TAP

Abstract: A tap or valve comprising a first tube and a second tube with a flexible elastic coupling between said tubes to allow fluid passage between said tubes when said tubes are substantially coaxially aligned and to allow displacement of one of said tubes relative to the other in order to close said fluid passage. The tap or valve is primarily intended for use with urine drainage tubing or intravenous drip tubing. The tap or valve further comprises means for releasably locking the tap or valve in the closed position.

Description: This invention relates to a tap (sometimes also called a valve). The tap particularly described and illustrated herein is primarily intended for use with urine drainage tubing or intravenous drip tubing; but the present invention is not limited to these applications. US-A-3977409 discloses a tap in which two tubes are inserted in series in the rubber tubing of a catheter. The facing ends of the two tubes are closed and therefore normally prevent fluid flow along the tubing. However, the side walls of the two tubes each contain an aperture. By deforming the rubber tubing and sliding the ends of the two tubes past one another, the apertures in the side walls may be brought into alignment. This permits fluid to flow in a zigzag path along the tubing. According to the present invention, there is provided a tap comprising a first tube and a second tube with a flexible elastic tubular coupling between said tubes, characterized in that said flexible elastic tubular coupling extends between facing open ends of said tubes to allow fluid passage between said facing open ends when said tubes are substantially coaxially aligned and to allow displacement of one of said tubes relative to the other in order to stretch said tubular coupling over said facing open end of said other tube to close said fluid passage. The first and second tubes are conveniently constructed from rigid or semi-rigid plastics such as polyethylene. The flexible coupling between the tubes is conveniently formed by placing a sleeve of flexible elastic material, e.g., silicone rubber, around the facing open ends of the tubes. The flexible material should be impervious to the fluid to be passed through the tap and should provide a fluid seal at the outside walls of the tubes. Preferably, at each facing end of the tubes is a flange, so that, when the tubes are displaced to the closed position, the flanges engage to help to maintain the displaced tubes in this position. If desired, additional means may be provided to releasably lock the tap in the closed position. The tap according to the invention may be cheaply and easily manufactured and can advantageously be used in a wide variety of applications. An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a partial cross-section of a tap according to the invention in an open position to allow fluid flow therethrough; Figure 2 shows a cross-section of the tap of Figure 1 when in a closed position; and Figure 3 is a cross-section of the tap of Figure 1 along the lines and arrows 3-3. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of tap designated generally 10 is disclosed. It comprises two tubes 11 and 12 made from rigid plastics and which are generally identical. The elongate ends 21 and 22 of the tubes 11 and 12, opposite the coupling 13, have a tapering outside diameter for ease of connection to e.g. rubber or plastics tubing. If desired the elongate ends may be provided with one or more circumferential ribs to help to secure the tubes to the rubber or plastic tubing. At their abutting or nearly abutting ends (facing ends), each tube is provided with a circumferential end flange 14, and a further flange 15 is provided intermediate the end flange 14 and the tapering end portions 21 and 22 of the tubes 11 or 12, respectively. The distance between the flanges 14 and 15 is generally similar to the outside diameter of the end flange 14. The coupling 13 between the tubes 11 and 12 comprises a sleeve of flexible elastic material, e.g. silicone rubber. The coupling 13 generally provides a fluid tight coupling between the tubes 11 and 12, and in the position shown in FIG. 1 fluid is able to flow between tubes 11 and 12 through channel 18. The flanges 14 and 15 help to secure the flexible sleeve 13 to the tubes 11 and 12. When it is desired to close the tap shown in Figure 1 the tubes 11 and 12 may be displaced relative to each other to the position shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 shows the position of the tubes 11 and 12 when they are moved at right angles to their common axis as shown in Figure 1. This may be achieved by holding one of the tubes, e.g. 12, and pushing the other, e.g. 11, at right angles to the common axis Due to the arrangement of flanges 14 and 15, the pushed tube 11 will flick over with the end flange 14 of each tube engaging the other and with the flange 15 of the pushed tube engaging with or proceeding no farther than the end flange 15 of the tube 12. At the same time, the flexible elastic coupling material 13 will be stretched across the end 23 of the held tube 12 to close the tap. The tap can be simply reopened by pushing the tubes back to their original positions as shown in Figure 1. Optionally, the tap is provided with means 16 in Fig. 3 for releasably locking the tubes in the closed position. In Fig. 3, the means 16 is preferably made of flexible plastic and comprises two loops 17 and 19 coupled together by a flexible connecting portion 20. Loop 19 is shown closed in position around the maximum diameter portion of tube 12 intermediate flange 15 of the tapered end portion 22 while loop 17 is open and adapted to be releasably clamped around tube 11. When the tubes 11 and 12 are in the closed position as shown in FIG. 2 and the open loop 17 is snapped into position around the body of tube 11, the means 16 acts to lock the tubes 11 and 12 in the closed positon. In order to open the tap, i.e., return the tubes to the aligned position of FIG. 1, the loop 17 is removed from the body of tube 11. Closed loop 19 secured to tube 12 keeps the means 16 with the tap 10.

Claims: A tap comprising a first tube (12) and a second tube (11) with a flexible elastic tubular coupling (13) between said tubes (11,12), characterized in that said flexible elastic tubular coupling (13) extends between facing open ends of said tubes (11,12) to allow fluid passage between said facing open ends when said tubes are substantially coaxially aligned and to allow displacement of one of said tubes (11) relative to the other (12) in order to stretch said tubular coupling (13) over said facing open end (23) of said other tube (12) to close said fluid passage. The tap of claim 1 wherein the flexible tubular coupling (13) between the tubes (11,12) comprises a sleeve (13) of flexible elastic material extending around the facing open ends of the tubes. The tap of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the flexible elastic coupling (13) is formed from silicone rubber. The tap of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein at each facing open end is at least one flange (14) so that, when the tubes are displaced to the closed position, the flanges (14) engage to help to maintain the displaced tubes in the closed position. The tap of claim 4 wherein each tube (11,12) has at least two spaced apart flanges (14,15) separated by a distance substantially equal to the outside diameter of the flange (14) nearest the facing open end of the tube. The tap of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said tap further comprises means (16) for releasably locking the tap in the closed position. The tap of claim 6 wherein said locking means (16) comprises a flexible open loop portion (17) for releasably coupling around one of said first or second tubes; and a flexible coupling member (20) secured to said open loop portion (17) and the remaining tube. The tap of any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the first and second tubes (11,12) are constructed from rigid or semi-rigid plastics.

Inventors: STEER, PETER LESLIE
Applicants: E.R. SQUIBB & SONS, INC.
Application year: 1985
Main classification: A61M39
IPC codes: A61M37, A61M39, F16K7, A61M1, A61M5