IE80640B1 - Valva assembly for use in medical treatment - Google Patents

Abstract

In the valve assembly, a flow controller unit (2) and an exclusive charging port (3) are provided. Unit (2) is detachably mounted on a gas bomb (not shown). In unit (2), a gas delivery chamber (20) is formed in a valve body (1). Provided in chamber (20) is a housing (23) with both a cylinder (24) and a gas inlet passage (33) for introducing the gas through a filter (34). A pressure reducing valve (21) is constructed by slidably mounting a piston (25) with a gas passage (26) in cylinder (24). A unit body (22) has its end inserted in cylinder (24), and is fixed to a valve body (1). Provided in unit body (22) are a flow controller mechanism and a nozzle-type coupler (46). In charging port (93), a check valve body (57) with a gas supply passage is mounted in an opening of valve body (1). Disposed inside the check valve body (57) is a valve element (58) which moves under the influence of a difference between an inner and an outer gas pressure to open/close the gas supply passage.

Description

The present invention relates to a valve assembly for use in medical treatment such as domiciliary oxygen treatments, respiration aids and the like, the valve assembly being detachably mounted on a portable oxygen-gas bomb system to decompress a compressed oxygen gas of the bomb so as to supply a predetermined amount of the thus decompressed oxygen gas to a patient.

Description of the Prior Art: Of hospitalized patients or chronic sufferers from difficulty in breathing, the number of ones, who are stable in condition and capable of receiving treatments by inhalation of the oxygen gas in their homes, shows a yearly increase. Such domiciliary treatments by inhalation of the oxygen gas enable the patients to return to normal home life and work in society. It has been said that the number of the patients receiving the domiciliary treatments by inhalation of the oxygen gas is more than thirty thousand at the present time.

Mounted on a small-sized portable bomb of the oxygen gas (hereinafter simply referred to the gas) used in the domiciliary treatments by inhalation of the gas is a conventional valve assembly for 06 4 0 decompressing the pressurized gas to supply a predetermined amount of the gas thus decompressed to the patient. Since a container valve of the conventional valve assembly does not function as a flow control valve, it is necessary for the conventional valve assembly to use a separate flow controller which is mounted on the valve assembly in use. However, mounting/dismounting operations of the flow controller are very cumbersome, and, therefore impose a heavy load on the user or patient.

As described above, the conventional valve assembly for use in medical treatment is cumbersome in operation, which imposes a heavy load on the patient in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Under such circumstances, the present invention was made. Consequently, it is an object of the present invention to provide a valve assembly for use in medical treatment, which is so easy in operation as to enables even a user or patient not familiar with the assembly to properly use the same.

The above object of the present invention is accomplished by providing: A valve assembly for use in medical treatment, characterized in that: a flow controller unit and an exclusive charging port are provided in a valve body which is detachably mounted on a gas bomb; in the flow controller unit, a housing provided with a cylinder portion and a gas inlet passage is received in a gas delivery chamber formed in the valve body! the flow controller unit is constructed of a pressure reducing valve and a unit body; the pressure reducing valve is provided with a piston which is slidably received in the cylinder portion of the housing! the piston is provided with a gas passage which communicates with the gas inlet passage! the unit body is provided with a flow control mechanism and a nozzle-type coupler, and fixedly mounted on the valve body in a condition in which the unit body has its end portion inserted in the cylinder portion! in the exclusive charging port, a check valve body provided with a supply passage is mounted in a charging opening which projects from the valve body! and a valve element for opening and closing the supply passage is provided in the check valve body, and moved due to a pressure difference between an inner pressure and an outer pressure.

It is also possible to separately provide a main valve in the valve body. Alternatively, in place of the main valve, a pressure reducing valve may be employed, in which two-stage pressure reduction may be performed. Preferably, a residual-gas indicator and/or a pressure gauge may be provided in an upper surface of the valve body.

In the flow controller mechanism: a handle is provided, and provided with a flow control plate in its front end, the flow control plate being provided with various sized of measuring through-holes! the handle has its spindle rotatably mounted in the unit body in an insertion manner! the unit body is provided with a gas passage which communicates with any one of the measuring through-holes of the flow control plate when the flow control plate is rotated.

