Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1 SAFETY NEEDLE CAP
2 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
3 1. Field of the Invention
4 The present invention relates to a needle cap, and more particularly to a
safety needle cap that can be operated and recovered safely and can prevent a
6 used needle from being reused.
7 2. Description of Related Art
8 Needles can be classified, according to usage, into syringe needles,
9 intravenous needles, scalp needles or blood drawing needles. A needle cap is
mounted around a tip of the needle to prevent accidental contamination of the
11 needle during transportation, handling or after use. In use, the needle is
held by
12 one hand and the needle cap is removed by the other hand.
13 Although the conventional needle cap can provide a covering effect for
14 the needle, the tip of the needle may injure the hand holding the
conventional
needle cap, especially if the hand is accidentally jogged or knocked on
removal
16 or during replacement. Furthermore, a used needles may be reused
accidentally
17 so risking disease transmission. In addition, another conventional needle
caps
18 are respectively disclosed in US 5,514,099 (Dl) and US 3,712,302 (D2). In
the
19 document D1, the conventional needle cap can be used to mount around a tip
of a
needle but cannot provide a bending effect.
21 In the document D2, the conventional needle cap can be bent by the
22 reducing thickness of a body. The conventional needle cap is bent upwardly
and
23 downwardly several times at an angle of 30 degrees as stated in the
description in
24 the document D2 and the ribs are formed on the external surface of the body
to
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1 reinforce the structural strength of the needle guard. Thus, the body of the
needle
2 guard in the document D2 cannot be bent closely to 180 degrees. In addition,
3 when the body of the document D2 is bent upwardly and downwardly at the
4 reducing thickness of the body, the material of the body will extrude at the
reducing thickness of the body and this will cause the body of the document D2
6 difficult to bend. If the user wants to bend the body of the document D2, he
or
7 she needs to apply larger force to bend the body and this will make the body
of
8 the needle cap broken. Furthermore, the groove of the document D2 does not
9 face the outer surface of the needle and the needle will not be bent at the
position
of the groove.
11 In order to improve the safety of using the needle cap, a safety needle
12 cap is proposed that can be removed and replaced safely while also
preventing
13 reuse of a needle to overcome the aforementioned shortcomings.
14 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The main objective of the invention is to provide a safety needle cap that
16 can be removed and replaced safely and prevents reuse of a needle.
17 The needle cap in accordance with the present invention has a body and
18 at least one holding segment. The body is tubular and has an external
surface, a
19 closed end, an open end, a chamber and a diameter. The chamber is defined
in
the body between the closed end and the open end to contain a needle. The at
21 least one holding segment is formed on the body and the at least one
holding
22 segment has an extending stem. The extending stem is formed on the body and
23 has a free end opposite to the body. In use, one hand holds the extending
stem of
24 the at least one holding segment and the other hand holds the needle, and
the
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1 extending stem can prevent a tip of the needle from injuring either hand
when the
2 needle is removed from or replaced in the body of the safety needle cap.
3 Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will
4 become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
6 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
7 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a safety needle cap
8 in accordance with the present invention mounted around a syringe needle;
9 Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of a
safety needle cap in accordance with the present invention with an intravenous
11 needle;
12 Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view in partial section of the safety needle cap
13 in Fig. 2 mounted around the intravenous needle;
14 Fig. 4 is an operational side view in partial section of the safety needle
cap in Fig. 3;
16 Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a safety needle cap
17 in accordance with the present invention;
18 Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a
19 safety needle cap in accordance with the present invention with a scalp
needle;
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a safety needle cap
21 in accordance with the present invention mounted around a syringe needle;
22 Fig. 8 is an operational side view of the safety needle cap in Fig. 7;
23 Fig. 9 is a side view in partial section of a sixth embodiment of a safety
24 needle cap in accordance with the present invention mounted around a large
size
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I syringe needle; and
2 Fig. 10 is a side view in partial section of a seventh embodiment of a
3 safety needle cap in accordance with the present invention mounted around a
4 large size syringe needle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
6 With reference to Figs. 1, 2, 5 to 7, 9 and 10, a safety needle cap in
7 accordance with the present invention comprises a body (10, 1OA, IOB, 10C,
8 1OD,1OE) and at least one holding segment (20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E).
