Male connector

Abstract

Provided is a male connector connectable to a female connector having an elastic valve body. The male connector comprises: a flow passage pipe member having an opening; an elastic opening / closing part; a biasing part; a housing; and a moving body having a moving body regulation part and holding the elastic opening / closing part. The male connector undergoes a change in configuration from a first configuration in which the opening is closed by the elastic opening / closing part to a second form in which the opening is opened when the flow passage pipe member protrudes from the elastic opening / closing part due to a connecting operation in which the elastic valve body is pressed against the elastic opening / closing part so that, against a biasing force of the biasing part, the elastic opening / closing part and the moving body move toward a proximal side in an axial direction. The moving body regulation part moves radially inward to regulate the movement of the female connector with respect to the elastic opening / closing part. The housing has a housing regulation part that, due to the change in configuration from the first configuration to the second configuration, regulates the movement of the moving body to thereby regulate, via the moving body regulation part, the movement of the female connector.

Description

male connector

[0001] The present disclosure relates to male connectors.

[0002] A male connector is known that can be connected to a female connector having an elastic valve body, the male connector having a flow path pipe member with an opening, an elastic opening / closing portion, a biasing portion, a housing, and a movable body having a movable body regulating portion and holding the elastic opening / closing portion, the male connector changes its form from a first form in which the opening is closed by the elastic opening / closing portion to a second form in which the flow path pipe member protrudes from the elastic opening / closing portion and the opening is opened by a connecting operation in which the elastic valve body is pressed against the elastic opening / closing portion and the movable body move toward the axial base end against the biasing force of the biasing portion, the movable body regulating portion moves radially inward to regulate movement of the female connector relative to the elastic opening / closing portion, and the housing has a housing regulating portion that regulates movement of the female connector as the form changes from the first form to the second form (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] International Publication No. 2022 / 149339

[0004] It is preferable that the male connector as described above can suppress leakage of fluid when connected to the female connector.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a male connector that can suppress fluid leakage when connected to a female connector.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0007] [1] A male connector connectable to a female connector having an elastic valve body, comprising: a flow path pipe member defining an axial direction and a radial direction and having an opening in a portion on the axial tip side; an elastic opening and closing portion; a biasing portion capable of biasing the elastic opening and closing portion toward the axial tip side; a housing; and a movable body having a moving body regulating portion and holding the elastic opening and closing portion, wherein the elastic valve body is pressed against a tip surface of the elastic opening and closing portion, and a connecting operation in which the elastic opening and closing portion and the movable body move toward the axial base end side relative to the flow path pipe member against the biasing force of the biasing portion causes the portion on the axial tip side of the flow path pipe member to protrude from the elastic opening and closing portion toward the axial tip side, thereby opening the opening of the flow path pipe member, and the movable body regulating portion moves radially inward due to a resistance force from the housing generated by the connecting operation, thereby restricting movement of the female connector toward the axial tip side relative to the elastic opening and closing portion, The housing has a housing regulating portion that regulates movement of the movable body toward the axial tip side relative to the flow path pipe member by changing its shape from the first shape to the second shape, thereby regulating movement of the female connector toward the axial tip side relative to the flow path pipe member via the movable body regulating portion.

[0008] [2] The male connector according to [1], wherein the movement restricting portion restricts movement of the female connector toward the axial tip side relative to the elastic opening and closing portion by being hooked onto the female connector.

[0009] [3] The male connector according to [1] or [2], wherein the housing regulating portion restricts movement of the moving body toward the axial tip side by getting caught on the moving body or the elastic opening and closing portion.

[0010] [4] A male connector described in any one of [1] to [3], wherein the movable body has a housing hook portion located closer to the axial base end than the movable body regulating portion, and the housing regulating portion has a housing hook portion that hooks onto the housing hook portion.

[0011] [5] A male connector according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the movable body restricting portion has an arm portion extending radially outward and toward the axial tip end, and a protrusion protruding radially inward from the end portion of the arm portion at the axial tip end.

[0012] [6] The male connector according to [5], wherein the protrusion of the movable body restricting portion is located on the axially distal end side of the distal end surface of the elastic opening and closing portion in the first configuration.

