Automatic injection device with delay mechanism including dual functioning biasing member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9402957-B2
Application number	US-201414262080-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2014
Priority date	Mar 1, 2010
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

An automatic injection apparatus including a delay mechanism for properly delivering medication prior to the needled syringe of the apparatus being retracted. In one form, the delay mechanism includes a shuttle for the syringe, a follower, a locking member, a damping compound between the follower and a supporting surface to dampen rotation of the follower relative to the shuttle, and a dual functioning biasing member acting between the shuttle and the follower. When the locking member moves to a release position during an injection, the dual functioning biasing member first provides a torsional force to force the follower to rotate relative to the shuttle from a latching position to an unlatching position, and then the dual functioning biasing member provides an axial force to force the shuttle axially relative to the follower to move the shuttle for retracting the syringe needle into the housing of the apparatus after injection.

First claim

We claim:

1. An automatic injection apparatus comprising a housing including a main body, a needled syringe with a plunger that has a plurality of latching prongs, the plunger prongs extending through at least one opening in a latchable element within the housing main body, a button rotatable between first and second angular positions relative to the housing main body and the plunger prongs, the prongs having latching surfaces in releasable engagement with the latchable element, the prongs including ramp surfaces, the button including at least one activating element for engaging the ramp surfaces during manual plunging of the button relative to the main body to cam the prongs so as to move the prong latching surfaces out of engagement with the latchable element such that the prongs can pass through the at least one opening in the latchable element, and at least one biasing element for moving the needled syringe within the housing, when the prongs are released from engagement with the latchable element, to extend the needle of the syringe beyond the housing with the prongs passing through the at least one opening in the latchable element, and to advance the plunger to force syringe contents through the needle for an injection, the improvement comprising:
locking protuberances integrally formed with the prong ramp surfaces and projecting upwardly from the ramp surfaces toward the button, wherein upward tips of said locking protuberances are in spaced relationship with upward tips of the ramp surfaces to define radial gaps therebetween in which extend the at least one activating element of the button when the button is in the first angular position, whereby abutment of the at least one activating element of the button by the locking protuberances resists movement of the prong latching surfaces out of engagement with the latchable element; and
the at least one activating element of the button further comprising clearance slots, said slots extending within the radial gaps when the button is in the second angular position, whereby the locking protuberances fit within the clearance slots to not resist movement of the prong latching surfaces out of engagement with the latchable element.

2. The automatic injection apparatus of claim 1 wherein said upward tips of said locking protuberances are disposed radially outward of said upward tips of the ramp surfaces, and wherein radially outwardly facing surfaces of said upward tips of said locking protuberances are rounded to facilitate insertion through the at least one biasing element during apparatus assembly.

3. The automatic injection apparatus of claim 2 wherein each prong includes a leg with a spring-centering boss integrally formed with and axially extending on a radially outwardly facing surface of said leg.

Assignees

• Lilly Co Eli

Inventors

• Adams Matthew Robert
• Fourt Jesse Arnold
• Kaplan Jonathan I
• Silberschatz Paul Joseph
• Yurchenco James R

Classifications

• A61M2005/3143

  Damping means for syringe components executing relative movements, e.g. retarders or attenuators slowing down or timing syringe mechanisms · CPC title

• A61M5/3204

  Needle cap remover, i.e. devices to dislodge protection cover from needle or needle hub, e.g. deshielding devices · CPC title

• A61M5/326

  Fully automatic sleeve extension, i.e. in which triggering of the sleeve does not require a deliberate action by the user · CPC title

• A61M2205/583

  by visual feedback · CPC title

• A61M2005/3247

  Means to impede repositioning of protection sleeve from needle covering to needle uncovering position · CPC title