Medical connection device

Abstract

In a medical connection device with a torque limiting mechanism, the elastic piece is prevented from getting caught on gloves or the like, dust intrusion is suppressed, and the structure is simplified. [Solution] The male connector 10 has a male luer portion 11, a threaded portion 14 consisting of a female thread formed in a threaded cylinder portion 13, and a connecting portion 12 for connecting the tube 1. The female connector 20 has a female luer portion 21, a threaded portion 23 that functions as a male thread, and a connecting portion 22 for connecting the tube 2. The female connector 20 is provided with an operating member 30 and a torque limiting mechanism 100. The torque limiting mechanism 100 includes engaging teeth 35 formed around the entire circumference of the inner circumference of the engaging tooth forming cylinder portion 31 of the operating member 30, and an elastic piece 28 extending axially from the annular flange portion 25 of the female connector 20. The elastic piece 28 enters the annular space 40 between the engaging tooth forming cylinder portion 31 of the operating member 30 and the opposing circumferential surface 26 of the female connector 20, and has a claw portion 28a that engages with the engaging teeth 35 on its radially outward side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a medical connecting device for connecting medical components to each other.

Background Art

[0002] A medical connecting device for connecting medical components such as tubes includes a male connector and a female connector. The male connector has a male luer part, a screwing cylinder part arranged on the outer side in the radial direction of the male luer part, a screwing part consisting of an internal thread formed on the inner periphery of this screwing cylinder part, and a connecting part for connecting a medical component. The female connector has a female luer part, a screwing part that functions as a male thread formed at the tip of the female luer part, and a connecting part for connecting other medical components. When the screwing of the screwing parts of both connectors progresses, the male luer part and the female luer part are joined, and thus two medical components respectively connected to the connecting parts of both connectors are connected to each other.

[0003] Patent Documents 1 to 4 propose structures that can prevent over-tightening of the screwing parts of both connectors. This will be briefly described below. In many embodiments disclosed in Patent Document 1, a cylindrical operating member is rotatably provided on the male connector, and a torque limit mechanism is arranged between this operating member and the male connector. The torque limit mechanism has an engaging tooth formed on the outer periphery of the male connector and an elastic piece formed on the operating member. A claw part is formed on the inner side in the radial direction of the elastic piece, and this claw part is engaged with the engaging tooth. When the operating member is rotated in the tightening direction, the operating torque applied to the operating member is transmitted to the screwing part of the male connector through the engagement between the claw part and the engaging tooth, the screwing of the screwing parts of both connectors progresses, and the male luer part and the female luer part are joined. When the operating torque in the tightening direction increases and reaches the threshold torque, the elastic piece of the operating member elastically deformes radially outward, the engagement between the engaging tooth and the claw part is released, and the operating member rotates freely. In this way, over-tightening can be avoided.

[0004] In the embodiment shown in Figures 19A to 21 of Patent Document 1, a cylindrical operating member is rotatably provided on a female connector, and a torque limiting mechanism is arranged between this operating member and the female connector. The torque limiting mechanism has engaging teeth formed on the outer circumference of the female connector and an elastic piece formed on the operating member.

