Medical male connector and medical connector

Abstract

To provide a medical connector suppressing liquid leak when the connector is inserted / removed and having excellent sealing properties.SOLUTION: A medical connector according to one example of an embodiment comprises a male connector including a side hole tube and a first elastic body with an expansion / contraction part for covering the side hole tube, and a female connector including a second elastic body and a housing for inserting the second elastic body and being hard compared with the second elastic body. A tip face of the housing is located at a tip side compared with the second elastic body, a recessed part is delimited between tip faces of the housing and the second elastic body, and the first elastic body includes a projection part to be inserted into the recessed part when the male connector and the female connector are connected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a male connector for medical use and a medical connector, and more particularly to a medical connector provided with a male connector including a side hole tube.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a fluid path for administering drugs such as infusion and anticancer agents, and for blood collection, dialysis, etc., a medical connector for connecting the path has been used. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a medical male connector having a flow path tube body in which a lateral hole is formed and a stretchable valve body covering the flow path tube body. At the tip of the valve body of the male connector, a slit is formed which opens when connected to the female connector to allow passage of the flow path tube body. Further, the female connector to which the male connector is connected is provided with a valve body into which the flow path tube body is inserted. The valve body of the female connector is deformed so as to be pushed inside the female connector when the male connector is connected. At this time, the slit opens and insertion of the flow path tube body becomes possible.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, as a result of investigations by the present inventors, in a connector as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, when disconnecting the connection of the connector by pulling out the male connector from the female connector, a gap is generated between the respective valve bodies and liquid leakage occurs.

[0005] In the connector of Patent Document 1, since the valve body of the female connector is a disk-shaped valve having a slit, when the male connector is connected, actually, the valve body of the female connector is greatly deformed and pushed inward. Therefore, even if the tip surface of the valve body of the male connector is slightly curved, it is difficult to bring each valve body into close contact without a gap. When disconnecting the connector, for example, a gap is generated between the valve bodies and liquid accumulates in the gap, and the flow path tube body of the male connector contacts the tip surface of the valve body of the female connector and liquid adheres thereto, and the liquid may be exposed to the outside of the connector. Also, when the slit of the male connector side valve body closes and the flow path tube body is accommodated inside the male connector or when the flow path tube body pushes open the male connector side slit so that the slit of the male connector side valve body opens, since the valve body is greatly displaced in the radial direction, the adhesion between the valve bodies is not stable and a gap may be generated, resulting in liquid leakage.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a medical connector that suppresses liquid leakage during insertion and removal of the connector and has excellent sealing performance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A male medical connector according to an aspect of the present invention is a male medical connector including a side hole tube and a first elastic body that covers the side hole tube, wherein the first elastic body includes an elastic expansion and contraction portion that expands and contracts when the female connector is inserted and removed, and a first elastic body head connected to the elastic expansion and contraction portion, and has a hole extending from the tip to the base end in a state before assembly, and is characterized in that it closes the lateral hole of the side hole tube after assembly.

[0008] According to the above configuration, when the side hole tube and the first elastic body move relative to each other, a situation in which the first elastic body is greatly deformed in the radial direction is reduced, and a situation in which liquid leakage occurs can be suppressed.

[0009] A medical connector according to one aspect of the present invention includes a male connector having a side hole tube and a first elastic body including an expandable and contractible portion and covering the side hole tube, a second elastic body, and a female connector having the second elastic body inserted therein and a housing harder than the second elastic body. The front end surface of the housing is located on the front end side relative to the second elastic body, and a recess is defined by the housing and the front end surface of the second elastic body. When the male connector and the female connector are connected, the first elastic body has a protruding portion inserted into the recess.

[0010] According to the above configuration, when the side hole tube and the first elastic body move relative to each other, a situation where the first elastic body greatly deforms in the radial direction is reduced, and a situation where liquid leakage occurs can be suppressed.

[0011] A medical connector according to one aspect of the present invention has a seal portion where the first elastic body is in close contact with the front end surface of the housing that defines the recess.

[0012] According to the above configuration, since the first elastic body is not excessively deformed by the protruding portion and the recess, the first elastic body and the hard housing can be stably adhered to each other.

[0013] A medical connector according to one aspect of the present invention has a seal portion that is an inclined surface, and the front end surface of the housing in close contact with the seal portion is also an inclined surface.

[0014] According to the above configuration, by making the contact portion an inclined surface, the contact area can be increased, and since the first elastic body and the housing are in contact with each other, it is possible to prevent the first elastic body from entering the housing.

