Patent ID: 7316668

Claim:
A safety needle assembly comprising: a needle cannula including an intravenous end having a puncture tip; a collar engaged with said needle cannula and including at least one collar flange extending laterally along a portion of said collar toward said intravenous end of said needle cannula in a forward direction generally parallel with an axis defined by the needle cannula; and a shield including a pair of longitudinally extending sidewalls defining a longitudinal opening, said shield pivotably connected to said collar and pivotal with respect to said needle cannula between an unshielded position pivotally spaced from said intravenous end of said needle cannula and a shielded position with said intravenous end of said needle cannula encompassed within said longitudinal opening, a first locking mechanism comprising at least one of said pair of sidewalls of said shield including a locking barb and said collar including a locking dent, said locking barb and said locking dent being interengagable when said shield is in said shielded position, thereby forming a first locking structure for preventing pivotal movement to said unshielded position, a second locking mechanism comprising, contact between said collar flange and said shield when said shield is in said shielded position, wherein said shield includes an outer shield flange on at least one of said pair of sidewalls, said outer shield flange and said at least one of said pair of sidewalls forming an opening for receiving said collar flange.