Abstract:
A valve for a fluid conduit, the valve including two valve housings adapted to be matingly joined to form the valve. Each valve housing includes a valve membrane having a deformable reed valve formed therein. A raised boss on each reed valve is designed to engage the opposing raised boss to cause mutual opening of the opposed reed valves. The raised bosses are brought into engagement upon interlocking of the two valve housings. Releasing the interlock between the two valve housings displaces the two raised bosses to allow the respective reed valves to close prior to separating the two valve housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to a check valve system for a fluid coupling and, more particularly, to a novel check valve apparatus and method wherein each coupling half of the fluid coupling includes a deformable valve membrane that is operationally closed when the fluid coupling is uncoupled to thereby serve as a check valve for the coupling half The two deformable valve membranes are both mutually deformable and mutually activating to the open position when the coupling halves are joined to form the coupling.  
           [0003]    2. The Prior Art  
           [0004]    Numerous fluid-handling applications involve the transportation of fluids from one location to another through a flexible conduit. One particular example of such fluid transfer is that of urine collection from a patient. Typically, the patient is catheterized by a device commonly referred to in the art as a Foley catheter. The Foley catheter drains the urine into a urine collection reservoir so that the urine output can be monitored for flow rate, total quantity, coloration, etc. Frequently, the patient, although catheterized, is ambulatory which means that provision must be made for transporting the urine collection reservoir with the patient as the patient travels from place to place. However, there are occasions when it is simply not practicable for the patient to be in effect, “tethered” to the urine collection bag via the Foley catheter. Under these circumstances it is customary to occlude the Foley catheter with a clamp and then uncouple the catheter from the collection reservoir. This uncoupling step results in leakage of residual urine from the length of the uncoupled catheter between the clamp and the collection reservoir.  
           [0005]    In view of the foregoing it would be an advancement in the art to provide a valving mechanism for a coupling in the tubing. It would be an even further advancement in the art to provide a valving mechanism that provides a check valve device in each coupling half, the check valve devices being mutually openable upon engagement of one coupling half to the corresponding coupling half to form the coupling. Another advancement in the art would be to provide a coupling having an automatic check valve feature in each coupling half to inhibit the flow of fluid when the coupling is opened. Such a novel apparatus and method is disclosed and claimed herein.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    This invention is a novel valve apparatus and method for a coupling in a tubing wherein each coupling half includes a flexible membrane as a valving mechanism The flexible membrane acts as a check valve for the tubing when the coupling is opened. The flexible membranes in each coupling half are mutually deformable when forced together thereby causing each valve mechanism to be opened when the two coupling halves are joined to form the coupling.  
           [0007]    It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a valving mechanism for a coupling in a tubing.  
           [0008]    Another object of this invention is to provide a coupling having a pair of mutually activated valves.  
           [0009]    Another object of this invention is to provide improvements in the method of providing a valving mechanism for a coupling in a tubing.  
           [0010]    Another object of this invention is to provide a check valve in each coupling half of a two-part coupling to prevent leakage from each coupling half when the coupling is opened to disconnect the tubing.  
           [0011]    Another object of this invention is to provide a valve mechanism for a coupling that is automatically opened when the coupling is closed.  
           [0012]    Another object of this invention is to provide a deformable membrane in each coupling half of a coupling, the deformable membrane serving as a check valve for the coupling half to prevent the flow of fluid from the coupling half, the deformable membranes of the two coupling halves being mutually deformable to the open position when one coupling half is joined to the other coupling half to form the coupling.  
           [0013]    These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description in which preferred and other embodiments of the invention have been set forth in conjunction with the accompanying drawing and appended claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the novel coupling of this invention shown in the environment of a length of tubing;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the coupling of FIG. 1;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  3 - 3  of FIG. 1 and showing the two valve membranes in juxtaposition upon joinder of the valve housings prior to interlocking the valve housings into the coupling; and  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 with the lower valve housing being rotated 90° to cause the mutually deformable valve membranes to open. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0018]    The invention is best understood from the following description with reference to the drawing wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout and taken in conjunction with the appended claims.  