Alternatively, the flow controller mechanism may be of a conventional needle-valve type or of a fixed-orifice member type.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of the valve assembly of the present invention! Fig. 2 is a partially broken plan view of the first embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. I! Fig. 3 is a a partially broken left-side view of the first embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 1! Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a flow controller unit of the first embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 1, illustrating a pressure reducing valve for the flow controller unit! Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the flow controller unit of the first embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. l! Fig: 6 is a front view of a flow controller plate of the flow controller unit in the first embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 1! Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the valve assembly of the present invention! Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the valve assembly of the present invention! Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of a zero-stopper mechanism portion of the third embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 8! and Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the valve assembly of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinbelow, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. A valve assembly of the present invention, which comprises a valve body 1, a flow controller unit 2 and an exclusive charging port 3 in addition to a I residual-gas indicator or pressure gage 4. The valve assembly of the present invention has its externallythreaded tube portion 5 screwed into a gas bomb (not shown), so that the valve assembly is detachably mounted on the gas bomb.

The valve body 1 in the embodiment of the valve assembly shown in Figs. 1 to 6 further comprises a main valve in construction, and is made of aluminum for a reason described later. The construction of the main valve will be now described. In a valve box 7 of the valve body 1, a handle 8 is rotatably mounted through a gland nut 9. More particularly, the gland nut 9 comprises a threaded sleeve portion which has its outer and its inner peripheral surface threaded to form a male and a female screw portion in its outer and its inner peripheral surface, respectively. This male screw portion of the gland nut 9 is screwed into an opening of an end projection of the valve box 7, which opening is internally threaded so as to threadably engage with the male screw portion of the gland nut 9, whereby the gland nut 9 is fixedly mounted on the valve box 7. Further, the gland nut 9 is provided with a spindle hole 10 in which a spindle 11 is rotatably mounted.

The spindle 11 has its outer end fixed to the handle 8, and has its inner end radially enlarged to form an enlarged portion an outer peripheral portion of which is threaded so as to threadably engage with the female screw portion of the gland nut 9.

Consequently, when the handle 8 is rotated, the spindle 11 rotates together with the handle 8 to move in a longitudinal direction of the spindle 11. At this time, the gland nut 9 remains stationary.

It suffices to rotate the handle 8 through an angle of less than a half turn of the handle 8 to perform the opening/closing operations of the gas passage. The handle 8 is provided with a skirt portion 12 for covering an outer peripheral surface of the gland nut 9. Consequently, when an indication such as open, close and the like is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the skirt portion 12 of the handle 8, it is possible for a user to know at a glance whether the gas passage is opened or closed. Since the opening/closing operations of the gas passage are performed by rotating the handle through an angle of less than a half turn of the handle 8 as described above, it is possible to provide the above indication such as open, close and the like in an upper half of the skirt portion 12 of the handle 8, which enables the user to easily watch such indication.

In the valve box 7, there is provided a push rod 13 which is slidably mounted in a push-rod guide 14 so as to be movable right and left relative to the guide 14, as viewed in Fig. 2. A gas-flow controller chamber 15 is formed in the bottom of a concave portion of the valve box 7, in which concave portion the push-rod guide 14 is fixedly mounted. A valve element 16 is provided with a seat in its front-end surface, slidably mounted in the above concave portion of the valve box 7, and is urged forward by a compression coil spring 17 so as to close both a gas inlet passage 18 and a gas outlet passage 19.

Fig. 2 shows a condition in which both of the gas passages 18, 19 are closed. In this condition, when the handle 8 is rotated, both the handle 8 and the spindle 9 moves to the right as viewed in Fig. 2. As a result, the gas inlet passage 18 is opened to apply a fluid pressure to the seat of the valve element 16, which moves the valve element 16 to the right against a resilient force exerted by the spring 17, whereby the gas outlet passage 19 is opened. As a result, the oxygen gas supplied from the gas bomb flows to the gas outlet passage 19 through the gas inlet passage 18 and the gas-flow controller chamber 15.

