VISUAL INDICATOR FOR A SECURE FLUID CONNECTION
A connector arrangement for attaching a gas conduit to a gas supply device and visually indicating the proper connection between the two components. The connector arrangement includes a connector attached to a gas conduit and a receptacle formed on a gas supply device. A visual indicator is associated with the receptacle such that when the connector is properly received within the receptacle, the visual indicator provides a visual indication to the user that the connection has been made. The visual indicator can include two distinct colors that provide a visual indication of whether a proper connection has been made. The visual indicator could alternatively include a light that is illuminated when the proper connection is made.
This application is a divisional application of application Ser. No. 12/984,007, filed on Jan. 4, 2011, entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VISUALLY INDICATING A SECURE CONNECTION,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present disclosure generally relates to a connector arrangement for attaching a gas conduit to a gas supply device. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a connector arrangement that visually indicates a secure connection between the gas conduit and the gas supply device, such as an anesthesia machine.
Presently, many different types of connection arrangements are available for joining a gas conduit to a gas supply device. These types of connector arrangements typically include some type of attachment arrangement that secures a connector on the gas conduit to a receptacle of the gas supply device to prevent inadvertent disconnection of the two components. However, it is oftentimes difficult to determine whether a secure connection has been made without either physically pulling on the gas conduit or visually examining the orientation of the connector and the receptacle.
A secure connection between a patient circuit and an anesthesia machine is critical to insure that the proper amount of anesthetic agent is being delivered to the patient and not being dispersed into the environment surrounding the patient. Therefore, a need exists to insure a secure connection between the gas conduit and the anesthesia machine to facilitate the proper connection of the two components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present disclosure relates to a connector arrangement that allows a gas conduit to be joined to a gas supply device. The connector arrangement of the present disclosure visually indicates when a secure connection is made between the gas conduit and the gas supply device. Further, the connector arrangement also visually indicates when no connection is present between the gas conduit and the gas supply device.
The connector arrangement generally includes a connector that is attached to the gas conduit. The connector includes a locking arrangement that allows the connector to be securely connected to a receptacle formed on the gas supply device. The receptacle formed on the gas supply device includes a receiving arrangement that interacts with the locking arrangement on the connector to positively retain the connector within the receptacle. The interaction between the locking arrangement on the connector and the receiving arrangement on the receptacle prevent inadvertent separation of the gas conduit and the gas supply device.
The connector arrangement further includes a visual indicator that is associated with the receptacle. The visual indicator provides a visual indication of when the connector is securely received within the receptacle. Additionally, the visual indicator can provide a visual indication of when the connector is not received within the receptacle. The visual indicator allows a user to visually determine whether a proper connection has been made between the gas conduit and the gas supply device.
In one embodiment of the disclosure, the visual indicator is an indicator light that is illuminated when the connector is securely received in the receptacle. In this embodiment, the indicator light is connected to an activation switch formed in the receptacle. When the connector is received within the receptacle, the activation switch is closed to provide power to the illumination light. In one embodiment, the illumination light is an LED.
In another alternate embodiment, the visual indicator is a visual indicator shroud that is position within the receptacle. The visual indicator shroud includes both a first portion and a second portion that have different colors. As an illustrative example, the first portion is colored red and the second portion is colored green.
When the connector is not properly received within the receptacle, a first portion of the indicator shroud is visible. The red color of the first portion indicates to a user that a proper connection has not been made.
When the connector is properly received within the receptacle, a second, green portion of the indicator shroud is visible to the user. The second, green color visible to the user indicates that the connector is positively retained within the receptacle.
In each embodiment of the disclosure, the connector arrangement includes some type of visual indicator that provides the user with a visual indication of when the connector is securely received in the receptacle. The visual indication allows a user to quickly and easily determine whether a proper connection has been made between the gas conduit and the gas supply device. In one embodiment, the connection is formed between and anesthesia machine and a patient breathing circuit. However, other implementations of the connector arrangement are contemplated as being within the scope of the disclosure.
The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the disclosure. In the drawings:
In the embodiment shown in
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The distal end 28 of the connector 14 includes a locking arrangement 30. In the embodiment illustrated, the locking arrangement 30 includes a series of spaced retaining tabs 32. In the embodiment illustrated in
The receptacle 16 formed on the anesthesia machine includes the outer shroud 18. The outer shroud 18 includes a front face surface 34 that includes a series of spaced receiving slots 36 each separated from each other by a series of retaining projections 38. As illustrated in
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Once the retaining tabs 32 of the connector 14 are received in each of the receiving slots 36, the connector 14 is depressed against the bias force created by the bias spring until the retaining tabs 32 are recessed enough to extend past the front wall 54 of the outer shroud 18. The movement of the connector 14 in the direction shown by arrow 56 causes the visual indicating shroud 40 and the bias ring 42 to compress the bias spring 44, which allows the visual indicating shroud 40 to move inwardly. Once the bias spring 44 has been compressed, the connector 14 is rotated in the clockwise direction, as indicated by arrow 58.
