Single use gear reduction device
AssigneeECA Medical Instruments
InventorJohn Nino
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A single use integrated disposable rotational speed reduction assembly having a shaft assembly, a housing, a planet carrier having a gear with inward-facing gear teeth, and one or more internal gear components with gear teeth. The shaft assembly causes rotation of the planet carrier with a sun gear via engagement with the internal gear components. The rotation of the internal gear components causes rotation of the planet carrier, with a reduction of rotational speed relative to the rotation of the shaft assembly. One or more gear components can be configured to fail after a predetermined number of use cycles.
Claims14
A single use integrated rotational speed reduction assembly comprising:
- a shaft assembly comprising a drive shaft and a sun gear comprising a plurality of gear teeth, the sun gear attached to or integral to the drive shaft;
- a housing;
- one or more internal gear components, each comprising a plurality of gear teeth;
- a planet carrier comprising a gear comprising inward-facing gear teeth;
- and,
- wherein one or more gears is non-metal, wherein the shaft assembly provides for the mating between the housing and the planet carrier via one or more retaining features provided on the shaft assembly, wherein:
- the one or more internal gear components comprise a planet gear and a gear ring;
- the planet gear comprises a top portion and a bottom portion, with each portion comprising a plurality of gear teeth thereon;
- the gear ring comprises a plurality of outward-facing gear teeth;
- and
- the planet carrier comprises a plurality of inward-facing gear teeth around an edge of a recess in a top surface of the planet carrier;
- the planet carrier is configured to rotate in response to rotation of the shaft assembly, via engagement between the sun gear and the top portion of the planet gear, engagement between the bottom portion of the planet gear and the gear ring, and engagement between the gear ring and the inward-facing teeth of the planet carrier.
A single use integrated rotational speed reduction assembly comprising:
- a shaft assembly comprising a drive shaft and a sun gear comprising a plurality of gear teeth, the sun gear attached to or integral to the drive shaft;
- a housing;
- one or more internal gear components, each comprising a plurality of gear teeth;
- a planet carrier comprising a gear comprising inward-facing gear teeth;
- and,
- wherein one or more gears is non-metal, wherein the shaft assembly provides for the mating between the housing and the planet carrier via one or more retaining features provided on the shaft assembly, wherein:
- the one or more internal gear components comprise a gear ring;
- the gear ring comprises a top portion and a bottom portion, with the top portion comprising a plurality of inward-facing gear teeth thereon, and the bottom portion comprising a plurality of outward-facing gear teeth thereon;
- and
- the planet carrier comprises a plurality of inward-facing gear teeth around an edge of a recess in a top surface of the planet carrier;
- the planet carrier is configured to rotate in response to rotation of the shaft assembly, via engagement between the sun gear and the top portion of the gear ring and engagement between the bottom portion of gear ring and the inward-facing teeth of the planet carrier.
A single use speed reduction system comprising:
- a shaft assembly comprising a drive shaft comprising a sun gear thereon;
- a housing;
- a planet gear comprising a top portion and a bottom portion, with each portion comprising a plurality of gear teeth thereon;
- a gear ring comprising a plurality of gear teeth;
- and
- a planet carrier comprising plurality of inward-facing gear teeth around an edge of a recess in a top surface of the planet carrier;
- wherein the shaft is mated with the housing;
- and,
- wherein one or more gears is non-metal.
A single use speed reduction system comprising:
- a shaft assembly comprising a drive shaft comprising a sun gear thereon;
- a housing;
- a gear ring comprising a top portion and a bottom portion, with the top portion comprising a plurality of inward-facing gear teeth thereon, and the bottom portion comprising a plurality of outward-facing gear teeth thereon;
- and
- a planet carrier comprising a plurality of inward-facing gear teeth around an edge of a recess in a top surface of the planet carrier;
- wherein the shaft is mated with the housing;
- and,
- wherein one or more of the gears is non-metal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.