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EP-4064463-B1 - CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY AND RETAINING DEVICE

EP4064463B1EP 4064463 B1EP4064463 B1EP 4064463B1EP-4064463-B1

Inventors

  • XIA, Ningbo
  • XU, JIAN
  • LAU, Fat Kit

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20201120

Claims (6)

  1. A connector assembly (100) for electrically or signally connecting a liquid infusion pump (10) and a holding device (20), such that the liquid infusion pump is powered or signaled using the holding device (20), with the connector assembly (100) comprising: a pin connector (200) having one end which is configured to be electrically or signally connected with the liquid infusion pump (10) and another end which is provided with a radially extending flange (2022); comprising a connecting pin (201) located at the one end of the pin connector (200), the connecting pin (201) being configured to be electrically or signally connected with the infusion pump (10), and an upper cover (202) located at the another end of the pin connector (200) which is configured to be electrically or signally connected with the holding device (20), wherein the upper cover (202) comprises an upper cover body (2021) and the flange (2022) extending radially outward from a top of the upper cover body (2021), and a spring (203) arranged between the connecting pin (201) and the upper cover (202) for applying a spring force and associated connection to the connecting pin (201); a housing (300) arranged around the pin connector (200) to hold the pin connector (200), one end of the housing (300) being provided with an annular step portion (301), the annular step portion (301) and the flange (2022) of the pin connector (200) cooperate to limit movement of the another end of the pin connector (200) in one direction, characterized in that ; a lower surface of the flange (2022) is pressed against a horizontal surface (3011) inside the step portion (301) to restrict a downward movement of the upper cover (202) and a top end of the step portion (301) extends in a radially inward direction with a fixing portion (302) and a lower surface of the fixing portion (302) is pressed against an upper surface of the flange (2022) to limit the relative movement of the another end of the pin connector (200) to the housing (300), and the upper cover body (2021) is provided with a protruding ring (2024) in a radially outward direction, the protruding ring being caught in a groove on an inner circumferential surface of the housing (300).
  2. The connector assembly (100) according claim 1, characterized in that the number of the pin connectors (200) is two or five.
  3. The connector assembly (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that each of the pin connectors (200) is pressed by a plurality of the fixing portions (302).
  4. The connector assembly (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that the fixing portions 302) are evenly distributed along a periphery of the pin connector (200).
  5. A holding device (20), wherein the holding device (20) is provided with a connector assembly (100) as claimed in claims 1 to 4.
  6. The holding device (20) according to claim 5, wherein a circuit board (21) is arranged in the holding device (20), the circuit board (21) being electrically or signally connected with the another end of the pin connector (200).

Description

The present application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 201922030727.5 filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on November 20, 2019 and titled "CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY AND HOLDING DEVICE". FIELD The present disclosure relates to the field of medical apparatus, and in particular to a connector assembly for connecting a liquid infusion pump and a holding device and the holding device including the connector assembly. BACKGROUND A liquid infusion pump is a kind of nutrition or pharmaceuticals infusion system commonly used in hospitals or other medical institutions, in which a pump tube and its accessories are connected through a nasogastric tube or a gastrointestinal tube, and an infusion speed, a dose and a total infusion amount, etc. are precisely controlled by a microcomputer. The liquid infusion pump is typically powered or signaled using a holding device. The liquid infusion pump and the holding device are usually electrically connected or signally connected through a pin connector assembly. The pin connector assembly includes a pin connector and a plastic housing surrounding the pin connector. The pin connector is provided with a ring of protruding ring for fixing the pin connector inside the plastic housing through an interference fit between the protruding ring and an inner wall of the plastic housing. However, in actual use, the pin connector is only held by the above-mentioned interference fit, and there is a risk of looseness between the pin connector and the plastic housing, so that the connection between the liquid infusion pump and the holding device has a risk of poor contact. US 8,337,256 A1 discloses a pogo-ping connector where spring biased pogo pins terminals can be moved from one position to the another, whereby contacting portions of conductive terminals abut against (conductive) stages of the pogo-pin terminals or against an insulative sleeve. The pogo-pin terminals are received in receiving pedestals which are used to seal at a bottom end of corresponding pogo-pin terminal slots of an insulating body, which are held in position by protrusions and a corresponding groove within the insulating body. The US 1,583,697 discloses an electrical connector comprising a pin within a two parted housing, shell and insulating body portion, wherein a spring is compressed to hold the pin outwardly of the shell when the insulating body portion is connected with the shell. Therefore, a plug portion is aligned with the insulating body. To connect the parts with each other a threaded connection is provided between the shell and the plug portion. Therefore, there is a need for a connector assembly that enables a secure electrical or signal connection between the liquid infusion pump and the holding device. SUMMARY The invention is defined by the appended claims. An object of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a connector assembly that enables a secure electrical or signal connection between a liquid infusion pump and a holding device. Another object of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a holding device including the connector assembly. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a connector assembly is provided, the connector assembly includes: a pin connector having one end which is configured to be electrically or signally connected with the liquid infusion pump and another end which is provided with a radially extending flange; a housing arranged around the pin connector to hold the pin connector, one end of the housing being provided with an annular step portion, the annular step portion and the flange of the pin connector cooperate to limit movement of the another end of the pin connector in one direction, wherein a top end of the step portion extends in a radially inward direction with a fixing portion which is pressed against the pin connector to limit the relative movement of the another end of the pin connector to the housing. The pin connector includes a connecting pin located at the one end of the pin connector, the connecting pin is configured to be electrically or signally connected with the liquid infusion pump; an upper cover located at the another end of the pin connector which is configured to be electrically or signally connected with the holding device; a spring arranged between the connecting pin and the upper cover for applying a spring force and associated connection to the connecting pin to connect the liquid infusion pump and the holding device. The upper cover includes an upper cover body and the flange extending radially outward from a top of the upper cover body. A lower surface of the fixing portion is pressed against an upper surface of the flange to firmly fix the upper cover under the fixing portion of the housing. The upper cover body is provided with a protruding ring in a radially outward direction, the protruding ring being caught on an inner circumferential surface of t