VALVE

The present invention relates to a valve for restricting and closing plastic tubing, particularly though not exclusively for use in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved valve for use with plastics tubing.

According to the invention there is provided a valve for a plastics tube comprising

• a base, having a concave surface for holding a plastics tube;

• two side guides, extending from the base;

• a restriction member, for restricting the plastics tube and being supported by the side guides;

• a top, opposite the base, connectable to the side guides and carrying the restriction member, and

• means on the top for raising and lowering the restriction member onto the seat, one of the side guides being pivotally connected to the top, and the other guide being pivotally connected to the base and connectable to the top, the top including a bifurcation to accept the guide and a seat to hold a head of the side guide.

In use the valve is placed around a plastics tube, with the tube positioned in the concave surface. With the top connected to the side guides, the restriction member will be in contact with the plastics tube, ensuring that the head of the side guide is held in the seat on the bifurcation in the head. To open the valve, the head is pressed down, releasing the side guide which can pivot away from the base allowing removal of the tube. In use, the flow within the plastics tube can be restricted or even stopped by moving the restriction member along the guides onto the plastics tube, and compressing the latter into the concave surface.

Preferably the head on the side guide will be in the form of a bar, with the seat on the bifurcation in the head being an indentation. In addition, the bar may be provided with a boss sized to fit into the bifurcation in the head.

Preferably the valve is made entirely out of plasties material.

Typically the means for raising and lowering the restriction member will be a screw thread.

To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a clamp according to the invention; Figure 2 is a front view of the clamp of Figure 1 open; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of head of a side guide and the bifurcation in the top according to the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the valve 1 thereshown includes a base 2, a top 4, and two side guides 6, 8. The base is provided with a concave surface 10 for seating a plastics tube in use (not shown).

The valve also includes a restriction member 12 connected to the top 4 but a screw thread. The restriction member 12 comprises a plate member 14 of substantially rectangular shape, but provided with notches 16 to fit round the side guides 6, 8. Mounted on the underside of the plate 14 is a compression member 18, which is of convex surface and conforms to the concave surface 10 of the base. In use, a plastics tube is compressed in use, restricting the flow through the tube.

The plate 14 is attached to the top 4 via a screw thread, 20 allowing the plate 14 to be advanced and receded, while being held in position by the side guides 6, 8. The screw thread 20 is actuated by a knob 22 mounted on the top 4.

As shown in Figure 1 and 2, one of the side guides 6, is fixed to the base 2, while the other side guide 8 is pivotally attached 24 to the base. The first side guide 6

is furthermore pivotally attached 26 to the top 4, while the second side guide 8 is detachable from the top 4.

Turning now to Figure 3, the upper section 28 of the side guide 8 thereshown, is provided with a head 30 in the form of a bar and a boss 32. The corresponding section of the top 4 is bifurcated 34 and provided with a seat 36 for the head 30 of the side guide.

In use, with a plastic tube placed in the valve, the plasties tube presses on the concave surface on the base 2 and on the convex surface of the compression member 18, urging them apart. This in turn urges the head 30 of the side guide 8 into the seat 36, keeping the valve together. The restriction member 12 can be advanced or receded but the urging of the plastics tube will always ensure that the head remains in the seat. To release the valve the top must be depressed against the urging of the plastics tube, this releases the head 30 of the side guide 8 off the seat 36, allowing the side guide to be swung away from the top, allowing removal of the plastics pipe.

The valve can be made in several sizes to allow for several sizes of plastics tube. However the provision of a deeply concave surface on the base allows each valve to operate on a range of sizes of plastics tube.

The invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above described embodiment.