1. A coupling for connecting a vacuum line to a body having an internal chamber to be evacuated, the coupling comprising a first part adapted to be sealingly engaged upon the wall of a body about an aperture therein and having an internal bore which thus communicates with the internal chamber of the body, and a second part also having an internal bore for communication with the bore of the first part, the second part being removably and slidably engaged within the first part, an internal valve disposed to close a passage through the internal bores of the first and second parts except when connected to a vacuum line the valve having a valve member normally sealing upon an internal wall portion of the passage with the first and second parts engaged, sealing means co-operating with the first and second parts to prevent fluid leakage therebetween, means for readily enabling separation of the two parts, and a valve pin connected to the valve member to lift the valve member from the internal wall portion to open the passage.
2. A coupling according to claim 1, including means for removably retaining the valve within the coupling.
3. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein the sealing means which co-operates with the first and second parts comprises a first seal ring adapted to seal in an axial direction of the coupling between two co-operating radial faces respectively of the two parts, and at least one further seal ring forming a seal between co-operating axial faces of the two parts.
4. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein the means for readily enabling separation of the two parts comprises a circlip co-operating between an annular face of one of the parts and a cylindrical wall of the other of said parts, and readily accessible externally of the coupling thus to enable removal of the second part from the first part.
5. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein the second part is removably and slidably engageable within a cylindrical recess in the first part and the sealing means comprises a plurality of O-rings mounted on the second part and co-operating with internal faces of the first part.
6. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein the first part includes a spigot adapted to be received within the aperture in the wall of the body and to be fixed therein by welding.
7. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein both parts of the coupling are predominantly of stainless steel.
8. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein the internal wall portion is tapered and the valve member is spring-loaded, and the valve pin lifts the valve member from the tapered wall portion against the action of the spring to open the passage.
9. A coupling according to claim 8, wherein the spring engages a member attached within the internal bore of the second part, said member being removable therefrom to permit removal of the valve from the second part.
10. A coupling according to claim 8, wherein the valve pin includes an extension which passes through a bore in said removable member.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A garment adapted for use by insulin pump users, comprising:
(a) An upper body garment having an outer face, an inner face and front side and a back side for covering the front and back torso of the wearer;
(b) a pouch on the inner face of the back side of the garment and positioned in the garment to reside along the spine of a wearer between about the T3 and T7 locations on the vertebral column out of sight and reach of the wearer;
(c) a top opening in the pouch for receiving an appropriately-sized insulin pump; and
(d) complementary fastener elements positioned on opposite sides of the top opening for closing the top of the pouch to retain the insulin pump, the fastener elements, when the pouch is closed, being positioned to leave a sufficient space in the top opening for a pump tubing system and a subcutaneous insertion set to extend outwardly from the pouch for being applied to the body of the wearer.
2. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the fastener elements comprise touch fasteners.
3. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the pouch is formed by applying a patch to the inner face of the garment and attaching the patch to the garment on a bottom end and adjacent sides thereof.
4. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the garment comprises an infant or juvenile undershirt.
5. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the pouch is formed by knitting the pouch into the inner face of the back side of the garment.
6. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the pouch is four inches (11 cm) wide and 5 inches (13 cm) long.
7. A garment adapted for use by insulin pump users, comprising:
(a) A shirt having an outer face, an inner face and front side and a back side for covering the front and back torso of the wearer;
(b) a pouch on the inner face of the back side of the shirt below a shirt collar and positioned to reside along the spine of a wearer between about the T3 and T7 locations on the vertebral column out of sight and reach of the wearer, the pouch comprising a patch to the inner face of the garment and attached to the garment on a bottom end and adjacent sides thereof;
(c) a top opening in the pouch for receiving an appropriately-sized insulin pump; and
(d) complementary fastener elements positioned on opposite sides of the top opening for closing the top of the pouch to retain the insulin pump, the fastener elements, when the pouch is closed, being positioned to leave a sufficient space in the top opening for a pump tubing system and a subcutaneous insertion set to extend outwardly from the pouch for being applied to the body of the wearer.
8. A garment according to claim 7, wherein the pouch is about four inches (11 cm) wide and about 5 inches (13 cm) long.
9. A garment according to claim 7, wherein the pouch is integrally formed with the garment on the inner face of the back side thereof.
10. A garment according to claim 7, wherein the garment comprises an infant or juvenile undershirt.