Since the gas-flow controller chamber 15 has not any threaded portion, there is no fear that the chamber 15 is contaminated with wear particles. Consequently, in this respect, the gas-flow controller chamber 15 may be sanitized, and free from a fair that wear particles are heated and burnt through adiabatic compression heating caused by a high-pressure flow of the gas. Although the valve element 16 is moved under the influence of the gas pressure when the gas inlet passage 18 is opened, there is no fear that a pressure of the gas within the gas-flow controller chamber 15 rapidly increases, because the valve element 16 is constantly urged by the spring 17. Consequently, the valve element 16 can be made of aluminum, which realizes a considerable weight reduction in the valve element 16.

On the other hand, the flow controller unit 2 is constructed of·' a pressure reducing valve 21 disposed in a gas delivery chamber 20, the chamber 20 being formed in the valve body 1 so as to communicate with the gas outlet passage 19! and, a unit body 22 disposed outside the pressure reducing valve 21. Fig. shows a construction of the pressure reducing valve 21 in detail. As shown in Fig. 4, a housing portion 23 of the pressure reducing valve 16 is provided with a cylinder portion 24 in which a piston 25 is axially slidably received in an insertion manner. The piston 25 is provided with a shaft portion 27 in which a gas passage 26 is coaxially formed. A front-end portion of the shaft portion 27 reaches a gas inlet chamber 29.

This chamber 29 is formed in a projecting portion 28 of the housing portion 23 in the pressure reducing valve 21.

Coaxially mounted on the shaft portion 27 of the piston 25 is a compression coil spring 30 which has one of its opposite ends fixed to the piston and the other fixed to a spring seat 31 which is disposed inside the housing portion 23 of the pressure reducing valve 21. A concave portion 32 is formed in a central area of an outer-end surface of the projecting portion 28 of the pressure-reducing valve 21. This concave portion 32 communicates with the gas inlet chamber 29 through a gas passage 33. A filter member 34 is disposed in the bottom of the concave portion 32 of the pressure reducing valve 21. The gas passage 33 is closed by means of a seat member 35 disposed in a front end of the shaft portion 27 of the piston 25.

The spring 30 functions to urge the piston 25 leftward as viewed in Fig. 4 so as to open the gas passage 33. Since the gas passage 33 communicates with the the gas inlet chamber 29, the gas supplied from the gas passage 19 is reduced in pressure through a primary pressure reduction performed in the pressure reducing valve 21, and supplied to gas passage 26 of the piston 25.

An initial pressure of the oxygen gas contained in the gas bomb (not shown) is within a range of from about 150 to about 200 Kilogram-force per square centimeter, and is reduced to a pressure of about 1.4 Kilogram-force per square centimeter through the pressure reducing valve 21. When the initial pressure of the gas in the bomb is considerably reduced as a result of the consumption of the oxygen gas in medical treatment, a pressure of the gas passed through the pressure reducing valve 21 eventually reduces to a value of from about 1.1 to about 1.2 Kilogram-force per square centimeter, which makes it impossible to supply the gas to the patient in a steady manner.

In order to avoid the above problem, the gas delivery chamber 20 is slightly elongated. Further, the pressure reducing valve 21 is constructed of a double reduction mechanism of the gas pressure.

Alternatively, as described later, a main valve is replaced with a pressure reducing valve which is constructed of a double reduction mechanism of the gas pressure.

In this double reduction mechanism: the initial gas pressure is reduced to a pressure of from about 5 to about 7 Kilogram-force per square centimeter through a primary pressure reduction performed in a first-stage pressure reducing valve; and the thus reduced gas pressure is further reduced to a predetermined pressure of about 1.4 Kilogramforce per square centimeter through a secondary pressure reduction performed in a second-stage pressure reducing valve. In this case, although the gas pressure reduced through the primary pressure reduction is influenced by variation of the initial gas pressure, the gas pressure reduced through the secondary pressure reduction is not influenced by variation of the initial gas pressure, which makes it possible to supply the gas to the patient in a steady manner.

Fig. 5 shows in detail a construction of the unit body 22 for gas flow regulation or control. The unit body 22 has its front-end portion received in the housing portion 23 of the pressure reducing valve 21, and has the same portion abut on the piston 25.

