# US 2014/0190480 A1 · Multi-vaporizer interlock system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190480 A1 - Document ID: US20140190480A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/742,229 - Filed: 2013-01-15 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08 - Assignees: Mindray DS USA, Inc. - Applicants: Mindray Ds USA, Inc. - Inventors: Richard G. Cipolli; Geoffrey C. Jawidzik; Wang Gongmin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190480A1 ## CPC - A61M 16/186: {Locking systems} - A61M 2209/084: Supporting bases, stands for equipment - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} ## Abstract One or more anesthetic vaporizers may be fluidly connected to the anesthetic delivery machine via a vaporizer mounting bar. The vaporizer mounting bar may include multiple vaporizer mounting positions. Each vaporizer includes interlock pins that extend when the vaporizer is opened and prevent the vaporizer from being opened when pushed in. When a first vaporizer is opened, its interlock pins may extend and cause the interlock pins of adjacent vaporizers, and vaporizers within a chain of interlock pin connections, to be pushed in, preventing the other vaporizers from being opened simultaneously with the first vaporizer. In various embodiments, a paddle system may translate the extension of an interlock pin from one vaporizer to the interlock pins of each of the other vaporizers in the direction of the extension, including the interlock pins of vaporizers in non-adjacent and non-chain positions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vaporizer interlock system comprising: a vaporizer mounting bar configured to receive a vaporizer in each of at least a first mounting position and a second mounting position, wherein each mounting position is configured to receive a vaporizer with at least one interlock pin that extends when the vaporizer is in use and prevents usage of the vaporizer when pushed inward; a first paddle positioned adjacent the first mounting position and between the first mounting position and the second mounting position, such that an extension of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the first position is configured to cause the first paddle to be moved toward the second position; and a second paddle positioned adjacent the second mounting position between the second mounting position and the first mounting position, such that an extension of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the second position is configured to cause the second paddle to be moved toward the first position, wherein translation of the first paddle in the direction of the second paddle causes the second paddle to be moved in unison with the first paddle, and translation of the second paddle in the direction of the first paddle causes the first paddle to be moved in unison with the second paddle, such that an extension of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the first position is configured to cause an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the second position to be pushed inward, and an extension of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the second position is configured to cause an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the first position to be pushed inward. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 1, wherein the first paddle is connected to the second paddle via a rail configured to translate with respect to the mounting bar. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 1, further comprising: a first rail connected to the first paddle, the first rail configured to translate with respect to the mounting bar; and a second rail connected to the second paddle, the second rail configured to translate with respect to the mounting bar, wherein translation of the first paddle in the direction of the second paddle causes the second paddle to be moved in unison with the first paddle via interaction of the first rail with the second rail, and translation of the second paddle in the direction of the first paddle causes the first paddle to be moved in unison with the second paddle via interaction of the second rail with the first rail. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 3, wherein translation of the first paddle in the opposite direction of the second paddle is configured to not translate the second paddle, and translation of the second paddle in the opposite direction of the first paddle is configured to not translate the first paddle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 3, further comprising: a first biasing system configured to bias the first rail and the first paddle, such that the first paddle is biased to a default position of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the first position; and a second biasing system configured to bias the second rail and the second paddle, such that the second paddle is biased to a default position of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the second position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 5, wherein the first biasing system comprises a first spring and the second biasing system comprises a second spring. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 5, wherein the first biasing system comprises a first detent positioning device and the second biasing system comprises a second detent positioning device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 1, wherein the first mounting position is spaced apart from the second mounting position such that an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the first position cannot contact an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the second position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 1, wherein the vaporizer mounting bar further comprises: a third mounting position between the first mounting position and the second mounting position, the third mounting position configured to receive a vaporizer with interlock pins that extend when the vaporizer is in use and prevent usage of the vaporizer when pushed inward, such that an extension of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the first position is configured to cause an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the third position to be pushed inward, an extension of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the second position is configured to cause an interlock pin of a vaporizer in a third position to be pushed inward, and an extension of interlock pins of a vaporizer in the third position is configured to cause interlock pins of vaporizers in the first and second positions to be pushed inward. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 9, further comprising: a first rail configured to translate with respect to the mounting bar connected to the first paddle; and a second rail configured to translate with respect to the mounting bar connected to the second paddle, wherein translation of the first paddle in the direction of the second paddle causes the second paddle to be moved in unison with the first paddle via interaction of the first rail with the second rail, and translation of the second paddle in the direction of the first paddle causes the first paddle to be moved in unison with the second paddle via interaction of the second rail with the first rail. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 10, wherein translation of the first paddle in the opposite direction of the second paddle does not cause the second paddle to be moved, and translation of the second paddle in the opposite direction of the first paddle does not cause the first paddle to be moved. