Brake actuator for medical device support system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10993778-B2
Application number	US-201916517707-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2019
Priority date	Jul 25, 2018
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

A medical device support system including a central shaft, an extension arm, a brake clamp assembly, and a brake actuator. The extension arm has a support for a medical device and a hub at its proximal end mounted to the central shaft for pivotable movement about the central shaft. The brake clamp assembly is secured in the hub for rotation therewith and includes first and second clamp portions. The brake actuator includes a cap, a plunger coupled to the cap for reciprocable axial movement relative to the cap, and a spring disposed between the cap and the plunger and configured to exert a biasing force against movement of the cap axially toward the plunger. The cap is adjustably mounted to the hub and coupled to the plunger to selectively urge the first and second clamp portions either toward or away from the central shaft to respectively increase or decrease a frictional braking force to the central shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medical device support system comprising:
a central shaft;
an extension arm having a support for a medical device and a hub at its proximal end mounted to the central shaft for pivotable movement about the central shaft;
a brake clamp assembly secured in the hub for rotation therewith and including first and second clamp portions; and,
a brake actuator including a cap, a plunger coupled to the cap for reciprocable axial movement relative to the cap, and a spring disposed between the cap and the plunger and configured to exert a biasing force against movement of the cap axially toward the plunger,
wherein the cap is adjustably mounted to the hub and coupled to the plunger to selectively urge the first and second clamp portions either toward or away from the central shaft to respectively increase or decrease a frictional braking force to the central shaft.

2. The medical device support system of claim 1 , wherein the plunger is coupled to the cap to prevent separation of the plunger from the cap.

3. The medical device support system of claim 1 , wherein the cap is configured to compress the spring against a head of the plunger, and the head of the plunger, in turn, urges the first and second clamp portions toward the central shaft to increase the frictional braking force to the central shaft.

4. The medical device support system of claim 1 , wherein the cap threadably engages a threaded opening in the hub.

5. The medical device support system of claim 4 , wherein the minor diameter of the threaded opening in the hub is greater than a maximum width of the plunger in axial cross section and a maximum width of the spring in axial cross section.

6. The medical device support system of claim 1 , wherein the brake clamp assembly is configured to operate in a passive manner, preventing motion of the extension arm relative to the central shaft by means of the frictional braking force, wherein the frictional braking force can be overcome by a user pushing on the extension arm.

7. The medical device support system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second clamp portions form a split collar around the central shaft, and free ends of the clamp portions include respective tabs that protrude radially outwardly relative to the central shaft, and wherein the cap is adjustably mounted to the hub and coupled to the plunger to exert a force on the plunger against one of the tabs to apply a compressive force to the tabs to urge the first and second clamp portions toward one another thereby to impart the frictional braking force to the central shaft.

8. The medical device support system of claim 1 , wherein a head of the plunger exerts the force against one of a plurality of tabs, and one of the plurality of tabs is slidable relative to the head in a direction axially and radially relative to the central shaft.

9. The medical device support system of claim 1 , wherein the medical device is a surgical light.

10. The medical device support system of claim 1 , wherein the brake clamp assembly includes brake liners made of a material selected from polyolefins, polyesters, acetals, polyamides, fluorinated polymers, vinyls, acrylics, polycarbonates, polyimides, polysulphones, and blends and alloys thereof.

11. The medical device support system of claim 1 , wherein the brake clamp assembly includes brake liners made of a material including unreinforced, semi-crystalline thermoplastic polyester based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET-P).

12. The medical device support system of claim 1 , wherein the brake clamp assembly includes brake liners made of a material including UHMW-PE.

13. A brake actuator for a medical device support system, the brake actuator comprising:
a plunger including a rod, a head at one axial end of the rod, and a stop flange at an opposite axial end of the rod;
a cap including a body, a mating coupling at one axial end of the body, and a driving end at an opposite axial end of the body, wherein the mating coupling is coupled to the rod for reciprocable axial movement relative to the rod toward and away from the head, and wherein the stop flange is configured to abut an interior portion of the mating coupling to prevent separation of the plunger from the cap; and
a spring disposed between the mating coupling and the head, and configured to exert a biasing force against movement of the cap axially toward the head.

14. The brake actuator of claim 13 , wherein the cap is externally threaded and has a minor diameter that is greater than a maximum width of the head in axial cross section and a maximum width of the spring in axial cross section.

15. The brake actuator of claim 13 , wherein the opposite axial end of the rod has a hollow rod end, and the stop flange is formed as a flared end of the hollow rod end.

16. The brake actuator of claim 13 , wherein the cap has a central opening that slidably receives the rod to guide the reciprocable axial movement.

17. The brake actuator of claim 16 , wherein the stop flange projects radially outward from the rod, and the interior portion of the mating coupling includes a ledge that projects radially outward from the central opening, and the stop flange abuts the ledge to prevent separation of the plunger from the cap.

18. The brake actuator of claim 17 , wherein the stop flange is annular in shape and the radially outward projecting ledge is annular in shape.

19. The brake actuator of claim 13 , wherein an inner diameter of the spring is slightly larger than an outer diameter of the rod.

20. The brake actuator of claim 13 , wherein the spring includes a plurality of Belleville washers.

21. The brake actuator of claim 13 , wherein the cap is externally threaded and wherein the driving end of the cap includes a tool fitting for mating with a tool from which the cap can be driven axially by threadably engaging a threaded opening in a hub of the medical device support system.

22. A method of adjusting a brake assembly of a medical device support system having a central shaft, an extension arm having a support for a medical device and a hub at its proximal end mounted to the central shaft for pivotable movement about the central shaft, and a brake clamp assembly secured in the hub for rotation therewith and including first and second clamp portions, the method comprising:
providing a brake actuator including a cap, a plunger coupled to the cap for reciprocable axial movement relative to the cap, and a spring disposed between the cap and the plunger to exert a biasing force against movement of the cap axially toward the plunger;
adjustably mounting the cap into an opening in the hub and coupling the cap to the plunger to urge the first and second clamp portions toward the central shaft to increase a frictional braking force to the central shaft, wherein as the cap is adjustably mounted into the opening the cap, against the biasing force of the spring, urges the spring against a head of the plunger, and the head of the plunger, in turn, urges the first and second clamp portions toward the central shaft to increase a frictional braking force to the central shaft;
wherein as the cap is mounted into the opening the cap pushes the plunger, and the spring disposed between the plunger and the cap, through the opening as a self-contained assembly.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising removing the cap from the opening in the hub, wherein as the cap is removed the cap pulls the plunger, and the spring disposed b

Assignees

• American Sterilizer Co

Inventors

• Bellows Lance Clark
• Mohr Christopher Roy

Classifications

• F16M11/2014

  around a vertical axis (F16M11/2035 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B90/35

  Supports therefor · CPC title

• A61B2090/508

  with releasable brake mechanisms · CPC title

• A61B90/50 Primary

  Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms · CPC title

• F16D49/08

  shaped as an encircling band extending over approximately 360 degrees · CPC title