Connection system for fluid lines having telescoping connecting elements, in particular for respirators or anesthetic units

• US 4,557,261 A
• Filed: 12/08/1981
• Issued: 12/10/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Erich Rugheimer
• Original Assignee: Erich Rugheimer
• Inventors: Rugheimer, Erich
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Reichle, Karin M.
• Application Number:
  US06/328,694
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 285/155, 285/276, 285/317, 285/320, 285/DIG. 22, 285/110, 285/347, 285/319, 285/7, 285/318, 403/325, 403/326, 403/329, 403/330, 128/202.27, 128/912, 128/204.26, 604/283, 604/284, 604/326, 251/149.9, 267/158, 267/160, 267/163
• US Class Current: 604/533
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/08 Bellows; Connecting tubes having means for taking samples G01N1/22; Water traps; Patient circuits
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0833 T- or Y-type connectors, e.g. Y-piece
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1055 bacterial
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/106 in a path
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/084 combined with automatic locking
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/086 by means of latching members pushed radially by spring-like elements
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/12 using hooks, pawls or other movable or insertable locking members F16L37/084 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/912 Connections and closures for tubes delivering fluids to or from the body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 285/921 Snap-fit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/599 Spring biased manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/606 Leaf spring

Abstract

A connection system for respirator or anesthesia units with a Y-piece including an inhalation hose socket, an exhalation hose socket and a connector attachment piece as well as a tubular connector, connectable with the connector attachment piece, having a tube attachment for an endotracheal tube at one end, and at its opposite end a continuous annular groove in its exterior circumference, the connector attachment piece including a spring biased fastening member provided transversely to the longitudinal axis of the connector attachment piece for elastically engaging the annular groove under spring action. The connection system further includes a hand-operable unfastening mechanism for overriding the spring action of the fastening member, and the fastening member includes a lever having inner and outer arms, a pivot and a spring-loading member for the outer arm. The connector attachment piece includes a slot extending through its sidewall to receive the lever which is positioned in the slot so that at least a portion of the inner lever arm extends into the lumen of the connector attachment piece. The pivot extends through the slot with the lever being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the connector attachment piece. A spring element interposed between the connector attachment piece and the outer arm biases the lever inner arm into engagement with the annular groove.

Claims

1. A connection system for respirator or anesthesia units with a Y-piece including an inhalation hose socket, an exhalation hose socket and a connector attachment piece, as well as a tubular connector having two open ends, one end portion thereof capable of being inserted into the connector attachment piece and having a tube attachment at the opposite end portion adapted to receive an endotracheal tube thereon, and further including said connection system having one connecting element having a first annular groove disposed in its outer circumference, and said connection system having another connecting element including at least one spring-biased fastening means disposed thereon for elastically engaging the annular groove under spring action, the connecting elements being freely rotatable relative to one another, said connection system comprising:

at least one selectively actuable hand-operable unfastening means for temporarily overriding the spring action of said at least one fastening means,

sealing means disposed on said one connecting element and cooperating with the inner circumference of said other connecting element,

said other connecting element constituting the connector attachment piece of said Y-piece and the one connecting element constituting the one end portion of said connector with the tube attachment,

said at least one spring-biased fastening means being provided on said connector attachment piece transversely to its longitudinal axis,

said at least one spring-biased fastening means comprising a lever having inner and outer arms, a pivot and means for spring-loading the outer arm, said connector attachment piece including a slot extending through the sidewall thereof transverse to its longitudinal axis and sized to receive the lever therein, said lever positioned in said slot such that at least a portion of the inner lever arm thereof extends into the lumen of the connector attachment piece and said pivot extending through said slot and said lever parallel to the longitudinal axis of the connector attachment piece whereby one of said arms is movable relative to the other in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of said connector attachment piece, said spring loading means including a spring element engaging the connector attachment piece at one end and the outer arm at the other, said spring element biasing the inner arm of said lever into engagement with the annular groove.

2. A connection system as defined by claim 1, wherein both the portion of the outer lever arm engaging said spring means and the portion of said connector attachment piece engaging said spring element include an inner bore, and said spring element comprises a spiral helical spring, the ends of which are disposed in the inner bores, of the outer lever arm and the connector attachment piece, respectively.

3. A connection system as defined by claim 1 wherein said spring element comprises a yielding rib means having opposite first and second ends, one end thereof mounted on said outer lever arm and engaging the connector attachment piece at the second end thereof, said rib means being biased away from said outer lever arm to bias the inner lever arm in engagement with the connector attachment piece.

4. A connection system as defined by claim 3, wherein the surface of said outer lever arm covered by said yielding rib means has an oblique face which defines, with the connector attachment piece, said means for unfastening the fastening element, and defines means for limiting the range of pivotal movement of the outer lever arm during the unlocking stroke thereof.

5. A connection system as defined by any one of claims 1, 2, 3, or 4 wherein the lumen of the connector which is insertable into the connector attachment piece comprises a first portion of substantially constant diameter remote from the open end of said one end portion and a second portion extending from said first lumen portion to the open end of said one end portion, the diameter of said second portion gradually increasing along its length from that of the first portion to the outer diameter of the open end of said one end portion and said sealing means includes a sealing lip defined by the peripheral edge of the open end of said one end portion, and groove means disposed adjacent said sealing lip for enabling elastic deformation of said sealing lip, the lumen wall of the connector attachment piece being shaped complementary to said one end portion of the tubular connector, and means for cooperatively engaging said sealing lip being provided within the lumen of said connector attachment piece whereby when said one end portion is inserted into said connector attachment piece, said lip elastically engages said engagement means and the mutual locking between the groove and the fastening element of the two connecting elements effects a contacting pressure between said sealing lip and said engaging means to define a seal therebetween.

6. A connection system as defined by claim 5, wherein an outer annular diametrical step is provided about said one end portion between said first annular groove in the connector and said groove means.

7. A connection system as defined by claim 6, wherein said fastening element is slidingly pressed by said diametrical step into the unlocking position in the course of the connection process of the two connecting elements.

8. A connection system as defined by any one of the claims 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the first annular groove is disposed remote from the open end of said one end portion, the one end portion of the connector, which is insertable into the connector attachment piece, further includes an outer annular diametrical step disposed between the open end thereof and said first groove, said sealing means including a second outer annular groove disposed adjacent the open end of said one end portion and an O ring seal inlaid in the groove.

9. A connection system as defined by any one of the claims 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein at least said tubular connector which is insertable into the other connecting element and lockable is fabricated of plastic.

10. A connection system as defined by claim 1, for respirators or anesthetic units wherein the exhalation hose socket and the inhalation hose socket of the Y-piece connected to the connector attachment piece are shaped to be slightly conical in the top plane view and each has at least one sawtooth-shaped annular ring and the one edge of the sawtooth-shaped ring adjacent said connector attachment piece is inclined more steeply than the other edge remote from said connector attachment piece but less than an angle of 90°

relative to the longitudinal axis of the hose sockets.

11. A connection system as defined by claim 1, for respirators or anesthetic units, wherein bacteria filters are removably disposed in the Y-piece.