Flexible tube clip

• US 5,238,217 A
• Filed: 01/29/1992
• Issued: 08/24/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medica Medizintechnik GmbH
• Original Assignee: Medinorm Aktiengesellschaft Medizintechnische Produkte
• Inventors: Fell, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Fox, John C.
• Application Number:
  US07/809,494
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 251/5, 251/9, 137/907, 137/505.47, 604/250, 604/320, 604/323
• US Class Current: 251/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/66 Pre-evacuated rigid containers, e.g. Redon bottles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/732 Visual indicating means for vacuum pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/74 Suction control underwater drainage A61M1/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/743 by changing the cross-section of the line, e.g. flow regulating valves A61M1/7413 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/28 Clamping means for squeezing flexible tubes, e.g. roller clamps tube strippers A61M1/83
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 137/907 Vacuum-actuated valves

Abstract

A hose clamp (50) for a hose (18), inside which a different pressure prevails from that of its environment, and having two arms (28, 30) between which said hose (18) may be squeezed with different forces and thus the hose cross-section may be closed, is characterized in that the two arms (28, 30) are mutually movable transversely to the longitudinal axis of the hose (18), a bellows-like body (38) is arranged between the two arms (28, 30) in such a way that, by the expansion and compression of said body (38), the arms (28, 30) are movable in relation to each other and thus the hose (18) may be compressed to differing degrees, and the inside of the bellows-like body (38) may be connected to the hose (18) via a subsidiary line (48).

Claims

1. A flexible tube clip for a flexible tube having an interior which can be connected to a container and in said interior the pressure prevailing is different from that in its environment, comprising:

two arms between which the flexible tube is compressible to different extents so that the tube cross-section is closable, said tube having a longitudinal axis;

the two arms being movable relative to one another transversely to the longitudinal axis of the flexible tube;

a subsidiary chamber body having an interior space and having an outer wall, the interior space of which has a connection to the flexible tube;

said outer wall being at least partly resilient so that the volume of the interior space is variable, with one variation of the volume the two arms are movable relative to one another and thus the flexible tube is compressible to different extents;

the connection means between the interior space of the subsidiary chamber and the flexible tube comprising a subsidiary tube, or an opening in the flexible tube, which subsidiary tube or opening is disposed only outside said container;

said subsidiary tube or said opening is connected, in relation to a clamp point, on the side of the flexible tube remote from the container which is to be connected;

said arms being disposed on the wall of the subsidiary chamber in such a manner that through variation of the volume of the subsidiary chamber, the arms are movable relative to one another and the flexible tube can thereby be compressed to different extents;

wherein the two arms move toward one another when the negative pressure in the flexible tube increases; and

wherein the two arms move away from one another only when the negative pressure in the flexible tube is reduced.

2. The flexible tube clip according to claim 1, wherein

the subsidiary chamber comprises a bellows-like body which is disposed between said two arms.

3. The flexible tube clip according to claim 2, further comprising

a sleeve member;

means for swivellably fastening said two arms to said sleeve member;

said sleeve member positioned over the flexible tube; and

the bellows-like body being fastened by its two end regions to the two arms.

4. The flexible tube clip according to claim 2, wherein

said two arms are connected together by at least one elastic body.

5. The flexible tube clip according to claim 2, wherein

said bellows-like body is fastened on the two arms in such a manner as to be adjustable along the arms.

6. The flexible tube clip according to claim 2, wherein

said flexible tube clip is made of plastic material.

7. The flexible tube clip according to claim 1, further comprising

a cylinder having a piston, the cylinder closed at one end face and at that point the flexible tube passes therethrough;

the flexible tube being gastightly fastened to the cylinder;

the cylinder connected via an opening in a transition tube piece to the interior space of the cylinder, and the other end face of the cylinder closed by the piston gastightly movable in the cylinder;

the cross-section of the opening is smaller than the cross-section of the flexible tube at the point at which the opening is situated in the flexible tube;

the interior space of the subsidiary chamber is formed by the interior space surrounded by the cylinder, the piston and the transition tube wall; and

at least one of the arms is fastened to that wall of the piston which faces the interior space in such a manner that on the displacement of the piston said arm is movable transversely to the longitudinal axis of the tube and the tube is thereby compressible to different extents.

8. The flexible tube clip according to claim 7, wherein

said piston can be moved toward the flexible tube against the force of an elastically deformable body.

9. The flexible tube clip according to claim 8, wherein

at least that region of the flexible tube which is situated in the region of the two arms is capable of elastically resilient deformation.

10. The flexible tube clip according to claim 9, wherein

the region of the flexible tube between the two arms is formed by said transition tube piece capable of elastically resiliently deformation;

at one end of said tube piece, the flexible tube is connected; and

at the other end of this tube piece, the container is connected, gastightly in each case.

11. The flexible tube according to claim 8, wherein

the elastically resilient body is a spring.