[0015] A medical connector according to one aspect of the present invention has a valve body in which the first elastic body has an expandable and contractible portion and a head portion integrally formed from the expandable and contractible portion and closing a lateral hole of the side hole tube.

[0016] According to the above configuration, the expandable and contractible portion can be formed of a single member.

[0017] In one aspect of the present invention, the medical connector has a plug body in which the second elastic body is formed thick in the axial direction.

[0018] According to the above configuration, the second elastic body is difficult to deform, and liquid leakage during connection can be reduced. It is preferable that the outer diameter of the plug body is made larger than the inner diameter of the housing and the plug body is in a radially compressed state.

[0019] In one aspect of the present invention, the medical connector has a cylindrical housing body that houses the second elastic body and a cap that is fixed to the housing body and presses the peripheral edge of the front end surface of the plug body.

Effects of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, liquid leakage during insertion and removal of the connector can be more reliably suppressed, and a medical connector with excellent sealing performance can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an example of an embodiment of a medical connector according to the present invention will be described in detail. The embodiment described below is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, a configuration formed by selectively combining each component of the plurality of embodiments and modification examples described below is included in the present invention.

[0023] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a medical connector 1 which is an example of an embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the medical connector 1, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the male connector 10 and the female connector 40 are connected.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the medical connector 1 includes a male connector 10 and a female connector 40. The male connector 10 has a side hole tube portion 11 in which a lateral hole 12 is formed, and a valve body 20 which is a first elastic body covering the side hole tube portion 11. The female connector 40 has a plug body 50 which is a second elastic body in which a slit 51 is formed. In the connected state of the male connector 10 and the female connector 40, the medical connector 1 is configured such that the side hole tube portion 11 extends from the opening 23 of the valve body 20 (see FIG. 3 and the like described later), penetrates the plug body 50 of the female connector 40, and is inserted into the inner cavity 61 of the female connector 40.

[0025] The male connector 10 has a housing 30 including a proximal end side cylindrical portion 31 and a hood 32. The housing 30 is, for example, a resin member harder than the valve body 20. The proximal end side cylindrical portion 31 is a cylindrical portion in which a flow path through which a liquid such as a chemical solution passes is formed inside, and a connection portion 37 to which a connector with a tube (not shown) or the like is connected is formed at the proximal end portion of the proximal end side cylindrical portion 31. A screw thread is formed on the connection portion 37. Here, the proximal end of the male connector 10 means the end on the side opposite to the side connected to the female connector 40. Note that the end on the side connected to the female connector 40 is referred to as the "tip".

[0026] The male connector 10 has a side hole tube portion 11 integrally formed with the housing 30. The side hole tube portion 11 has a flow path inside through which a liquid such as a chemical solution passes, and is an elongated tubular portion with the tip of the flow path closed. The flow path of the side hole tube portion 11 communicates with the flow path of the base end side cylindrical portion 31. In the present embodiment, the side hole tube portion 11 integrally formed with the housing 30 is illustrated. However, instead of the side hole tube portion 11, a side hole tube of a separate member may be attached to the housing. The side hole tube may be, for example, a metal cylindrical tube, but may also be made of resin, and may be fixed in a state of being inserted into the cylinder of the base end side cylindrical portion 31, or may be integral with the cylinder of the base end side cylindrical portion 31.

[0027] The male connector 10 has a structure in which a hood 32 is formed so as to cover the side hole tube portion 11. The hood 32 is a bottomed cylindrical portion connected to the base end side cylindrical portion 31, and extends from the connection portion with the base end side cylindrical portion 31 toward the tip side of the male connector 10. The entire side hole tube portion 11 is accommodated in the cylinder of the hood 32.

[0028] The valve body 20 of the male connector 10 is accommodated in the cylinder of the hood 32. The valve body 20 covers the entire side hole tube portion 11 when the male connector 10 is not connected to the female connector 40 (see FIG. 5 described later). In the connected state of the male connector 10 and the female connector 40, the valve body 20 is pushed by the female connector 40 and compressed. When the valve body 20 is compressed, as described above, the tip portion of the side hole tube portion 11 extends from the valve body 20 and is inserted into the inner cavity 61 of the female connector 40.

