Cannulated flexible drive shaft
AssigneeLenkbar, LLC
InventorsErik H. Papenfuss, Hans B. Papenfuss
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexible cannulated drive shaft having a plurality of interlocking sections having multi-angled dovetails cut into the drive shaft. Each dovetail design is made up of substantially triangular-shaped pins and substantially triangular-shaped sockets that alternate around the circumference of each interlocking section. The pins of one interlocking section moveably engage the sockets of a second interlocking section and vice versa. Furthermore, the substantially triangular-shaped pins and substantially triangular-shaped sockets stay locked together whether the drive shaft is being rotated clockwise or counterclockwise. Angled surfaces add greater stability to the drive shaft and prevent the interlocking sections from coming apart.
Claims23
A cannulated flexible drive shaft comprising:
- a tubular shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, an inner surface and an outer surface;
- and
- at least two interlocking sections located on the tubular shaft, said at least two interlocking sections each having at least one pin and at least one socket,
- said at least two interlocking sections comprising a first interlocking section and a second interlocking section,
- the at least one pin on the first interlocking section having a circumferential width that increases as said at least one pin on the first interlocking section extends from the outer surface of the shaft to the inner surface of the shaft, so that said at least one pin on the first interlocking section becomes gradually wider toward the inner surface,
- the at least one pin on the second interlocking section having a circumferential width that decreases as said at least one pin on the second interlocking section extends from the outer surface of the shaft to the inner surface of the shaft, so that said at least one pin on the second interlocking section becomes gradually narrower toward the inner surface.
A cannulated flexible drive shaft comprising:
- a tubular shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, an inner surface and an outer surface;
- and
- at least two interlocking sections located on the tubular shaft, said at least two interlocking sections each having at least one pin and at least one socket,
- said at least two interlocking sections are cut at opposing angles to create at least one inward angled surface and at least one outward angled surface, said at least one inward angled surface is adjacent to the at least one outward angled surface,
- said at least two interlocking sections comprising a first interlocking section and a second interlocking section,
- the at least one pin on the first interlocking section having a circumferential width that increases as said at least one pin on the first interlocking section extends from the outer surface of the shaft toward the inner surface of the shaft, so that said at least one pin on the first interlocking section becomes gradually wider toward the inner surface,
- the at least one pin on the second interlocking section having a circumferential width that decreases as said at least one pin on the second interlocking section extends from the outer surface of the shaft toward the inner surface of the shaft, so that said at least one pin on the second interlocking section becomes gradually narrower toward the inner surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.