US4388925A — Automatic retractable lancet assembly

Claim 1

Independent Claim 288 words

An automatically retractable spring lancet assembly for piercing human skin which assembly includes automatic release of the drive spring for retraction, characterized by (a) a housing having an aperture; (b) a plurality of elongate openings in said housing; (c) a lancet mounted in said housing for reciprocable movement therein; (d) a point on said lancet positioned adjacent the interior side of said housing aperture; (e) a depressable plunger mounted for reciprocation in said housing in the end thereof opposite said housing aperture; (f) the outer end of said plunger extending out of said housing for engagement; (g) a sleeve slidable on said housing and positioned to engage said lancet in the piercing forward movement thereof; (h) a first compressed spring extending between said housing and said sleeve for the piercing forward movement of said lancet upon engagement of said plunger; (i) a second uncompressed spring extending between said lancet and said housing for the compression thereof and automatic retraction of said lancet after the said piercing forward movement thereof; (j) cooperating means extending between said plunger and said housing for automatically disengaging said first spring from said lancet after said lancet completes its piercing movement for allowing the automatic retraction of said lancet back through said housing aperture; (k) a flexible skirt positioned on said housing for maintaining said sleeve in position for compressing said first spring; and (l) a plurality of flexible arms adapted to flex outwardly upon depression of said plunger and contact said flexible skirt and cause said skirt to flex outwardly to thereby become disengaged from said sleeve thereby releasing the restraining force applied to said first spring so that said sleeve moves forward to cause the said forward piercing movement of said lancet.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 288 words

An automatically retractable spring lancet assembly for piercing human skin which assembly includes automatic release of the drive spring for retraction, characterized by (a) a housing having an aperture; (b) a plurality of elongate openings in said housing; (c) a lancet mounted in said housing for reciprocable movement therein; (d) a point on said lancet positioned adjacent the interior side of said housing aperture; (e) a depressable plunger mounted for reciprocation in said housing in the end thereof opposite said housing aperture; (f) the outer end of said plunger extending out of said housing for engagement; (g) a sleeve slidable on said housing and positioned to engage said lancet in the piercing forward movement thereof; (h) a first compressed spring extending between said housing and said sleeve for the piercing forward movement of said lancet upon engagement of said plunger; (i) a second uncompressed spring extending between said lancet and said housing for the compression thereof and automatic retraction of said lancet after the said piercing forward movement thereof; (j) cooperating means extending between said plunger and said housing for automatically disengaging said first spring from said lancet after said lancet completes its piercing movement for allowing the automatic retraction of said lancet back through said housing aperture; (k) a flexible skirt positioned on said housing for maintaining said sleeve in position for compressing said first spring; and (l) a plurality of flexible arms adapted to flex outwardly upon depression of said plunger and contact said flexible skirt and cause said skirt to flex outwardly to thereby become disengaged from said sleeve thereby releasing the restraining force applied to said first spring so that said sleeve moves forward to cause the said forward piercing movement of said lancet.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 24 words

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said sleeve is positioned to restrain said first spring in a compressed condition before said plunger is depressed.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 36 words

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said sleeve includes a plurality of inclined surfaces adapted to be engaged by said plunger flexible arms upon depression of said plunger for causing said flexible arms to flex outwardly.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 41 words

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said housing includes a plurality of longitudinally extending openings circumferentially spaced around its periphery and said sleeve includes a plurality of feet with one each extending through one of said openings for engaging said lancet.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 78 words

The assembly of claim 4 wherein said feet are included on a plurality of flexible legs on said sleeve, said legs adapted to flex outwardly upon distal movement of said sleeve whereby said feet become disengaged from said lancet after said second spring has become compressed, said disengagement of said feet thereby releasing the restraining force applied to said second spring so that said second spring becomes decompressed and thereby automatically retracts said lancet back inside said housing.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 35 words

The assembly of claim 5 wherein said housing includes a plurality of inclined surfaces adapted to be engaged by said flexible legs upon distal movement of said sleeve for causing said legs to flex outwardly.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 22 words

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said housing and said plunger are made of plastic and said lancet is made of metal.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 20 words

The assembly of claim 1, further characterized by (a) said housing, said plunger and said lancet are cylindrical and coaxial.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 271 words

An automatic retractable lancet assembly comprising: a substantially cylindrical housing having an aperture; a sharp-pointed lancet movably mounted in said housing with its point lying adjacent the interior side of said aperture; a depressible plunger coaxially mounted inside said housing in the end thereof opposite from said lancet including a plurality of flexible arms adapted to flex outwardly upon depression of said plunger; a first spring mounted inside said housing restrained in a compressed condition, before said plunger is depressed, by a slidable sleeve positioned on said housing, said sleeve including a plurality of flexible legs each having a projecting foot thereon for engaging said lancet; a flexible skirt positioned on said housing for maintaining the sleeve in position for compressing said first spring and adapted to flex outwardly upon the outward flexing of said plunger arms so that said skirt becomes disengaged from said sleeve to release the restraining force applied to said first spring causing said sleeve to move distally and thereby move said lancet outwardly from said housing; and a second spring mounted inside said housing in a substantially decompressed condition before said plunger is depressed said second spring adapted to become compressed after said sleeve moves distally and causes outward movement of said lancet, said flexible legs of said sleeve adapted to flex outwardly after distal movement of said sleeve whereby said feet become disengaged from said lancet after said second spring has become compressed, said disengagement of said feet thereby releasing the restraining force applied to said second spring so that said second spring becomes decompressed and thereby automatically retracts said lancet back inside said housing.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 271 words

An automatic retractable lancet assembly comprising: a substantially cylindrical housing having an aperture; a sharp-pointed lancet movably mounted in said housing with its point lying adjacent the interior side of said aperture; a depressible plunger coaxially mounted inside said housing in the end thereof opposite from said lancet including a plurality of flexible arms adapted to flex outwardly upon depression of said plunger; a first spring mounted inside said housing restrained in a compressed condition, before said plunger is depressed, by a slidable sleeve positioned on said housing, said sleeve including a plurality of flexible legs each having a projecting foot thereon for engaging said lancet; a flexible skirt positioned on said housing for maintaining the sleeve in position for compressing said first spring and adapted to flex outwardly upon the outward flexing of said plunger arms so that said skirt becomes disengaged from said sleeve to release the restraining force applied to said first spring causing said sleeve to move distally and thereby move said lancet outwardly from said housing; and a second spring mounted inside said housing in a substantially decompressed condition before said plunger is depressed said second spring adapted to become compressed after said sleeve moves distally and causes outward movement of said lancet, said flexible legs of said sleeve adapted to flex outwardly after distal movement of said sleeve whereby said feet become disengaged from said lancet after said second spring has become compressed, said disengagement of said feet thereby releasing the restraining force applied to said second spring so that said second spring becomes decompressed and thereby automatically retracts said lancet back inside said housing.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1986-06-20	1986-12-20	1987-06-21	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1990-06-20	1990-12-20	1991-06-21	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1994-06-20	1994-12-20	1995-06-21	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Automatic retractable lancet assembly

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