Patent ID: 8894035

Claim:
A pinch valve in combination with a replaceable sleeve, the pinch valve comprising: an upper casing and a lower casing each comprising a sleeve rim engageable with a section of a lip of the replaceable sleeve, the upper casing and the lower casing being pivotably connected and being pivotable between a closed position where the sleeve rim of the upper casing and the lower casing is engaged to the lip of the replaceable sleeve and an open position where the sleeve rim of at least one of the upper casing and the lower casing is disengaged from the lip of the replaceable sleeve; and a synchronization mechanism comprising: a synchronisation shaft; an upper pinch element operatively engaged with the synchronisation shaft; a lower pinch element selectively operatively engageable with and disengageable from the synchronisation shaft, each one of the upper pinch element and the lower pinch element extending on a respective side of the replaceable sleeve when operatively engaged to the synchronisation shaft, and being movable with respect to one another, the lower pinch element being disengaged from the synchronisation shaft when the upper casing and the lower casing are in the open position.