Patent ID: 7879057

Claim:
A cam mechanism for rotating a lancet relative to a cap, the lancet including a body and a lancing needle projecting from the body, the cap being initially integral with the body of the lancet and subsequently removable from the body by rotating the cap relative to the lancet, the cam mechanism comprising: a cylindrical housing separate from the cap; a movable member contained in the housing for moving reciprocally in first and second directions parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing, the movable member holding the lancet and configured to allow the lancet to rotate relative to the cap that covers the lancing element of the lancet; a first groove inclined relative to the axis of the housing and a second groove connected to the first groove and extending linearly in parallel to the axis of the housing, the first and the second grooves being provided at one of the housing and the movable member; and a protrusion provided at the other one of the housing and the movable member, the protrusion extending into the first groove and the second groove; wherein the protrusion moves in the first groove when the movable member moves in the first direction, and moves in the second groove when the movable member moves in the second direction.