along a surface including a central axis. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional perspective view of the shield constituting the male connector according to the embodiment of the present invention along another surface including the central axis. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state immediately before connecting the male connector according to the embodiment of the present invention to the female connector. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional perspective view of an example of a female connector to which a male connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected. FIG. 7A is a perspective view showing a state in which the male connector according to the embodiment of the present invention is connected to the female connector. FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 7A along a plane including a central axis. FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 7A along another surface including the central axis. FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a shield constituting a conventional male connector. FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view along a surface including the central axis of the shield. FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the lateral hole of the male member and its vicinity of the conventional male connector in the initial state. FIG. 10A is a partially enlarged front view of a lateral hole of a conventional male member. FIG. 10B is a partially enlarged side view of a lateral hole of a conventional male member. FIG. 10C is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state immediately before the shield returns to the initial state in the conventional male connector. FIG. 11A is a partially enlarged front view of a lateral hole of a male member in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11B is a partially enlarged side view of the lateral hole of the male member. FIG. 11C is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state immediately before the shield returns to the initial state in one embodiment of the present invention.

In the above-mentioned male connector of the present invention, the first seal portion and the second seal portion may be annular protrusions continuous in the circumferential direction. Further, the recess may be an annular groove continuous in the circumferential direction. According to such an aspect, it is possible to prevent the liquid from leaking from the lateral hole to the outside world and to improve the reliability of the operation of returning the shield to the initial state with a simple configuration.

The lateral hole may be a non-circular hole whose diameter along the longitudinal direction of the male member is larger than its diameter along the circumferential direction. Such an embodiment reduces the possibility that the first seal portion is caught on the edge of the lateral hole in the process of returning the shield from the compressed state to the initial state. This is advantageous for further improving the reliability of the operation of returning the shield from the compressed state to the initial state.

A transition region may be provided at the edge of the opening on the distal end side of the inner peripheral surface of the lumen so that the inner diameter of the lumen increases toward the distal end. Such an embodiment reduces the possibility that the first seal portion is caught on the edge of the lateral hole in the process of returning the shield from the compressed state to the initial state. This is advantageous for further improving the reliability of the operation of returning the shield from the compressed state to the initial state.

The tip of the head may be provided with an engaging structure capable of engaging with the female connector when the male connector is connected to the female connector. According to such an embodiment, the engaging structure engaged with the female connector pulls the shield so that the shield extends to the initial state when the male connector is separated from the female connector. This is advantageous for further improving the reliability of the operation of returning the shield from the compressed state to the initial state.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to suitable embodiments. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. For convenience of explanation, each figure referred to in the following description is a simplified representation of the main members constituting the embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, within the scope of the present invention, any member not shown in the drawings may be added, or any member shown in the drawings may be changed or omitted.

1. 1. Configuration of Male Connector FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the male connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1B and 1C are cross-sectional views of the male connector 1 along a surface including the central axis 1a. The cross section of FIG. 1B and the cross section of FIG. 1C are orthogonal to each other. For the convenience of the following description, the direction parallel to the central axis 1a is referred to as "vertical direction". "Top" and "bottom" are defined based on FIGS. 1B and 1C. The direction parallel to the plane perpendicular to the central axis 1a is called the "horizontal direction". However, "upper", "lower", and "horizontal" do not mean the orientation of the male connector 1 in actual use. The direction orthogonal to the central axis 1a is referred to as "radial direction" or "diametrical direction", and the direction rotating around the central axis 1a is referred to as "circumferential direction". In the radial direction, the side closer to the central axis 1a is referred to as "inside", and the side far from the central axis 1a is referred to as "outside".

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the male connector 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The male connector 1 includes a male connector main body 10 and a shield 50.

3A and 3B are cross-sectional perspective views of the male connector main body 10 along the surface including the central axis (the central axis 1a of the male connector 1 shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C). The cross section of FIG. 3A and the cross section of FIG. 3B are orthogonal to each other. The male connector main body 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 in addition to FIGS. 3A and 3B.

The male connector main body 10 includes a male member (male lure) 11. The male member 11 is a rod-shaped member extending along the central axis coaxially with the central axis. In the present embodiment, the outer peripheral surface (side surface) of the male member 11 is a tapered surface (conical surface) whose outer diameter decreases from the base end 11b of the male member 11 toward the tip end 11a. However, the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the male member 11 is not limited to this, and can be arbitrarily selected. For example, the outer peripheral surface of the male member 11 may be a cylindrical surface having a constant outer diameter from the base end 11b to the tip end 11a. Alternatively, the outer peripheral surface of the male member 11 may be a curved surface whose outer diameter changes in the central axis direction based on an arbitrary function.

