Safety needle device with snap feature and method of making same

Abstract

The present invention safety device is a one-piece needle assembly that has a base and a housing pivotally connected to the base. The base has a distal portion to which a needle is fitted. At the base there is formed longitudinally along its distal portion a catch mechanism that may be in the form of an anchor projection. At the back wall of the housing there is extended another catch mechanism that may be configured in the form of two clasping fingers. Also providing in the housing is an integral hook. As the housing and the base are pivoted relative to each other, and as the needle makes contact with the hook, the respective catch mechanisms at the base and the housing also make contact with each other, resulting in the coupling of the catch mechanisms and the coupling of the needle to the hook. As a result, the catch mechanisms are interlocked and the needle is fixedly retained by the hook within the housing. The catch mechanisms may also be configured as a hook and a latch in the form of a rib with an opening whereto the hook is fixedly coupled. The catch mechanisms may further be configured as respective interlockable pairs of loops and bosses. The gauge of the needle may be determined by the color of both the base and the housing, which are molded as a unitary single unit.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method of preventing exposure of a needle after use for a safety device adaptable to mate with a syringe at its proximal end and having fitted to its distal end the needle, said safety device including a housing and a base pivotally connected to each other, said housing having a back wall and two sidewalls together forming a slot through which the needle passes when said housing is pivoted toward said base to cover the needle, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) extending one catch mechanism from said back wall; and   b) providing an other catch mechanism at said base at a location that ensures said one and other catch mechanisms are non-removably interlocked to each other when said housing is pivoted to cover the needle.   
     
     
         15 . Method of  claim 14 , further comprising the steps of:
 extending a rib from said base in the direction facing said housing when said housing is pivoted towards said base; and   providing said other catch mechanism at said rib.   
     
     
         16 . Method of  claim 15 , wherein said one catch mechanism comprises a pair of adjacent loops and wherein said other catch mechanism comprises a pair of bosses, the method further comprising the steps of:
 providing a boss at each side of said rib; and   extending said pair of loops from said back wall;   wherein when said housing is pivoted to cover the needle, each of said loops snaps over a corresponding one of said bosses and be interlocked therewith, said rib being sandwiched by said loops after said respective loops are interlocked to said bosses.   
     
     
         17 . Method of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of:
 providing a proximal extension to each of said sidewalls to prevent access to said catch mechanisms once said catch mechanisms interlock to couple said housing and said base to each other.   
     
     
         18 . Method of  claim 14 , further comprising the steps of:
 extending a pair of partitions from said back wall of said housing;   positioning said partitions between the sidewalls of said housing so that said one and other catch mechanisms are sandwiched by said pair of partitions when said housing pivots to cover the needle.   
     
     
         19 . Method of  claim 14 , further comprising the steps of;
 molding said housing and said base as a single unit; and   color coding said housing and said base a predetermined color that signifies the gauge of the needle.   
     
     
         20 . Method of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of:
 extending a hook from said back wall for non-removably clasping said needle when said housing is moved to cover said needle, said hook clasping said needle at substantially the same time that said one and other catch mechanisms are interlocked to each other.   
     
     
         21 . A safety device adapted to mate with a syringe at its proximal end and having fitted to its distal end a needle comprising a housing and a base pivotally connected to each other, said housing having a back wall and two sidewalls extending from the back wall to form a slot through which the needle passes when said housing is pivoted toward said base to cover the needle after use, one catch mechanism extending from said back wall, and an other catch mechanism provided at said base at a location that ensures said one and other catch mechanisms are non-removably interlocked to each other when said housing is pivoted to cover the needle. 
     
     
         22 . The safety device of  claim 21 , wherein said other catch mechanism is provided at a rib that extends from said base in the direction facing said housing when said housing is pivoted towards said base. 
     
     
         23 . The safety device of  claim 22 , wherein said one catch mechanism comprises a pair of adjacent loops that extend from said back wall and wherein said other catch mechanism comprises a pair of bosses located at opposite sides of said rib, each of the loops snaps over a corresponding boss and be interlocked therewith when said housing is pivoted to cover the needle, said rib being sandwiched by the loops after the respective loops are interlocked to their corresponding bosses. 
     
     
         24 . The safety device of  claim 21 , wherein each sidewall includes an extension to prevent access to said catch mechanisms once said catch mechanisms interlock to couple said housing and said base to each other. 
     
     
         25 . The safety device of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a pair of partitions extending from said back wall of said housing, each of the partitions interposed between corresponding ones of the loops and the sidewalls so that said one and other catch mechanisms are sandwiched by said pair of partitions when said housing covers the needle.   
     
     
         26 . The safety device of  claim 21 , wherein said housing and said base are molded as a single unit with a predetermined color that signifies the gauge of the needle. 
     
     
         27 . The safety device of  claim 21 , further comprising a hook extending from said back wall for non-removably clasping the needle when said housing is moved to cover the needle, said hook clasping the needle at substantially the same time that said one and other catch mechanisms are interlocked to each other.