[0029] The female connector 40 has a housing 55 that is harder than the plug body 50. The housing 55 has a cylindrical housing body 60 that houses the plug body 50, and a cap 70 that is fixed to the housing body 60 and presses against the peripheral edge of the front end face 52 of the plug body 50. The plug body 50 is held in a state of being inserted into one end of the housing body 60 by the cap 70 so as not to come out of the housing body 60. When the female connector 40 is connected to the male connector 10, one end of the housing body 60 to which the cap 70 is fixed is inserted into the cylinder of the hood 32 of the male connector 10. In the present embodiment, the female connector 40 and the hood 32 are formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and the outer diameter of the female connector 40 at the portion where the cap 70 is fixed is smaller than the inner diameter of the hood 32.

[0030] The female connector 40 has a lumen 61 that serves as a flow path through which a liquid such as a chemical solution flows inside the cylinder of the housing body 60. One end of this lumen 61 is closed by the plug body 50. In the present embodiment, a male luer 63 is formed on the other end side of the housing body 60. Further, an outer cylinder portion 64 having a screw groove 65 for fixing a connecting member (not shown) is formed around the male luer 63. The plug body 50 has a slit 51 that opens when the side hole tube portion 11 of the male connector 10 is inserted therethrough. As will be described in detail later, the plug body 50 is a rubber member having an axial width longer than the radius, preferably an axial width longer than the diameter, and does not deform significantly due to the insertion and removal of the side hole tube portion 11.

[0031] In the medical connector 1, in the connected state of the male connector 10 and the female connector 40, the portion where the lateral hole 12 of the side hole tube portion 11 is formed is exposed outside the valve body 20 and is disposed in the lumen 61 of the female connector 40. Thereby, the flow paths of the male connector 10 and the female connector 40 communicate with each other. Further, in the connected state of the male connector 10 and the female connector 40, the front end face 24 of the valve body 20 and the front end face 52 of the plug body 50 are in contact with each other and are in close contact without any gap. Since this close contact state is maintained even when the connectors are disconnected, liquid leakage is effectively suppressed and high sealing performance is obtained.

[0032] In the medical connector 1, the tip surface 74 of the cap 70 of the female connector 40 is located on the tip side of the female connector 40 compared to the plug body 50, and a recess 56 (see FIG. 7) is defined by the tip surface 74 of the cap 70 and the tip surface 52 of the plug body 50. When the male connector 10 and the female connector 40 are connected, the valve body 20 has a protruding portion 28 that is inserted into the recess 56. Further, the valve body 20 has a sealing surface 25 that is in close contact with the tip surface 74 of the cap 70 that defines the recess 56. In the medical connector 1, within the recess 56, the tip surface 24 of the valve body 20 and the tip surface 52 of the plug body 50 are in close contact, and a sealing portion where the tip surface 74 of the cap 70 and the sealing surface 25 of the valve body 20 are in close contact surrounds the periphery of the close contact surface. The sealing portion is a slope, and the tip surface of the housing that is in close contact with the sealing portion is also a slope.

[0033] The medical connector 1 has a rotation lock structure (the protruding rib portion 33 and the second groove 76 described later) for maintaining the connected state of the male connector 10 and the female connector 40. Further, a concave portion 35 is formed at the tip of the hood 32 of the male connector 10, and a stopper 66 that fits into the concave portion 35 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the housing body 60 of the female connector 40. By the stopper 66 inserted into the concave portion 35 abutting against the edge of the concave portion 35, rotation of the female connector 40 is prevented, and it is possible to more reliably prevent the unlocking of the connector.

[0034] Hereinafter, the male connector 10 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the male connector 10, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the male connector 10. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the male connector 10 has a structure in which the valve body 20 and the side hole tube portion 11 covered by the valve body 20 are accommodated in the cylinder of the hood 32 of the housing 30. Since the tip of the hood 32 is open, the female connector 40 can be inserted. Further, a notch-shaped concave portion 35 is formed from the tip of the hood 32 toward the base end side. As described above, the concave portion 35 is a portion where the stopper 66 of the female connector 40 is inserted, and is formed at two locations at the tip portion side by side in the radial direction of the hood 32. The entire valve body 20 is accommodated in the cylinder of the hood 32, and the tip of the valve body 20 is located between the tip of the hood 32 and the end on the base end side of the concave portion 35.

[0036] As described above, the side hole tube portion 11 is a portion formed in an elongated tubular shape having a lateral hole 12 and integrally formed with the housing 30. The inside of the side hole tube portion 11 communicates with the inside of the base end side cylindrical portion 31 and serves as a flow path through which a liquid such as a chemical solution passes. In the present embodiment, the tip of the side hole tube portion 11 is formed in a hemispherical shape with a rounded tip, and the lateral hole 12 is formed on the side surface of the tube near the tip. That is, the side hole tube portion 11 has a bottomed cylindrical shape with a closed tip, and the side surface of the tube near the tip is open. Further, the side hole tube portion 11 has a tapered shape in which the diameter gradually decreases from the base end side toward the tip end side, and the tip end portion is smaller in both the inner diameter and the outer diameter than the base end portion. For example, two lateral holes 12 are formed side by side in the radial direction of the side hole tube portion 11.

