FR3047656A1 - PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR SCALPEL - Google Patents

Abstract

The main object of the invention is a protective device intended to be mounted on a scalpel (5) provided with a handle (6) and a blade (7), characterized in that the protection device comprises a fixed base (10) comprising a sleeve (11) adapted to be secured to the handle (6) of the scalpel (5), and a movable cap (30) comprising a cap (31) adapted to cover the blade (7) of the scalpel ( 5) and a mechanical connection (35) connecting the cap (31) to the sleeve (11) so as to allow the cap (31) to move, by rotation and translation relative to the sleeve (11), on one side of the sleeve (11) to substantially the opposite side of the sleeve (11) while maintaining the attachment of the fixed base (10) and the movable cap (30) together.

Description

PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR SCALPEL DESCRIPTION

TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to a protection device for a scalpel. More particularly, the invention relates to an adaptable scalpel protection device, having a cap that can be moved to cover and expose the blade, and that allows the use of the scalpel while remaining connected and secured to the scalpel.

STATE OF THE PRIOR ART

The scalpel is a cutting tool that finds application in the field of aeronautics. Indeed, thanks to its cutting blade and precise tolerances, this tool is commonplace in the construction plants and final assembly lines (FAL), in which it can be used as a working tool for manufacture, installation or repair, including cutting, stripping, incising, etc.

Scalpels are used in factories by operators during the various stages of manufacturing and installation in many sites. They are often carried in a bag, a box, by hand, or manipulated upside down to use the metric graduations sometimes present on his sleeve. Nevertheless, they remain very dangerous surgical tools, presenting a major risk and which can be the cause of accidents such as deep and deep cuts.

In addition, some sites are unable to change their scalpel reference due to high risk of non-compliance. So, in order to reduce the risk of injury, operators protect the blade with unsuitable misappropriated elements, for example with a pen cap.

Not only are the diverted protection elements not well adapted to protect the blade of the scalpel, but in addition, they are often lost or forgotten inadvertently on the work site or in the aircraft being assembled. This poses a major risk of damage by foreign bodies, also called FOD (for "Foreign Object Damage" in English). Unsuitable protections that come off the scalpel can also cause a short circuit problem, or prevent the movement of mechanical links, etc. This can then lead to serious consequences. US4825545 A, GB2203087 A and FR2506600 A1 describe examples of protective devices for covering the blade of a scalpel to secure it during transport or storage. However, these protective devices are completely detachable from the scalpel and therefore present a risk of foreign body damage too high. EP1562494 B1 also illustrates a scalpel with a retractable blade, which is easier to secure. In contrast, the blade is not directly connected to the handle but through a blade holder which is movable relative to the handle. This atypical scalpel construction with a moving part inevitably results in a clearance between the blade and the sleeve and therefore a high risk of non-compliance. US5868771 A discloses a protective device mounted on a conventional scalpel which is movable to expose and cover the blade. First, the blade is easily exposed by pressing the thumb button and so it is possible, when transported in a bag, that the protective device opens involuntarily thereby exposing the blade. This protection device is not reliable. Secondly, since this guard is also designed to remove the blade and come off the handle, it also poses a risk of foreign body damage.

Also, to date, there is no suitable protective device for a scalpel. Accordingly, there is a need for suitable scalpel protection that is both reliable, inexpensive, and complies with the criteria of the aviation industry.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention thus proposes a protection device intended to be mounted on a scalpel provided with a handle and a blade, characterized in that the protection device comprises: a fixed base comprising a sleeve adapted to be secured to the handle; scalpel, and - a movable cap comprising a cap adapted to cover the blade of the scalpel and a mechanical connection connecting the cap to the sleeve so as to allow movement of the cap, by rotation and translation relative to the sleeve, on one side the sleeve towards substantially its opposite side while ensuring the fastening of the fixed base and the movable cap together.

Preferably, the mechanical connection comprises two parallel arms extending from the cap and connected to the sleeve so as to allow pivoting of the arms, and therefore of the cap, relative to the sleeve.

More preferably the two arms are further connected to the sleeve so as to allow the translation of the arms, and therefore the cap, relative to the sleeve.

Advantageously, the two arms each comprise a pin, and in that the sleeve comprises guide grooves for receiving the pins.

