Patent ID: 9662437
Date: 2017-05-30
CPC Classifications: A61M,F04B,F16B

Claim:
1. A pressure plate configured to couple to a control module of an infusion pump, the control module being structured to receive the pressure plate along a mating side of the control module, the control module having two hinge pins disposed on the mating side, the control module also having a latch mechanism disposed on the mating side, the hinge pins and latch mechanism being spaced apart by a pump separation, the pressure plate comprising: a body having first and second major surfaces, a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, first and second longitudinal sides, and first and second transverse ends; first and second securing hooks extending away from the first major surface of the body proximal the first transverse end, each of the first and second securing hooks structured to reversibly and hingedly couple to a corresponding one of the two hinge pins; an arch extending away from the first major surface of the body proximal the second transverse end, the arch structured to be captured by the latch mechanism of the control module, the arch spaced-apart from the first and second securing hooks by a plate separation, the pressure plate being secured to the control module by the securing hooks and arch when the arch is captured by the latch mechanism; and a fluid transport tube disposed along the first major surface of the body; wherein each of the first and second securing hooks has a hook shape that includes a bearing surface configured to bear against a corresponding one of the two hinge pins when the pressure plate is secured to the control module, each bearing surface facing the first major surface of the body, each bearing surface being flat along the longitudinal axis and parallel along the longitudinal axis with respect to the first major surface to within five degrees, wherein the pressure plate and the control module are structured such that relative longitudinal play between the pressure plate and the control module exists over a longitudinal range of motion when the pressure plate is secured to the control module via the securing hooks and the arch; and wherein the first and second securing hooks are positioned relative to the body such that, and the hook shape of each of the first and second securing hooks is provided such that, when the pressure plate is secured to the control module, each of the two hinge pins of the control module contacts only the bearing surface of the corresponding securing hook of the pressure plate at a contact point anywhere in a contact range that extends longitudinally in each direction by at least a pre-selected distance about a nominal contact point, such longitudinal displacement of the contact point from the nominal contact point being attributable to the combined variations of: (a) pump separation relative to a pump nominal separation, (b) plate separation relative to a plate nominal separation, and (c) longitudinal play over the longitudinal range of motion.