WO2014033775A1 - Tube connecting connector - Google Patents

Description

Tube connector

This invention relates to a tube connection connector for connecting piping, and more particularly to a tube connection connector for connecting a minute tube.

In recent years, micro tubes with a diameter of about 0.6 mm have been used in various research fields. Such a tube is used, for example, in a blood collection device for collecting blood from a mouse.

Such a tube needs to be piped according to the purpose of use. At that time, a connector for connecting the tubes, a connector for branching the piping, and the like are required. Examples of such connectors include Non-Patent Document 1, Non-Patent Document 2, and Non-Patent Document 3.

The conventional connector will be described. As shown in FIG. 16, the conventional connector is configured to be inserted into the inner hole of a cylindrical tube. Such a connector is made of hard plastic or metal and has a distal end having a diameter substantially equal to the inner hole of the tube. When such a connector is used, the connector is covered with the distal end of the tube by inserting the distal end into the tube. At this time, friction is generated between the distal end of the connector and the tube, which prevents the connector from coming off the tube.

A connector different from such a configuration is shown in FIG. This connector is provided with a part having a through hole through which the tip of the tube is inserted, and is configured to be screwed to the connector body. When the screw is tightened, the through hole of the component is narrowed, and this pressure prevents the tube from coming out of the connector.

Hagitec mini fitting connector, Internet URL: http://hagitec.co.jp/yy/ke-buru/hosokei21.htm#2 Natsume Seisakusho connector, Internet URL: http://nazme.co.jp/products/products_detail.php?no=KN-394&id=49 Upchurch connector, Internet URL: http://www.technosaurus.co.jp/categories/view/194

However, the conventional tube connector has the following problems.

The connector described with reference to FIG. 16 requires considerable accuracy. This is because it is necessary to process the distal end of the connector so that the inner diameter of the tube to be connected is small and the tube can be inserted and appropriate friction is generated between the tube. Under such circumstances, the tube connector is inevitably expensive, and is not suitable for disposable one after another.

Therefore, according to the conventional configuration, the connector is used every time the tube is piped. The liquid passage inside the connector is fine, and it is difficult to clean it efficiently. Because of such circumstances, the conventional configuration tends to cause contamination that hinders the experiment.

Also, the connector with the conventional configuration is limited in the tubes that can be connected. For example, a tube having an inner diameter of 0.5 mm cannot be connected to a tube connector having an inner diameter of 0.5 mm. This is because this connector is manufactured with considerable accuracy so that a tube having an inner diameter of 0.5 mm can be connected.

17 is expensive because the connector described with reference to FIG. Further, since the connector of FIG. 17 has a mechanism in which a tube is tightened by screwing parts into the main body, it is not suitable for connecting a tube made of a soft material. In addition, since the configuration of FIG. 17 includes a plurality of members, the liquid passage in the connector is lengthened accordingly. Then, a large amount of liquid is required to fill the inside of the connector, and the dead volume increases.

In addition, the conventional connector disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 is inexpensive, but generally has a lineup with an inner diameter of 1.5 mm or more, so it cannot be used for tubes smaller than that.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive and easy-to-use tube connection connector that can handle ultra-fine tubes.

The present invention has the following configuration in order to solve the above-described problems.
That is, the tube connection connector according to the present invention is composed of an elastic member in which an insertion port for inserting a tube from the tip and a passage connecting the plurality of insertion ports is formed, and the outer diameter of the tube into which the inner diameter of the passage is inserted. It is characterized by being smaller.

[Operation / Effect] The tube connector of the structure of the present invention is of a type in which a tube is inserted into a passage. In such a type of connector, the inner diameter of the passage of the present invention is set to be smaller than the outer diameter of the tube. In such a configuration, it seems that the tube cannot be inserted into the passage. However, according to the present invention, the connector is formed of an elastic member. Therefore, when trying to insert the tube into the passage, the tip of the tube advances in the passage while expanding the passage accordingly. As a result, the tube is connected to the connector.

At this time, the correspondence between the outer diameter of the tube and the inner diameter of the passage may not be so strict. When a thicker tube is inserted into the connector, the passage is wider. As a result, the tube can enter the passage without difficulty even if it is thick.

