Flexible safety cap for accommodating shafts of different diameters

Abstract

A flexible safety cap (1) for accommodating any tool (13, 14) among a group of tools having different diameters or different geometries, said cap having a terminating front wall (10) and an oppositely disposed clamping opening (8, 8) with at least one non-round, acting clamping profile (5, 5, 5, 5, 5) wherein at least one slot (9) that penetrates through the wall of the safety cap (1) is disposed in the vicinity of the front wall (10) to establish an elastic, resilient clamping connection between an outside circumference of the tool (13, 14) and an inside wall of the safety cap (1).

Claims

1. A flexible safety cap for accommodating a selected one of a plurality of objects, each of which have a different diameter or different geometry, said flexible safety cap comprising: a terminating front wall; and a clamping part having one end that is connected to said terminating front wall and that defines a clamping opening on the opposite end of said flexible safety cap from said terminating front wall, said clamping part having at least one dynamic, non-circular clamping profile that forms a clamping connection between the outside perimeter of the selected object and an inside wall of the clamping part at times when the object is held in said flexible safety cap, said clamping part having at least one slot that is located adjacent said terminating front wall and that penetrates through the wall of the clamping part, said clamping part including a wide wall and at least two opposing narrow walls, the dimension of the wide wall as measured along the perimeter of said clamping opening being longer than the dimension of either of said narrow walls as measured along the perimeter of said clamping opening, such that said clamping profile defines a minor dimension that widens elastically in response to pressure directed against the outside of said at least two opposing narrow walls.

2. The flexible safety cap according to claim 1 wherein said clamping profile has a cross-section that is elliptical or rectangular or acute-angled in shape.

3. The flexible safety cap according to claim 1 wherein the slot is defined by an edge with a shape that is elliptical, rectangular, round or polygonal.

4. The flexible safety cap according to claim 1 wherein said safety cap has a longitudinal axis and wherein said slot has a major axis that is oriented at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the safety cap.

5. The flexible safety cap according to claim 1 wherein said cap includes at least two wide walls and wherein the selected object is held by the clamping effect of the inside surface of said wide walls.

6. The flexible safety cap according to claim 1 wherein the diameter of the front wall is larger than the largest diameter of a selected object to be accommodated in said flexible safety cap.

7. The flexible safety cap according to claim 1 wherein recesses are included in said clamping part, said recesses being useful for: cleaning said selected object in the region of the narrow walls; supplying and removing a cleaning medium; or performing various cleaning techniques.

8. The flexible safety cap according to claim 1 wherein said slots have a length such that webs are formed in the boundary region of said slots, said webs establishing a one-piece material connection of the clamping part to the front wall.

9. A flexible safety cap that is adapted to receive an object that is selected from a group of objects that define different outer perimeters, said flexible safety cap comprising: a terminating front wall; at least two webs that are connected to said terminating front wall, said webs being separated by at least one slot between said webs; and an elastic clamping part that defines an inside wall and a first end that is connected to said webs, said clamping part also have a second end that is located oppositely from said first end that is connected to said webs, said second end defining a clamping opening having a major cross-section dimension and a minor cross-section dimension, said clamping part being elastically responsive to pressure against the outside of said clamping part in the direction of said major cross-section dimension to move said clamping part to a deformed position in which the major dimension of said clamping opening is decreased and the minor dimension of said clamping opening is increased so that, at times when said clamping part is in said deformed position, said resilient clamping part can receive said object in said clamping opening, and at times when said pressure against the outside of said clamping part in the direction of said major cross-section dimension is relaxed, the clamping opening of said elastic clamping part resiliently moves from said deformed position to a clamping position having a lengthened major dimension and a shortened minor dimension with the inside wall of the clamping part adjacent the shortened minor dimension contacting the outside perimeter of the object.

10. The flexible safety cap according to claim 9 wherein, at times when no pressure is applied to the outside surface of said elastic clamping part, said major cross-section dimension is greater than said minor cross-section dimension.

11. The flexible safety cap according to claim 9 wherein the outer surface of said elastic clamping part defines at least two wide walls that are interspaced between at least two narrow walls, wherein the peripheral length of said wide walls is longer than the peripheral length of said narrow walls.

12. The flexible safety cap according to claim 9 wherein the cross-sectional shape of said clamping part is elliptical or rectangular or acute-angled.

13. The flexible safety cap according to claim 9 wherein said slot defines an elliptical opening, a rectangular opening, a round opening or a polygonal opening.

14. The flexible safety cap according to claim 9 wherein said flexible safety cap is centered on a longitudinal axis and wherein said slot has a major longitudinal axis that is oriented at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of said safety cap.

15. The flexible safety cap according to claim 11 wherein said object is held inside said elastic clamping part by the clamping effect of the inside of said wide walls.

16. The flexible safety cap according to claim 9 wherein the diameter of said front wall is larger than the largest diameter of an object that is selected to be clamped in said clamping part.

