TEST ELEMENT EJECTION MECHANISM FOR A METER
First Claim
1. A meter, comprising:
- an external housing extending around an interior, said housing including a port that opens between said interior and an exterior of said housing;
a connector in said interior of said housing adjacent to said port, said connector being engageable with a test element positioned through said port; and
an ejection mechanism including a drive portion in said interior and an arm extending from said drive portion, said ejection mechanism being movable in said housing and relative to said connector between a locked position and a release position, wherein said ejection mechanism is biased toward said release position and a portion of said arm positively engages said housing and locks said ejection mechanism in said locked position, said portion of said arm being movable out of said positive engagement with said housing to cause at least said drive portion of said ejection mechanism to automatically move from said locked position toward said release position so that said drive portion displaces the test element positioned in engagement with said connector out of said port of said housing.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A hand-held biosensing meter includes an ejection mechanism housed by the meter for ejecting a test element from the meter. The meter housing is provided with a port to receive the test element. The ejection mechanism includes a drive portion associated with the receptacle and a trigger portion that is associated with the drive portion and releasably engageable to the housing. Displacement of the trigger portion causes the drive portion to automatically eject the test element from the port of the meter housing. Insertion of a test element into the port re-positions the ejection mechanism to its locked position and provides an indication to the user that the test element is properly inserted into the meter.
16 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A meter, comprising:
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an external housing extending around an interior, said housing including a port that opens between said interior and an exterior of said housing; a connector in said interior of said housing adjacent to said port, said connector being engageable with a test element positioned through said port; and an ejection mechanism including a drive portion in said interior and an arm extending from said drive portion, said ejection mechanism being movable in said housing and relative to said connector between a locked position and a release position, wherein said ejection mechanism is biased toward said release position and a portion of said arm positively engages said housing and locks said ejection mechanism in said locked position, said portion of said arm being movable out of said positive engagement with said housing to cause at least said drive portion of said ejection mechanism to automatically move from said locked position toward said release position so that said drive portion displaces the test element positioned in engagement with said connector out of said port of said housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A meter, comprising:
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a meter housing having a port configured to receive a test element; a connector housing provided in an interior of the meter housing, the connector housing being generally aligned with the port and configured to receive and engage a portion of a test element inserted into the port; an ejection sled slidably mounted within the meter housing and movable relative to the connector housing between a release position and a locked position, the release position being located generally adjacent to the port, the locked position being spaced from the release position away from the port, the sled comprising at least one member extending into the connector housing, each member having a surface oriented generally normal to the direction between the locked and release positions, the sled further comprising a locking member configured to releasably engage an anchor portion within the meter housing when the sled is moved into the locking position, wherein the sled is biased by a biasing force into the release position, the sled being movable to the locked position by insertion of a test element through the port into the connector housing wherein a leading edge of such test element engages the normal surface to cause displacement of the sled until the locking member engages the anchor portion, and wherein the sled is configured to eject a test element when the locking member disengages from the anchor portion with an ejection force generally equal to the biasing force minus any retentional force imparted by the connector housing onto a test element located therein when the sled is in the locked position. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A meter, comprising:
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a meter including an external housing extending around an interior, said housing including a port that opens between said interior and an exterior of said housing; a connector in said interior of said housing adjacent to said port, said connector being engaged with a test element when said test element is positioned through said port; and an ejection mechanism including a drive portion in said interior that is engaged to said connector and a trigger portion associated with said drive portion, said ejection mechanism including a locked position where the test element is positioned in engagement with said connector and said ejection mechanism is secured in said locked position with said trigger portion, said ejection mechanism being generally biased from said locked position toward a release position where actuation of said trigger portion releases said ejection mechanism from said locked position so that said drive portion contacts the test element in said connector to drive the test element out of said port of said housing. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification