Stiffening assembly
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
InventorTheodore W. Rogers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A stiffenable structure is made of longitudinal beams that are positioned around a longitudinal axis. In one state, the longitudinal beams are bendable so that the structure is bendable. As the structure bends, the longitudinal beams slide longitudinally with reference to one another. In a second state, the beams are clamped in a fixed position relative to one another so that the structure is stiffened. In some aspects the longitudinal beams are made of two or more longitudinal laminar elements. As each beam bends, the laminar elements slide longitudinally with reference to one another. Each beam, and accordingly the structure, is stiffened by preventing the laminar elements from sliding longitudinally relative to one another.
Claims20
A stiffening assembly comprising:
- a flexible tube comprising a plurality of longitudinal sections positioned lengthwise around a longitudinal axis, the flexible tube configured to transition between a sliding state wherein the longitudinal sections slide longitudinally relative to one another and a clamped state wherein the longitudinal sections are clamped in a substantially fixed position relative to one another.
A method of stiffening a flexible tube comprising:
- inducing a first state in which a plurality of longitudinal sections of the flexible tube are positioned lengthwise around a longitudinal axis and clamped in a substantially fixed position relative to one another and
- inducing a second state in which the longitudinal sections slide longitudinally relative to one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.