US 5,035,399 A · Protective tubing clamp apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus for occluding resilient tubing which effectively and conveniently occludes tubing without damage to the tubing, even after repeated clamping. Included in embodiments of the invention are a clamping structure and a protective sleeve formed from a resilient material which is interposed between the tubing to be occluded and the clamp. Also included are structures to prevent the application of the clamp immediately adjacent to the ends of the tubing. Moreover, the clamp can be applied at any one of a plurality of positions along the tube so that no one location along the length of the tube is subject to excessive fatigue. The protective sleeve and the clamp are joined together such that the clamp cannot be applied to the tube without the protective sleeve interposed therebetween. The embodiments of the present invention prevent damage to tubing, such as fragile silicone rubber tubing used in medical applications, even when subjected to repeated clampings.

Claims28

Dependent claims

An apparatus for occluding resilient tubing to interrupt the flow of a fluid therethrough, the apparatus comprising:

(a) means for compressing the resilient tubing by urging together opposing walls thereof, the means for compressing being capable of assuming an open and a closed configuration and having compressing structures adapted to produce mutually opposed forced for urging together opposing walls of the resilient tubing when the means for compressing is in the closed configuration;
(b) means for protectively covering at least a portion of the circumference of the resilient tubing with a layer of resilient material, the means for protectively covering being positionable at any one of a plurality of positions along the length of the resilient tubing;
and
(c) means for permanently connecting the means for compressing to the means for protectively covering, such that the means for protectively covering is interposed between the resilient tubing and the compressing structure whenever the means for compressing is in its closed configuration in any of said plurality of positions along the length of the tubing, thereby minimizing damage to any particular position on the resilient tubing due to the repeated compressing of the resilient tubing by the means for compressing.

1 more element

An apparatus for occluding resilient tubing comprising:

(a) a protective sleeve disposed opposing a portion of the wall of the resilient tubing, the protective sleeve being compressible against the wall of the resilient tubing to occlude the tubing and being slidable along the length of the tubing;
and
(b) a clamp having a compressive structure and being permanently attached to a medial position on the protective sleeve, said compressive structure of the clamp being adapted in a closed configuration thereof to selectively effect a compressible contact through the protective sleeve against the wall of the resilient tubing, the protective sleeve being always interposed between the compressive structure of the clamp and the resilient tubing within the sleeve, and the sleeve being movable along the length of the resilient tubing to allow the compressive contact of the clamp to be applied to a plurality of points along the length of resilient tubing, thereby to avoid damage at any particular position on the resilient tubing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Protective tubing clamp apparatus

Life of this patent

Protective tubing clamp apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28