UMBILICAL CORD CLAMP

• US 3,854,482 A
• Filed: 11/22/1972
• Issued: 12/17/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James R. Laugherty, Lorene Laugherty
• Original Assignee: James R. Laugherty, Lorene Laugherty
• Inventors: Laugherty, Lorene, Laugherty, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pace, Channing L.
• Application Number:
  US05/308,822
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 24/16PB,73P,248BB,255SL 128/346 132/48R 292/322
• US Class Current: 606/120
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/122 Clamps or clips , e.g. for the umbilical cord for the vas deferens A61F6/206
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44752 Integral locking-means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/50 Single piece, spring catch

Abstract

An umbilical cord clamp to be used either for human children or for animals, which is made usually of non-metallic material having a pair of elongated arms joined together at one end by means of a hinge loop and having at the opposite ends thereof a pair of hooks on one arm entering a box-like socket on the other arm to engage shoulders in the socket and to confine the arms in substantially closed position about the umbilical cord. Overlapping shoulders are also provided to prevent lateral deflection of the arms, which may thereby release the hook engagement between the free ends thereof.

Claims

1. An umbilical cord clamp comprising a substantially V-shaped member including a pair of arms joined together at the apex by a loop integral therewith and forming a hinge between the arms at one end thereof and with the opposite ends being free and normally spaced apart, said arms being movable toward each other to clamp a cord therebetween, and means on the free ends on the arms for latching the arms in clamping relation to the cord, said latching means including a pair of hooks on one arm facing in opposite directions and a box-like socket on the free end of the other arm having an entrance opening facing the hooks, said entrance opening having shoulders on opposite sides thereof in the direction of the hooks, the hooks having diverging shanks of yieldable material and with engaging faces in positions to overlap the respective shoulders when the latching means is in closed relation, said hooks having means thereon in position to engage the shoulders at the entrance opening yieldably to move the hooks toward each other during passage through the entrance opening thereby compressing the hooks toward each other and after passage through the opening the yieldable shanks of the hooks causing lateral expansion thereof apart into overlapping relation with the respective shoulders, the box-like socket being open at the lateral side for access laterally to the hooks.

2. An umbilical cord clamp according to claim 1, wherein the arms are formed of non-metallic semi-rigid material capable of flexing transversely of the length thereof.

3. An umbilical cord clamp according to claim 1, including means on the arms outside the recess for preventing transverse movement of the free end of one arm relative to the free end of the other arm in a direction toward the open side of the socket to disengage the hooks from the shoulders at the entrance opening.

4. An umbilical cord clamp comprising a substantially V-shaped member including a pair of arms joined together at the apex by a loop integral therewith and forming a hinge between the arms at one end thereof and with the opposite ends being free and normally spaced apart, said arms being movable toward each other to clamp a cord therebetween, one of the arms having a box-like socket on the free end thereof with an entrance opening toward the other arm and having a lateral side open, said socket having a shoulder therein at the entrance opening, a hook carried by the other arm in position to enter the socket through the entrance opening and engage the shoulder to hold the arms in clamping relation, and means interconnecting the arms to hold the same in longitudinal alignment and to prevent the hook from sliding out of engagement with the shoulder through the lateral open side and cause disengagement of the arms.

5. An umbilical cord clamp according to claim 4, wherein the interconnecting means includes upright shoulders on the free end portions of the arms outside the socket overlapping in a direction longitudinally of the arms, one shoulder projecting from a side of the socket at the lateral open side thereof, and the other shoulder on the arm having the hook lying laterally inwardly of the first-mentioned shoulder when the arms are in closed relation.