A flow path 12 is formed in the male member 11 along the central axis 1a. The flow path 12 does not open to the tip 11a of the male member 11. Two lateral holes 13 communicating with the flow path 11 are formed at positions near the tip 11a on the outer peripheral surface of the male member 11. Each lateral hole 13 extends along the radial direction and opens on the outer peripheral surface of the male member 11. The number of lateral holes 13 does not have to be two, and may be one or three or more. The lateral hole 13 is an elongated hole whose diameter along the longitudinal direction of the male member 11 is larger than its diameter along the circumferential direction (see FIG. 11A described later).

The base 15 projects outward from the base end 11b of the male member 11 along the radial direction. The base 15 is a flat plate-shaped member substantially parallel to the horizontal direction. A pair of holes 16 that penetrate the base 15 in the vertical direction are formed in the base 15. The connecting cylinder 17 projects downward from the base 15. The connection cylinder 17 has a hollow substantially cylindrical shape coaxial with the male member 11, and a flow path communicating with the flow path 12 of the male member 11 is formed. A flexible tube constituting a circuit through which a liquid (for example, blood, a drug solution, a physiological saline solution, etc.) flows is directly or indirectly connected to the connection tube 17 directly or via another member (not shown). ..

The hood 20 is erected on the same side as the male member 11 from the outer edge of the base 15. The hood 20 has a hollow tubular shape that surrounds the male member 11. The hood 20 has an opening 21 that faces upward. The opening 21 seen from above is a circular shape coaxial with the male member 11. The tip (upper end) of the hood 20 is located higher than the tip 11a of the male member 11.

A pair of notches 23 are provided on the side wall of the hood 20. The notch 23 is a hole (opening) that penetrates the hood 20 in the radial direction. The pair of notches 23 face each other with the male member 11 interposed therebetween.

As best shown in FIG. 3B, a pair of levers 30 face each other with a male member 11 in between. The lever 30 extends substantially parallel to the male member 11. A substantially intermediate portion of the lever 30 in the longitudinal direction is connected to the base 15. The lever 30 has a locking portion 31 arranged on the same side (upper side) as the male member 11 with respect to the base 15, and an operating portion 35 arranged on the same side (lower side) as the connecting cylinder 17 with respect to the base 15. And. The locking portion 31 is arranged in the notch 23 formed in the hood 20.

The claw 32 projects toward the male member 11 from the surface (inner side surface) of the locking portion 31 facing the male member 11. The claw 32 is provided with an inclined surface 32a above the top portion (the portion most protruding toward the male member 11 side) 32t. The inclined surface 32a is inclined upward so as to move away from the male member 11. The top portion 32t of the claw 32 projects toward the male member 11 from the edge defining the opening 21 of the hood 20.

The lever 30 has a mechanical strength such that the entire portion from the upper end (locking portion 31) to the lower end (operating portion 35) can be regarded as a substantially rigid body. On the other hand, the mechanical strength of the base 15 connecting the base end 11b of the male member 11 and the lever 30 is relatively low. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3B, when a force F inward in the radial direction is applied to the operating portion 35, the base 15 is elastically bent and deformed, and the locking portion 31 and the claw 32 formed therein are male members. The lever 30 can be rotated (or rocked) away from 11 (in the direction of arrow A).

The male connector body 10 is preferably made of a hard material. Specifically, resin materials such as polyacetal, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyamide, polypropylene, and rigid polyvinyl chloride can be used. The male connector main body 10 can be integrally manufactured as a single component by an injection molding method or the like using such a resin material.

4A and 4B are cross-sectional perspective views of the shield 50 along the surface including the central axis (the central axis 1a of the male connector 1 shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C). The cross section of FIG. 4A and the cross section of FIG. 4B are orthogonal to each other. The shield 50 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 in addition to FIGS. 4A and 4B.

The shield 50 includes a head 51, an outer peripheral wall 55, and a base 58 in this order from top to bottom. A protrusion 53 projects upward from the upper surface of the head 51. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the shield 50 has a substantially tubular shape penetrating in the vertical direction.

The shield 50 is integrally molded as a whole using a soft material (so-called elastomer) having rubber elasticity (or flexibility). The material of the shield 50 is not limited, but for example, isoprene rubber, silicone rubber, butyl rubber, thermoplastic elastomer, and the like can be used. The shield 50 can be deformed by an external force, and immediately returns to the state before deformation (natural state) when the external force is removed.