[0005] Patent documents 2 to 4 describe a male connector having a connector body including a male luer portion and a threaded cylinder rotatably supported by the connector body, with a threaded portion consisting of a female thread formed on the inner circumference of the threaded cylinder. An operating member is arranged on the outer circumference of the threaded cylinder, and a torque limiting mechanism is arranged between the threaded cylinder and the operating member. The torque limiting mechanisms described in Patent Documents 2-4 differ from those in Patent Document 1 in that the arrangement of the engaging teeth and elastic piece is reversed, with the engaging teeth formed around the entire inner circumference of the operating member and the elastic piece formed in a screw-type cylinder. A claw portion is formed on the radially outer surface of the elastic piece. When the operating torque exceeds the threshold torque, the elastic piece elastically deforms radially inward, causing the operating member to spin freely. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] WO2016 / 157974 [Patent Document 2] WO2018 / 189842 [Patent Document 3] WO2020 / 070983 [Patent Document 4] WO2020 / 071024 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] In the medical connection device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the elastic piece is exposed to the outside, making it prone to snagging on medical personnel's gloves, etc. Also, dust can easily get trapped between the elastic piece and the engaging teeth. In the medical connection devices disclosed in Patent Documents 2 to 4, the elastic piece is covered by the operating member, preventing gloves or other items from getting caught and suppressing the intrusion of dust. However, since a separate threaded tube is required from the connector body, the structure becomes complex and the cost increases accordingly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and comprises a first connector including a first connection portion at the base end for connecting medical components, a first threaded portion at the tip end, and a first seal portion, and a second connector including a second connection portion at the base end for connecting other medical components, a second threaded portion at the tip end, and a second seal portion, wherein the first seal portion and the second seal portion are joined by screwing the first threaded portion and the second threaded portion together, thereby connecting the medical components to each other, Furthermore, the first connector comprises an operating member rotatably disposed on the outer circumference of the first connector and a torque limiting mechanism provided between the first connector and the operating member, wherein the operating member has an engagement tooth forming cylindrical portion, and engagement teeth are formed on the inner circumference of the engagement tooth forming cylindrical portion over its entire circumference, and the integrated portion that is integral with the first seal portion and the first screw portion in the first connector has an opposing circumferential surface that faces radially opposite the engagement tooth forming cylindrical portion of the operating member via an annular space, a support projection adjacent to the opposing circumferential surface, and a portion that extends axially from the support projection and enters the annular space The torque limit mechanism comprises at least one elastic piece, wherein a claw portion is formed on the radially outer side of the elastic piece to engage with the engaging tooth, and the torque limit mechanism includes the engaging tooth and the elastic piece on which the claw portion is formed, and transmits the tightening torque of the operating member to the first screw portion via the engagement of the claw portion of the elastic piece and the engaging tooth, and when the tightening torque of the operating member exceeds a threshold torque, the elastic piece elastically deforms radially inward, thereby releasing the engagement of the engaging tooth and the claw portion, and the operating member spins freely.

[0009] With the above configuration, since the elastic piece of the torque limit mechanism is covered by the operating member, it is possible to prevent it from getting caught on the gloves of medical personnel, etc., and to suppress the intrusion of dust into the torque limit mechanism. Furthermore, since the elastic piece extending axially from the support projection of the first connector is positioned to enter the annular space between the engaging tooth forming cylinder portion of the operating member and the opposing circumferential surface of the first connector, a separate screw cylinder is not required, and the torque limit mechanism can be provided on the first connector in which the first seal portion and the first screw portion are integrated, thereby simplifying the configuration of the first connector.

[0010] Preferably, the supporting projection consists of an annular flange, and the annular flange closes the opening at one axial end of the annular space. With this configuration, the annular flange seals one end of the annular space in the axial direction, thus reliably preventing dust from entering the torque limiting mechanism from the axial direction.

[0011] In one embodiment, the first connector is a female connector, and the female connector has a female luer portion with a tapered inner surface as the first sealing portion, a first screw portion formed on the outer circumference of the tip of the female luer portion and functioning as a male screw, and a first connecting portion. The second connector is a male connector, and the male connector has a male luer portion with a tapered outer surface as the second sealing portion, a screw cylinder portion arranged radially outside the male luer portion, a second screw portion consisting of a female screw formed on the inner circumference of the screw cylinder portion, and a second connecting portion.

[0012] Preferably, the operating member is positioned in the axial middle portion of the female connector, away from both axial ends, and this middle portion includes the integrated portion. In the engaging tooth-forming cylindrical portion of the operating member, an annular shielding flange is formed at the end opposite to the annular flange, projecting radially inward, and the shielding flange is rotatably supported on the outer circumference of the integrated portion of the female connector. This configuration allows for improved operability by positioning the operating element in the middle of the female connector.

