Brake screw for surgical lighting systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10473172-B2
Application number	US-201816004499-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2018
Priority date	Jul 10, 2017
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A brake screw for use with a surgical lighting system. The brake screw includes a screw member retained within a threaded aperture of a mounting hub of a spindle of an arm used with the lighting system. The screw member is rotationally adjusted to enable displacement in an axial direction. A brake member is in axial alignment with the screw member and disposed for movement in the axial direction against a mounting tube retained within the mounting hub upon rotational adjustment of the screw member. A rivet section is integrally formed with the brake member and has a distal end retained within an axial recess formed within the screw member, allowing movement of the brake member in the axial direction within the screw member. A bias member is disposed between the screw member and the brake member to create a biasing force that urges apart the screw member and the brake member along the axial direction.

First claim

Having described the invention, the following is claimed:

1. A brake screw, comprising:
a screw member configured for retention within a threaded aperture of a mounting hub, for rotational adjustment to enable displacement in an axial direction;
a brake member in axial alignment with the screw member and disposed for movement in the axial direction for engaging a mounting tube held within the mounting hub upon rotational adjustment of the screw member, wherein the brake member includes a braking surface that contacts an outer surface of the mounting tube;
a rivet section integrally formed with the brake member and having a distal end retained within an axial recess formed within the screw member, allowing movement of the brake member in the axial direction within the screw member; and
a bias member disposed between the screw member and the brake member to create a biasing force that urges apart the screw member and the brake member along the axial direction, to thereby apply a braking force between the braking surface of the brake member and the outer surface of the mounting tube, in order to retain the mounting tube in a fixed position.

2. A brake screw according to claim 1 , wherein the screw member further comprises a head section having a threaded outer surface that mates with the threaded aperture of the mounting hub, the head section further comprising a screw drive dimensioned to receive a mating driver tool for rotational adjustment of the brake screw.

3. A brake screw according to claim 2 , wherein the screw drive is selected from one of a slot drive, a cruciform drive, a polygonal socket drive, or a multi-polygonal star drive.

4. A brake screw according to claim 1 , wherein the braking surface is a pre-curved braking surface and wherein the outer surface of the mounting tube is a curved outer surface, wherein the pre-curved braking surface matches the curved outer surface of the mounting tube, to enable mating contact between the braking surface and the curved outer surface of the mounting tube.

5. A brake screw according to claim 1 , further comprising an index mark formed as a screw drive on the distal end of the rivet section, the screw drive dimensioned to receive a mating driver tool for rotational adjustment of the brake member to orient the pre-curved braking surface into the mating contact with the curved outer surface of the mounting tube.

6. A brake screw according to claim 5 , wherein the screw drive is selected from one of a slot drive, a cruciform drive, a polygonal socket drive, or a multi-polygonal star drive.

7. A brake screw according to claim 1 , further comprising a retaining element, substantially proximate to the distal end of the rivet section, having a diameter greater than the rivet section, to hold the brake member and the bias member to the screw member, for delimiting movement of the brake member in the axial direction and thereby preventing uncoupling of the brake member from the screw member.

8. A brake screw according to claim 7 , wherein the retaining element is a retaining ring received within a circumferential groove formed along an exterior surface of the rivet section substantially proximate to the distal end.

9. A brake screw according to claim 7 , wherein the retaining ring is one of an elastomeric O-ring or a wire retaining ring.

10. A brake screw according to claim 7 , wherein the retaining element is an outward extending annular protrusion, integrally formed with the rivet section, having a diameter greater than the diameter of the rivet section but less than the diameter of the axial recess of the screw member.

11. A brake screw according to claim 7 , further comprising an elastomeric O-ring installed inside an annular recess formed on an interior surface of the axial recess of the screw member, for interacting with the retaining element to restrain axial motion of the brake member.

12. A brake screw according to claim 7 , further comprising an undercut formed at the bottom of an axial aperture of the screw member, the axial aperture adjoining with the axial recess and having a greater diameter than the axial recess, for restraining axial motion of the brake member by an interaction of the retaining element with the undercut.

13. A brake screw according to claim 1 , wherein the bias member comprises a central aperture which receives and substantially surrounds the rivet section, and includes opposing ends that contact the brake member and the screw member.

14. A brake screw according to claim 13 , wherein the bias member comprises one of a stack of Belleville washers, at least one elastomeric member, or a coil spring.

15. A brake screw according to claim 1 , further comprising a swaged edge formed on the distal end of the rivet section, said swaged edge having a diameter greater than the rivet section and the axial recess, functioning as a retaining element to hold the brake member and the bias member to the screw member, for delimiting movement of the brake member in the axial direction and thereby preventing uncoupling of the brake member from the screw member.

16. A brake screw according to claim 15 , wherein the distal end of the rivet section comprises a cylindrical recess and wherein the swaged edge is formed by outwardly flaring the cylindrical recess.

17. A brake screw according to claim 1 , wherein the brake member and the rivet section are integrally formed as a composite assembly of different metals.

18. A brake screw according to claim 17 , wherein the brake member is formed of bronze and the rivet section is formed of stainless steel, wherein the brake member is pressed into an aperture formed within the rivet section.

19. A brake screw according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting hub and the mounting ring are components of a spindle of a movable arm in a suspension for a surgical lighting system, wherein the brake screw controls rotational braking of the components within the spindle.

20. A brake screw, comprising:
a screw member configured for retention within a threaded aperture of a mounting hub, for rotational adjustment to enable displacement in an axial direction;
a brake member in axial alignment with the screw member and disposed for movement in the axial direction for engaging a mounting tube held within the mounting hub upon rotational adjustment of the screw member;
a rivet section integrally formed with the screw member and having a distal end retained within an axial recess formed within the brake member, allowing movement of the brake member in the axial direction around the rivet section of the screw member;
a removable brake cover including a brake element portion that includes a braking surface and an opposing surface that engages an underside of the brake member; and
a bias member disposed between the screw member and the brake member to create a biasing force that urges apart the screw member and the brake member along the axial direction, to thereby apply a braking force between the braking surface of the removable brake cover and an outer surface of the mounting tube, in order to retain the mounting tube in a fixed position.

21. A brake screw according to claim 20 , wherein the removable brake cover further comprises a cylindrical wall portion defining a recess dimensioned to fit over an outer diameter of the brake member.

22. A brake screw according to claim 20 , wherein the removable brake cover further comprises an extension portion, formed integrally with the brake element portion, and dimensione

Assignees

• American Sterilizer Co

Inventors

• Bellows Lance Clark
• Heser Michael Joseph
• Mohr Christopher Roy
• Moss Bernard John
• Pichler Jerime Josef
• Toth Cristian Laurentiu

Classifications

• F16D65/0971

  transmitting brake actuation force, e.g. elements interposed between brake piston and pad · CPC title

• F16D2125/40

  Screw-and-nut · CPC title

• F16D65/06 Primary

  for externally-engaging brakes · CPC title

• F16D49/00

  Brakes with a braking member co-operating with the periphery of a drum, wheel-rim, or the like (similar clutches F16D13/10) · CPC title

• A61B2090/508

  with releasable brake mechanisms · CPC title