Releasable coupling features for proximal portions of linear surgical stapler

A surgical stapler, comprising:

• (a) an anvil half comprising:
• (i) an anvil channel member, and
• (ii) an anvil surface having a plurality of staple forming pockets;
• and
• (b) a cartridge half configured to releasably couple with the anvil half, wherein the cartridge half comprises:
• (i) a cartridge channel member having a distal portion configured to receive a staple cartridge,
• (ii) a latching member coupled to the cartridge channel member, wherein the latching member is movable between a closed position in which the latching member engages and fixes the anvil channel member relative to the cartridge channel member, and an open position in which the latching member disengages and permits movement of the anvil channel member relative to the cartridge channel member, and
• (iii) a locking member arranged at a proximal end of the cartridge half,
• wherein the locking member is configured to move from a locked position to an unlocked position in response to movement of the latching member from the closed position to the open position, wherein in the locked position the locking member is configured to lock a proximal end of the anvil half to the proximal end of the cartridge half, wherein in the unlocked position the locking member is configured to release the proximal end of the anvil half from the proximal end of the cartridge half.

A surgical stapler, comprising:

• (a) an anvil half comprising:
• (i) an anvil channel member, and
• (ii) an anvil surface having a plurality of staple forming pockets,
• (b) a cartridge half configured to releasably couple with the anvil half, wherein the cartridge half comprises:
• (i) a cartridge channel member having a distal portion configured to receive a staple cartridge, and
• (ii) a latching member coupled to the cartridge channel member, wherein the latching member is movable between a closed position in which the latching member engages and fixes the anvil channel member relative to the cartridge channel member, and an open position in which the latching member disengages and permits movement of the anvil channel member relative to the cartridge channel member, and
• (c) a projection arranged at a proximal end of one of the anvil half or the cartridge half;
• and
• (d) a locking member arranged at a proximal end of the other of the anvil half or the cartridge half, wherein the locking member is movable from a locked position toward an unlocked position in response to movement of the latching member from the closed position toward the open position,
• wherein in the locked position the locking member is configured to engage the projection and thereby lock the proximal end of the anvil half to the proximal end of the cartridge half,
• wherein in the unlocked position the locking member is configured to disengage the projection and thereby release the proximal end of the anvil half from the proximal end of the cartridge half.