Further, the unit body 22 is provided with a flange portion 37 covered with a cap nut 38. The cap nut 38 is threadably engaged with an externally threaded portion formed in an outer peripheral surface of an opening portion of the valve body 1, so that the flange portion 37 of the unit body 22 is sandwiched between an inner surface of the cap nut 38 and an end surface of the opening portion of the valve body 1, whereby the unit body 22 is fixedly mounted on the the valve body 1.

In Fig. 5, the reference numeral 41 denotes a handle provided with a spindle 42. The spindle 42 is rotatably mounted in the unit body 22, and provided with a flow controller plate 43 in its front-end portion. As shown in Fig. 6, a plurality of orifices 44, which vary in diameter to form various measuring openings, are provided in the flow controller plate 43 at equal angular intervals. Preferably, one of the orifices 44 is closed. Each of the orifices, i.e., measuring openings 44 is so arranged as to communicate with a gas passage 45 in the unit body 22 when the flow controller plate 43 is rotated. A nozzle-type coupler 46 is threadably engaged with the unit body 22 so as to communicate with the gas passage 45 of the unit body 22.

The handle 41 is provided with a skirt portion 47 which covers an end portion of the unit body 22. A plurality of grooves 48 are provided inside the skirt portion 47 of the handle 41. By means of the grooves 48, the orifices, i.e., measuring openings 44 are positioned relative to the unit body 22 in which a plurality of positioning balls 49 are provided to engage with the grooves 48. The balls 49 are radially outwardly urged by compression coil springs.

As shown in Fig. 1, some indication such as a scale and the like for indicating the flow rate of the gas is provided in an outer peripheral surface of the skirt portion 47 of the handle 41. When such indication such as the scale shown in Fig. 1 of the handle 41 and the like has any one of its divisions aligned with an index line (not shown) provided in the unit body 22, the positioning balls 49 engage with the grooves 48 to keep such aligned angular position of the handle 41 relative to the unit body 22.

In this aligned angular position, any one of 5 the measuring openings 44, which corresponds to the above-mentioned division of the indication such as the scale and the like, is aligned with the gas passage 45 to communicate the passage 45, so that the gas, which is supplied from the gas passage 26 of the piston 25 to a space defined in front of the flow controller plate 43, is permitted to reach the gas passage 45.

When the handle 41 is forcibly rotated against detent action performed by the positioning balls 49, these balls 49 are moved out of the grooves 48 to permit the handle 41 to be easily rotated thereafter. When the index line of the unit body 22 is aligned with a division 0 (zero)' of the indication such as a flow rate scale and the like of the handle 41, since any of the measuring openings 44 of the flow controller plate 43 is not aligned with the gas passage 45, the gas passage 45 is closed by the plate 43. Consequently, in this case, there is no gas flow in the gas passage 45. Preferably, a zero-stopper mechanism (described later) for facilitating the above positioning operation is provided in this embodiment of the present invention.

Incidentally, in Fig. 5, the reference numeral 51 denotes a compression coil spring, which is coaxially mounted on the spindle 42 to constantly urge the flow controller plate 43 into a position in which the plate 43 is brought into close contact with the unit body 22, i.e., an inlet portion of the gas passage 45 of the unit body 22. On the other hand, the reference numeral 52 denotes a stopper pin extending from the unit body 22 toward the handle 41. The stopper pin 52 has its front-end portion slidably received in an annular groove 53 of the handle 41. A stopper 54 is fixedly mounted in the annular groove 53 of the handle 41 to abut on the stopper pin 52 of the unit body 22 when the handle 41 is rotated relative to the unit body 22, so that the handle 41 is limited in its rotational motion relative to the unit body 22.

The nozzle-type coupler 46 is connected with a nose cannula (not shown) through an oxygen-gas delivery controller (not shown), if necessary.

Although the flow controller unit 2 employs the above flow regulation or control mechanism, it is also possible for the flow controller unit 2 to employ other mechanisms, for example such as a flow metering valve mechanism, a speed control valve mechanism, a fixed orifice mechanism and the like. More particularly, in the flow metering valve (i.e., substantially a needle valve) mechanism, a valve opening angle is controlled to control a flow resistance, so that a flow rate of the gas is controlled. On the other hand, in the speed control valve mechanism, a check valve is connected in parallel with a flow metering valve to form a one piece, integral speed control valve. In the fixed orifice mechanism, a flow rate of the gas is fixed.