       General Discussion  
       [0019]    The novel fluid coupling apparatus and method of this invention is configured as a valve body having two valve housings designed to releasably mate to form the valve body. Each valve housing is formed as a hollow, hemispherical-like shell. A flexible valve membrane transects each hollow shell. A arcuate slit is formed in the valve membrane to provide an opening through the valve membrane when the valve membrane is selectively deformed to cause the slit to open. The slit, in effect, creates a reed-type valve in the valve membrane. A raised boss on the reed portion of the valve serves as the contact point for the imposition of distortional forces on the valve membrane to force the reed valve open. The natural resiliency of the material of construction of the valve membrane brings the reed valve to the closed position when the distortional forces are removed from the raised boss.  
         [0020]    The two valve housings are designed to matingly and sealingly engage to create the valve body with the valve body sealingly enclosing the valve membrane of each valve housing. As part of the mating engagement between the two valve housings, a set of mating catches on each valve housing are designed to engage and releasably interlock upon a relative rotation between the two valve housings of about 90°. The 90° rotation causes a raised boss on each reed valve to forcibly engage the opposing raised boss to thereby cause each reed valve to be mutually opened under the resulting distortional forces imposed thereon. Reversal of the foregoing 90° rotation moves each raised boss away from the opposing raised boss to thereby allow the inherent resiliency of the respective reed valve to close the same prior to the two valve housings being separated.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0021]    Referring now to FIG. 1, the novel fluid coupling apparatus of this invention is shown generally at  10  interposed in a length of conventional tubing  12  consisting of an upper tubing  12   a  and a lower tubing  12   b.  Coupling  10  is designed to be selectively openable and, as such, includes an upper valve housing  14  with a lower valve housing  16  matingly joined to upper valve housing  14 . An interlock  20  (see also FIG. 3) is provided on opposite sides of coupling  10  to securely join lower valve housing  16  to upper valve housing  14 . Each interlock  20  is configured as a spar  22  formed as an extension on the outer surface of lower valve housing  16 . Spar  22  extends across a portion of upper valve housing  14 . A transverse notch  24  in the face of spar  22  is designed to engage a raised lip  26  on upper valve housing  14 . A detent  28  is formed as a portion of lip  26  to serve as a stop against which spar  22  rests when lower valve housing  16  is securely engaged to upper valve housing  14  as will be discussed more fully hereinafter.  
         [0022]    Referring now to FIG. 2, lower valve housing  16  includes a recessed, circumferential extension  30  while upper valve housing  14  includes a circumferential recess  32  that is dimensionally configured to receive circumferential extension  30  therein in a sealing relationship. The base of circumferential recess  32  serves as an upper seat  34  for an upper membrane valve  40  placed in upper valve housing  14 . In particular, periphery  42  of upper membrane valve  40  is sealingly secured to upper seat  34  thereby completing the construct of upper valve housing  14 . A similar seat, lower seat  54  (FIG. 3) is located inside lower valve housing  16  and is configured to have periphery  52  of a lower membrane valve  50  sealingly engaged thereto.  
         [0023]    Upper membrane valve  40  is fabricated from an elastomeric material such as plastic, synthetic rubber, latex, or the like, and includes a valve slit  62  therein. Valve slit  62  is formed with an arcuate shape with the inner portion of the arcuate shape forming, in effect, a reed valve  60  that is selectively openable to permit passage of fluids through upper valve membrane  40 . A raised boss  46  is formed on reed valve  60  to facilitate the opening of reed valve  60 . An arcuate ramp  48  extends outwardly from raised boss  46 , the function of which along with the operation of reed valve  60  will be discussed more fully hereinafter. Lower membrane valve  50  also has a reed valve  70  therein formed as a result of arcuate slit created through the elastomeric body of lower membrane valve  50 . Reed valve  70  also includes a raised boss  56  (FIGS. 3 and 4) and an arcuate ramp  58  (FIG. 4) as an extension of raised boss  56 .  
