1. A fuel door assembly for covering an opening in a vehicle body, the fuel door assembly comprising:
an annular housing having a plurality of hinge surfaces that are axially aligned so as to define an axis of rotation, the housing further comprising a plurality of openings for permitting the housing to be attached to a vehicle;
an axle portion being configured to be received by and extend between the plurality of hinge surfaces, the axle portion further being configured to be aligned with the axis of rotation;
a fuel door being configured to be received by the housing, the fuel door being configured for rotatable coupling with the housing between an open and closed position about the axis of rotation defined by said hinge surfaces and along which the axle portion is aligned; and
a movable retaining surface that is configured to be biased toward the axis of rotation and to contact a first surface when the door is in a closed position and is configured to be biased toward the axis of rotation and to contact a second surface when the door is in an open position;
wherein when the retaining surface is in contact with the first surface, the fuel door resists movement from the closed position and when the retaining surface is in contact with the second surface, the fuel door resists movement from the open position.
2. The fuel door assembly of claim 1, wherein the movable retaining surface is biased toward the axis of rotation by a spring.
3. The fuel door assembly of claim 1, further comprising a mechanical stop that limits the range of travel of said fuel door at the open position.
4. The fuel door assembly of claim 1, wherein the distance between the closed position and the open position is between about 80\xb0 and about 100\xb0.
5. The fuel door assembly of claim 4, wherein the distance between the closed position and the open position is about 90\xb0.
6. The fuel door assembly of claim 1, wherein when the fuel door is near the closed position, the retaining surface urges the fuel door toward the closed position.
7. The fuel door assembly of claim 1, wherein when the fuel door is near the open position, the retaining surface urges the fuel door toward the open position.
8. The fuel door assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hinge surfaces have an inward-facing open end.
9. The fuel door assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing is attached to the vehicle with screws.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A catheter guide device for facilitating precision positioning of a catheter inserted through a catheter sheath and into a patient, the catheter guide device comprising:
a torque assembly configured to frictionally engage an exterior surface of the catheter to prevent rotation of the catheter relative to the torque assembly; and
a hub rotatably secured to the torque assembly and configured to engage an upstream end of the catheter sheath and prevent rotation of the catheter sheath relative to the hub;
wherein:
the torque assembly defines a plurality of gear teeth on at least a portion of an exterior surface of the torque assembly;
the hub comprises a detent mechanism configured to operably engage the plurality of gear teeth of the torque assembly and thereby impede free rotation of the torque assembly relative to the hub; and
rotating the torque assembly relative to the hub rotates the catheter within the catheter sheath so as to facilitate precision positioning of the catheter.
2. The catheter guide device of claim 1, wherein the torque assembly defines a lumen extending through the length of the torque assembly and configured to accept the catheter therein.
3. The catheter guide device of claim 2, wherein the torque assembly comprises:
a gear mechanism defining an exterior surface comprising the plurality of gear teeth; and
a torque device detachably secured to the gear mechanism such that the torque device is prevented from rotating relative to the gear mechanism and configured to frictionally engage the exterior surface of the catheter.
4. The catheter guide device of claim 3, wherein the torque device is detachable from the gear mechanism while a catheter is positioned within the lumen extending through the torque assembly.
5. The catheter guide device of claim 4, wherein the torque assembly further comprises a locking ring rotatably secured to the gear mechanism and operable between:
a locked position in which the torque device is prevented from detaching from the gear mechanism; and
an unlocked position in which the torque device is permitted to detach from the gear mechanism.
6. The catheter guide device of claim 3, wherein:
the torque assembly further comprises an end cap detachably secured to the torque device at an upstream end of the torque device; and
the upstream end of the torque device defines a plurality of jaw members configured to be compressed onto the exterior surface of the catheter to frictionally engage the catheter when the end cap is secured onto the torque device.
7. The catheter guide device of claim 1, wherein the gear teeth are regularly spaced at 1 mm intervals on the exterior surface of the torque assembly.
8. The catheter guide device of claim 1, wherein the detent mechanism comprises a spring plunger biased to an extended position in which the spring plunger engages side surfaces of adjacent gear teeth to impede free rotation of the torque device relative to the hub; and
wherein the spring plunger is configured to retract away from the extended position as a gear tooth passes the spring plunger.
9. The catheter guide device of claim 1, wherein the torque assembly is configured to frictionally engage an exterior surface of an ultrasound catheter inserted through the catheter sheath to facilitate positioning of the ultrasound catheter within the patient.
10. The catheter guide device of claim 1, wherein the torque assembly is configured to frictionally engage an exterior surface of an ablation catheter inserted through the catheter sheath to facilitate positioning of the ablation catheter within the patient.
11. The catheter guide device of claim 1, wherein the hub is configured to engage a side port of the catheter sheath to prevent rotation of the catheter sheath relative to the hub.
12. The catheter guide device of claim 11, wherein the hub comprises side port engagement members configured to prevent the catheter sheath from disengaging from the hub.
13. A method of positioning a catheter within a patient, the method comprising:
providing a catheter guide device comprising:
a torque assembly defining a plurality of gear teeth on at least a portion of an exterior surface of the torque assembly and defining a lumen extending through the length of the torque assembly; and
a hub rotatably secured to the torque assembly, wherein the hub comprises a detent mechanism configured to operably engage the plurality of gear teeth of the torque assembly and thereby impede free rotation of the torque assembly relative to the hub;
securing a catheter sheath to the hub of the catheter guide device to prevent rotation of the catheter sheath relative to the hub;
inserting a catheter through the lumen of the torque assembly, through the catheter sheath, and into the patient;
frictionally securing the torque assembly to an exterior surface of the catheter to prevent rotation of the catheter relative to the torque assembly; and
rotating the torque assembly relative to the hub to rotate the catheter within the catheter sheath and the patient.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the torque assembly comprises (i) a gear mechanism defining an exterior surface comprising the plurality of gear teeth, and (ii) a torque device detachably secured to the gear mechanism such that the torque device is prevented from rotating relative to the gear mechanism and configured to frictionally engage the exterior surface of the catheter, the method further comprising:
disassembling the torque assembly while the catheter is inserted into the patient to retract the catheter within the patient.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein securing the catheter sheath to the hub of the catheter comprises:
inserting a side port into the hub such that the side port is positioned within a side notch of the hub.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein an upstream end of the torque assembly defines a plurality of jaw members, and frictionally engaging the exterior surface of the catheter comprises:
securing an end cap onto the upstream end of the torque assembly, wherein the end cap compresses the plurality of jaw members onto the exterior surface of the catheter to frictionally engage the catheter when the end cap is secured onto the upstream end of the torque assembly.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein rotating the torque assembly relative to the hub comprises:
rotating the torque assembly relative to the hub such that at least one tooth of the plurality of gear teeth passes the detent mechanism.
18. The method of claim 13, wherein inserting a catheter through the lumen of the torque assembly comprises inserting an ultrasound catheter through the lumen of the torque assembly.
19. The method of claim 13, wherein inserting a catheter through the lumen of the torque assembly comprises inserting an ablation catheter through the lumen of the torque assembly.