Medical Male Luer Cover with Segmented Compression Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional covers for medical male members, such as male luers, often undergo buckling deformation when subjected to compression forces, leading to incomplete extension and reduced elastic restoring force, which can result in liquid leakage.
Innovation Solution
A cover design featuring an outer circumferential wall with multiple compression units arranged along the central axis, where thick and thin portions are alternately formed at equiangular intervals, allowing for elastic compression deformation without buckling, ensuring complete extension and effective sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the outer circumferential wall is made uniformly thick to maintain structural integrity, then strength is improved, but buckling deformation occurs under compression force
Solution Approach 1:
The outer circumferential wall is designed with non-uniform thickness, featuring thick portions and thin portions alternately arranged along the central axis. The thick portions provide structural strength and resistance to buckling, while the thin portions allow controlled compression deformation. This local variation in thickness enables the wall to maintain overall integrity while accommodating compression forces without buckling.
2Ease of operation
If the cover is compressed to connect the male luer with the needleless port, then ease of operation is improved, but incomplete extension occurs due to reduced elastic restoring force
Solution Approach 1:
The cover utilizes changes in wall thickness as a parameter to control deformation behavior. The thin portions are designed to undergo compression deformation during connection, while the thick portions maintain structural stability. This parameter variation ensures that the cover can be easily compressed for connection while maintaining sufficient elastic restoring force to return to its original shape and achieve complete extension afterward.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the wall thickness is increased to prevent buckling, then stability is improved, but elastic restoring force is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The outer circumferential wall is segmented into multiple thick portions and thin portions along its length. This segmentation allows different regions to perform different functions: thick portions provide buckling resistance and structural stability, while thin portions provide elastic compliance and restoring force. The alternating arrangement ensures that the overall structure maintains both stability and sufficient elastic recovery capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The cover design prevents buckling deformation, enhances the elastic restoring force, and reduces the likelihood of liquid leakage by alternating thick and thin portions that oppose each other, ensuring reliable sealing and efficient compression deformation.
Implementation Method 1
an outer circumferential wall that has a substantially tubular shape and is capable of elastic compression deformation in a central axis direction of the cover
Implementation Method 2
The plurality of compression units each undergo deformation due to compression force in the central axis direction. Letting N be an integer of 2 or more, the plurality of compression units each have N thick portions formed at equiangular intervals with respect to the central axis, or have N thin portions formed at equiangular intervals with respect to the central axis, or have both N thick portions and N thin portions formed at equiangular intervals with respect to the central axis
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Ahead portion (150) is provided at one end of an outer circumferential wall (101) capable of elastic compression deformation. The outer circumferential wall includes multiple compression units (110, 120) that undergo deformation due to compression force in a central axis (100a) direction. Letting N be an integer of 2 or more, the compression units each have at least either N thick portions (113) or N thin portions (123) formed at equiangular intervals with respect to the central axis such that the thickness periodically changes in the circumferential direction. The phase with respect to the central axis of the periodic change in thickness is shifted between two compression units that are neighboring in the central axis direction.