Medical gas adapter with molded spring bias

摘要

A medical gas adapter useable for connecting a gas tubing or other end use device to a gas service outlet to supply the gas for its end use. The adapter has a fixed adapter assembly including an elongated nose that fits within the gas service outlet to activate a valve for releasing gas to the adapter. The fixed adapter assembly also includes a connector means at its other end for connection to the end use device. A release knob is rotatably affixed to the fixed adapter assembly and can be rotated between a first position where a locking mechanism retains the adapter held within the service outlet and a second position where the adapter is released from the service outlet. The release knob is spring biased to return to its first position in the preferred embodiment by a pair of molded leaf springs integrally molded with the release knob for inexpensive manufacture and assembly. The leaf springs are distorted by a pair of disc studs that are fixed to the fixed adapter assembly but cause the distortion in the leaf springs as the leaf springs are rotated about the disc studs. As such, therefore, in its second position, the spring bias causes the release knob to snap back to its first position when released by the user.