[0013] In other embodiments, the first connector is a male connector having a male luer portion with a tapered outer surface as the first sealing portion, a screw cylinder portion arranged radially outside the male luer portion, a first screw portion consisting of a female screw formed on the inner circumference of the screw cylinder portion, and a first connecting portion; the second connector is a female connector having a female luer portion with a tapered inner surface as the second sealing portion, a second screw portion formed on the outer circumference of the tip of the female luer portion and functioning as a male screw, and a second connecting portion.

[0014] Preferably, the axial intermediate portion of the male connector includes the integrated portion which integrally connects the base end of the male luer portion and the base end of the screw cylinder portion, and the operating member has a mounting cylinder portion which is rotatably supported on the outer circumference of the screw cylinder portion and an engagement tooth forming cylinder portion which is connected to the base end of the mounting cylinder portion, and the inner diameter of the engagement tooth forming cylinder portion is larger than the inner diameter of the mounting cylinder portion. With this configuration, the mounting cylinder is supported on the outer circumference of the threaded cylinder, allowing for smooth rotation. Furthermore, since the inner diameter of the engaging tooth-forming cylinder is larger than the inner diameter of the mounting cylinder, an annular space can be formed.

[0015] Preferably, the outer diameter of the mounting cylinder portion is smaller than that of the engagement tooth forming cylinder portion, and a finger rest portion is provided protruding from the outer circumference of the mounting cylinder portion. This configuration allows for the formation of a finger rest without increasing the outer diameter of the operating member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent gloves from getting caught on the elastic piece, to suppress dust from entering between the elastic piece and the engaging teeth, and to simplify the structure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a top view showing a female connector of a medical connection device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the female connector being provided with an operating member and a torque limiting mechanism. [Figure 2] The upper surface view showing the state where the female connector and the operation member are separated in the medical connection device. [Figure 3] The longitudinal sectional view taken along the A-A arrow in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] The longitudinal sectional view showing the state where the male connector and the female connector of the medical connection device are separated. [Figure 5] The longitudinal sectional view showing the state when the male connector and the female connector of the medical connection device are connected and the operation torque exceeds the threshold value. [Figure 6] The sectional view taken along the B-B arrow in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] The sectional view taken along the C-C arrow in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] The longitudinal sectional view of the female connector of the medical connection device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] The longitudinal sectional view of the medical connection device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, showing the state where the male connector and the female connector are connected. [Figure 10] The upper surface view of the medical connection device. [Figure 11] The sectional view taken along the D-D arrow in FIG. 9.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, the medical connection device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. As shown in FIG. 4, this medical connection device connects tubes 1 and 2 (medical components) through which liquids such as chemical solutions and blood flow. Each component member of the medical connection device is formed of resin. The medical connection device includes a male connector 10 (second connector) and a female connector 20 (first connector).

[0019] <Male connector> The male connector 10 integrally comprises a male luer portion 11 (second sealing portion) located at one axial end (tip), a connecting portion 12 (second connecting portion) located at the other end (base), and a threaded cylinder portion 13 located radially outward from the male luer portion 11 and coaxial with the male luer portion 11. The outer surface of the male luer portion 11 has a gentle taper such that the diameter decreases towards the tip. The end of the tube 1 is inserted and fixed into the connecting portion 12. A threaded portion 14 (second threaded portion) forming an internal thread is formed on the inner circumference of the threaded cylinder portion 13. A fluid passage 10a is formed along the central axis of the male connector 10.

[0020] <Female connector> As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the female connector 20 has an elongated cylindrical shape, with a female Luer portion 21 (first sealing portion) at one axial end (tip) and a connecting portion 22 (first connecting portion) at the other end (base). The inner surface of the female Luer portion 21 has a gentle taper such that the diameter increases towards the tip. The taper angle of the inner surface of the female Luer portion 21 is substantially equal to the taper angle of the outer surface of the male Luer portion 11. A threaded portion 23 (first threaded portion) that functions as a male screw is formed on the outer circumference of the tip of the female Luer portion 21. The end of the tube 2 is inserted and fixed into the connecting portion 22. A fluid passage 20a is formed in the female connector 20 along the central axis.

