Screwdriver with screw retention mechanism
AssigneeTitan Spine, LLC
InventorsEric Kennedy, Charles J. Turner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A screwdriver for resisting premature disengagement of a screw from the screwdriver. The screwdriver includes a shaft having a central axis; a tip radially aligned with the central axis of the shaft which includes an end opposite the shaft, at least one radial protrusion extending away from the central axis, and a notch; and a screw retention mechanism including a flexible member aligned with the notch and attached to either the tip or the shaft. The flexible member has an unattached end which is separated from the second end of the tip. When the tip is inserted into a recess of a screw, the flexible member flexes toward the central axis and creates an opposing elastic force which holds the screw to the tip.
Claims20
A screwdriver having an outermost circumference and being adapted to engage a screw, comprising:
- a shaft having a central axis;
- a tip radially aligned with the central axis of the shaft, the tip having a first end proximate the shaft, a second end opposite the shaft, at least one radial protrusion extending away from the central axis, an external surface, and a notch on the external surface of the tip;
- and
- a screw retention mechanism including a flexible member having a body that is aligned with the notch and that extends along a portion of the central axis with which the tip is radially aligned, the body having a first end attached to either the tip or the shaft, a second end that is opposite to the first end of the body, the second end of the body being unattached from the tip and the shaft, and a raised section disposed between the first end and the second end of the body,
- wherein a leading edge of the second end of the body comprises a top side having a radial height that is less than a radial height of the at least one protrusion in an unstressed position, and
- wherein when the tip is inserted into a recess of the screw, the flexible member flexes into the notch and toward the central axis and creates an opposing force along substantially its entire length which holds the screw to the tip.
A screwdriver having an outermost circumference and being adapted to engage a screw comprising:
- a shaft having a central axis;
- a tip radially aligned with the central axis of the shaft, the tip having an end opposite the shaft, at least one regular protrusion, an external surface, and at least one notched protrusion, wherein the notched protrusion is on the external surface of the tip;
- and
- a flexible member having a body that is aligned with the notch and extends along a portion of the central axis with which the tip is radially aligned, the body having a first end attached to either the tip or the shaft, a second end that is opposite to the first end of the body, the second end being unattached from the tip and the shaft, and a raised section disposed between the first end and the second end of the body, wherein a leading edge of the second end of the body comprises a top side that faces away from the tip,
- wherein when the flexible member is in an unstressed position, a radial height of the top side of the leading edge is less than a radial height of the at least one regular protrusion and a radial height of a top side of the raised section is greater than the radial height of the at least one regular protrusion, and
- wherein when the tip is inserted into a recess of the screw, the flexible member flexes into the notched protrusion and toward the central axis and creates an opposing elastic force along substantially its entire length which holds the screw to the tip.
A screwdriver having an outermost circumference and being adapted to engage a screw comprising:
- a shaft having a central axis;
- a tip radially aligned with the central axis of the shaft, the tip having an end opposite the shaft, at least one radial protrusion, an external surface, a regular valley on a first side of the at least one radial protrusion, and a notched valley on a second side of the at least one radial protrusion opposite the first side, wherein the notched valley is on the external surface of the tip;
- and
- a flexible member having a body that is aligned with the notched valley and extends along a portion of the central axis with which the tip is radially aligned, the body having a first end attached to either the tip or the shaft, a second end that is opposite to the first end of the body, the second end being unattached from the tip and the shaft, and a raised section disposed between the first end and the second end of the body, wherein a leading edge of the second end of the body comprises a top side that faces away from the tip,
- wherein when the flexible member is in an unstressed position, a radial height of the top side of the leading edge is less than a radial height of the regular valley and a radial height of a top side of the raised section is greater than the radial height of the regular valley, and
- wherein when the tip is inserted into a recess of the screw, the flexible member flexes into the notched valley and toward the central axis and creates an opposing elastic force along substantially its entire length which holds the screw to the tip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.