[0037] The valve body 20 includes an elastic expansion and contraction part 21 that expands and contracts when the female connector 40 is inserted and removed, and a head part 22 (first elastic body head part) integrally formed from the elastic expansion and contraction part 21. The valve body 20 has an insertion passage 27 that is a hole extending from the tip to the base end in a state before being assembled to the male connector 10, and is configured to block the lateral hole 12 of the side hole tube part 11 after assembly. The head part 22 has an opening 23 of the insertion passage 27 formed at the tip of the head part 22 and passing through the side hole tube part 11, and a front end surface 24 formed around the opening 23 and abutting against the plug body 50 of the female connector 40. In a state where the side hole tube part 11 is not connected to the female connector 40, the portion where the lateral hole 12 is formed is disposed within the insertion passage 27. Then, the lateral hole 12 is blocked by being in close contact with the inner surface of the insertion passage 27.

[0038] The valve body 20 is fixed to the hood 32 using the fixing ring 13. A protruding part 26 extending in the radial direction is formed at the base end of the valve body 20, and the fixing ring 13 presses this protruding part 26 against the bottom surface inside the cylinder of the hood 32. A protrusion 36 for locking the fixing ring 13 is formed near the bottom surface inside the cylinder of the hood 32. The fixing ring 13 attached to the protruding part 26 gets over the protrusion 36 and is fitted between the protrusion 36 and the bottom surface of the hood 32. Note that the surface of the protrusion 36 facing the tip side of the male connector 10 is curved so as to be convex toward the valve body 20 side in order to facilitate the fitting of the fixing ring 13.

[0039] The valve body 20 is preferably made of a flexible and highly durable rubber. An example of a suitable rubber constituting the valve body 20 is silicone rubber. The valve body 20 is configured such that when the head part 22 is pushed by the female connector 40 and the elastic expansion and contraction part 21 is compressed, the head part 22 moves toward the base end side of the male connector 10. Also, when the female connector 40 is removed and the pressing force disappears, the elastic expansion and contraction part 21 restores its original shape and the head part 22 returns to its original position. The elastic expansion and contraction part 21 is formed between the base end of the valve body 20 and the head part 22. The elastic expansion and contraction part 21 has, for example, a bellows structure including at least one mountain fold part and valley fold part.

[0040] When the head 22 formed at the tip of the valve body 20 is in close contact with the lateral hole 12 of the side hole pipe portion 11, the lateral hole 12 is blocked in the non-connected state with the female connector 40. The head 22 is formed thicker than the telescopic portion 21, and the head 22 itself does not deform significantly. As described above, in the valve body 20, the head 22 moves along the axial direction of the side hole pipe portion 11 due to the expansion and contraction of the telescopic portion 21. The insertion passage 27 formed in the head 22 is formed along the axial direction of the side hole pipe portion 11 and is arranged side by side with the proximal end side cylindrical portion 31 in the axial direction of the male connector 10.

[0041] The insertion passage 27 penetrates the head 22 to communicate the inside and outside of the valve body 20. The opening 23 for passing the side hole pipe portion 11 is an opening formed at one end of the insertion passage 27. The insertion passage 27, for example, has a gradually decreasing diameter from the proximal end side to the opening 23 at the distal end side in the head 22. The diameter of the insertion passage 27 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the side hole pipe portion 11 on the opening 23 side rather than the portion in contact with the lateral hole 12 of the side hole pipe portion 11 of the head 22, and it is preferable that the inner surface of the insertion passage 27 presses the side surface of the side hole pipe portion 11. In this case, good sealing performance can be obtained around the side hole. The diameter of the insertion passage 27 in the head 22 is, for example, 0.50 times to 0.95 times the outer diameter of the side hole pipe portion 11, and more preferably 0.70 times to 0.90 times.

[0042] The opening 23 is formed at the tip of the head 22. Since the opening 23 is always open, when the valve body 20 is viewed from the tip side, the tip of the side hole pipe portion 11 accommodated in the insertion passage 27 can be confirmed. Note that the opening 23 is also open in a state where the side hole pipe portion 11 is not inserted, that is, in a state where the valve body 20 is not set on the male connector 10. The diameter of the opening 23 is 0.50 times to 0.95 times the outer diameter of the side hole pipe portion 11, and more preferably 0.70 times to 0.90 times. In this case, smooth expansion and contraction of the valve body 20 is possible while ensuring good sealing performance of the lateral hole 12.

