GB2285496A

GB2285496A - Medical bag valve

Info

Publication number: GB2285496A
Application number: GB9424633A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ghassem Poormand; Eric Pagan-Ward
Original assignee: Flexicare Medical Ltd
Current assignee: Flexicare Medical Ltd
Priority date: 1993-12-07
Filing date: 1994-12-06
Publication date: 1995-07-12
Also published as: GB9424633D0; GB9325034D0

Abstract

A valve, particularly for use as an outlet valve of a medical bag, such as a urine drainage bag, is opened and closed by relative rotation of its inlet and outlet pipes 12, 18 about an axis perpendicular to their longitudinal axes. The inlet and outlet pipes 12, 18 project from housing parts 14, 16. One housing part has a barrel fitting inside the other housing part. The housing parts each have an aperture that are in alignment when the pipes are aligned as in Fig 1. When the pipes both face the same direction the valve is closed. The apertures may take various forms. Also, a ball may be used. Fig 10 or there may be a separate barrel interengaging with each pipe housing and having a lost motion drive therewith, Fig 12. <IMAGE>

Description

VALVE The present invention relates to valves, in particular valves for controlling the flow of fluid to or from urinary and other medical drainage and collection bags.

Taps for urinary drainage bags are known, and generally comprise an inlet and outlet pipe leading respectively to and from a housing containing a rotatable barrel. The barrel incorporates a flow passage and is rotated by a lever so that in certain lever positions the flow passage within the barrel is brought into register with the inlet and outlet pipes, enabling fluid flow, whilst in other lever positions the flow passage is out of register and the valve is closed.

Examples can be seen in EP-A-428331 and GB-A2236575.

EP-A-68744 shows a valve which is opened and shut by rotating an outlet pipe around its own axis.

The present invention provides a valve which is opened and closed by relative rotation of inlet and outlet pipes about an axis at an angle to the longitudinal axes of the inlet and outlet pipes.

Preferably the axis of relative rotation of the inlet and outlet pipes is perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of both the outlet and inlet pipes..

Preferably, the valve has a central body portion containing a valve element moveable between an open and a closed position and inlet and outlet pipes, the valve element being moveable by relative rotation of the pipes between a first position in which the pipes project in substantially the same direction and a second position in which the pipes project in substantially opposite directions.

Suitably, a first one of the inlet and outlet pipes is associated with a housing part, the second one thereof being associated with a rotatable barrel part at least partly within the housing part, the barrel and housing part having respective openings, the relative rotation of the inlet and outlet pipes effecting relative rotation of the barrel and housing parts to bring the openings into and out of register, thereby to permit or prevent fluid flow between the inlet and outlet pipes when in the respective open and closed positions.

Preferably, a first one of the inlet and outlet pipes is formed integrally with and projecting radially from a cylindrical housing part, and the other of the pipes is formed integrally with and projecting radially from a barrel fitting snugly but rotatably within the housing and having an aperture on a curved face thereof, whereby relative rotation of the inlet and outlet pipes brings the aperture into and out of register with the said first one of the pipes.

In one arrangement, the housing contains a float ball in the vicinity of a tapered inlet passage, which ball is, in the closed position, pushed against the tapering portion by a cam surface on the barrel. When the valve is open, the ball acts as a non-return valve.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the barrel and outlet of the first embodiment of the present invention, Figs. 3 to 5 are side, plan and cross-sectional views of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 being a section on V-V of Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a first embodiment in a partially closed position, Fig. 7 is a side view of the first embodiment in a fully closed position, Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a barrel and outlet according to a third embodiment of the present invention, Figs. 10 and 11 are side views, partially sectioned, of a fourth embodiment of the present invention, in respectively open and closed states, Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a suitably adapted outlet for a medical drainage or collection bag for attachment to the tap according to any of the preceding embodiments, Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the outlet of Fig. 13 to which a closed valve according to any of the preceding embodiments of the attached, Fig. 15 is a perspective view of an alternative form of outlet showing a tap in the process of being closed.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, shown in Figs. 1 to 7, a tap 10 comprises an inlet pipe 12 having a ribbed surface to seal to a tube, first and second housing portions 14,16, and an outlet pipe 18 having a nozzle attachment. The first housing portion 14 is a cylinder open at one end but closed at the other, with the inlet pipe 12 extending radially from a curved surface thereof. The second housing portion 16 is also a cylinder closed at one end with the outlet pipe 18 projecting radially from a curved surface, and has an integral smaller diameter co-axial barrel 20 extending from its open end and fitting snugly within the first housing portion 14. The barrel 20 is hollow and communicates with the hollow interior of the second housing portion 16 and thence with the outlet pipe 18, and is closed except for an aperture 22 facing diametrically away from the outlet pipe 18. The aperture 22 has a angular extent a measured from the axis of the barrel 20.

When in the open position, as shown in Fig. 1, the aperture 22 communicates with the end of the inlet pipe 12, and fluid can flow through the valve as indicated by arrows 24 on Fig. 2. Rotation of the outlet pipe relative to the inlet pipe about the axis 26 of the barrel 20 by an angle a, for example to the position shown in Fig. 6, takes the inlet pipe 12 and aperture 22 out of register and shuts off fluid flow, closing the valve. The outlet pipe can be rotated by at least 180 , to the position shown in Fig. 7 in which the inlet and outlet pipes are parallel and side by side. This is considered to be the fully closed position.

A small recess 28 is provided on the barrel 20, corresponding to a small projection (not shown) within the first housing portion 14, which together provide a "click stop" to mark to the user when the valve is in the fully open position.

