Automatic needle guard tip protection
OwnerRichard C. Sircominventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A needle tip protecting device is provided for hypodermic needles, catheters and the like. The device is small enough to be stored at the base of the needle prior to and during use. After use it may be slid to cover the needle tip where it automatically self-attaches and becomes non-removable. Embodiments of mechanisms which achieve this effect by means of a tapered cavity, collet or angled jamming surface are described.
Claims12
A needle tip protecting device for covering the tip of a needle comprising protecting means having engagement means for automatically, non-removably, directly engaging the outer surface of needle with said protecting means when said protecting means is moved from a position on said needle spaced from said tip, to a position where said protecting means encloses said tip, said engagement means comprising:
- (a) locking means adapted to lockingly engage with said needle and thereby restrain axial displacement of said protecting means with respect to said needle in the direction proceeding towards the tip of said needle, when said protecting means encloses said tip;
- and
- (b) means to prevent re-emergence of said tip from said guard body upon attempted movement of said protecting means in the opposing axial direction
- wherein the locking means comprises:
- (i) a jamming surface contained within said protecting means and obliquely aligned with said needle to provide a narrowing opening therebetween;
- and
- (ii) jamming means contained within said protecting means and biased by spring means to move into the narrowing opening and lockingly engage said needle when said protecting means is positioned so as to envelop the tip of said needle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.