Drive shaft coupling
AssigneePrecimed S.A.
InventorPatrick Michel White
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a torque-transmitting coupling assembly and method, as well as flexible surgical reamers having such assemblies. The reamers employ a fitting with radially flexible member, e.g., a split collet or a super-elastic collar that receives an elongated tubular shaft of super-elastic alloy. A compression sleeve is applied to the collet, in one embodiment, while the collar is located within a counter-bore of the fitting in another embodiment. Relative motion between the shaft, fitting and collet (or collar) induces a super-elastic activation in the shaft to form the desired coupling.
Claims10
A torque-transmitting coupling assembly comprising:
- a) a split collet member having an exterior surface and an opening;
- b) an elongated shaft member made of an alloy selected from a group of alloys consisting of super-elastic, bi-metal alloys and super-elastic, tri-metal alloys, including super-elastic, bi-metal and tri-metal nickel-titanium alloys, received within the opening;
- and
- c) a sleeve member having an aperture that receives the exterior surface of the collet,
- whereupon relative motion among at least two of the members causes the opening to contact the shaft, the shaft and the collet being urged into surface-to-surface contact sufficiently to induce a martensitic activation of the super-elastic alloy, thus securing the members together in a fixed relative position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.