Now, with reference to Fig. 3, the exclusive charging port 3 will be described in construction. The exclusive charging port 3 is constructed of a check valve body 57 screwed into a charging opening 56 of an projecting portion of the valve body 1. A valve element 58 is slidably mounted in the check valve body 57, and moved right and left therein under the influence of a difference between an outer gas pressure and an inner gas pressure. The valve element 58 is constantly urged by a compression coil spring 59 into a position in which the valve element 58 closes the a gas supply passage 60 in the valve body 57. In Fig. 3: the reference numeral 61 denotes a cap threadably engaged with an externally threaded portion of the projection portion of the valve body 1! 62 denotes a safety valve plug! and 63 denotes a main gas passage.

When a gas tank (not show) is charged with the oxygen gas, the cap 61 is removed from the valve body 1. Then, the has tank has its gas supply port (not show) connected with the charging opening 56 of the valve body 1, so that the oxygen gas is filled in the gas tank. Since a pressure of the oxygen gas in the gas supply side is high at the beginning of gas supply operation, the valve element 58 is urged inwardly against the resilient force exerted by the spring 59, so that the gas supply passage 60 is opened, whereby the oxygen gas flows into the gas bomb (not shown) through the main passage 63. After completion of this gas charging operation, a pressure of the oxygen gas in the main passage 63 is increased to urge outward the valve element 58 so that the gas supply passage 60 is closed. Since the gas charging operation is performed in a manner described above, any opening/closing operations of the handles are not required in the embodiment of the present invention.

The residual-gas indicator or pressure gauge 4 is disposed in a most prominent portion (i.e., an upper surface) of the valve body 1, and covered with a guard cover 64. The residual-gas indicator 4 calculates a remaining period of available operating time of the gas bomb (not shown) on the basis of a pressure of the gas contained in the bomb, and indicates the thus calculated period of available operating time of the bomb.

More particularly, the residual-gas indicator 4 comprises: a gas pressure measuring means for measuring a pressure of a gas contained in a gas bomb! a flow-rate set value storage means for storing a set value of a flow rate of the gas in consumption supplied from the gas bomb to an external area; a capacity set value storage means for storing a set value of a capacity of the gas bomb; an available remaining operating time calculating means for calculating an available period of remaining operating time of the gas bomb on the basis of a pressure of the remaining gas contained in the the gas bomb, the pressure of the remaining gas being measured by the pressure measuring means with the use of both the set value of the flow rate of the gas in consumption having been stored in the flow-rate set value storage means and the set value of the bomb’s capacity having been stored in the capacity set value storage means! and, an available remaining operating time indicator means for indicating an available period of remaining operating time of the bomb, which period is calculated by the available remaining operating time calculating means.

In another embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. T- the main valve in the above embodiment of the present invention is omitted in construction! and, only both the flow controller unit 2 and the exclusive charging port 3, which are the substantially same in construction as those used in the above embodiment of the present invention, are provided in construction (in the another embodiment of the present invention, the parts which are the same as ones in the above embodiment of the present invention have been given the same reference numerals).

Although the flow controller unit 2 and the exclusive charging port 3 are so arranged as to be perpendicular to each other in the valve body 1 in the above embodiment of the present invention, they 2, 3 are so arranged as to be parallel with each other in the another embodiment of the present invention.

In the another embodiment of the present invention, the flow control plate 43 serves as a main valve. More particularly, when the handle 41 is operated to set a flow rate at '0 (zero)', all the measuring openings 44 of the flow control plate 43 are not aligned with the gas passage 45, so that the gas passage 45 is closed, whereby the gas is prevented from reaching the nozzle coupler 46.

In a further another embodiment of the present invention shown in Figs. 8 and 9: the main valve of the above first embodiment of the present invention is replaced with the first pressure reducing valve, so that the pressure reducing mechanism has a two-stage construction. In Figs. 8 and 9, the parts, which are the same as ones in the first embodiment of the present invention shown in Figs. 1 to 7, have been given the same reference numerals as those used in Figs. 1 to 7, and are not further explained.

