Torque-limiting assembly for a surgical powertool
AssigneeStryker European Holdings I, LLC
InventorsStephan Schroeder, Kevin Soldan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A torque-limiting assembly for a surgical powertool has an input shaft and an output shaft. Two relatively rotatable parts of the assembly are configured to be locked against relative rotation by at least one shearable piece for torque transfer between the input shaft and the output shaft up to a torque limit. The assembly further comprises at least one shear off structure rotationally fixed to one of the two relatively rotatable parts for shearing off a portion of the at least one shearable piece above the torque limit so as to unlock the two relatively rotatable parts for relative rotation.
Claims17
A torque-limiting assembly for a surgical powertool, the assembly comprising:
- an input shaft and an output shaft, wherein two relatively rotatable parts of the assembly are configured to be locked against relative rotation by at least one shearable piece for torque transfer between the input shaft and the output shaft up to a torque limit;
- at least one shear off structure rotationally fixed to one of the two relatively rotatable parts for shearing off a portion of the at least one shearable piece above the torque limit so as to unlock the two relatively rotatable parts for relative rotation;
- a feeding mechanism for feeding the shearable piece towards the shear off structure;
- and
- a planetary gearing arranged between the input shaft and the output shaft,
- wherein the two relatively rotatable parts include:
- a stationary part of the torque-limiting assembly;
- and
- a part of the planetary gearing,
- wherein the planetary gearing includes a ring gear and wherein the shear off structure is rotationally fixed to the ring gear or to a part rotationally fixed to the ring gear.
A torque-limiting assembly for a surgical powertool, the assembly comprising:
- an input shaft and an output shaft, wherein a first part and a second part of the assembly are relatively rotatable and are located between the input and output shaft and are configured to be locked against relative rotation up to a torque limit by the engagement of an elongate shearable piece mounted on the first rotatable part and a shearing structure mounted on the second part, the shearing structure capable of shearing off a portion of the shearable piece at a torque limit, the sheared off portion of the shearable piece being less than an entire length of the shearable piece;
- a feeding mechanism for feeding a non-sheared off portion of the shearable piece into engagement with the shearing structure after the torque limit has been exceeded and the portion of shearable piece has been sheared off;
- and
- a planetary gearing arranged between the input shaft and the output shaft,
- wherein the two relatively rotatable parts include:
- a stationary part of the torque-limiting assembly;
- and
- a part of the planetary gearing,
- wherein the planetary gearing includes a ring gear and wherein the shear off structure is rotationally fixed to the ring gear or to a part rotationally fixed to the ring gear.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.