1075 results about "Living hinge" patented technology

A compact, low-profile surgical retractor (100) avoids the need for a bulky frame. The retractor includes retractor blade components (110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160) joined pivotally. A cable (170) is guided by each retractor blade component. A winding mechanism (180), such as a spool, is carried by one of the retractor blade components (120) for winding up the cable to cause the retractor blade components to transition from a closed position to an open position. The winding mechanism may be actuated by a detachable handle (200). The retractor blade components may be unitary, injection-molded pieces. The retractor blade components may be fixed pivotally, such as by pins, or pivotally joined by living hinges. A less-invasive surgical method is also provided in which the retractor is inserted into the body through an incision.

A bipolar forceps is provided and includes a housing having a shaft that extends therefrom which defines a longitudinal axis therethrough. The housing including a drive assembly disposed therein and is operable to reciprocate an actuation tube within the shaft. The bipolar forceps includes an end effector assembly operatively connected to a distal end of the shaft and has a pair of first and second jaw members. The first and second jaw members are pivotable about a living hinge and are adapted to connect to an electrosurgical energy source. Each of the jaw members includes a cam slot defined at a proximal end thereof. One or more of the jaw members is operatively connected to a distal end the actuation tube via a cam pin such that distal reciprocation of the actuation tube cams each of the jaw members towards one another about the respective living hinge to grasp tissue.

An electronic device case (10) for storing and protecting a portable electronic device (108). The case (10) has two design configurations. The first configuration comprises a device cover (12) with a first section (14) and a second section (30). The two sections (12,14) interface at a living hinge (46). The electronic device (108) is placed within the first section (14), which can be folded onto the second section (30) during travel or storage. The second configuration comprises a single, unitary device cover (70) into which the electronic device (108) is placed. Both configurations include a keyboard (110) that is located within a keyboard cavity (52 or 88), a first pocket (54 or 90) that holds a USB cable (112) for interfacing the keyboard to the electronic device, and a second pocket (56 or 92) that holds a power cable (114) for supplying power to the electronic device. Additionally, both configurations have at least one photovoltaic cell (60 or 98) that absorbs solar power which is then converted into a DC voltage for powering the electronic device (108).

A safety shield for a needle assembly which includes a cover, a mount and a hinge forming a shield body. The shield body defines a cavity in which a needle assembly having a needle and a luer hub is positioned. The mount includes a socket for receipt of the luer hub while the cover includes a retainer for coupling with the needle assembly. A hinge includes a living hinge between the cover and the mount. A tab encloses one end of the mount. Both the cover and the tab are associated with the mount by means of frangible webs to define a sealed body. A flexible tear strip extends over the cavity to fully seal the body.

An article of footwear includes a sole having a shank area located between a forefoot portion and a rear foot portion of the sole, an upper including an inner counter and an outer counter, and a pivot mechanism attaching the outer counter to the sole so as to permit the outer counter to pivot relative to the inner counter at a pivot point located at the shank area of the sole. The outer counter pivots between an open position away from the inner counter and a closed position in supporting engagement with the inner counter. The pivot mechanism may be a mechanical, composite, or living hinge. The article of footwear may further include a locking mechanism for selectively securing the outer counter in the closed position in supporting engagement with the inner counter.

A valve assembly is disclosed which effectively partitions a syringe into proximal and distal chambers to provide a multi-chamber, sequentially dispensing syringe apparatus. The valve assembly may be effectively used with a variety of standard, currently available commercial syringes and pre-filled syringes. Incorporated in the valve assembly is a valved stopper having a valve (which may be a slit valve), an impact sensor which opens the valve upon impact between the valve assembly and internal distal end of the syringe and a gas separator which separates liquid from gas disposed in the proximal chamber to assure gas is not delivered therefrom. The valve assembly is displaced as a plunger of the syringe is displaced via communication through fluid in the proximal chamber of the syringe. The actuator has a latching feature which latches the valve to an open state after being opened by the impact sensor. The gas separator has a proximally disposed orifice which facilitates priming. The valve assembly may be made from two parts. One part, a valved stopper, may be molded from the same rubber based material used in syringe plunger stoppers. The second part, the valve actuator, may be injection molded as a single part. A synthetic resinous material which is compatible with manufacture of living hinges my be used for the second part. Multiple valve assemblies may be used in a single syringe barrel.

A compact, low-profile surgical retractor (100) avoids the need for a bulky frame. The retractor includes retractor blade components (110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160) joined pivotally. A cable (170) is guided by each retractor blade component. A winding mechanism (180), such as a spool, is carried by one of the retractor blade components (120) for winding up the cable to cause the retractor blade components to transition from a closed position to an open position. The winding mechanism may be actuated by a detachable handle (200). The retractor blade components may be unitary, injection-molded pieces. The retractor blade components may be fixed pivotally, such as by pins, or pivotally joined by living hinges. A less-invasive surgical method is also provided in which the retractor is inserted into the body through an incision.