         [0024]    Referring now to FIG. 3, upper valve housing  14  is shown slidingly joined to lower valve housing  16  prior to raised lip  26  (FIGS. 1 and 2) being rotatingly engaged in notch  24 . In this particular configuration upper membrane valve  40  is held in spaced relationship to lower membrane valve  50  with raised boss  46  being held in abutment against lower membrane valve  50  while raised boss  56  is held in abutment against upper membrane valve  40 . At this point it is important to emphasize that upper valve housing  14  is merely telescopically joined to lower valve housing  16  with the respective membrane valves, upper membrane valve  40  and lower membrane valve  50 , sealingly enclosed within the confines of coupling  10 . The configuration shown herein in FIG. 3 is the configuration of coupling  10  either immediately prior to separating upper valve housing  14  from lower valve housing  16  or immediately prior to interlocking upper valve housing  14  to lower valve housing  16 . In both situations both of upper membrane valve  40  and lower membrane valve  50  are closed thereby preventing the flow of fluid  80  (FIG. 4) from either upper valve housing  14  or lower valve housing  16  as well as through coupling  10 .  
         [0025]    Referring now to FIG. 4, coupling  10  is shown in this cross-sectional view as having lower valve housing  16  rotated axially 90° relative to upper valve housing  14 . This relative rotational movement causes raised boss  46  to engage raised boss  56  resulting in a mutually outward displacement of reed valve  60  and reed valve  70 , respectively, thereby opening a flow path  78  for the flow of fluid  80  through coupling  10 . Importantly, interlock  20  is created by the engagement of raised lip  26  in notch  24  (FIGS. 1, 2, and  3 ) to thereby securely engage upper valve housing  14  to lower valve housing  16  thus completing coupling  10 . In this interlocked configuration coupling  10  readily and securely provides fluid communication between upper tubing  12   a  and lower tubing  12   b  for fluid  80 . The patient (not shown) is thereby provided with a safe, secure coupling of upper tubing  12   a  and lower tubing  12   b  by coupling  10 . In the event the patient desires to be temporarily disconnected from, say, lower tubing  12   b,  it is a simple procedure for either the patient or a medical professional (not shown) to simply rotate upper valve housing  14  relative to lower valve housing  16  thereby causing reed valves  60  and  70 , respectively, to return to their closed positions shown in FIG. 3. This closed position occludes flow path  78  shutting off the flow of fluid  80  through coupling  10 . Thereafter, upper valve housing  14  is simply disengaged from lower valve housing to allow the patient to be fully ambulatory. Importantly, upper membrane valve  40  is sealingly closed thereby preventing the leakage of fluid  80  from upper valve housing  14 . Correspondingly, lower membrane valve  50  is also sealingly closed thereby preventing the reverse flow of fluid  80  from lower valve housing  16 .  
       The Method  
       [0026]    The method of this invention is practiced by severing tube  12  and mounting upper valve housing  14  to the severed end of upper tubing  12   a  and lower valve housing  16  to the severed end of lower tubing  12   b.  Coupling  10  is initially created when upper valve housing  14  is telescopically joined to lower valve housing  16 . Upon initial joinder of lower valve housing  16  to upper valve housing  14  both of lower membrane valve  50  and upper membrane valve  40  are automatically held in the closed position by the resiliency of the material of construction of each membrane valve. Rotational movement of lower valve housing  16  relative to upper valve housing  14  causes raised boss  56  to slide across arcuate ramp  48  and raised boss  46  to correspondingly slide across arcuate ramp  58  until raised boss  56  and raised boss  46  are in juxtaposition. This placement of raised boss  56  against raised boss  46  creates a mutual displacement of the respective reed valves upon which these raised bosses are formed, namely reed valves  70  and  60 , respectively, to thereby create flow path  78  through coupling  10 . Importantly, upper valve housing  14  is securely held to lower valve housing  16  by interlock  20  while flow path  78  is formed inside coupling  10 . Reversal of the rotational formation of interlock  20  causes each of raised bosses  46  and  56  to disengage thereby allowing the respective reed valves  60  and  70  to close under the inherent resilience of the material of construction of these elements.  
         [0027]    The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.