Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
355 words
An improved liquid receiving and dispensing syringe, said syringe comprising, in combination: (a) an elongated container open at its front and rear ends and containing sidewalls defining a generally central cavity adapted to hold a dispensible liquid; (b) an elongated needle containing a central longitudinal liquid-dispensing passageway extending throughout the length thereof, said needle being the front end of said container and extending forwardly therefrom, said needle being in communication with said container cavity for delivery of liquid therefrom and thereinto; (c) the plunger slideably disposed in said cavity extending rearwardly from the rear end of said container and adapted to force liquid forwardly from said cavity out through said needle, and to such liquid into said cavity; and (d) a protective shell connected to, slideably disposed around and normally spaced outwardly from said container sidewalls, and movable between a first rear position exposing said needle and a second front position concealing said needle to prevent inadvertent injury by contact with said needle and to facilitate disposal of said syringe, (e) wherein spacer means are secured to at least one of the inner surface of said shell and the outer surface of said container to facilitate at least one of the functions of releasably locking said shell in at least one of said first and second positions and sliding said shell between said first and second positions, (f) wherein said spacer means comprises a plurality of inwardly directed ears projecting from the inner surface of said shell, (g) said container having a plurality of retaining pockets on the outside surface thereof near both the front end and the rear end of said container, (h) said ears being releasably receivable within said retaining pockets within the outer surface of said container, whereby said ears are positioned within the pockets at the rear end of the container when the needle is not covered by said shell, and whereby said ears are positioned within the pockets at the front end of said container when the needle is covered by said shell, such ears and pockets serving to inter-lock the container and the shell to prevent relative movement thereof.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
355 words
An improved liquid receiving and dispensing syringe, said syringe comprising, in combination: (a) an elongated container open at its front and rear ends and containing sidewalls defining a generally central cavity adapted to hold a dispensible liquid; (b) an elongated needle containing a central longitudinal liquid-dispensing passageway extending throughout the length thereof, said needle being the front end of said container and extending forwardly therefrom, said needle being in communication with said container cavity for delivery of liquid therefrom and thereinto; (c) the plunger slideably disposed in said cavity extending rearwardly from the rear end of said container and adapted to force liquid forwardly from said cavity out through said needle, and to such liquid into said cavity; and (d) a protective shell connected to, slideably disposed around and normally spaced outwardly from said container sidewalls, and movable between a first rear position exposing said needle and a second front position concealing said needle to prevent inadvertent injury by contact with said needle and to facilitate disposal of said syringe, (e) wherein spacer means are secured to at least one of the inner surface of said shell and the outer surface of said container to facilitate at least one of the functions of releasably locking said shell in at least one of said first and second positions and sliding said shell between said first and second positions, (f) wherein said spacer means comprises a plurality of inwardly directed ears projecting from the inner surface of said shell, (g) said container having a plurality of retaining pockets on the outside surface thereof near both the front end and the rear end of said container, (h) said ears being releasably receivable within said retaining pockets within the outer surface of said container, whereby said ears are positioned within the pockets at the rear end of the container when the needle is not covered by said shell, and whereby said ears are positioned within the pockets at the front end of said container when the needle is covered by said shell, such ears and pockets serving to inter-lock the container and the shell to prevent relative movement thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The improved syringe of claim 1 wherein two pairs of said pockets are spaced along the length of said container outer surface and are interconnected by longitudinal grooves within which said ears are slideable.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The improved syringe of claim 1 wherein the outer surface of said shell contains finger grips to facilitate movement of said shell between said first and second positions and to deform said shell.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The improved syringe of claim 1 wherein said shell includes means for viewing said container disposed therewithin.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The improved syringe of claim 4 wherein said container and said shell are transparent and generally cylindrical.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The improved syringe of claim 4 wherein said container is transparent and wherein said shell has at least one container-viewing window therein.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The improved syringe of claim 6 wherein said shell comprises an open mesh containing a plurality of said windows.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
The improved syringe of claim 1 wherein at least one of said shell and said container contains means to facilitate intentional breakage of at least one of said needle and container to prevent its reuse.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The improved syringe of claim 8 wherein said shell and said container contain concentric alignable transverse grooves to facilitate said breakage.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
The improved syringe of claim 7 wherein said container outer surface is transversely grooved in an area exposed when said shell is in said second position, thereby facilitating said breakage.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
The improved syringe of claim 7 wherein said shell is sufficiently resilient and flexible to permit breaking of said needle by hand through said shell when said shell is in said second position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The improved syringe of claim 1 wherein said needle is a nozzle intergral with the front end of said container.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
130 words
The method of safely disposing of a syringe which has its ears in the pockets at the rear end of said container, as set forth in claim 1, including the steps of: (a) deforming the shell to form an oval shape to thereby cause said ears to come out of the pockets in the rear end of said container, (b) moving said shell so as to completely encase the needle while aligning said ears with the projections at the top end of said container, (c) removing pressure from the deformed shell to allow it to assume its undeformed state and thereby cause said ears to be received within the projections at the top end of said container, (d) transporting the encased needle to and depositing it in a trash receptacle.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 13 wherein said container is broken before being deposited in said trash receptacle.