Safety system for electrostimulation device

• US 8,335,566 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2005
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DJO Global Switzerland SARL (Enovis Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Compex Medical S.A. (Enovis Corp.)
• Inventors: Müller, Pierre-Yves, Schönenberger, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Carl H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Porter, Jr., Allen
• Application Number:
  US10/585,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20090024188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,904 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607/4, 607/5, 607/9, 607/10, 607/33, 607/34, 607 36- 38, 607/63, 607/115, 439/794, 439/796, 439/836, 439/837, 439/909
• US Class Current: 607/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36 for stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3752 Details of casing-lead connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/453 Shutter or cover plate opened by engagement of counterpart
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4534 Laterally sliding shutter
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0208 Interlock mechanisms; Means for avoiding unauthorised use or function, e.g. tamperproof

Abstract

A housing for an electrostimulation device comprising a charger plug and a stimulation plug, designed to receive respectively a connector linked to a charger and a connector linked to a stimulation electrode, characterized in that it comprises a mobile locking element designed to alternately lock the charger plug or the stimulation plug.

Claims

1. A housing for an electrostimulation device comprising:

a charger plug configured to receive a connector linked to a charger;

a stimulation plug configured to receive a connector linked to a stimulation electrode;

an elongate member configured to adopt a first configuration and a second configuration with respect to the charger and stimulation plugs;

wherein the elongate member at least partially covers the charger plug but not the stimulation plug when the elongate member is in the first configuration, and the elongate member at least partially covers the stimulation plug but not the charger plug when the elongate member is in the second configuration.

2. The housing as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of stimulation plugs, wherein the elongate member at least partially covers the charger plug but not the plurality of stimulation plugs when the elongate member is in the first configuration and at least partially covers the plurality of stimulation plugs but not the charger plug when the elongate member is in the second configuration;

wherein the elongate member is configured to transition between the first configuration and the second configuration in a single action.

3. The housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongate member comprises an inclined surface, located in a first plug that is one of the charger plug and the stimulation plug, and arranged so that a connector inserted into said first plug exerts a force on the inclined surface to displace the elongate member to at least partially cover the other of the charger plug and the stimulation plug.

4. The housing as claimed in claim 3, wherein the elongate member includes a plurality of portions, said elongate member is configured to be mobile in a direction parallel to a plane passing through the charger plug and the stimulation plug, and a first of the plurality of portions of the elongate member is disposed on the elongate member so as to at least partially cover the charger plug but not the stimulation plug in the first configuration and to a second of the plurality of portions of the elongate member is disposed on the elongate member so as to at least partially cover the stimulation plug but not the charger plug in the second configuration.

5. The housing as claimed in claim 4, wherein the inclined surface is located at one end of the elongate member.

6. The housing as claimed in claim 3, wherein the charger plug and the stimulation plug are located on two opposite sides of the housing, a first surface of the housing is configured in a curvilinear shape, the elongate member is composed of a semi-rigid material and configured to be mobile along a curvilinear path defined by the first surface of the housing between the charger plug and the stimulation plug.

7. The housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongate member comprises a rod provided with protrusions disposed on the rod and said rod is mounted to the housing by a pivot.

8. The housing as claimed in claim 7, wherein the rod has a first end, a second end, and a main axis, and wherein the rod is mounted to pivot about a main axis along a length of the rod and the protrusions are disposed on the road toward at least one of the first end and second end of the rod.

9. The housing as claimed in claim 7, wherein the rod is mounted to pivot about an axis directed perpendicular to a main axis along a length of the rod and the protrusions are disposed along the length of the rod.

10. The housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongate member is configured to be displaced in a direction substantially perpendicular to a line on which the charger plug and stimulation plug are located.

11. The housing as claimed in claim 10, wherein the elongate member is provided with protrusions disposed along the length of the elongate member.

12. The housing as claimed in claim 10, wherein the elongate member comprises a handle, wherein activation of the handle causes the elongate member to adopt one of the first configuration and the second configuration.