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US 5,074,863 AGranted
Disposable retractable surgical instrument
OwnerLenna V. Dinesinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sterile surgical cord reel mechanism, for use in electrical surgical instruments, which retracts the power cord while the instrument is not in use. The assembly comprises a lightweight housing, which can be clipped to a surgical blanket, and within the housing a freely rotating spool onto which the electrical power cord will retract. The fixed end of the power cord has an electrical connector attached to it, while the extensible end is attached to a surgical instrument. As the surgical instrument is pulled from the spool, the spool rotates against the bias of the spring. A retraction brake system switch affixed to the housing holds the power cord in place until released, whereupon the power cord rewinds onto the spool.
Claims6
A disposable retractable electrical surgical instrument assembly comprising in combination:
- an electrically powered surgical instrument;
- an electrical power cord connected at one end to said surgical instrument and having at its opposite end means for connecting said power cord to an electrical energy source;
- a power cord retractor unit disposed between said ends of said power cord upon which said power cord is retractably wound;
- said retractor unit including a housing having spaced flexible side walls, said side walls including a journal means defining and axis, an annular spool mounted concentrically upon said journal means for rotation about said axis, and a spring means disposed between said spool and said housing for rotatively biasing said spool relative to said housing;
- said power cord being wound upon said spool and allowed to be pulled off the spool as the spool rotates about said axis in one direction, said spring means being loaded as said power cord is pulled off said spool whereby upon release of said extended power cord said spring means will return said power cord to its original position as said spool rotates in the direction opposite said one direction;
- said housing including a retractor brake switch means for halting the retraction of said power cord upon the spool at any point upon the extended length of said power cord;
- said retractor brake switch including a head at one end thereof and a flange portion depending therefrom having a pair of side walls, said side walls converging toward one another in the direction of the other end of said flange portion opposite said head, each side wall including a notch extending the full length of said side wall and immediately adjacent said head to define an undercut portion of a predetermined width, said housing including a slot disposed transversely of the axis of said spool and of a width substantially equal to said predetermined width, whereby said brake switch may be assembled to said housing and retained thereby by inserting said flange portion into said slot until the edges of said slot shall snap into place within said undercut portion.
4 more elements
A disposable retractable electrical surgical instrument assembly comprising in combination:
- an electrically powered surgical instrument;
- an electrical power cord connected at one end to said surgical instrument and having at its opposite end means for connecting said power cord to an electrical energy source;
- a power cord retractor unit disposed between said ends of said power cord upon which said power cord is retractably wound;
- said retractor unit including a housing having spaced flexible side walls, said side walls including a journal means defining an axis, an annular spool mounted concentrically upon said journal means for rotation about said axis, and a spring means disposed between said spool and said housing for rotatively biasing said spool relative to said housing;
- said power cord being wound upon said spool and allowed to be pulled off the spool as the spool rotates about said axis in one direction, said spring means being loaded as said power cord is pulled off said spool whereby upon release of said extended power cord said spring means will return said power cord to its original position as said spool rotates in the direction opposite said one direction;
- said side walls comprising narrow flexible cross bars which may be flexed outwardly to allow insertion of said spool into said housing;
- said spool including a side wall having a bore;
- said journal means on said housing including a hub member having an annular journal surface of a predetermined diameter;
- and
- said bore within said side wall of said spool being of a diameter slightly greater than that of said annular journal surface and being rotatably seated thereupon.
7 more elements
A disposable retractable electrical surgical instrument assembly comprising in combination:
- an electrically powered surgical instrument;
- an electrical power cord connected at one end to said surgical instrument and having at its opposite end means for connecting said power cord to an electrical energy source;
- a power cord retractor unit disposed between said ends of said power cord upon which said power cord is retractably wound;
- said retractor unit including a housing having spaced flexible side walls, said side walls including a journal means defining an axis, an annular spool mounted concentrically upon said journal means for rotation about said axis, and a spring means disposed between said spool and said housing for rotatively biasing said spool relative to said housing;
- said power cord being wound upon said spool and allowed to be pulled off the spool as the spool rotates about said axis in one direction, said spring means being loaded as said power cord is pulled off said spool whereby upon release of said extended power cord said spring means will return said power cord to its original position as said spool rotates in the direction opposite said one direction;
- said housing including a retractor brake switch means for halting the retraction of said power cord upon the spool at any point upon the extended length of said power cord;
- said retractor brake switch means being slideable upon said housing transversely of said axis and including at its lowermost portion a cam surface portion;
- said spool including a radially extended annular flange;
- said cam surface portion being operable to engage and disengage from said annular flange as said brake switch means is slid upon said housing from one position to a second position to thereby arrest and release, respectively, the power cord at any point along its extended length on the spool;
- said retractor brake switch means including a head at one end thereof and a flange portion depending therefrom having a pair of side walls, said side walls converging toward one another in the direction of the other end of said flange portion opposite said head, each side wall including a notch extending the full length of said side wall and immediately adjacent said head to define an undercut portion of a predetermined width, said housing including a slot disposed transversely of the axis of said spool and of a width substantially equal to said predetermined width, whereby said brake switch may be assembled to said housing and retained thereby by inserting said flange portion into said slot until the edges of said slot shall snap into place within said undercut portion;
- said retractor unit including fastening means for affixing the retractor unit to a surgical blanket or the like whereby the retractor unit will remain fixed as the operator adjusts the length of said power cord;
- said side walls comprised of narrow flexible cross bars which may be flexed outwardly to allow insertion of said spool into said housing;
- said spool including a side wall having a bore concentric with said axis;
- said journal means on said housing including a hub member having an annular journal surface of a predetermined diameter;
- and
- said bore within said side wall of said spool being of a diameter slightly greater than that of said annular journal surface and being rotatably seated thereupon.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.