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 10, further comprising: a first biasing system configured to bias the first rail and the first paddle, such that the first paddle is biased to a default position of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the first position; and a second biasing system configured to bias the second rail and the second paddle, such that the second paddle is biased to a default position of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the second position. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 12, wherein the first biasing system comprises a first spring and the second biasing system comprises a second spring. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 12, wherein the first biasing system comprises a first detent positioning device and the second biasing system comprises a second detent positioning device. ### Claim 15 A vaporizer interlock system comprising: a vaporizer mounting bar configured to receive a vaporizer in each of a plurality of mounting positions, including a first end mounting position, at least one inner mounting position, and a second end mounting position, wherein each mounting position is configured to receive a vaporizer with at least one interlock pin that extends when the vaporizer is in use and prevents usage of the vaporizer when pushed inward; a paddle system comprising: a paddle positioned between each of the plurality of mounting positions configured such that an extension of an interlock pin of a vaporizer to either side of each paddle is configured to cause each respective paddle to translate in the direction of extension with respect to the mounting bar; and a rail connected to each of the paddles configured to translate with respect to the mounting bar, wherein the translation of each paddle causes a corresponding translation of an associated rail and the translation of each rail causes a corresponding translation of an associated paddle, and wherein the paddle system comprising the paddles and the rails is configured such that the translation of any one of the paddles in the direction of an extension of an interlock pin is configured to cause each other paddle in the direction of the extension to be moved in the direction of the extension, such that the extension of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in any one of the mounting positions is configured to cause an interlock pin of each vaporizer in the direction of the extension to be pushed inward by an adjacent paddle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 15, further comprising: a biasing system comprising a plurality of biasing members, each of the plurality of biasing members configured to bias one of the rails and an associated paddle, such that each of the paddles is biased to a default position of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in one of the plurality of mounting positions adjacent each respective paddle. a second biasing system configured to bias the second rail and the second paddle, such that the second paddle is bisased to a default position of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the second position. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 16, wherein each biasing member comprises a spring. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 16, wherein each biasing member comprises a detent positioning device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 15, wherein the vaporizer mounting bar comprises a first end mounting position, a first inner mounting position, a second inner mounting position, and a second end mounting position, and wherein the paddle system comprises four paddles positioned in between each of the four mounting positions and a rail connected to each of the four paddles. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 15, wherein the vaporizer mounting bar comprises a first end mounting position, a first inner mounting position, and a second end mounting position, and wherein the paddle system comprises three paddles positioned in between each of the three mounting positions and a rail connected to each of the three paddles. ### Claim 21 A vaporizer interlock system comprising: a vaporizer mounting bar configured to receive a first vaporizer in a first end mounting position, a second vaporizer in a middle mounting position, and a third vaporizer in a second end mounting position, wherein each of the mounting positions is configured to receive a vaporizer with interlock pins that extend when the vaporizer is in use and prevent usage of the vaporizer when pushed inward; a first paddle positioned between the first end mounting position and the middle mounting position, such that an extension of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the first end mounting position is configured to cause the first paddle to be moved toward the second end mounting position; a second paddle positioned between the middle mounting position and the second end mounting position, such that an extension of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the second end mounting position is configured to cause the second paddle to be moved toward the first end mounting position; wherein translation of the first paddle in the direction of the second end mounting position causes the second paddle to be moved toward the second end mounting position, and translation of the second paddle in the direction of the first end mounting position causes the first paddle to be moved toward the first end mounting position, such that an extension of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the first end mounting position is configured to cause an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the second end mounting position to be pushed inward, and an extension of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the second end mounting position is configured to cause an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the first end mounting position to be pushed inward, regardless of whether a vaporizer is mounted in the middle position, and wherein translation of the first paddle in the opposite direction of the second paddle is configured to not translate the second paddle, and translation of the second paddle in the opposite direction of the first paddle is configured to not translate the first paddle. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 21, further comprising: a first rail connected to the first paddle, the first rail configured to translate with respect to the mounting bar; and a second rail connected to the second paddle, the second rail configured to translate with respect to the mounting bar, wherein translation of the first paddle in the direction of the second paddle causes the second paddle to be moved in unison with the first paddle via interaction of the first rail with the second rail, and translation of the second paddle in the direction of the first paddle causes the first paddle to be moved in unison with the second paddle via interaction of the second rail with the first rail. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 22, further comprising: a first biasing system configured to bias the first rail and the first paddle, such that the first paddle is biased to a default position of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the first position; and a second biasing system configured to bias the second rail and the second paddle, such that the first paddle is biased to a default position of an interlock pin of a vaporizer in the second position. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 23, wherein the first biasing system comprises a first spring and the second biasing system comprises a second spring. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The vaporizer interlock system of claim 23, wherein the first biasing system comprises a first detent positioning device and the second biasing system comprises a second detent positioning device.