[0021] In the female connector 20, the intermediate portion between the female luer portion 21 and the connecting portion 22 includes an integrated portion 29 that is integral with the female luer portion 21 and the threaded portion 23. This integrated portion 29 has an annular flange portion 25 (support projection), an opposing circumferential surface 26, and an annular groove 27 formed sequentially from the female luer portion 21 toward the connecting portion 22. The annular flange portion 25 has a radially inner thick annular portion 25a and a radially outer thin annular portion 25b. The thin annular portion 25b is connected to the female luer portion 21 side end of the thick annular portion 25a. The roles of these components will be described later.

[0022] <Operating member and torque limit mechanism> As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the medical connector further includes a short cylindrical or ring-shaped operating member 30 rotatably supported on the outer circumference of the intermediate part away from both axial ends of the female connector 20, and a torque limiting mechanism 100 positioned between the operating member 30 and the female connector 20.

[0023] <Operating component> The operating member 30 has an engaging tooth-forming cylindrical portion 31, an annular shielding flange portion 32 that protrudes radially inward from the end of the engaging tooth-forming cylindrical portion 31 on the connection portion 22 side, and a finger-grip portion 33 formed on the outer circumference of the engaging tooth-forming cylindrical portion 31. The engaging tooth-forming cylindrical portion 31 of the operating member 30 and the opposing circumferential surfaces 26 of the female connector 20 face each other radially, and an annular space 40 is formed between them.

[0024] As shown in Figure 4, one end of the engaging tooth-forming cylindrical portion 31 of the operating member 30 on the female Luer portion 21 side is locked to the thin annular portion 25b of the annular flange portion 25, and the inner peripheral edge of the shielding flange portion 32 is locked to the side edge of the annular groove 27 on the connection portion 22 side, thereby supporting the operating member 30 on the female connector 20 so as to be immovable in the axial direction and rotatable. One end of the annular space 40 (female Luer portion 21 side) is closed by the annular flange portion 25 of the female connector 20, and the other axial end (connection portion 22 side) is closed by the shielding flange portion 32 of the operating member 30.

[0025] <Torque limiting mechanism> The torque limit mechanism 100 has engaging teeth 35 formed around the entire circumference of the inner circumference of the engaging tooth forming cylindrical portion 31 of the operating member 30, and a plurality of elastic pieces 28 formed on the female connector 20. The elastic pieces 28 extend axially from the thick annular portion 25a of the elastic flange portion 25 and enter into the annular space 40. The elastic pieces 28 have claw portions 28a that protrude radially outward. These claw portions 28a mesh with the engaging teeth 35. One surface of the engaging teeth 35 is an inclined surface and the other surface is a steep surface, and the claw portion 28a has an inclined surface that contacts the inclined surface of the engaging teeth 35 when meshed, and a steep surface that contacts the steep surface of the engaging teeth 35. A gap 45 is formed between the opposing circumferential surface 26 of the female connector 20 and the elastic piece 28, allowing the elastic piece 28 to elastically deform radially inward.

[0026] <Joining process and the operation of the torque limiting mechanism> The female connector 20, which has the above configuration, is brought close to the male connector 10, and the male lure part 11 is inserted into the female lure part 21. This insertion proceeds without resistance until the threaded part 23 of the female connector 20 makes contact with the threaded part 14 of the male connector 10.

[0027] Next, as shown in Figure 6, when the operating member 30 is rotated in the tightening direction T, the operating torque of the operating member 30 is transmitted to the threaded portion 23 of the female connector 20 via the torque limit mechanism 100. The engagement state between the engaging teeth 35 and the claw portion 28a is maintained when the inclined surface of the engaging teeth 35 of the torque limit mechanism 100 and the inclined surface of the claw portion 28a of the elastic piece 28 are in contact.

[0028] As described above, by rotating the operating member 30 in the tightening direction T, the threaded portions 14 and 23 are screwed in, and the male luer portion 11 and the female luer portion 21 are joined with pressing force. In this way, the male luer portion 11 and the female luer portion 21 can be joined with sufficient sealing performance.

