Swivel connector for preventing kinking of flexible medical hoses

• US 4,875,718 A
• Filed: 12/02/1988
• Issued: 10/24/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert E. Marken
• Original Assignee: Robert E. Marken
• Inventors: Marken, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reese, Randolph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frechette, Paul M.
• Application Number:
  US07/279,048
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 285/261, 285/262, 285/160, 285/166, 285/167, 285/169, 285/260, 285/238, 285/175, 128/912, 604/905
• US Class Current: 285/148.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0825 with ball-sockets
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1027 Quick-acting type connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/1055 Rotating or swivel joints in general F16L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 27/04 with partly spherical engaging surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/912 Connections and closures for tubes delivering fluids to or from the body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 604/905 Aseptic connectors or couplings, e.g. frangible, piercable

Abstract

A swivel connector in the form of a ball and socket joint is used to connect flexible hoses that are used in a medical treatment, such as an oxygen hose, to prevent such hoses becoming kinked when an ambulant patient moves about. The connector can be formed of autoclavable material, and several such connectors can be included in one fluid system. The connector includes a ball member assembly and a socket member assembly, with a gland in the socket member assembly for engaging one of the hoses in a fluid-tight manner forming a fluid-tight chamber in the connector.

Claims

1. A swivel connector for preventing the kinking of a fluid hose, such as an oxygen hose, comprising:

(A) a ball member assembly which includes

(i) a first hose having an end, a sleeve having a bore defined therethrough for accommodating said first hose, said first hose end being located in said ball member assembly,

(ii) a hose retaining means in said sleeve securely holding said first hose in place in said sleeve,

(iii) a ball affixed to one end of said sleeve and spaced from said hose retaining means and having a bore defined diametrically therethrough to have ends defined in an outer surface of said ball, said ball bore being aligned with and fluidically joined to said sleeve bore and being sized to accommodate said first hose therethrough, said first hose being mounted in said sleeve by said hose retaining means to extend through one of said bore ends and to have said hose end spaced from another end of said bore and located inside said ball bore; and

(B) a socket member assembly which includes

(i) a second hose having an end, and a sleeve having

(a) a first portion with a bore defined therethrough, an annular hose supporting gland mounted in said sleeve first portion to accommodate and grasp said second hose, said second hose end being located in said first portion, said annular gland having a cutout portion defined therein and having an annular opening that is sized so that said second hose is permitted to move therethrough in one direction while said gland prevents said second hose from backsliding therethrough in a second direction that is opposite to said one direction,

(b) a sleeve second portion with a bore defined therethrough, said sleeve second portion having an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of said second hose to snugly accommodate said second hose and being smaller in diameter than said first sleeve portion bore, and being joined to one end of said first sleeve portion to define a shoulder, with said annular gland being spaced from said shoulder,

(c) a second hose retaining means in said sleeve second portion holding said second hose in said sleeve second portion, and

(ii) a socket mounted on one end of said second sleeve first portion and having a hole defined therein which is sized to be larger than said ball member assembly sleeve and located to accommodate said ball member assembly sleeve when said ball is received in said socket, said socket being sized to essentially completely surround said ball;

(C) said second hose retaining means holding said second hose in a position that has the end of said second hose spaced from said socket, with said sleeve second portion being larger than said second hose, said second sleeve, said gland and said ball forming a chamber in which said second hose end is located.

2. The connector defined in claim 1 wherein socket member assembly first portion is sized to accommodate the first and second hoses in end-to-end confronting relation.

3. The connector defined in claim 2 wherein said connector is formed of autoclavable material.

4. The connector defined in claim 3 wherein said first hose retaining means includes projections on the inner surface of said ball member assembly sleeve.

5. The connector defined in claim 1 wherein said second hose retaining means includes a screw thread-forming means on said sleeve second portion.