A second embodiment, shown in Fig. 8, differs in that the barrel 20 is provided on the first housing portion 14, and that the aperture 22 is provided on an end face of the barrel 20. The aperture 22 is in the form of a segmented portion of the circular end face and faces an internal wall 30 within the second housing portion 16 having a corresponding aperture 32. Thus, when the inlet and outlet pipes 12,18 are anti-parallel, the first and second apertures 22 and 32 are in register and the valve is open. Rotation of the outlet pipe 18 relative to the inlet pipe 12 eventually brings the first and second apertures 22,32 out of register and shuts off the valve. To allow for complete closure of the valve by the time the inlet and outlet pipes 12,18 are parallel, the angular extent of the apertures 22,32 should be less than 1800. In the embodiment shown, it is 90".

A third embodiment, shown in Fig. 9, is very similar to the second embodiment, except that the interior spaces of the first and second housing portions 14,16 are partly filled, leaving only a through channel 34 extending back from the aperture 32. The external end face 36 is closed by a suitable blanking plate.

In a fourth embodiment, shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the inlet pipe 12 has, at its root, an outwardly tapering portion 38. Within the interior of this tapering portion 38 is a float ball 40. When in the closed position, shown in Fig. 11, the float ball 40 is held by the barrel 20 against the internal face of the tapering portion 38, preventing fluid flow and closing the valve. When the valve 10 is in the open position, shown in Fig. 10, the float ball 40 can drop into the aperture 22, allowing fluid to flow into a clearance 42 provided around the barrel 20 within the first housing portion 14. Fluid can then flow into the barrel 20 via additional apertures 44 distributed on the barrel 20 and thence out of the outlet.

Fig. 12 shows a fifth embodiment in which a lost motion linkage 46 is interposed between inlet and outlet pipes 12,18 in the form of a barrel 20 received in the housing portions 14,16. The barrel 20 is hollow and has near its opposite ends inlet and outlet apertures 22 spaced by 1800. The lost motion linkage 46 comprises a plurality of projections 50 extending from an end face of one part 48 of the barrel, which projections interact with corresponding projections (not shown) on the inside end face of the second housing portion 16, to provide a lost motion mechanism. The effect is that the barrel part is rotated by 90" when the inlet and outlet pipes are rotated 1800 between the open and closed positions of the valve.

Figs. 13 and 14 show a suitable outlet plate for affixing to the surface of a drainage or collection bag.

The plate 60 has an outlet portion 62 with a bore 64 which is adapted to accept the inlet pipe 12 of a tap 10 according to any preceding embodiment. The bore 64 extends to a lower surface of the plate 60 and, in use, an aperture is provided in the bag for communication with the bore 64. Alongside the outlet portion 62 is a seat 66 having clips 68. The seat 66 is generally shaped to receive the outlet pipe 18 of a tap 10 and the clips 68 releasably retain the outlet pipe 18. Thus, a tap 10 can be held in the closed position, as shown in Fig. 14, by the clips 68. When it is desired to open tap 10, the outlet pipe 18 is disengaged from the clips 68 and rotated until anti-parallel with the inlet pipe 12. A drainage or collection tube (not shown) can then be attached to the outlet pipe 18. This arrangement has the advantage that the tap is positively retained in the closed position, and that the interior faces of the tap (and hence the interior of any equipment connected thereto) are protected against ingress of dust etc.

An alternative arrangement is shown in Fig. 15, in which the inlet pipe 12 is connected to a first flexible hose 70 which communicates with the interior of the bag 72. A second flexible hose 74 is both attached to the bag 72 alongside the first flexible hose 70 and sealed by a transverse weld 76. Thus, the tap 10 can be held in the closed position by inserting the outlet pipe 18 into the second flexible hose 74. This arrangement retains the advantages of the arrangement of Figs. 13 and 14.

Thus, the present invention provides a valve which is simple to manufacture and operate, and is more hygienic.

Claims

1. A valve which is opened and closed by relative rotation of inlet and outlet pipes about an axis at an angle to longitudinal axes of the inlet and outlet pipes.

2. A valve according to claim 1 wherein the axis of relative rotation of the inlet and outlet pipes is perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of both the outlet and inlet pipes.

3. A valve according to claim 1 or claim 2 having s a central body portion containing a valve element moveable between an open and a closed position and inlet and outlet pipes, the valve element being moveable by relative rotation of the pipes between a first position in which the pipes project in substantially the same direction and a second position in which the pipes project in substantially opposite directions.

4. A valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein a first one of the inlet and outlet pipes is associated with a housing part, the second one thereof being associated with a rotatable barrel part at least partly within the housing part, the barrel and housing part having respective openings, the relative rotation of the inlet and outlet pipes effecting relative rotation of the barrel and housing parts to bring the openings into and out of register, thereby to permit or prevent fluid flow between the inlet and outlet pipes when in the respective open and closed positions.

5. A valve according to claim 4 wherein the barrel part is fast with said second one of the pipes or is constrained to rotate with said second one of the pipes over part or all of the rotational travel thereof relative to the first one of the pipes.

6. A valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein a first one of the inlet and outlet pipes is formed integrally with and projecting radially from a cylindrical housing part, and the other of the pipes is formed integrally with and projecting radially from a barrel fitting snugly but rotatably within the housing and having an aperture on a curved face thereof, whereby relative rotation of the inlet and outlet pipes brings the aperture into and out of register with the said first one of the pipes.

7. A valve substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figs. 1 to 7, Fig. 8, Fig.

9, Figs. 10 and 11 or Fig. 12 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A valve according to any one of the preceding claims in combination with an attachment member for attaching the valve to a bag, the attachment member having a tube adapted to connect to the inlet pipe of the valve and a holding means for holding the outlet pipe of the valve in the closed position thereof.

9. A valve according to any one of claims 1 to 7 in combination with a bag, the valve being adapted to act as an outlet valve of said bag.