Fluid flow valve

Claim 1

A flexible container having tubing communicating with the interior of said container, there being mounted in said tubing in communication thereto a fluid flow valve which comprises: a tubular member which carries a pierceable sealing diaphragm mounted across said tubular member to prevent fluid flow therethrough; a solid pointed piercing spike mounted coaxially with said tubular member and spaced from said diaphragm, said spike being freely and directly movable between first and second positions to pierce said diaphragm with its point in said first position, a section of said spike being proportioned to sealingly occlude the bore of said tubular member in said first position to prevent fluid flow after piercing of said diaphragm, and to permit fluid flow in said second position through said tubular member upon removal of said proportioned section from the bore of said tubular member; said valve including a flexible sleeve connecting the tubular member to said piercing spike, to permit said spike to remain out of sealingly occluding position without fluid leakage after piercing said diaphragm, and in which a portion of said spike which is separated from said point by at least some of said proportioned section defines a hollow fluid flow bore connected to the exterior of said portion by an aperture, said fluid flow bore also communicating at one end to the tubing of said flexible container to define a fluid flow path communicating with the bore of said tubular member when said proportioned section is in said nonoccluding second position.