As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, a through hole coaxial with the central axis is formed in the head 51 (including the protrusion 53). The space inside the through hole is the lumen 52 into which the male member 11 is inserted. A first seal portion 52a, a second seal portion 52b, a recess 52c, and a transition region 52d are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the lumen 52.

The first seal portion 52a and the second seal portion 52b are both annular protrusions (convex portions) continuous in the circumferential direction. When the male member 11 is inserted into the lumen 52 (see FIGS. 1B and 1C), the sealing portions 52a and 52b are in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the male member 11 and are liquid-tightly sealed with the outer peripheral surface. To form. In the present embodiment, the seal portions 52a and 52b are cylindrical surfaces whose inner diameter is coaxial with the central axis 1a (see FIGS. 1B and 1C) of the male connector 1 and whose inner diameter is constant in the central axis direction. More specifically, the inner diameter of the first seal portion 52a and the inner diameter of the second seal portion 52b are the same, and they are slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the male member 11. The first seal portion 52a is arranged above the second seal portion 52b.

The recess 52c is arranged between the first seal portion 52a and the second seal portion 52b. The recess 52c is an annular groove continuous in the circumferential direction having an inner diameter larger than that of the first seal portion 52a and the second seal portion 52b. The dimension along the central axis 1a (see FIGS. 1B and 1C) of the recess 52c (that is, the groove width of the recess 52c) is the dimension along the same direction of the lateral hole 13 provided in the male member 11. It may be larger or smaller than the opening diameter of the lateral hole 13 in the major axis direction). A transition portion (for example, a convex curved surface or an inclined surface) whose inner diameter gradually changes is provided at the concave portion 52a side end of the first seal portion 52a and the concave portion 52a side end of the second seal portion 52b.

The transition region 52d is provided at the edge of the opening facing upward on the inner peripheral surface of the lumen 52, and is adjacent to the upper side of the first seal portion 52a. In the transition region 52d, the inner diameter of the lumen 52 changes so as to increase upward. In the present embodiment, the transition region 52d is composed of a tapered surface (or a conical surface) whose inner diameter changes linearly. However, the transition region 52d is not limited to this, and may be configured by, for example, a convex curved surface having a substantially arcuate cross section.

The protrusion 53 includes a locking protrusion 53a that protrudes outward in the radial direction. The locking projection 53a is an annular projection continuous in the circumferential direction. The protrusion 53 provided with the locking protrusion 53a has a substantially mushroom shape or a substantially umbrella shape as a whole. The maximum outer diameter of the protrusion 53 (that is, the outer diameter of the locking protrusion 53a) is preferably slightly larger than the inner diameter of the opening 132 (see FIG. 6 described later) provided in the cap 130 of the female connector 100. A through hole having a lumen 52 penetrates the center of the protrusion 53.

When a vertical compressive force is applied to the shield 50, the outer peripheral wall 55 elastically compresses and deforms so as to shorten its vertical dimension (see FIGS. 7B and 7C described later). The outer peripheral wall 55 has an inner diameter larger than that of the lumen 52 of the head 51.

The base 58 has a flat bottom surface 58a (see FIG. 4B). A pair of fixing protrusions 59 project downward from the bottom surface 58a. The fixing claw 59a projects outward from the outer peripheral surface of the fixing protrusion 59 in the radial direction. The fixing protrusion 59 and the fixing claw 59a are used to fix the shield 50 to the male connector main body 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, the shield 50 is inserted into the hood 20 of the male connector main body 10 from above. As shown in FIG. 1C, the fixing protrusion 59 of the shield 50 is inserted into the hole 16 provided in the base 15 of the coosnector main body 10. The fixing claw 59a passes through the hole 16 and engages with the lower surface of the base 15. The bottom surface 58a of the shield 50 (see FIG. 4B) is in close contact with the top surface of the base 15 (see FIG. 1B).

The tip 11a of the male member 11 and a portion in the vicinity thereof are inserted into the lumen 52 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B) of the head 51 of the shield 50. The tip 11a of the male member 11 is exposed upward in the lumen 52. As shown in FIG. 1C, the recess 52c of the shield 11 faces the lateral hole 13 of the male member 11 in the radial direction. The seal portions 52a and 52b of the shield 50 are brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the male member 11 while being appropriately deformed (for example, expanded in diameter) according to the outer shape of the outer peripheral surface. As a result, a liquid-tight annular seal continuous in the circumferential direction is formed between the first seal portion 52a and the outer peripheral surface of the male member 11 on the upper side of the lateral hole 13, and is lower than the lateral hole 13. On the side, a liquid-tight annular seal continuous in the circumferential direction is formed between the second seal portion 52b and the outer peripheral surface of the male member 11. The sealing portions 52a and 52b prevent the liquid in the flow path 12 from leaking to the outside world (that is, outside the male connector 1) through the lateral hole 13.