Preferably, the sleeve and the cap are each substantially in the form of a rectangular tube with a pair of opposing walls of smaller dimensions than the other pair of opposed walls, in that the arms are located on the walls of dimensions. the smaller ones of the cap and that the grooves are located on the walls of smaller dimensions of the sleeve.

More preferably, the sleeve comprises shoulders at each of its ends, and in that the cap comprises closing levers adapted to hook on the shoulders.

The present invention also provides an assembly comprising: - a protection device such as that defined above, and - a scalpel, the sleeve of the protective device being secured to the handle of the scalpel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGS. 1A and 1B respectively show perspective views of a base fixed and a movable cap of a protective device according to a first embodiment of the invention; FIGS. 2A to 2F show the steps of an opening kinematics of the protection device when positioned on a scalpel; and - Figure 3 shows a side view of the lock between the fixed base and the movable cap of the protective device.

In all these figures, identical references may designate identical or similar elements. In addition, the different parts shown in the figures are not necessarily in a uniform scale, to make the figures more readable.

DETAILED PRESENTATION OF A PARTICULAR EMBODIMENT

Figures 1A and 1B respectively illustrate the fixed base 10 and the movable cap 30 of the protection device 60, the latter being thus shown in a disassembled state for the sake of clarity.

Muff

The sleeve 11 of the fixed base 10 has a substantially rectangular tube shape with two side walls and two transverse walls (an upper wall and a lower wall). A rear opening 12 is provided at one end of the sleeve 11 and a front opening 13 at the other end of the sleeve 11. A hollow space is defined between the rear opening 12 and the front opening 13. The front and rear openings 12 , 13 allow the sleeve 11 to be mounted on the scalpel 5. The side walls of the sleeve 11 are designed to be wider than the transverse walls to match the dimensions of the scalpel 5.

Two guide grooves 14 are present on the diametrically opposite sides of the sleeve 11 to receive the mechanical connection (hereinafter described with reference to FIG. 1B), and are present on the transverse walls of the sleeve 11 in this embodiment. The two ends of each guide groove 14 comprise two inlet spouts 15. The inlet spouts 15 define, either between them or with a wall of the guide groove 14, an inlet with a narrowing opening towards a groove opening on the guide groove 14. Shoulders 19 are provided at each end of the sleeve 11, these shoulders 19 being located around, or surrounding, the front and rear openings 12,13. An abutment 18 is also present near the front opening 13. Preferably, gripping grooves 17 are provided on the outer surfaces of the sleeve 11, in particular on its outer lateral sides to improve grip of the assembly. , as on the side walls of the scalpel.

The sleeve 11 illustrated in Figure IA has a slot between these two ends to provide some flexibility. However, it is described as a substantially rectangular tube, with two side walls and two transverse walls, for the sake of clarity. Of course, this slot is a non-limiting feature.

Cap

The movable cap 30 allows the blade 7 of the scalpel 5 to be covered or exposed. The movable cap 30 comprises a cap 31, which is the specific part for covering the blade 7, also in the form of a substantially rectangular tube but with only one opening, ie a rear opening. Of course, it may be possible that the cap 31 does not cover the blade completely, instead forming a blade cover to cover the blade so as to prevent the cutting and sharp parts from being exposed or being easily accessible.

The movable cap 30 also has a mechanical connection 35 adapted to be connected to the sleeve 11 so as to allow the displacement of the cap 31, by rotation and by translation, relative to the sleeve 11 so as to expose or cover the blade 7. The mechanical connection 35 comprises two arms 36 connected at their proximal end fixedly to the diametrically opposite sides of the cap 31, or on the transverse walls, and extending parallel to the cap 31. Each arm 36 comprises a pin 37 to be mounted in the grooves of guide 14 of the sleeve 11, the two pins 37 being mounted on the inner sides and near the distal ends of the two arms 36, and located on a common axis substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the arms 36 extend.

Each arm 36 also comprises a rail 38 on the inner side, extending predominantly along the length of the arm 36. At the opening of the cap 36, centering elements 39 are present on the arms 36, adapted to allow the centering the cap 31 with respect to the sleeve 11 during closure. It can be seen that the cap 31 further has locking levers 32 on the diametrically opposed sides of the cap, or on its side walls. These locking levers 32 are adapted to hook on the shoulders 19 of the sleeve 11, and will be discussed in more detail later in the description.

