Add-on fail-safe safety cap for passive sliding-sleeve needle protectors

Claim 2

In a retracting protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle having an outer end with a bore therethrough though which a tip portion of the needle passes and further having a spring-biased locking collar which moves to a locked position adjacent said outer end, an add-on fail-safe safety cap comprising: a) an annular collar concentrically positioned around the sleeve adjacent the outer end; b) at least one tip shield carried by said annular collar, each said tip shield having an arm portion hingedly attached to said collar on an inner end, an activating tab portion adjacent said inner end, and a tip protector portion at an outer end of said arm portion, each said tip shield being hingedly moveable between a retracted position with its said tip protector out of a path of movement of the tip portion of the needle and a protecting position with its said tip protector covering the tip portion of the needle; and, c) biasing means for biasing said tip protector to said retracted position whereby when the locking collar is retracted from the locked position said tip protector is in said retracted position and when the locking collar is in the locked position said tip protector is pushed to said retracted position by the locking collar pushing on said activating tab portion.

Claim 3

The add-on fail-safe safety cap for a retracting protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle of claim 1 wherein: said collar has stop means for positioning said collar on the outer end of the sleeve adjacent the bore.

Claim 4

The add-on fail-safe safety cap for a retracting protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle of claim 2 wherein: said stop means comprises a stop ring contacting an end wall of the sleeve having the bore therethrough.

Claim 5

The add-on fail-safe safety cap for a retracting protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle of claim 1 wherein: said collar and each said tip shield are of unitary construction of a tough, pierce-resistant plastic.

Claim 6

The add-on fail-safe safety cap for a retracting protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle of claim 4 wherein: said biasing means comprises a living hinge formed in said plastic whereby said arm portion is self-biasing from a restorative force of said plastic in said living hinge.

Claim 7

The add-on fail-safe safety cap for a retracting protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle of claim 1 wherein: there are a pair of said tip shields disposed 180° from one another with associated said arm portions being of unequal length whereby associated tip protector portions overlap one another when in said protecting position.

Claim 8

The add-on fail-safe safety cap for a retracting protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle of claim 1 wherein: each tip protector portion forms an angle of less than 90° with an associated arm portion.

Claim 9

An add-on fail-safe safety cap for mounting on a retracting protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle having an outer end with a bore therethrough though which a tip portion of the needle passes and further having a spring-biased locking collar which moves to a locked position adjacent said outer end whereby to add further protection against accidental needle sticks comprising: a) an annular collar concentrically positioned around the sleeve adjacent the outer end; b) at least one tip shield carried by said annular collar, each said tip shield having an arm portion hingedly attached to said collar on an inner end, an activating tab portion adjacent said inner end, and a tip protector portion at an outer end of said arm portion, each said tip shield being hingedly moveable between a retracted position with its said tip protector out of a path of movement of the tip portion of the needle and a protecting position with its said tip protector covering the tip portion of the needle; c) biasing means for biasing said tip protector to said retracted position whereby when the locking collar is retracted from the locked position said tip protector is in said retracted position and when the locking collar is in the locked position said tip protector is pushed to said retracted position by the locking collar pushing on said activating tab portion; and, d) stop means associated with said collar for positioning said collar on the outer end of the sleeve adjacent the bore.

Claim 10

An add-on fail-safe safety cap for mounting on a retracting protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle having an outer end with a bore therethrough though which a tip portion of the needle passes and further having a spring-biased locking collar which moves to a locked position adjacent said outer end whereby to add further protection against accidental needle sticks comprising: a) an annular collar concentrically positioned around the sleeve adjacent the outer end; b) at least one tip shield carried by said annular collar, each said tip shield having an arm portion hingedly attached to said collar on an inner end, an activating tab portion adjacent said inner end, and a tip protector portion at an outer end of said arm portion, each said tip shield being hingedly moveable between a retracted position with its said tip protector out of a path of movement of the tip portion of the needle and a protecting position with its said tip protector covering the tip portion of the needle; c) biasing means for biasing said tip protector to said retracted position whereby when the locking collar is retracted from the locked position said tip protector is in said retracted position and when the locking collar is in the locked position said tip protector is pushed to said retracted position by the locking collar pushing on said activating tab portion; and, d) stop means associated with said collar for positioning said collar on the outer end of the sleeve adjacent the bore.

