Apparatus for supporting and discharging flexible fluid containers

An apparatus for supporting and effecting discharge of fluid from a flexible fluid container, such as a medical irrigation fluid bag, said apparatus comprising:

• a body including a recess formed therein for receiving a flexible fluid container, said recess being delimited by a wall portion of said body;
• a support connected to said body for supporting a flexible fluid container in said recess by a lower portion of said fluid container, said support comprising opposed support brackets connected to said body and engageable with said fluid container to retain said fluid container in said recess;
• a door connected to said body and being movable between an open position for inserting and removing said fluid container with respect to said recess and a closed position for retaining said fluid container in said recess;
• and
• an inflatable bladder disposed in said recess between said fluid container and said wall portion and connected to a source of pressure fluid for undergoing inflation to forcibly engage said fluid container to urge discharge of fluid therefrom.

An apparatus for supporting and effecting discharge of fluid from a flexible fluid container, such as a medical irrigation fluid bag, said apparatus comprising:

• a body including a recess formed therein for receiving a flexible fluid container, said recess being delimited by a wall portion of said body;
• a support connected to said body for supporting a flexible fluid container in said recess by a lower portion of said fluid container;
• a door connected to said body and being movable between an open position for inserting and removing said fluid container with respect to said recess and a closed position for retaining said fluid container in said recess;
• and
• an inflatable bladder disposed in said recess between said fluid container and said wall portion and connected to a source of pressure air for undergoing inflation to forcibly engage said fluid container to urge discharge of fluid therefrom, said bladder including an inflation chamber and a part defining an opening in said bladder for engagement with a member disposed on said body for supplying pressure fluid to said inflation chamber, said opening in said bladder is defined by a resilient grommet which is forcibly engageable with said member disposed on said body and disengageable therefrom in response to a predetermined pressure in said inflation chamber when said door is in an open position.

An apparatus for supporting and effecting discharge of fluid from a flexible fluid container, such as a medical irrigation fluid bag, said apparatus comprising:

• a body including a recess formed therein for receiving a flexible fluid container, said recess being delimited by a wall portion of said body;
• a support connected to said body for supporting a flexible fluid container in said recess by a lower portion of said fluid container;
• a door connected to said body and being movable between an open position for inserting and removing said fluid container with respect to said recess and a closed position for retaining said fluid container in said recess;
• an inflatable bladder disposed in said recess between said fluid container and said wall portion and connected to a source of pressure fluid for undergoing inflation to forcibly engage said fluid container to urge discharge of fluid therefrom, said bladder including an inflation chamber and a part defining an opening in said bladder for engagement with a member disposed on said body for supplying pressure fluid to said inflation chamber;
• and
• a control circuit in communication with said member on said body for supplying pressure fluid to said bladder, said control circuit including a conduit connected to a source of pressure fluid and to a fluid supply and an exhaust valve interposed said member on said body and said source of pressure fluid and operable to rapidly deflate said bladder by exhausting pressure fluid from said inflation chamber in response to a signal from said control circuit.

An apparatus for supporting a flexible fluid container wherein said container includes at least one discharge conduit disposed at a bottom side of said container, said apparatus comprising:

• a body including a recess formed therein for receiving a flexible fluid container, said recess being delimited by a wall portion of said body inclined to the vertical;
• opposed support brackets connected to said body and engageable with said fluid container to retain said fluid container in said recess, said brackets being spaced apart to provide a gap therebetween for extension of a fluid discharge conduit of said container to the exterior of said apparatus;
• a door connected to said body and being movable between an open position for inserting and removing said fluid container with respect to said recess and a closed position for retaining said fluid container in said recess;
• and
• a member disposed in said recess and operable to forcibly engage said fluid container to urge discharge of fluid therefrom.

An apparatus for supporting and effecting discharge of fluid from a flexible fluid container comprising:

• a body for supporting said fluid container;
• a pressure fluid actuated member supported on said body for effecting squeezing action on said fluid container to pressurize fluid in said container and force discharge of fluid from said container;
• and
• a control circuit for controlling operation of said member to effect squeezing and to relieve squeezing of said fluid container, said control circuit including a valve for supplying pressure fluid to said member and for rapidly exhausting pressure fluid from said member, said valve including a valve body member including a transfer port formed therein for communication with said member to supply pressure fluid to effect squeezing of said fluid container, an exhaust port formed in said valve body member and a flexible disc closure member operable to be moved to a position to close over said exhaust port to prevent venting pressure fluid in response to pressure fluid acting on said closure member, and said closure member being responsive to venting of pressure fluid acting thereon to move to a second position to uncover said exhaust port to provide rapid venting of pressure fluid from said member.

An apparatus for supporting and effecting discharge of fluid from a flexible fluid container, such as a medical irrigation fluid bag, said apparatus comprising:

• a body including a recess formed therein for receiving a flexible fluid container, said recess being delimited by a wall portion of said body;
• a support connected to said body for supporting a flexible fluid container in said recess by a lower portion of said fluid container;
• a door connected to said body and being movable between an open position for inserting and removing said fluid container with respect to said recess and a closed position for retaining said fluid container in said recess;
• and
• an inflatable bladder disposed in said recess between said fluid container and said wall portion and connected to a source of pressure air for undergoing inflation to forcibly engage said fluid container to urge discharge of fluid therefrom, said bladder including first and second parts, each including a peripheral flange, said flanges are joined together to form said inflation chamber between said first and second parts and said first and second parts are formed in a shape substantially conforming to the shape of said recess in said body and said first part is engageable with said wall portion of said body to act in supportive relationship to said fluid container when said fluid container is placed in said recess.