Abstract:
In a clip applicator having a handle, a magazine mountable on the handle and containing a number of clips, and a movable actuating grip on the handle, which is in direct or indirect engagement with a clip advancing device in the magazine when the magazine is mounted on the handle, to ensure that the coupling between the actuating grip on the handle and the clip advancing device in the magazine is in any event successful when mounting the magazine, it is proposed that a locking device be arranged on the handle for locking when in a lock position the actuating grip in an engagement position in which the engagement with the clip advancing device is able to be made upon mounting the magazine and for releasing the actuating grip when in a release position.

Description:
This application is a continuation of international application number PCT/EP98/07478 filed on Nov. 20, 1998. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a clip applicator having a handle, a magazine mountable on the handle and containing a number of clips, and a movable actuating grip on the handle, which is in direct or indirect engagement with a clip advancing device in the magazine when the magazine is mounted on the handle. 
     Clip applicators of this kind are used to apply elastically bendable clips of U-shaped cross section to suitable body parts, for example, to prevent hemorrhages in the region of the scalp. In the clip applicator, the clips are provided in a magazine in which there are a number of clips which are advanced stepwise in the magazine towards its open end by a suitable actuating mechanism. At the open end, there is an opening and applying device for opening the respective foremost clip, applying it at the desired place and then releasing it so that the clip is held at the point of application by the inherent elasticity of its arms. 
     It is known to design the magazines as independent constructional units which are mounted on a handle, as required, and are removed from it again when empty. The handle has actuating devices for actuating via a mechanical coupling advancing elements in the magazine, which, in turn, advance the clips in the magazine (WO96/32891). 
     When mounting the magazines on such handles, the problem arises that a mechanical coupling between the actuating grip of the handle, on the one hand, and the advancing mechanism in the magazine, on the other hand, is only possible in a certain position of the actuating grip. On the other hand, it is precisely when mounting the magazine that uncontrolled movement of the actuating grip to very different positions by the operator is likely to occur, and the magazine will then not be able to be put in place. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the invention is to so design a generic clip applicator that the mechanical coupling of the actuating grip and the clip advancing device in the magazine can in any case take place when mounting the magazine on the handle. 
     This object is accomplished in a clip applicator of the kind described at the outset, in accordance with the invention, in that there is arranged on the handle a locking device for locking in a lock position the actuating grip in an engagement position in which the engagement with the clip advancing device is able to be made when mounting the magazine, and for releasing the actuating grip in a release position. 
     The provision of such a locking device enables fixing of the actuating grip in the only position in which the mechanical coupling with the clip advancing device of the magazine is possible, and it is thus ensured that the coupling can take place without any problem when mounting the magazine. 
     It is particularly advantageous for the actuating grip to be displaceable by an elastic force into the engagement position. In order to be able to displace the locking device into the lock position, it is then no longer necessary to first move the actuating grip to this engagement position. This movement is already brought about by the elastic force, and, therefore, the actuating grip is automatically located in the engagement position after release. The applying of the locking device ensures that this engagement position of the actuating grip is also maintained when an operator grasps the clip applicator while mounting the magazine and possibly exerts forces on the actuating grip. 
     The elastic force for moving the actuating grip to the engagement position can, for example, be generated by a spiral spring clamped between actuating grip and handle. 
     It is also particularly advantageous for the locking device to be actuatable by the mounted magazine such that it is permanently in the release position. The magazine thus unlocks the locking device once it is located in the mounted position and so the user can immediately use the applicator after the magazine has been mounted, without having to unlock the actuating grip beforehand. 
     In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment, provision is made for the locking device to be movable against the action of an elastic force out of the lock position into the release position. Thus, while the magazine is mounted, the locking device permanently remains in the release position and is thus inoperative, but if the magazine is removed, locking will automatically occur as the locking device moves into the lock position under the action of the elastic force once the actuating grip is located in the engagement position. 
     In a preferred embodiment, provision may be made for the locking device to comprise a locking body which is pressed under the action of a spring against the actuating grip or a part displaceable by the latter and in the engagement position of the actuating grip moves into a recess of the actuating grip or behind an edge of the actuating grip. 
     Herein it is advantageous for the locking body in its lock position to project into the path of movement of the magazine when mounting it on the handle and for the magazine to have a contact surface which places itself against the projection of the locking body when mounting the magazine and moves the locking body into the release position. Thus, the movement of the magazine when mounting it is used to move the locking device into the inoperative release position, and the user does not have to carry out any separate action for the unlocking. 
