Water trap for respiratory airline

• US 5,168,868 A
• Filed: 05/29/1991
• Issued: 12/08/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intersurgical Limited (Intersurgical Ag)
• Original Assignee: Intersurgical Limited (Intersurgical Ag)
• Inventors: Hicks, Richard B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiecking, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Asher, Kimberly L.
• Application Number:
  US07/707,005
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 128/204.18, 128/205.12, 128/205.24, 128/912, 604/284, 604/317, 604/319-326
• US Class Current: 128/205.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0808 Condensation traps
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/38 with fluid cut-off means in only one of the two pipe-end fittings

Abstract

A water trap for a respiratory airline comprises a top and base the respective openings of which mate when they are releasably connected e.g. by a bayonet-joint. The opening of the top is partially spanned centrally by a disc, leaving an annular pathway for water around the periphery of the disc. A resilient annular sealing member connected at its outer periphery to the top makes sealing contact with the disc when the base is removed, but when the base is connected to the top the upper periphery of the base raises the sealing member to allow water to fall from the top and be collected in the base.

Claims

1. A water trap for a respiratory airline comprising:

an upper component open at a bottom end thereof, a lower component in the form of a water collection vessel releasably connectable to the upper component, inlet and outlet connection means on the upper component for connection to the airline, fixed disc means having a fixed position centrally of said open bottom of the upper component, means defining an upward opening of the lower component, and resilient sealing means in the region of the outer periphery of the upper component which, in an unstressed condition, will seal against said fixed disc means to close the bottom end of the upper component, the lower component having an upper periphery shaped so that when the upper and lower components are connected said upper periphery of said lower component will contact said resilient sealing means first to seal fluidtightly between said upper periphery and said resilient sealing means entirely about said upper periphery and then to displace said resilient sealing means upwardly, thereby to open the bottom of the upper component whereby a pathway will be provided for water to fall from the upper into the lower component only after said upper and lower components are fluidtightly sealed together.

2. A water trap for a respiratory airline comprising:

an upper component open at a bottom end thereof, a lower component in the form of a water collection vessel releasably connectable to the upper component, inlet and outlet connection means on the upper component for connection to the airline, fixed disc means having a fixed position centrally of said open bottom of the upper component, means defining an upward opening of the lower component, and an annular resilient sealing member including an annular flap seal secured at its outer periphery in the region of the outer periphery of the upper component at a position such that, in an unstressed condition, said annular flap seal will seal against said fixed disc means thereby to obturate said annular opening of the upper component, the lower component having an upper periphery shaped so that when the upper and lower components are connected said upper periphery of said lower component will press against and first seal fluidtightly between said upper periphery and said sealing member entirely about said upper periphery and then deform said sealing member upwardly to open said annular opening of the upper component whereby a pathway will be provided for water to fall from the upper into the lower component only after said upper and lower components are fluidtightly sealed together.

3. A water trap as claimed in claim 2, wherein disc means has a downwardly-sloping upper periphery.

4. A water trap as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sealing member is formed intermediate its inner and outer pheripheries with a downwardly and outwardly extending annular projection comprising said annular flap seal, the upper periphery of the lower component being arranged to contact the sealing member on the radially inner side of said projection when the components are connected, the lower component being formed below and radially outwardly of said upper periphery thereof with a shoulder which will deform and sealingly engage said projection when the upper and lower components are connected, the arrangement being such that in the unstressed condition of the sealing member the projection is the lowest part of the sealing member and is therefore contacted by the shoulder before said upper periphery contacts the sealing member.

5. A water trap as claimed in claim 2 wherein the outer periphery of the sealing member is engaged in a downardly-opening, annular recess between the inner and outer walls of the upper component.

6. A water trap as claimed in claim 5, wherein said recess lies between said outer wall and an inner wall of the upper component wherein the sealing member has intermediate its ends an upwardly extending annular projection comprising said annular flap seal which, in use, will lie adjacent the radially inner side of said inner wall, the arrangement being such that air pressure within the upper component will tend to form an air seal between said upward projection of the sealing member and the inner wall of the upper component.

7. A water trap as claimed in claim 6, wherein the sealing member presents a concave annular surface inwardly and upwardly of the upper component between the upper extremity of the upward projection and the inner extremity of the sealing member.

8. A water trap as claimed in claim 2, wherein the disc is held in position by tongues extending inwardly and downwardly of the upper component from positions intermediate the upper and lower ends of the latter.