Claim 11

The add-on fail-safe safety cap for a retracting protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle of claim 8 wherein: said stop means comprises a stop ring contacting an end wall of the sleeve having the bore therethrough.

Claim 12

The add-on fail-safe safety cap for a retracting protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle of claim 8 wherein: said collar and each said tip shield are of unitary construction of a tough, pierce-resistant plastic.

Claim 13

The add-on fail-safe safety cap for a retracting protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle of claim 10 wherein: said biasing means comprises a living hinge formed in said plastic whereby said arm portion is self-biasing from a restorative force of said plastic in said living hinge.

Claim 14

The add-on fail-safe safety cap for a retracting protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle of claim 8 wherein: there are a pair of said tip shields disposed 180° from one another with associated said arm portions being of unequal length whereby associated tip protector portions overlap one another when in said protecting position.

Claim 15

The add-on fail-safe safety cap for a retracting protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle of claim 8 wherein: each tip protector portion forms an angle of less than 90° with an associated arm portion.

Claim 16

An add-on fail-safe safety cap for mounting on a retracting protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle having an outer end with a bore therethrough though which a tip portion of the needle passes and further having a spring-biased locking collar which moves to a locked position adjacent said outer end whereby to add further protection against accidental needle sticks comprising: a) an annular collar concentrically positioned around the sleeve adjacent the outer end; b) a pair of tip shields carried by said annular collar, each said tip shield having an arm portion hingedly attached to said collar on an inner end, an activating tab portion adjacent said inner end, and a tip protector portion at an outer end of said arm portion, each said tip shield being hingedly moveable between a retracted position with its said tip protector out of a path of movement of the tip portion of the needle and a protecting position with its said tip protector covering the tip portion of the needle, said pair of tip shields being disposed 180° from one another with associated said arm portions being of unequal length whereby associated tip protector portions overlap one another when in said protecting position; c) biasing means for biasing said tip protector to said retracted position whereby when the locking collar is retracted from the locked position said tip protector is in said retracted position and when the locking collar is in the locked position said tip protector is pushed to said retracted position by the locking collar pushing on said activating tab portion; and, d) stop means associated with said collar for positioning said collar on the outer end of the sleeve adjacent the bore, said stop means comprising a stop ring contacting an end wall of the sleeve having the bore therethrough; wherein, e) said collar and said pair of tip shields are of unitary construction of a tough, pierce-resistant plastic; and, f) said biasing means comprises a living hinge formed in said plastic whereby said arm portions are self-biasing from a restorative force of said plastic in said living hinge.

Claim 17

An add-on fail-safe safety cap for mounting on a retracting protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle having an outer end with a bore therethrough though which a tip portion of the needle passes and further having a spring-biased locking collar which moves to a locked position adjacent said outer end whereby to add further protection against accidental needle sticks comprising: a) an annular collar concentrically positioned around the sleeve adjacent the outer end; b) a pair of tip shields carried by said annular collar, each said tip shield having an arm portion hingedly attached to said collar on an inner end, an activating tab portion adjacent said inner end, and a tip protector portion at an outer end of said arm portion, each said tip shield being hingedly moveable between a retracted position with its said tip protector out of a path of movement of the tip portion of the needle and a protecting position with its said tip protector covering the tip portion of the needle, said pair of tip shields being disposed 180° from one another with associated said arm portions being of unequal length whereby associated tip protector portions overlap one another when in said protecting position; c) biasing means for biasing said tip protector to said retracted position whereby when the locking collar is retracted from the locked position said tip protector is in said retracted position and when the locking collar is in the locked position said tip protector is pushed to said retracted position by the locking collar pushing on said activating tab portion; and, d) stop means associated with said collar for positioning said collar on the outer end of the sleeve adjacent the bore, said stop means comprising a stop ring contacting an end wall of the sleeve having the bore therethrough; wherein, e) said collar and said pair of tip shields are of unitary construction of a tough, pierce-resistant plastic; and, f) said biasing means comprises a living hinge formed in said plastic whereby said arm portions are self-biasing from a restorative force of said plastic in said living hinge.

Claim 18

The add-on fail-safe safety cap for a retracting protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle of claim 14 wherein: each tip protector portion forms an angle of less than 90 ° with an associated arm portion.