Waterproof sealing connector and cable

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of medical devices. Disclosed are a waterproof sealing connector and a cable. The waterproof sealing connector comprises: a connecting member, which is connected to a distal end of a cable; a movable member, which is slidably connected to a distal end of the connecting member in the axial direction of the connecting member; and a sealing piece, one end of which is connected to the movable member, and the other end extends to an opening at the distal end of the connecting member, with the moving path of the end intersecting with an extension line of the cable. The end of the sealing piece extending to the opening at the distal end of the connecting member opens or closes the opening of the connecting member along with the movement of the movable member. The distal end of the cable is provided with the waterproof sealing connector. The solution of the present invention described above can solve the technical problem of a waterproof sealing connector in the related art being inconvenient to use.

Description

A waterproof sealing connector and cable Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a waterproof sealing connector and cable. Background Technology

[0002] During the disinfection process after endoscope reuse, the cable section also requires disinfection. To ensure the cable remains waterproof while immersed in disinfectant, a waterproof cap is installed on the connector head. However, the waterproof cap presents an inconvenience during use. When the connector needs to be inserted into the host, the waterproof cap must be unscrewed, and then screwed back on after use—a cumbersome and time-consuming process.

[0003] Therefore, providing a user-friendly waterproof sealing connector and cable is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention discloses a waterproof sealing joint and cable to solve the technical problem of the inconvenience of using waterproof sealing joints in related technologies.

[0005] To solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] In the first aspect, a waterproof sealing joint is disclosed, comprising:

[0007] A connector for attaching to the far end of a cable;

[0008] The movable part slides along the axial direction of the connector and is slidably connected to the distal end of the connector;

[0009] The sealing plate has one end connected to the moving part and the other end extending to the opening at the far end of the connector, and the movement path of this end intersects with the extension line of the cable.

[0010] The sealing strip extends to one end of the connector's distal opening, opening or closing the connector's opening as the moving part moves.

[0011] Secondly, a cable is disclosed, the distal end of which is provided with the waterproof sealing joint described in the first aspect.

[0012] The technical solution adopted in this invention can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0013] The waterproof sealing connector of this application, during connection with the host, allows the operator to slide a movable component. As the component moves, it moves the sealing plate, opening the connector's opening and allowing the cable to connect to the outside. The connector is then inserted into the host's socket, and the endoscope connected to the cable transmits information to the host via the cable. After the waterproof sealing connector is separated from the host, the operator slides the movable component in the opposite direction. This movement causes the sealing plate to move, closing the connector's opening and isolating the cable from the outside. The cable can then be disinfected by immersing it in a disinfectant solution. This waterproof sealing connector of the present invention allows for easy and quicker operation by simply sliding the movable component up and down, making it simpler and faster than the existing method of rotating the waterproof cap. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 is an axial view of the waterproof sealing joint of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the installation of the waterproof sealing joint of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the waterproof sealing joint of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 4 is an enlarged view of point A in Figure 3;

[0018] Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the waterproof sealing joint of the present invention (II).

[0019] Figure 6 is an enlarged view of point B in Figure 5;

[0020] Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the waterproof sealing joint of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 8 is an enlarged view of point C in Figure 7;

[0022] Figure 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the waterproof sealing joint of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 10 is an enlarged view of point D in Figure 9;

[0024] Figure 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of the waterproof sealing joint of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 12 is an enlarged view of point E in Figure 11;

[0026] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the waterproof sealing joint and the main unit of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the movable part of the present invention having a guide groove and a mounting groove.

[0028] In the picture:

[0029] 100-Waterproof sealing joint, 110-Connector, 111-Opening, 112-Slide groove, 113-Footproof mark, 114-Guide groove, 115-Mounting groove, 120-Moving part, 130-Sealing plate, 131-Stop part, 132-Protrusion, 133-Groove, 134-Deformable part, 140-Elastic part;

[0030] 200-cable;

[0031] 300-host. Detailed Implementation

[0032] In the various embodiments of this application, "near end" and "far end" refer to the distance of each component from the user in the usage environment. The end closer to the user is designated as the "near end", and the end farther from the user is designated as the "far end".

[0033] Reusable endoscopes require disinfection after use. To ensure the cable 200 remains waterproof when immersed in disinfectant, a waterproof cap is installed on the connector head. However, the applicant found that the waterproof cap is inconvenient during use. When inserting the connector into the host 300, the waterproof cap must be unscrewed, and then screwed back on after use—a cumbersome and time-consuming process.

[0034] The following description, in conjunction with Figures 1 to 14, details a waterproof sealing connector 100 and a cable 200 provided in this application through specific embodiments and application scenarios.

