Automatic injector

An auto-injector comprising:

• a housing;
• a cartridge container disposed within the housing;
• a cartridge received within the cartridge container, the cartridge having at least one opening therein and containing a medicament, the medicament rearwardly confined by a plunger, wherein the cartridge includes a needle assembly to dispense the medicament there through, the needle assembly comprising a needle and a non-removable protective needle sheath;
• an actuation assembly providing a stored energy source capable of being released to drive the needle through the protective needle sheath and to drive the plunger within the cartridge to dispense the medicament through the needle assembly;
• a needle cover at least partially received within the housing, the needle cover having an opening formed therein sized to permit the passage of the needle assembly there through during a medicament dispensing operation, the needle cover having a first locked retracted position and a second locked extended position;
• and
• a locking mechanism for selectively holding the needle cover in the first locked position and in the second locked position,
• wherein the locking mechanism is constructed and arranged to be protected against external contact by at least one of the needle cover and the housing.

An auto-injector comprising:

• a housing;
• a cartridge container disposed within the housing;
• a cartridge received within the cartridge container, the cartridge having at least one opening therein and containing a medicament, the medicament rearwardly confined by a plunger, the cartridge including a needle assembly to dispense the medicament there through;
• an actuation assembly having a stored energy source capable of being released to drive the plunger within the cartridge to dispense the medicament through the needle assembly;
• a needle cover at least partially received within the housing, the needle cover having an opening formed therein to permit passage of the needle assembly there through during a medicament dispensing operation, the needle cover having a first locked retracted position and a second locked extended position;
• and
• a locking mechanism for selectively holding the needle cover in the first locked position and in the second locked position, wherein:
• the locking mechanism comprises at least one locking tooth that releasably engages the needle cover;
• each locking tooth has a spring action extension that adjusts the position of the locking tooth with respect to the cartridge to accommodate cartridges of different sizes and of different needle sizes received within the cartridge container;
• and
• each locking tooth is pivotally connected to the cartridge container.