FLUID-TIGHT HOSE CONNECTION

Abstract

A fluid-tight hose connection for a surgical instrument including: a hose having an inner hose and an outer protective hose surrounding the inner hose, wherein the inner hose has a coiled hose portion at an end portion of the hose; and a sleeve having a wedge-shape in a longitudinal section, the sleeve being arranged between the coiled hose portion of the inner hose and the outer protective hose.

Claims

1. A fluid-tight hose connection for a surgical instrument comprising: a hose having an inner hose and an outer protective hose surrounding the inner hose, wherein the inner hose has a coiled hose portion at an end portion of the hose; and a sleeve having a wedge-shape in a longitudinal section, the sleeve being arranged between the coiled hose portion of the inner hose and the outer protective hose.

2. The fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve having a sleeve body with a truncated-conical outer side facing the outer protective hose and with a cylindrical hollow space at least partially receiving the coiled hose portion of the inner hose.

3. The fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is arranged between the coiled hose portion of the inner hose and the protective hose such that an end of the sleeve that is wider in diameter corresponds to a free end of the hose.

4. The fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 1, wherein the hose further comprises a braided hose arranged between the coiled hose portion of the inner hose and the outer protective hose.

5. The fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 4, wherein the braided hose surrounds the sleeve at the free end of the hose.

6. The fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve comprises a peripheral groove formed in a circumferential direction for receiving an end of the protective hose.

7. The fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 4, wherein the sleeve comprises a peripheral groove formed in a circumferential direction for receiving an end of the protective hose and an end of the braided hose.

8. The fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 1, further comprising a sealing body surrounding the protective hose and arranged on an outside of the protective hose in a region of the sleeve.

9. The fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 8, wherein the sealing body having a truncated-conical interior for receiving the end portion of the hose, the end portion surrounding the sleeve.

10. The fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 8, wherein the sealing body is configured to be wedge-shaped in the longitudinal section.

11. The fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 10, wherein the sealing body having one or more of: a truncated-conical hollow space receiving the end portion of the hose and a cylindrical outer circumferential face; at least one peripheral rib formed on the outer circumferential face, and a receiving groove formed on the outer circumferential face in a circumferential direction for receiving a seal.

12. The fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 10, wherein the sealing body is arranged on the protective hose such that an end of the sealing body that is smaller in diameter corresponds to the end of the hose.

13. The fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 1, wherein the coiled hose portion of the inner hose having a coiled end portion, wherein the coiled end portion is configured as an end-side protrusion.

14. The fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 13, wherein a radial distance of the protrusion to a central longitudinal axis of the coiled hose portion is larger than a radial distance of the coiled hose portion facing away from the coiled end portion to a central longitudinal axis of the coiled hose portion.

15. The fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 13, wherein the coiled end portion is one of: arranged between the sleeve and an end sleeve arranged on a front-face end of the hose; and arranged to surround from an outside a continuation body which extends to the front-face end of the hose of the sleeve.

16. The fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 1, further comprising a collar having an undercut facing the end of the hose and extending circumferentially around the sleeve.

17. The fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 16, wherein the collar having a latching contour for latching a latching projection of a front-face end sleeve.

18. The fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 1, further comprising an outer cuff surrounding the end portion of the hose.

19. The fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 18, wherein the outer cuff comprises an outer nut having an inner thread for mating with a corresponding outer thread of a connector body.

20. A surgical instrument comprising the fluid-tight hose connection according to claim 1.

21. A method of using a fluid-tight hose connection in a surgical instrument, the method comprising: inserting a sleeve having a wedge-shape in a longitudinal section between a coiled hose portion of an inner hose of a hose and an outer protective hose of the hose to expand an outer diameter of the hose in the coiled hose portion into a wedged shape; and connecting the outer hose portion to the surgical instrument such that the wedged-shape coiled hose portion is sealingly connected to the surgical instrument.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Further features will become evident from the description of embodiments, together with the claims and the appended drawings. Embodiments can fulfill individual features or a combination of several features.

[0025] The embodiments are described below, without restricting the general idea of the invention, based on the exemplary embodiments in reference to the drawings, whereby we expressly refer to the drawings with regard to the disclosure of all details that are not explained in greater detail in the text. In the drawings:

[0026] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a cross-section through a hose connection;

[0027] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a perspective view of the hose connection; and

[0028] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a cross-section through a further hose connection in detail.

[0029] In the drawings, the same or similar elements and/or parts are, in each case, provided with the same reference numerals such that they are not introduced again in each case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section of an exemplary embodiment of a fluid-tight hose connection 10. The hose connection 10 is in this case a component of a surgical instrument, such as an endoscope, or of a surgical system.

[0031] The hose connection 10 has a hose 11 extending longitudinally. The hose 11 has an inner hose 12 and a protective hose 14, wherein the inner hose 12 is surrounded by the outer protective hose 14. In the longitudinal extension of the hose 11, a braided hose 16, such as being made from glass silk, is arranged between the inner hose 12 and the protective hose 14. The braided hose 16 runs in the longitudinal extension between the outer protective hose 14 and the inner hose 12.

[0032] The protective hose 14 is produced, for example, from silicone. Furthermore, the braided hose 16 is manufactured from a glass silk mesh.

[0033] The inner hose 12 has a coiled hose portion 22, which can be circular in cross-section, on its end. The coiled hose portion 22 here is formed by a coil made of stainless steel, wherein the coil has a predetermined width, which is formed in the shape of a coil to or respectively on the hose end. The inner hose 12 can be produced as a coiled hose made of stainless steel (e.g., material 1.4305) or as a stainless steel coil.

