Protecting cap structure for the needle of a syringe

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6814717
  • Patent Number
    6,814,717
  • Date Filed
    Friday, January 18, 2002
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, November 9, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
A protecting cap structure for the needle of a syringe, wherein, the structure is provided with a protecting sleeve having a receiving space for receiving a needle. The protecting sleeve is comprised of a foldable cover and a cylindrical extendible member connected with each other; the cylindrical extendible member is a hollow cylinder, the shank of the cylindrical extendible member has a compression portion; a pair of foldable portions are provided in neighboring to the compression portion; the foldable cover is in the shape of a semi-cylinder, one end of the foldable cover is connected with the cylindrical extendible member, in order that when the cover is folded to close, it cooperates with the cylindrical extendible member to envelop and fast envelop the needle to prevent the needle from accident stabbing.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention is related to a protecting cap structure for the needle of a syringe; and is especially to a device with an cylindrical extendible member and a foldable cover connected with each other, the device can fast obscure the needle to prevent it from accident stabbing, thus it is suitable to be a protecting cap structure or the like.




2. Description of the Prior Art




Since syringes were widely used, needles for syringes have been frequently inadvertently used to accidentally stab medical workers. Therefore, the modes of storage of needles have been always highly thought of; and various protecting structures for the needles of syringes have been developed.




However, most conventional protecting structures for the needles of syringes have a sleeve for each needle generally in the shape of an elongate cylinder having a receiving chamber with a predetermined longitudinal depth for insertion therein of the needle of the corresponding syringe; the elongate cylinder of the protecting sleeve is provided on the external surface thereof with a protective pick-up portion extending a predetermined length outwardly to allow a user to pick up with fingers, the protective pick-up portion has a predetermined distance from the external surface of the syringe to provide a safe distance when in picking up; however, with this safe distance from the syringe during picking up the protective pick-up portion by the user, the syringe still needs to be aligned with the sleeve for the needle for inserting after use to make obscuring of the needle. While in the procedure from taking the sleeve to slipping the needle of the syringe into the sleeve, it is still probable that cases of accident stabbing by the needle may occur; and more, after slipping connecting of the sleeve with the syringe, there is no stable connection between the two, this tends to have the chance that the sleeve drops; therefore, such conventional protecting structures still have the defect of inadvertence in using the needle to accidentally stab a person.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The primary object of the present invention is to provide a protecting cap structure for the needle of a syringe, wherein, by providing a device with an cylindrical extendible member and a foldable cover connected with each other, the present invention can envelop the needle and prevent the needle from accident stabbing and thereby can increase practicality as well as safety of the present invention.




Another object of the present invention is to provide a protecting cap structure for the needle of a syringe, wherein, the cylindrical extendible member can be compressed to fixedly engage with the cover for mutual positioning, so that medicine can be injected conveniently, and convenience as well as practicality of the present invention can be increased.




To get the above object, the present invention is provided with a protecting sleeve having a receiving space for receiving a needle; the protecting sleeve is comprised of a foldable cover and a cylindrical extendible member connected with each other. The cylindrical extendible member is a hollow cylinder, the shank thereof has a compression portion with a suitable length; a foldable portion is provided in neighboring to the compression portion. The cover is in the shape of a semi-cylinder, one end of the cover is connected with the cylindrical extendible member in order to combine with the cylindrical extendible member when the cover is folded to close to thereby envelop the needle. And thereby, the needle is fast obscured to prevent it from accident stabbing, and practicality as well as safety of the present invention can be increased.




The present invention will be apparent in its features and structure after reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof in reference to the accompanying drawings.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of the protecting sleeve of an embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 2



a


is a schematic view of the closed protecting sleeve of the embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 2



b


is a schematic view of the opened protecting sleeve of the embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 3



a


is a schematic view of the protecting sleeve of the embodiment of the present invention when in compression;





FIG. 3



b


is a schematic view of the protecting sleeve of the embodiment of the present invention when in compression for engagement;





FIG. 4

is a perspective schematic view showing the protecting sleeve of the embodiment of the present invention is connected with a syringe in use.





FIG. 5

is a perspective view of a connecting member of the embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 6

is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the present invention when in use.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to

FIGS. 1-4

, the protecting cap structure for the needle of a syringe in present invention is provided with a protecting sleeve


1


having a receiving space for receiving a needle


21


; the protecting sleeve


1


is connected with a syringe


2


.




The protecting sleeve


1


is comprised of a foldable cover


11


and a cylindrical extendible member


12


connected with each other.




The cylindrical extendible member


12


is a hollow cylinder, the shank thereof has a compression portion


121


with a suitable length; a pair mutually opposite foldable portions


122


slightly bending outwardly in favor of folding are provided in neighboring to the compression portion


121


. The cylindrical extendible member


12


has on the bottom wall portion thereof a protrusion


123


, and a corresponding foldable extension section


128


is provided also on the bottom wall portion of the cylindrical extendible member


12


, the foldable extension section


128


is provided with a through hole


124


for engagement; a hooking strip


125


is provided on the bottom wall portion of the cylindrical extendible member


12


. And a hole


126


is provided centrally on the top of the cylindrical extendible member


12


which has a annular flange


127


on this top.