Packaging for prosthetic heart valves including an assembly for securely retaining a heart valve within a jar and facilitating retrieval therefrom. The assembly includes a packaging sleeve that fits closely within the jar and has a clip structure for securing a valve holder. Contrary to previous designs, in one embodiment the valve holder is directed downward into the jar, and the valve is retained with an inflow end upward. The valve may have flexible leaflets, and a leaflet parting member on the end of the shaft extends through the leaflets and couples with the valve holder. The assembly of the packaging sleeve, valve, and holder can then be removed from the jar and a valve delivery tube connected with the holder, or to the leaflet parting member. The packaging sleeve may be bifurcated into two halves connected at a living hinge to facilitate removal from around the valve / holder subassembly. The packaging system facilitates attachment of the valve delivery tube for use in a quick-connect valve implant procedure.

A case for a portable media player includes a holder for the portable media player and a rear wall having at least one handle movable between a closed position for storage and an open position for engagement by a finger of a user operating the portable media player. Two handles may be provided with respective insertion and engagement openings formed therein for the finger of the user. The handle may be cut out of the rear wall, may be formed in one piece with the rear wall, may move freely back and forth between the open and closed positions at a living hinge and may be flush with the rear wall in the closed position.

A directionally flexible shank for an article of footwear is disclosed, which provides support to the bottom of a user's foot while providing flexibility for foot movements in one or more particular directions. The directionally flexible shank may also support the arch of the foot. The directionally flexible shank may include a plurality of articulatable segments that can easily rotate with respect to each other in a first direction and thereby permit the directionally flexible shank to flex away from the foot, while limiting articulation in an opposite direction. The articulatable segments are connected to each other via hinge structures, which may include living hinges formed of a thermoplastic material. The hinge structures may also be formed from a flexible sheet attached to a bottom portion of the directionally flexible shank. Methods are also disclosed for manufacturing the directionally flexible shank.

Cable routing duct for orderly carriage of and branching off or routing of wires, cables, fiber optics, tubular elements and the like, having a series of accessible chambers interrupted by wire accommodation slots. Access panels pivot about living hinges fashioned of co-injected plastic materials to allow access to the chambers.

A bipolar forceps is provided. The bipolar forceps includes a housing having a shaft including an electrically conductive distal end. A drive assembly is operable to reciprocate an actuation tube within the shaft. A portion of the actuation tube is electrically conductive. An end effector assembly operatively connects to the shaft and includes a pair of first and second jaw members biased in an open configuration. The first and second jaw members are pivotable about a living hinge. Distal reciprocation of the actuation tube causes each of the jaw members towards one another about the living hinge. One of the jaw members is in electrical communication with the distal end of the shaft and the other jaw member is in selective electrical communication with a distal end of the actuation tube such that when the jaw members are in a closed configuration a closed loop electrical circuit is formed.

A framed filter media comprising a filter media having a fluid inlet face and a fluid outlet face with peripheral sidewalls. The peripheral sidewalls are attached to a strip frame by an adhesive-potting compound. The continuous strip frame is formed into three or more (up to an infinite number if the sidewall sections(s) is formed into a circular filter frame) sidewall sections having a substantially flat sidewall and at least two projecting filter retaining tabs which form a channel on a first face of the sidewall section for containing the adhesive potting compound. The sidewall sections are separated by corner notches extending through the retaining tabs at least to the substantially flat sidewalls. Two terminal sidewall sections meet to form a seam such that the sidewall sections circumscribe the filter media peripheral sidewalls. The continuous strip frame is formed by extruding a continuous strip frame blank comprising at least a substantially flat sidewall and at least two projecting filter retaining tabs forming a continuous channel on a first face of the continuous strip frame blank. The filter retaining tabs are then notched to form corner notches which corner notches extend at least to the substantially flat sidewalls creating sidewall section between the corner notches and optionally scoring first and / or second faces of the sidewall portions to form living hinges. The continuous strip frame blank is further cut into discrete strip frame blanks.

A surgical ligation clip includes first and second jaws that are connected at their proximal ends to each other by a living hinge. Each of the jaws includes a clamping surface that is in opposition to the clamping surface of the other jaw. In order to prevent the body vessel from moving proximally beyond the clamping surfaces of the first and second jaws, a tissue stop is formed at a proximal end of the clamping surfaces of the surgical ligation clip. In embodiments, the tissue stop includes a first stop member that extends from the proximal end of the clamping surface of the first jaw towards the second jaw and a second stop member that extends from the proximal end of the clamping surface of the second jaw member towards the first jaw.

