Combination battery handle-case for a pair of attached, outfolding illuminated medical instruments

Claim 2

A combination battery handle and case for a plurality of illuminable diagnostic instruments, the case having a main body portion and hinged cover means therefor, a plurality of instruments normally contained in the interior of the case, each instrument having its own lamp, the instruments being pivotally secured to the body portion and foldable outward therefrom and back therein upon opening the cover means, the case having holes through which the instruments project when folded outward, the body having secured therein battery means and means for electrically connecting the battery to the lamps of the instruments when the latter are folded outwardly, the case being adapted to operate as a handle when one of the instruments is folded outwardly for use and at the same time serving as a case for the oTher instrument.

Claim 3

A pocket size combination battery handle and case for a pair of medical instruments comprising an elongated body portion, a spaced pair of upstanding pillow blocks adjacent each end of the case and secured thereto, a pair of medical instrument heads each having a neck portion, a slip-ring band rotatably secured around each neck, each band having a pair of diametrically opposite metal trunnions projecting therefrom and receiving in cooperating holes in respective pillow block pairs whereby the heads may be alternatively folded into the case and folded out to project from the case end, the heads in folded out position being rotatable relative to the case, and a cupped cover hingedly secured to the body for enclosing each head in the case when folded therein.

Claim 4

A pocket size combination battery handle and case for a pair of medical instruments comprising an elongated body portion, a spaced pair of upstanding pillow blocks adjacent each end of the case and secured thereto, a pair of medical instrument heads each having a neck portion, a slip-ring band rotatably secured around each neck, each band having a pair of diametrically opposite metal trunnions projecting therefrom and receiving in cooperating holes in respective pillow block pairs whereby the heads may be alternatively folded into the case and folded out to project from the case end, the heads in folded out position being rotatable relative to the case, and a cupped cover hingedly secured to the body for enclosing each head in the case when folded therein.

Claim 5

A pocket size combination battery handle and case for a pair of illuminated diagnostic instruments comprising an elongated body portion, a spaced pair of upstanding metal pillow blocks spaced from each end of the case and secured thereto, a pair of diagnostic instrument heads each having a neck portion and a lamp bulb therein, a metal slip-ring band rotatably secured around each neck, each band having a pair of diametrically opposite metal trunnions projecting therefrom and received in cooperating holes in respective pillow block pairs whereby the heads may be alternatively folded into the cae and folded out to project from the case end, a cupped cover hingedly secured to the body for enclosing each head in the case when folded therein, battery clips secured to the body portion, a battery in the clips, each clip having a battery contact for electrical connection to a different battery end, one battery contact being electrically insulated from the clip and electrical connection means secured to the body including a switch operable from outside the case, the connection means adapted for completing an electric circuit through the switch to the respective heads when the head is folded out of the case, each instrument neck having a tubular metal member electrically connecting the trunnion band to one contact of its lamp and each neck terminating in a cupped metal cap electrically connected to the other lamp contact and insulated from the remainder of the neck.

Claim 6

A pocket size combination battery handle and case for a pair of illuminated diagnostic instruments comprising an elongated body portion, a spaced pair of upstanding metal pillow blocks spaced from each end of the case and secured thereto, a pair of diagnostic instrument heads each having a neck portion and a lamp bulb therein, a metal slip-ring band rotatably secured around each neck, each band having a pair of diametrically opposite metal trunnions projecting therefrom and received in cooperating holes in respective pillow block pairs whereby the heads may be alternatively folded into the cae and folded out to project from the case end, a cupped cover hingedly secured to the body for enclosing each head in the case when folded therein, battery clips secured to the body portion, a battery in the clips, each clip having a battery contact for electrical connection to a different battery end, one battery contact being electrically insulated from the clip and electrical connection means secured to the body including a switch operable from outside the case, the connection means adapted for completing an electric circuit through the switch to the respective heads when the head is folded out of the case, each instrument neck having a tubular metal member electrically connecting the trunnion band to one contact of its lamp and each neck terminating in a cupped metal cap electrically connected to the other lamp contact and insulated from the remainder of the neck.

Claim 7

The combination battery handle and case defined in claim 3 wherein the electrical connection means includes for each head a first leaf contact for connecting one side of the battery to one of the trunnions and a second leaf contact adapted to be in electrical contact with the metal cap of the neck when the head is folded out and to be in contact with a nonconductive portion of the neck when the head is folded in, whereby the head cannot be illuminated when folded in the case.

Claim 8

The combination battery handle and case defined in claim 4 wherein the electrical connection means includes a circuit board secured to the body portion, the board having a first trail of metal coating on the board surface from end to end electrically connecting both of the first leaf contacts with one of the battery clip contacts, and a second metal trail coating electrically connecting both of the second leaf contacts with the other battery clip contact through the switch, the board having an island of metal coating electrically connected to said other battery clip contact, and the switch including a metal contact member movable from a first position electrically connecting one of the metal trails with the island to a second position breaking its electrical connection between the trail and the island.

Claim 9

The combination battery handle and case defined in claim 3 wherein the case has a hole of a regulare polygonal shape therethrough at each end when the cover is closed, half the hole being through the body and half through the cover, and each instrument neck has a cooperating reversely conforming polygonal shaped flange therearound adapted to be contained in the case hole when the cover is closed and the head is folded out, whereby the instrument may be secUred in one of a plurality of radial positions with respect to the case.

Claim 10

The combination battery handle and case defined in claim 6 wherein each cover and each end of the base has a substantially semiannular dust seal of resilient material secured thereto adjacent the regular polygonal hole, the seals being positioned when the cover is closed to close about an instrument neck when the instrument is folded out and to close about the cupped cap contact when the instrument is folded in, thereby keeping out unwanted debris when the case is transported in a coat pocket.

Claim 11

The combination battery handle and case defined in claim 6 wherein each cupped cap is slotted and in threaded contact with the instrument neck, and each lamp bulb is slideably retained within its neck by the cap, whereby the bulbs may be easily replaced by removing the cupped caps.

Claim 12

The combination battery handle and case defined in claim 3 wherein each cover hinge has a C-shaped leaf spring biasing a portion of each spring half toward the other, whereby the cover is biased closed after it has been closed and biased open after the cover has been fully opened.

Claim 13

The combination battery handle and case defined in claim 3 wherein each slip ring band has a portion projecting away from the body portion when the instrument is folded in, whereby a ringer placed on the projecting portion and moved toward the adjacent case end tilts the instrument away from the body portion for folding the instrument out of the case.

Claim 14

The combination battery handle and case defined in claim 3 wherein one of the instrument heads is an otoscope adapted to use disposable speculum tips, the case having a spare tip holder adjacent the otoscope head, the holder having an elongated member hingedly secured to the case body at one end, the elongated member having an annular flange adjacent the hinged end and a pair of semiannular enlargements at its free end, the free end being bifurcated and of resilient material, whereby the holder is adapted to receive a plurality of nested tips therearound, the annular flange providing a stop for the larger end of the nested tips and the semiannular enlargements providing a spring detent over which the smaller distal ends of the tips may be withdrawn.