The foldable cover


11


is in the shape of a semi-cylinder, one end of the cover


11


is connected with the cylindrical extendible member


12


(or is integrally formed with the latter), the inner diameter of the cover


11


is slightly larger than the external diameter of the cylindrical extendible member


12


; the cover


11


is provided on the two sides thereof each with an engaging notch


112


, and is provided on the wall thereof with an engaging hole


111


; so that when the cover


11


is folded to close, it can be engaged with the hooking strip


125


provided on the bottom wall portion of the cylindrical extendible member


12


.




With the above elements constructing the protecting cap structure for the needle of a syringe, referring to

FIGS. 2



a


-


4


, the present invention is characterized by that, the foldable cover


11


extending and provided beside the cylindrical extendible member


12


can be folded to close up; and by appropriate rotating of the foldable cover


11


, the engaging hole


111


on the wall of the foldable cover


11


engages with the hooking strip


125


provided on the bottom wall portion of the cylindrical extendible member


12


to thereby prevent the cylindrical extendible member


12


from being compressed. In this way, the needle


21


in the protecting sleeve


1


is enveloped in the latter and is prevented from exposing to thereby prevent accident stabbing of the needle


21


. When the engaging hole


111


on the wall of the foldable cover


11


is released from the hooking strip


125


provided on the bottom wall portion of the cylindrical extendible member


12


, the bottom end of the shank of the cylindrical extendible member


12


is engaged with the front end of a protruding portion on the root of the needle


21


, and the protrusion


123


on the bottom wall portion of the cylindrical extendible member


12


engages the needle


21


together with the through hole


124


on the foldable extension section


128


to make firm connection of the protecting sleeve


1


with the syringe


2


. When the cylindrical extendible member


12


is compressed downwards, the two foldable portions


122


provided adjacent to the corresponding compression portion


121


are bent to collapse, so that they can be engaged into the engaging notches


112


provided on the two sides of the cover


11


. Thereby, the compression portion


121


of the cylindrical extendible member


12


being compressed downwards and the corresponding engaging notches


112


can not elastically move back, this allows practicing of medicine injection. After injection, engagement between the two foldable portions


122


and the engaging notches


112


can be released to make the compression portion


121


of the cylindrical extendible member


12


being compressed downwards and the corresponding engaging notches


112


move back by elastic restoration, the needle


21


thereby is enveloped in the protecting sleeve


1


and is prevented from exposing and to prevent accident stabbing thereof. Thus the present invention can envelop the needle and can prevent the needle from accident stabbing; and thereby can increase practicality as well as safety thereof. In this way the protecting cap structure for the needle of the syringe is completed.




Referring to

FIGS. 5

,


6


, when in medicine injection into a drop bottle, the top end of the cylindrical extendible member


12


of the protecting sleeve


1


is connected with a connecting member


3


on which two ends are provided respectively with three hooks


31


and three hooks


32


. The three hooks


32


are mutually engaged with the annular flange


127


provided on the top of the cylindrical extendible member


12


; while the other three hooks


31


protruding from the other end of the connecting member


3


can be connected with an injection cap


4


, so that during medicine injection, the needle


21


is completely not exposed, this largely increases safety of use.




The present invention thereby has the following advantages:




1. The present invention is designed to make engagement between the cylindrical extendible member and the foldable cover, it can fast envelop the needle to prevent it from accident stabbing; this can largely increase safety of use of the present invention.




2. In the present invention, the cylindrical extendible member can be fixedly engaged with the foldable cover and positioned after being compressed, it is convenient for medicine injection, and thereby, practicality and convenience of the present invention are increased.




In conclusion, the present invention not only can get rid of the defects resided in the conventional syringes, but also can get the objects of fast obscuring the needle, convenience for medicine injection and avoiding accident stabbing of the needle by engagement between the cylindrical extendible member and the foldable cover. Therefore, practicality and convenience of the present invention are largely increased. The present invention can suit various kinds of syringes, thereby, the valued of utility of the present invention can be assured.



Claims
  • 1. A protecting cap structure for a needle of a syringe, the protecting cap including a protecting sleeve comprising:a) a cylindrical member with a hollow interior having: i) a compression portion located on first end of the cylindrical member and surrounding the needle; and ii) two foldable portions connected to the cylindrical member, the compression portion and the two foldable portions being connected in series, the compression portion and the two foldable portion being moveable between an extended position and a folded position, such that in the extended position the needle is positioned within the hollow interior of the cylindrical member and in the folded position the needle protrudes from the first end of the compression portion; b) a cover having a semi-circular cross section and pivotally connected to the cylindrical member, the cover selectively locking the compression portion and the foldable portions in one of the extended position and the folded position; c) a hooking strip extending from a second end of the cylindrical member, and an engaging hole in the cover, wherein the hooking strip engages the engaging hole when the cylindrical member is in the extended position; and d) two engaging notches located on opposing sides of the cover, wherein, when in the folded position, each of the two foldable portions is inserted into one of the two engaging notches.
  • 2. The protecting cap structure according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical member is integrally made with the cover.
  • 3. The protecting cap structure according to claim 1, wherein the foldable portions are bent outwardly when in the folded position.
  • 4. The protecting cap structure according to claim 1, further comprising a foldable extension member formed on a second end of the cylindrical member adjacent to the two foldable portions, the foldable extension member having a through hole and a protrusion, and being configured to removably lock the needle to the cylindrical member by inserting the protrusion into the through hole.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Number Name Date Kind
4838871 Luther Jun 1989 A
5011475 Olson Apr 1991 A
5269765 Kuracina Dec 1993 A
6171284 Kao et al. Jan 2001 B1
6635032 Ward, Jr. Oct 2003 B2