Automatic clamp apparatus for IV infusion sets used in pump devices

A clamp apparatus for selectively preventing fluid flow through a resilient tube, comprising:

• a base having a tube aperture at which the resilient tube may be located, the base having a longitudinal center line;
• a slide clamp slidably mountable on the base for movement between an occluding position and an open position, the slide clamp having a longitudinal center line;
• a clamp aperture formed in the slide clamp for receiving the tube therethrough;
• a constricted region formed in the clamp aperture, the constricted region occluding the tube to prevent fluid flow through the tube when the slide clamp is in the occluding position;
• an open region formed in the clamp aperture, the open region allowing fluid flow through the tube when the slide clamp is in the open position;
• a flexible cantilevered locking arm mounted on the base, the locking arm being biased toward a locking position to prevent movement of the slide clamp from the occluding position to the open position, the locking arm having a release tab located at a position offset from a longitudinal center line of the base for deflecting the locking arm from the locking position to allow movement of the slide clamp to the open position;
• a detent in the slide clamp into which the locking arm is biased to the locking position and into which the locking arm is located when the slide clamp is in the occluding position to prevent the slide clamp from moving from the occluding position, the detent being large enough to receive the locking arm such that the locking arm is unstressed while in the detent;
• a stop surface located on the base at a position adjacent the release tab to interfere with movement of the release tab beyond a preselected range of movement;
• and
• a ramp located on the base to receive the locking arm when the slide clamp is in the open position and to guide the locking arm into a detent formed in the slide clamp as the slide clamp is being moved from the open position to the occluding position to thereby lock the slide clamp in the occluding position, the ramp formed to be deeper than the arm whereby the locking arm is unstressed when the slide clamp is in the flow position.