[0029] Furthermore, when the operating member 30 is rotated in the tightening direction T, it receives significant resistance from the joint between the male luer portion 11 and the female luer portion 21, causing the operating torque to exceed the threshold torque. As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the elastic piece 28 undergoes elastic deformation radially inward, causing the inclined surface of the claw portion 28a to slide against the inclined surface of the engaging teeth 35, and the claw portion 28a overcomes the engaging teeth 35 of the operating member 30. As a result, the operating member 30 spins freely. Since the operating torque of the operating member 30 is not transmitted to the threaded portion 23, excessive torque is not applied to the threaded portion 23, and excessive pressing force between the male luer portion 11 and the female luer portion 21 can be avoided. In this way, damage to the male luer portion 11 and the female luer portion 21 can be prevented, and the male luer portion 11 and the female luer portion 21 can not be bitten together to the extent that they cannot be separated.

[0030] <Unbonding process> After connecting tubes 1 and 2 as described above, if it becomes necessary to disconnect them, the operating member 30 is rotated in the loosening direction L. This causes the steep surface of the engaging teeth 35 of the operating member 30 to contact the steep surface of the claw portion 28a of the elastic piece 28 in the torque limiting mechanism 100, causing the female connector 20 to rotate together with the operating member 30 in the loosening direction L. As a result, the threading of the screw portions 14 and 23 is released, and consequently, the connection between the male lure portion 11 and the female lure portion 21 is released.

[0031] In this embodiment, the engagement tooth forming cylindrical portion 31 of the operating member 30 covers the elastic piece 28 and engagement teeth 35 of the torque limit mechanism 100, so that gloves or the like do not get caught on the elastic piece 28. Furthermore, since the engagement tooth forming cylindrical portion 31 covers the annular space 40 in which the torque limit mechanism 100 is located from the radially outside, dust can be prevented from entering the annular space 40. In this embodiment, the annular flange portion 25 of the female connector 20 and the shielding flange portion 32 of the operating member 30 cover both axial ends of the annular space 40, so that dust intrusion can be further suppressed. The operating member 30 is positioned at an intermediate location away from both ends of the female connector 20 and also constitutes the widest part, making it easy to operate with fingers.

[0032] Hereinafter, second and third embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In these embodiments, components corresponding to the first embodiment are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0033] <Second Embodiment> A second embodiment shown in Figure 8 will be described. The female connector 20' has a first member 50 and a second member 60 which is separate from the first member 50 and rotatably connected to the first member 50. The first member 50 has a female luer portion 21 and a screw portion 23, similar to the first embodiment. The integrated portion 29, which is integral with the female luer portion 21, is located in the middle of the overall length of the female connector 20' and has an annular flange portion 25 and an opposing circumferential surface 26, as well as an elastic piece 28 extending axially from the annular flange portion 25. Furthermore, the first member 50 has an annular connecting portion 51 (annular protrusion) on its base end side that has a larger diameter than the opposing circumferential surface 26.

[0034] The second member 60 has a connecting portion 22 similar to that of the first embodiment, and also has a small-diameter connecting portion 61 at its tip. The connecting portion 61 of the second member 60 is rotatably inserted into the connecting portion 51 of the first member 50, and a seal ring 70 is interposed between the connecting portions 51, 61. In this embodiment, the inner periphery of the shielding flange 32 of the operating member 30 is locked to the connecting portion 51 of the first member 50, thereby preventing axial movement of the operating member 30. The shielding flange 32 and the connecting portion 51 close off the end of the annular space 40 on the side of the connecting portion 22.

[0035] <Third Embodiment> In the third embodiment shown in Figures 9 to 11, a male connector 10A is provided as the first connector, and an operating member 80 and a torque limiting mechanism 100A are provided on this male connector 10A, and a female connector 20A is provided as the second connector. The female connector 20A, like known female connectors, has a female luer portion 21A (second sealing portion) at the tip end, a connecting portion 22A (second connecting portion) at the base end, and a threaded portion 23A (second threaded portion) consisting of a male screw formed at the tip of the female luer portion 21A.

