Valve having a valve body and a deformable stem therein

Claim 2

A valve engageable with an instrument, said valve comprising: a valve body; a deformable stem located in said valve body and shiftable from a first position, said stem having a first end and a second end opposite said first end, said stem having an aperture at said first end, said aperture configured such that when the instrument is engaged with said aperture in said stem, said stem is urged from the first position and said aperture deforms to allow liquid to flow therethrough to or from the instrument, said stem including a conical portion generally proximate said first end, said conical portion converging along a longitudinal axis of said stem toward said first end of said stem, said stem and said valve body configured such that when the instrument is not engaged with said stem and said stem is in said first position, said valve body engages said conical portion of said stem, wherein the engagement between said valve body and said conical portion of said stem retains said stem in said valve body and urges said aperture closed.

Claim 3

A valve as recited in claim 1, wherein said valve body includes a shoulder and an internal wall adjacent said shoulder, said stem including a throat portion having an end portion which sealably contacts said shoulder and said internal wall of said valve body thereby providing two sealing surfaces between said throat portion and said valve body, said engagement between said throat portion and said valve body providing generally axial compressive resistance when the instrument is engaged with said aperture in said stem.

Claim 4

A valve as recited in claim 2, wherein the stem and valve body are configured such that the end of the throat portion of the stem sealably contacts said shoulder and said internal wall of said valve body when said stem is in the first position.

Claim 5

A valve as recited in claim 1, said valve body having stem-engaging structure on an internal surface thereof for engaging said stem when said stem is urged into said first position, said stem having valve-body engaging structure for engaging said stem-engaging structure on said valve body.

Claim 6

A valve as recited in claim 4, said stem-engaging structure on said valve body comprising a taper, said valve-body engaging structure on said stem comprising at least one contact point which engages said taper when said stem is urged into said first position.

Claim 7

A valve as recited in claim 5, a taper angle of said taper of said valve body being greater than a taper angle of said conical portion of said stem.

Claim 8

A valve as recited in claim 1, said stem configured such that said first end of said stem protrudes past an end of said valve body, thereby exposing said first end of said stem when said stem is in said first position.

Claim 9

A valve as recited in claim 7, wherein said aperture is generally oblong-shaped.

Claim 10

A valve as recited in claim 1, further comprising a compression spring between said valve body and said stem and in contact with said valve body and said stem, said compression spring urging said stem into said first position.

Claim 11

A valve as recited in claim 1, wherein the engagement between the conical portion of the stem and the valve body provides that no other engagement is needed between the stem and the valve body to retain the stem generally in the valve body when the stem is in the first position.

Claim 12

A valve as recited in claim 1, wherein when the stem is in the first position, the conical portion of the stem contacts the valve body and the second end of the stem contacts the valve body and no other part of the stem contacts the valve body.

Claim 13

A valve engageable with an instrument, said valve comprising: a valve body; a deformable stem located in said valve body and shiftable from a first position, said stem having a first end and a second end opposite said first end, said stem having an aperture at said first end, said aperture configured such that when the instrument is engaged with said aperture in said stem, said stem is urged from the first position and said aperture deforms to allow liquid to flow therethrough to or from the instrument, structure between said valve body and said stem and in contact with said valve body and said stem, said structure urging said stem into said first position, said stem including a conical portion generally proximate said first end, said conical portion converging along a longitudinal axis of said stem toward said first end of said stem, said stem and said valve body configured such that when the instrument is not engaged with said stem and said stem is urged into said first position, said valve body engages said conical portion of said stem, wherein the engagement between said valve body and said conical portion of said stem retains said stem in said valve body and urges said aperture closed.

Claim 14

A valve engageable with an instrument, said valve comprising: a valve body; a deformable stem located in said valve body and shiftable from a first position, said stem having a first end and a second end opposite said first end, said stem having an aperture at said first end, said aperture configured such that when the instrument is engaged with said aperture in said stem, said stem is urged from the first position and said aperture deforms to allow liquid to flow therethrough to or from the instrument, structure between said valve body and said stem and in contact with said valve body and said stem, said structure urging said stem into said first position, said stem including a conical portion generally proximate said first end, said conical portion converging along a longitudinal axis of said stem toward said first end of said stem, said stem and said valve body configured such that when the instrument is not engaged with said stem and said stem is urged into said first position, said valve body engages said conical portion of said stem, wherein the engagement between said valve body and said conical portion of said stem retains said stem in said valve body and urges said aperture closed.

Claim 15

A valve as recited in claim 12, wherein said valve body includes a shoulder and an internal wall adjacent said shoulder, said stem including a throat portion having an end portion which sealably contacts said shoulder and said internal wall of said valve body thereby providing two sealing surfaces between said throat portion and said valve body, said engagement between said throat portion and said valve body providing generally axial compressive resistance when the instrument is engaged with said aperture in said stem and said stem is urged from said first position.

Claim 16

A valve as recited in claim 13, wherein the stem and valve body are configured such that the end of the throat portion of the stem sealably contacts said shoulder and said internal wall of said valve body when said stem is in the first position.

Claim 17

A valve as recited in claim 12, said valve body having stem-engaging structure on an internal surface thereof for engaging said stem when said stem is urged into said first position, said stem having valve-body engaging structure for engaging said stem-engaging structure on said valve body.

Claim 18

A valve as recited in claim 15, said stem-engaging structure on said valve body comprising a taper, said valve-body engaging structure on said stem comprising at least one contact point which engages said taper when said stem is urged into said first position.

Claim 19

A valve as recited in claim 16, a taper angle of said taper of said valve body being greater than a taper angle of said conical portion of said stem.

Claim 20

A valve as recited in claim 12, said stem configured such that said first end of said stem protrudes past an end of said valve body, thereby exposing said first end of said stem when said stem is in said first position.

Claim 21

A valve as recited in claim 12, wherein said aperture is generally oblong-shaped.

Claim 22

A valve as recited in claim 12, wherein said structure between said valve body and said stem which is in contact with said valve body and said stem and urges said stem into said first position comprises a compression spring.

Claim 23

A valve as recited in claim 12, wherein the engagement between the conical portion of the stem and the valve body provides that no other engagement is needed between the stem and the valve body to retain the stem generally in the valve body when the stem is in the first position.

Claim 24

A valve as recited in claim 12, wherein when the stem is in the first position, the conical portion of the stem contacts the valve body and the second end of the stem contacts the valve body and no other part of the stem contacts the valve body.