GB2042131A - Pinch cock clamp - Google Patents

Abstract

The clamp has an elongated base member 55 which forms a channel for accommodating a flexible tube. A clamping member or top 80 is hingedly connected to the base member and folds into the channel formed thereby and has a ramp on the upper surface thereof and a downwardly extending wedge forming a clamping surface at the bottom thereof. A slider 95 is positioned on the base member and during forward movement thereof contacts the ramp surface and forces the ramp downwardly so that the clamping surface approaches the bottom of the base member, thereby firmly to clamp a tube therebetween to control the flow of fluids therethrough. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tube clamp The present invention relates to tube clamps such as widely used in industry and particularly in the medical field where clamps are used to adjust or control the flow of various solutions in the treatment of patients.

In dialysis treatment, wherein dialysate and blood are passed on opposite sides of a semipermeable membrane, it is necessary to use tube clamps to adjust the flow of dialysate as well as blood and also to control the flow of anticoagulants which are commonly used in treatment. Since dialysis cartridges popularly are used only once along with the associated tubing, all of which comes together in sterile package, advantageously the tube clamp used therewith should also be disposable. Previous tube clamps available in the art have been metal or made of synthetic organic resins but sufficiently complicated such that they are too expensive to be classified truly as disposable.

Accordingly, the object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive, disposable tube clamp.

The present invention provides a tube clamp, comprising a base forming a channel open at the top thereof and having a clamping surface for accommodating a tube to be clamped, a clamping member associated with said base dimensioned to fit within said channel, and a slider mounted on said base for longitudinal sliding movement therealong, at least one of said base and said clamping member and said slider having an inclined ramp surface thereon, whereby movement of said slider longitudinally of said base causes said clamping member to approach said clamping surface and to clamp a tube positioned therebetween.

These and other features of the present invention may more readily be understood by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tube clamp of the present invention showing the clamping member raised and the slider in position to force the clamping member downward; Figure 2 is a top plan view of the tube clamp illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the tube clamp illustrated in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a sectional view of the tube clamp illustrated in Figure 2 as seen along lines 4-4 thereof particularly showing the clamping member in the raised position thereof and illustrating the tube in phantom line; Figure 5 is a right end elevational view of the tube clamp illustrated in Figure 4;; Figure 6 is a left end elevational view of the tube clamp illustrated in Figure 4; Figure 7 is a sectional view of the tube clamp illustrated in Figure 2 like Figure 4 showing the clamping member forced downwardly to clamp a tube between the clamping member and the associated clamping surface of the base; Figure 8 is-a left end elevational view of the tube clamp illustrated in Figure 7; and Figure 9 is a schematic side elevational view of the tube clamp illustrated in Figure 1 showing the one-piece clanmping member hingedly connected to the base.

Referring now to the drawings, there is disclosed a tube clamp 50 including a base 55 having spaced apart side walls 56 and 57 interconnected by a rear wall 58. The rear wall 58 includes two vertically extending strips 60 connected at the top by a back plate 61 having an arcuate edge 62 forming a cutout.

The outside ends of the backplate 61 in registry with the strips 60 are triangularly shaped wedges 63. The rear wall 58 extends beyond the adjacent side walls 56 and 57 and forms an outwardly extending flange 65 on each side of the side walls, which flange meets the flanges 66 and 67 extending outwardly of the associated side walls 56 and 57 and extending longitudinally thereof.

A bottom 70 interconnects each of the side walls 56 and 57 and includes longitudinally spaced apart transversely extending and part circular tube guides 71,three being shown. At the forward end of the bottom 70 away from the ear wall 58 in an inclined ramp surface 72 leading to a raised clamping surface 73 which is flat. As seen, the combination of the side walls 56 and 57 along with the bottom 70 form a longitudinally extending, generally U-shaped channel 75.

A clamping member on top 80 is integral with the base 55, as seen particularly in Figure 9, and includes a longitudinally extending rectangularthin and flexible member 81 connected to the base 55 at the hinge 82 which is a reduced thickness section between the top 80 and the rear wall 58, the hinge 82 also being wedge shaped and corresponding to the previously discussed wedge-shaped parts 63 on the rear wall.

Integral with the thin member 81 of the top 80 is a ramp 85 comprised of transversely spaced apart and longitudinally extending triangularly shaped ridges 86 each terminating at a vertically extending front wall 87 having a portion thereof extending above the associated ridges 86. At the bottom of the thin member 81 is a downwardly extending wedgeshaped piece 88, that is extending toward the clamping surface 73 and terminating in a clamping surface 89.

Mounted on the base 55 and particularly on the flanges 66 and 67 extending outwardly from the associated side walls 56 and 57 is a slider 95. The slider 95 includes a flat plate 96 having inturned flanges 97 adapted to surround the associated flange 66 or 67 and to slide thereon. The top surface of the plate 96 is serrated to provide a positive gripping surface. In the center of the plate 96 is a raised finger grip portion 98 also having a serrated surface 101 to facilitate easy movement of the slider 95 with the thumb or forefinger of the user. A tube 110 is positioned in the channel 75 and cradled by the various tube guides 71, all as seen in the drawings.

In use, a tube 110 is positioned in the channel 75 with the slider 95 close to the rear wall 58 of the tube clamp 50. Because the top or clamping member 80 is flexible and particularly member 81 thereof, it is easily positioned in the raised configuration shown in Figures 1 and 4, thereby easily to accommodate the tube 110 therein. In order to control the flow of fluids in the tube 110, the slider 95 is moved forwardly by pushing against the serrated finger grip 99, thereby to contact the ramp 85 of the top 80 and to move the top downwardly from the position illustrated in Figure 4 to the position illustrated in Figure 7.In the position illustrated in Figure 7, the slider 95 is in its forward-most position and in contact with the ramp 85 such that the clamping surface 89 of the wedge-shaped piece 88 forces the walls of the tube 110 together between the clamping surfaces 89 and 73, see Figure 8. In this position, the tube 110 is closed and no fluids flow therethrough.

