GB2137711A - Fluid tight releasable coupling - Google Patents

Abstract

A fluid tight releasable coupling comprises a self-sealing valve 20 with an inlet and an outlet for the passage of fluid to equipment via a probe adapted to enter the outlet 24 of the valve. Pins 7 releasably latch the probe within the valve 20. A shroud 11 is mounted on and indexable around a body portion 1 of the valve 20. The shroud has a projection 54 adapted to cooperate with a slot associated with the probe to ensure that the equipment is orientated in a predetermined manner relative to the body portion 1. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to valves The present invention relates to valves and in particular to self-sealing valves used in hospitals and other medical environments for controlling the flow of a fluid, usually a gas, from a cylinder to equipment such as a flowmeter.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a valve which will permit variable positioning of a piece of equipment through 3600 relative to the valve.

This is of particular importance when, for example, the cylinder of gas is inclined to the vertical and it is necessary to ensure that the flowmeter is maintained in a vertical position.

According to the present invention, a valve has a body portion including an inlet and an outlet for the passage of fluid therethrough, the outlet being adapted to receive a probe forming part of equipment to which the fluid is to be delivered from the outlet, means for releasably latching the probe within the outlet, and a shroud mounted on and indexable around the body portion, the shroud having keying means adapted to cooperate with complementary keying means associated with the probe to ensure that, when in use, the equipment is orientated in a pre-determined manner relative to the body portion.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example, reference being made to the Figures of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:~ Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a valve according to the invention; Figure 2 is a rear-end view of the valve of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front-end view of the valve of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the valve of Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view similar to Figure 4 but showing a probe extending into the valve.

As shown, valve 20 has a body portion 1 having at its rear (lefthand end as shown in Figure 4) an inlet 22, and at its forward (righthand end as shown in Figure 4) an outlet 24 and a passageway 26 between the inlet and the outlet for the passage therethrough of a fluid, for example, oxygen. Passageway 26 is divided by an abutment 28 into two parts, namely a threaded inlet part and a cylindrical outlet part. Two slots, 34, 34a are formed in the cylindrical outlet part. The slots 34, 34a are positioned at 1 800 to each other and are inclined at approximately 300 to the horizontal axis of the body portion 1. A pin 7 is mounted for movement along each slot 34, 34a.

The threaded inlet part houses a rubber seal 2, a spring 4 and a deflator 3 and these items are held in position by an adaptor 6 which is screw threaded into the threaded inlet part. The deflator 3 has a forwardly facing shoulder 1 5 which when the valve is closed engages the seal 2.

The external appearance of the body portion 1 is similar to its internal configuration in that it has two distinctive parts, namely a portion 40 of hexagonal configuration and a forwardly extending cylindrical portion 42.

Supported on portion 40 is a spacer ring 5 and an intermediate ring 10. Intermediate ring 10 is generally cylindrical and has longitudinally extending splines on its inside surface and as shown most clearly in Figure 1 has a hexagonal external configuration. Forwardly of the intermediate ring is resilient means in the form of a spring 8 and a pressure ring 9.

As shown most clearly in Figure 4 and 5, a shroud 1 1 forms the outer housing for the valve 20. Shroud 1 1 is formed on its internal surface towards its forward end with first and second rearwardly facing shoulders 50, 52 and adjacent the forward end with a projection 54. Towards its rear end the shroud 1 1 is formed internally with longitudinally extending splines 56. Immediately adjacent its rear end shroud 1 1 is formed with a groove which contains a circlip 12. A lug 13 extends vertically upwardly (as shown in the Figures) from the shroud 11.

Figure 4 illustrates the relative positions of the various items referred to hereinbefore prior to the valve being engaged by a probe 60 extending from an instrument such as a flowmeter 62. Spring 8 biases the intermediate ring 10 rearwardly against the circlip 12 and biases the pressure ring 9 against the pins 7 forcing them to the bottom or radially inner ends of their respective slots 34, 34a. The adaptor 6 will normally be connected to a source of fluid for example a cylinder of oxygen by means of its threaded shank.

One of the principal features of the valve 20 described above is the provision for adjusting the vertical position of any equipment connected to the valve regardless of any outer vertical inclination of a cylinder. This adjustment is carried out before coupling the equipment to the valve 20 by gently pulling the shroud 11 from a first position as illustrated in Figure 4 towards the forward end of the valve 20 against the bias of spring 8. Shroud 1 1 will carry with it the intermediate ring 10 since intermediate ring 10 will be engaged by circlip 12.Forward movement of the shroud 11 is continued until a second position is reached at which the splines of the intermediate ring 10 are clear of the hexagonal portion 40 of the body portion 1 after which the shroud 1 1 and intermediate ring 10 will be free to be indexed through 3600 clockwise or anticlockwise to position lug 13 in the vertical plane.