[0043] By forming an opening 23 that is always open in the valve body 20, for example, compared with the case where a slit for opening and closing is formed, the deformation of the valve body 20 when disconnecting from the female connector 40 is reduced. Therefore, a good adhesion state is easily maintained between the tip surface 24 of the valve body 20 and the tip surface 52 of the plug body 50 of the female connector 40, and a high sealing property can be obtained. That is, in the case of a valve body with a slit, when the open slit closes, the adhesion surface with the female connector is deformed, and a gap is generated between the valve body and the female connector. However, according to this embodiment, even if the size of the opening 23 changes somewhat in the radial direction, it hardly affects the adhesion state between the tip surface 24 of the valve body 20 and the tip surface 52 of the plug body 50, so a high sealing property is ensured.

[0044] Around the opening 23 of the head 22, a tip surface 24 that abuts against the tip surface 52 of the plug body 50 is formed. In this embodiment, the periphery of the opening 23 protrudes slightly toward the tip side of the male connector 10 to form a protruding portion 28, and the tip surface 24 is formed at the tip of the protruding portion 28. The protruding portion 28 is formed in a flat cylindrical shape, and the opening 23 (insertion passage 27) is formed at the center of this cylinder. That is, the tip surface 24 is formed in a ring shape with a certain width around the opening 23. The tip surface 24 is a slope that gently inclines so that the peripheral edge of the opening 23 is located closer to the tip side of the male connector 10 than the outer edge portion.

[0045] The outer diameter of the tip surface 24 is set to a size that does not hinder the adhesion between the tip surface 24 and the tip surface 52 of the plug body 50. For example, it is slightly smaller than the diameter of an opening 73 (to be described later) of a cap 70 of the female connector 40. The protruding portion 28 of the valve body 20 is inserted into the opening 73 of the cap 70 in the connected state of the connector, and the tip surface 24 formed at the tip of the protruding portion 28 is in close contact with the tip surface 52 of the plug body 50 exposed from the opening 73 without a gap (see FIG. 2). The outer diameter of the tip surface 24 is, for example, 1.5 times or more, more preferably 2.0 times or more, the diameter of the opening 23. As an example of a suitable range, it is 2.0 times to 3.0 times.

[0046] The valve body 20 is formed with a sealing surface 25 that abuts against the tip surface 74 of the cap 70 described later. The sealing surface 25 is formed in a ring shape with a constant width so as to surround the tip surface 24 when the valve body 20 is viewed from the tip side. In the connected state of the connector, the sealing surface 25 is in close contact with the tip surface 74 of the cap 70 without a gap (see FIG. 2), and seals the periphery of the recess 56, so that liquid leakage when the connector is disconnected is more effectively suppressed.

[0047] The sealing surface 25 is inclined so as to be gradually located on the tip side of the male connector 10 toward the tip surface 24 side. The inclination angle of the sealing surface 25 is preferably constant along the circumferential direction. The sealing surface 25 is formed, for example, substantially parallel to the tip surface 24. The outer diameter of the sealing surface 25 is, for example, 1.5 times or more, more preferably 2.0 times or more, the outer diameter of the tip surface 24, and an example of a suitable range is 2.0 times to 3.0 times.

[0048] In the present embodiment, a rib portion 33 for guiding the insertion and removal of the female connector 40 is formed on the hood 32 of the housing 30. The rib portion 33 is a convex portion that protrudes into the cylinder of the hood 32 and extends in the axial direction, and is formed to have a length exceeding the lateral hole 12 of the side hole tube portion 11 from the tip of the hood 32. A groove into which the rib portion 33 fits is formed in the female connector 40. The rib portions 33 are preferably formed in two side by side in the radial direction of the hood 32 in order to stably guide the female connector 40.

[0049] Hereinafter, the female connector 40 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the female connector 40, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 6.

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the female connector 40 has a structure in which the plug body 50 is accommodated in the cylinder of the housing body 60, and the plug body 50 is pressed by a cap 70 attached to the outside of the housing body 60. The housing body 60 has a shape in which the outer diameter on the other end side is larger than that on the one end side in the axial direction where the plug body 50 and the cap 70 are arranged. On the other hand, the inner diameter of the inner cavity 61 serving as the flow path is larger on the one end side than on the other end side in the axial direction of the housing body 60. In the present embodiment, a male luer 63 is provided on the other end side in the axial direction of the housing body 60, and an outer cylinder portion 64 having a screw groove 65 formed on the inner peripheral surface is provided so as to surround the male luer 63. However, the structure on the other end side in the axial direction of the housing body 60 is not particularly limited.