Release of the tube 110 is easily accomplished by moving the slider 95 to the position illustrated in Figure 4. The natural or normal position of the top 80 being such to cause the top to rise to the raised position thereof. Control of fluid flow in the tube 110 is also easily obtained by moving the slider intermediate the positions shown in Figures 4 and 7 thereby to provide infinite control of the fluid flow in the tube 110.

The tube clamp 50 of the present invention is inexpensive to produce since the base 55 and top 80 can be molded in a single piece of any suitable synthetic organic resin, such as polyethylene or polypropylene and similarly the slider 95 is an easily molded piece to provide an inexpensive tube clamp.

The slider 95 is initially introduced onto the base 55 by positioning the top 80 downwardly into the channel 75 to that the front wall 87 lies below or even with the outwardly extending flanges 66 and 67, thereby to permit easy sliding introduction of the slider 95 onto the flanges 66 and 67. Rearward movement of the slider 95 is terminated by the outwardly extending flange 65 of the rear wall 58.

After the tube 110 is introduced into the channel 75, forward movement of the slider 95 beyond the front wall 87 is prevented since the front wall 87 always extends above the forward ends of the associated outwardly extending flanges 66 and 67, thereby preventing inadvertent dislodgement of the slider 95 from the base 55. This feature is important since it prevents inadvertent release of fluid within the tube 110 after the tube has been clamped shut.

Because the member 81 is flexible and integral with the rear wall 58, the normal position of the top or clamping member 80 is that of Figure 4. When the slider 95 is moved rearwardly from the position illustrated in Figure 7 to that of Figure 4, then the top or clamping member 80 automatically rises to the Figure 4 and Figure 6 position, since the top is normally urged in that direction. This feature is very helpful in patient treatment since the attendant can more easily operate the clamp 50 of the present invention.

As previously discussed, the clamp 50 of the present invention is easy to operate and inexpensive to produce, thereby providing an improved disposable tube clamp. The base 55 and top or clamping member 80 are molded in one-piece, as is the slider 95. The two pieces of the tube clamp 50 are easy to assemble and once assembled, with a tube 110 in place, impossible to lose the slider 95.

Claims (18)

1. Atube clamp, comprising a base forming a channel open at the top thereof and having a clamping surface for accommodating a tube to be clamped, a clamping member associated with said base dimensioned to fit within said channel, and a slider mounted on said base for longitudinal sliding movement therealong, at least one of said base and said clamping member and said slider having an inclined ramp surface thereon, whereby movement of said slider longitudinally of said base causes said clamping member to approach said clamping surface and to clamp a tube positioned therebetween.

2. The tube clamp according to claim 1 wherein said integral base and clamping member are a synthetic organic resin and integral.

3. The tube clamp according to claim 2, wherein said integral base and clamping member are hinged.

4. The tube clamp according to claim 1,2 or 3 and further comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart tube guides in said base.

5. The tube clamp according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the outer surface of said slide is serrated to provide a position gripping surface.

6. Atube clamp, comprising an elongated base having opposing side walls interconnected by a bottom defining a clamping surface and forming a channel for accommodating a tube to be clamped, a clamping member in registry with said clamping surface, and a slider mounted on said base side walls for longitudinal sliding movement therealong, at least one of said base bottom and said clamping member and said slider having an inclined ramp surface thereon, whereby movement of said slider longitudinally of said base causes said clamping member to approach said clamping surface and to clamp a tube positioned therebetween.

7. The tube guide according to claim 6, wherein said base is rectangular in transverse cross section with the side walls thereof having outwardly extending flanges.

8. The tube guide according to claim 7, wherein said slider is mounted on said flanges.

9. The tube guide according to claim 6,7 or 8 wherein said ramp surface is positioned on said clamping member away from said base bottom.

10. The tube clamp according to any of claims 6 to 9, wherein said ramp is defined by longitudinally extending and transversely spaced apart ridges each being triangularly shaped.

11. The tube guide according to claim 10, wherein in each of said spaced apart ridges forming said ramp terminate in a transversely extending wall.

12. The tube guide according to any of claims 6 to 11, and further comprising a wedge extending outwardly of said clamping member in a direction opposite to said ramp.

13. Atube clamp, comprising an elongated base having opposing side walls interconnected by a bottom defining a clamping surface and forming a channel for accommodating a tube to be clamped, a clamping member hinged to said base and dimen sioned to be in registry with said clamping surface, the outwardly facing surface of said clamping member when said member is in registry with said clamping surface having a ramp surface thereon extending outwardly from the central portion of said member toward one end thereof away from said hinge, and a slider mounted on said base side walls for longitudinal sliding movement therealong, whereby movement of said slider longitudinally of said base causes said slider to contact said ramp surface forcing said clamping member toward said clamping surface to clamp a tube positioned therebetween.

14. The tube guide according to claim 13, wherein aid base and said clamping member are a synthetic organic resin and are integral.

15. The tube clamp according to claim 13 or 14, wherein said hinge provides a stop for said slider, preventing movement of said slider off said side walls.

16. The tube clamp according to claim 13, 14 or 15 and further comprising a wedge integral with said clamping member and extending therefrom in a direction opposite to said ramp.

17. The tube clamp according to any of claims 13 to 16 and further comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart part circular tube guides in said channel.

18. Atube clamp substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.