Articulating saddle and methods of making same
OwnerChallen Ingrahaminventor
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Abstract
In some examples, a saddle tree having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end, the saddle tree includes a proximal-most segment, a distal-most segment, at least one intermediate segment disposed between the proximal-most segment and the distal-most segment, a first articulation mechanism coupling each of the at least one intermediate segment to proximal ones, and a second articulation mechanism coupling each of the at least one intermediate segment to distal ones.
Claims21
A saddle tree having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end, the saddle tree comprising:
- a proximal-most segment;
- a distal-most segment;
- at least one intermediate segment disposed between the proximal-most segment and the distal-most segment;
- first articulation mechanisms coupling each of the at least one intermediate segment to a more proximal segment;
- and
- second articulation mechanisms coupling each of the at least one intermediate segment to a more distal segment;
- wherein each of the first articulation mechanisms and the second articulation mechanisms comprises a pair of contralateral articulating hinges that couple one of the proximal-most segment, the distal-most segment and the at least one intermediate segment to an adjacent segment.
(canceled)
A saddle tree having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end, the saddle tree comprising:
- a proximal-most segment;
- a distal-most segment;
- at least one intermediate segment disposed between the proximal-most segment and the distal-most segment;
- first articulation mechanisms coupling each of the at least one intermediate segment to a more proximal segment;
- and
- second articulation mechanisms coupling each of the at least one intermediate segment to a more distal segment;
- wherein each of the first articulation mechanisms and the second articulation mechanisms comprises a pair of contralateral articulating hinges that couple one of the proximal-most segment, the distal-most segment and the at least one intermediate segment to an adjacent segment.
A saddle tree having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end, the saddle tree comprising:
- a proximal-most segment;
- a distal-most segment;
- at least one intermediate segment disposed between the proximal-most segment and the distal-most segment;
- first articulation mechanisms coupling each of the at least one intermediate segment to a more proximal segment;
- and
- second articulation mechanisms coupling each of the at least one intermediate segment to a more distal segment;
- wherein each of the first articulation mechanisms and the second articulation mechanisms comprises a pair of contralateral articulating hinges that couple one of the proximal-most segment, the distal-most segment and the at least one intermediate segment to an adjacent segment, wherein the longitudinal axis extends through each of the proximal-most segment, the distal-most segment, and the at least one intermediate segment from the proximal end to the distal end, and each of the proximal-most segment, the distal-most segment, and the at least one intermediate segment includes lateral extensions disposed away from the longitudinal axis, and the lateral extensions of each of the proximal-most segment, the distal-most segment, and the at least one intermediate segment overlap with adjacent segments on neighboring lateral extensions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.