Patent ID: 7124996

Claim:
A clamp apparatus for selectively preventing fluid flow through a resilient tube, comprising: a base having a tube aperture at which the resilient tube may be located, the base having a longitudinal center line; a slide clamp slidably mountable on the base for movement between an occluding position and an open position, the slide clamp having a clamp top surface and a longitudinal center line; a clamp aperture formed in the slide clamp for receiving the tube therethrough; a constricted region formed in the clamp aperture, the constricted region occluding the tube to prevent fluid flow through the tube when the slide clamp is in the occluding position; an open region formed in the clamp aperture, the open region allowing fluid flow through the tube when the slide clamp is in the open position; a flexible cantilevered locking arm mounted on the base, the locking arm being biased toward the slide clamp at a selected angle from the base to a locking position at which the locking arm prevents movement of the slide clamp from the occluding position to the open position, the locking arm being deflectable to allow subsequent movement of the slide clamp from the occluding position to the open position; and a detent in the slide clamp defined by a detent edge and a bottom portion adjacent the detent edge, the bottom portion located at a depth below the clamp top surface, the depth accommodating the selected angle of the locking arm such that, when the slide clamp is in the occluding position, a portion of the locking arm is located in the detent so as to engage the detent edge while not touching the bottom portion of the detent, thereby preventing the slide clamp from moving from the occluding position and thereby keeping the locking arm unstressed.