[0036] The male connector 10A integrally comprises a male luer portion 11A (first sealing portion) at the tip end, a connecting portion 12A (first connecting portion) at the base end, a threaded cylinder portion 13A positioned radially outward from the male luer portion 11A, and a threaded portion 14A (first threaded portion) consisting of a female thread formed on the inner circumference of the threaded cylinder portion 13A.

[0037] The intermediate portion of the male connector 10A includes an integrated portion 19 in which the base end of the male luer portion 11A and the base end of the threaded cylinder portion 13A are integrally connected. This integrated portion 19 has an annular flange portion 15 (support projection) and an opposing circumferential surface 16. An annular groove 17 is formed on the outer circumference of the threaded cylinder portion 13A. The annular flange portion 15 has a thick annular portion 15a on the radially inner side and a thin annular portion 15b on the radially outer side.

[0038] The operating member 80 has a mounting cylinder portion 81 that is rotatably supported on the outer circumference of the threaded cylinder portion 13A of the male connector 10A, and an engaging tooth forming cylinder portion 82 that is connected to the base end side of the mounting cylinder portion 81. The inner and outer diameters of the engaging tooth forming cylinder portion 82 are larger than those of the mounting cylinder portion 81. An annular space 90 is formed between the opposing circumferential surfaces 16 of the male connector 10A and the engaging tooth forming cylinder portion 82 of the operating member 80. Multiple finger grip portions 83 are provided projecting from the outer circumference of the small-diameter mounting cylinder portion 81, spaced apart in the circumferential direction.

[0039] The operating member 80 is prevented from moving in the axial direction by the engagement tooth-forming cylindrical portion 82 being locked to the annular flange portion 15, and the projection 84 formed on the inner circumference of the mounting cylindrical portion 81 being locked to the annular groove 17 formed on the outer circumference of the screw-fitting cylindrical portion 13A.

[0040] The torque limiting mechanism 100A has engaging teeth 85 formed around the entire circumference of the inner circumference of the engaging tooth forming cylindrical portion 82 of the operating cylinder 80, and an elastic piece 18 that protrudes axially from the annular flange portion 15 and enters the annular space 90 between the engaging tooth forming cylindrical portion 82 and the opposing circumferential surface. A claw portion 18a that engages with the engaging teeth 85 is formed on the radially outer side of the elastic piece 18. A gap 95 is formed between the elastic piece 18 and the opposing circumferential surface 16.

[0041] In the third embodiment, the male connector 10A and the female connector 20A are connected by rotating the operating member 80 attached to the male connector 10A. The operation of the torque limiting mechanism 100A is the same as in the first embodiment, so its explanation is omitted.

[0042] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various other embodiments are possible. In the embodiment described above, the annular flange portion is provided as a support projection, but support projections may be arranged for each elastic piece. If there are multiple elastic pieces, multiple support projections are formed spaced apart in the circumferential direction. In a male connector, a first member having a male luer portion and a screw-in cylinder portion as one unit, and a second member having a connecting portion may be separate components and rotatably connected. The first and second seal portions may be flat surfaces perpendicular to the axis instead of tapered male and female lure portions. This invention can be applied to the connection of any medical component. [Industrial applicability]

[0043] The present invention can be applied to medical connection devices used to connect medical components such as tubes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1, 2 Tubes (Medical Components) 10 Male connector (second connector) 10A Male Connector (First Connector) 11 Male lure section (second seal section) 11A Male lure section (first seal section) 12. Connection part (second connection part) 12A Connection (First Connection) 13, 13A Threaded tube part 14. Threaded section (second threaded section) 14A Threaded section (first threaded section) 15. Annular flange portion (supporting projection) 16 Opposing circumferential surface 18 Elastic pieces 18a Claw part 19. Integrated part 20, 20' Female connector (first connector) 20A Female Connector (Second Connector) 21 Female lure section (first seal section) 21A Female lure section (second seal section) 22 Connection section (first connection section) 22A Connection (Second Connection) 23. Threaded section (first threaded section) 23A Threaded part (second threaded part) 25 Annular flange portion (supporting projection) 26 Opposing circumferential surface 28 Elastic pieces 28a Claw part 29. Integrated part 30 Operating member 31 Engagement tooth forming tube part 32 Shielding collar 35 Engaging teeth 40 Circular Space 80 Operating member 81 Mounting cylinder section 82 Engagement tooth forming cylinder part 83 Finger rest 85 Engaging teeth 90 Circular Space 100, 100A Torque Limit Mechanism

