DE20015353U1 - Acupuncture needle container for a hand acupuncture device - Google Patents

Description

GRÜNECKER KINKELDEY STOCKtflAlR^S

LAW FIRM

GKS & S MAXIMIUANSTRASSE 58 D-80538 MUNICH GERMANY

YOUR REF.

LAWYERS PATENT ATTORNEYS PATENT ATTORNEYS LAWYERS EUROPEAN PATENT AHORNEYS EUROPEAN PATENT ATTORNEYS MUNICH MUNICH COLOGNE DR. HELMUT EICHMANN DR. HERMANN KINKELDEY DR MARTIN DROPMANN GERHARD BARTH PETER H. JAKOB DR. ULRICH BLUMENRODER. LL.M. WOLFHARD MEISTER CHEMNITZ CHRISTA N1KLAS-FALTER HANS HILGERS MANFRED SCHNEIDER OR. MAXIMILIAN KINKELDEY, LLM. DR. HENNING MEYER-PIATH SONJA SCHAEFFLER ANNE EHNOLD BERLIN DR. KARSTEN BRANDT THOMAS SCHUSTER DIETER JANDER ANJA FRANKE. LL. M. DR. KLARA GOLDBACH UTE STEPHANI MARTIN AUFENANGER — DR. BERND ALLEKOTTE. LLM. GOTTFRIED KLITSCH OR. HEIKE VOGELSANG-WENKE OF COUNSEL REINHARD KNAUER PATENT ATTORNEYS DIETMAR KUHL DR. FRANZ-JOSEF ZIMMER AUGUST GRÜNEECKER BETTINA K. REICHELT OR. GUNTER BEZOLD DR. ANTON K. PFAU OR. WALTER LANGHOFF OR. UOO WEIGELT RAINER BERTRAM JENS KOCH, M.S. (U of PAI M.S. BERND ROTHAEMEL OR. WILFRIED STOCKMAIR DR. DANIELA KINKELDEY (■1996) DR. EN /OUR REF. DATE

G4384-80/kg

05.09.00

Tae-woo-Yoo 807.1-Dong, Hanyang Apt, 32-5, Banpo-Dong, Secho-Ku, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Container for acupuncture needles for a hand acupuncture device

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D-80538 MUNICH \ \

GERMANY ···

TEL. +49 89 21 23 50 DEUTSCHE BANK MUNICH

FAX (GR 3) +49 89 22 02 87 No. 17 51734

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ACUPUNCTURE NEEDLE CONTAINER FOR A HAND ACUPUNCTURE DEVICE

Background of the invention

The present invention relates to an acupuncture needle container for a hand-held acupuncture device, and more particularly to an acupuncture needle container for a hand-held acupuncture device having an inner cap containing a plurality of acupuncture needles in needle insertion grooves in an outer periphery, and an outer cap having two locking members in the outer periphery and a discharge hole at a lower portion. The acupuncture needles in the needle insertion grooves in the inner cap are arranged in their positions by a magnetic force of the magnetic rod with rubber packings inserted into the inner cap. After the inner cap with the magnetic rod is inserted into the inner cap insertion hole of the outer cap, the magnetic rod is removed. The acupuncture needles in the needle insertion grooves are kept in a good hygienic state and prevented from coming off. When the present invention is attached to a hand-held automatic acupuncture device, acupuncture needles are automatically placed one by one at the skin point where acupuncture operation is required.

In general, traditional acupuncture operations were performed with needles stored in an acupuncture needle container. Practitioners prick the skin point where acupuncture treatment is required with a needle pulled out of a container containing acupuncture needles with their bare fingers. It was not easy to store acupuncture needles in this type of container in a hygienic condition, and furthermore, it was not convenient for practitioners to pull needles out of the container one by one during operations.

Therefore, an automatic hand-held acupuncture device has been designed to overcome disadvantages as mentioned above. Since the invention does not include a magnetic rod inside the inner cap, an operation in which acupuncture needles are inserted into needle insertion grooves one by one by hand requires much time and may even be unhygienic, although the acupuncture needle container is a cylindrical shape containing a plurality of needles.

Summary of the invention

An acupuncture needle container for a hand-held acupuncture device according to the present invention has been designed to solve the problems as described above. It is the object of the present device to provide a method for storing a plurality of acupuncture needles in an acupuncture needle container in a more hygienic state and for operating on patients in a more convenient manner. The present invention stores acupuncture needles within insertion grooves of the inner cap which includes an insertion unit in the center, a projection on an upper portion of the outer surface and a plurality of needle insertion grooves arranged continuously on the outer circumference.

