Outlet connection assembly and method of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016199612-A1
Application number	US-201414392306-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 24, 2014
Priority date	Jun 25, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A connection assembly for a respiratory therapy system, comprising: an outlet assembly, said outlet assembly including an outlet housing and a swivelling disc located on said outlet housing, said outlet housing and said swivelling disc defining, at least in part, a recess; an outlet connector located at an end of a tube portion, said outlet connector including an electrical connector; and a cable having a first end to connect to the electrical connector and a second end to connect to at least one electrical component of the respiratory therapy system, said cable having a slack portion, wherein said outlet connector and said swivelling disc are rotatable in unison between a first position and a second position, and wherein the slack portion of the cable extends from the recess and wraps around the swivelling disc as the swivelling disc is rotated from the first position to the second position.

First claim

1 - 112 . (canceled)

113 . A connection assembly for a respiratory therapy system, comprising:
an outlet assembly, said outlet assembly including an outlet housing and a swivelling disc located on said outlet housing, said outlet housing comprising a void and an annular section; and a cable having a first end to connect to an electrical connector and a second end to connect to at least one electrical component of the respiratory therapy system, said cable having a slack portion, wherein said swivelling disc is rotatable relative to said outlet housing between a first position and a second position, and wherein the slack portion of the cable is pulled from the void and wrapped around the annular section as the swivelling disc is rotated from the first position to the second position such that in the first position of the swivelling disc the slack portion is in the void and is not wrapped around the annular section and in the second position of the swivelling disc the slack portion is not in the void and is wrapped around the annular section.

114 . The connection assembly of claim 113 , wherein said swivelling disc includes a first pair of stop surfaces and said outlet housing includes a second pair of stop surfaces to limit the rotation of the swivelling disc relative to the outlet housing,
wherein each pair of stop surfaces are arranged to limit the rotation of the swivelling disc relative to the outlet housing to less than 360° and greater than 180°.

115 . The connection assembly of claim 114 , wherein the first pair of stop surfaces is located on either side of and adjacent to a receiver opening in the swivelling disc that receives the cable.

116 . The connection assembly of claim 114 , wherein the outlet housing includes an inner wall, said second pair of stop surfaces located on the inner wall and said inner wall configured to rotatably receive said swivelling disc,
wherein the void is defined, at least in part, by the inner wall and an outer wall of the outlet housing, wherein the annular section is defined, at least in part, by the inner wall and an outer wall of the outlet housing, wherein the void and annular section are on opposing sides of the inner wall, and wherein a distance between the inner wall and the outer wall of the outlet housing and across the void is in the range of about 2 mm to about 5 mm.

117 . The connection assembly of claim 113 , wherein the cable comprises a flexible circuit board or a ribbon cable,
wherein the cable has a substantially rectangular cross-section, and wherein a major side of the substantially rectangular cross-section is oriented in parallel to an axis of rotation of the swivelling disc.

118 . The connection assembly of claim 113 , wherein the outlet housing includes a retainer, said retainer configured to retain the slack portion within the void of the outlet housing as the swivelling disc is rotated from the second position to the first position.

119 . The connection assembly of claim 113 , wherein the slack portion comprises a fixed length that is less than a circumference of the swivelling disc,
wherein when the swivelling disc is in the first position the slack portion gathers in the void, wherein a larger portion of the cable is contained in the void when the swivelling disc is in the first position than when the swivelling disc is in the second position.

120 . The connection assembly of claim 113 , comprising:
an outlet connector located at an end of a tube portion to connect the tube portion to the outlet assembly, said outlet connector including the electrical connector, wherein said outlet connector and said swivelling disc are connectable such that said outlet connector and said swivelling disc are rotatable in unison.

121 . The connection assembly of claim 120 , wherein the tube portion includes a heating element disposed along at least a portion of the tube portion, said heating element connected to the electrical connector.

122 . The connection assembly of claim 120 , wherein the swivelling disc includes an electrical connector receiver to receive the electrical connector, and
wherein the electrical connector is electrically connectable to the cable within the electrical connector receiver, wherein the electrical connector receiver includes an opening to receive the electrical connector when the outlet connector is connected to the outlet assembly, wherein the outlet connector is shaped to cover the opening of the electrical connector receiver when the outlet connector is connected to the outlet assembly, and wherein the outlet connector includes a recess proximal to the electrical connector shaped to correspond to a protruding portion of the electrical connector receiver.

123 . The connection assembly of claim 120 , wherein the outlet connector includes at least one retention feature to releasably connect the outlet connector to the swivelling disc via at least one corresponding notch located on the swivelling disc,
wherein the outlet connector includes at least one tab, each said at least one retention feature located on a corresponding tab having a corresponding actuator, and wherein each said actuator is adapted to release each said retention feature from a corresponding notch of the swivelling disc.

124 . The connection assembly of claim 120 , wherein the outlet connector includes a grommet to connect the tube portion to a tube connection region of the outlet connector,
wherein the grommet includes threads to receive corresponding coils of the tube portion, wherein the grommet is comprised of a thermoplastic elastomer, wherein the grommet includes at least one keyway for restraining the grommet during forming, wherein the grommet includes at least one radial flange to engage a mold tool during forming, wherein the grommet includes a grip section, and wherein the grip section includes a plurality of ridges and recesses disposed radially about the grommet.

125 . The connection assembly of claim 120 , wherein the outlet connector includes a receiver at a tube connection region, said receiver comprising receiver threads, a receiver flange, and at least one protrusion,
wherein the outlet connector further comprises a clip to secure the tube portion within the receiver, the clip comprising clip threads, a clip flange, and at least one tab, wherein at least one tab is structured to engage with at least one protrusion to secure the clip to the receiver, wherein the clip threads and the receiver threads are structured to receive corresponding coils of the tube portion, and wherein the clip flange and the receiver flange are structured to engage a mold tool during forming.

126 . The connection assembly of claim 120 , wherein when the outlet connector is connected to the outlet assembly a rotatable, electrical, and pneumatic connection is formed.

127 . The connection assembly of claim 120 , wherein the outlet assembly comprises an airflow tube having a tapered end to connect to the outlet connector and form a pneumatic seal therewith,
wherein the airflow tube is removable, and wherein the outlet connector includes at least one rib at an outlet connection region to support the outlet connector on the airflow tube when connected to the outlet assembly.

128 . A respiratory therapy system for the treatment of sleep disordered breathing in a patient, comprising:
a respiratory therapy device to provide a flow of air to the patient at positive pressure, the respiratory therapy device comprising:
a housing; and
an outlet assembly located on the housing, said outlet

Assignees

• Resmed Ltd

Inventors

• Foote Roger Mervyn Lloyd
• Huby Ronald James
• Nasr Saad
• Stanislas Luke Andrew
• Tang Zhuo Ran
• Tsai Ernie Wei-Chih

Classifications

• A61M16/024

  including calculation means, e.g. using a processor · CPC title

• A61M2205/581

  by audible feedback · CPC title

• A61M16/0875

  Connecting tubes · CPC title

• A61M16/1055

  bacterial · CPC title

• A61M16/1095

  in the connecting tubes · CPC title