[0051] As described above, the plug body 50 has a slit 51 that opens when the side hole tube portion 11 of the male connector 10 is inserted, and the slit 51 is configured to open in a state where the front end surface 52 that abuts against the front end surface 24 of the male connector 10 is not pushed into the connector. The slit 51 is formed, for example, in a straight line passing through the center of the front end surface 52 at the front end surface 52. In a state of non-connection with the male connector 10, the slit 51 is closed and the inner cavity 61 is sealed. From the viewpoint of improving the sealing performance of the female connector 40, the diameter of the plug body 50 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the portion of the housing body 60 where the plug body 50 is accommodated, and the plug body 50 is preferably arranged in a slightly compressed state in the radial direction.

[0052] Similar to the valve body 20, the plug body 50 is preferably made of a flexible and durable rubber. An example of a suitable rubber constituting the plug body 50 is silicone rubber. The plug body 50 is a rubber member that is thick in the axial direction and has a thickness larger than the diameter and high rigidity, and does not deform so as to be pushed into the female connector 40 even when the side hole tube portion 11 of the male connector 10 is inserted into the slit 51. For this reason, the front end surface 52 of the plug body 50 maintains a state orthogonal to the axial direction of the side hole tube portion 11, and a good contact state between the front end surface 52 and the front end surface 24 of the valve body 20 is ensured even when the connector is disconnected.

[0053] Further, the bottom surface (the surface opposite to the tip surface 52) of the plug body 50 is a curved surface 53 that bulges toward the tip surface 52 side. The curved surface 53 is formed in a substantially arch shape in a cross-sectional view such that the intersection with the slit 51 is located closest to the tip surface 52 side. Since the bottom of the plug body 50 has such an arch structure, the plug body 50 is less likely to bend under the load from the tip surface 52 side, and even when the side hole pipe portion 11 is inserted into the slit 51, the deformation of the plug body 50 can be more effectively suppressed.

[0054] In the inner cavity 61 of the housing body 60, a support portion 62 for supporting the plug body 50 is formed. The plug body 50 is supported, for example, by the support portion 62 at the peripheral edge of the bottom surface. The inner cavity 61 has a smaller inner diameter at a position a predetermined length away from one axial end of the housing body 60, and a step is formed on the inner surface of the inner cavity 61. This step is formed in an annular shape along the circumferential direction of the inner cavity 61 and serves as the support portion 62 for supporting the plug body 50. The predetermined length corresponds to the thickness of the plug body 50, and is the length such that the tip surface 52 is flush with one axial end of the housing body 60 in a state where the bottom surface of the plug body 50 is supported by the support portion 62.

[0055] The cap 70 has a cylindrical wall portion 71 that covers the outer peripheral surface of the housing body 60 and a pressing portion 72 that presses the peripheral edge of the tip surface 52 of the plug body 50. The cylindrical wall portion 71 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the housing body 60. The cylindrical wall portion 71 is fixed to the housing body 60, for example, by a concavo-convex fitting formed by a recess formed in the housing body 60 and a protrusion formed in the cylindrical wall portion 71. The pressing portion 72 extends radially inward from one end of the cylindrical wall portion 71 and is formed in an annular shape so as to cover the peripheral edge of the tip surface 52. That is, an opening 73 (cap opening) for exposing the slit 51 of the plug body 50 is formed in the cap 70.

[0056] The opening 73 is larger than the diameter of the side hole tube part 11, has an inner diameter smaller than that of the housing main body 60, an outer diameter smaller than that of the valve body 20, and a width smaller than the outer diameter of the valve body 20, and has a diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the tip surface 24 of the valve body 20, and the protruding part 28 of the valve body 20 can be inserted. Further, on the surface facing the outside of the pressing part 72, a tip surface 74 is formed which is inclined so as to gradually approach the tip surface 52 of the plug body 50 toward the opening 73 side. The tip surface 74 is inclined at substantially the same angle as the seal surface 25 of the valve body 20 with respect to the axial direction of the side hole tube part 11 and is in close contact with the seal surface 25 when the connector is connected. Since the periphery of the contact surface between the valve body 20 and the plug body 50 is sealed by the close contact of the seal surfaces 25 and 74, leakage of liquid during insertion and removal of the connector is more effectively suppressed. In addition, by forming the tip surface 74 on the pressing part 72, the step with the tip surface 52 of the plug body 50 becomes smaller, so that the disinfection work of the tip surface 52 becomes easier.