[0035] The waterproof sealing joint 100 provided in some embodiments of this application, as shown in FIG1, includes a connector 110, a movable part 120, and a sealing plate 130.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11, connector 110 is connected to the distal end of cable 200. Connector 110 is the main component for connecting to the host 300 socket. When connector 110 is used with an endoscope, when connector 110 is inserted into the host 300 socket, the images and data captured by the endoscope can be transmitted to the host 300 in real time for processing and display.

[0037] As shown in Figures 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12, the movable member 120 is slidably connected to the distal end of the connector 110 along the axial direction of the connector 110. One end of the sealing plate 130 is connected to the movable member 120, and the other end extends to the opening 111 at the distal end of the connector 110. The movement path of this end intersects with the extension line of the cable 200, thereby allowing the cable 200 to be isolated or connected to the outside world by the movement of the sealing plate 130.

[0038] During the connection with the host 300, the operator slides the movable part 120. As the movable part 120 moves, it causes the sealing plate 130 to move, opening the opening 111 of the connector 110. At this time, the cable 200 is connected to the outside. After the waterproof sealing connector 100 is separated from the host 300, the operator slides the movable part 120 in the opposite direction. As the movable part 120 moves, it causes the sealing plate 130 to move, closing the opening 111 of the connector 110. At this time, the cable 200 is isolated from the outside.

[0039] Specifically, the movable part 120 is sleeved on the outside of the distal end of the connector 110, and the side wall of the distal end of the connector 110 has a through mounting groove 115, as shown in Figure 14. One end of the sealing plate 130 is connected to the inner wall of the movable part 120, and the other end is bent and extends through the mounting groove 115 to the distal opening 111 of the connector 110, thereby realizing the function of opening or closing the distal opening 111 of the connector 110 by moving the movable part 120 along the connector 110.

[0040] It should be noted that the height of the mounting groove 115 is not greater than the thickness of the sealing sheet 130 to ensure sealing performance. In this embodiment, the height of the mounting groove 115 is slightly less than the thickness of the sealing sheet 130. Since the sealing sheet 130 has a certain deformation capacity, it will be squeezed when passing through the mounting groove 115, and the sealing sheet 130 can always maintain the tendency of deformation recovery at the position of the mounting groove 115, which helps to increase the sealing performance at the connection between the sealing sheet 130 and the mounting groove 115.

[0041] In addition, as shown in Figure 14, the inner wall of the connector 110 is provided with a guide groove 114. The end of the sealing sheet 130 extending to the opening 111 is embedded in the guide groove 114 and can slide in the guide groove 114. The guide groove 114 guides the movement of the sealing sheet 130, ensuring that the movement trajectory of the sealing sheet 130 remains the same during the movement of the movable part 120, thereby ensuring that the sealing sheet 130 can stably close the opening 111 at the distal end of the connector 110.

[0042] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12, the movement path of the sealing sheet 130 extending to one end of the opening 111 is perpendicular to the inner wall of the connector 110.

[0043] In some embodiments, the movement path of the sealing strip 130 extending to one end of the opening 111 forms an angle with the inner wall of the connector 110.

[0044] In this embodiment, the preferred method is to extend the sealing sheet 130 to one end of the opening 111 in a way that its movement path is perpendicular to the inner wall of the connector 110. In this way, when the opening 111 of the connector 110 is closed, the entire plane of the end of the sealing sheet 130 is in direct contact with the sealing surface, resulting in a better sealing effect.

[0045] It should be noted that the sealing surface can be any one of the end face of another sealing plate 130, the inner wall of the movable part 120, and the inner wall of the connector 110.

[0046] Naturally, the width of the sealing strip 130 projected along the axial direction of the connector 110 is greater than or equal to the projection of the opening 111 of the connector 110 along the axial direction of the connector 110, thereby allowing the sealing strip 130 to separate the interior and exterior of the connector 110.

[0047] In this embodiment, the projection of the opening 111 of the connector 110 along the axial direction of the connector 110 is circular, as shown in Figure 14. Naturally, the shape of the opening 111 of the connector 110 is not limited to a circle; it can also be rectangular, elliptical, etc., as long as it is ensured that after the sealing plate 130 opens the opening 111, the projection of the cable 200 along the axial direction of the connector 110 and the projection of the opening 111 along the axial direction of the connector 110 do not overlap.

[0048] As the movable member 120 moves, the sealing plate 130 extends to one end of the distal opening 111 of the connector 110, opening or closing the opening 111 of the connector 110.