9 The body (10,1OA, IOB,1OC, 1OD, 1OE) is tubular, is mounted around a
syringe needle (40), an intravenous needle (50), a scalp needle (60) or a
large
11 size syringe needle (70) as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 6, 7, 9 and 10, has an
external
12 surface, a closed end, an open end, a chamber, a diameter and a bending
segment
13 (11, 11 A,11 B,11 C) and may have a top cover (12,12C). The chamber is
defined
14 in the body (10, l OA,1OB, I OC, I OD, I OE) between the closed end and the
open
end to contain the needle (40, 50, 60, 70).
16 The bending segment (11, 11A, 11B, 11C) is formed on the external
17 surface of the body (10, 1OA, 1OB, 1OC) to make the body (10, 1OA, IOB,
1OC)
18 bendable. Preferably, with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6, the bending
segment
19 (11,11A,11B) is formed on the external surface of the body (10,1 OA, IOB)
near
the open end and is a shrinking structure. Preferably, with reference to Fig.
7, the
21 bending segment (11 C) is annularly_formed on the external surface of the
body
22 (1 OC) near the open end and has a diameter smaller than the diameter of
the body
23 (10C) to form a step bending structure between the closed end and the open
end
24 of the body (1 OC) to face an outer surface of the needle (40). With
reference to
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i Figs. 1, 7 and 9, the top cover (12, 12C) is funnel shaped and is formed on
and
2 protrudes from the open end of the body (10, l OC).
3 The at least one holding segment (20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E) is
4 formed on the body (10, 1 OA, I OB, 1OC, 1OD, IOE) and each one of the at
least
5 one holding segment (20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E) has an extending stem (21,
6 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 21E) and a pulling tab (22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D, 22E).
7 With reference to Figs. 1, 2, 5 to 7 and 9, the extending stem (21, 21 A,
8 21B, 21C, 21D) is formed on the open end of the body (10,10A,10B, IOC, IOD)
9 and has a free end (211, 211A, 211B, 211C, 211D) opposite to the open end of
the body (10, IOA, IOB, IOC, 1OD). The extending stem (21, 21A, 21B, 21D) is
11 longitudinally formed on and protrudes from the open end of the body (10,1
OA,
12 IOB, 1OD) as shown in Figs, 1, 2, 6 and 9 or the extending stem (21C) is
13 transversally formed on and protrudes from the open end of the body (IOC)
as
14 shown in Fig. 7. With reference to Figs. I and 7, the extending stem (21)
is
longitudinally formed on the top cover (12) of the body (10) or the extending
16 stem (21 C) and is transversally formed on the top cover (12C) of the body
(1 OC).
17 Preferably, with reference to Fig. 5, the safety needle cap has two
18 holding segments (20A) longitudinally formed on and protruding from the
open
19 end of the body (1 OA). With reference to Fig. 10, the extending stem (21
E) is
formed on the external surface of the body (10E) between the open end and the
21 closed end and has a free end (211E). Preferably, with further reference to
Figs. 9
22 and 10, the extending stem (21D, 21E) has a connecting panel (23D, 23E)
23 transversally formed on the extending stem (21D, 21E) at an end opposite to
the
24 free end (211D, 211E) and connected to the body (1OD, 1OE) to prevent the
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1 extending stem (21D, 21 E) from interfering with the large size syringe
needle
2 (70).
3 The pulling tab (22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D, 22E) is formed on the free end
4 (211, 211A, 211B, 211C, 211D, 211E) of the extending stem (21, 21A, 21B,
21C,
21D, 21 E) to allow the extending stem (21, 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 21 E) to be
6 pulled easily.