[0013] [7] The male connector according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the movable body has a plurality of movable body regulating portions arranged in a circumferential direction defined by the flow path pipe member.

[0014] [8] The male connector described in [7], wherein the movable body has a pair of movable body regulating portions that face each other in a predetermined radial direction and have the same width in the circumferential direction, and another pair of movable body regulating portions that face each other in another radial direction perpendicular to the predetermined radial direction and have the same width in the circumferential direction.

[0015] [9] The male connector according to any one of [1] to [8], wherein the elastic opening / closing portion and the biasing portion form an integral elastic member.

[0016]

[10] The male connector according to any one of [1] to [9], configured as a medical device.

[0017]

[11] A connection structure having the male connector according to any one of [1] to

[10] and the female connector.

[0018]

[12] The connection structure according to

[11] , wherein the male connector and the female connector are each configured as a medical device.

[0019] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a male connector that can suppress fluid leakage when connected to a female connector.

[0020] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state before connecting a male connector to a female connector in a first embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken at an angle different by 90° from Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state when a connecting operation is started from the state shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken at an angle different by 90° from Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state when a connecting operation is completed from the state shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state when a connecting operation between a male connector and a female connector is completed in a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 , in a first embodiment of the present disclosure, a male connector 1 is a male connector 1 connectable to a female connector 2 having an elastic valve body 2 a, and includes a flow path pipe member 3 that defines axial and radial directions and has an opening 3 a at a portion on the axial tip side, an elastic open-close unit 4, a biasing unit 5 that can bias the elastic open-close unit 4 toward the axial tip side, a housing 6, and a movable body 7 that has a movable body restricting portion 7 a and holds the elastic open-close unit 4, and from a first mode in which the opening 3 a of the flow path pipe member 3 is closed by the elastic open-close unit 4, the elastic valve body 2 a is pressed against the tip surface 4 a of the elastic open-close unit 4, and the elastic open-close unit 4 and the movable body 7 are moved toward the axial base end side of the flow path pipe member 3 against the biasing force of the biasing unit 5. The connecting operation in which 7 moves causes the form to change to a second form in which the axial tip portion of the flow path pipe member 3 protrudes from the elastic opening / closing portion 4 toward the axial tip side, thereby opening the opening 3a of the flow path pipe member 3, and the moving body regulating portion 7a moves radially inward due to the resistance from the housing 6 generated by the connecting operation, thereby regulating the movement of the female connector 2 toward the axial tip side relative to the elastic opening / closing portion 4, and the housing 6 has a housing regulating portion 6a that regulates the movement of the female connector 2 toward the axial tip side relative to the flow path pipe member 3 via the moving body regulating portion 7a by regulating the movement of the moving body 7 toward the axial tip side relative to the flow path pipe member 3 due to the change in form from the first form to the second form.

[0023] According to the above configuration, by restricting the movement of the female connector 2 toward the axial tip end relative to the elastic open-close portion 4 by the moving body restricting portion 7a during the connecting operation, the elastic valve body 2a can be well fitted to the elastic open-close portion 4. Then, by entering the second configuration in this fitted state, the male connector flow path C1 in the flow path pipe member 3 is communicated with the female connector flow path C2 in the female connector 2 through the opening 3a, and the housing restricting portion 6a restricts the movement of the female connector 2 toward the axial tip end relative to the flow path pipe member 3, the second configuration can be maintained. In addition, when disconnecting the female connector 2 from the male connector 1 from the second configuration in which the connection between the female connector 2 and the male connector 1 is completed and the opening 3 a of the flow path pipe member 3 is open, for example, by pulling out the female connector 2, the female connector 2 moves toward the tip at a speed that the returning action of the elastic opening-closing unit 4 by the biasing unit 5 cannot keep up with. Even if this happens, the movable body 7 can follow the female connector 2 together with the elastic opening-closing unit 4 by the movable body restricting unit 7 a, while keeping the elastic valve body 2 a in good contact with the elastic opening-closing unit 4, until the first configuration in which the opening 3 a of the flow path pipe member 3 is closed, thereby suppressing fluid leakage. Furthermore, according to the above configuration, when the configuration changes from the first configuration to the second configuration, the housing restricting unit 6 a restricts the movement of the female connector 2 via the movable body restricting unit 7 a rather than directly restricting the movement of the female connector 2. This allows for a larger space to be provided for a structure for restriction by the movable body restricting unit 7 a compared to when the female connector 2 is directly restricted. As a result, the contact between the elastic opening-closing unit 4 and the elastic valve body 2 a can be improved during connection and disconnection. Therefore, it is possible to realize a male connector 1 that can suppress fluid leakage when connected to a female connector 2.

