Needle magazine
First Claim
1. A single use needle assembly comprising:
- a magazine having a compartment defined by a bottom, a cylindrical side wall extending in an axial direction, and an access opening;
a snap-on needle unit carrying a needle mounted in a hub, wherein said hub has an open end for insertion of a needle receiving part of a syringe, and a mainly cylindrical outer side wall, wherein said hub is disposed in the compartment and provides a gap between the hub and the compartment side wall; and
at least one tongue shaped protrusion disposed in said gap, wherein said protrusion has a radially inner end and a radially outer end, wherein said radially outer end is secured to said magazine side wall, wherein said at least one protrusion extends radially inwardly from said radially outer end to hold said hub in place, and wherein said radially inner end is free to move such that said projection can be deflected in either axial direction, wherein said radially inner end lies at a distance from the axis which is less than the distance of the outer side wall of the hub from said axis such that, with the needle unit inserted in the magazine, said protrusion must assume an oblique position in the axial direction, wherein prior to using the needle unit, said radially inner end of the protrusions is deflected in a first axial direction, towards the access opening to allow the needle unit to be withdrawn from the magazine, and wherein, after the needle unit is used, reinsertion of the needle unit into the magazine causes said protrusion to deflect in an opposite axial direction, toward the bottom of the compartment; and
further comprising means for effectively preventing needle reuse by opposing the withdrawal of the needle unit from the magazine when said protrusion faces said opposite direction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A magazine for storing and final disposal of a snap-on needle unit has a compartment having a bottom, a cylindrical side wall, and an access opening, which compartment accommodates the needle unit with a gap between the outer side wall of this needle unit and the inner side wall of the compartment. A circle of tongue-shaped protrusions are at one end thereof hinged at the inner surface of the side wall of the compartment and are at their other ends free. The length of the protrusions exceeds the width of the gap so that the protrusions are deflected to assume an oblique position with their free ends pointing towards the access opening of the compartment when the unused needle is stored in the magazine and pointing towards the bottom of the compartment when the needle unit is reinserted into the magazine.
174 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A single use needle assembly comprising:
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a magazine having a compartment defined by a bottom, a cylindrical side wall extending in an axial direction, and an access opening; a snap-on needle unit carrying a needle mounted in a hub, wherein said hub has an open end for insertion of a needle receiving part of a syringe, and a mainly cylindrical outer side wall, wherein said hub is disposed in the compartment and provides a gap between the hub and the compartment side wall; and at least one tongue shaped protrusion disposed in said gap, wherein said protrusion has a radially inner end and a radially outer end, wherein said radially outer end is secured to said magazine side wall, wherein said at least one protrusion extends radially inwardly from said radially outer end to hold said hub in place, and wherein said radially inner end is free to move such that said projection can be deflected in either axial direction, wherein said radially inner end lies at a distance from the axis which is less than the distance of the outer side wall of the hub from said axis such that, with the needle unit inserted in the magazine, said protrusion must assume an oblique position in the axial direction, wherein prior to using the needle unit, said radially inner end of the protrusions is deflected in a first axial direction, towards the access opening to allow the needle unit to be withdrawn from the magazine, and wherein, after the needle unit is used, reinsertion of the needle unit into the magazine causes said protrusion to deflect in an opposite axial direction, toward the bottom of the compartment; and further comprising means for effectively preventing needle reuse by opposing the withdrawal of the needle unit from the magazine when said protrusion faces said opposite direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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Specification