Abstrict A cover for a disposable syringe having a needle includes a cover
body matchable with the syringe for covering therein the needle
and a device, mounted in the cover body, for bending and retaining
thereon the needle.
Claims What I claim is:
1. A cover for destroying a needle on a disposable syringe after
use, comprising:
(a) a pair of tubular cover members, each being elongated in an
axial direction lengthwise of the needle and bounding interiors
in which the needle is enclosed;
(b) one of the cover members being stationarily mounted on the
syringe;
(c) the other of the cover members being movably mounted on the
one cover member for telescoping movement along the axial direction
between extended and retracted positions in which the cover members
axially overlap each other over a lesser and a greater distance
respectively;
(d) means for releasably holding the cover members in the extended
position prior to use of the syringe to protect the needle; and
(e) destroying means on the other cover member for bending the
needle during said telescoping movement, and for retaining the needle
within the other cover member even after said telescoping movement.
2. The cover as recited in claim 1 wherein the destroying means
includes guiding means in the interior of the other cover member
and jointly movable therewith, for forceably guiding the needle
along a curved guide surface into a deformed, bent shape during
said telescoping movement.
3. The cover as recited in claim 2 wherein the other cover member
has a closed axial end wall whose interior face, which faces a tip
of the needle, is at least partly constituted by the curved guide
surface.
4. The cover as recited in claim 3 wherein the guiding means includes
a bulbous lip within the interior of the other cover member and,
together with the curved guide surface, bounding an arcuate chamber
in which the tip of the bent needle is retained.
5. The cover as recited in claim 1 wherein the holding means includes
an annular rim on the other cover member, and an annular groove
on the one cover member, said rim being yieldingly received within
the groove in the extended position.
6. The cover as recited in claim 1 wherein the holding means includes
a plurality of radially-extending protrusions on the other cover
member, a plurality of axially-extending channels on the one cover
member, a plurality of barriers located within the channels and
engaging the protrusions to position the cover members in the extended
position, said barriers being breakable in response to said telescoping
movement to permit the protrusions to be moved along and within
the channels.
7. The cover as recited in claim 1 wherein the holding means includes
a plurality of radially-extending protrusions on the other cover
member, a plurality of axially-extending channels on the one cover
member, and a plurality of receiving spaces each communicating with
a respective channel and extending at least partially in a circumferential
direction, each protrusion being received in a respective receiving
space in the extended position and being moved circumferentially
along the respective receiving space in response to circumferential
turning to a respective channel along and within which the respective
protrusion is moved axially during said telescoping movement.
Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a syringe, and more particularly
to a cover for a disposable syringe.
The conventional glass syringe has been superseded by the disposable
plastic syringe 11 as shown in FIG. 1 which includes a needle 12
and a cover 13 and is now mass produced, keeping costs low. However,
it has been found by the applicant that the disposable plastic syringe
is not, in fact, suitably disposed of. For example, the used syringe
is picked up by children and used as a toy and is used by adults
to act as a fuel-filling device, e.g. to fill a machine, e.g. a
remote-controlled aircraft, with gasoline. Thus, the needle still
can wound, and the syringe can still cause infection.
It is therefore attempted by the applicant to deal with the above
situation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a
disposable syringe which is rendered unusable after being used.
According to the present invention, a cover for a disposable syringe
having a needle includes a cover body matchable with the syringe
for covering therein the needle and means, mounted in the cover
body, for bending and retaining thereon the needle.
Certainly, the bending and retaining means can include a rotatable
column which, mounted on the cover body, has a central hole for
the needle to pass through and will bend and retain thereon the
needle when the syringe has been used and the column is rotated.
Certainly, the present cover can further include a tool, engagable
with the column, for rotating the column.
Alternatively, the cover body of the present cover can include
a first cover body having a first end matchable with the syringe
and an opposite telescoping end and a second cover body having a
second end telescopically engagable with the telescoping end and
an opposite closed end.
Certainly, the bending and retaining means can be disposed on the
closed end and the cover can further include an engaging means,
disposed between the telescoping end and the second end, for temporarily
fixing the telescoping end to the second end so that when the syringe
is forced to have the second cover body telescoped into the first
cover body and the second end escaped from the engaging means, the
needle is bent and retained by the bending and retaining means.
Certainly, the bending and retaining means can include a curved
surface, disposed in the closed end, for guiding the needle to be
bent and a barb, rooted in the closed end, together with the inner
wall of the closed end forming therebetween a room in which the
portion of the needle which has been bent by the curved surface
is received and retained.
Certainly, the engaging means can include a protrusion rimmed around
the second end and a peripheral groove, provided around the inner
wall of the telescoping end, for receiving thereon the protrusion.