The outer peripheral wall 55 of the shield 50 is separated from the male member 11 in the radial direction. Further, the outer peripheral wall 55 is separated from both the hood 20 and the lever 30 in the radial direction.

In the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, the state in which the shield 50 is not compressed and deformed in the vertical direction and no external force is substantially applied to the lever 30 is described in the male connector 1. It is called "initial state".

2. How to use the male connector The male connector 1 is used by connecting to the female connector. An example of the female connector is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state immediately before connecting the male connector 1 to the female connector 100. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the female connector 100.

As shown in FIG. 6, the female connector 100 includes a disk-shaped female member (hereinafter referred to as “septum”) 110, a base 120 for holding and fixing the septum 110 in the vertical direction, and a cap 130. ..

A linear slit (cut) 111 that penetrates the septum 110 in the vertical direction is formed in the center of the septum 110. The septum 110 can be easily deformed by an external force, and immediately returns to the state before deformation (natural state) when the external force is removed. The material of the septum 110 is not limited, but is preferably a soft material having rubber elasticity, and for example, isoprene rubber, silicone rubber, butyl rubber, thermoplastic elastomer, and the like can be used.

The base 120 includes a pedestal 121 having a substantially cylindrical shape. The outer peripheral surface of the pedestal 121 is a cylindrical surface. A pair of engaging claws 122 and an annular protrusion 123 project outward from the outer peripheral surface of the pedestal 121. The annular protrusion 123 is slightly separated from the engaging claw 122 on the proximal end side (upper side in FIG. 6) of the female connector 100.

The pedestal 121 communicates with the connection cylinder 127. The connecting cylinder 127 has a substantially cylindrical shape coaxial with the pedestal 121. A flexible tube constituting a circuit through which a liquid (for example, blood, a drug solution, a physiological saline solution, etc.) flows is directly or indirectly connected to the connecting cylinder 127 directly or via another member (not shown). ..

The cap 130 includes a top plate 131 having a disk shape and a peripheral wall 135 having a cylindrical shape extending from the outer peripheral edge of the top plate 131. A circular opening (through hole) 132 is formed in the center of the top plate 131. A pair of engaging holes 136 are formed in the peripheral wall 135. The engagement hole 136 is a through hole that penetrates the peripheral wall 135 in the radial direction.

The septum 110 is sandwiched between the tip of the pedestal 121 and the top plate 131 of the cap 130 in the thickness direction (that is, the vertical direction). The cap 130 is engaged with the engaging claw 122 by fitting the engaging claw 122 formed in the pedestal 121 into the engaging hole 136 formed in the cap 130. The slit 111 of the septum 110 is exposed in the opening 132 formed in the top plate 131. The annular protrusion 123 formed on the base 120 is adjacent to the peripheral wall 135 of the cap 130 on the upper side. The top surface of the annular protrusion 123 constitutes a cylindrical surface substantially the same as the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 135.

The female connector 100 having the septum 110 on which the slit 111 is formed is generally called a needleless port. In the initial state where the septum 110 is not deformed, the slit 111 is closed to form a liquidtight seal. The septum 110 functions as a partition member that separates the lumen 125 of the pedestal 121 from the outside world.

The connection between the male connector 1 and the female connector 100 can be performed as follows.

First, as shown in FIG. 5, the male connector 1 and the female connector 100 are opposed to each other. Although not shown, flexible tubes are directly or indirectly connected to the connection cylinder 17 of the male connector 1 and the connection cylinder 127 of the female connector 100, respectively.

Next, the cap 130 of the female connector 100 is inserted into the hood 20 of the male connector 1 and pushed in.

The outer peripheral edge of the top plate 131 (see FIG. 6) of the cap 130 comes into contact with the inclined surface 32a of the claw 32 of the lever 30. The lever 30 is elastically displaced so that the claw 32 is separated from the male member 11 (see arrow A in FIG. 3B).

The protrusion 53 of the shield 50 (see FIGS. 1B, 1C, 4A) abuts on the septum 110 (see FIG. 6) exposed in the opening 132 of the cap 130 of the female connector 100. When the female connector 100 is inserted deeper into the hood 20, the male member 11 protrudes from the protrusion 53, deforms the septum 110, and enters the slit 111 of the septum 110. In parallel with this, the shield 50 is compressed in the vertical direction.