On releasing the shroud 11 the splines of intermediate ring 10 will slide back over the portion 40 of the body portion 1 under the action of spring 8 until the intermediate ring 10 comes to rest against the spacer ring 5. The sub-assembly of intermediate ring 10 and shroud 1 1 will be held or locked against rotation relative to the body portion 1 by the hexagonal portion 40 locating the splines on the intermediate ring 10.

The valve 20 is intended for use with equipment such as flow meter 62 having a probe 60 which is pushed into the cylindrical outlet part of the body portion 1 where the tapered diameter of the probe 60 will push the pins 7 upwardly along their respective slots 34, 34a which in turn push back the pressure ring 9 against the bias of spring 8 until the two pins 7 reach the outside diameter of the probe body and slide along its diameter. Further insertion of the probe 60 causes the end of the probe to engage the deflator 3 pushing this against the spring 4 so that the end of the probe then makes a seal against the rubber seal 2.When the forward end of a retaining groove 64 in the probe body passes the center line of the pins 7 they drop down the inclined face of their slots 34, 34a in the body portion 1 into the groove 64 and the spring 8 returns the pressure ring 9 to lock them in this position. Thus the probe 60 is releasably latched within the outlet part of the body portion 1 as shown in Figure 5.

The force exerted by spring 4 behind the deflator 3 and impression of the rubber seal 2 moves the probe 60 back slightly until the front face of the retaining groove contacts the pins 7 which are held rigid by the pressure ring 9, thus preventing the seal between the end of the probe 60 and the rubber seal 2 being broken and further withdrawal of the probe 60 impossible.

In this respect, a slot (not shown) in the equipment associated with the probe 60 must align with the projection 54 in the shroud 11 to enable the probe 60 to be fully engaged, further, this projection 54 serves to keep the flowmeter 62 in the vertical position. If the projection 54 and the slot are not in alignment, the equipment associated with the probe 60 will push against the front face of the projection forcing the outer shroud 11 rearwardly and the shoulder 52 will engage with the pins 7, forcing them up along the incline slots 4, 34a and preventing them from dropping down into the retaining groove 64 to lock the probe 60 in position.

To disengage the probe 60 from the valve 20 the shroud 11 is pushed rearward which causes shoulder 50 to move the pressure ring 9 away from the pins 7 against the bias of spring 8.

Further movement of the shroud 11 rearwardly causes the shoulder 52 to engage the pins 7 and move them radially outwardly along their respective slots 34, 34a. Thus, the pins 7 will move out of the retaining groove 64 in the probe 60. The pressure from the spring 4 and the compression of the rubber seal 2 then act on the end of the probe 60 to eject the probe 60 and with it the flowmeter 62. Once the probe 60 is ejected the spring 4 exerts a force on the deflator 3 which causes the shoulder 15 on the deflator 3 to engage the rubber seal 2 and thereby prevent the flow of fluid through the valve 20.

The particular advantage of the embodiment described above is that the equipment can be indexed around the body portion 1 through 3600 in either a clockwise or an anti-clockwise direction. Thus, should for example an oxygen cylinder be tilted away from the vertical, this will not prevent equipment such as flowmeter 62 still being orientated in the vertical position. The variable positioning of the equipment is done easily and simply without uncoupling any parts.

Furthermore, the adjustment cannot be performed whilst the equipment is mounted on the valve 20 member.

Claims (5)

1. A valve having a body portion including an inlet and an outlet for the passage of fluid therethrough, the outlet being adapted to receive a probe forming part of equipment to which the fluid is to be delivered from the outlet, means for releasably latching the probe within the outlet and a shroud mounted on and indexable around the body portion, the shroud having keying means adapted to cooperate with complementary keying means associated with the probe to ensure that, when in use, the equipment is orientated in a predetermined manner relative to the body portion.

2. A valve as claimed in claim 1, in which the shroud is movable along the length of the body portion between a first position in which it is locked against rotation relative to the body portion and a second position in which it is free to rotate around the body portion and means for biasing resiliently the shroud towards the first position.

3. A valve as claimed in claim 2, in which the shroud on a portion of its internal surface has splines which engage with an outer surface of an intermediate ring having a hexagonal external configuration such that there is no relative rotation between the shroud and the internal ring, the intermediate ring having splines on its internal surface which engage with a part of the body portion having an external hexagonal surface and means for moving the internal ring together with the shroud on movement of the shroud towards its second position, so that the splines on the internal ring clear the hexagonal portion of the body portion and permit rotation of the internal ring and shroud relative to the body portion.

4. A valve as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the releasable latching means includes at least one pin mounted for movement in a slot extending from a radially outer end nearer the inlet of the body portion to a radially inner end nearer the outlet of the body portion, the pin being biased resiliently towards said inner end of the slot to engage within a groove in a probe when operatively inserted in the outlet, a shoulder on the shroud engaging the pin to effect a movement from the inner towards the outer end of the slot on movement of the shroud along the length of the body portion towards the inlet.

5. A valve constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the Figures of the accompanying drawings.