Tabbed eccentric locking device

Claim 2

A guard member adapted to be locked onto the shaft of medical tubing for penetrating a body cavity comprising a pair of interengageable guard elements, one of said guard elements having a male projecting portion and the other of said guard elements having a counterpart female cavity portion into which the male portion is positioned, said elements with their respective male and female portions being rotatable with respect to each other, each of said elements having an opening therethrough, the openings in both elements being concentric with each other when the elements are in one position of orientation providing a passageway therethrough, the openings in both elements being eccentric with respect to the true centers of said male projection and said female cavity portions; the female element of said guard member comprising a cylindrical portion with a channel therethrough, said channel having an inside diameter at least as great as the outside diameter of said male projecting portion, said cylindrical portion of said female element having a slot extending both longitudinally and laterally, both the male and female elements of said guard members being provided with projecting tab portions, the tab on said male element being provided with a stem portion supporting the tab away from the cylindrical portion of said male element, the width of said stem portion being not greater than the width of the slot in the cylindrical portion of said female element, said male element being received within said female element by movement of said tab on said male element along said slot, whereby a rotating force applied to one of said guard elements causes the openings in said elements to become eccentric to each other, and whereby frictional engagement between the outer wall of the male projecting portion and the inner wall of the female cavity portion of said elements secures said portions against displacement.

Claim 3

The guard member according to claim 1 in which the openings in said male element and said female element are concentric with each other when the stem portion of the projecting tab portion of said male element is interengaged with the laterally slotted portion of the cylindrical portion of said female element.

Claim 4

The guard member according to claim 1 in which the projecting tab portions of the male and female elements are unequal in height.

Claim 5

The guard member according to claim 1 in which the projecting tab portions of the male and female elements are unequal in length.

Claim 6

The guard member according to claim 1 in which the cylindrical portion of said female element terminates in a flange-like disk portion substantially normal thereto.

Claim 7

The guard member according to claim 5 in which the flange-like disk portion of said female element is coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive on its lower surface.

Claim 8

The guard member according to claim 5 in which the flange-like disk portion of said female element has straps extending therefrom.

Claim 9

The guard member according to claim 1 wherein said guard member includes means for attaching said member to the body.

Claim 10

An apparauts for penetrating a body cavity comprising: a surgical member with an elongated shaft and a guard member mounted on said shaft aNd lockable thereon against displacement along the axis of the shaft, said member compriying a pair of interengageable guard element; each of said guard elements having an opening therethrough providing, in one position of the elements with respect to each other, a passageway through the guard member into which said shaft is inserted for mounting said guard thereon; one of said guard elements having a male projecting portion and the other of said guard elements having a counterpart female cavity portion into which the male portion is positioned, said elements with their respective male and female portions being rotatable with respect to each other, the openings in both elements being concentric with each other when the elements are in one position of orientation providing a passageway therethrough, the openings in both elements being eccentric with respect to the true centers of said male projection and said female cavity portions; the female element of said guard member comprising a cylindrical portion with a channel therethrough, said channel having an inside diameter at least as great as the outside diameter of said male projecting portion, said cylindrical portion of said female element having a slot with a longitudinal portion extending from one end of said female element and having at its opposite end a lateral slot portion; both the male and female elements of said guard members being provided with projecting tab portions, the tab on said male element being provided with a stem portion supporting the tab away from the cylindrical portion of said male element, the width of said stem portion being not greater than the width of the laterally slotted portion of the cylindrical portion of said female element, the thickness of the stem portion of said tab portion of said male element being not greater than the width of the longitudinal slot portion in the cylindrical portion of said female element, the male element being positioned with the stem of its tab portion opposite the open end of the lateral slot portion of said cylindrical portion of said female element, whereby a rotating force applied to one of said guard elements, causes the openings in said elements to develop a position of eccentricity with respect to each other and to cause frictional engagement between the shaft and said openings, and whereby frictional engagement between the outer wall of the male projecting portion and the inner wall of the female cavity portion of said elements secures said portions against displacement.

Claim 11

An apparauts for penetrating a body cavity comprising: a surgical member with an elongated shaft and a guard member mounted on said shaft aNd lockable thereon against displacement along the axis of the shaft, said member compriying a pair of interengageable guard element; each of said guard elements having an opening therethrough providing, in one position of the elements with respect to each other, a passageway through the guard member into which said shaft is inserted for mounting said guard thereon; one of said guard elements having a male projecting portion and the other of said guard elements having a counterpart female cavity portion into which the male portion is positioned, said elements with their respective male and female portions being rotatable with respect to each other, the openings in both elements being concentric with each other when the elements are in one position of orientation providing a passageway therethrough, the openings in both elements being eccentric with respect to the true centers of said male projection and said female cavity portions; the female element of said guard member comprising a cylindrical portion with a channel therethrough, said channel having an inside diameter at least as great as the outside diameter of said male projecting portion, said cylindrical portion of said female element having a slot with a longitudinal portion extending from one end of said female element and having at its opposite end a lateral slot portion; both the male and female elements of said guard members being provided with projecting tab portions, the tab on said male element being provided with a stem portion supporting the tab away from the cylindrical portion of said male element, the width of said stem portion being not greater than the width of the laterally slotted portion of the cylindrical portion of said female element, the thickness of the stem portion of said tab portion of said male element being not greater than the width of the longitudinal slot portion in the cylindrical portion of said female element, the male element being positioned with the stem of its tab portion opposite the open end of the lateral slot portion of said cylindrical portion of said female element, whereby a rotating force applied to one of said guard elements, causes the openings in said elements to develop a position of eccentricity with respect to each other and to cause frictional engagement between the shaft and said openings, and whereby frictional engagement between the outer wall of the male projecting portion and the inner wall of the female cavity portion of said elements secures said portions against displacement.

Claim 12

An apparatus in accordance with claim 9 wherein said guard elements are displaceable with respect to each other in a plane transverse to the axis of the shaft.