In the drawings: the reference numeral 70 denotes the housing mounted in the gas delivery chamber 71 which communicates with the gas passage 19 of the valve box 7. Provided in a central area of a front end surface of the housing 70 is the concave portion 72 which communicates with the gas inlet passage 18. The filter member 73 is mounted in the concave portion 72. On the other hand, the reference numeral 74 denotes an 0-ring which is mounted on the front-end surface and brought into press-contact with a wall surface of the gas delivery chamber 71.

Further, formed in the housing 70 is the gas passage 76 through which the gas delivery chamber 71 is communicated with the gas inlet chamber 75 disposed inside the housing 70.

Formed in the rear side (i.e., in the righthand side as viewed in Fig. 8) of the gas inlet chamber 75 is a cylinder chamber 77 which is open at the rear side of the housing 70. The piston 78 is slidably mounted in the cylinder chamber 77 in an insertion manner. The piston 78 is provided with the shaft portion 80 in which the gas passage 79 is formed. The shaft portion 80 of the piston 78 has its front-end portion inserted in the gas inlet chamber 75. Coaxially mounted on the the shaft portion 80 of the piston 78 is a compression coil spring 81 which has one of its opposite ends fixed to the piston 78 and the other of its opposite ends fixed to a spring seat 82.

The spring seat 82 is coaxially mounted on the shaft portion 80 in the housing 70. The spring 81 functions to constantly urge the 0~ring 83 through the spring seat 82, whereby the cylinder chamber 77 is hermetically isolated from the gas inlet chamber 75. The reference numeral 85 denotes a piston set member which is mounted in an opening portion of the cylinder chamber 77 in an insertion manner. The piston set member 85 is provided with a flange portion which is in abutting engagement with an end of the opening portion of the cylinder chamber 77.

The reference numeral 86 denotes a mounting nut for mounting the first pressure reducing valve.

The mounting nut 86 serves as a cap of the first pressure reducing valve, and is provided with a female screw portion 86a in its front portion. The female screw portion 86a is threadably engaged with the male screw portion formed in an outer peripheral surface of the valve box 7.

Although a rear end surface of the mounting nut 86 may be closed (See the mounting nut 105 for mounting the pressure reducing valve described later with reference to Fig. 10), the embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 8 has such rear end surface of the mounting nut 86 opened. Consequently, mounted in the thus opened rear end surface of the mounting nut 86 is a valve closing piece 87 which serves as a safety mechanism for closing the thus opened rear end surface when an excessive pressure (for example, such as a pressure of more than 15 Kgforce per square centimeter) of the gas is developed in the gas inlet chamber 75.

The valve closing piece 87 has its intermediate portion radially outwardly expanded. Formed in an outer peripheral surface of the thus expanded intermediate portion of the valve closing piece 87 is a male screw 88 which is threadably engaged with a female screw formed in an inner peripheral surface of a rear end side opening portion of the mounting nut 86.

Further, the valve closing piece 87 has its head portion slidably mounted in a central hole 89 of the piston set member 85 in an insertion manner, and has its rear end surface exposed at the rear end opening portion of the mounting nut 86. Formed in the thus exposed rear end surface of the valve closing piece 87 is a radial groove 87a in which a tip of a screwdriver, a coin and the like is fitted.

Consequently, it is possible for the user to axially move the valve closing piece 87a relative to the mounting nut 86 by rotating the valve closing piece 87 with the use of the tip of the screwdriver, coins and the like thus fitted in the groove 87a of the valve closing piece 87 relative to the mounting nut 86. The reference numeral 90 denotes a stopper pin for preventing the valve closing piece 87 from dropping out of the mounting nut 86.

Now, the valve closing piece 87 will be described in operation. In the primary pressure reduction, when a pressure of the gas supplied from the gas inlet passage 18 reaches an abnormal pressure (for example, such as a pressure of more than 15 Kgforce per square centimeter), the 0-ring 83 through which the cylinder chamber 77 is hermetically isolated from the gas inlet chamber 75 is pushed, so that the spring seat 82 is pushed back against a resilient force exerted by the spring 81, whereby the gas passes through the 0-ring 83 to enter the cylinder chamber 77 through which the gas escapes to the external area.

