Medical Connector Lock Ring with Engagement Protrusions
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing medical connector structure for transfusion lines often results in liquid leakage due to either over-tightening, which causes cracks, or under-tightening, leading to a loose connection.
Innovation Solution
A connecting structure featuring a female thread on the inner surface of a lock ring and a male thread on the outer surface of another connector, with engagement protrusions and notches that engage when screwed together, preventing over-tightening and ensuring a secure, leak-proof connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the thread strips are engaged too tightly with each other, then the connection strength is improved, but cracks develop on the female connecting unit leading to liquid leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a stopper that prevents over-tightening of the thread strips before damage occurs. The stopper is pre-positioned on the male connecting unit to limit the rotation distance of the female connecting unit, ensuring the connection achieves sufficient strength without exceeding the safe engagement limit that would cause cracks and leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The stopper acts as an intermediary mechanical element between the male and female connecting units. It mediates the engagement process by physically blocking further rotation once the optimal connection state is reached, thereby preventing the harmful effect of over-tightening while maintaining the beneficial connection strength.
2Reliability
If the thread strips are engaged too loosely with each other, then the risk of cracks is reduced, but the connection breaks or slackens leading to liquid leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper is designed to engage at a predetermined rotation distance that corresponds to the optimal connection state. This preliminary positioning ensures that the thread strips achieve sufficient engagement for liquid tightness without being so loose that the connection becomes unstable or breaks under stress.
3Strength
If the connecting structure allows free rotation for tight engagement, then connection strength is improved, but over-tightening causes cracks and leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper serves as a protective intermediary that limits the rotation freedom of the female connecting unit. It allows sufficient rotation to achieve strong engagement but stops before the point where cracks would form, thereby eliminating the harmful effect while preserving the beneficial connection strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The stopper provides preliminary anti-action by preventing the harmful over-rotation before it can occur. It counteracts the tendency to over-tighten by physically blocking further rotation, thus preventing crack formation before it happens rather than remedying it after damage occurs.
Data Source
AI summary
A connection structure is provided having a female thread formed on the inner peripheral surface of a lock ring in a male connector engaging a male thread on the outer peripheral surface of a female connector when the male connector and the female connector are screwed to each other. Further, protrusion strips are formed on the rear side portion of the male thread on the outer peripheral surface of the female connector, and the notches that can engage with the protrusion strips are set on the tip portion of the lock ring. As a result, when the male thread and the female thread are screwed to each other, the screwed state is appropriate when the protrusion strips and notches are engaged with each other.