US3330279A

US3330279A - Automatic hypodermic syringe

Info

Publication number: US3330279A
Application number: US317220A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stanley J Sarnoff; John W Balenger
Original assignee: Sarnoff Corp
Current assignee: Sarnoff Corp
Priority date: 1963-10-18
Filing date: 1963-10-18
Publication date: 1967-07-11
Anticipated expiration: 1984-07-11
Also published as: DE1491818A1; FR1417380A; CH445028A; GB1041920A; BE654563A

Description

July 11, 1967 s. J. sARNof-F ETAL AUTOMATIC HYFODERMIC SYRINGE Filed om. 1a, 196s s m m mm J Wn g W Nfl' S d d@ J5 MV YW. mv Mv n n lnl l .m 1m 5 J QM v Mul n Sm Wm ed. B %Q\ Q\ m. 0% NW Mm .mk Wm N" un mm Nm NQ 7/////////// /r//j//w//Qv// United States Patent O 3,330,279 AUTOMATIC HYPGDERMIC SYRINGE Stanley J. Sarnoff, McLean, Va. (7801 Woodmont Ave.,

Bethesda, Md. 20014), and John W. Balenger, Rockville, Md.; said Balenger assignor to said Sarno Filed Oct. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 317,220 4 Claims. (Cl. 12S- 218) This invention relates to medicament injector devices of the gun type wherein a restrained plunger, acted on by a spring under compression, is adapted when released to the action of the spring to quickly expel medicament from Within a cartridge, the cartridge being retained in a holder coupled to the gun.

It is an object ot this invention to provide an injector device in the shape of a slender bar capable of easily being held for operation by the clenched hand of an operator.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a gun for the purpose described with a plunger which shall be easily cocked,

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a gun of the character set forth wherein locking means are provided to prevent inadvertent release of the plunger.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for easily coupling the gun portion of the injector device with the cartridge holder.

Other objects will be made clear upon consideration of the following specification and claims, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. l is, generally, a plan view of the assembled injector, some hidden parts being shown dotted and a part being shown in section;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the same device taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1 and in a plane at right angles thereto, FIG. 2 being on a larger scale than FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section of the lefthand end portion of the injector, with certain parts removed;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary View of the lefthand end of an inner tube or barrel together with a plug screwed thereon;

FIG. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view of a detent block utilized to yielding- 1y arrest rotation of the inner barrel with respect to an outer sleeve;

FIG. 8 is a view at right angles to FIG. 5 showing a recessed portion of the barrel which cooperates with the blocking plug or detent block;

FIG. 9 is a section on the line 9 9 of FIG. 2, part being broken away; and

FIG. 10 is a development of a ring utilized in the gun.

Now referring to the drawings in greater detail, in FIG. 1 there is illustrated the syringe as assembled for use. Said syringe, in the main, comprises a cartridge holder 10 and an injector 12. The cartridge holder comprises a generally cylindrical member having a forward end head 14 provided with a central perforation 16, the rear face of the head being made integral with four lingers 18, which lingers are normally biased to spring apart at their rear free ends. These fingers near their free ends are each provided with a shouldered portion to form a stop for an internally shouldered sleeve 22 which may be slid along the ngers for the purpose of compressing 3,330,279 Patented July 11, 1967 ICC them toward each other when the sleeve is shifted from a position near the head to a position overlying the ends of the lingers. The head is shouldered, as indicated at 23, to limit the motion of the sleeve in the direction of the head. The fingers at their free ends are thickened as indicated at 24 in order to enable them to engage with a shouldered end portion 25 of a barrel 26, said barrel forming a part of the gun of the injector. When the sleeve is shifted toward the head, the resiliency of the lingers causes them to spring apart enabling the ready detachment of the cartridge holder from the injector and the insertion of a cartridge.

The injector gun 12 is comprised of three main portions, namely, the barrel 26, previously referred to, a plunger 28 slidable within the barrel, and an outer sleeve 30 telescopically movable over the barrel 26. The barrel at its rear end is threaded and of enlarged internal diameter, as indicated at 32, in order to readily receive a plug 34, the rear portion of which is recessed to provide a shoulder portion 36 to form a seat for a spring 40 reacting between the plug and an abutment 42 within the rear end of the outer sleeve 30. Reacting between the forward face of the plug 34 and an integrally formed collar 44 on the plunger 28 is a spring 46, operative, when a spring detent 38 is released from the shoulder portion 36, to drive the plunger through the barrel 26 into engagement with `a. piston Si) within a cartridge 52 loaded in the cartridge holder. When the plunger does engage the piston, the plunger, under inuence of the spring 46, will drive the piston toward the forward end of the cartridge holder, driving a needle 54 within the cartridge through a stopper 56 of the cartridge and expelling the medicament 58 within the cartridge through the needle. The structure of the cartridge and its mode of operation are well known in the art and need not further be described herein.