When the valve closing piece 87 is rotated so as to move forward, the piston 78 is pushed to the left as viewed in Fig. 8 against the resilient force exerted by the spring 81, so that the seat member 78a fixedly mounted in a front end of the piston 78 is brought into close contact with an outlet opening of the concave portion 72 communicating with the gas inlet chamber 75, whereby the outlet opening of the concave portion 72 is closed to prevent the gas from entering the gas inlet chamber 75. Further, it is also possible to use the valve closing piece 87 as a main valve for closing the gas inlet chamber 75 when the gas is not used.

In the embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 8, there is provided a zero-stopper mechanism of the flow controller mechanism, i.e., a mechanism for positioning easily and without fail the spindle 42 in a location in which the gas passage 45 is closed by the unopening portion of the flow control plate 43. For example, this mechanism may be constructed of: a ball 92 slidably received in a through-hole 91 of the unit body 22: and, a concave portion 93 formed in an outer peripheral surface of the spindle 42, in which concave portion 93 a part of the ball 92 is fitted.

The ball 92 is constantly urged by a compression coil spring 91 mounted in the through-hole 91, so that the ball 92 is brought into press contact with the peripheral surface of the spindle 42. Consequently, when the spindle 42 rotates so that the concave portion 93 of the spindle 42 is aligned with the ball 92, the ball 92 is forcibly fitted in the concave portion 93. In such aligned location, the unopening portion of the flow control plate 43 is aligned with the gas passage 45 to close the passage 46. The reference numeral 95 denotes a spring stopper plug for keeping the spring 94 in the through-hole 91. The mechanism described in the above may be employed in the first embodiment of the present invention.

Incidentally, in Figs. 8 and 9, in order to facilitate the description of the present invention, the zero-stopper mechanism differs in location (i.e., in Fig. 8, both the mechanism and the nozzle-type coupler 46 are positioned on the same straight line.

In contrast with this, in Fig. 9, the mechanism is positioned so to be perpendicular to the nozzle-type coupler 46). The zero-stopper mechanism may be provided in a desired position in the unit body 22, and not limited to the positions shown in the drawings.

Now, still further another embodiment of the present invention will be described. Incidentally, like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout Figs. 1 to 10 to avoid redundancy in description. In the embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 10, as is in the embodiment shown in Fig. 8, the pressure reducing valve is of the two-stage construction. However, as for the flow controller mechanism, the embodiment shown in Fig. 10 differs from that shown in Fig. 8.

Namely, in this embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 10, the unit body 100 has its inner end surface abut on the second pressure reducing valve, in which inner end surface a fixed orifice member 101 provided with a single orifice having a predetermined diameter is embedded. The gas supplied from the gas passage 26 of the piston 25 passes through this fixed orifice member 101 in which a flow rate of the gas is measured, so that a predetermined amount of the gas is supplied to the nozzle-type coupler 46 through a gas passage 102 which communicates with the fixed orifice member 101. The reference numeral 103 denotes an opening/closing valve for opening/closing the gas passage 102, and is operated by rotating the handle 104 which is screwed into the unit body 100 from an outer end surface of the unit body 100.

The reference numeral 105 denotes the mounting nut for mounting the first pressure reducing valve.

The mounting nut 105 serves as a cap of the first pressure reducing valve, and is threadably engaged with the valve box 7 in a condition in which the mounting nut 105 is brought into press contact with the piston set member 85. In this case, the mounting nut 105 is provided with a hexagonal bore 106 for fastening the nut 105 in an outer end surface of the nut 105. Provided inside the mounting nut 105 is a mounting seat 107 for protecting the piston set member 85 when the nut 105 is fastened.

In the present invention having the above construction, it is possible for the user not familiar to the valve system to properly operate the system without fail because of the simplicity in handle operation of the system. Further, since the valve system of the present invention is provided with the exclusive charging port, there is no need to operate the handle in the system when the gas is charged. The valve system of the present invention is light in weight and excellent in safety of its construction.

Consequently, the valve system for use in medical treatment of the present invention may lessen the load imposed on the domiciliary oxygen treatment patients, the number of which steadily increases.