A cardboard box with four side panels, four bottom flaps and four top flaps. The box is made from a blank having a first height measured between the outermost edges of the top and bottom flaps. The flaps are rotated into abutting contact with the exterior surface of the panels thereby reducing the overall height of the box to the height of the panel. Adjacent pairs of top and bottom flaps are provided with living hinges that enable them to remain in this position when the box is collapsed. The collapsed box is shipped through the mail in this diminished size and then erected into a box of the same height as the panels.

The invention is directed to a trocar adapted to form a seal around a surgical instrument, the trocar comprising a cannula having an axis extending between a proximal end and a distal end; a housing having a proximal wall and forming with the cannula a working channel sized and configured to receive the instrument; a septum seal disposed in the housing and extending transverse to the axis of the cannula across the working channel, the septum seal having a normal state when the instrument is absent from the working channel and a stretched state when the instrument is being withdrawn from the working channel; portions of the proximal wall of the housing defining an orifice sized and configured to receive the instrument into the working channel; and an elastomeric ring-shaped projection extending axially distally between the proximal wall and the septum seal, the ring-shaped projection having an axial length adapted to deform to prevent inversion and binding of the septum seal and the orifice upon withdrawal of the surgical instrument. In particular, the septum seal is prevented from reaching the orifice in the proximal wall of the housing when the instrument is withdrawn. The projection may be bonded, insert-molded, or compressively fitted to the proximal wall of the housing. The projection may be formed of an elastomeric material such as natural or synthetic rubber. The projection may further comprise a plurality of portions or fingers extending axially distally from the proximal wall, each of the extending portions or fingers may further include a living hinge. In another aspect, the ring-shaped projection may be formed on the surface of the septum seal instead of the proximal wall of the housing. That is, the ring-shaped projection may be formed to extend axially proximally from the surface of the septum seal toward the proximal wall of the housing.

A needle tip assembly includes a needle tip, a needle tip cover structured and arranged to facilitate installation of the needle tip onto at least one of a pen needle, a pre-loaded syringe, and an injection device, and at least one of an arrangement for preventing re-installation or re-use of the needle tip, a safety mechanism coupled to the needle tip via a living hinge, and a safety cover non-removably coupled to the needle tip. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

A device for delivering therapeutic energy to tissue is provided. The device includes a proximal segment and a distal segment having one or more electrodes for delivering the therapeutic energy to the tissue. An articulating segment connects the proximal segment and the distal segment such that the distal segment is articulatable with respect to a longitudinal axis of the proximal segment. In one aspect of the invention, the articulating segment includes a living hinge. In another aspect of the invention, at least one electrically conductive articulating cable runs along the articulating segment, wherein the articulating cable is used both to articulate the distal segment and to deliver the therapeutic energy to the one or more electrodes.

Embodiments disclosed include fiber optic module housings used for fiber optic modules. The fiber optic module housings comprise at least one hinge to allow a component of the housing to be opened and closed to allow easy access to the fiber optic module housing and / or its internal chamber. The hinge may be a living hinge disposed within a single part to allow each side of the living hinge to be bent or folded. The hinge may be disposed on a panel configured to support one or more fiber optic components to allow the panel to be opened and closed about the module housing for access. The fiber optic module housing may also be entirely comprised of a single part employing the use of living hinges between foldable parts. In this manner, no sides or parts of the fiber optic module housing need be provided as separate parts.

A kit from which a plurality of parts are selected and arranged in a cargo vehicle to obtain bulkhead assembly for the cargo vehicle is provided. The assembly partitions or divides a cargo area from a driver area in the vehicle. The kit includes a reinforced composite first panel of a cellular core sandwich-type for positioning proximate a first side of and within the vehicle. The kit also includes a reinforced composite second panel of a cellular core sandwich-type. The second panel includes a first portion for positioning proximate a second side of and within the vehicle, a door portion disposed between the first panel and the first portion and a living hinge portion disposed between the first and door portions to allow the door portion of the second panel to pivot between open and closed positions to allow the driver to move between the areas in the open position of the door portion.

The present invention is a truck bed liner having two side walls, a front wall, a bottom, and a rear wall, the bottom further having an integrated liner incorporated into it. The divider is formed by either molding or cutting slots on three sides of the liner bottom. The fourth side is molded or cut into a living hinge. The living hinge allows the unattached portion of the truck bed liner bottom to move freely about the hinge. The side walls of the truck bed liner include receiving channels into which the hinged dividers are locked into place. A latch is molded into and extends from the lower aspect of each sidewall at a point in which when the divider is placed into its horizontal position, will hold it in place. In operation, an operator can position the hinged divider to a 90 DEG position with respect to the bottom and lock it into the receiving channels found on the side walls. Once locked into position, a compartment is created on each side of the raised wall. When compartmentalization is no longer needed, the hinged portion of the liner can be removed from the side wall channels and placed into a horizontal position, being locked into position by the latches.

