WO2015160370A1

WO2015160370A1 - Tattoo machine needle cartridge tube

Info

Publication number: WO2015160370A1
Application number: PCT/US2014/039839
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Chen; Billy Chen; Wen Wei
Original assignee: Michael Chen; Billy Chen; Wen Wei
Priority date: 2014-04-18
Filing date: 2014-05-28
Publication date: 2015-10-22

Abstract

A grip for a tattoo machine includes an outer gripping surface and a first part of a two-part needle cartridge fastening mechanism. The first part of the needle cartridge fastening mechanism is a channel and lateral undercut in a portion of the grip that is adapted to receive a protruding second part of the needle cartridge fastening mechanism when the needle cartridge is inserted into the grip axially and then rotated. The grip comprises a cap that includes the portion of the grip that has the channel and the lateral undercut. A primary grip includes the rest of the grip not included in the cap, and is fixable with the cap. Alternately, the first part of the needle cartridge fastening mechanism is a threaded aperture of the grip that is adapted to receive a threaded second part of the needle cartridge fastening mechanism.

Description

TITLE: TATTOO MACHINE NEEDLE CARTRIDGE TUBE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of US Utility Patent Application 14/256,905, filed on 18 April 2014, and incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to tattoo machines, and more particularly to a tattoo machine disposable needle cartridge.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART Disposable needle cartridges for tattoo machines are known in the art, but heretofore affixing such cartridges to a tattoo machine has been cumbersome and complex. The prior art includes friction-fit cartridges that are pressed into a receiving end of a tattoo machine grip. Other types of cartridges require modification of the grip, such as milling out a groove on an internal diameter of a grip aperture for receiving a protruding element of a needle cartridge. Such modification of existing tattoo grips and machines is time consuming and often difficult for those tattoo artists not trained in such manufacturing techniques.

Further, often during a tattooing session, the tattoo artist needs to switch needle assembly types. For example, some portions of a tattoo design may require large area coverage with multiple needles, while other portions of the design may require just a fine single-needle. It is advantageous to the tattoo artist to be able to interchange needle cartridges in such situations quickly and easily.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved tattoo machine grip that provides for selectively fixing a needle cartridge to the grip quickly and easily. Such a needed improvement would be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and intuitive to use. The present invention accomplishes these objectives.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present device is a grip for a tattoo machine of the type having an oscillating needle bar with a needle pushing end, and a hollow needle tube having a distal end adapted for receiving the grip. Such a tattoo machine typically also includes an oscillating needle driver and a needle tube receiver. The needle tube includes an open proximal end that is fixable with the needle tube receiver and terminates at a distal end thereof at the grip that surrounds the distal end of the needle tube. The grip includes an outer gripping surface. The needle bar is typically fixed at a proximal end thereof with the needle driver and terminates at the needle pushing end. When the tattoo machine is activated, the needle driver, typically an electric motor, causes the needle bar to oscillate back and forth.

The grip has a first part of a two-part needle cartridge fastening mechanism. A substantially hollow needle cartridge has at an open proximal end thereof a second part of the two-part needle cartridge fastening mechanism. The needle cartridge further includes an open distal end in fluid communication with the open proximal end via an internal needle conduit.

Preferably the first part of the two-part needle cartridge fastening mechanism is a channel and lateral undercut in a portion of the grip that is adapted to receive a protruding second part of the two-part needle cartridge fastening mechanism when the needle cartridge is inserted into the grip axially and then rotated. In such an embodiment, the grip comprises a cap that includes the portion of the grip that has the channel and the lateral undercut. A primary grip includes the rest of the grip not included in the cap, and is fixable with the cap, preferably permanently during initial manufacturing of the grip. The grip is preferably made with an elastomeric, resilient material suitable for gripping by the tattoo artist. Alternately, the first part of the two-part needle cartridge fastening mechanism is a threaded aperture of the grip that is adapted to receive a threaded second part of the two-part needle cartridge fastening mechanism. In such an embodiment, the cap includes the threaded aperture, and preferably the portion of the grip also includes the threaded apertures.

The present invention is a grip for a tattoo needle cartridge that provides for selectively fixing the needle cartridge to a tattoo machine quickly and easily. The present device is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and intuitive to use. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view through a longitudinal axis of the invention as

mounted with a tattoo machine;

FIG. 2 is as rear perspective view a needle cartridge of the prior art;

FIG. 3 is a rear exploded perspective view of the invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded side perspective view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded side perspective view of the invention along with components of a tattoo machine;