[0024] The moving body restricting portion 7a is hooked onto the female connector 2, thereby restricting movement of the female connector 2 toward the axial tip side relative to the elastic opening / closing portion 4. That is, the moving body restricting portion 7a has a moving body hooking portion 7a1 that is hooked onto the moving body hooked portion 2b of the female connector 2. According to the above configuration, the moving body restricting portion 7a can be realized with a simple structure.

[0025] The housing restricting portion 6a restricts the movement of the movable body 7 toward the axial tip side by being caught on the movable body 7. According to the above configuration, the movable body 7 and the housing restricting portion 6a can be realized with a simple structure.

[0026] The movable body 7 has a housing hook portion 8 located axially closer to the base end than the movable body restricting portion 7a, and the housing restricting portion 6a has a housing hook portion 6a1 that hooks onto the housing hook portion 8. According to the above configuration, the movable body 7 and the housing restricting portion 6a can be realized with an even simpler structure.

[0027] The housing restriction portion 6a swings to catch on the moving body 7. According to the above configuration, the housing restriction portion 6a can be hooked with a simple structure.

[0028] The housing restricting portion 6a swings inward in the radial direction of the flow path pipe member 3 as it returns from elastic deformation, and thereby catches on the moving body 7. According to the above configuration, it is possible to realize the hooking by swinging with a simple structure.

[0029] 6, the housing restriction portion 6a may be configured to be hooked onto the elastic opening / closing portion 4 instead of being hooked onto the movable body 7. With the above configuration, the movable body 7 and the housing restriction portion 6a can be realized with a simple structure.

[0030] The movable body restricting portion 7 a has an arm portion 7 a 2 extending radially outward and axially toward the tip end, and a protrusion 7 a 3 protruding radially inward from the end portion of the arm portion 7 a 2 on the axial tip side. According to the above configuration, the movable body restricting portion 7 a can be hooked with a simple structure.

[0031] In the first configuration, the protrusion 7a3 of the movable body restricting portion 7a is located axially further toward the tip end side than the tip surface 4a of the elastic opening / closing portion 4. According to the above configuration, it is possible to realize a movable body 7 having a movable body restricting portion 7a that can be hooked onto the female connector 2 with a simple structure.

[0032] The movable body 7 has a plurality of movable body restricting portions 7a arranged in a circumferential direction defined by the flow path pipe member 3. According to the above configuration, the movable body restricting portions 7a can effectively restrict the movement of the female connector 2. From this viewpoint, it is preferable that the movable body 7 has three or more movable body restricting portions 7a arranged in a circumferential direction.

[0033] The movable body 7 has a pair of movable body restricting portions 7a that face each other in a predetermined radial direction and have the same width in the circumferential direction, and another pair of movable body restricting portions 7a that face each other in another radial direction perpendicular to the predetermined radial direction and have the same width in the circumferential direction. In other words, the movable body 7 has four movable body restricting portions 7a at positions shifted by 90°. With this configuration, the movable body restricting portions 7a can more effectively restrict the movement of the female connector 2.

[0034] When the elastic valve body 2a is pressed against the elastic opening / closing portion 4, the elastic opening / closing portion 4 and the movable body 7 move axially toward the base end relative to the flow path pipe member 3 against the biasing force of the biasing portion 5, causing the movable body restricting portion 7a to swing radially inward of the flow path pipe member 3 due to the radially inward resisting force from the housing 6 (housing base portion 6b) to a position where it can be hooked onto the female connector 2. With the above configuration, hooking by the movable body restricting portion 7a can be achieved with a simple structure.