Rotation of the connector 14 in the clockwise direction causes the retaining tabs 32 to be entrapped beneath the retaining projections 38 formed on the face surface 34. Referring now to
As illustrated in
Additionally, although the illustrated embodiment requires rotation of the connector 14 in the clockwise direction to enter the locked condition, the orientation of the connector and receptacle could be reversed such that counter-clockwise rotation would create the locked condition. Further, the connector and receptacle could be configured such that rotation of the connector in either direction could create the locked condition. In such an embodiment, the first and second colored portions would be located appropriately on the visual indicating shroud 40 to indicate that the connector has been positively retained within the receptacle.
In the embodiment shown in
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When it is desired to remove the connector 58 from the receptacle 60, the outer end 84 of the latch 62 is depressed, which causes the locking end 80 to move upward away from the shoulder 82, as illustrated in
As can be understood in the second embodiment illustrated in
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During initial connection of the connector 90 to the receptacle 92, the series of retaining tabs 110 are aligned with the open spaces between the locking tabs 114 of the retaining ring 96. The connector 90 is moved inwardly relative to the stationary outer shroud 94 until the retaining tabs 110 are received within the open receiving slots 116 formed in the visual indicator shroud 98. The receiving slots 116 are spaced between a series of engagement tabs 118 that project radially outward and are flush with the locking tabs 114. As can be seen in
Once the retaining tabs 110 are received within the receiving slots 116, the entire connector 90 is rotated in the clockwise direction, which causes the retaining ring 96 and the visual indicator shroud 98 to rotate into the condition shown in
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
Claims
1. A connector arrangement for attaching a gas conduit to a gas supply device, comprising:
- a connector attached to the gas conduit;
- a receptacle formed on the gas supply device and sized to receive the connector; and
- a visual indicator associated with the receptacle, wherein the visual indicator provides a visual indication of when the connector is securely received in the receptacle.
2. The connector arrangement of claim 1 further comprising:
- a locking arrangement formed on the connector; and
- a receiving arrangement formed on the receptacle, wherein the receiving arrangement receives the locking arrangement to positively retain the connector within the receptacle.
3. The connector arrangement of claim 2 wherein the visual indicator changes state when the connector is positively retained.
4. The connector arrangement of claim 2 wherein the visual indicator is an indicator light that is illuminated when the connector is securely received in the receptacle.
5. The connector arrangement of claim 4 wherein the connector includes a latch that engages the receptacle to positively retain the connector within the receptacle.
6. The connector arrangement of claim 5 further comprising an activation switch formed in the receptacle and coupled to the indicator light, wherein the latch closes the activation switch to activate the illumination light when the latch engages the receptacle.
7. The connector arrangement of claim 4 wherein the illumination light is an LED.
8. The connector arrangement of claim 1, wherein the receptacle comprises an outer shroud.
9. The connector arrangement of claim 8, wherein the outer shroud surrounds a retaining ring and a visual indicator shroud.
10. The connector arrangement of claim 9, wherein the retaining ring and the visual indicating shroud interact along a serrated contact surface.
11. The connector arrangement of claim 10, wherein the serrated contact surface allows the retaining ring and the visual indicating shroud to rotate in only one direction.
12. The connector arrangement of claim 9, further comprising a release handle adjacent the outer shroud and connected to the visual indicating shroud.
13. The connector arrangement of claim 9, wherein the connector comprises a plurality of spaced retaining tabs, and the visual indicator shroud comprises a plurality of spaced receiving slots, the plurality of spaced receiving slots configured to receive the plurality of spaced retaining tabs.
14. The connector arrangement of claim 9, wherein the outer shroud comprises a viewing window, wherein at least a portion of the visual indicator shroud is visible through the viewing window.
15. A connector arrangement for connecting a gas conduit of a breathing circuit to an anesthesia machine, comprising:
- a connector attached to the gas conduit, the connector including a locking arrangement;
- a receptacle formed on the anesthesia machine and having a receiving arrangement for positively receiving and retaining the locking arrangement of the connector; and
- a visual indicator associated with the receptacle, wherein the visual indicator provides a visual indication of when the connector is securely received in the receptacle.
16. The connector arrangement of claim 15 wherein the visual indicator changes state when the connector is positively retained.
17. The connector arrangement of claim 16 wherein the visual indicator is an indicator light that is illuminated when the connector is securely received in the receptacle.
18. The connector arrangement of claim 16 further comprising a visual indicator shroud positioned within the receptacle, wherein a first portion of the indicator shroud is visible when the connector is not positively retained in the receptacle and a second portion of the indicator shroud is visible when the connector is positively retained in the receptacle.
19. A method of indicating the proper connection of a gas conduit to an anesthesia machine, comprising the steps of:
- inserting a connector formed on the gas conduit into a receptacle formed on the anesthesia machine;
- positively retaining the connector within the receptacle through engagement of a locking arrangement formed on the connector with a retaining arrangement formed on the receptacle; and
- changing the condition of a visual indicator from a first condition to a second condition to visually indicate the positive retainment of the connector.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the connector is rotated relative to the receptacle to positively retain the locking arrangement within the receiving arrangement.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 23, 2015
Publication Date: Jun 18, 2015
Inventor: Paul A. KENDRICK (Baltimore, MD)
Application Number: 14/629,418