Patent ID: 7316698

Claim:
A skin incision device comprising: a housing having a bottom surface with a slot formed therein; a top positioned on said housing, said top being slidable in a direction transverse to a plane of said bottom surface; a blade pivotally positioned in said housing generally adjacent said slot, said blade having a pre-actuated position and a post-actuated position; and a spring means cooperatively positioned between said top and an interior of said housing, said spring means being actuatable by the slidable movement of said top toward said bottom surface, said spring means for moving said blade between said pre-actuated position and said post-actuated position such that at least a portion of said blade extends outwardly of said bottom surface through said slot during the movement between said pre-actuated position and said post-actuated position, said spring means comprising: an actuator spring having an end cooperative with an inner surface of said top and extending downwardly into said housing; and a carriage element means positioned within said housing, said actuator spring contacting a surface of said carriage element means, said carriage element means moveable within said housing for moving said blade between said pre-actuated position and said post-actuated position, said carriage element means comprising: a carriage element having one end affixed within said housing, said carriage element having a first jointed area formed therein, said actuator spring having an opposite end in contact with said first jointed area, said carriage element having an opposite end connected to said blade, said carriage element positioned in a guide area within said housing, said carriage element having a second jointed area formed thereon of a generally U-shaped construction, said end of said actuator spring affixed to said inner surface of said top, said actuator spring being a leaf spring, said actuator spring having a knuckle formed at an opposite end thereof, said carriage element means further comprising: a retainer affixed to a surface of said carriage element, said knuckle received within said retainer when said blade is in said pre-actuated position, said knuckle being separable from said retainer when said top moves toward said bottom surface of said housing.