Patent ID: 6012603
Filing Date: 2000-01-11
Classification: A61B,B65G

Abstract:
A needle supply device for accommodating curved needles and for supplying the needles in a certain posture to a predetermined position one by one, the needle supply device comprising:a passage defining member including a needle storage portion in which the needles are accommodated, a needle discharge portion, and a needle path connecting the needle storage portion and the needle discharge portion;needle conveyor means for forwarding the needle in the needle storage portion along the needle path to the needle discharge portion by vibrating the passage defining member;select means in a passage form provided in the needle path for exclusively allowing the needle in the posture meeting a predetermined condition when the posture is maintained to pass; andsaid select means including a left/right selecting unit for exclusively allowing the needle with an intermediate portion curved in a predetermined direction to pass while maintaining the posture, said left/right selecting unit including a narrow path of a width smaller than the size of the needle in a direction perpendicularly crossing a needle transport direction, the width of the narrow path is set such that the center of gravity of the needle lies on the narrow path when the needle is transported with the intermediate portion thereof lying on the narrow path, and the center of gravity of the needle is offset from the narrow path when the needle is transported with the intermediate portion thereof deviated from the narrow path.