The means for releasing the detent includes the abutment 42 previously referred to. The abutment is provided with a cylindrical cavity 43 slidably accommodating the rear end of the plunger 28. When the outer sleeve is moved toward the cartridge holder, the wall of the cavity engages the spring detent 3S and thrusts it closer to the wall of the plunger, the plunger for this purpose being provided with a slot 60. For convenience in mounting the detent, the side of the plunger opposite the slot 60 is also provided with a longitudinal slot 62 similar to slot 60. The detent is a round wire member having a portion extending along the slot 62, thence through a bore 64 in the plunger and then in a direction when operated to release position, substantially parallel but, in the latched position of the plunger, in divergent relationship to the plunger, the free end of the detent being bent reversely as indicated at 66 and extending through a second bore 63 in the plunger.

After the plunger had been released for forward movement in the barrel by reason of telescoping action of the outer sleeve with respect to the barrel, it may be reset by removing the cartridge holder and pressing the free end thereof against a rigid surface while holding the barrel against movement with respect to the hand. Thereupon, the spring detent snaps to bring the reversely bent portion 66 onto the shoulder 36 of the plug 34.

Means are provided whereby it is not necessary to hold the barrel against movement when resetting the plunger, it being merely sufcient for an operator to hold the outer sleeve 30 while pressing the plunger against a rigid surof the plug 34 and in part by that of the abutment 42.

Referring in greater detail to FIGS. 5, 6, and 8, it will be noted that the plug has two stepped finger portions 70`and intervening spaces 72. The abutment has corresponding recessed portions 74 to accommodate the stepped fingers in one rotative position of the plug relative to the abutment so as to allow the outer sleeve to move relative to the barrel and toward the cartridge holder a distance sufficient to release the spring detent 38. In a locked position of partsthe step shoulders 76 of the fingers engage a face of the abutment and prevent relative telescopic motion between the sleeve and the barrel. The rear ends of the fingers of the plug in the locked position of parts extend into the recessed portions 74 and engage the side Walls of the abutment to limit the rotative movementof the outer sleeve. The outer sleeve is provided with a pair of opposed slots 78, see FIGS. 1, 2, and 9, said slots each housing a detent block 80 having a rounded face 81 conforming to and continuous with the outer surface of the sleeve. The blocks are held in the slots by application of a label 79 or ring about the outer surface of the sleeve and about the area of the slots. Each block S has a nib 82 extending partially between a centering recess 84 inV the outer sleeve and into selected recessed areas 86 in the barrel, the barrel for this purpose having two pairs of angularly related fiat surfaces 88 and 90, each fiat surface having an arched shoulder as indicated at 92 and 94, FIG. 8, for alternate reception of the nib 82 on the detent block. The spring 40 hitherto referred to, functions to maintain the nib 82 in snug engagement with the

arched shoulder

92 or 94 depending upon the rotative position of the outer sleeve relative to the barrel. For convenience in rotating the barrel with respect to the outer sleeve, the forward end of the lbarrel is exteriorly fluted as indicated at 98.

To facilitate the proper positioning of the injector with respect to the patient and for the purposes of better control, the barrel at its forward end may have formed thereon a pair of opposed ears 100 beneath which an operator may place his fingers'lf desired, the ears may be replaced by rings for receiving the fingers of an operator. Also to control the rate of advance of the plunger, there may be Y provided a port or vent opening 102 at the forward end of the barrel closed off by a ring 104 shown in developed view in FIG. l0 and which ring is shiftable in a groove 105 formed in the exterior of the barrel. The ring has a variable width opening 106 cut therein to be positioned opposite the opening 102. By rotation of the ring about 'the barrel, the area of the opening 102 occluded by the ring may be varied whereby the rate of movementof the plunger may be controlled. A leather washer 108 is provided to prevent leakage of air past the collar 44.

The gun may also be provided with an extension rod 110-screwed into the end of the plunger or otherwise secured to the rear end of the plunger, the extension being fitted with a finger piece 112. The extension passesrfreely through an opening 114 in the rear end of the sleeve 323. This arrangement is useful, for example, when the medicament is particularly viscous and the spring 46 is not strong enough to drive the medicament through the hollow needle at the desired rate of flow.

While a particular embodiment of this invention has been illustrated and described, modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art. It is to be understood, therefore, that this invention is not to Vbe limited tothe particular details disclosed, and it is intended in the appended claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is: Y

1. A hypodermic syringe of the type comprising a cartridge holder adapted to retain a medication containing cartridge, said cartridge having a piston movable longitudinally thereof to expel the medication therefrom, an injector gun having a barrel with an end wall and means for coupling the barrel with the cartridge holder and a plunger movable longitudinally thereof, drive means within the injector gun for urging the plunger to projected position for engagement with the piston `and transport holding the plunger against movement, release means operative on said detent means Ato release the plunger to the action of the drive means, and said means for coupling the barrel with the cartridge holder comprising a quick detachable coupling between the holder and the end of the barrel which coupling maintains the holder and 'injector gun in longitudinal alignment, the length of the plunger being such that it extends beyond the barrel end in both the projected and withdrawn positions of the plunger, and means on the plunger engaging the end wall of the barrel to limit the projecting movement ofthe plunger so as to prevent complete expulsion of the plunger from the barrel.