Claims (10)

1. CIAIMS:

1. A valve assembly for use in medical treatment, characterized in that·' a flow controller unit and an exclusive 5 charging port are provided in a valve body which is detachably mounted on a gas bomb! in said flow controller unit, a housing provided with a cylinder portion and a gas inlet passage is received in a gas delivery chamber formed 10 in said valve body; said flow controller unit is constructed of a pressure reducing valve and a unit body', said pressure reducing valve is provided with a piston which is slidably received in said cylinder 15 portion of said housing! said piston is provided with a gas passage which communicates with said first gas inlet passage; said unit body is provided with a flow control mechanism and a nozzle-type coupler, and fixedly 20 mounted on said valve body in a condition in which said unit body has its end portion inserted in said cylinder portion! in said exclusive charging port, a check valve body provided with a supply passage is mounted in a 25 charging opening which projects from said valve body! and a valve element for opening and closing said supply passage is provided in said check valve body, and moved due to a pressure difference between an 30 inner pressure and an outer pressure.

2. The valve assembly for use in medical treatment, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said a main valve is interposed between: said gas inlet passage of said valve body to which a gas is 35 supplied from said gas bomb; and, said gas delivery chamber.

3. A valve assembly for use in medical treatment, characterized in that: a flow controller unit and an exclusive charging port are provided in a valve body which is detachably mounted on a gas bomb: a housing provided with a cylinder portion and a gas inlet passage is received in a gas delivery chamber formed in a valve box of said valve body! a first pressure reducing valve is provided with a piston which is slidably received in said cylinder portion of said housing! said piston is provided with a gas passage which communicates with said gas inlet passage! in a preliminary stage of said flow controller unit of said valve body, there are provided said housing and a second pressure reducing valve, said housing being provided with a cylinder portion and a gas inlet passage and provided in said gas delivery chamber formed in said valve body, said second pressure reducing valve being provided with a piston which is slidably received in said cylinder portion of said housing, said piston being provided with a gas passage which communicates with said gas inlet passage! as a post-stage of said flow controller unit, there is provided a unit body, said unit body being provided with a flow control mechanism and a nozzletype coupler, and fixedly mounted on said valve body in a condition in which said unit body has its end portion inserted in said cylinder portion! in said exclusive charging port, a check valve body provided with a supply passage is mounted in a charging opening which projects from said valve body! and a valve element for opening and closing said supply passage is provided in said check valve body, and moved due to a pressure difference between an inner pressure and an outer pressure.

4. The valve assembly for use in medical treatment, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the valve 5. Assembly further comprises a mechanism in which: an opening is formed in a rear-end surface of a pressure reducing valve mounting nut which is fixed to said valve box to form a cap of said first pressure reducing valve; 10 a valve closing piece is axially slidably mounted in said opening; and a head portion of said valve closing piece pushes said piston when said valve closing piece is moved forward, whereby a front-end portion of said 15 piston thus pushed prevents the gas from entering the interior of said housing.

5. The valve assembly for use in medical treatment, as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: 20 a residual-gas indicator and/or a pressure gauge are/is provided in said valve body.

6. The valve assembly for use in medical treatment, as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: 25 in said flow controller mechanism, a handle is provided, said handle being provided with a flow control plate in its front end, said flow control plate being provided with various sized of measuring through-holes; 30 said handle has its spindle rotatably mounted in said unit body in an insertion manner! said unit body is provided with a gas passage which communicates with any one of said measuring through-holes of said flow control plate when said 35 flow control plate is rotated.

7. The valve assembly for use in medical treatment, as set forth in claim 6, wherein: said flow control plate is provided with a portion for closing said gas passage.

8. The valve assembly for use in medical 5 treatment, as set forth in claim 6, wherein: the valve assembly further comprises a means for temporarily stopping a rotational motion of said spindle of said handle when said portion of said flow control plate for closing said gas passage is aligned 10 with said gas passage.

9. The valve assembly for use in medical treatment, as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: in said flow controller mechanism, a fixed 15 orifice member with a single measuring opening for keeping constant a rate of inflow is provided in a side-end surface of of said pressure reducing valve of said unit body, said orifice member keeping said rate of inflow constant by having said measuring opening 20 communicate with said gas passage which communicates with said nozzle-type coupler.

10. A valve assembly for use in medical treatment si ihst anti all y in accordance with any of the embodiments as herein described with reference to and as shown in the -5 accompanying drawings.