[0049] In the first method, as shown in Figures 3-12, when the movable part 120 moves toward the connector 110, the opening 111 of the connector 110 gradually opens; when the movable part 120 moves away from the connector 110, the opening 111 of the connector 110 gradually closes.

[0050] In the second method, when the movable part 120 moves toward the connector 110, the opening 111 of the connector 110 gradually closes; when the movable part 120 moves away from the connector 110, the opening 111 of the connector 110 gradually opens.

[0051] In this embodiment, the first method is used. In this method, during the process of the operator inserting the connector 110 into the host 300's socket, the movable part 120 comes into contact with the host 300's socket, causing the movable part 120 to move towards the connector 110, thereby opening the opening 111 of the connector 110. That is, during the insertion of the connector 110 into the host 300's socket, the movable part 120 does not require an additional power source to drive its movement. Furthermore, since the movable part 120 only moves gradually after the connector 110 has entered the host 300's socket, it also prevents the cable 200 from being prematurely exposed to the surgical environment and becoming contaminated.

[0052] In addition, using the first method, after the connector 110 enters the host 300 socket, the movable part 120 overlaps on the connector 110. The movable part 120 does not occupy the space inside the host 300 socket, making it easier to connect the cable 200 to the host 300 socket.

[0053] As shown in Figures 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12, the connector 110 is provided with a groove 112, which extends axially along the connector 110. The proximal end of the movable member 120 is embedded in the groove 112 and can drive the sealing plate 130 to move within the groove 112.

[0054] Specifically, the outer wall of the movable part 120 abuts against the outer wall of the slide groove 112, and the sealing plate 130 is connected to the inner wall of the movable part 120. There is a gap between the inner wall of the movable part 120 and the inner wall of the slide groove 112, which allows the sealing plate 130 to pass through. It should be noted that the radial width of the slide groove 112 is greater than or equal to the radial width of the movable part 120 and the sealing plate 130, thereby allowing the movable part 120 to drive the sealing plate 130 to move within the slide groove 112.

[0055] The groove 112 provides a mounting base for the movable part 120 to be mounted on the connector 110 and guides the movement of the movable part 120 along the connector 110. Due to the presence of the groove 112, the movable part 120 can move a longer distance along the connector 110, thereby allowing the sealing plate 130 to fully open the opening 111 of the connector 110.

[0056] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 4, 8 and 10, when the sealing sheet 130 closes the connector 110, the distal end of the movable member 120 does not extend beyond the distal end of the connector 110, thereby reducing the possibility of the movable member 120 being accidentally moved due to an impact between the connector 110 and the outside world.

[0057] As shown in Figures 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12, the movable member 120 is slidably connected to the connector 110 via the elastic member 140. During the insertion of the connector 110 into the host 300 socket, the movable member 120 moves toward the connector 110, gradually compressing the elastic member 140 and storing elastic potential energy. During the separation of the connector 110 from the host 300 socket, the elastic potential energy of the elastic member 140 is released, driving the movable member 120 to move away from the connector 110, thereby causing the sealing plate 130 to close the opening 111 of the connector 110.

[0058] Furthermore, during the process of separating the connector 110 from the host 300 socket, as the connector 110 is pulled outward, the movable part 120 keeps resetting. When the connector 110 is completely separated from the host 300 socket, the movable part 120 also moves to the initial position, thereby causing the sealing plate 130 to close the opening 111 of the connector 110, thus preventing the cable 200 from being exposed to the surgical environment after the connector 110 is completely separated from the host 300 socket.

[0059] Specifically, the elastic element 140 is disposed in the slide groove 112 and connected to the proximal end of the movable element 120. As the proximal end of the movable element 120 moves within the slide groove 112, the elastic element 140 is compressed or released.

[0060] In this embodiment, the elastic element 140 can be a spring sheet, a coil spring, or other types, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0061] In this embodiment, the number of elastic elements 140 can be 1, 2, 3, 4 or more, and can be flexibly set according to usage requirements. This embodiment does not limit this.

[0062] As shown in Figures 8, 10, and 12, in one optional embodiment, the number of sealing plates 130 is one. When one end of the sealing plate 130 extends to the distal opening 111 of the connector 110 and abuts against the inner wall of the movable member 120 or the inner wall of the connector 110, the distal opening 111 of the connector 110 is closed. In order to isolate the external environment and the cable 200, in the embodiment using one sealing plate 130, a sealing pair is formed by the end of the sealing plate 130 and the inner wall of the movable member 120 or the inner wall of the connector 110, thereby achieving the purpose of sealing.