Together

The movable cap 30 is easily connected to the fixed base 10, the latter consists of the sleeve 11 in this particular embodiment. More specifically, the pins 37 on the arms are introduced into the guide grooves 14 of the sleeve 11 by the inlet nozzles 15, which allow their introduction without difficulty but which resist or prevent their exit. This can be achieved by forming the grooves of the inlet nozzles 15 slightly smaller than a corresponding portion of the pin 37, but with some elasticity. Once inserted, the pins 37 can slide along the guide grooves 14 while the movable cap 30 can pivot about the common axis of the pins 37. Then, the movable cap 30 can be moved on the front side of the sleeve 11 to its back side. In fact, the movable cap 30 in this case can, in both directions, a complete revolution around the sleeve 11 while remaining connected thereto.

The protective device 60 is preferably made of plastic. Yet other materials may be suitable. In order to reduce the probability of being the cause of a FOD, the fixed base 10 and the movable cap 30 are each made in one piece. It is also possible to mount the movable cap 30 directly on the sleeve 11 during construction, for example using additive manufacturing techniques or 3D printing ("3D printing" in English).

Set of a protective device and a scalpel

To mount the protection device 60 on the scalpel 5, the sleeve 11 is aligned with the scalpel 5 with the rear opening 12 of the sleeve in front of the blade 7. The sleeve 11 is then carefully slipped over the scalpel 5 and pressed into it. . The ramp 16 provided inside the sleeve 11 serves to reduce, gradually, the width of the inside of the sleeve 11. It tightens more and more against the handle 6 of the scalpel 5 when the scalpel is introduced, thus wedging the scalpel 5 between the ramp 16 and the opposite side wall. Of course, in place of the ramp 16, the hollow space of the sleeve can be narrowed toward the front opening 13.

At the same time, the scalpel 5, in particular its blade 7, will protrude more and more at the front opening 13 until a front portion of the handle 6 abuts against the abutment 18 provided at the level of the In this state, the protection device 60 is secured, with the handle 6 of the scalpel 5 clamped between the two side walls, preferably touching the two transverse walls, and bearing against the abutment 18. The sleeve 11 is connected to the scalpel 5 in a secured manner. By "secured", it is understood that the fixed base 10 and therefore the movable cap 30 remain together with the scalpel 5, and do not detach easily.

The shape and dimensions of this sleeve 11, and even of this cap 31, are for example suitable for a scalpel 5 of the Swann-Morton® No.4 type. Of course, depending on the reference of the scalpel, protection devices of other shapes and other dimensions may also be suitable.

To aid in the understanding of the invention, FIGS. 2A to 2F illustrate the steps of a kinematic showing how to open the assembly of a protection device 60 and a scalpel 5. To begin with, the protective device 60 is shown secure on the scalpel 5 and in the closed position, with the cap 31 clipped to the sleeve 11 and thus hiding the blade 7 of the scalpel 5. The two locking levers 32 are operated at the same time, so that their hooks drop out shoulder 19 at the front of the sleeve 11. The cap 31 is then pulled to slide away from the sleeve 11, guided by the pins 37 and a part by the rails 38 in the guide grooves 14, until the pins 37 arrive at the end of the guide grooves 14. This exposes the blade 7 of the scalpel 5.

Then, the cap 31 is pivoted around the pins 37, in the transverse plane (horizontal) of the scalpel 5 / of the sleeve 11, that is to say facing one of the lateral sides of the scalpel 5. With a movement which is a combination of rotation and translation, the cap 31 is moved, guided by the pins 37 in the guide grooves 14, towards the rear side of the sleeve 11. When the pins 37 arrive at the end of the guide grooves 14, the cap 31 is aligned with the sleeve 11 and the end of the handle 6 of the scalpel 5.

Finally, the cap 31 is pressed to slide toward the sleeve 11. The inlet nozzles 15 are designed to allow the rails 38 to easily enter the guide grooves 14, which in turn ensures that the cap 31 is aligned with the sleeve 11 and guided towards the sleeve 11. The centering elements 39 on the cap then enter the guide grooves 14 to ensure a final alignment, just before the hooks 34 of the locking levers 32 protrude from the shoulder 19 of the muff. The protective device 60 on the scalpel 5 is then in the open position, with the cap 31 clipped to the sleeve 11 and hiding the handle 6 of the scalpel 5.

