Pinch clamp devices, methods, and systems

A tube clamp for closing a flexible tube by applying a pinching force to walls of the flexible tube, the tube clamp comprising:

• a housing connected to a circular flange, the circular flange including a tubular wall surrounding a central bore and including at least one slot in the tubular wall sized to accept the flexible tube;
• a pinching element positioned inside the central bore and being rotatable about a central axis of the circular flange
• a coupling block that includes a cam;
• at least one cam pin protruding from the pinching element and cooperating with the cam to induce rotating motion of the pinching element;
• at least one support shaft extending from the housing parallel to the central axis;
• and
• a biasing spring that exerts a biasing force on the pinching element, wherein
• the coupling block includes a shaft bore sized to accept the at least one support shaft,
• the coupling block is configured to slide parallel to the central axis along the at least one support shaft without rotation around the central axis,
• the pinching element includes a pinching projection consisting of a single rotary pinch lobe,
• the pinching element passes through a hole in the housing and is connected to a motor that is configured to apply a force that causes rotation of the pinching element within the hole in the housing,
• the biasing force urges the single rotary pinch lobe to at least partially obstruct the slot,
• the pinching element includes a spring pin extending out of the pinching element perpendicularly to the central axis, and
• the biasing spring presses against the spring pin to exert a rotational force on the pinching element.