[0057] At the tip of the female connector 40, a recess 56 partitioned by the tip surface 52 of the plug body 50 and the cap 70 is formed. The recess 56 is formed from the outer edge of the tip surface 74 of the cap 70, which is an inclined surface, to the inside of the opening 73 and is formed one step deeper inside the opening 73. The protruding part 28 of the valve body 20 is inserted into the deepest opening 73 in the recess 56 when connected to the female connector 40. The tip surface 52 of the plug body 50 exists at the bottom of the recess 56, and the tip surface 24 of the valve body 20 and the tip surface 52 of the plug body 50 are in close contact inside the recess 56. By inserting the protruding part 28 of the valve body 20 into the recess 56, radial displacement of the valve body 20 is prevented, and the protruding part 28 is also prevented from bending in an unintended direction.

[0058] On the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall portion 71, a first groove 75 is formed over the entire axial length of the cylindrical wall portion 71. The first groove 75 is a groove into which the ridge portion 33 formed on the hood 32 of the male connector 10 fits, and two first grooves 75 are formed side by side in the radial direction of the cylindrical wall portion 71. By inserting the female connector 40 into the cylinder of the hood 32 with the first groove 75 aligned with the position of the ridge portion 33, the male connector 10 and the female connector 40 can be stably and easily connected. Further, on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall portion 71, a second groove 76 having a length that does not reach from the other end to the one end of the cylindrical wall portion 71 is formed at a position adjacent to the first groove 75 with a partition wall 77 therebetween.

[0059] In the present embodiment, after inserting the female connector 40 into the cylinder of the hood 32 of the male connector 10 until the base end of the ridge portion 33 exceeds the tip of the partition wall 77, the female connector 40 is rotated to fit the ridge portion 33 into the second groove 76, whereby the connection state of the connectors is locked. Since the female connector 40 is inserted while compressing the valve body 20, it is pushed back by the restoring force of the valve body 20. Thus, the movement of the female connector 40 in the direction of coming off due to the ridge portion 33 abutting against the edge of the second groove 76 and the rotation of the female connector 40 are restricted. When releasing the connection of the connectors, the female connector 40 is further pushed and rotated toward the base end side of the male connector 10. At this time, the ridge portion 33 moves from the second groove 76 to the first groove 75, and the female connector 40 can move toward the tip side of the male connector 10.

[0060] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state of releasing the connection of the connectors. FIG. 8(a) shows a state before the side hole tube portion 11 of the male connector 10 comes out of the plug body 50 of the female connector 40. FIG. 8(b) shows a state where the side hole tube portion 11 has completely come out of the plug body 50.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 8(a), the tip surface 24 of the valve body 20 and the tip surface 52 of the plug body 50 are in close contact without any gap, and the valve body 20 and the plug body 50 are in close contact with the side surface of the side hole pipe portion 11. Even when the side hole pipe portion 11 is inserted into the slit 51, the plug body 50 maintains the state where the tip surface 52 is orthogonal to the axial direction of the side hole pipe portion 11 and does not deform significantly. Therefore, a good close contact state between the tip surface 24 of the valve body 20 and the tip surface 52 of the plug body 50 is maintained. For this reason, it is suppressed that the side hole pipe portion 11 contacts the tip surface 52 of the plug body 50 and liquid adheres thereto.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 8(b), since the valve body 20 is formed with an opening 23 that is always open, the valve body 20 does not deform significantly when the side hole pipe portion 11 is accommodated in the valve body 20. For this reason, it is suppressed that a gap is generated due to the deformation of the valve body 20, and a good close contact state between the tip surface 24 of the valve body 20 and the tip surface 52 of the plug body 50 is maintained. Further, since the seal surface 25 of the valve body 20 is in close contact with the tip surface 74 of the cap 70 and surrounds the periphery of the close contact surface between the tip surface 24 and the tip surface 52, liquid leakage is more reliably suppressed.

[0063] When the side hole pipe portion 11 passes through, the valve body 20 and the plug body 50 are slightly deformed in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the side hole pipe portion 11, but no deformation occurs such that a gap is generated in the close contact surface between the tip surface 24 of the valve body 20 and the tip surface 52 of the plug body 50. Therefore, according to the medical connector 1 having the above configuration, when the connector is disconnected, the close contact surface between the valve body 20 and the plug body 50 is maintained, and excellent sealing performance is achieved.

