Guide wire connector

A guide wire connector comprising:

• a support member;
• a holding member configured to hold a guide wire and to rotate around an axis line of the guide wire with respect to the support member;
• a guide member configured to rotate around the axis line with respect to the support member;
• and
• a terminal electrically connected to a contact of the guide wire, wherein
• the guide wire connector is changeable between a locked state and an unlocked state;
• the holding member has:
• a body having an insertion hole for the guide wire;
• holding pieces each extending from the body in an axial direction of the guide wire, and configured to be elastically deformed inward in a radial direction of the guide wire;
• a hook portion integrally molded with the body, the hook portion configured to be elastically deformed inward in the radial direction;
• and
• a fitting portion configured to be fitted to the guide member in the locked state;
• the guide member has:
• a guide surface configured to guide the holding pieces inward in the radial direction;
• and
• a fitting target portion to be fitted to the fitting portion in the locked state;
• the support member has:
• a second body having a cylindrical shape;
• and
• a ring-shaped protruding portion protruding from an inner circumferential surface of the second body inward in the radial direction, the ring-shaped protruding portion configured, in the locked state, to prevent axial movement of the holding member relative to the support member while allowing the holding member to rotate with respect to the support member;
• the hook portion has a recessed portion in a proximal end portion of the hook portion, the recessed portion configured to engage with the ring-shaped protruding portion;
• the holding member is attached to the support member so that the holding pieces are positioned in an internal space of the guide member and the fitting portion is positioned on a proximal side of the ring-shaped protruding portion;
• the holding member is configured to be movable in the axial direction with respect to the guide member in a state where the holding member is attached to the support member between a first position where the fitting portion is fit to the fitting target portion and a second position where the fitting portion abuts on the ring-shaped protruding portion;
• when the holding member is in the first position, the guide wire connector is in the locked state in which the ring-shaped protruding portion engages with the recessed portion, the holding pieces abut on the guide surface to be elastically deformed inward in the radial direction so as to hold the guide wire, and the holding member and the guide member rotate together with respect to the support member;
• and
• when the holding member is in the second position, the guide wire connector is in the unlocked state in which the ring-shaped protruding portion does not engage with the recessed portion, the holding pieces do not hold the guide wire, and the guide member does not rotate with respect to the support member even when the holding member rotates with respect to the support member.