FIG. 7A is a perspective view showing a state in which the male connector 1 is connected to the female connector 100. 7B and 7C are cross-sectional views thereof. The cross sections of FIGS. 7B and 7C are the same as the cross sections of FIGS. 1B and 1C, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C, the male member 11 projects from the head 51 of the shield 50 and further penetrates the slit 111 (see FIG. 6) of the septum 110. The septum 110 is deformed toward the lumen 125 of the pedestal 121. The lateral hole 13 of the male member 11 is exposed in the lumen 125 of the pedestal 121. Therefore, the flow path 12 of the male member 11 and the lumen 125 of the pedestal 121 communicate with each other.

The shield 50 receives a compressive force in the vertical direction, and in particular, its outer peripheral wall 55 is compressed and deformed so that its vertical dimension is reduced (compressed state). The protrusion 53 protruding from the head 51 penetrates the opening 132 of the cap 130. An annular locking projection 53a (see FIG. 4A) protruding from the projection 53 is engaged with the edge of the opening 132.

As best shown in FIG. 7B, the claw 32 of the lever 30 engages the annular projection 123 of the female connector 100. The position of the lever 30 is substantially the same as the initial state shown in FIG. 1B. The lever 30 functions as a "locking mechanism" that maintains a state in which the male connector 1 and the female connector 100 are connected. The lever 30 prevents the female connector 100 from being unintentionally separated from the male connector 1.

The male connector 1 and the female connector 100 are separated by the following procedure.

First, a radial inward force (force F in FIG. 3B) is applied to the operating portion 35 of the lever 30 to rotate the lever 30 and release the engagement between the claw 32 and the annular protrusion 123. By pulling the male connector 1 and the female connector 100 in a direction away from each other while the lever 30 is rotated, the male connector 1 can be separated from the female connector 100 (see FIG. 5). The septum 110 elastically recovers as soon as the male member 11 is removed, and the slit 111 is closed. The shield 50 extends to the initial state (see FIGS. 1A to 1C) by its own elastic restoring force. When the external force on the operation unit 35 is released, the lever 30 elastically returns to the initial state.

When the shield 50 returns to the initial state, the first seal portion 52a and the second seal portion 52b form a liquid-tight annular seal with the outer peripheral surface of the male member 11 (see FIG. 1C). When the male connector 1 is separated from the female connector 100, the shield 50 automatically returns to the initial state and functions as a "self-closing mechanism" that cuts off communication between the flow path 12 of the male member 11 and the outside world.

3. 3. Action When the male connector 1 is separated from the female connector 100, the shield 50 returns (stretches) from the compressed state (see FIGS. 7B and 7C) to the initial state (see FIGS. 1B and 1C). In the present embodiment, the reliability of the operation of the shield 50 returning (expanding) from the compressed state to the initial state (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as “returning operation”) is improved as compared with the conventional male connector. This will be described below.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a shield 950 constituting the conventional male connector described in Patent Document 1 described above. FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane including the central axis of the shield 950. Similar to the shield 50 of the present embodiment, the shield 950 includes a head 951, an outer peripheral wall 955, and a base 958 in this order. A protrusion 953 projects from the upper surface of the head 951. A through hole coaxial with the central axis is formed in the head 951 (including the protrusion 953). The space in the through hole is the lumen 952 into which the male member 911 (see FIG. 9) is inserted. The inner peripheral surface 952a of the lumen 952 is a cylindrical surface having a constant inner diameter in the central axis direction. In order to form a liquid-tight seal by bringing the inner peripheral surface 952a into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the male member 911, the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface 952a is the same as that of the seal portions 52a and 52b of the present embodiment. Slightly smaller than the outer diameter. The lumen 952 is not provided with the recess 52c and the transition region 52d (see FIGS. 4A and 4B) provided in the shield 50 of the present embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the lateral hole 913 of the male member 911 of the conventional male connector and its vicinity. The shield 950 is in the initial state. The inner peripheral surface 952a of the shield 950 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the male member 911. The lateral hole 913 is closed by the inner peripheral surface 952a, whereby the lateral hole 913 is liquid-tightly sealed. The width W (see FIG. 8B) of the inner peripheral surface 952a along the longitudinal direction of the male member 911 is set to be larger than the opening diameter of the lateral hole 913 along the direction in order to reliably close the lateral hole 913. Therefore, the area of the inner peripheral surface 952a is relatively large.

