METHOD TO FABRICATE A NEEDLE HAVING A TAPERED PORTION BETWEEN A DISTAL TIP AND A LONGITUDINAL CHANNEL
First Claim
1. A method to fabricate a needle, comprising:
- stamping an elongated shape in a flat metal sheet, the elongated shape having a body portion and a distal portion, the elongated shape defining a longitudinal axis and two edges that are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis in the body portion, each of the two edges including an inward curve in the distal portion, each inward curve being aligned relative to the other so as to create a neck in the distal portion, the neck being narrower than a width between the two edges in the body portion;
forming a longitudinal channel in the elongated shape, the longitudinal channel being aligned with the longitudinal axis, the longitudinal channel giving the elongated shape a U-shaped cross-section in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis at the body portion;
punching through the neck with a punch that slides along a punching axis that intersects the longitudinal axis with an angle in the range 15°
to 50°
.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A novel method to fabricate a needle includes stamping an elongated shape in a flat metal sheet. The elongated shape defines a longitudinal axis and two edges that are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. Each of the two edges includes an inward curve with relative alignment to create a relatively narrow neck. A longitudinal channel is formed to give the elongated shape a U-shaped cross-section in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis. The method includes punching through the neck with a punch that slides along a punching axis that intersects the longitudinal axis with an angle in the range 15° to 50°. Alternatively the method includes coining a thinned region that spans the neck and may define a V-shape in a major plane of the flat metal sheet, and separating the elongated shape along the thinned region after coining.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method to fabricate a needle, comprising:
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stamping an elongated shape in a flat metal sheet, the elongated shape having a body portion and a distal portion, the elongated shape defining a longitudinal axis and two edges that are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis in the body portion, each of the two edges including an inward curve in the distal portion, each inward curve being aligned relative to the other so as to create a neck in the distal portion, the neck being narrower than a width between the two edges in the body portion; forming a longitudinal channel in the elongated shape, the longitudinal channel being aligned with the longitudinal axis, the longitudinal channel giving the elongated shape a U-shaped cross-section in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis at the body portion; punching through the neck with a punch that slides along a punching axis that intersects the longitudinal axis with an angle in the range 15°
to 50°
. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method to fabricate a needle, comprising:
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stamping an elongated shape in a flat metal sheet, the flat metal sheet defining a major plane, the elongated shape having a body portion and a distal portion, the elongated shape defining a longitudinal axis and two edges that are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis in the body portion, each of the two edges including an inward curve in the distal portion, each inward curve being aligned relative to the other so as to create a neck in the distal portion, the neck being narrower than a width between the two edges in the body portion; coining a thinned region in the distal portion, the thinned region spanning the neck; separating the distal portion along the thinned region after coining; and forming a longitudinal channel in the elongated shape, the longitudinal channel being aligned with the longitudinal axis, the longitudinal channel being formed out of the major plane to give the elongated shape a U-shaped cross-section in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis at the body portion. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. A needle, comprising:
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a body portion having a longitudinal channel that defines a longitudinal axis; a distal tip; and a tapered portion disposed between the distal tip and the body portion, the tapered portion having a U-shaped cross-section in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis, the U-shaped cross-section defining an open top and a closed bottom; wherein the distal tip has a cut facet that is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis by an angle in the range 15 degrees to 50 degrees, and wherein a plane that is parallel to and tangent the cut facet does not intersect any part of the needle except the cut facet. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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Specification