An outer cap to be connected to the inner cap includes an inner cap insertion hole in the center, a connection groove at an upper portion of the inner circumference, two locking members of different sizes on the outer surface, a projection at a lower portion, and an ejection hole in a portion of the projection. When users insert a plurality of acupuncture needles into needle insertion grooves in the inner cap of the acupuncture needle container, they insert the magnetic rod with a rubber seal into the insertion unit of the inner cap and then rotate the handle in the upper

section of the magnetic rod. Then, the acupuncture needles are inserted into the needle insertion grooves by a magnetic force of the magnetic rod. When the inner cap is inserted into the inner cap insertion hole of the outer cap, the upper projection of the inner cap is engaged with the engagement groove of the outer cap. The two locking members of the outer cap are rotated in only one direction, so that the acupuncture needles can be dispensed one by one from the dispensing hole during operations. The acupuncture needle container is capable of storing acupuncture needles in a hygienic state. When the acupuncture needle container is attached to an automatic acupuncture device, more accurate and convenient operations on patients can be achieved.

Short description of the drawing

Further objects and features of the present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a disassembled perspective view of the present invention.

FIG.2 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention assembled.

FIG.3 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention taken along line A-A.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a state in which acupuncture needles are inserted into the inner cap of the present invention.

FIG.5 is a perspective view of the present invention assembled.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary state view of a state in which the present invention is attached to an acupuncture device.

FIG.7 is an exemplary state view of an operation of the present invention applied to an acupuncture device.

Description of the preferred embodiments

The acupuncture needle container for a hand-held acupuncture device comprises an inner cap 10 having an insertion unit 11 at the center, a projection 12 at an upper portion of the outer surface, and a plurality of needle insertion grooves 13 continuously arranged on the outer circumference; an outer cap 20 having an inner cap insertion hole 21 at the center, a connecting groove 22 at an upper portion of the inner circumference, two locking members 23, 23' of different sizes on the outer surface, a projection 24 at the lower portion, and a discharge hole 25 in a portion of the projection 24; and a magnetic rod 30 having a handle 31 and a rubber seal 32 to be inserted into the insertion unit 11 of the inner cap 10.

Reference numerals 100 denote an acupuncture needle, 200 an automatic acupuncture device, 210 a striking section, 220 a clamp and 230 a push button.

The acupuncture needle container according to the invention contains acupuncture needles 100 in needle insertion grooves 13 which are formed on the outer circumference of the inner cap 10.

The magnetic rod 30 with rubber seals 32 is inserted into the insertion unit 11 of the inner cap 10 and rotated. The

Acupuncture needles 100 are inserted into the needle insertion grooves 13 by a magnetic force of the magnet rod 30. The upper projection 12 of the inner cap 10 is connected to the engaging groove 22 of the outer cap 20. The magnet rod 30 is removed from the insertion unit 11 of the inner cap 10, and acupuncture needles are inserted into the needle insertion grooves in the container 1. In this state, the locking members 23, 23' block the upper portion of needle insertion grooves 13 of the inner cap 10 to prevent the outer cap from rotating inadvertently. When the outer cap 20 is rotated in one direction, an acupuncture needle 100 in a needle insertion groove 13 is dispensed from the dispensing hole 25 through the space between the locking members 23, 23' of different sizes.

As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the acupuncture needle container 1 is also used within an automatic acupuncture device 200. When users press the clamp 220 of the automatic acupuncture device 200 at the skin point where acupuncture treatment is required first, the outer cap 20 rotates and the acupuncture needle 100 is dispensed to the dispensing hole. For the second step, users press the push button 230 and the thrust portion 210 thrusts the dispensed acupuncture needle 100 into the skin point. Furthermore, since dozens of acupuncture needles are stored in needle insertion grooves of the inner cap, continuous acupuncture treatment is achieved.

Claims (2)

1. Acupuncture needle container for a handheld acupuncture device, comprising:
an inner cap having an insertion unit at the center, a projection at an upper portion of the outer surface, and a plurality of needle insertion grooves continuously arranged on the outer circumference;
an outer cap having an inner cap insertion hole in the center, a connecting groove on an upper portion of the inner circumference, two locking elements of different sizes on the outer surface, a projection on the lower portion, and an ejection hole in a portion of the projection; and
a magnetic rod which is to be inserted into the insertion unit of the inner cap. 2. An acupuncture needle container for a handheld acupuncture device according to claim 1, wherein a handle is formed on an upper portion of the magnetic rod and rubber seals are attached to both the upper and lower portions of the lower portion of the magnetic rod.