2. The structure of 'claim 1 wherein the barrel adjacent the coupling has a port through the wall of the barrel communicating with the interior'thereof, and means adjustable at the will of an operator to variably restrict flow of air through said port.

3. A syringe as claimed in claim 1 in which the quick detachable coupling comprises spring lingers extending longitudinally of the holder and a sleeve slidable longitudinally of the fingers and of an internal dimension to move the free ends of the fingers Vtoward each other when the sleeve is at the free ends of the fingers, said injector gun havinga barrel within which the plunger slides, said barrel having a shouldered end adapted to be embraced by and held in the free ends of said fingers.

4. A hypodermic syringe `comprising a cartridge holder having normally outwardly biased spring fingers extending longitudinally of the holder and a shouldered head having an axial opening, said holder being adaptedto retain a cartridge, the cartridge having a piston therein movable longitudinally thereof to expel the medication therein through a needle, an injector gun barrel having a plunger movable longitudinally thereof and having a neck portion at the end of the barrel, an internally shouldered y with a variable opening therein rotatable in a. groove in` the barrel, a collar intermediate the ends of the plunger,

a washer on the forward face of the collar, a spring bearing against the rear face of the collar, an internally shouldered plug at the rear end of the barrel against which thespring reacts, a detent spring at Vthe upper end of the plunger and in retracted position of the plunger bearing against the shoulder of the plug, an outer sleeve telescopically associated with said barrel, said sleeve having an abutment at the rear end thereof, longitudinal recesses in said abutment, stepped finger portions on the plug adapted for enteringsaid recesses in one rotational position of the sleeve with respect to the barrel to enable relative sliding movement between sleeve and barrel, said abutment preventing the fingers from entering the recesses in another rotational position of the sleeve, means on the abutment for engaging the spring detent to release the detent from off the shoulder upon telescoping of the sleeve on the barrel, whereby to release the plunger to the action of the spring, means for sensing rotation of the sleeve and resiliently holding it in each of two rotative positions comprising at least one detent block with a nib thereon, a slot in the sleeve receiving said block with the nib directed to the rear end of the sleeve, means holding the block in place, the barrel having a longitudinally slotted portion thereof along the length of the cartridge, detent meansv with two arched shoulders at the rear end of the slotted portion, said nib being located against a selected one of the arched shoulders, a spring reacting between the shoulder of the plug and the abutment to resiliently retain the nib in contact with the shoulder of the barrel, said plug lingers having extensions to engage the sides of the recesses to limit the rotational movement of the sleeve with respect to the barrel, an axial Opening at the rear end of the plunger, a rod with linger piece at the rear end thereof and having its forward end threaded into the plunger, at least one ear at the forward end of the barrel, a port at the forward end of the barrel communicating with the interior of the barrel, and a variably apertured ring rotatably seated in a groove about the barrel and in position to variably occlude the port.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,845,930 2/ 1932 Morrow 128-218 5 3,055,362 9/ 1962 Uytenbogaart 12S-218 3,066,670 12/1962 Staufer 12S- 218 3,114,370 12/1963 Kayler 12S-218 3,136,313 6/1964 Engstrom et al 12S-218 3,144,178 8/1964 Sarnoi 12S-218 1() 3,182,660 5/1965 Weydanz et al 12S-218 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. ROBERT E. MORGAN, Examiner. 15 D. L. TRULUCK, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A HYPODERMIC SYRINGE OF THE TYPE COMPRISING A CARTRIDGE HOLDER ADAPTED TO RETAIN A MEDICATION CONTAINING CARTRIDGE, SAID CARTRIDGE HAVING A PISTON MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF TO EXPEL THE MEDICATION THEREFROM, AN INJECTOR GUN HAVING A BARREL WITH AN END WALL AND MEANS FOR COUPLING THE BARREL WITH THE CARTRIDGE HOLDER AND A PLUNGER MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF, DRIVE MEANS WITHIN THE INJECTOR GUN FOR URGING THE PLUNGER TO PROJECTED POSITION FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PISTON AND TRANSPORT THEREOF ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE CARTRIDGE, DETENT MEANS HOLDING THE PLUNGER AGAINST MOVEMENT, RELEASE MEANS OPERATIVE ON SAID DETENT MEANS TO RELEASE THE PLUNGER TO THE ACTION OF THE DRIVE MEANS, AND SAID MEANS FOR COUPLING THE BARREL WITH THE CARTRIDGE HOLDER COMPRISING A QUICK DETACHABLE COUPLING BETWEEN THE HOLDER AND THE END OF THE BARREL WHICH COUPLING MAINTAINS THE HOLDER AND INJECTOR GUN IN LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT, THE LENGTH OF THE PLUNGER BEING SUCH THAT IT EXTENDS BEYOND THE BARREL END IN BOTH THE PROJECTED AND WITHDRAWN POSITIONS OF THE PLUNGER, AND MEANS ON THE PLUNGER ENGAGING THE END WALL OF THE BARREL TO LIMIT THE PROJECTING MOVEMENT OF THE PLUNGER SO AS TO PREVENT COMPLETE EXPULSION OF THE PLUNGER FROM THE BARREL.