Claims

1. A first connector including a first connecting portion at the base end for connecting medical components, a first threaded portion at the tip end, and a first sealing portion, A second connector including a second connection portion at the base end for connecting other medical components, a second threaded portion at the tip end, and a second sealing portion, Equipped with, In a medical connection device in which the first and second threaded portions are joined together by screwing them, thereby connecting the medical components to each other, Furthermore, the device includes an operating member rotatably arranged on the outer circumference of the first connector, and a torque limiting mechanism provided between the first connector and the operating member. The operating member has an engagement tooth forming cylinder portion, and engagement teeth are formed around the entire inner circumference of the engagement tooth forming cylinder portion. In the first connector, the integrated portion that is integral with the first seal portion and the first screw portion has an opposing circumferential surface that faces radially opposite the engaging tooth forming cylindrical portion of the operating member via an annular space, a support projection adjacent to the opposing circumferential surface, and at least one elastic piece that extends axially from the support projection and enters the annular space, and a claw portion that engages with the engaging teeth is formed on the radially outer side of the elastic piece. The torque limit mechanism includes the engaging teeth and the elastic piece on which the claw portion is formed, and transmits the tightening torque of the operating member to the first screw portion via the engagement of the claw portion of the elastic piece and the engaging teeth, and when the tightening torque of the operating member exceeds a threshold torque, the elastic piece elastically deforms radially inward, thereby releasing the engagement of the engaging teeth and the claw portion, and the operating member spins freely.

2. The medical connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support projection consists of an annular flange, and the annular flange closes the opening on one axial end of the annular space.

3. The first connector is a female connector, and the female connector has a female luer portion whose inner surface is tapered as the first sealing portion, a first screw portion formed on the outer circumference of the tip of the female luer portion and functioning as a male screw, and a first connecting portion. The medical connection device according to claim 2, wherein the second connector is a male connector, and the male connector has a male luer portion having a tapered outer surface as the second sealing portion, a screw cylinder portion arranged radially outside the male luer portion, a second screw portion consisting of a female thread formed on the inner circumference of the screw cylinder portion, and the second connection portion.

4. The operating member is positioned in the axial middle portion away from both axial ends of the female connector, and this middle portion includes the integrated portion. The medical connection device according to claim 3, characterized in that an annular shielding flange is formed at the end of the engaging tooth-forming cylindrical portion of the operating member opposite to the annular flange portion, projecting radially inward, and the shielding flange is rotatably supported on the outer circumference of the integrated portion of the female connector.

5. The first connector is a male connector, and the male connector has a male luer portion having a tapered outer surface as the first sealing portion, a screw cylinder portion arranged radially outward from the male luer portion, a first screw portion consisting of a female thread formed on the inner circumference of the screw cylinder portion, and a first connecting portion. The medical connection device according to claim 2, characterized in that the second connector is a female connector, and the female connector has a female luer portion having a tapered inner surface as the second sealing portion, a second screw portion formed on the outer circumference of the tip of the female luer portion and functioning as a male screw, and a second connecting portion.

6. The axial intermediate portion of the male connector includes the integrated portion which integrally connects the base end of the male luer portion and the base end of the screw cylinder portion. The medical connection device according to claim 5, wherein the operating member has a mounting cylinder portion rotatably supported on the outer circumference of the screw cylinder portion and an engagement tooth forming cylinder portion connected to the base end of the mounting cylinder portion, and the inner diameter of the engagement tooth forming cylinder portion is larger than the inner diameter of the mounting cylinder portion.

7. The medical connection device according to claim 6, characterized in that the outer diameter of the mounting cylinder portion is smaller than that of the engaging tooth forming cylinder portion, and a finger rest portion is provided protruding from the outer circumference of the mounting cylinder portion.

Images