Compared to this, according to the conventional configuration, the connector must be manufactured with high accuracy or configured with many parts. The outer diameter of the tube that can be connected is also strictly determined. However, according to the configuration of the present invention, the connector can be easily manufactured, and high accuracy is not required and many parts are not required. Furthermore, the outer diameter of the tube which can be connected is various. Therefore, according to the present invention, an easy-to-use connector can be provided.

Also, according to the present invention, the connector can be easily made disposable because it can be manufactured at low cost. This is advantageous in that contamination can be prevented in a blood collection situation where blood is stuck inside the connector when the connector is used.

Further, in the above-described tube connection connector, it is more preferable that the elastic member is repelled when the passage is expanded to the tube inserted from the insertion port, and a force for reducing the diameter is applied to the tube.

[Operation / Effect] The above-described configuration shows a more specific configuration of the present invention. In the present invention, when the tube is inserted into the passage, pressure is applied to the tube as the passage tries to return to its original shape, so that a sufficiently strong friction is generated between the tube and the connector. Therefore, according to the connector of the present invention, the tube is not easily detached.

In the above-described tube connector, it is more desirable that both ends of the passage are provided with tapered portions that gradually increase in inner diameter from the center of the passage toward the insertion port.

[Operation / Effect] The above-described configuration shows a more specific configuration of the present invention. If tapered portions are provided at both ends of the passage so that the inner diameter gradually increases from the center of the passage toward the insertion port, a connector in which a tube can be easily inserted can be provided.

In the above-described tube connector, it is more desirable if the inner diameter of the passage located on the side far from the insertion port is smaller than the inner diameter of the passage located on the side closer to the insertion port.

[Operation / Effect] The above-described configuration shows a more specific configuration of the present invention. If the inner diameter of the passage located on the side far from the insertion port is smaller than the inner diameter of the passage located on the side closer to the insertion port, the inner diameter of the passage located on the side closer to the insertion port is made sufficiently large, Easy to insert. Moreover, the internal diameter of the channel | path located in the side far from an insertion port can be made small, and the dead volume of the liquid which flows through a connector can be decreased as much as possible.

Further, in the above-described tube connector, the passage may be configured to communicate two insertion ports.

Further, in the above-described tube connector, the passage may be configured to connect three or more insertion ports and branch the fluid.

[Operation / Effect] The above-described configuration shows a more specific configuration of the present invention. The shape of the passage in the present invention is free and can be applied to various connectors.

According to the present invention, the connector is made of an elastic member, and the inner diameter of the passage is set to be smaller than the outer diameter of the tube. Therefore, when trying to insert the tube into the passage, the tip of the tube advances in the passage while expanding the passage accordingly. According to the configuration of the present invention, the connector can be easily manufactured, and high accuracy is not required and many parts are not required. In addition, according to the present invention, tubes having various outer diameters can be connected. As a result, an inexpensive and easy-to-use connector can be provided.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an overall configuration of a connector according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a perspective view explaining the use condition of the connector which concerns on Example 1. FIG. It is sectional drawing explaining a mode that a tube is inserted in the connector which concerns on Example 1. FIG. It is sectional drawing explaining a mode that a tube is inserted in the connector which concerns on Example 1. FIG. It is sectional drawing explaining a mode that a tube is inserted in the connector which concerns on Example 1. FIG. It is sectional drawing explaining a mode that a tube is inserted in the connector which concerns on Example 1. FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining the method for manufacturing the connector according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining the method for manufacturing the connector according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining the method for manufacturing the connector according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining the method for manufacturing the connector according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining the method for manufacturing the connector according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the overall configuration of a connector according to a second embodiment. It is sectional drawing explaining one modification of this invention. It is sectional drawing explaining one modification of this invention. It is sectional drawing explaining one modification of this invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining the connector of a conventional structure. It is a schematic diagram explaining the connector of a conventional structure.

Subsequently, examples as modes for carrying out the invention will be described.

The tube connector according to the first embodiment will be described. This tube connection connector is a joint used when connecting a flexible micro tube having a cylindrical shape. This tube connection connector is provided for the purpose of connecting, extending, or branching the tubes. The tube to be connected is an ultrathin tube having an inner diameter of less than 1.5 mm, for example.

The specific configuration of the connector 1 will be described. The connector 1 is made of a rectangular parallelepiped member as shown in FIG. The rectangular parallelepiped member is made of an elastic material such as PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) resin. Therefore, when the connector 1 is pinched with a finger, the connector 1 is deformed so that the thickness in the pinching direction is reduced. When the force applied to the connector 1 is released, the connector 1 returns to the shape before being pinched. The connector 1 corresponds to the tube connection connector in the present invention.

