Fluid container shut off valve
AssigneeIVAC Corporation
InventorAdib G. Daoud
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid shut off valve for use in a parenteral fluid administration set includes a disk floating in a fluid chamber that shuts off fluid flow when the fluid in the chamber decreases below a certain level. The chamber includes a valve stem at its lower end that has both a valve seat and an alignment member with an alignment surface on the top end thereof for guiding the disk into proper seating on the valve seat. The valve seat and floating disk have complementary engagement surfaces for also guiding the disk into proper seating on the valve seat. In one embodiment, the alignment member includes fins located both on the valve stem and on the inside wall of the chamber. Because of the configuration of the alignment member, dislodgement of the disk from the valve seat is made easier.
Claims20
A fluid flow shut-off valve for controlling the flow of fluid through a fluid conduit, the fluid conduit connected between a parenteral fluid reservoir and a patient, the valve comprising:
- a fluid chamber connected in line with the fluid conduit to accumulate parenteral fluid, the chamber comprising:
- a first end having an inlet port;
- a second end having an opening;
- a side wall connecting and disposed between the first end and to the second end;
- a valve seat stem mounted at the opening in the second end and having a valve seat projecting into the chamber, the valve seat having a bore therethrough defining an outlet port connected to the opening in the second end, the stem having a size such that there is a first distance between it and the side wall;
- an alignment member disposed between the valve stem and the side wall and having a size selected to be smaller than the first distance so that the side wall can be deformed inwardly towards the valve stem, the alignment member having an alignment surface thereon;
- and
- a floating disk member located in the chamber, the floating disk member formed such that it floats in the fluid accumulated in the chamber, the floating disk member comprising:
- a sealing member having a size large enough to completely cover the valve seat and the outlet port;
- and
- an enlarged peripheral portion located at the periphery of the sealing member;
- wherein the sidewall is deformable inwardly to dislodge the disk member from the valve seat, the outer surface of the portion of the side wall surrounding the valve stem is straight in the longitudinal axis and the alignment surface is positioned to engage the enlarged peripheral portion of the floating disk member to align the sealing member with the valve seat as fluid contained in the chamber is depleted.
A fluid flow shut-off valve for controlling the flow of fluid through a fluid conduit, the fluid conduit connected between a parenteral fluid reservoir and a patient, the valve comprising:
- a fluid chamber connected in line with the fluid conduit to accumulate parenteral fluid, the chamber comprising:
- a first end having an inlet port;
- a second end having an opening;
- a side wall connecting and disposed between the first end and to the second end;
- a valve seat stem mounted at the opening in the second end and having a valve seat projecting into the chamber, the valve seat having a bore therethrough defining an outlet port connected to the opening in the second end, the stem having a size such that there is a first distance between it and the side wall;
- multiple alignment surfaces disposed between the valve stem and the side wall, each having a size selected to be smaller than the first distance so that the side wall can be deformed inwardly towards the valve stem;
- and
- a floating disk member located in the chamber, the floating disk member formed such that it floats in the fluid accumulated in the chamber, the floating disk member comprising:
- a disk-shaped sealing member having a size large enough to completely cover the valve seat and the outlet port;
- and
- a toroid member surrounding the sealing member and having a rounded outer surface;
- wherein the sidewall is deformable inwardly to dislodge the disk member from the valve seat, the outer surface of the portion of the side wall surrounding the valve stem is straight in the longitudinal axis and the alignment surfaces are positioned to engage the enlarged peripheral portion of the floating disk member to align the sealing member with the valve seat as fluid contained in the chamber is depleted.
A fluid flow shut-off valve for controlling the flow of fluid through a fluid conduit, the fluid conduit connected between a parenteral fluid reservoir and a patient, the valve comprising:
- a fluid chamber connected in line with the fluid conduit to accumulate parenteral fluid, the chamber comprising:
- a first end having an inlet port;
- a second end having an opening;
- a side wall connecting and disposed between the first end and the second end, the side wall being tapered toward the second end;
- a valve seat stem mounted at the opening in the second end and having a valve seat projecting into the chamber, the valve seat having a bore therethrough defining an outlet port connected to the opening in the second end, the stem having a size such that there is a first distance between it and the side wall;
- a plurality of fins, some of which are mounted to the valve stem and extend outwardly therefrom and some of which are mounted to the side wall of the chamber and extend inwardly therefrom, each fin having a length that is less than the first distance so that the side wall can be deformed inwardly towards the valve stem;
- and
- a floating disk member located in the chamber, the floating disk member formed such that it floats in the fluid accumulated in the chamber, the floating disk member comprising:
- a disk-shaped sealing membrane having a size large enough to completely cover the valve seat and the outlet port;
- and
- a toroid member surrounding the sealing member and having a rounded outer surface;
- wherein the sidewall is deformable inwardly to dislodge the disk member from the valve seat, the alignment surfaces are positioned to engage the enlarged peripheral portion of the floating disk member to align the sealing member with the valve seat as fluid contained in the chamber is depleted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.