[0063] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 8, when the opening 111 of the connector 110 is closed, the end of the sealing plate 130 abuts against the inner wall of the connector 110, and the end of the sealing plate 130 and the inner wall of the connector 110 form a sealing pair to isolate the interior of the connector 110 from the outside.

[0064] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 10, the side wall of the connector 110 is provided with a through groove. When the opening 111 of the connector 110 is closed, the inner wall of the movable member 120 just covers the through groove, and one end of the sealing piece 130 passes through the through groove and abuts against the inner wall of the movable member 120. The end of the sealing piece and the inner wall of the movable member 120 form a sealing pair to isolate the interior of the connector 110 from the outside.

[0065] As shown in Figures 4 and 6, in another optional embodiment, the number of sealing plates 130 is two. As the movable member 120 moves, the ends of the two sealing plates 130 extending to the distal opening 111 of the connector 110 move towards or in opposite directions. Specifically, when the movable member 120 moves towards the connector 110, the two sealing plates 130 move in opposite directions, gradually opening the opening 111 of the connector 110; when the movable member 120 moves away from the connector 110, the two sealing plates 130 move towards each other, gradually closing the opening 111 of the connector 110.

[0066] When the opening 111 of the connector 110 is closed, the two sealing pieces 130 extend to the ends of the distal opening 111 of the connector 110 to form a sealing pair, thereby isolating the interior of the connector 110 from the outside.

[0067] As shown in Figure 6, two sealing pieces 130 extend to the end face of the distal opening 111 of the connector 110. One of them has a protrusion 132, and the other has a groove 133. When the opening 111 of the connector 110 is closed, the protrusion 132 at the end of one sealing piece 130 is embedded in the groove 133 at the end of the other sealing piece 130, thereby increasing the contact area when the two sealing pieces 130 stop, and further increasing the sealing performance when the two sealing pieces 130 stop.

[0068] Naturally, the shape of the protrusion 132 matches the shape of the groove 133, and when the protrusion 132 is embedded in the groove 133, the sidewall of the protrusion 132 fits perfectly with the sidewall of the groove 133.

[0069] In this embodiment, the protrusion 132 and the groove 133 are triangular in shape. However, the protrusion 132 and the groove 133 can also be rectangular, semi-circular, serrated, or other shapes, and can be flexibly set according to usage requirements. This embodiment does not limit this.

[0070] As shown in Figures 4, 8, 10, and 12, regardless of whether a single sealing plate 130 or two sealing plates 130 are used, the sealing plate 130 has a deformable portion 134 and a stop portion 131. The deformable portion 134 is made of a soft material, such as rubber, but not limited to rubber. The sealing plate 130 is constantly bending during the opening and closing of the connector 110 opening 111. Therefore, the deformable portion 134, made of a soft material, can well accommodate the bending that occurs during the movement of the sealing plate 130, thereby increasing the service life of the deformable portion 134.

[0071] One end of the deformable portion 134 extends to the distal opening 111 of the connector 110 and connects with the stop portion 131. The stiffness of the stop portion 131 is greater than that of the deformable portion 134.

[0072] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4, when the opening 111 of the seal is closed, the end faces of the two stop portions 131 abut against each other. The stop portions 131 have a certain rigidity, and when the two stop portions 131 abut against each other, they have sufficient structural stability and will not collapse, thus ensuring the reliability of the sealing pair and thereby ensuring the sealing performance.

[0073] In this embodiment, one of the end faces of the two stop portions 131 is provided with a protrusion 132 and the other is provided with a groove 133.

[0074] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG8, when the opening 111 of the seal is closed, the end face of the stop portion 131 abuts against the inner wall of the connector 110. The stop portion 131 has a certain rigidity, and when the end face of the stop portion 131 abuts against the inner wall of the connector 110, it has sufficient structural stability and will not collapse, thus ensuring the reliability of the sealing pair and thereby ensuring the sealing performance.

[0075] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG10, when the opening 111 of the seal is closed, the end face of the stop portion 131 passes through the through groove and abuts against the inner wall of the movable member 120. The stop portion 131 has a certain rigidity, and when the end face of the stop portion 131 abuts against the inner wall of the movable member 120, it has sufficient structural stability and will not collapse, thus ensuring the reliability of the sealing pair and thereby ensuring the sealing performance.

[0076] It should be noted that, since the stop part 131 has a certain rigidity, when the opening 111 of the connector 110 is fully opened, as shown in Figure 12, the stop part 131 will not bend through the mounting groove 115, so as to protect the stop part 131 and prevent the stop part 131 from breaking.

