Intravenous tubing retractor apparatus

• US 5,236,143 A
• Filed: 10/23/1991
• Issued: 08/17/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bradley P. Dragon
• Original Assignee: Bradley P. Dragon
• Inventors: Dragon, Bradley P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola, Daniel P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOWEN, PAUL
• Application Number:
  US07/780,961
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 206/397, 206/408, 206/409, 226/187, 254/213, 242/107, 242/107.1, 242/107.11, 604/259
• US Class Current: 242/377
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/48 Automatic re-storing devices

Abstract

A unitary housing contains a spring-biased return spool, with the spool including a predetermined length of intravenous feed conduit wound thereabout, with the feed conduit directed through a forward and rear wall of the housing and arranged to retract extraneous tubing within the housing. A modification of the invention includes guide roller structure mounted to the forward and rear walls of the housing to guide the tube and direct it therethrough, with the forward wall including a lock mechanism to position the tubing at a predetermined orientation when withdrawn relative to the housing.

Claims

1. An intravenous tubing retractor apparatus for use with an intravenous supply container, wherein the apparatus includes

a container housing, the container housing including a front end wall spaced from a rear end wall, with the housing including an intravenous feed conduit directed through the housing extending through the front end wall within the housing and through the rear end wall, with the feed conduit defined by a predetermined length, and

retraction means mounted within the housing to normally bias the feed conduit within the housing, and

the retraction means includes a spring-biased retraction spool rotatably mounted within the housing between the front end wall and the rear end wall, with the retraction spool including a spring-biased hub mounted coaxially of the retraction spool for biasing the retraction spool for directing the feed conduit within the housing, and

the front end wall includes a front feed bushing with the feed conduit directed therethrough, and the rear end wall includes a rear wall feed bushing with the feed conduit directed therethrough to minimize abrasion of the feed conduit directed through the housing, and

the guide roller pair including an upper guide roller and a lower guide roller, the upper guide roller positioned above the front wall feed bushing, and the lower guide roller positioned below the front wall feed bushing, and

the upper guide roller includes an upper guide roller groove, and the lower guide roller includes a lower guide roller groove, wherein the upper guide roller groove and the lower guide roller groove are aligned with the front wall feed bushing and are aligned relative to one another to position the feed conduit therebetween, and

the front end wall includes a mounting boss positioned below the lower guide roller, the mounting boss including at least one "L" shaped pivot arm mounted to the mounting boss, the "L" shaped pivot arm pivotally mounted to the mounting boss about a first pivot axle, and the "L" shaped pivot arm including an upper pivot leg and a lower pivot leg joined together at a junction, with the upper pivot leg rotatably mounting a first lock roller rotatably thereabout, with the first lock roller including a first lock roller axle orthogonally directed through the upper pivot leg, and a return spring, the return spring mounted to the junction and to the mounting boss to bias the first lock roller towards the upper guide roller, and

a second lock roller arm pivotally mounted to the "L" shaped pivot arm, the second lock roller arm including a return spring mounted between the second lock roller arm and the upper pivot leg of the "L" shaped pivot arm, with the second lock roller arm including a second lock roller mounted to the second lock roller arm about a second lock roller axle, the second lock roller axle orthogonally mounted to the second lock roller arm spaced from the second pivot axle, and the second lock roller return spring biasing the second lock roller towards the first lock roller to provide for an inverted "U" shaped loop within the feed conduit directed through the guide roller pair, the first lock roller, and the second lock roller, with the feed conduit directed between the first lock roller and the second lock roller.