To close again the protective device 60, the same operation between the movable cap 30 and the fixed base 10 is performed. Of course, the protective device 60 can be moved by any one of the lateral sides of the scalpel 5. Locking system

FIG. 3 shows the locking between the cap 31 and the sleeve 11. It can be observed that the locking levers 32 are each attached to the opposite sides of the shoulders 19 of the sleeve 11. To open the cap 31, simply press the two locking levers 32 in front of the bridge 33, simultaneously. Although a locking lever 32 is sufficient, two have been provided here for security reasons.

With this protection device 60, a scalpel 5 can be reliably and cheaply protected. It can therefore be transported and stored securely. Since the protective device 60 is still attached to the scalpel 5, even during its use, the risk of causing FOD is significantly reduced.

This protection device 60 is retro-adaptable to a scalpel 5, and can be reused with another scalpel, for example if the handle 6 of the scalpel 5 on which it is mounted is damaged. In this sense, the protection device 60 is an additional device since it is not part of the scalpel 5, the scalpel 5 being complete and practically usable without the protection device 60. In addition, the protection device 60 does not prevent the use of the scalpel 5. On the contrary, it allows a better grip and prehension of the scalpel 5. In addition, it allows the change of the blade 7 without requiring disassembly. It can even be envisaged that a blade replacement device can be used to change the blade 7 without requiring disassembly.

Of course, the protection device may be provided with a mechanical connection different from that of the first embodiment. Alternatively, a single more substantial arm may be provided on a side wall of the cap, and the pin of this arm connected to a guide groove provided on a side wall of the sleeve. In another variant, the sleeve may comprise two pins with diametrically opposite sides, and the arms provided with slots (instead of pins) to receive pins provided on the sleeve. This allows the arms to pivot and thus the cap from one side of the sleeve to another. To expose the blade, the cap can be connected to the arm so as to allow translation.

The sleeve may be in the form of a C, allowing the scalpel to be mounted on the sleeve from the side and clipped thereon. However, the sleeve must be able to receive the scalpel so as to be secured. In addition to being clamped on the scalpel, the sleeve can also be connected with an adhesive, or locked with a scalpel. In a variant, the fixed base further comprises a pin, for example, for locking the sleeve with a scalpel. According to another conceivable variant, this protection device can be manufactured directly on a scalpel in order to firmly secure it to the scalpel.

Claims (7)

Protective device (60) for mounting on a scalpel (5) provided with a handle (6) and a blade (7), characterized in that the protective device (60) comprises: - a fixed base (10) comprising a sleeve (11) adapted to be secured to the handle (6) of the scalpel (5), and - a movable cap (30) comprising a cap (31) adapted to cover the blade (7) of the scalpel (5) and a mechanical connection (35) connecting the cap (31) to the sleeve (11) so as to allow the cap (31) to move, by rotation and translation relative to the sleeve (11), on one side the sleeve (11) to substantially its opposite side while ensuring the fastening of the fixed base (10) and the movable cap (30) together. 2. Protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the mechanical connection (35) comprises two parallel arms (36) extending from the cap (31) and connected to the sleeve (11) so as to allow the pivoting of the arm (36), and thus of the cap (31), relative to the sleeve (11). 3. Protective device according to claim 2, characterized in that the two arms (36) are further connected to the sleeve (11) so as to allow the translation of the arms (36), and therefore the cap (31), by relative to the sleeve (11). 4. Protective device according to claim 3, characterized in that the two arms (36) each comprise a pin (37), and in that the sleeve (11) comprises guide grooves (14) for receiving the pins ( 37). 5. Protective device according to claim 4, characterized in that the sleeve (11) and the cap (31) are each substantially in the form of a rectangular tube with a pair of opposing walls of smaller dimensions than the other pair of opposed walls, in that the arms (36) are located on the smaller-sized walls of the cap (31) and that the grooves (14) are located on the smaller-sized walls of the sleeve ( 11). 6. Protection device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sleeve (11) comprises shoulders (19) at each end of the sleeve, and in that the cap (31) comprises levers of closure (32) adapted to engage the shoulders (19). 7. A set, characterized in that it comprises: - a protection device (60) according to any one of the preceding claims, and - a scalpel (5), the sleeve (11) of the protection device (60) being secured to the handle (6) of the scalpel (5).