The connector 1 has a through hole. A two-dimensional hole appearing on the surface of the member of the through hole is referred to as an insertion port 2, and a three-dimensional portion formed so as to connect the two insertion ports 2 of the through hole is defined as a passage 3. I will call it. Unlike the insertion port 2 located on the surface of the member, the passage 3 is located inside the member. Since the through hole provided in the connector 1 penetrates from the surface on one side to the surface on the other side of the member, there are two insertion ports 2 for each connector. Thus, the through-hole is composed of two insertion ports 2 and one passage 3. That is, the connector 1 is composed of an elastic member in which an insertion port 2 for inserting the tube 4 from the tip and a passage 3 for connecting the plurality of insertion ports 2 are formed.

Passage 3 is a cylindrical hole. Therefore, the thickness of the passage 3 can be evaluated by the inner diameter. The inner diameter of the passage 3 is the diameter of the section of the passage 3 that appears on the cut surface when the connector 1 is cut along a plane orthogonal to the direction in which the passage 3 extends (the direction from one insertion port 2 to the other insertion port). That is. The inner diameter of the passage 3 is, for example, 0.5 mm regardless of the portion. Further, the inner diameter of the insertion port 2 is 0.5 mm which is the same as the inner diameter of the passage 3.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the tubes 4 a and 4 b are inserted into the connector 1. The tube 4a is inserted into one of the insertion ports 2 of the connector 1. The outside of the tube 4 a inserted into the connector 1 is in contact with the inner wall of the passage 3 on the side of one insertion port 2. Similarly, the outside of the tube 4 b inserted into the connector 1 is in contact with the inner wall of the passage 3 on the other insertion port 2 side. When the liquid is conducted to the tube 4a in this state, the liquid flows through the passage 3 of the connector 1 and then flows inside the tube 4b from the tip on the side connected to the connector 1 toward the other end.

In FIG. 2, the tubes 4 a and 4 b are not inserted up to the deepest position of the passage 3. However, the tubes 4a and 4b may be inserted deeply until the tip of the tube 4a contacts the tip of the tube 4b.

<Relationship between inner diameter of passage and outer diameter of tube>
Next, the relationship between the inner diameter d3 of the passage 3 and the outer diameter d4 of the tube 4 that is the most characteristic configuration in the present invention will be described. The outer diameter of the tube 4 represents the thickness of the tube, and is the diameter of the outer wall of the tube in the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the cylindrical tube extends. FIG. 3 shows the tube 4 and the connector 1 before being inserted from the insertion port 2. The outer diameter d4 of the tube 4 is 0.6 mm, for example.

Incidentally, the inner diameter d3 of the passage 3 provided in the connector 1 is 0.5 mm as described above. Thus, the inner diameter d3 of the passage 3 in the present invention is smaller than the outer diameter d4 of the tube 4 to be inserted. This means that the inner diameter of the insertion port 2 is also smaller than the outer diameter d4 of the tube 4. From these facts, if the tip of the tube 4 is inserted into the passage 3, the tube 4 cannot pass through the insertion port 2, and as a result, the tip of the tube 4 does not enter the inside of the passage 3. Seem.

However, the connector 1 is made of an elastic member. Therefore, when the tube 4 is inserted into the connector 1 from the insertion port 2, the connector 1 is deformed so that the inner diameter of the insertion port 2 is expanded as shown in FIG. As a result, the insertion port 2 passes the tip of the tube 4.

Thereafter, when the tube 4 is inserted into the connector 1, the connector 1 is deformed so that the inner diameter of the passage 3 is widened as shown in FIG. As a result, the tip of the tube 4 passes through the passage 3.

At this time, the deformed connector 1 tries to return to the original shape before the deformation. That is, the elastic member constituting the connector 1 is repelled when the passage 3 is expanded to the tube 4 inserted from the insertion port 2, and applies a force to the tube 4 to reduce the diameter of the tube 4. This force is represented by a dotted arrow in FIG. This force is a force generated at the interface between the connector 1 and the tube 4 and is a force that increases friction between the connector 1 and the tube 4. Therefore, the connector 1 reliably holds the tip of the inserted tube 4.

Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide the connector 1 that can reliably hold the tip of the tube 4 while having a simple configuration.

