Automatic needle protector having features for facilitating assembly

A device for protectively covering a needle comprising:

• a mount adapted for having said needle attached thereto at a first end and having an open second end through which said needle extends;
• a protective cover having a first end coupled to said open second end of said mount and an open second end;
• and
• a spring coupled between said mount and said cover, said spring being biased in compression and torsion when said cover is coupled to said mount, so as to automatically urge said cover to a needle protection position in which said cover is disposed over said needle.

A needle protector device comprising:

• a needle subassembly having a hub and a needle extending from said hub to terminate at a tip, said hub having at least one exterior rib;
• a mount having an upper end, an interior channel extending from said upper end of said mount to terminate at a terminal end having a reduced diameter relative to a portion of said channel adjacent to said upper end of said mount, and an open lower end, wherein said needle subassembly is inserted into said channel of said mount from said upper end so that interference between said at least one rib and said interior channel causes said needle subassembly to be retained in said mount, said mount having a spring receiving aperture adjacent to said upper end;
• a protective cover having an upper end coupled to said lower end of said mount, an open lower end of reduced diameter relative to said upper end of said cover, and a spring receiving aperture adjacent to said upper end of said cover;
• and
• a spring having a mount engaging extension extending axially from a first end thereof and a cover engaging extension extending axially from a second end thereof, wherein said mount engaging extension is disposed in said spring receiving aperture of said mount and said cover engaging extension is disposed in said spring receiving aperture of said cover and wherein said cover and said mount are rotated relative to one another to torsionally bias said spring in assembly.