Tubing valve and uses thereof

• US 9,867,730 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2013
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flowsense Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Flowsense Ltd.
• Inventors: Jackson, Martin Clive Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcetich, Adam
• Application Number:
  US14/405,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20150173937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/4405 Valves or valve arrangements specially adapted therefor A61F5/441 takes precedence; Fluid inlets or outlets A61F5/4407 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/451 Genital or anal receptacles A61F5/441, A61F5/442, A61F5/443 take precedence ; other body securing means A61F5/4408; devices for taking faeces samples A61B10/0038; devices for taking urine samples A61B10/007
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/10 Bag-type containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/1412 Containers with closing means, e.g. caps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/10 Tube connectors; Tube couplings A61M39/02 takes precedence; connecting needles to syringes or hubs A61M5/34; connecting catheter tubes to hubs A61M25/0014
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/12 for joining a flexible tube to a rigid attachment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/26 Valves closing automatically on disconnecting the line and opening on reconnection thereof check valves A61M39/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/162 Needle sets, i.e. connections by puncture between reservoir and tube ; Connections between reservoir and tube in jet-action syringes A61M5/30; connectors for tubes having sealed ends and a needle for piercing them A61M39/14
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/40 with a lift valve being opened automatically when the coupling is applied

Abstract

A tubing valve is provided, including a valve body; a valve stem configured to be inserted into the valve body; and a valve tip configured to be inserted and fixed into the valve stem on its top part after it is positioned inside the valve body and to provide a holding position to a tube on its bottom side, wherein the tubing valve is opened upon pushing the valve tip and closed upon pulling said tube off the valve tip.

Claims

1. A tubing valve, comprising:

a valve body;

a valve stem configured to be inserted into said valve body where said valve stem has an inlet port; and

a valve tip separate from said valve body and configured to be inserted and fixed into said valve stem after a first end of said valve tip is positioned inside said valve body, wherein a second end of said valve tip is conically-shaped and is configured for holding an axially-inserted tube, wherein an outermost dimension of said conically-shaped second end of said valve tip forms a radially enlarged shoulder located between said first and second tip ends, wherein said tubing valve is configured so that said outer diameter of said valve tip generally corresponds to an outer diameter of said body for slidingly receiving the tube to open upon user slindingly attaching the tube to said valve tip, causing said valve stem to move away from said valve body and to permit fluid access to said inlet port and also causing said shoulder to contact said valve body, preventing further valve opening movement of said stem in said body, and is configured to close upon the user slindingly removing the tube from said body and said valve tip, causing said shoulder of said valve stem to move toward said valve body and to block fluid access to said inlet port.

2. The valve according to claim 1, wherein said valve body further comprises a central bore, wherein said first portion of said valve stem has a greater area and a second portion having a smaller area, wherein a portion of said central bore is narrower than a second portion of said central bore, said narrower portion receiving said second portion of said valve stem and said second portion of said central bore receiving said first portion of said valve stem having said greater area.

3. The valve of claim 2, wherein upon user attachment of the tube to said first end of said valve, said valve stem having said inlet port is caused to move away from said valve body to open the valve.

4. The valve of claim 3, wherein upon said user attachment of the tube to said second end of said valve tip, said second end of said valve tip is configured to be inserted into said tube and is configured to cause said first end of said valve tip to contact said second portion of said valve stem.

5. The valve of claim 4, wherein said narrower portion of said central bore is configured to be inserted into said tube with said second end of said valve tip, thereby preventing the valve from closing when said tube is attached to the valve.

6. The valve of claim 5, wherein said second end of said valve tip is configured to move away from said valve body upon removal of said tube and hence to cause said first end of said valve tip to cease to contact said second portion of said valve stem having said inlet port, thereby closing said valve.

7. The valve of claim 1, wherein said valve stem and said central bore of said valve body each comprise complementary conical structures, such that when said tubing valve is closed, said conical structure of said valve stem having said inlet port is larger than said conical structure of said central bore, thereby blocking said inlet port.

8. A tubing valve, comprising:

a valve body having a flow control mechanism including a valve stem having an inlet port configured to be inserted into said valve body and a valve tip configured to be inserted and fixed into said valve stem after a first end of said valve tip is positioned inside said valve body;

a second end of said valve tip is conically shaped and is configured for holding an axially inserted tube, wherein an outermost dimension of said second end of said valve tip forms a radially enlarged shoulder located between said first and second tip ends;

said tubing valve is opened upon slidingly attaching the tube to said valve tip and to said valve body, causing a radially enlarged first portion of said valve stem to move away from said valve body and to permit fluid access to said inlet port, and said radially enlarged shoulder on said tip to contact said valve body, and closed upon removing the tube from said valve tip and said valve body, causing said radially enlarged first portion of said valve stem to move toward said valve body and to block fluid access to said inlet port, a direct fit between said valve stem and a complementary bore in said valve body prevents unwanted fluid access to said inlet port when said valve is closed.

9. The valve according to claim 8, wherein said valve is configured to be used in low and medium pressure applications.

10. The valve according to claim 8, further comprising a medical tube attached to said valve.