American Sterilizer Company

Ethan K Lange

Michael Rabinovich

Sandeepan Dutta

Sean Lambert

Christopher J Wiet

A pinch valve includes a housing, first and second pinch bars, an actuator, a first front roller and a first rear roller. The actuator translates the first and second pinch bars relative to one another along a translation axis to pinch a flexible tube extending through an opening of the housing. The first front roller and the first rear roller are spaced from one another in the direction of a longitudinal axis. The first front roller extends transverse the opening and is positioned longitudinally upstream from the first and second pinch bars and the first rear roller extends transverse the opening and is positioned longitudinally downstream from the first and second pinch bars. The housing includes a first wall bordering the opening. A first plane lying tangent to the first front roller and the first rear roller is spaced inward from the first wall of the housing.

Pinch valve including guide rollers

A latch and lock assembly includes a lever pivotable between a latched and unlatched position. A first actuator selectively moves a locking tab between a locked and unlocked position. In the locked position, the locking tab blocks pivotable movement of the lever from the latched position to the unlatched position. In the unlocked position, the locking tab allows pivotable movement of the lever from the latched position to the unlatched position. A second actuator selectively rotates a door opening tab between a first and second position when the locking tab is in the unlocked position is included. When the door opening tab is in the first position the lever is in a latched position, and when the door opening tab is rotated from the first position to the second position, the door opening tab abuts the lever and urges the lever from the latched position to the unlatched position.

Growing community of inventors

Painesville, OH, United States of America

Ethan K Lange