Differential locking arrangements for rotary powered surgical instruments
AssigneeEthicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
InventorsFrederick E. Shelton, IV, Jerome R. Morgan, Chester O. Baxter, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Differential locking systems for a surgical instrument that includes a surgical end effector that is powered by a rotary drive shaft assembly that is movable between a plurality of discrete axial positions. In various forms, at least one retention formation is provided on the rotary drive shaft assembly that corresponds to each one of the discrete axial position. At least one lock member is operably supported relative to rotary drive shaft assembly for retaining engagement with the at least one of the retention formations when the rotary drive shaft assembly is moved to the discrete axial positions associated therewith.
Claims20
A differential locking system for a surgical instrument including a surgical end effector powered by a rotary drive shaft assembly that is movable between a plurality of discrete axial positions, the differential locking system comprising:
- at least one retention formation on the rotary drive shaft assembly corresponding to each one of the discrete axial positions;
- and
- at least one lock member operably supported relative to rotary drive shaft assembly for retaining engagement with the at least one retention formation when the rotary drive shaft assembly is moved to the discrete axial positions associated therewith.
A differential locking system for a surgical instrument including a surgical end effector powered by a rotary drive shaft assembly that is movable between a first axial position and a second axial position, the differential locking system comprising:
- a differential housing operably interfacing with the rotary drive shaft assembly and the surgical end effector;
- and
- at least one spring-biased lock member operably supported by the differential housing for retaining engagement with a first portion of the rotary drive shaft assembly when the rotary drive shaft assembly is in the first axial position and the at least one spring-biased lock member further configured to retainingly engage a second portion of the rotary drive shaft assembly when the rotary drive shaft assembly is in the second axial position.
A differential locking system for a surgical instrument including a surgical end effector powered by a rotary drive shaft assembly that is movable between a first axial position and a second axial position, the differential locking system comprising:
- a differential housing operably interfacing with the rotary drive shaft assembly and the surgical end effector;
- at least one spring member on a portion of the rotary drive shaft assembly wherein each spring member defines a first retaining position corresponding to the first axial position of the rotary drive shaft assembly and a second retaining position corresponding to the second axial position of the rotary drive shaft assembly;
- and
- a lock member operably supported by the differential housing and corresponding to each of the at least one spring members for retaining engagement therewith such that the lock member retainingly engages the corresponding spring member in the first retaining position when the rotary drive shaft assembly is in the first axial position and the lock member retainingly engages the corresponding spring member in the second retaining position when the rotary drive shaft assembly is in the second axial position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.