Rotary pinch valve

A pinch valve for use with a flexible fluid conduit, comprising:

• a valve body including retaining means for receiving and holding the flexible conduit, backing means for supporting the conduit when the conduit is pinched, and a guide channel generally perpendicular to the conduit;
• a piston slidably retained within the guide channel;
• a toggle retained within the valve body having first, second and third cams, the first cam including a lobe adapted to be displaced into an over-center position against the piston so as to latch the toggle in the over-center position;
• means for displacing the second cam to displace the piston into a position wherein the conduit is pinched;
• and
• means for displacing the third cam to release the piston into a second position wherein the conduit is not pinched.

A pinch valve for use with a flexible fluid conduit, comprising:

• a valve body including retaining means for receiving and holding the flexible conduit, backing means for supporting the conduit when the conduit is pinched, and a guide channel generally perpendicular to the conduit;
• a piston slidably retained within the guide channel;
• a toggle rotatably retained within the valve body having first, second and third cams, the first cam including a lobe adapted to be displaced into an over-center position against the piston so as to latch the toggle in the over-center position and pinch the conduit between the backing means and the piston;
• an actuator arm including diverging projections at one end of the arm spaced apart a distance greater than the distance between the second and third cams;
• means for pivoting the actuator arm about a second end of the arm and for positioning the diverging projections over the second and third cams;
• and
• means for pressing the actuator arm into contact with the second or third cams for latching or unlatching the toggle and thereby pinching or releasing the conduit.