[0035] To this end, the movable body restricting portion 7a has a guided portion 7a4 that is guided by a guiding portion 6c of the housing 6 (housing base 6b) during the connecting operation, and at least one of the guiding portion 6c and the guided portion 7a4 can have an inclined portion 9 that slopes radially inward from the distal end to the proximal end. With this configuration, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, the guided portion 7a4 can be guided radially inward by the guiding portion 6c during the connecting operation, allowing the movable body restricting portion 7a to swing radially inward. In this embodiment, the guided portion 7a4 has an inclined portion 9.

[0036] The movable body 7 has a holding portion 7b that holds the elastic valve body 2a, a movable body restricting portion 7a, and a movable body base portion 7c that extends from the holding portion 7b toward the base end in the axial direction and connects the holding portion 7b to the base of the movable body restricting portion 7a, and the movable body base portion 7c has a housing hook portion 8. According to the above configuration, the movable body 7 can be realized with an even simpler structure.

[0037] The movable body restricting portion 7a, the holding portion 7b, and the movable body base portion 7c integrally form the movable body 7. According to the above-described configuration, the movable body 7 can be formed by a simple manufacturing method such as injection molding.

[0038] The housing 6 has a housing base 6b that connects the flow path pipe member 3 and the housing restriction portion 6a and forms a hollow portion S in which the flow path pipe member 3 is located, and the housing base 6b has a guide portion 6c. According to the above configuration, the housing 6 can be realized with a simple structure.

[0039] The housing 6 has an operating portion 6d extending from the housing restricting portion 6a toward the base end side, and the housing restricting portion 6a can be released from the hooking on the movable body 7 by swinging radially outward of the flow path pipe member 3 due to elastic deformation when the operating portion 6d is operated radially inward. According to the above configuration, it is possible to realize release of the hooking by swinging with a simple structure.

[0040] The housing 6 has a first housing restriction portion 6 a and a second housing restriction portion 6 a, and the flow path pipe member 3 is located between the first housing restriction portion 6 a and the second housing restriction portion 6 a, or the first housing restriction portion 6 a and the second housing restriction portion 6 a are arranged to face each other (shifted by 180°). With the above configuration, the second form can be well maintained with a simple structure.

[0041] The housing 6 has a first operating portion 6d extending from the first housing restricting portion 6a toward the base end, and a second operating portion 6d extending from the second housing restricting portion 6a toward the base end. The above configuration allows for good operation with a simple structure.

[0042] The flow path pipe member 3 and the base portion of the housing base 6b form an integrated member. With the above configuration, this member can be formed by a simple manufacturing method such as injection molding. The housing restricting portion 6a, the portion of the housing base 6b other than the base portion, and the operating portion 6d form an integrated member. With the above configuration, this member can be formed by a simple manufacturing method such as injection molding.

[0043] The elastic opening / closing portion 4 and the biasing portion 5 form an integral elastic member. According to the above configuration, the male connector 1 can be realized with a simple structure.

[0044] The elastic opening / closing part 4 has a slit 4b through which the flow path pipe member 3 passes when the elastic opening / closing part 4 changes from the first configuration to the second configuration. According to the above configuration, the elastic opening / closing part 4 can be realized with a simple structure.

[0045] The elastic opening / closing portion 4 and the biasing portion 5 are made of, for example, rubber or elastomer. The moving body 7, the flow path pipe member 3 and the housing 6 are made of, for example, resin.

[0046] The male connector 1 is configured as a medical device. According to the above configuration, the male connector 1 can be realized as a medical device that can suppress fluid leakage when connected to the female connector 2.

[0047] The connection structure 10 according to the present embodiment includes a male connector 1 and a female connector 2. According to the above configuration, the connection structure 10 can be realized in a manner that can suppress fluid leakage when the male connector 1 is connected to the female connector 2.

[0048] The elastic valve body 2a has a slit 2a1 through which the flow path pipe member 3 passes when the configuration changes from the first configuration to the second configuration. The above configuration allows the elastic valve body 2a to be realized with a simple structure. The elastic valve body 2a is made of, for example, rubber or elastomer. The remaining portions of the female connector 2 other than the elastic valve body 2a are made of, for example, resin.