[0034] A sleeve 20 which is wedge-shaped in the longitudinal section of FIG. 1 is arranged on the hose end of the inner hose 12 between the coiled hose portion 22, which is constant in cross-section over the length, and the protective hose 14 or respectively the braided hose 16. The sleeve 20 which is wedge-shaped in the longitudinal section is arranged with the wider end on the front-face end of the hose 11 so that the tapering contour of the wedge-shaped sleeve 20 gradually increases in diameter towards the front-end face. Because the protective hose 14 and/or the braided hose 16 abut the wedge-shaped sleeve 20, the end regions of the protective hose 14 and/or the braided hose 16 are expanded by the wedge shape of the sleeve 20.

[0035] The sleeve 20 which is wedge-shaped in longitudinal section is produced, for example, from stainless steel (e.g., material 1.4305) and has, on the end that faces the front-face end of the hose 11, a peripheral groove 24 in which the end(s) of the braided hose 16 and/or of the protective hose 14 are received.

[0036] In the region of the wedge-shaped longitudinal extension of the sleeve 20, the outer protective hose 14 is surrounded on its outer side by a sealing body 30. The sealing body 30 here acts as a counter-wedge to the wedge-shaped longitudinal extension of the sleeve 20. The sealing body 30 is configured such that is has a truncated-conical hollow space in which the end of the coiled hose portion 22 along with the sleeve 20 which is wedge-shaped in the longitudinal section and the end(s) of the braided hose 16 and/or of the outer protective hose 14 abutting the sleeve 20 are received. To prevent the sealing body from slipping in the longitudinal direction of the hose 11, a nut 32 is arranged on the outside of the hose 11.

[0037] The sealing body 30 is further configured with peripheral ribs 34 on the outside in the circumferential direction, which are brought into contact with a connector body 50. The nut 32 is produced, for example, from stainless steel (e.g., material 1.4305) and has an inner thread 36 that engages with the outer thread of the connector body 50 when the connector body 50 is introduced into the interspace formed between the sealing body 30 and the inner thread 36. When the connector body 50 is screwed in, the sealing body 30 is pressed against the end region of the protective hose 14, which region is expanded by the sleeve 20 which is wedge-shaped in the longitudinal section.

[0038] The sleeve 20 has a peripheral collar 28 on the front-face end of the hose, wherein the collar 28 is configured with an undercut 29 which faces away from the free end of the hose 11. A nose-shaped projection 42 of an end sleeve 40 arranged on the front face of the hose engages with the undercut 29.

[0039] Furthermore, the sleeve 20 can have circular continuation body 21 on the side facing the end sleeve 40. The continuation body 21 can be circular, i.e., configured with an opening between the two ends (cf. FIG. 2). On the front-face end that faces the end sleeve 40, the coiled hose portion 22 has a coiled end portion 22.A, which is guided through the opening in the continuation body 21 (cf. FIG. 2) and is arranged on the outside of the continuation body, such as by forming a clamping effect. Here, the radial distance of the coiled end portion 22.A to the central longitudinal axis of the coiled hose portion 22 is larger than the radial distance of the coiled hose portion 22 to the central longitudinal axis of the coiled hose portion 22 in the interior of the hose 11.

[0040] When the end sleeve 40 is arranged at the front-face end of the hose 11, the coiled end portion 22.A is arranged or clamped between the side of the sleeve 22 facing the front face of the collar 28 and the inside of the end sleeve 40. The coiled end portion 22.A in interaction with the clamping forces of the inner hose 12, the sleeve 20, and the end sleeve 40 prevents the coil or respectively the coiled end portion 22.A from rotating out.

[0041] The coupling sleeve 40 is produced from PEEK (polyether ether ketone). In another embodiment, the coupling sleeve 40 is produced from metal or another plastic. In addition, in one embodiment the molded-on sealing body 30 is produced from polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE).

[0042] The hose connection 10 is configured to be fluid-tight, wherein there is no narrow point constricting the (inner) diameter in the region of the coiled hose portion 22, so that cables, light bundles, working channels, e.g., for instruments, etc., can be easily inserted into the hose 11. The formation of a narrow point constricting the inner diameter of the coiled hose portion 22 in this region is prevented, because the coiled end portion 22.A is crimped and does not abut the wedge-shaped sleeve 20.

[0043] FIG. 3 shows a section of a hose connection 10 according to another embodiment in cross-section. Compared to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the hose connection 10 has a sealing body 30 which is wedge-shaped in the longitudinal section of FIG. 3 and which is configured with a receiving groove 38 on its outside in the circumferential direction. An O-shaped sealing ring 39 is arranged in the receiving groove 38 so that the connector body 50 is sealed in relation to the sealing body 30 by the sealing ring 39 when the connector body 50 is introduced into the interspace formed between the sealing body 30 and the inner thread 36. In one embodiment, the connector body 50 can be configured in the region of the sealing ring 39 with a groove or trough formed on the inside on the side facing the sealing ring 39.

[0044] While there has been shown and described what is considered to be embodiments of the invention, it will, of course, be understood that various modifications and changes in form or detail could readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is therefore intended that the invention be not limited to the exact forms described and illustrated, but should be constructed to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0045] List of Reference Signs

[0046] 10 Hose connection

[0047] 11 Hose

[0048] 12 Inner hose

[0049] 14 Protective hose

[0050] 16 Braided hose

[0051] 20 Sleeve

[0052] 21 Continuation body

[0053] 22 Coiled hose portion

[0054] 22.A Coiled end portion

[0055] 24 Groove

[0056] 28 Collar

[0057] 29 Undercut

[0058] 30 Sealing body

[0059] 32 Nut

[0060] 34 Rib

[0061] 36 Inner thread

[0062] 38 Receiving groove

[0063] 39 Sealing ring

[0064] 40 End sleeve

[0065] 50 Connector body