Bias device for biasing a gripping device including a central body and shuttles on the working arms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11298801-B2
Application number	US-201715801583-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2017
Priority date	Nov 2, 2017
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

A device comprising: (a) a first working arm; (b) a body; (c) a shuttle, and (d) a bias device; wherein the bias device biases the first working arm relative to the body when the shuttle is in a first position, and wherein the bias device is free of biasing the first working arm relative to the body when the shuttle is in a second position.

First claim

We claim:

1. A device having a longitudinal axis comprising:
a. a first working arm;
b. a body;
c. a shuttle movable between at least a first position and a second position along the longitudinal axis; and
d. a bias device including a biasing surface;
wherein the bias device biases the first working arm outward relative to the body when the shuttle is in the first position by physical contact between the biasing surface and the shuttle, the physical contact caused by movement of the shuttle from the second position to the first position along the longitudinal axis; and
wherein the bias device is free of biasing the first working arm outward relative to the body when the shuttle is in the second position, the biasing surface of the bias device being free of physical contact with the shuttle in the second position.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device includes a second working arm.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the bias device biases the first working arm away from the body when the shuttle is in the first position.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the shuttle is located on the first working arm.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the first working arm includes one or more deactivation features.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the shuttle covers at least one of the one or more deactivation features when the shuttle is in the first position.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the one or more deactivation features are exposed when the shuttle is in the second position.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the bias device extends into the at least one of the one or more deactivation features that are exposed so that the first working arm is free of biasing when the shuttle is in the second position.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the biasing surface of the bias device contacts the shuttle when the shuttle is in the first position.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein a gap is located between the bias device and the shuttle or the bias device and the first working arm when the shuttle is in the second position so that the bias device is prevented from biasing the first working arm.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device includes one or more deactivation features that are located in the shuttle.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the shuttle covers at least one of the one or more deactivation features when the shuttle is in the first position, and at least one of the one or more deactivation features are exposed by the shuttle when the shuttle is in the second position.

13. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a second working arm, wherein the shuttle is a first shuttle portion that is located on the first working arm and a second shuttle portion that is located on the second working arm.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the bias device is located on the first shuttle portion, the second shuttle portion, the body, the first working arm, the second working arm, or a combination thereof.

15. The device of claim 13 , wherein the first working arm, the second working arm, the body, the first shuttle portion, the second shuttle portion, or a combination thereof include one or more deactivation features.

16. The device of claim 13 , wherein the first shuttle portion covers one or more deactivation features in the first working arm, misaligns one or more deactivation features in the first shuttle portion with the bias device, or misaligns one or more deactivation features in the body with the bias device when the first shuttle portion is in the first position; the second shuttle portion covers one or more deactivation features in the second working arm, misaligns one or more deactivation features in the second shuttle portion with the bias device, or misaligns one or more deactivation features in the body with the bias device when the second shuttle portion is in the first position; or both.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the bias device extends into the one or more deactivation features when the first shuttle portion, the second shuttle portion, or both are located in the second position.

18. A device comprising:
a. a first working arm;
b. a second working arm;
c. a body;
d. a shuttle; and
e. a bias device;
wherein the bias device biases the first working arm relative to the body when the shuttle is in a first position,
wherein the bias device is free of biasing the first working arm relative to the body when the shuttle is in a second position, and
wherein the shuttle is located on the first working arm and the second working arm is free of a shuttle so that the first working arm is biased when the shuttle is in the first position and the second working arm is freely movable.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the shuttle is longitudinally movable or rotationally movable.

20. A device comprising:
a. a first working arm;
b. a body;
c. a shuttle located on the first working arm; and
d. a bias device extending from the body and comprising an elastically deformable element;
wherein the first working arm includes one or more deactivation features operable to deactivate the bias device;
wherein the bias device biases the first working arm relative to the body when the shuttle is in a first position, the bias device in physical contact with the first working arm or the shuttle in the first position; and
wherein the bias device is free of biasing the first working arm relative to the body when the shuttle is in a second position and the bias device is deactivated, the bias device being free of physical contact with the first working arm or the shuttle in the second position.

21. The device of claim 20 , wherein when the shuttle is in the second position a gap is formed between the bias device and the first working arm or the bias device and the shuttle to prevent the bias device from biasing the first working arm.

Assignees

• Gyrus Acmi Inc

Inventors

• Batchelor Kester J
• Moe Riyad

Classifications

• A61B18/1445

  at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod · CPC title

• B25B7/08

  with fixed fulcrum · CPC title

• A61B2018/1462

  Tweezers · CPC title

• A61B18/1447

  wherein sliding surfaces cause opening/closing of the end effectors · CPC title

• B25B7/18 Primary

  Adjusting means for the operating arms · CPC title