[0049] The male connector 1 and the female connector 2 are each configured as a medical device. With the above configuration, it is possible to realize a connection structure 10 that can suppress fluid leakage when connecting the male connector 1 as a medical device to the female connector 2 as a medical device.

[0050] The male connector 1 and the female connector 2 can form, for example, an infusion set. The infusion set includes, for example, the male connector 1, the female connector 2, an infusion container, a drip tube, and a medical tube. The fluid is not particularly limited and may be, for example, a medicinal solution (infusion solution, nutrient, anticancer drug, etc.), saline, etc.

[0051] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the above-described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0052] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Male connector 2 Female connector 2a Elastic valve body 2a1 Slit 2b Moving body hooked portion 3 Flow path pipe member 3a Opening 4 Elastic opening / closing portion 4a Tip surface 4b Slit 5 Urging portion 6 Housing 6a Housing regulating portion 6a1 Housing hooked portion 6b Housing base 6c Guide portion 6d Operating portion 7 Moving body 7a Moving body regulating portion 7a1 Moving body hooked portion 7a2 Arm portion 7a3 Protrusion 7a4 Guided portion 7b Holding portion 7c Moving body base 8 Housing hooked portion 9 Inclined portion 10 Connection structure C1 Male connector flow path C2 Female connector flow path S Hollow portion

Claims

1. A male connector connectable to a female connector having an elastic valve body, comprising: a flow path pipe member defining an axial direction and a radial direction and having an opening in an axial tip portion; an elastic opening / closing portion; a biasing portion capable of biasing the elastic opening / closing portion toward the axial tip portion; a housing; and a movable body having a moving body regulating portion and holding the elastic opening / closing portion, wherein a first form in which the opening of the flow path pipe member is closed by the elastic opening / closing portion is changed to a second form in which a connecting operation in which the elastic opening / closing portion and the movable body move toward the axial base end side relative to the flow path pipe member against the biasing force of the biasing portion as a result of the elastic valve body being pressed against the tip face of the elastic opening / closing portion, causes the axial tip portion of the flow path pipe member to protrude from the elastic opening / closing portion toward the axial tip portion, thereby opening the opening of the flow path pipe member, and the movable body regulating portion moves radially inward due to a resistance force from the housing generated by the connecting operation, thereby restricting movement of the female connector toward the axial tip side relative to the elastic opening / closing portion, the housing has a housing regulating portion that regulates movement of the movable body toward the axial tip side relative to the flow path pipe member by changing its shape from the first shape to the second shape, thereby regulating movement of the female connector toward the axial tip side relative to the flow path pipe member via the movable body regulating portion.

2. A male connector as described in claim 1, wherein the movement restricting portion restricts movement of the female connector toward the axial tip side relative to the elastic opening and closing portion by being hooked onto the female connector.

3. A male connector as described in claim 1, wherein the housing restricting portion restricts movement of the movable body toward the axial tip side by getting caught on the movable body or the elastic opening and closing portion.

4. A male connector as described in claim 1, wherein the movable body has a housing hook portion located axially toward the base end side relative to the movable body regulating portion, and the housing regulating portion has a housing hook portion that hooks onto the housing hook portion.

5. A male connector as described in claim 1, wherein the movable body restricting portion has an arm portion extending radially outward and toward the axial tip, and a protrusion protruding radially inward from the end of the arm portion toward the axial tip.

6. A male connector as described in claim 5, wherein the protrusion of the movable body restricting portion is located on the axial tip side of the tip face of the elastic opening and closing portion in the first configuration.

7. The male connector according to claim 1, wherein the movable body has a plurality of movable body regulating portions arranged in a circumferential direction defined by the flow path pipe member.

8. A male connector as described in claim 7, wherein the movable body has a pair of movable body regulating portions that face each other in a predetermined radial direction and have the same width in the circumferential direction, and another pair of movable body regulating portions that face each other in another radial direction perpendicular to the predetermined radial direction and have the same width in the circumferential direction.

9. The male connector according to claim 1, wherein said elastic opening / closing portion and said biasing portion form an integral elastic member.

10. The male connector of claim 1 configured as a medical device.

11. A connection structure comprising the male connector according to claim 1 and the female connector.

12. The connection structure of claim 11, wherein the male connector and the female connector are each configured as a medical device.

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