Valve system for use with a flexible gas supply tube extending to a patient
OwnerWilliam A. Leffelinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Low pressure oxygen or other breathable gas is supplied from a tank or other source to a patient or other person through a flexible plastic tube, and a safety valve system is connected between the source and the tube. The valve system includes a valve member having a tubular outlet portion and supported for axial movement within a valve body having an inlet connected to the gas source. Fluid passages are formed within the valve member and valve body, and the valve member shifts axially to an open position in response to connecting the flexible tube to the tubular outlet portion of the valve member. The valve member shifts to a closed position in response to removing the tube from the tubular outlet portion, and the supply gas holds the valve member in the closed position.
Claims20
A safety valve system connecting a source of low pressure therapeutic gas to a flexible tube for dispensing the low pressure therapeutic gas through said flexible tube to a patient or other person, said safety valve system comprising:
- a valve body of rigid material and defining a gas inlet and a gas passage,
- a valve member of rigid material and supported within said valve body for linear movement on an axis,
- said valve member including an axially projecting tubular portion and defining a gas passage with an outlet port in said axially projecting tubular portion,
- said flexible tube having an end portion supporting a resilient coupling sleeve releasably connected by friction to said axially projecting tubular portion of said valve member,
- axially spaced annular gas seals carried by said valve member and engaging said valve body,
- said valve member movable axially within said valve body to an open position connecting said gas passage within said valve member between said axially spaced annular gas seals to said gas passage within said valve body in response to pushing said resilient coupling sleeve onto said axially projecting tubular portion of said valve member, and
- said valve member movable to a closed position where said gas passage within said valve member is blocked by said axially spaced annular gas seals from said gas passage within said valve body in response to pulling said resilient coupling sleeve from said axially projecting tubular portion of said valve member with a force overcoming said friction to remove said resilient coupling sleeve and said flexible tube from said axially projecting tubular portion of said valve member.
A valve system adapted to fluidly engage an associated source of low pressure gas with an associated dispensing tube, said valve system comprising:
- an elongated outer valve body having
- an end wall, and
- an internal bore;
- a hollow elongated inner valve body at least partially located within the internal bore and engaged with the internal bore to form a fluid tight seal, said hollow elongated inner valve body having a first fluid passage therethrough;
- a valve member slidably engaged within said hollow elongated inner valve body, said valve member,
- having an outlet port,
- being positionable at a first position within said hollow elongated inner valve body at which first position said first fluid passage is in fluid communication with said outlet port, and
- being positionable at a second position within said hollow elongated inner valve body at which second position,
- a valve chamber is defined between said valve member and said hollow elongated inner valve body, and
- said first fluid passage is in fluid communication with said valve chamber.
A method of fluidly engaging a valve system between an associated source of low pressure gas and to an associated dispensing tube, said method comprising:
- providing a valve system adapted to fluidly engage an associated source of low pressure gas with an associated dispensing tube, said valve system having
- an elongated outer valve body having
- an end wall, and
- an internal bore;
- a hollow elongated inner valve body at least partially located within the internal bore and engaged with the internal bore to form a fluid tight seal, said hollow elongated inner valve body having a first fluid passage therethrough;
- a valve member slidably engaged within said hollow elongated inner valve body, said valve member,
- having an outlet port,
- being positionable at a first position within said hollow elongated inner valve body at which first position said first fluid passage is in fluid communication with said outlet port, and
- being positionable at a second position within said hollow elongated inner valve body at which second position,
- a valve chamber is defined between said valve member and said hollow elongated inner valve body, and
- said first fluid passage is in fluid communication with said valve chamber;
- providing a source of low pressure gas, said source of low pressure gas being either,
- a portable tank of pressurized gas, or
- a gas supply fixture affixed to a wall of a building;
- providing a dispensing tube;
- fluidly engaging said first fluid passage with said source of low pressure gas;
- and
- fluidly engaging said outlet port with said dispensing tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.