Tubing junction assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12234934-B2
Application number	US-202318174047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2023
Priority date	Mar 24, 2022
Publication date	Feb 25, 2025
Grant date	Feb 25, 2025

Abstract

A tubing junction assembly may include a body, and a collar coupled to the body. The body may include a head portion, a base portion, and an intermediate portion. At least a portion of an outer surface of the body at the intermediate portion may define a cross-sectional width that tapers from the head portion to the base portion. The collar may have an inner surface defining a passage. A tubing may be stretched over the outer surface of the body with a proximal end portion of the tubing stretched over at least a portion of the outer surface of the body at the intermediate portion. The inner surface of the collar may be sleeved over a portion of the outer surface of the tubing and coupled to the collar such that the proximal end portion of the tubing is sandwiched and compressed between the body and the collar.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tubing junction assembly comprising:
a body including a head portion and a base portion extending longitudinally from the head portion, the body having an outer surface, the head portion defining a proximal end portion of the body, the base portion defining a distal end portion and an intermediate portion interposed between the proximal end portion and the distal end portion of the body, wherein at least a portion of the outer surface of the body at the intermediate portion defines a diameter that decreases from the head portion to the base portion; and
a collar coupled to the body, the collar having a head portion, a base portion extending longitudinally from the head portion, and an inner surface defining a passage that extends between the head portion and the base portion, the head portion comprising a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, and the inner surface at the head portion of the collar defines a diameter that decreases from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion of the head portion, wherein the diameter of the outer surface of the body along the intermediate portion is approximately equal to the diameter of the inner surface of the head portion of the collar,
wherein a tubing having a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, an outer surface, and an inner surface defining a lumen extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion is stretched over the outer surface of the body with the proximal end portion of the tubing stretched over at least a portion of the outer surface of the body at the intermediate portion, and wherein the inner surface of the collar is sleeved over at least a portion of the outer surface of the tubing and coupled to the collar such that the proximal end portion of the tubing is compressed between the body and the collar.

2. The tubing junction assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lumen of the tubing has a diameter approximately equal to a cross-sectional width of the outer surface of the body at the base portion in an unstretched state of the tubing such that the tubing is sleeved over the outer surface of the body with an interference fit.

3. The tubing junction assembly of claim 2 , wherein the inner surface at the base portion of the collar has a cross-sectional width approximately equal to a sum of the cross-sectional width of the outer surface of the body at the base portion and a thickness of the tubing sleeved over the outer surface of the body at the base portion such that the collar is sleeved over the outer surface of the tubing with an interference fit to radially compress the tubing.

4. The tubing junction assembly of claim 3 , wherein the stretched portion of the tubing forms at least a flared shape corresponding to a shape of the portion of the outer surface of the body at the intermediate portion.

5. The tubing junction assembly of claim 4 , wherein a proximal end of the tubing is sandwiched and axially compressed between an upper surface of the head portion of the collar and a lower surface of the head portion of the body.

6. The tubing junction assembly of claim 5 wherein the upper surface of the head portion of the collar is solvent bonded to the lower surface of the head portion of the body.

7. The tubing junction assembly of claim 5 , wherein the upper surface of head portion of the collar is ultraviolet adhesive bonded to the lower surface of the head portion of the body.

8. The tubing junction assembly of claim 5 , wherein the upper surface of head portion of the collar is ultrasonically welded to the lower surface of the head portion of the body.

9. The tubing junction assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tubing comprises a chemical-inert, solvent-inert or adhesive-inert tubing.

10. The tubing junction assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tubing comprises a non-polyvinyl chloride tubing.

11. The tubing junction assembly of claim 10 , wherein the tubing comprises a thermoplastic elastomer tubing.

12. The tubing junction assembly of claim 1 , wherein connecting a lower surface of the head portion of the body to an upper surface of the of the head portion of the collar comprises axially compressing and radially compressed the tubing between the body and the collar.

13. A method of forming a tubing junction assembly, the method comprising:
providing a body including a head portion and a base portion extending longitudinally from the head portion, the body having an outer surface, the head portion defining a proximal end portion of the body, the base portion defining a distal end portion and an intermediate portion interposed between the proximal end portion and the distal end portion of the body, wherein at least a portion of the outer surface of the body at the intermediate portion defines a body diameter that decreases from the head portion to the base portion;
sleeving a tubing over the outer surface of the body and stretching a proximal end portion of the tubing over at least a portion of the outer surface of the body at the intermediate portion to form at least a flared shape along the proximal end portion of the tubing;
sleeving a collar over the tubing such that the tubing is interposed between the collar and the body, the collar having a head portion, a base portion extending longitudinally from the head portion, and an inner surface defining a passage that extends between the head portion and the base portion, wherein the inner surface along the head portion of the collar defines a collar diameter that decreases along the head portion and is approximately equal to the body diameter along the intermediate portion; and
connecting a lower surface of the head portion of the body to an upper surface of the of the head portion of the collar such that the flared shape along the proximal end portion of the tubing is compressed between the body and the collar.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein sleeving the tubing over the outer surface of the body comprises sleeving the tubing over the outer surface with an interference fit, and sleeving the collar over the tubing comprises press-fitting the collar over at least a portion of the tubing.

15. The tubing junction assembly of claim 13 , wherein connecting the lower surface of the head portion of the body to the upper surface of the of the head portion of the collar comprises any of solvent bonding and ultraviolet adhesive bonding the lower surface of the head portion of the body to the upper surface of the of the head portion of the collar.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein connecting the lower surface of the head portion of the body to the upper surface of the of the head portion of the collar comprises ultrasonically welding the lower surface of the head portion of the body to the upper surface of the of the head portion of the collar.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein connecting the lower surface of the head portion of the body to the upper surface of the of the head portion of the collar comprises any of snap fitting and threading the lower surface of the head portion of the body to the upper surface of the of the head portion of the collar.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein sleeving the tubing over the outer surface of the body comprises sleeving at least one of a chemical-inert, solvent-inert or adhesive-inert tubing over the outer surface of the body.

19. The tubing junction assembly of claim 13 , wherein the tubing is axially compressed and radially compressed between the body and the collar.

Assignees

• Carefusion 303 Inc

Inventors

• Fang Yan
• Wang Aaron
• Shevgoor Siddarth

Classifications

• A61M39/12 Primary

  for joining a flexible tube to a rigid attachment · CPC title

• F16L33/225

  a sleeve being movable axially · CPC title

• F16L47/041

  the plastic pipe end being flared either before or during the making of the connection · CPC title

• F16L33/28

  for hoses with one end terminating in a radial flange or collar · CPC title

• F16L33/2071

  the sleeve being a separate connecting member · CPC title