Patent ID: 7340980

Claim:
A tattoo machine, comprising at least one elongated hollow body inside which there is a cavity for containing a coloring liquid that is connected to the outside by a hole provided at one end of said cavity, at least one needle that can slide in a reciprocating fashion along said hole, and a moving mechanism which moves said needle between a first end position, in which the needle protrudes at least partially from said hollow body, and a second end position, in which the needle is completely accommodated within said hollow body, wherein said moving mechanism comprises a motor that can be associated with said needle by interposing a motion transmission apparatus having at least one flexible cable, a first end of which is associated with said motor and a second end of which is associated with said needle; wherein said second end of the cable is arranged within said hollow body so that it can rotate about a rotation axis that lies substantially transversely to said needle and is associated with an eccentric element for converting rotary motion of said cable into reciprocating rectilinear motion of said needle; and wherein said moving mechanism comprises means for temporarily stopping said needle in said first end position.