17. The flexible safety cap according to claim 11 wherein the clamping opening of said clamping part is elastically widened in the direction of its minor cross-sectional axis in response to pressure to the opposing narrow walls.

18. The flexible safety cap according to claim 11 wherein the inside surface of said elastic clamping profile includes additional recesses that clean the object in the region of the narrow walls by supplying or removing a cleaning medium or performing various cleaning techniques.

19. The flexible safety cap according to claim 9 wherein said webs establish a one-piece material connection between said elastic clamping part and said front wall, and wherein said slots have a length such that said webs are located in the boundary region of said slots.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained in greater detail below on the basis of drawings, which illustrate just one means of embodiment. Additional features that are essential to the invention and advantages of the invention can be derived from these drawings and the description thereof. They show:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a side view of a safety cap.

(3) FIG. 2 shows the view of the safety cap according to FIG. 1 rotated by 90.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a side view of the clamping opening of the safety cap in a deformed state and in an undeformed state.

(5) FIG. 4 shows the end view of the same clamping opening according to FIG. 3 in a deformed state and in an undeformed state.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a section according to line V-V in FIG. 2.

(7) FIG. 6 shows the top view of the front wall of the safety cap.

(8) FIG. 7 shows schematically the size ratios of the clamping opening in the stressed or deformed and unstressed or undeformed state.

(9) FIG. 8 shows a perspective side view of the safety cap according to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 6.

(10) FIG. 9 shows an embodiment that has been modified in comparison with FIG. 8.

(11) FIG. 10 shows the side view of the safety cap with an inserted tool shaft.

(12) FIG. 11 shows the front view of FIG. 10.

(13) FIGS. 12a and 12b show the view according to FIG. 10, rotated by 90, in cross section.

(14) [12a: large tool shaft, 12b: small tool shaft]

(15) FIGS. 13a and 13b show the front view of FIG. 12a and FIG. 12b.

(16) FIGS. 14a and 14b show the top view of the upper front wall according to FIG. 12a and FIG. 12b.

(17) FIG. 15 shows a cup-shaped safety cap with a low intrinsic elasticity according to the prior art.

(18) FIG. 16 shows a diagram of the profile shape of the clamping opening in an unclamped state.

(19) FIG. 17 shows a diagram of the profile shape of the clamping opening in clamping a tool shaft having a first diameter.

(20) FIG. 18 shows the same clamping opening in clamping a tool shaft having a smaller diameter.

(21) FIG. 19 shows the same clamping opening in clamping a tool shaft having a larger diameter.

(22) FIG. 20 shows the removal position of the clamping opening when the elasticity of the clamping walls is counteracted by finger pressure and the tool shaft can be removed from the clamping opening without friction.

(23) FIG. 21 shows the front view of FIG. 15.

DESCRIPTION OF A PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(24) The figures show in general a safety cap 1 made of an elastomer plastic material having a permanent intrinsic elasticity. The safety cap is designed to be approximately cup-shaped but has a profile shape that deviates from the circular or rotationally symmetrical cross section in FIGS. 3, 4, 7 and 8 and thus forms a clamping opening 8 that deviates from the round cross section and is approximately elliptical or rectangular in shape. In any case, the clamping opening is designed so that the wide wall 3 is much longer in its length than the length of the narrow wall 4.

(25) FIG. 7 shows how the narrow walls have an approximately round cross section under elastic deformation due to finger pressure on the two opposing narrow walls 4 in the direction of the arrow 7. At the same time, the length of the wide walls 3 or major cross-section dimension of clamping opening 8 is shortened because the wide walls 3 are directed radially outward in the direction of the arrow 6, while the narrow walls 4 or minor cross-section dimension of clamping opening 8 are deformed radially inward. There is thus a transition from the clamping profile 5 to the approximately round clamping profile 5.

(26) The major cross-sectional dimension 3 of clamping opening 8 which is longer and was formed previously, is thus converted into the shorter dimension 3 of clamping opening 8 under elastic deformation, while the shorter narrow wall or minor cross-section dimension 4 is converted into a longer dimension 4 in the clamping state.

(27) Consequently, the safety cap 1 according to the invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, comprises a lower clamping part 2 which forms said clamping profile 5, 5 having a clamping opening 8, 8. Mutually opposing slots 9, which are preferably flush with one another and are preferably formed in the region of the respective wide wall 3 are arranged below the front wall 10 which terminates the cup-shaped hollow body of the safety cap 1 toward the top.

(28) The transverse axis 19 running through the slot 9 lies transversely to the longitudinal axis 18 of the safety cap 1.

(29) FIG. 8 also shows this schematically in a perspective diagram.

(30) However, in another embodiment of the invention, it may also be provided that the longitudinal axis 19 through the slot 9 lies parallel to the longitudinal axis 18 of the safety cap 1. In another embodimentdepicted in FIG. 9it may also be provided that the wide walls 3 are formed continuously up to the front wall 10 while the slots 9 are formed either in the transverse direction or in the longitudinal direction in the region of the opposing narrow walls 4. This is shown in FIG. 9.