7 In use, with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 6, 7, 9 and 10, the needle (40, 50,
60,
8 70) is removed from the safety needle cap in accordance with the present
9 invention, one hand holds the pulling tab (22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D, 22E) of
the
holding segment (20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E) and the other hand pulls the
11 needle (40, 50, 60, 70) out of the body (10, 1 OA, 10B, 10C, IOD, 1OE).
During
12 removal, direct contact between the hand that holds the pulling tab (22,
22A,
13 22B, 22C, 22D, 22E) and the needle (40, 50, 60, 70) is prevented by the
14 extending stern (21, 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 21E). In other words, the hand
that
holds the pulling tab (22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D, 22E) is kept away from the tip
of
16 the needle (40, 50, 60, 70). Then, the hand that holds the pulling tab (22,
22A,
17 22B, 22C, 22D, 22E) or the free end of the extending stem (21, 21A, 21B,
21C,
18 21D, 21E) is prevented from injury by the extending stem (21, 21A, 21B,
21C,
19 21D, 21E) even if either hand is accidentally knocked or jogged when
removing
or replacing the needle (40, 50, 60, 70).
21 After use, the needle (40, 50, 60, 70) is replaced in the needle cap and
the
22 tip of the needle (40) is guided into the chamber of the body (10, 1 OA,1
OB, I OC,
23 1OD, 1OE) by the extending stem (21, 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 21E) of the
holding
24 segment (20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E). Accordingly, the hand that holds the
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1 pulling tab (22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D, 22E) or the free end of the extending
stem
2 (21, 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 21E) is kept from contacting the tip of the needle
(40,
3 50, 60, 70). After the used needle (40, 50, 60) is mounted in the chamber of
the
4 body (10,1 OA, l OB, I OC), the body (10,1 OA, l OB,1 OC) can be bent as
shown in
Figs. 4 and 8 by the bending segment (11,11A,11B,11C) to bend the needle (40,
6 50, 60) in the chamber of the body (10, 10A, 10B, 10C). Thus, the used, bent
7 needle (40, 50, 60) is prevented from being reused.
8 The safety needle cap in accordance with the present invention can
9 prevent the hand that holds the pulling tab (22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D, 22E) or
the
free end of the extending stem (21, 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 21E) from being
11 injured by the tip of the needle (40, 50, 60, 70) and the bending segment
(11,11A,
12 11B, 11C) of the body (10, 10A, 10B, 1OC) can provide a bending effect to
the
13 needle (40, 50, 60) to prevent the used needles (40, 50, 60) from being
reused.
14 Furthermore, the safety needle cap in the referenced patent application
can be bent once to allow the body (10, 1OA, l OB, IOC) bending closely to 180
16 degrees and the body in the document D2 needs to bend at several times and
this
17 is different in operation. In addition, the at least one holding segment
(20, 20A,
18 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E) is formed with the body (10,1OA, IOB, 1 OC, 1OD, IOE)
as
19 a single piece and one hand of the user can hold the pulling tab (22, 22A,
22B,
22C, 22D, 22E) to prevent the safety needle cap in accordance with the present
21 invention separating from the needle (40, 50, 60, 70) when bending the
safety
22 needle cap and also can prevent the tip of the needle (40, 50, 60, 70) from
23 injuring the users and prevent the liquid from flowing out of the safety
needle
24 cap. Additionally, the user also can hold the at least one holding segment
(20,
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1 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E) of the safety needle cap by one of the hands and
push
2 and press the body (10, 10A, IOB, IOC, 1OD, 1OE) on a wall or a table to
bend
3 the body (10, 10A, IOB, IOC, IOD, 10E) of the safety needle cap without
using
4 two hands at the same time.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present
6 invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with
details
7 of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is
illustrative only,
8 and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and
9 arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full
extent
indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended
11 claims are expressed.