Alternatively, the engaging means can include a plurality of protrusions
separately disposed around the outer wall of the second end, a plurality
of corresponding axial grooves, separately disposed around the inner
surface of the telescoping end, for respectively sliding thereon
the protrusions and a plurality of breakable barriers, respectively
disposed on the grooves, for temporarily urging the protrusions
against the bottom of the telescoping end.
Alternatively, the engaging means can include a plurality of protrusions
separately disposed around the outer surface of the second end,
a plurality of corresponding axial grooves, separately disposed
around the inner wall of the telescoping end, for respectively sliding
thereon the protrusions and a plurality of receiving spaces, separately
disposed around the inner wall of the telescoping end and respectively
communicating with the grooves near the bottom of the telescoping
end, for respectively and temporarily receiving therein the protrusions
so that when the second cover body is rotated to align the protrusions
respectively with the grooves the second cover body can be forced
to be telescoped in the first cover body to have the needle bent
and retained by the bending and retaining means.
The present invention may best be understood with reference to
the accompanyiing drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a syringe incorporating a conventional
cover;
FIG. 2 shows a first preferred embodiment of a cover according
to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing how a bending and retaining
means of a cover in FIG. 2 can be rotated;
FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a needle of a syringe after
it has been bent by the bending and retaining means in FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 shows a second preferred embodiment of a cover according
to the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a needle of a syringe after
it has been bent by the bending and retaining means in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 shows a third preferred embodiment of a cover according
to the present invention; and
FIG. 8 shows a fourth preferred embodiment of a cover according
to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to FIGS. 2-4 there is shown the first preferred
embodiment of a cover 21 according to the present invention for
a disposable syringe 2 having a needle 22 which includes a cover
body 23 matchable with syringe 2 for covering therein needle 22
and means 3 mounted in cover body 23 for bending and retaining
thereon needle 22.
Bending and retaining means 3 is a rotatable column 31 which, mounted
on cover body 23 has a central hole 311 for needle 22 to pass through
and will bend and retain thereon needle 22 when syringe 2 has been
used and column 31 is rotated. A tool 4 engagable with column 31
can be provided for rotating column 31.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 there is shown a second preferred embodiment
of the present cover 21. Cover body 23 includes a first cover body
231 having a first end 2311 matchable with syringe 2 and an opposite
telescoping end 2312 and a second cover body 232 having a second
end 2321 telescopically engagable with telescoping end 2312 and
an opposite closed end 2322 on which bending and retaining means
3 is disposed. Between telescoping end 2312 and second end 2321
there is disposed an engaging means 5 for temporarily fixing telescoping
end 2312 to second end 2321 so that when syringe 2 is forced to
have second cover body 231 telescoped into first cover body 232
and second end 2321 escaped from engaging means 5 needle 22 is
bent and retained by the means 3 which includes a curved surface
31 disposed in closed end 2322 for guiding needle 22 to be bent
and a barb 32 rooted in closed end 2322 together with the inner
wall of closed end 2322 forming therebetween a room 33 in which
the portion of needle 22 which has been bent by curved surface 31
is received and retained. Engaging means 5 can include a protrusion
51 rimmed around second end 2321 and a peripheral groove 52 provided
around the inner wall of telescoping end 2312 for receiving thereon
protrusion 51.
As shown in FIG. 7 engaging means 5 can alternatively include
a plurality of protrusions 53 separately disposed around the outer
wall of second end 2321 a plurality of corresponding axial grooves
54 separately disposed around the inner surface of telescoping
end 2312 for respectively sliding thereon protrusions 53 and a
plurality of breakable obstacles 55 respectively disposed on grooves
54 for temporarily urging protrusions 53 against the bottom of
telescoping end 2312.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8 engaging means 5 can include
a plurality of protrusions 56 separately disposed around the outer
surface of second end 2321 a plurality of corresponding axial grooves
57 separately disposed around the inner wall of telescoping end
2312 for respectively sliding thereon protrusions 56 and a plurality
of receiving spaces 58 separately disposed around the inner wall
of telescoping end 2312 and respectively communicating with grooves
57 near the bottom of telescoping end 2312 for respectively and
temporarily receiving therein protrusions 56 so that when second
cover body 232 is rotated to align protrusions 56 respectively with
grooves 57 second cover body 232 can be forced to be telescoped
in first cover body 231 to have needle 22 bent and retained by bending
and retaining means 3.
While the present invention has been described in connection with
what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred
embodiments, it is to be understood that the present invention is
not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but on the contrary,
is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements
included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which
scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass
all such modifications and equivalent structures. |