Ratchet assembly for surgical instrument
AssigneeDesign Standards Corporation
InventorsLawrence Crainich, David Kangas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ratchet assembly for a surgical instrument includes a bar having teeth; a pawl having a member for engaging the teeth, the bar being movable relative to the pawl in two directions along an axis, and the pawl being pivotable between a first ratchet position for allowing movement of the bar relative to the pawl in a first direction along the axis and a second ratchet position for allowing movement of the bar relative to the pawl in a second direction along the axis; and a toggle member associated with the pawl and the bar for allowing pivot of the pawl between the first ratchet position and the second ratchet position.
Claims17
A ratchet assembly for a surgical instrument, comprising:
- a bar having teeth;
- a pawl having a member for engaging said teeth, said bar being movable relative to said pawl in two directions along an axis, and said pawl being pivotable between a first ratchet position for allowing movement of said bar relative to said pawl in a first direction along said axis and a second ratchet position for allowing movement of said bar relative to said pawl in a second direction along said axis;
- and a toggle member associated with said pawl and said bar for selectively allowing pivot of said pawl between said first ratchet position and said second ratchet position.
A ratchet assembly, comprising:
- a bar having teeth;
- a pawl having a tooth engaging member for engaging said teeth, said pawl having a triangular configuration defined by said tooth engaging member, a first pivot member spaced from said tooth engaging member, and a second pivot member spaced from said tooth engaging member and said first pivot member, said bar being moveable relative to said pawl in two directions along an axis;
- and
- means for positioning said pawl relative to said bar in a neutral position and allowing pivot of said pawl around said first pivot member to a first ratchet position allowing movement of said bar relative to said pawl in one of said two directions, and allowing pivot of said pawl around said second pivot member to a second ratchet position allowing movement of said bar relative to said pawl in the other of said two directions.
A surgical instrument having a two-directional ratcheting structure, comprising:
- a housing;
- an operable element connected to said housing;
- an actuating member moveably mounted relative to said housing for operating said operable element;
- and
- a ratchet assembly associated with said actuating member for allowing alternating two-directional ratcheting of said actuating member relative to said housing, said ratchet assembly comprising:
- a bar having teeth;
- a pawl having a member for engaging said teeth, said bar being movable relative to said pawl in two directions along an axis, and said pawl being pivotable between a first ratchet position for allowing movement of said bar relative to said pawl in a first direction along said axis and a second ratchet position for allowing movement of said bar relative to said pawl in a second direction along said axis;
- and
- a toggle member associated with said pawl and said bar for allowing pivot of said pawl between said first ratchet position and said second ratchet position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.