     In particular, the locking body can be in the form of a stepped piston displaceable in the longitudinal direction, and the thicker portion thereof in the engagement position of the actuating grip dips into a recess of the actuating grip, whereas the thinner portion then protrudes from the handle. 
     The thinner portion of the stepped piston can extend through a longitudinal slot of the actuating grip so that the actuating grip remains movable although the locking body is extending through it. 
     It is expedient for the thicker portion of the stepped piston to be mounted and guided in a housing which receives a compression spring resting at its end face against the stepped piston. 
     The housing can be releasably held on the handle, in particular, by screwing in place. 
     The following description of preferred embodiments of the invention serves in conjunction with the drawings the purpose of further explanation. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 a perspective view of a clip applicator while the magazine is being mounted; 
     FIG. 2 a sectional view taken along line  2 — 2  in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 a view of the clip applicator in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 a sectional view taken along line  4 — 4  in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 a sectional view taken along line  5 — 5  in FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 6 a sectional view taken along line  6 — 6  in FIG.  5 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The clip applicator shown in the drawings comprises a pistol-shaped handle  1  with a stationary grip  2 , an actuating grip  3  pivotably mounted on the handle  1 , and a magazine  4  mountable on the handle  1 . This magazine  4  comprises an elongate shaft  5  open at least at the front side and is positionable on an upper contact surface  6  of the handle  1  and lockable with the handle  1  in this position. For this purpose, the shaft  5  carries at two parallel, perpendicularly downwardly projecting wall portions  7  inwardly projecting bearing pins  8  and likewise downwardly projecting locking arms  9  which carry at their free ends inwardly projecting pins  10  with downwardly and outwardly pointing locking projections  11 . The handle  1  comprises at the front side of the contact surface  6  U-shaped receptacles  12  which are open towards the front and into which the bearing pins  8  of the magazine  4  are insertable from the front so that a pivot axis is thereby formed for the magazine  4 . In this position, the magazine  4  is pivotable in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 1 onto the contact surface  6 , and the locking projections  11  of the magazine  4  then dip into an upwardly open locking aperture  13  at the rear end of the contact surface  6 . The locking aperture  13  has at both of its sides vertical slots  14  through which the pins  10  can enter the locking aperture  13  from the outside, and the locking projections  11  engage behind recesses  15  at the lower end of the locking aperture  13  when the magazine  4  is fully positioned on the contact surface  6  (FIG.  5 ). The magazine  4  is thereby held on the handle  1 , on the one hand, by the pins  10  engaging the receptacle  12 , and, on the other hand, by the locking projections  11  engaging behind the recesses  15 . 
     The locking arms  9  are elastically pivotable relative to each other by a pressure from the outside, which causes the locking projections  11  to be pushed out of the recesses  15 , which, in turn, releases the magazine  4 , which can then be pivoted in the direction opposite to the pivoting direction of arrow B and removed from the handle  1 . 
     There is mounted for longitudinal displacement in the interior of the magazine  4  a channel-shaped housing  16  which accommodates in its interior a number of clips  17  of the same kind which are arranged one behind the other. The clips  17  are mounted in the interior of the housing  16  for displacement in the longitudinal direction, but are prevented by retaining elements engaging the sides of the clips from being pushed in the housing  16  towards its rear end. These retaining elements can, for example, comprise spring tongues projecting elastically into the interior of the housing  16 , which are not separately shown in the drawings. 
     Also formed on the upper side and the underside of the housing  16  are spring tongues  18  which likewise extend forwards at an incline into the interior of the housing  16 , approximately at the spacing of the clips  17  held in the housing  16 . These spring tongues  18  can rest against the rear side of the clips  17  and thus push the clips  17  forwards together with the housing  16  when the housing  16  is advanced in the magazine  4 . However, when the housing  16  is subsequently retracted again, the clips  17  remain in the advanced position owing to the retaining elements, and, therefore, during a subsequent advancing movement of the housing  16 , the clips are again pushed forwards by the path of advance of the housing. By alternate advancing and retracting of the housing  16 , it is thus possible to move the clips  17  in the interior of the magazine stepwise towards its open end. 
