HIGH PRESSURE FLUID CONDUIT CONNECTOR COMPONENTS AND CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY

摘要

A high pressure fluid conduit connector includes male and female connector components that releasably snap into engagement with each other to fluidically connect two fluid conduits. The male connector component includes opposing latch arms that extend along a majority of the length of the female connector component when these connector components are engaged with each other. As a result, the engagement of latch catches on the latch arms and latching shoulders on the female connector component occurs near a rear proximal end of the female connector component. This enables a maximum amount of deflection of the latch arms for a given force applied by the user to pivot the latch arms, and the manufacturing of the male and female connector components may be reliably performed by conventional molding processes. Therefore, the fluid conduit connector provides reliable and advantageous operation, especially in high pressure fluid contexts.

主权项

1. A high pressure fluid conduit connector assembly configured to releasably couple at least two fluid conduit portions, the connector assembly comprising:
a male connector component including a male connector body portion defining a male proximal end and a male distal end, a first lumen extending distally from said male distal end, a first fluid conduit defined by a first elongate bore extending from said male proximal end of said male connector body portion to said first lumen, and an elongate first latch arm extending distally from said male distal end, said first latch arm including an enlarged distal end defining a first latch catch and a lateral side surface extending between said first latch catch and said male distal end, said lateral side surface including a finger pad portion; and a female connector component including a female connector body portion defining a female proximal end, a female distal end configured to face said male distal end, and lateral side edges extending along a length between said female proximal and distal ends, said female connector component also including a first receptacle extending proximally from said female distal end, a second fluid conduit defined by a second elongate bore extending from said first receptacle, and a first latch opening located proximate to one of said lateral side edges and extending from said female distal end to an undercut formed in a portion of said female proximal end, said undercut defining a first latching shoulder proximate said female proximal end, said first latch opening communicating with a first access opening in one of said lateral side edges, said male and female connector components being coupled to each other by inserting said first latch arm into said first latch opening until said first latch catch snaps into engagement with said first latching shoulder, at which point said male distal end is adjacent to said female distal end, said first lumen is located inside said first receptacle, said lateral side surface of said first latch arm extends along a majority of the length between said female proximal and distal ends, and said finger pad portion of said first latch arm is positioned at said first access opening so that a user can depress said first latch arm at said finger pad portion to disengage said first latch catch from said first latching shoulder.