Motor-driven surgical cutting and fastening instrument with mechanical closure system

A surgical cutting and fastening instrument comprising:

• an end effector comprising:
• an elongate channel;
• a clamping member pivotably connected to the channel;
• and
• a moveable cutting instrument for traversing the channel to cut an object clamped in the end effector by the clamping member when the clamping member is in a clamped position;
• a main drive shaft assembly for actuating the cutting instrument in the end effector;
• a handle comprising:
• a gear drive train connected to the main drive shaft assembly;
• a motor for actuating the gear drive train;
• a closure trigger;
• and
• a firing trigger separate from the closure trigger for actuating the motor when the firing trigger is retracted, wherein a loading force on the firing trigger when retracted is related to another loading force experienced by the cutting instrument;
• and
• a mechanical closure system connected to the closure trigger and to the clamping member for causing the clamping member to pivot to the clamped position when the closure trigger is retracted, wherein the mechanical closure system comprises:
• a bracket connected to the closure trigger;
• and
• a closure tube assembly having a distal end connected to the clamping member and a proximate end seated in the bracket.

A surgical cutting and fastening instrument comprising:

• an end effector comprising:
• an elongate channel;
• a clamping member pivotably connected to the channel;
• and
• a moveable cutting instrument for traversing the channel to cut an object clamped in the end effector by the clamping member when the clamping member is in a clamped position;
• a main drive shaft assembly for actuating the cutting instrument in the end effector;
• a gear drive train connected to the main drive shaft assembly;
• a motor for actuating the gear drive train;
• a closure trigger;
• means for causing the clamping member to pivot to the clamped position when the closure trigger is retracted;
• and
• a firing trigger separate from the closure trigger for actuating the motor when the firing trigger is retracted, wherein the rotational position of the firing trigger is related to the position of the cutting instrument in the end effector.