INSTRUMENT BRACKET WITH RESILIENT LOCKING MEANS FOR USE WITH A STERILIZABLE TRAY

摘要

A sterilizable bracket (10) for supporting medical instruments (22) includes a resilient body (12) that surrounds and encapsulates a relatively rigid metal skeleton (14) which is attached to a plurality of studs (16) which secure the bracket (10) to a sterilizable tray (18). The instruments (22) are received in indentations (24) in the resilient body (12). Each indentation (24) includes a plurality of ribs or fingers (28) which permits sterilizing steam to flow around the instruments (22). The resilient body (12) comprises a silicone material which encapsulates the skeleton backbone (14) which, in turn, gives the bracket (10) strength and flexibility. Threaded studs (16) having a slot (46) at one end and threads (50) at the other are employed to attach the bracket (10) to the sterilizable tray (18). The slot (46) in the head (44) of each of the studs (16) receives the metal skeleton backbone (14). Lock nuts (52) or the like are employed to secure the threaded portions (50) of the studs (16) in regularly spaced perforations (20) in the bottom of the sterilizable tray (18). The relatively rigid spring tempered skeleton backbone (14) includes a plurality of peaks (32) and valleys (30) oriented in such a way that they align with the peaks (26) and indentations (24) of the resilient body (12) respectively. This structure (14) provides additional strength to the resilient silicone body (12). According to a first alternative embodiment of the invention (100) the studs (16) are replaced by resilient locking prongs or means (110a and 110b) separated by a stabilizer foot or tab (108). Each prong (210a and 210b) includes a resilient shaft (212a and 212b) and a head portion (214a and 214b) each of which includes a barb portion (130a and 130b) which face in opposite directions. When the first alternative bracket (100) is attached to the base of a tray (118) the resilient prongs (110a and 110b) and the intermediate stabilizer foot (108) all pass through, and lock into, into three separate vent perforations (120). In a second alternative embodiment (200) the resilient locking means or prongs (210a and 210b) come in pairs (208) and pass through the same vent perforations (120) in the base of the tray (118).