GAS-ASSISTED ELECTROSURGICAL ACCESSORY CONNECTOR AND METHOD WITH IMPROVED GAS SEALING AND BIASING FOR MAINTAINING A GAS TIGHT SEAL

摘要

Male and female mating pieces of a gas-assisted electrosurgical accessory connector are connectable together by radially contacting a sealing surface formed on one mating piece with a resilient radially-compressible sealing member carried on the other mating piece. A gas-tight seal exists along a length of the sealing surface as the two mating pieces connect with relative connection movement. The existence of the gas-tight seal over a range of relative connection movement maintains the seal if the mating pieces should become slightly disconnected. The mating pieces are also restrained against separation from one another. A recess is formed in one of the mating pieces and a retention member carried on the other one of the mating pieces is biased into contact with the recess. Separation of the two connected members requires manual force to extract the retention member from the recess. The amount of manual force required is greater than that normally experienced from movement during use, thereby inhibiting unintentional separation.