Patent ID: 8409149

Claim:
An auto-injector for automatically injecting an active agent, comprising: an elongated casing, an injection needle which can be shifted axially in the casing and connected to an active agent container which can be shifted relative to the casing by a driving spring, a piston which can be shifted in the active agent container for the purpose of delivering the active agent, a sliding sleeve accommodating the active agent container, said sliding sleeve axially shiftable and guided in a needle protecting tube, wherein the needle protecting tube can be shifted relative to the casing, and wherein, in a latching position, a latching member prevents the active agent container from being shifted with respect to the casing, and wherein that by shifting the needle protecting tube into the casing, the latching member is moved toward the casing to a released position in which the casing surrounds the latching member and the active agent container is shiftable with respect to the casing by the driving spring, wherein in the latching position the latching member is locked by the needle protecting tube.