The present invention provides a lid 1 for a beverage cup. The lid 1 has a generally annular side wall 6, a rib 7 depending from the side wall 6, and a top wall 5 extending radially inward from the side wall 6. The lid 1 further includes a central region 4 positioned radially inward of the top wall 5. The central region 4 has a well 4b with a notched portion 24. The lid 1 also includes a projection 18 extending from a portion of the side wall 6. A living hinge formed by a line of weakness at the base 23 of the projection 18 permits the projection 18 to pivoted between an open position and a closed position. The central region 4 has a shoulder portion 24 that engages the tip 20 of the projection 18 to secure the projection 18 in the open position.

A plastic container having a container body and a permanently attached container lid is provided. The container lid is attached to the container body by a living hinge such that the entire plastic container is a one-piece construction. The container lid is pre-curved such that in an open state the container lid is curved. However, when the container lid mates with the container body in a closed state, at least a portion of the container lid that was previously curved becomes substantially planar such that portions of the lid remain biased into the container body. The container incorporates at least one projection that acts as a detent-catch mechanism to secure the lid to the body. The projection reduces the likelihood that the seal formed between the lid and the container when in a closed position will be inadvertently broken.

A modular enclosure, such as a shed, may include a number of components. For example, the enclosure may include roof panels, floor panels and wall panels that are connected to the roof and / or floor panels. Preferably, the wall panels span the seams disposed between the roof and / or floor panels. In addition, the wall panels are preferably offset from the roof and / or floor panels. Further, the roof panels, wall panels and floor panels desirably have a substantially similar width. The enclosure may also include one or more corner panels and the corner panels may have a living hinge that generally divides the corner panel in half. Advantageously, the offset connection of the roof panels, wall panels and floor panels may facilitate construction of an enclosure with increased strength and functionality.

A vehicle storage assembly for a vehicle cargo area includes a base defining a floor of the storage assembly and a storage panel attached to said base. At least a portion of the storage panel is movable relative to the base by a living hinge. The storage panel is movable between a stowed position and a deployed position for dividing at least a portion of the vehicle cargo area.

A push-to-release latching mechanism for retaining a transceiver module in a communication port of a computer or server is provided with a beam spring structure for positional restoration of the latch member, and the latch is supported and moveable relative to the host transceiver module. The latch member may be formed to include camming surfaces that facilitate the insertion of the transceiver module into a communication port and mate with a guide rail and connector resident in a communication port. The latch member may be adapted to latch with a rigid latch bar or a cantilevered spring. Additionally, the latch may be formed with a camming surface which insures that the latch is displaced to a latching position whenever network cables are connected to the transceiver module by camming the latch into the secure, latched position and subsequently preventing the latch from moving to an insecure or unlatched position. The latch member is pivotally supported on the transceiver module in a shaft / journal arrangement and thus is removed from the communication port whenever the transceiver module is removed, thereby preventing the latch from projecting from the communication port and being subject to damage. The latch member may be formed with a living hinge to provide a pivot axis and one end of the living hinge may be attached to a electronic module chassis or to a support structure which may be mated with a electronic module chassis for easy replaceability.

A bipolar forceps is provided. The bipolar forceps includes a housing having a shaft including an electrically conductive distal end. A drive assembly is operable to reciprocate an actuation tube within the shaft. A portion of the actuation tube is electrically conductive. An end effector assembly operatively connects to the shaft and includes a pair of first and second jaw members biased in an open configuration. The first and second jaw members are pivotable about a living hinge. Distal reciprocation of the actuation tube causes each of the jaw members towards one another about the living hinge. One of the jaw members is in electrical communication with the distal end of the shaft and the other jaw member is in selective electrical communication with a distal end of the actuation tube such that when the jaw members are in a closed configuration a closed loop electrical circuit is formed.

Disclosed herein are connectors for panels. In one embodiment a panel connector comprises, a connector comprising a rib-hinging geometry, wherein the rib-hinging geometry comprises living hinges, and wherein the rib-hinging geometry is capable of expanding in area. In another embodiment, a panel assembly is disclosed. The panel assembly comprises, a connector comprising a rib-hinging geometry, wherein the rib-hinging geometry comprises living hinges, a socket comprising an internal geometry, wherein the connector can be assembled to the internal geometry, and wherein the rib-hinging geometry is capable of expanding in area.