Needle hiding assembly for a medication injector

• US 20040236284A1
• Filed: 06/17/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Grant Richard Wilson, Michael Scott Ulrich, Scott Forster Percy, Shannon Marie-Lynn Hoste
• Original Assignee: Grant Richard Wilson, Michael Scott Ulrich, Scott Forster Percy, Shannon Marie-Lynn Hoste
• Inventors: Wilson, Grant Richard, Percy, Scott Forster, Hoste, Shannon Marie-Lynn, Ulrich, Michael Scott
• Application Number:
  US10/479,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236284A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/198
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3267 Biased sleeves where the needle is uncovered by insertion of the needle into a patient's body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/24 Ampoule syringes, i.e. syringes with needle for use in combination with replaceable ampoules or carpules, e.g. automatic ampoules or carpules A61J1/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3202 Devices for protection of the needle before use, e.g. caps A61M5/50 takes precedence; for infusion spikes A61M5/1626; protectors for sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/326 Fully automatic sleeve extension, i.e. in which triggering of the sleeve does not require a deliberate action by the user

Abstract

An assembly mountable to an injector, such as an injection pen, to hide the needle of the injector from view. The assembly includes a retractable cover that is slidably mounted on a base sleeve that is releaseably connected to the injector. A spring between the cover and the base sleeve biases the cover toward a forward position at which it surrounds and hides the axially fixed needle from view.X-14348

Claims

1. A needle hiding assembly for a portable injector having a needle forwardly axially protruding from a forward end of the injector, the needle being in communication with a medicine filled cartridge of the injector, the needle hiding assembly comprising:

a base sleeve releaseably connected to the injector;

a needle cover slidably retained on said base sleeve to be axially movable between forward and rearward positions, wherein said needle cover when in said forward position surrounds at least a forward part of the needle, said needle cover including a forward surface that defines a needle accommodating opening through which the needle extends when said needle cover is shifted from said forward position to said rearward position, wherein a length of the needle that projects forward beyond said forward surface is exposed for injection when said needle cover is disposed in said rearward position;

a biasing, element acting between said base sleeve and said needle cover to bias said needle cover from said rearward position toward said forward position; and

a cap releaseably connectable to said base sleeve and defining an interior hollow that accommodates said needle cover, wherein said cap and needle cover are configured such that connecting said cap to said base sleeve shifts said needle cover from said forward position toward said rearward position against a returning force provided by said biasing element.

2. The needle hiding assembly of claim 1 wherein said base sleeve surrounds a forward portion of the injector adjacent the injector forward end.

3. The needle hiding assembly of claim 2 wherein said base sleeve axially extends along at least a majority of a length of the cartridge of the injector.

4. The needle hiding assembly of claim 1 wherein said biasing element comprises a compression spring.

5. The needle hiding assembly of claim 1 wherein said cap includes a radially inwardly protruding stop that abuts said forward surface of said needle cover to shift said needle cover from said forward position toward said rearward position during connection of said cap to said base sleeve.

6. The needle hiding assembly of claim 5 wherein said stop comprises a rearward face of at least one cap rib.

7. The needle hiding assembly of claim 1 wherein said needle cover is slidably retained on said base sleeve by a plurality of outwardly projecting tangs of said base sleeve that engage inwardly projecting stop tabs of said needle cover.

8. The needle hiding assembly of claim 7 wherein said forward surface of said needle cover defines a plurality of tang accommodating holes disposed radially outward of said needle accommodating opening, wherein said tangs fit within said tang accommodating holes when said needle cover is disposed in said rearward position.

9. The needle hiding assembly of claim 1 wherein said forward surface of said needle cover comprises a first region and a second region, wherein said first region encircles said needle accommodating opening and is located between said needle accommodating opening and said second region, and wherein said first region is rearwardly recessed from said second region to define a concavity for increased needle length exposure.

10. The needle hiding assembly of claim 9 wherein said first region of said forward surface is generally hemispherical, and said second region of said forward surface is annular and generally planar.

11. The needle hiding assembly of claim 1 wherein said cap is connectable to said base sleeve by at least one detent in one of said cap and said base sleeve that fits within a circumferential groove in the other of said cap and said base sleeve.

12. The needle hiding assembly of claim 1 wherein said base sleeve comprises at least one window for viewing the medicine within the cartridge.

13. The needle hiding assembly of claim 12 wherein said at least one window is covered by a viewing element having markings for allowing a user to gauge medicine remaining in the cartridge.

14. A needle hiding assembly for an injection pen having a needle forwardly axially protruding from a forward end of the injection pen, the needle being in communication with a medicine filled cartridge of the injection pen, the needle hiding assembly comprising:

a base sleeve releaseably connected to the injection pen;

a needle cover slidably retained on said base sleeve to be axially movable between forward and rearward positions, wherein said needle cover when in said forward position surrounds at least a forward part of the needle, said needle cover including a forward surface that defines a needle accommodating opening through which the needle extends when said needle cover is shifted from said forward position to said rearward position, wherein a length of the needle that projects forward beyond said forward surface is exposed for injection when said needle cover is disposed in said rearward position;

a biasing element acting between said base sleeve and said needle cover to bias said needle cover from said rearward position toward said forward position; and

wherein said forward surface of said needle cover comprises a first region and a second region, wherein said first region encircles said needle accommodating opening and is located between said needle accommodating opening and said second region, and wherein said first region is rearwardly recessed from said second region to define a concavity for increased needle length exposure.

15. The needle hiding assembly of claim 14 wherein said first region of said forward surface is generally hemispherical.

16. The needle hiding assembly of claim 14 wherein said second region of said forward surface is annular and generally planar.

17. The needle hiding assembly of claim 14 wherein said needle cover is slidably retained on said base sleeve by a plurality of outwardly projecting tangs of said base sleeve.

18. The needle hiding assembly of claim 17 wherein said second region of said forward surface of said needle cover defines a plurality of tang accommodating holes disposed radially outward of said needle accommodating opening, wherein said tangs fit within said tang accommodating holes when said needle cover is disposed in said rearward position.