Although not shown, when the male connector is connected / separated to the female connector, the inner peripheral surface 952a is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the male member 911, and the longitudinal surface of the male member 911 is placed on the outer peripheral surface of the male member 911. It slides along the direction. As described above, since the inner peripheral surface 952a has a relatively large area, the sliding resistance of the inner peripheral surface 952a with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the male member 911 is large. Therefore, if the restoring force of the shield 950 (particularly the outer peripheral wall 955) is reduced by leaving the male connector connected to the female connector for a long period of time, the shield 950 will not be in the compressed state even if the male connector is separated from the female connector. In some cases, it did not return (stretch) to the initial state.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the inner peripheral surface of the lumen 52 of the shield 50 has a recess 52c and a transition that are recessed (that is, have a large inner diameter) from the first seal portion 52a and the second seal portion 52b. A region 52d is provided. In the initial state, the seal portions 52a and 52b are in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the male member 11. The area of the inner peripheral surface of the lumen 52 that is in close contact with the male member 11 (that is, the total area of the sealing portions 52a and 52b) is smaller than the area of the inner peripheral surface 952a of the conventional lumen 952. This reduces the sliding resistance of the sealing portions 52a and 52b with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the male member 11. Therefore, even if the restoring force of the shield 50 (particularly the outer peripheral wall 55) is reduced by leaving the male connector 1 connected to the female connector 100 (see FIGS. 7A to 7C) for a long period of time, the male connector 1 is subsequently subjected to. Is separated from the female connector 100, the shield 50 can be immediately restored (extended) from the compressed state to the initial state. As described above, in the present embodiment, the reliability of the operation of returning (expanding) the shield 50 from the compressed state (see FIGS. 7B and 7C) to the initial state (see FIGS. 1B and 1C) is improved. Therefore, the male connector 1 can surely prevent an unintended liquid leakage from the lateral hole 13 after the female connector 100 is separated, and has high safety.

In the conventional male connector in the initial state (see FIG. 9), it is the peripheral portion of the inner peripheral surface 952a that substantially functions to seal the lateral hole 913 of the male member 911. There is only a limited area in contact with. Therefore, in the present embodiment, even if the total area of the sealing portions 52a and 52b is smaller than the area of the inner peripheral surface 952a of the conventional male connector, the sealing performance of the sealing portions 52a and 52b is inferior to that of the conventional male connector. No. Rather, the small total area of the seal portions 52a and 52b means that the inner diameters of the seal portions 52a and 52b are only slightly reduced, and the sliding resistance of the seal portions 52a and 52b is not significantly increased. , 52b has an advantage that the sealing property can be easily improved.

In the conventional male connector (see FIG. 9), when the opening diameter of the male member 911 of the lateral hole 913 is increased along the longitudinal direction, the width W of the inner peripheral surface 952a (see FIG. 8B) is also increased accordingly. There is a need. This increases the sliding resistance of the inner peripheral surface 952a with respect to the male member 911. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, even if the opening diameter of the male member 11 of the lateral hole 13 is increased along the longitudinal direction, the width of the seal portions 52a and 52b along the longitudinal direction is increased. No need. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the sliding resistance of the seal portions 52a and 52b can be suppressed to be small even though the lateral hole 13 is a long hole.

In order to improve the sealing property between the sealing portions 52a and 52b and the male member 11, the inner diameter of the sealing portions 52a and 52b is preferably set smaller than the outer diameter of the male member 11. When the male member 11 is inserted into the lumen 52, the seal portions 52a and 52b are deformed so as to be enlarged by the male member 11. In this case, the recess 52c and / or the transition region 52d may come into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the male member 11. However, since the contact pressure of the recess 52c and the transition region 52d with respect to the male member 11 is relatively low, it is relatively possible that the recess 52c and the transition region 52d contacting the male member 11 hinders the return operation of the shield 50. Low to.

FIG. 10A is a partially enlarged front view of the lateral hole 913 of the conventional male member 911. FIG. 10B is a partially enlarged side view of the lateral hole 913 of the male member 911. As shown in FIG. 10A, the edge 913a defining the opening of the lateral hole 913 is circular. A circular horizontal hole 913 is opened along the radial direction on the outer peripheral surface of the male member 911, which is a tapered and gently tapered surface. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10B, when the lateral hole 913 is viewed along the direction perpendicular to the penetrating direction, the edge 913a of the lateral hole 913 is recessed in an arc shape. Dimension D9 indicates the maximum recess depth of the edge 913a.

