Needle sheath

Claim 2

A needle sheath (24) for a syringe (10) having a barrel (18), a connector (16) on the distal end of said barrel (18), and a needle assembly (22) removably connectable to said barrel (18), said needle sheath (24) encircling a portion of said needle assembly (22), and comprising: cam means (64) operative between said needle sheath (24) and said needle assembly (22) for forcing said needle sheath (24) axially relative to said needle assembly (22) upon rotating said sheath (24) relative to said needle assembly (22) whereby said needle sheath (24) is separated from said needle assembly (22).

Claim 3

A needle sheath (24) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cam means (64) comprises at least one camming flute (66) carried internally on said needle sheath (24) and a cam follower means (60) carried by said needle assembly (22), an axially facing curved camming surface (74) on said camming flute (66), said cam follower means (60) engaging with said camming surface (74) and riding up the curve of said camming surface (74) upon relative rotation between the needle sheath (24) and the needle assembly (22) to urge the needle sheath (24) axially relative to said needle assembly (22).

Claim 4

A needle sheath (24) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said needle assembly (22) includes a hub (28) at the proximal end portion thereof, axially extending, radially projecting ears (62) on said hub (28), camming flutes (66) on the internal surface of said needle sheath (24), a curved camming surface (74) on one circumferentially facing side of each flute (66) and a flat blocking surface (72) on the opposite circumferentially facing side thereof, one of said projecting ears (62) engaging said flat blocking surface (72) to rotate said needle assembly (22) with said needle sheath (24) in one direction of rotation of said needle sheath (24), and said one projecting ear (62) riding up said curved camming surface (74) to move said needle sheath (24) axially relative to said needle assembly (22) upon rotation of said needle sheath (24) in the opposite direction.

Claim 5

In a needle sheath (24) for a syringe (10) having a barrel (18), a luer lock connector (16) on the distal end (40) of said barrel (18), and a needle assembly (22) removably connected to said luer lock connector (16), said needle assembly (22) including a needle (52) axially extending from a hub (28) having axially extending radially projecting ribs (60) on the outer periphery thereof, and a needle sheath (24) encasing said needle (52) and frictionally engaging said hub (28), in combination: cam means (64) carried by said needle sheath (24) and engaging with said ribs (60) on said needle assembly (22), said cam means (64) comprising a camming flute (66) having a cam surface (74) on one side and a flat surface (72) on the opposite side thereof, said flat surface (72) contacting one of said ribs (60) upon rotating said needle sheath (24) in one direction to rotate the needle assembly (22) with said needle sheath (24) for removing said needle assembly (22) from said connector (16), and upon rotating said needle sheath (24) in a direction opposite to said first-named direction said cam surface (74) will contact one of said ribs (60) to initially rotate said needle sheath (24) and said needle assembly (22) together relative to the barrel (18) to connect said needle assembly (22) to said connector (16) and thereafter to move the needle sheath (24) axially relative to said needle assembly (22) for removing said needle sheath (24) from said needle assembly (22).

Claim 6

In a needle sheath (24) for a syringe (10) having a barrel (18), a luer lock connector (16) on the distal end (40) of said barrel (18), and a needle assembly (22) removably connected to said luer lock connector (16), said needle assembly (22) including a needle (52) axially extending from a hub (28) having axially extending radially projecting ribs (60) on the outer periphery thereof, and a needle sheath (24) encasing said needle (52) and frictionally engaging said hub (28), in combination: cam means (64) carried by said needle sheath (24) and engaging with said ribs (60) on said needle assembly (22), said cam means (64) comprising a camming flute (66) having a cam surface (74) on one side and a flat surface (72) on the opposite side thereof, said flat surface (72) contacting one of said ribs (60) upon rotating said needle sheath (24) in one direction to rotate the needle assembly (22) with said needle sheath (24) for removing said needle assembly (22) from said connector (16), and upon rotating said needle sheath (24) in a direction opposite to said first-named direction said cam surface (74) will contact one of said ribs (60) to initially rotate said needle sheath (24) and said needle assembly (22) together relative to the barrel (18) to connect said needle assembly (22) to said connector (16) and thereafter to move the needle sheath (24) axially relative to said needle assembly (22) for removing said needle sheath (24) from said needle assembly (22).

