Gripper member for retention of a plastic tube

A gripper member which comprises:

• an openable and closable pair of handles interconnected by a hinge member, each handle defining, adjacent said hinge member, an arcuate recess positioned to face the corresponding recess of the other handle and defining gripping projections therein, and a wall member positioned longitudinally on each handle across each arcuate recess and at the same side thereof, whereby a plastic tube may be surrounded and gripped in the arcuate recesses of said handles for rotational retention thereof as a connector member is inserted into or withdrawn from said tube, said wall members pinching said tube into closed, sealed relation when in said recesses with the handles in closed position, each handle carrying a flange positioned longitudinally and at one side of said handle and adjacent said arcuate recess, to prevent touch contamination by the fingers of said plastic tube while it occupies the recesses of said handles, one handle defining a rigid, sliding surface adjacent to and facing said hinge member, and the other handle defining a rigid projection adapted to abut said slide on said surface as the handles are closed, to stabilize said handles against relative lateral motion.

A gripper member made of an integral plastic piece, which comprises:

• an openable and closeable pair of handles interconnected by a hinge member, said hinge member comprising an integral, flexible plastic strip, each handle defining, adjacent said hinge member, an arcuate recess positioned to face the corresponding recess of the other handle and defining gripper projections therein, whereby a flexible plastic tube may be surrounded and gripped in the arcuate recesses of said handles for rotational retention thereof as a connector member is inserted into or withdrawn from said tube, and in which one handle defines a generally rigid, sliding surface adjacent to and facing said hinge member, and the other handle defines a generally rigid projection adapted to abut and slide on said surface as the handles are closed, to stabilize said handles against relative lateral motion.