FIG. 10C shows the process of the shield 950 returning from the compressed state to the initial state. The head 951 of the shield 950 is moving in the direction of the arrow M9, and is in a state immediately before the inner peripheral surface 952a of the shield 950 closes the lateral hole 913. As described above, the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface 952a is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the male member 911. Therefore, the inner peripheral surface 952a is deformed so as to increase the diameter. The portion of the inner peripheral surface 952a facing the lateral hole 913 is deformed inward along the edge 913a of the lateral hole 913 so as to enter the lateral hole 913 by the restoring force of the head 951. From this state, when the head 951 further rises in the direction of the arrow M9, the edge 952e of the opening facing upward on the inner peripheral surface 952a is caught by the edge 913a of the lateral hole 913, and the arrow M9 of the head 951 It is possible that the movement in the direction will stop. This makes it impossible for the shield 950 to return to its initial state.

FIG. 11A is a partially enlarged front view of the lateral hole 13 of the male member 11 of the present embodiment. Unlike the conventional horizontal hole 913, the horizontal hole 13 is a non-circular hole (long hole) having a long axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the male member 11 (that is, the central axis 1a direction shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C). .. More specifically, the edge 13a of the lateral hole 13 viewed from the front includes two straight lines 13b and 13b parallel to the longitudinal direction of the male member 11 and a semicircular arc 13c1 connecting the upper ends of the two straight lines. It is composed of a semi-circular arc 13c2 connecting the lower ends of the two straight lines, and has a shape substantially similar to that of an athletics stadium track as a whole. In order to make the flow resistance of the liquid the same in the lateral hole 13 and the lateral hole 913, the opening area of the lateral hole 13 seen from the front is the same as the opening area of the conventional lateral hole 913 (see FIG. 10A). Therefore, the opening diameter of the lateral hole 13 in the long axis direction (that is, the longitudinal direction of the male member 11) is larger than the opening diameter of the lateral hole 913, and is in the minor axis direction of the lateral hole 13 (that is, the circumferential direction of the male member 11). The opening diameter of is smaller than the opening diameter of the lateral hole 913.

FIG. 11B is a partially enlarged side view of the lateral hole 13 of the male member 11 as viewed along the direction perpendicular to the penetrating direction of the lateral hole 13. The edge 13a of the lateral hole 13 is recessed in a concave shape. The dimension D1 is the maximum recess depth of the edge 13a. As can be easily understood by comparing FIG. 11B with FIG. 10B, the recess depth D1 of the edge 13a is smaller than the recess depth D9 of the edge 913a of the conventional lateral hole 913.

FIG. 11C shows the process of the shield 50 returning from the compressed state to the initial state in the same manner as in FIG. 10C. The head portion 51 of the shield 50 is moving in the direction of the arrow M1, and the first seal portion 52a of the shield 50 has just begun to pass over the lateral hole 13. As described above, the inner diameter of the first seal portion 52a is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the male member 11. Therefore, the first seal portion 52a is deformed so as to increase the diameter. Similar to the case of FIG. 10C, when the first seal portion 52a passes over the lateral hole 13, the portion of the first seal portion 52a facing the lateral hole 13 is formed into a lateral hole due to the restoring force of the first seal portion 52a. It is deformed inward along the edge 13a of the lateral hole 13 so as to enter 13. However, since the recess depth D1 of the edge 13a (see FIG. 11B) is smaller than the conventional recess depth D9 of the edge 913a (see FIG. 10B), even if the head 51 further rises in the direction of the arrow M1. , The possibility that the first seal portion 52a is caught on the edge 13a is low. Further, the transition region 52d adjacent to the first seal portion 52a on the upper side helps the first seal portion 52a escape from the recess of the edge 13a. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the first seal portion 52a can get over the lateral hole 13 without being caught by the edge 13a of the lateral hole 13. As described above, the lateral hole 13 and the transition region 52d are advantageous for further improving the reliability of the return operation of the shield 50.

When the male connector 1 is connected to the female connector 100, the locking projection 53a (see FIG. 4A) of the protrusion 53 provided on the head 51 engages with the end edge of the opening 132 of the female connector 100. (See FIGS. 7B and 7C). The locking projection 53a engaged with the female connector 100 pulls the shield 50 so that the shield 50 returns (extends) to the initial state when the male connector 1 is separated from the female connector 100. This is advantageous for further improving the reliability of the return operation of the shield 50.

Even if the locking projection 53a is disengaged from the female connector 100 before the shield 50 returns to the initial state, the shield 50 can be returned to the initial state by the restoring force of the shield 50 as described above.