[0077] As shown in Figures 1 and 14, the projection of the movable part 120 along its own axial direction is rectangular. With a rectangular projection, during the installation of the sealing plate 130 with the movable part 120, the sealing plate 130 will not bend against the inner wall of the movable part 120. During the process of the sealing plate 130 passing through the mounting groove 115, the sealing plate 130 can smoothly complete the bending and pass smoothly through the mounting groove 115. If the projection of the movable part 120 along its own axial direction were curved, the sealing plate 130 would collapse radially during the bending process through the mounting groove 115 and come into contact with the inner wall of the mounting groove 115, thus affecting the movement of the sealing plate 130.

[0078] Correspondingly, the part of the connector 110 that is slidably connected to the movable part 120 is rectangular, which allows the inner wall of the sealing sheet 130 to abut against the outer wall of the connector 110 during the movement, thereby increasing the stability of the sealing sheet 130 during the movement.

[0079] As shown in Figure 1, the connector 110 is provided with a foolproof mark 113. The foolproof mark 113 serves as a reminder to the operator, preventing the operator from accidentally inserting or inserting it backwards, and ensuring that the connector 110 can be inserted into the socket of the host 300 in the correct manner.

[0080] Correspondingly, the host 300 has a prompt at the corresponding socket position that matches the foolproof mark 113. When inserting the connector 110 into the socket of the host 300, you only need to align the foolproof mark 113 with the prompt of the host 300 to ensure that the connector 110 can be smoothly inserted into the socket of the host 300.

[0081] For example, as shown in Figure 2, one of the ports of the host 300 has the Arabic numeral "2" as a prompt, and the foolproof mark 113 on the connector 110 is also the Arabic numeral "2". By matching the Arabic numeral "2" on the connector 110 with the Arabic numeral "2" on the port of the host 300, the connector 110 can be smoothly inserted into the port of the host 300.

[0082] For example, as shown in Figure 2, another port of the host 300 has the Arabic numeral "3" as a prompt, and the foolproof mark 113 on another connector 110 is also the Arabic numeral "3" (the connector 110 is not shown in the figure). By matching the Arabic numeral "3" on the connector 110 with the Arabic numeral "3" on the port of the host 300, the connector 110 can be smoothly inserted into the port of the host 300.

[0083] As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 13, the cable 200 provided in some embodiments of this application has the aforementioned waterproof sealing joint 100 at its distal end.

[0084] When cable 200 is used for an endoscope, the proximal end of cable 200 is connected to the endoscope, and the images and data detected by the endoscope can be transmitted to the host 300 for processing and the images are displayed on the host 300.

[0085] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A waterproof sealing joint, characterized in that, include: A connector for attaching to the far end of a cable; The movable component is slidably connected to the distal end of the connector along the axial direction of the connector; The sealing sheet has one end connected to the movable part and the other end extending to the opening at the distal end of the connector, and the movement path of the sealing sheet intersects with the extension line of the cable. As the movable member moves, the end of the sealing piece extending to the distal opening of the connector opens or closes the opening of the connector. The sealing sheet has a deformable portion and a stop portion; one end of the deformable portion extends to the distal opening of the connector and is connected to the stop portion. The deformable part bends as the movable part moves, and the stiffness of the stop part is greater than that of the deformable part.

2. The waterproof sealing joint according to claim 1, characterized in that, As the movable part moves toward the connector, the opening of the connector gradually opens; As the movable part moves away from the connector, the opening of the connector gradually closes.

3. A waterproof sealing joint according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes an elastic element, through which the movable element is slidably connected to the connecting element.

4. A waterproof sealing joint according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connector is provided with a sliding groove, which extends along the axial direction of the connector; The proximal end of the movable component is embedded in the groove and can drive the sealing plate to move within the groove.

5. A waterproof sealing joint according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing sheet is a single piece. When one end of the sealing sheet extends to the distal opening of the connector and abuts against the inner wall of the movable part or the inner wall of the connector, the distal opening of the connector is closed.

6. A waterproof sealing joint according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are two sealing pieces, and one end of each sealing piece extending to the distal opening of the connector moves toward or in opposite directions. When the two sealing plates extend to one end of the distal opening of the connector and stop, the distal opening of the connector is closed.

7. A waterproof sealing joint according to claim 6, characterized in that, The two sealing pieces extend to the end face of the distal opening of the connector, one of which has a protrusion and the other has a groove; When the two sealing pieces extend to one end of the distal opening of the connector and stop, the protrusion is embedded in the groove.

8. A waterproof sealing joint according to claim 1, characterized in that, The projection of the movable component along its own axis is rectangular; The connector is equipped with a foolproof marking.

9. A cable, characterized in that, The distal end of the cable is provided with a waterproof sealing joint as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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