Claim 7

In a needle sheath (24) as claimed in claim 4 wherein said cam surface (74) is curved and has one portion (76) parallel to an axis of the sheath (24) and has a second portion (78) tangent to a circle in the hub (28) defining the distal end of said camming flute (66).

Claim 8

In a needle sheath (24) as claimed in claim 4 wherein a plurality of camming flutes (66) are provided in the sheath (24) and a flat surface (72) of each flute (66) engages with one of said ears (62) on said hub (28).

Claim 9

A needle syringe assembly (10) having a barrel (18) with a threaded collar (42) encircling a tapered luer connector (46) on one end thereof, a needle assembly (22) having a hub member (28) with ears (62) engaging said threaded collar (42), said hub member (28) having an aperture (58) with walls engaging with said tapered luer member (46), a needle sheath member (24) encasing said needle assembly (22), said needle sheath member (24) and said hub member (28) of the needle assembly (22) having interfitting means (64) for wrenching said hub member (28) onto said barrel (18) and for camming said sheath member (24) free from said hub member (28), said interfitting means (64) comprising camming flutes (66) carried by one of said members (24,28) and having a flat surface (72) on one side and a curved camming surface (74) on the other side thereof, ribs (60) carried by said other member (24,28) and having at least one rib (60) engaging selectively with said flat surface (72) and with said camming surface (74) whereby rotating said sheath member (24) in one direction engages at least one of said ribs (60) with at least one of said flat surfaces (72) to rotate the hub member (28) relative to the barrel (18) to unthread the hub member (28) from the barrel (18) and rotating said sheath member (24) in the opposite direction initially rotates the ears (62) on the hub member (28) into the collar (42) and subsequently at least one of said ribs (60) engages with at least one of said curved cammed surfaces (74) to urge the sheath member (24) axially away from the hub member (28) to separate the sheath member (24) from the needle assembly (22).

Claim 10

A needle syringe assembly (10) having a barrel (18) with a threaded collar (42) encircling a tapered luer connector (46) on one end thereof, a needle assembly (22) having a hub member (28) with ears (62) engaging said threaded collar (42), said hub member (28) having an aperture (58) with walls engaging with said tapered luer member (46), a needle sheath member (24) encasing said needle assembly (22), said needle sheath member (24) and said hub member (28) of the needle assembly (22) having interfitting means (64) for wrenching said hub member (28) onto said barrel (18) and for camming said sheath member (24) free from said hub member (28), said interfitting means (64) comprising camming flutes (66) carried by one of said members (24,28) and having a flat surface (72) on one side and a curved camming surface (74) on the other side thereof, ribs (60) carried by said other member (24,28) and having at least one rib (60) engaging selectively with said flat surface (72) and with said camming surface (74) whereby rotating said sheath member (24) in one direction engages at least one of said ribs (60) with at least one of said flat surfaces (72) to rotate the hub member (28) relative to the barrel (18) to unthread the hub member (28) from the barrel (18) and rotating said sheath member (24) in the opposite direction initially rotates the ears (62) on the hub member (28) into the collar (42) and subsequently at least one of said ribs (60) engages with at least one of said curved cammed surfaces (74) to urge the sheath member (24) axially away from the hub member (28) to separate the sheath member (24) from the needle assembly (22).

Claim 11

A needle syringe assembly (10) as claimed in claim 7 wherein said camming flutes (66) are on said sheath member (24) and said ribs (60) are on said hub member (28).

Claim 12

A needle syringe assembly (10) as claimed in claim 7 wherein said interfitting means (64) comprises four camming flutes (66) and four ribs (60).

Claim 13

A needle syringe assembly (10) as claimed in claim 7 wherein a closed end sleeve (14) has internal lugs (36) which engage with external lugs (32) on said sheath member (24) when said sleeve (14) is telescoped over said sheath member (24), said sleeve (14) serving as an enlarged gripping member for turning said sheath member (24) and serving as a support for said needle syringe assembly (10) when stood on end.