<Other effects of the configuration according to the present invention>
Another effect of the configuration according to the present invention will be described. According to the present invention, the types of tubes 4 that can be connected can be increased. That is, the connector 1 according to the present invention can insert tubes 4 having various outer diameters.

FIG. 6 illustrates this effect. In FIG. 6, two tubes 4c and 4d having different outer diameters are inserted into the insertion ports 2 of the connector 1 and the tubes 4c and 4d are connected to each other. Both the outer diameter d4c of the tube 4c and the outer diameter d4d of the tube 4d are larger than the inner diameter d3 of the passage 3. Therefore, the tips of any of the tubes 4c and 4d are held by the connector 1 on the same principle as described with reference to FIGS.

∙ Conventionally configured connectors do not have such flexibility. With a conventional connector, for example, a tube with an outer diameter of 0.6 mm requires a connection port with an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of the tube, and a tube with an outer diameter of 0.7 mm requires an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of the tube. A diameter connection port is required. In addition, for example, when a 0.6 mm narrower connection port is connected to a tube having an outer diameter of 0.7 mm, the liquid flowing through the tube leaks from the connection portion between the tube and the connector, and conversely, the outer diameter is 0. If you try to connect a 0.7 mm wider connection port to a 6 mm tube, the connector is not elastic and cannot be connected in the first place. After all, in the conventional method, the thickness of the tube can be freely selected to complete a desired liquid passage.

<Manufacturing method of connector: Method by excavation>
Next, a method for manufacturing the connector 1 will be described. To manufacture the connector 1, first, an elastic member is formed into a rectangular parallelepiped as shown in FIG. Next, the insertion port 2 and the passage 3 described with reference to FIG. The connector 1 is manufactured through such processes.

<Manufacturing method of connector: Method of mass production>
Next, a method for mass-producing the connector 1 will be described. In order to mass-produce the connector 1, first, a mold shown in FIG. 8 is prepared. This mold is provided with a rectangular parallelepiped recess. In this mold, linear wires arranged in parallel to each other are provided so as to pass through the recesses.

This recess is filled with a mixture of a main material and a curing agent as a raw material of the elastic body as shown in FIG. The main material is a liquid silicone resin having a low crosslinking rate, and the curing agent contains a crosslinking agent for appropriate crosslinking reaction. The elastic elastic material that is in a liquid state spreads throughout the recessed area except for the wire portion. Thus, the wire is in a state of sinking in the elastic material before curing.

After the elastic material is crosslinked and cured by reaction, the wire is pulled out from the mold as shown in FIG. Since the curing agent is changed to an elastic body by curing, the wire is easily pulled out. The portion from which the wire is removed becomes a cylindrical cavity provided inside the elastic body, and will become the passage 3 in the future.

After all the wires are pulled out from the mold, the elastic body is pulled out of the mold and cut into a lattice shape as shown by the dotted lines in FIG. Then, the connector 1 described in FIG. 1 is mass-produced.

As described above, the connector 1 having the configuration of the present invention is of a type in which the tube 4 is inserted into the passage 3. In this type of connector 1, the inner diameter d3 of the passage 3 of the present invention is set to be smaller than the outer diameter d4 of the tube 4. In such a configuration, it seems that the tube 4 cannot be inserted into the passage 3. However, according to the present invention, the connector 1 is formed of an elastic member. Therefore, when trying to insert the tube 4 into the passage 3, the tip of the tube 4 advances in the passage while expanding the passage 3 accordingly. As a result, the tube 4 is connected to the connector 1.

At this time, the correspondence between the outer diameter of the tube 4 and the inner diameter of the passage 3 may not be so strict. When the thick tube 4 is inserted into the connector 1, the passage 3 is more widely expanded. As a result, the tube 4 can enter the passage 3 without difficulty even if it is thick.

Compared to this, according to the conventional configuration, the connector 1 must be manufactured with high accuracy or consist of many parts. Further, the outer diameter of the tube 4 that can be connected is also strictly determined. However, according to the configuration of the present invention, the connector 1 can be easily manufactured, and high accuracy is not required and many parts are not required. Furthermore, the outer diameter of the tube 4 which can be connected is various. Therefore, according to the present invention, an easy-to-use connector 1 can be provided.

Further, according to the present invention, the connector 1 can be easily made disposable because it can be manufactured at low cost. This is advantageous in that contamination can be prevented in the blood collection scene where blood is stuck inside the connector when the connector 1 is used.

