Valve for medical infusion lines and the like

• US 6,390,130 B1
• Filed: 11/03/2000
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Industrie Borla S.P.A. (Carla Finanziaria SRL)
• Original Assignee: Industrie Borla S.P.A. (Carla Finanziaria SRL)
• Inventors: Guala, Gianni
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivell, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Krishnamurthy, Ramesh
• Application Number:
  US09/706,109
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 137/843, 137/859, 137/269.5, 137/515.5, 604/247
• US Class Current: 137/859
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/242 designed to open when a predetermined pressure or flow rate has been reached, e.g. check valve actuated by fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/2433 Valve comprising a resilient or deformable element, e.g. flap valve, deformable disc
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/246 being fixed along all or a part of its periphery
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/2493 Check valve with complex design, e.g. several inlets and outlets and several check valves in one body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/24 Check- or non-return valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/144 the closure elements being fixed along all or a part of their periphery

Abstract

A check valve for medical infusion lines and the like, including a diaphragm made of elastic material inserted between a first and a second tubular connector and acting on an annular valve seat to keep the check valve normally closed. The diaphragm includes an annular peripheral section and a central disc, connected to the peripheral section via a crown of spaced-out arms. The disc is moulded with a thin, axially projecting, circumferential sealing lip on one face or, more conveniently, on both faces thereof.

Claims

1. A check valve for medical infusion lines comprising:

a first and a second tubular element that respectively define an upstream passageway and a downstream passageway, said first and second tubular elements being mutually coaxial to each other, and

a diaphragm of elastically deformable material transversely positioned between said first and second tubular elements, said diaphragm acting as a fluid seal in combination with an annular valve seat of said first tubular element to keep the said check valve normally closed,

wherein a predetermined fluid pressure in said upstream passageway causes flexion of said diaphragm and the resulting opening of said check valve, and

wherein said diaphragm has an annular peripheral section, a disc-shaped central section which acts as a valve obturator and openings between said annular peripheral section and said disc-shaped central section, said disc-shaped central section having a first side facing said valve seat and a first thin circumferentially continuous sealing lip projecting axially from said first side of said central section and a second thin circumferentially continuous sealing lip projecting axially from a second side of said central section.

2. A valve according to claim 1, wherein said thin circumferentially continuous sealing lips are identical to one another and wherein said diaphragm has a symmetrical arrangement.

3. A valve according to claim 1, comprising a crown of arched arms connecting said disc-shaped central section to said peripheral annular section.

4. A valve according to claim 3, wherein said openings are delimited between said arched arms.

5. A valve according to claim 4, wherein said arched arms have a concave longitudinal edge and a convex longitudinal edge with different curvature radii.

6. A valve according to claim 5, wherein said convex edge has a radius of curvature greater than that of the said concave edge.

7. A valve according to claim 1, wherein said annular peripheral section is axially retained between said first and second tubular elements.

8. A valve according to claim 7, wherein said annular peripheral section is composed of a ring having a greater thickness than that of said central disc.

9. A valve according to claim 8, wherein said ring is fitted between said first and second tubular elements without axial blocking.

10. A valve according to claim 9, wherein said ring has a quadrangular cross-section with rounded corners.

11. A valve according to claim 1, wherein said diaphragm is formed by a body of injection moulded liquid silicone with a central injection point.

12. A valve according to claim 1, wherein said annular peripheral section has the same thickness as said disc-shaped central section, said annular peripheral section being fitted between said first and second tubular elements without axial blocking, and said diaphragm having a planar configuration when the valve is in the closed position.

13. A valve according to claim 12, comprising a crown of arched arms connecting said disc-shaped central section to said annular peripheral section.

14. A valve according to claim 13, wherein said arched arms are arranged in an asymmetric manner.

15. A valve according to claim 14, wherein said arched arms are radially oriented with respect to said disc-shaped central section.

16. A valve according to claim 14, wherein said arms are obliquely oriented with respect to a diametric plane of the diaphragm.

17. A valve according to claim 13, wherein said openings are delimited between said arched arms.

18. A valve according to claim 17, wherein said openings have a trapezoidal shape in plan.

19. A valve according to claim 13, wherein said arms have a same thickness as that of said annular peripheral section of the diaphragm.

20. A valve according to claim 13, wherein said annular peripheral section has a crown of axial projections on at least one of its faces.

21. A valve according to claim 20, wherein said axial projections are provided on both faces of said annular peripheral section.

22. A valve according to claim 21, wherein said projections are arranged in angular correspondence with external radial ends of said arched arms.

23. A check valve for medical infusion lines comprising:

a first and a second tubular element that respectively define an upstream passageway and a downstream passageway, said first and second tubular elements being mutually coaxial to each other, and

a diaphragm of elastically deformable material transversely positioned between said first and second tubular elements, said diaphragm acting as a fluid seal in combination with an annular valve seat of said first tubular element to keep said check valve normally closed,

wherein a predetermined fluid pressure in said upstream passageway causes flexion of said diaphragm and the resulting opening of said check valve,

wherein said diaphragm has an annular peripheral section, a disc-shaped central section which acts as a valve obturator and openings between said annular peripheral section and said disc-shaped central section, and a crown of arched arms connecting said disc-shaped central section to said annular peripheral section, said disc-shaped central section having a side facing said valve seat and a thin circumferential sealing lip projecting axially from said side of said disc shaped central section, said annular peripheral section having the same thickness as said disc-shaped central section, said annular peripheral section being fitted between said first and second tubular elements without axial blocking, said annular peripheral section having a crown of axial projections on at least one of its faces and said diaphragm having a planar configuration when the valve is in a closed position.

24. A valve according to claim 23, wherein said axial projections are provided on both faces of said annular peripheral section.

25. A valve according to claim 24, wherein said projections are arranged in angular correspondence with external radial ends of said arched arms.