Non-reopening locking pinch clamp for tubing
AssigneeNoble House Group Pty. Ltd.
InventorsAvtar Singh Kashmirian, Joseph J. Dallapiazza, Craig Douglas Wilson, Chris Whelan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tube clamp having first and second opposed jaws (1012, 1014) joined by a hinge (1016), the jaws (1012, 1014) movable between open and closed positions, the tube clamp adapted to attach to a flexible plastic tube (1024) so that the tube (1024) passes between the jaws (1012, 1014), whereby the flow of fluid through the tube (1024) is permitted when the jaws are open but is blocked when the jaws are brought together to the closed position to pinch closed the tube there-between, and locking means (1048,1036,1042) to effect substantially permanent and irreversible locking of the jaws (1012, 1014) in the closed position.
Claims23
A tube clamp having:
- first and second opposed jaws joined by a first hinge,
- the jaws movable between open and closed positions, the tube clamp adapted to attach to a flexible plastic tube so that the tube passes between the jaws, whereby the flow of fluid through the tube is permitted when the jaws are open but is blocked when the jaws are brought together to the closed position to pinch closed the tube there-between, and
- locking mechanism to effect substantially permanent and irreversible locking of the jaws in the closed position, the locking mechanism comprising:
- a stud on the first jaw comprising a post and a head comprising two arms extending sideways from the post in opposite directions, and
- a corresponding aperture on the second jaw positioned and adapted to accept the stud, the aperture located in a first wall having a proximal side facing the first jaw,
- and being proportioned so that the head of the stud can be forced through the aperture from proximal side by deflecting, bending or folding the two arms inwards towards the post of the stud and so that, after passing through the aperture the two arms spring irreversibly outwards and overlay the distal side of the first wall to lock the jaws together.
A tube clamp having:
- first and second opposed jaws joined by a hinge,
- the jaws movable between open and closed positions, the tube clamp adapted to attach to a flexible plastic tube so that the tube passes between the jaws, whereby the flow of fluid through the tube is permitted when the laws are open but is blocked when the jaws are brought together to the closed position to pinch closed the tube there-between, and
- a locking mechanism to effect substantially permanent and irreversible locking of the jaws in the closed position, the locking mechanism comprising:
- a first leg extending from one of the jaws and a second leg extending from one of the jaws, the legs extending generally parallel to each other, at least one of the legs having a barb, and
- at least one corresponding aperture on the other of the laws positioned and adapted to accept the legs, the at least one aperture being proportioned so that passage of the barb or barbs through the respective aperture occurs by deflecting, bending or folding at least a portion of the respective leg sideways and so that, after at least the barb or barbs has passed through the aperture, the leg or legs spring irreversibly sideways to position the barbs over the surface of the jaw defining the respective aperture to lock the laws together, and
- wherein one of the legs has a barb extending generally sideways to the leg and the other leg does not have a barb.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.