Connecting assembly

• US 4,500,312 A
• Filed: 12/15/1982
• Issued: 02/19/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TAUT Incorporated 2571 Kaneville Road Geneva County Kane Illinois
• Original Assignee: Richard H. McFarlane
• Inventors: McFarlane, Richard H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truluck, Dalton L.
• Application Number:
  US06/450,025
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 604/165, 604/240, 604/242, 604/263, 604/192, 604/193
• US Class Current: 604/263
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0631 having means for fully covering the needle after its withdrawal, e.g. needle being withdrawn inside the handle or a cover being advanced over the needle

Abstract

A connecting assembly used to form a removable but secure locking attachment between a protective sheath and a catheter structure such that a needle portion of the catheter is protected by being enclosed within the sheath and the sheath is prevented from inadvertent removal from the catheter structure.

Claims

1. A connecting assembly used in combination with a catheter means and mounted at least in part on said catheter means and on a sheath element positionable in covering relation to a portion of said catheter means, said connecting assembly comprising:

(a) flange means including two flange elements mounted on said catheter means and each extending outwardly therefrom in an opposite direction to one another and substantially transversely to a longitudinal axis of said catheter means,

(b) a locking assembly including two locking fingers mounted on said sheath element in spaced apart relation and each disposed for engagement with one of said flange elements,

(c) two link elements integrally formed on said sheath element and each attached in interconnecting relation between said sheath element and one of said locking fingers, each of said locking fingers pivotal about said link element into and out of attached relation with the respectively positioned flange element,

each of said locking fingers disposed and structured for substantially overlapping engagement with a respective flange element including groove means integrally formed in an undersurface of each locking finger,

(e) each of said groove means correspondingly dimensioned and configured relative to a distal edge of said respectively positioned flange element and disposed for selective, substantially surrounding reception of said distal edge therein, upon selective pivotal movement of said flange element,

(f) guide means mounted on and extending outwardly from said sheath element in substantially parallel relation to a leading end of each locking finger, said guide means comprising two pairs of projections, each pair adjacent to one of said locking fingers and each projection thereof spaced apart a sufficient distance to border oppositely disposed lateral peripheral edges of each flange element adjacent said distal edge thereof,

(g) each of said locking fingers and one respectively positioned pair of projection collectively disposed in surrounding engagement with a peripheral portion of one of said flange elements, whereby each flange element and said catheter means attached thereto being mounted in fixed, attached position relation to said sheath element upon connection of the flange means with said locking fingers and said guide means.

2. A connecting assembly as in claim 1 wherein at least one projection of each pair has an angular orientation in substantial conformance with an angularly configured peripheral edge of each flange element, said guide projections disposed in engageable relation to peripheral boundaries of said flange element.

3. A connecting assembly as in claim 1 wherein each of said locking fingers are selectively pivotal about said respective locking elements and positionable between an opened and a closed position relative to said respectively positioned flange elements upon respective depression and release of a distal end of each locking finger.

4. A connecting assembly as in claim 1 wherein each of said leading ends include a substantially angularly oriented undersurface extending in an inwardly diverging relation from an outer extremity thereof towards said respective groove means.

5. A connecting assembly as in claim 1 wherein each of said flange elements extend outwardly from said catheter means in an angularly oriented, substantially diverging relation to one another and to a central longitudinal axis of said catheter means.