     In order to bring about such a reciprocating displacement of the housing  16  in the magazine  4 , a driver  19  which is joined to the actuating grip  3  and projects upwards above the contact surface  6  engages in an opening  20  on the underside of the housing  16 . Since the pivot axis  21  of the actuating grip  3  is arranged at some distance below the contact surface  6 , a pivoting of the actuating grip  3  leads to a displacement of the driver  19  in the longitudinal direction of the contact surface  6 , and this longitudinal displacement is transmitted to the housing  16 . 
     There is held on the grip  2  a spiral spring  22  which is supported at its free end on the actuating grip  3  and pivots it into a forward, outwardly pivoted position in which the driver  19  stands in a furthermost retracted position. This position will be referred to hereinbelow as engagement position. In this engagement position, the actuating grip  3  is pivoted by the spiral spring  22  against a stop which in the illustrated embodiment is in the form of a screw  23  and whose position is adjustable by tightening this screw to a greater or lesser extent. The adjustment occurs such that in the engagement position the driver  19  engages without any problem in the opening  20  of the housing  16  of a magazine  4  when this magazine  4  is mounted in the described manner on the handle  1 . In any other position of the driver  19 , the latter would strike the edges of the opening  20 , but in the engagement position the driver  19  fits directly into the opening  20  of the magazine, which, by the way, is always delivered with the housing  16  in the same position in the magazine  4 . 
     The grip  2  surrounds the actuating grip  3  in the area between the pivot axis  21  and the contact surface  6  on both sides thereof in the form of a side wall  24  resting against the actuating grip  3 . One of the two side walls has a continuous threaded bore  25  into which a pot-shaped housing  26  is screwed. This housing  26  receives the thicker portion  27  of a stepped piston  28 . This thicker portion  27  is mounted for longitudinal displacement in the housing  26  and is urged out of the housing  26  against the actuating grip  3  by a helical spring  29  which is supported, on the one hand, on the bottom  30  of the housing and, on the other hand, on the thicker portion  27  of the stepped piston  28 . 
     A thinner, rod-shaped portion  31  joined to the thicker portion  27  extends through a longitudinal slot  32  in the actuating grip  3  and an opening  33  in the opposite side wall  24 . 
     On the side facing the housing  26 , the actuating grip  3  has a recess  34  which is in alignment with the housing  26  when the actuating grip  3  is in the engagement position. In this engagement position, the stepped piston  28  with the thicker portion  27  can engage under the action of the helical spring  29  in the recess  34  and thus locks the actuating grip  3  in the engagement position. When the thicker portion  27  of the stepped piston  28  enters the recess  34  in this way, the thinner portion  31  of the stepped piston  28  extends through the opening  33  and protrudes there to a slight extent. 
     In the area immediately adjacent to the opening  33 , the wall portion  7  of the magazine  4  is in the form of a slide surface  35  which comes to rest against the end of the thinner portion  31  of the stepped piston  28  protruding from the opening  33  when mounting the magazine  4  and pushes this thinner portion  31  into the opening  33  fully (FIG. 4) when the magazine  4  is fully mounted. The stepped piston  28  is thereby pushed into the housing  26  against the action of the helical spring  29  to such an extent that the thicker portion  27  of the stepped piston  28  emerges completely from the recess  34 . In this position, the actuating grip  3  can be pivoted. Therefore, this position of the stepped piston  28  is referred to as release position, whereas the position in which the stepped piston  28  dips with its thicker portion  27  into the recess  34  is referred to as lock position because a pivoting of the actuating grip  3  is thereby prevented. 
     In the case of a handle  1  where a magazine  4  has not yet been mounted, the grip  2  is pivoted by the spiral spring  22  into the engagement position, and in this engagement position the helical spring  29  pushes the stepped piston  28  into the lock position since in the engagement position the recess  34  is in alignment with the housing  26 . The actuating grip  3  is thus locked so as to prevent pivoting. 
     In the engagement position, it is located in this locked position and, therefore, when mounting the magazine  4  it is ensured that the driver  19  will be able to dip into the opening  20  provided therefor on the housing  16 . During the last part of the mounting movement of the magazine  4 , the slide surface  35  of the magazine places itself against the free end of the thinner portion  31  of the stepped piston  28  and thereby moves it into the release position so that after the mounting of the magazine  4 , the clip applicator is unlocked and can be actuated in the desired manner. 
     Once the user removes the magazine again when it is empty, an automatic locking occurs as the grip  2  is pivoted by the spiral spring in the described manner into the engagement position and is locked there.