4. Various modified embodiments The above embodiments are merely examples. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be appropriately modified.

The transition region 52d may be omitted on the inner peripheral surface of the lumen 52 of the shield 50. In this case, the first seal portion 52a may extend to the edge of the opening on the distal end side of the inner peripheral surface of the lumen 52 of the shield 50.

The locking projection 53a may be omitted. Further, the protrusion 53 may be omitted in addition to the locking protrusion 53a.

A slit similar to the slit 111 of the septum 110 may be provided at the edge of the opening facing upward of the lumen 52. This slit can be configured to tightly close the opening of the lumen 52 in the initial state in which the male connector 1 is not connected to the female connector 100.

The method of fixing the shield 50 to the base 15 is not limited to the method of locking the fixing claw 59a to the base 15, and any method such as adhesion, welding, fitting, or the like can be used.

The opening shape of the male member 11 as viewed from the front of the lateral hole 13 is not limited to the track of the athletics stadium. The opening shape of the lateral hole 13 may be any elongated hole shape having a long axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the male member 11, such as an ellipse, a rectangle, or a rhombus. However, the track shape of the athletics stadium is preferable from the viewpoint of reducing the possibility that the first seal portion 52a is caught on the edge of the lateral hole 13 in the process of returning the shield 50 to the initial state.

The opening shape seen from the front of the lateral hole 13 may be circular, as in the conventional lateral hole 913 (see FIG. 10A). Alternatively, it may have an elongated hole shape or any shape other than a circular shape.

The number of levers 30 provided on the male connector main body 10 is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more. An operation unit for rotating the lever may be provided on the same side as the locking portion 31 with respect to the fulcrum (base 15) of the lever 30.

In the above embodiment, the locking claw 32 is engaged with the annular protrusion 123 of the female connector 100, but the portion of the female connector 100 with which the locking claw 32 is engaged is appropriately changed according to the configuration of the female connector 100. You can. The shape and position of the locking claw 32 can be changed according to the portion engaged with the female connector 100.

The hood 20 does not have to have a circular opening 21. For example, instead of the hood 20, two walls may be provided so as to face each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the two levers 30 face each other. Alternatively, the hood 20 may be omitted.

The field of application of the present invention is not limited, but can be widely used as a connecting tool for forming a circuit (line) for transporting various liquids such as a drug solution, an infusion solution, and blood in the medical field. .. Furthermore, it can also be used in various fields dealing with liquids such as foods other than medical use.

1 Male connector 10 Male connector body 11 Male member 11a Tip of male member 11b Base end of male member 12 Flow path 13 Side hole 50 Shield 51 Head 52 Lumen 53 Projection 53a Locking protrusion (engagement structure)
55 Peripheral wall 52a 1st seal 52b 2nd seal 52c Recess 52d Transition area

Claims (4)

A male connector including a rod-shaped male member provided with a flow path through which a liquid flows, and a shield covering at least a portion near the tip of the male member.
A horizontal hole communicating with the flow path is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the male member.
The shield includes an outer peripheral wall that can be elastically compressed and deformed in the longitudinal direction of the male member, and a head provided at one end of the outer peripheral wall.
The head comprises a lumen into which the male member is inserted.
On the inner peripheral surface of the lumen of the head, the first seal portion and the second seal portion that are in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the male member are arranged between the first seal portion and the second seal portion. Moreover, the first seal portion and the recess recessed from the second seal portion are provided.
In the initial state in which the outer peripheral wall is not compressively deformed, the recess faces the lateral hole of the male member, and the first seal portion is located on the tip end side of the male member with respect to the lateral hole. The second seal portion is in close contact with the surface, and the second seal portion is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the male member on the proximal end side of the male member with respect to the lateral hole.
In the compressed state to the outer peripheral wall is compressed and deformed, the male member so that the lateral hole is exposed to the outside of the shield projecting from the head,
A male connector characterized in that a transition region is provided at the edge of an opening on the distal end side of the inner peripheral surface of the lumen so that the inner diameter of the lumen increases toward the distal end. The first seal portion and the second seal portion are annular protrusions that are continuous in the circumferential direction.
The male connector according to claim 1, wherein the recess is an annular groove continuous in the circumferential direction. The male connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lateral hole is a non-circular hole whose diameter along the longitudinal direction of the male member is larger than its diameter along the circumferential direction. The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein an engaging structure is provided at the tip of the head so that the male connector can be engaged with the female connector when the male connector is connected to the female connector. Male connector.

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