In the present invention, when the tube 4 is inserted into the passage 3, pressure is applied to the tube 4 so that the passage 3 returns to its original shape, so that a sufficiently strong friction is generated between the tube 4 and the connector 1. Will occur. Therefore, according to the connector 1 of the present invention, the tube 4 is not easily detached.

Subsequently, the connector 1 according to the second embodiment will be described. The configuration of the connector 1 according to the second embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment.

The connector 1 according to the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that tapered portions 5 are provided at both ends of the passage 3 as shown in FIG. The tapered portion 5 is formed such that the inner diameter gradually increases from the center 3 c of the passage 3 toward the insertion port 2. The tapered portion 5 is a portion provided by cutting the elastic member after the passage 3 is formed, and the inner diameter of this portion does not necessarily need to be smaller than the outer diameter of the tube 4 to be inserted. Thus, in Example 2, the inner diameter of the insertion port 2 and the inner diameter of the passage 3 are different.

Such a configuration of Example 2 can also be expressed as an elastic member in which a tapered portion 5 into which the tube 4 is inserted from the distal end and a passage connecting the plurality of tapered portions 5 are formed.

As described above, the connector 1 according to the second embodiment is provided with the tapered portions 5 that gradually increase in inner diameter from the center of the passage 3 toward the insertion port 2 at both ends of the passage 3. In this way, since the insertion port 2 is wider than that in the case of the first embodiment, the connector 1 into which the tube 4 can be easily inserted can be provided.

The configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration, and can be modified as follows.

(1) According to the above-described configuration, the inner diameter of the passage 3 is constant, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. That is, the inner diameter of the passage 3 may be partially changed as shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 13, the passage 3 is divided into three regions, two regions 3 a 1 and 3 a 2 on the side close to the two insertion ports 2 and a region 3 b far from the insertion port 2, and the inner diameters of the regions 3 a 1 and 3 a 2 Is larger than the inner diameter of the region 3b. That is, in this modification, the inner diameter of the passage 3 located on the side far from the insertion port 2 is smaller than the inner diameter of the passage 3 located on the side closer to the insertion port 2. However, the inner diameters of the regions 3a1 and 3a2 are set smaller than the outer diameter of the tube 4 to be inserted.

According to the configuration of such a modified example, since the inner diameters of the regions 3a and 3c are sufficiently large, the insertion port 2 is widened and the tube 4 can be easily inserted. Further, since the inner diameter of the region 3b is sufficiently small, the dead volume of the liquid flowing through the connector 1 can be reduced as much as possible.

(2) According to the above-described configuration, the passage 3 is linear, but the configuration of the present invention is not limited to this configuration. As shown in FIG. 14, the passage 3 may be L-shaped.

(3) According to the above-described configuration, the passage 3 is linear, but the configuration of the present invention is not limited to this configuration. As shown in FIG. 15, the passage 3 may be branched. As a branching method, for example, a π shape as shown on the left side of FIG. 15 or a T shape as shown on the right side of FIG. In such a case, the connector 1 is configured such that the passage 3 communicates with three or more insertion ports 2 and branches the fluid.

As described above, the present invention is suitable for research fields and various fields using connectors.

1 Connector (Tube connection connector)
2 Insertion port 3 Passage 4 Tube 5 Tapered part

Claims (6)

It is composed of an elastic member in which an insertion port for inserting a tube from the tip and a passage connecting the plurality of insertion ports are formed,
The tube connector according to claim 1, wherein an inner diameter of the passage is smaller than an outer diameter of a tube to be inserted. In the tube connector according to claim 1,
The said elastic member repels, when the said channel | path is extended to the said tube inserted from the said insertion port, and gives the force which is going to shrink a diameter to the said tube connection connector characterized by the above-mentioned. In the tube connector according to claim 1 or 2,
The tube connector according to claim 1, wherein taper portions having an inner diameter that gradually increases from the center of the passage toward the insertion port are provided at both ends of the passage. In the tube connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The tube connector according to claim 1, wherein an inner diameter of the passage located on a side farther from the insertion port is smaller than an inner diameter of the passage located on a side closer to the insertion port. In the tube connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The tube connection connector, wherein the passage is configured to connect the two insertion ports. In the tube connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The tube connector according to claim 1, wherein the passage communicates with three or more insertion ports and branches fluid.

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