Packaging for retro-reflective markers

• US 8,651,274 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2012
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IZI Medical Products
• Original Assignee: IZI Medical Products
• Inventors: Shafer, Helen Zinreich, Zinreich, David Alan, Crumb, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): GEHMAN, BRYON P
• Application Number:
  US13/408,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20130134059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 206/315.9, 206461-471, 206484-4842, 206525-526, 206/820
• US Class Current: 206/484
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2575/3281 Tear lines dividing the package into a plurality of packages
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2575/329 Fixing or supporting means for the contents
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/327 and forming several compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/36 one sheet or blank being recessed and the other formed of relatively stiff flat sheet material, e.g. blister packages , the recess or recesses being preformed B65D73/0057, B65D73/0092 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/58 for ball bearings, washers, buttons or like spherical or disc-shaped articles cards for buttons, collar-studs or sleeve-links A44B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/105 Read-out devices G01T1/115 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/2014 Reading out of stimulable sheets, e.g. latent image
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/134 including a threaded mounting member

Abstract

Described is a device comprising a retro-reflective marker sphere comprising: a core ball comprising: a generally spherical body portion, a mounting base extending from one end of the body portion of the core ball, and a mounting recess having a recess opening in the mounting base and extending into the body portion of the core ball, and a retro-reflective covering on the core ball, the retro-reflective covering comprising an opening through which the mounting base of the core ball extends, wherein a flat lower surface of the mounting base is spaced proximally from a lower edge of the opening of the retro-reflective covering, and wherein the mounting recess includes an interior screw thread for engaging an exterior screw thread of a mounting post when the retro-reflective marker sphere is mounted on the mounting post.

Claims

1. A package comprising:

a pocket layer including one or more pockets for receiving one or more retro-reflective markers, and

one or more backing layers joined to the pocket layer,

wherein at least one of the one or more backing layers includes a recess configured to receive a mounting base of a retro-reflective marker of the one or more retro-reflective markers to thereby maintain the retro-reflective marker in a right-side-up orientation,

wherein the recess has substantially the same three-dimensional shape as that of the mounting base, and

wherein the mounting base extends outward from the remainder of the retro-reflective marker and has a different shape than the one or more retro-reflective markers.

2. The package of claim 1, wherein the package has only a single backing layer.

3. The package of claim 1, wherein the package comprises an upper backing layer joined to the pocket layer and a lower backing layer joined to the upper backing layer.

4. The package of claim 3, wherein the upper backing layer comprises one or more first openings that are aligned with respective one or more second openings of the one or more pockets of the pocket layer.

5. The package of claim 1,

wherein the mounting base projects from the one or more retro-reflective markers.

6. The package of claim 1, wherein the mounting base is polygonal.

7. The package of claim 1, wherein the shape of the one or more retro-reflective markers is mostly spherical.

8. The package of claim 1, wherein the one or more retro-reflective markers is a sphere.

9. The package of claim 1, wherein the recess is polygonal.

10. The package of claim 1, wherein the recess has one of a circular, octagonal, triangular, star-shaped, square, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, oval and lozenge shape.

11. A package comprising:

a pocket layer including one or more pockets for receiving one or more retro-reflective markers, and

one or more backing layers joined to the pocket layer,

wherein at least one of the one or more backing layers includes a mounting base recess configured to receive a mounting base of a retro-reflective marker of the one or more retro-reflective markers to thereby maintain the retro-reflective marker in a right-side-up orientation,

wherein the recess has substantially the same three-dimensional shape as that of the mounting base, and

wherein the mounting base extends outward from the remainder of the retro-reflective marker and has a different shape than the one or more retro-reflective markers.

12. The package of claim 11, wherein the package has only a single backing layer.

13. The package of claim 11, wherein the package comprises an upper backing layer joined to the pocket layer and a lower backing layer joined to the upper backing layer, and wherein the lower backing layer includes the mounting base recess.

14. The package of claim 13, wherein the upper backing layer comprises one or more first openings that are aligned with respective one or more second openings of the one or more pockets of the pocket layer.

15. The package of claim 11,

wherein the mounting base projects from the one or more retro-reflective markers.

16. The package of claim 11, wherein the shape of the one or more retro-reflective markers is mostly spherical.

17. The package of claim 11, wherein the one or more retro-reflective markers is a sphere.

18. The package of claim 11, wherein the mounting base recess is polygonal.

19. The package of claim 11, wherein the mounting base recess has one of a circular, octagonal, triangular, star-shaped, square, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, oval and lozenge shape.