Connection equipment and equipment connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11344475-B2
Application number	US-201916590486-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2019
Priority date	Apr 3, 2017
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

Connection equipment includes an equipment connector comprising a first connecting section, a first liquid flow path that communicates with a equipment, and a first valve that is to open and close the first liquid flow path, a container connector comprising a second connecting section, a second liquid flow path that communicates with the container, and a second valve that is to open and close the second liquid flow path, and a lock mechanism that locks the equipment connector and the container connector in a state where the first liquid flow path is in communication with the second liquid flow path, and that unlocks the connectors in a state where the first valve and the second valve are closed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Connection equipment comprising:
an equipment connector comprising a first connecting section that is connectable to equipment through which a fluid moves, a first liquid flow path that communicates with an interior of the equipment when the equipment is connected to the first connecting section, and a first valve that is to open and close the first liquid flow path and that opens when pressed,
a container connector comprising a second connecting section that is connectable to a container, a second liquid flow path that communicates with an interior of the container when the container is connected to the second connecting section, and a second valve that is to open and close the second liquid flow path and that opens when pressed by the first valve, and
a lock mechanism that locks the equipment connector and the container connector in a state where the first valve is pressed by the second valve, the first valve and the second valve are opened and the first liquid flow path is in communication with the second liquid flow path, and that unlocks the connectors in a state where the first valve and the second valve are closed;
wherein:
the equipment connector includes a pressure adjustment section, and a first gas flow path connected to the pressure adjustment section;
the first valve is to open and close the first liquid flow path and the first gas flow path;
the container connector includes a second gas flow path that communicates with the interior of the container when the container is connected to the second connecting section;
the second valve is to open and close the second liquid flow path and the second gas flow path; and
the lock mechanism locks the equipment connector and the container connector in a state where the first valve is pressed by the second valve, the first valve and the second valve are opened, the first liquid flow path is in communication with the second liquid flow path, and the first gas flow path is in communication with the second gas flow path, and the lock mechanism unlocks the connectors in a state where the first valve and the second valve are closed;

wherein:
the equipment connector includes a fixed body in which the first connecting section is formed;
a needle fixed to the fixed body, formed with the first liquid flow path therein, and having a first opening on a tip side;
a first seal made of a resin and supported by the fixed body movably between a position to liquid-tightly seal the first opening of the needle and a position through which the needle extends; and
a moving body storing the needle and the first seal therein, having a second opening that is air-tightly sealable with the first seal on the tip side of the needle, forming a part of the first gas flow path between the fixed body and the moving body, and supported by the fixed body movably in an axial direction of the needle between a position where the second opening is air-tightly sealed with the first seal and a position where the sealing of the second opening with the first seal is released in a state where the first opening of the needle is sealed with the first seal;
the first seal and the needle constitute the first valve;
the container connector comprises a first member formed with the second liquid flow path therein, and having a third opening that communicates with the second liquid flow path at a tip;
a tubular second member storing the first member therein, forming a part of the second gas flow path between a tip of the first member and the second member, and having a fourth opening at a tip; and
a second seal made of a resin as the second valve, formed in a bottomed tubular shape having a bottom that seals the fourth opening of the second member, and including the first member fitted therein; and
the lock mechanism comprises a first engaging section formed in the moving body; and
a first engaged section formed in the second member, and engaged with the first engaging section in a state where the first seal is pressed by the second seal to move the first seal and the second seal and unseal the second opening and the fourth opening so that the first gas flow path communicates with the second gas flow path, the third opening is liquid-tightly sealed with the bottom, the needle extends through the first seal and the second seal and the first liquid flow path is in communication with the second liquid flow path, to fix the equipment connector and the container connector.

2. The connection equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure adjustment section comprises an air bag and an air bag storage section that stores the air bag.

3. The connection equipment according to claim 1 , comprising:
a second engaging section formed in the moving body,
a second engaged section formed in the fixed body, and engaged with the second engaging section in a state where the moving body is present at a position where the second opening is sealed with the first seal, to regulate the movement of the moving body, and
an abutment section for the moving body which is formed in the second member, and abuts on the second engaging section in a state where the second seal is in contact closely with the first seal, to move the second engaging section to a position where the second engaging section disengages from the second engaged section.

4. The connection equipment according to claim 3 , wherein the moving body comprises a tubular head sleeve, and
a stopper sleeve fixed to the head sleeve, and comprising a first arm as the second engaging section extending in an axial direction of the fixed body, a second arm as the first engaging section extending in the axial direction of the fixed body, and a coupling section that couples the first arm and the second arm, the first arm, the second arm and the coupling section being annularly arranged, and the first arm and the second arm being tiltable toward an axis of the head sleeve,
the fixed body is formed in a tubular shape that stores the head sleeve and the stopper sleeve therein, and comprises, in an inner peripheral surface, a locking protrusion as the second engaged section that is abuttable on the first arm in an axial direction of the fixed body, and an unlocking protrusion that abuts on the second arm in a state where the second opening is sealed with the first seal, to tilt the second arm to a position where the second arm disengages from the first engaged section, and
the abutment section for the moving body is formed in an outer peripheral surface of the second member, and in the outer peripheral surface, a locking recess as the first engaged section in which the second arm is engageable is formed.

5. The connection equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the fixed body comprises an abutment section for the fixed body which abuts on the first engaging section in a state where the second opening of the moving body is sealed with the first seal, to move the first engaging section to a position where the first engaging section disengages from the first engaged section.

6. The connection equipment according to claim 5 , comprising:
a second engaging section formed in the moving body,
a second engaged section formed in the fixed body, and engaged with the second engaging section in a state where the moving body is present at a position where the second opening is sealed with the first seal, to regulate the movement of the moving body, and
an abutment section for the moving body which is formed in the second member, and abuts on the second engaging section in a state where the second seal is in contact closely with the first seal, to move the second engaging section to a position where the second engaging section disengages from the second engaged section.

7. The connection equipment according to

Assignees

• Daiwa Can Co Ltd

Inventors

• Asano Toshihiro
• Iino Toshio
• Hattori Mio
• Takahashi Naoyuki
• Kuwahara kousuke
• Sunaga Naoki
• Okabayashi Masanori

Classifications

• A61J1/2037

  having valve means · CPC title

• A61J1/2055

  having gripping means · CPC title

• A61J1/2096 Primary

  Combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents · CPC title

• A61J1/201

  having one piercing end · CPC title

• A61J1/2072 Primary

  for internal venting · CPC title