Patent ID: 6884237

Claim:
A device for protecting the needle of a syringe, said device comprising: a cylindrical base member affixable to the syringe; a hollow cylindrical needle guard defining an axis, said needle guard positioned coaxially with said base member for reciprocal axial movement relative thereto with one of said base member and said needle guard formed with a plug and the other formed with a guide means for interaction with said plug, said guide means having a locking cutout, a linear track substantially aligned with said axis and a deflectable arm positioned in said linear track and aligned to allow said plug to travel within said linear track and past said arm during proximal movement of said needle guard relative to the needle and thereafter direct said plug into said locking cutout during distal advancement of said needle guard relative to the needle; and a biasing means disposed between said needle guard and said base member to urge said needle guard and said base member in opposite axial directions and, in sequence, to hold said plug at a first initial position in said linear track and then allow said plug to travel within said linear track and past said arm in response to an external axially directed force retracting said needle guard over the needle without relative rotation therebetween and to subsequently move said plug into said arm for deflection into said locking cut out to cover and protect the needle with said needle guard upon removal of the axially directed external force.