(31) It is important that a clamping part 2 that has an excellent diameter variability is formed below the slots 9 so that the clamping profile 5 can be converted to the clamping profile 5 and thus a plurality of shafts of different diameters can be chucked by clamping them without resulting in difficulties in extraction of a tool shaft 13 clamped in this way.

(32) FIG. 5 also shows that it is preferable for recesses 11 which penetrate through the wide walls 3 to be provided at least in the region of the wide walls 3 to ensure that, when using sterilizable medical instruments, the sterilization medium will pass through the recesses 11 into the space of the safety cap 1 and thus into the clamping opening 8. Other cleaning media may also be supplied and removed through these recesses 11 to clean an object in the safety cap 1. Furthermore, various cleaning techniques, such as cleaning with a brush, may also be performed through the recesses 11.

(33) The length of the slots 9 is such that relatively narrow webs 12 which ensure a connection of the clamping part 2 to the upper front wall 10 in a one-piece material design are formed in the boundary region according to FIG. 2.

(34) This ensures that the slots 9 decouple the clamping profile 5, 5 from the less elastic front wall 10, so that the wide and narrow walls 3, 4 achieve an excellent elasticity. The front wall 10 has at least the diameter of the tool or of the object.

(35) FIGS. 10 through 20 show the use of a safety cap for clamping tool shafts 13 having diameters that vary greatly.

(36) FIG. 11 shows that the tool shaft 13 is in contact with the inside of the wide walls 3 only in the region of the clamping surfaces 17 because lateral free positions 16, which vary according to the diameter of the tool shaft 13, are provided in the direction of each of the narrow walls 4.

(37) This shows only that the tool shaft 13 has additional blades 15 and optionally also has a tool tip 14 in the upper region, which may optionally also be designed to be conical.

(38) It is important that the blades 15 are in contact with the clamping surfaces 17 by clamping only in the region of the wide walls 3 so that the clamping effect can be canceled by finger pressure in the direction of the arrows 7 according to FIG. 7 as illustrated in FIG. 16.

(39) FIG. 15 shows an arrangement according to the prior art, where it can be seen that a safety cap has a rotationally symmetrical cross section, so that the blades 15 of a tool shaft 13 clamped there are in clamping contact with the inside wall of the safety cap on all sides along the complete circumference. At times when the shaft 13 is being withdrawn from the safety cap, the blades 15 may scrape particles off of the clamping surfaces 17 and entrain them in a deleterious manner during extraction from the safety cap. FIG. 21 shows a top view of the rotationally symmetrical cross section according to FIG. 15.

(40) This is avoided with the invention as will be further explained below with reference to FIGS. 16 through 20.

(41) FIG. 16 shows that the clamping opening 8 can be widened in the direction of the arrow 7 by finger pressure or by a suitable automated packaging device, so that the wide walls 3 yield in the direction of the arrow 6 at the same time.

(42) Thus according to FIG. 17 the clamping profile 5 for clamping a shaft 13 may be converted to a first clamping profile 5 so that there is reliable clamping of such a tool shaft 13.

(43) However, if a much smaller tool shaft 13 is inserted into the clamping profile 5 according to FIG. 18, the lateral free positions 16 become larger but nevertheless there is still reliable clamping in the region of the mutually opposing wide walls 3.

(44) However, if a tool shaft 13 having a relatively large diameter is inserted according to FIG. 19, this is also reliably held on the clamping surfaces 17 in the region of the mutually opposite wide walls 3 and a further clamping profile 5 is thereby additionally formed and also ensures reliable clamping of even a tool shaft 13 of large dimensions.

(45) As shown in FIG. 20, if it is desired to extract the tool shaft 13 from the clamping opening 8 having the clamping profile 5, then by finger pressure in the direction of the arrow 7, or by pressure of a suitable device with which automatic packaging of tool shafts is possible, the clamping profile is converted to the open profile 5. FIG. 20 shows that the shaft becomes free on all sides and therefore there is no longer a risk that it will dislodge particles from the inside walls of the safety cap with its outside circumference and entrain them in an unacceptable manner.

(46) Thus, an advantage of the invention is that it is now possible for the first time to clamp tool shafts 13, 13, 13, 13 having extremely different diameters and to always ensure that no material will be scraped or dislodged from the inside wall of the safety cap 1 by the tool shaft 13 and entrained with the tool shaft when the tool shaft 13 is pulled out of the safety cap 1.

LEGEND TO THE DRAWINGS

(47) 1 Safety cap 2 Clamping part 3 Wide wall 3 4 Narrow wall 4 5 Clamping profile 5, 5, 5, 5 6 Direction of arrow 7 Direction of arrow 8 Clamping opening 8 9 Slot 10 Front wall 11 Recess 12 Web 13 Tool shaft 13, 13, 13 14 Tool tip 15 Blade 16 Free position 17 Clamping surface 18 Longitudinal axis 19 Transverse axis 20 Direction of arrow