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US 5,292,329 AGranted
Retractable surgical knife
OwnerRichard S. Wernerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A retractable "ball-pen" like tool/scalpel, provided with a latch mechanism, is automatically retracted when not in use by pushing the latch mechanism and is extended when in use by pushing a tool/blade support member of the tool/scalpel. An enlarged section of the latch mechanism is matched and engaged with an enlarged slot portion of the tool/blade support member when the tool/blade support member is pushed to an operative position wherein a tool/blade is exposed from a sheath member. The enlarged section of the latch mechanism is pushed transversely and disengaged with the enlarged slot portion of the tool/blade support member, the tool/blade support member is forced back to an inoperative position wherein the tool/scalpel is retracted into the sheath member.
Claims20
A retractable scalpel, comprising:
- a sheath member having front and back ends;
- a blade support member partially disposed in the sheath member and telescopically received in the sheath member for movement between an inoperative position wherein the blade support member is retracted into the sheath member, and an operative position wherein the blade support member extends out of the sheath member;
- said blade support member having a pair of transversely elongated and longitudinally extended slots wherein one of the slots is disposed along a top side of the blade support member and the other slot is disposed along a bottom side of the blade support member, an enlarged slot portion disposed proximate a back end of the top side slot, a first spring member being disposed inside of the blade support member;
- said sheath member including a pair of diametrically opposite top and bottom openings in transverse alignment with said slots;
- latch means, having a push button section projecting through said top opening and said top side slot, and a bottom section projecting through said bottom opening and said bottom side slot, for latching the scalpel in an extended, operative position, the push button section being telescopically received by the bottom section, an enlarged section being disposed on said push button section for receipt in the enlarged slot portion upon alignment therewith, thereby locking the sheath member and the blade support member against further relative movement, a second spring member being disposed between the push button section and the bottom section of the latch means;
- locking collar means for securing the blade support member, the sheath member and the latch means together;
- means for mounting a blade on the blade support member;
- and
- means for limiting movement of the blade support member beyond the operative position and the inoperative position including means for transversely extending through the top side and bottom side slots of said blade support member and a pair of oppositely disposed openings of the sheath member which are in alignment with the top side and bottom side slots of said blade support member.
6 more elements
A retractable tool holder, comprising:
- a sheath member having front and back ends;
- a tool support member partially disposed in the sheath member;
- means for mounting a tool on the tool support member;
- the tool support member being telescopically received in the sheath member for movement between an inoperative position wherein the tool is retracted into the sheath member, and an operative position wherein the tool extends out of the sheath member;
- said tool support member having a pair of transversely elongated and longitudinally extended slots wherein one of the slots is disposed along a top side of the blade support member and the other slot is disposed along a bottom side of the blade support member, an enlarged slot portion disposed proximate a back end of one of the extended slots, a spring being disposed inside of the tool support member;
- latch means for latching the scalpel in an extended, operative position, the latch means having an enlarged section being receivable in the enlarged slot portion upon alignment therewith, thereby locking the sheath member and the tool support member against further relative movement;
- locking collar means for securing the tool support member, the sheath member and the latch means together;
- and
- means for limiting movement of the tool support member beyond the operative position and inoperative position including means for transversely extending through the top and bottom lots of the tool support member.
6 more elements
A retractable scalpel, comprising:
- a sheath member having front and back ends;
- a blade support member partially disposed in the sheath member and telescopically received in the sheath member for movement between an inoperative position wherein the blade support member is retracted into the sheath member, and an operative position wherein the blade support member extends out of the sheath member;
- said blade support member having a pair of transversely elongated and longitudinally extended slots wherein one of the slots is disposed along a top side of the blade support member and the other slot is disposed along a bottom side of the blade support member, an enlarged slot portion disposed proximate aback end of the top side slot, a first spring member being disposed inside of the blade support member;
- said sheath member including a pair of diametrically opposite top and bottom openings in transverse alignment with said slots;
- latch means, having a push button section projecting through said top opening and said top side slot, and a bottom section projecting through said bottom opening and said bottom side slot, for latching the scalpel in an extended, operative position, the push button section being telescopically received by the bottom section, an enlarged section being disposed on said push button section for receipt in the enlarged slot portion upon alignment therewith, thereby locking the sheath member and the blade support member against further relative movement, a second spring member being disposed between the push button section and the bottom section of the latch means;
- locking collar means for securing the blade support member, the sheath member and the latch means together;
- and
- means for mounting a blade on the blade support member.
5 more elements
A retractable tool holder, comprising:
- a sheath member having front and back ends;
- a tool support member partially disposed in the sheath member;
- means for mounting a tool on the tool support member;
- the tool support member being telescopically received in the sheath member for movement between an inoperative position wherein the tool is retracted into the sheath member, and an operative position wherein the tool extends out of the sheath member;
- said tool support member having at least one transversely elongated and longitudinally extended slot, an enlarged slot portion disposed proximate a back end of the slot, a spring being disposed inside of the tool support member, the sheath member having spring engaging means for engaging a front end of the spring so that the spring is compressed upon movement of the tool support member into the sheath member;
- latch means for latching the scalpel in an extended, operative position, the latch means having an enlarged section being receivable in the enlarged slot portion upon alignment therewith, thereby locking the sheath member and the tool support member against further relative movement;
- locking collar means for securing the tool support member, the sheath member and the latch means together;
- and
- limiting means in back of the enlarged slot portion for limiting movement beyond a predetermined position of the tool support member into the sheath member.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.