FIG. 6 is a non-exploded front perspective view of FIG. 5; and FIG. 7 is an exploded front perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. The following explanation provides specific details for a thorough understanding of and enabling description for these embodiments. One skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without such details. In other instances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words "comprise," "comprising," and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to." Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, the words "herein," "above," "below" and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. When the claims use the word "or" in reference to a list of two or more items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list and any combination of the items in the list. When the word "each" is used to refer to an element that was previously introduced as being at least one in number, the word "each" does not necessarily imply a plurality of the elements, but can also mean a singular element.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a grip 40 for a tattoo machine 20 of the type having an oscillating needle bar 60 with a needle pushing end 69, and a hollow needle tube 30 having a distal end 38 adapted for receiving the grip 40. Such a tattoo machine 20 typically also includes an oscillating needle driver 35 and a needle tube receiver 24. The needle tube 30 includes an open proximal end 38 that is fixable with the needle tube receiver 24 and terminates at a distal end 38 thereof at the grip 40 that surrounds the distal end 38 of the needle tube 30. The grip 40 includes an outer gripping surface 49 (FIGS. 5 and 6). The needle bar 60 is fixed at a proximal end 62 thereof with the needle driver 35 and terminates at the needle pushing end 69. When the tattoo machine 20 is activated, the needle driver 35, typically an electric motor, causes the needle bar to oscillate back and forth.

The grip 40 has a first part 51 of a two-part needle cartridge fastening mechanism 50. A substantially hollow needle cartridge 70 has at an open proximal end 72 thereof a second part 52 of the two-part needle cartridge fastening mechanism 50. The needle cartridge 70 further includes an open distal end 78 in fluid communication with the open proximal end 72 via an internal needle conduit 75.

A needle assembly 80 is slidably contained within the needle conduit 75 and includes at least one needle 90 that is movable between a retracted position 100, fully within the needle cartridge 70, and an extended position 110 extending at least partially out from the open distal end 78 of the needle cartridge 70. The at least one needle 90 is fixed at a proximal end 92 thereof with a distal end 128 of an adapter bar 120 that is adapted to be driven at a proximal end 122 thereof by the needle pushing end 69 of the needle bar 60.

Preferably the first part 51 of the two-part needle cartridge fastening mechanism 50 is a channel 150 and lateral undercut 151 in a portion 41 of the grip 40 that is adapted to receive a protruding second part 160 of the two-part needle cartridge fastening mechanism 50 when the needle cartridge 70 is inserted into the grip 40 axially and then rotated (FIGS. 1-4). In such an embodiment, the grip 40 comprises a cap 42 that includes the portion 41 of the grip 40 that has the channel 150 and the lateral undercut 151. A primary grip 43 includes the rest of the grip 40 not included in the cap 42, and is fixable with the cap 42, preferably permanently during initial manufacturing of the grip. The grip 40 is preferably made with an elastomeric, resilient material suitable for gripping by the tattoo artist.

Alternately, the first part 51 of the two-part needle cartridge fastening mechanism 50 is a threaded aperture 170 (FIG. 7) of the grip 40 that is adapted to receive a threaded second part 180 of the two-part needle cartridge fastening mechanism 50. In such an embodiment, the cap 42 includes the threaded aperture 170, and preferably the portion 41 of the grip 40 also includes the threaded apertures 170.

While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims. Particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Description section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention.

The above detailed description of the embodiments of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed above or to the particular field of usage mentioned in this disclosure. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Also, the teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments.

All of the above patents and applications and other references, including any that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporated herein by reference.

Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet further embodiments of the invention.

Changes can be made to the invention in light of the above "Detailed Description." While the above description details certain embodiments of the invention and describes the best mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, the invention can be practiced in many ways. Therefore, implementation details may vary considerably while still being encompassed by the invention disclosed herein. As noted above, particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated.

While certain aspects of the invention are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventor contemplates the various aspects of the invention in any number of claim forms. Accordingly, the inventor reserves the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A grip for a tattoo machine of the type having a needle cartridge of the type having a protruding second part of a two-part needle cartridge fastening mechanism, and having a hollow needle tube open at both ends thereof, the grip comprising: a primary grip fixable about one of the ends of the needle tube, the primary grip including an outer gripping surface;

a first part of the two-part needle cartridge fastening mechanism that includes a channel and a lateral undercut in a portion of the primary grip adapted to receive the protruding second part of the two-part needle cartridge fastening mechanism when the needle cartridge is inserted into the grip axially and then rotated

2. The grip of claim 1 wherein the grip comprises a cap that includes the channel and the lateral undercut portion, the primary grip fixable with the cap.

3. A grip for a tattoo machine of the type having a needle cartridge of the type having a protruding second part of a threaded second part of the two-part needle cartridge fastening mechanism, and having a hollow needle tube open at both ends thereof, the grip comprising: a primary grip fixable about one of the ends of the needle tube, the primary grip including an outer gripping surface; a first part of the two-part needle cartridge fastening mechanism that includes a threaded aperture of the grip adapted to receive a threaded second part of the two- part needle cartridge fastening mechanism when the needle cartridge is inserted into the grip axially and then rotated.

4. The grip of claim 3 wherein the grip comprises a cap that includes the threaded aperture, the primary grip fixable with the cap and also including the threaded aperture.