[0064] Note that the above-described embodiments can be appropriately modified in design without impairing the object of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the cap 70 that presses the plug body 50 is attached to the housing body 60 of the female connector 40, but the female connector may not be provided with the cap 70. By integrally molding the plug body with the housing or fixing the plug body to the housing using an adhesive, it is possible to omit the cap 70. In this case, the sealing surface 25 of the valve body 20 of the male connector 10 is eliminated and the area of the tip surface 24 is increased, so that the contact surface between the tip surface 24 and the tip surface of the plug body can be enlarged.

[0065] In addition, the valve body 20 of the male connector 10 is formed with an opening 23 through which the side hole tube portion 11 passes and a tip surface 24 that is flat in the axial direction of the side hole tube portion 11, but only one of these configurations may be applied. In this case, although the sealing performance is reduced compared to the above-described embodiment, a sealing performance higher than that of a conventional connector can be achieved. For example, when the male connector and the female connector are connected, the protruding portion formed on the first elastic body is inserted into the recess partitioned by the housing and the tip surface of the second elastic body, so that a slit is formed at the tip portion of the valve body 20 instead of the opening 23, and it can also be configured to be closed within a range that does not hinder the insertion of the side hole tube portion 11.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0066] 1 Medical connector, 10 Male connector, 11 Side hole tube portion, 12 Lateral hole, 13 Fixing ring, 15 Recess, 20 Valve body, 21 Expansion and contraction portion, 22 Head, 23,73 Opening, 24,52,74 Tip surface, 25 Sealing surface, 26 Protruding portion, 27 Insertion passage, 28 Protruding portion, 30,55 Housing, 31 Base end side cylindrical portion, 32 Hood, 33 Ridge portion, 35 Concave portion, 36 Protrusion, 37 Connection portion, 40 Female connector, 50 Plug body, 51 Slit, 53 Curved surface, 60 Housing body, 61 Inner cavity, 62 Support portion, 63 Outer collar, 64 Outer cylindrical portion, 65 Thread groove, 66 Stopper, 70 Cap, 71 Cylindrical wall portion, 72 Pressing portion, 75 First groove, 76 Second groove, 77 Partition wall

Claims

1. A male medical connector including a side hole tube and a first elastic body covering the side hole tube, wherein: the first elastic body includes: a telescopic part that expands and contracts when the female connector is inserted and removed; a first elastic body head connected to the telescopic part and closing the lateral hole of the side hole tube; an insertion passage passing through the first elastic body head to communicate the inside and outside of the first elastic body; and is provided with: the first elastic body head has an opening formed at one end of the insertion passage; the opening is always open, and when the first elastic body head is viewed from the tip side, the tip of the side hole tube accommodated in the insertion passage can be confirmed. A male medical connector characterized by this.

2. A connector having a side hole tube, a first elastic body including a telescopic part and covering the side hole tube, a female connector having a second elastic body and a housing into which the second elastic body is inserted and which is harder than the second elastic body, a medical connector including: the front end surface of the housing is located on the front end side of the female connector compared to the second elastic body, a recess is defined by the housing and the front end surface of the second elastic body, and when the male connector and the female connector are connected, the first elastic body has a protruding portion inserted into the recess; the second elastic body is a plug body formed thick in the axial direction, and the axial length at the center of the plug body is equal to or greater than the radius when the plug body is inserted into the housing. A medical connector.

3. The male connector according to claim 1, a female connector having a second elastic body and a housing into which the second elastic body is inserted and which is harder than the second elastic body, a medical connector including: the front end surface of the housing is located on the front end side of the female connector compared to the second elastic body, a recess is defined by the housing and the front end surface of the second elastic body, and when the male connector and the female connector are connected, the first elastic body has a protruding portion inserted into the recess. A medical connector characterized by this.

4. The medical connector according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first elastic body has a sealing portion that is in close contact with the front end surface of the housing that defines the recess.

5. The medical connector according to claim 4, wherein the sealing portion is an inclined surface, and the front end surface of the housing that is in close contact with the sealing portion is also an inclined surface.

6. The medical connector according to claim 2, wherein the first elastic body is a valve body integrally formed from the expansion and contraction part and having a head for closing the lateral hole of the side hole tube.

7. The medical connector according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the second elastic body is a plug body formed thick in the axial direction.

8. The medical connector according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the housing has a cylindrical housing body for accommodating the second elastic body and a cap fixed to the housing body for pressing the peripheral edge of the front end surface of the second elastic body.

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