Firesafe coupling
AssigneeBPR Medical Limited
InventorsDavid Edgar Peel, Richard Radford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosed coupling can include an elongate body having an opening at each end, the openings linked by a conduit; a valve assembly located within the elongate body. The valve assembly is movable between an open position, in which gas can pass between the openings along the conduit, and a closed position in which gas flow between the openings is prevented; a biasing assembly arranged within the elongate body to move the valve assembly into the closed position; and a heat activatable stop located in the region of each opening, operable to hold the valve assembly in the open position against the biasing assembly, and adapted to release the valve assembly to allow the biasing assembly to move the valve assembly to the closed position at an activation temperature.
Claims20
A firesafe medical gas coupling for use with flexible tubing supplying medical gas capable of combustion or of supporting combustion, said coupling comprising:
- an elongate body having an opening in the region of each end, said openings being linked by a conduit;
- a valve assembly located within said elongate body, said valve assembly being movable between an open position, in which gas can pass between said openings along said conduit, and a closed position in which gas flow between said openings is prevented;
- a biasing assembly arranged within said elongate body to move said valve assembly into said closed position;
- and
- a heat activatable stop located in the region of each said opening, operable to hold said valve assembly in said open position against said biasing assembly, and adapted to release said valve assembly to allow said biasing assembly to move said valve assembly to said closed position at an activation temperature.
A method of forming a firesafe medical gas coupling for use with flexible tubing supplying medical gas capable of combustion or of supporting combustion, said method comprising:
- providing an elongate body having an opening in the region of each end, said openings being linked by a conduit;
- locating a valve assembly within said elongate body, said valve assembly being movable between an open position, in which gas can pass between said openings along said conduit, and a closed position in which gas flow between said openings is prevented;
- arranging a biasing assembly within said elongate body to move said valve assembly into said closed position;
- and
- locating a heat activatable stop in the region of each said opening, operable to hold said valve assembly in said open position against said biasing assembly, and adapted to release said valve assembly to allow said biasing assembly to move said valve assembly to said closed position at an activation temperature.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.