Interchangeable pinch valve system

An interchangeable pinch valve system, comprising:

• a. a valve body having a flow axis defined by a longitudinally directed through passage formed by an interior wall thereof;
• b. a tubular sleeve member being formed by a flexible tubular wall and being disposed within said valve body through passage coaxial said flow axis, said tubular sleeve member including at least an interior surface formed by a chemical-resistant coating layer laminated to a reinforcement layer, said tubular sleeve member being coupled to said valve body on opposing ends thereof to define an interruptable fluid flow path therebetween;
• c. means for pinching an intermediate portion of said tubular sleeve member to interrupt said fluid flow path, said tubular sleeve member being in contiguous contact with said interior wall of said valve body and having a pair of outwardly extending transverse folds formed in said flexible wall on opposing longitudinal ends of said intermediate portion of said tubular sleeve member, whereby said fluid flow path can be pinched closed without substantial stretch of said tubular sleeve member flexible wall;
• and,
• d. means for detecting damage of said coating layer formed on said interior surface of said tubular sleeve member, said detecting means includes (1) a pair of spaced electrodes disposed at an interface between said interior coating layer and said reinforcement layer, (2) means for measuring a resistance value between said pair of electrodes, and (3) signaling means electrically coupled to said resistance measuring means for indicating significant wear of said coating layer responsive to a predetermined change in said resistance value.

A interchangeable pinch valve system, comprising:

• a. a valve body having a flow axis defined by a longitudinally directed through passage formed by an interior wall thereof, said valve body having a pair of opposing connecting flanges formed on opposing longitudinal ends for connection in a fluid flow line;
• b. a tubular sleeve member being formed by a flexible tubular wall and being disposed within said valve body through passage coaxial said flow axis, said tubular sleeve member having integrally formed flange portions on opposing longitudinal ends thereof for coupling to respective valve body flanges;
• and,
• c. means for pinching an intermediate portion of said tubular sleeve member to interrupt said fluid flow path, said tubular sleeve member being in contiguous contact with said interior wall of said valve body and having a pair of outwardly extending transverse folds formed in said flexible wall on opposing longitudinal ends of said intermediate portion of said tubular sleeve member, whereby said fluid flow path can be pinched closed without substantial stretch of said tubular sleeve member flexible wall to interrupt fluid flow through said tubular sleeve member, said valve body including a pair of first recess openings formed in parallel spaced relation in said interior wall transverse said flow axis for respectively receiving said outwardly directed folds of said tubular sleeve member to thereby substantially maximize a cross-sectional area of said fluid flow path within said valve body through passage, each of said pair of first recess openings having a semicircular cross-sectional contour in a direction of said flow axis for maximizing a length dimension of each of said pair of outwardly directed folds of said tubular sleeve, thereby minimizing an overall length dimension of said tubular sleeve.

An interchangeable pinch valve system, comprising:

• a. a valve body having a flow axis defined by a longitudinally directed through passage formed by an interior wall thereof, said valve body having a pair of opposing connecting flanges formed on opposing longitudinal ends for connection in a fluid flow line;
• b. a tubular sleeve member being formed by a flexible tubular wall and being disposed within said valve body through passage coaxial said flow axis, said tubular sleeve member having integrally formed flange portions on opposing longitudinal ends thereof for coupling to respective valve body flanges, said tubular sleeve member having an interior surface formed by an interior coating layer laminated to a reinforcement layer;
• c. means for pinching an intermediate portion of said tubular sleeve member to interrupt said fluid flow path, said tubular sleeve member being in contiguous contact with said interior wall of said valve body and having a pair of outwardly extending transverse folds formed in said flexible wall on opposing longitudinal ends of said intermediate portion of said tubular sleeve member, whereby said fluid flow path can be pinched closed without substantial stretch of said tubular sleeve member flexible wall to interrupt fluid flow through said tubular sleeve member;
• and,
• d. means for detecting damage of said interior coating layer of said tubular sleeve member, said detecting means includes (1) a pair of spaced electrodes disposed at an interface between said interior coating layer and said reinforcement layer, (2) means for measuring a resistance value between said pair of electrodes, and (3) signaling means electrically coupled to said resistance measuring means for indicating significant wear of said coating layer responsive to a predetermined change in said resistance value.