Self-retaining screwdriver with engaging tip feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11325231-B2
Application number	US-201916692070-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2019
Priority date	Nov 22, 2019
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

A screwdriver assembly includes a screwdriver shaft and an insert. The screwdriver shaft extends longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end and having a longitudinal channel extending therethrough. The insert has a longitudinal shaft received within the longitudinal channel and a distal end extending distally relative to the distal end of the screwdriver shaft. The insert shaft is rotatable relative to the screwdriver shaft. The distal end of the insert is sized and shaped to engage a head of a screw. The distal end of the insert is disengaged from the screw head by rotating the insert relative to the screwdriver shaft.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A screwdriver assembly, comprising:
a screwdriver shaft extending longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end and having a longitudinal channel extending therethrough;
an insert having a longitudinal shaft received within the longitudinal channel and a distal end extending distally relative to the distal end of the screwdriver shaft, the insert shaft being rotatable relative to the screwdriver shaft, the distal end of the insert being sized and shaped to engage a head of a screw, the distal end of the insert being disengaged from the screw head by rotating the insert relative to the screwdriver shaft.

2. The screwdriver assembly of claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the insert is a deformable tip, a cross-section of the deformable tip being larger than a cross-section of the longitudinal shaft of the insert.

3. The screwdriver assembly of claim 2 , wherein the deformable tip has a slot facilitating compression of the deformable tip until a cross-section thereof is at least as small as the cross-section of the longitudinal shaft of the insert.

4. The screwdriver assembly of claim 1 , wherein the head of the screw further comprises a cavity, the cavity having a proximal-most portion, an intermediate portion, and a distal-most portion.

5. The screwdriver assembly of claim 4 , wherein the proximal-most portion of the cavity is sized and shaped to receive the distal end of the insert, the intermediate portion of the cavity is sized and shaped to receive the longitudinal shaft of the insert, and the distal-most portion of the cavity is sized and shaped to receive the distal end of the screwdriver.

6. The screwdriver assembly of claim 4 , further comprising:
a snap lock between the distal end of the insert and the intermediate portion of the cavity to temporarily prevent extraction of the screwdriver from the screw.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first threaded portion on a proximal portion of the longitudinal channel of the screwdriver; and
a second threaded portion on a proximal portion of the longitudinal shaft of the insert,
wherein the first threaded portion is complementary to the second threaded portion.

8. The screwdriver assembly of claim 1 , wherein the head of the screw further comprises:
a proximal recessed portion sized and shaped to receive the distal end of the insert; and
a distal recessed portion sized and shaped to receive the distal end of the screwdriver.

9. The screwdriver assembly of claim 8 , wherein the distal end of the screwdriver has a hexagonal shaped cross-section, the cross-section corresponding to a plurality of ridges in the proximal recessed portion.

10. A screwdriver assembly, comprising:
a sleeve with a ridged proximal end and an internally threaded distal end;
a screwdriver having a distal end engageable with the ridged proximal end of the sleeve; and
a screw with an externally threaded head engageable with the distal end of the sleeve, rotation of the assembly inserting the screw into a target hole while the sleeve remains external to the target hole, the rotation of the assembly unthreading the sleeve from the screw so that, when the screw is disengaged from the sleeve, the sleeve remains engaged with the screwdriver and is withdrawn therewith.

11. The screwdriver assembly of claim 10 , wherein the sleeve is formed from a flexible material that may elastically deform from an applied force.

12. The screwdriver assembly of claim 10 , wherein the screw has a threading extending from a distal end of the threaded head to a distal end of the screw, wherein a length of the externally threaded head corresponds to a length of the threading on the screw.

13. A screwdriver assembly, comprising:
a screwdriver shaft and a screw being formed as a unified piece having an interface therebetween, the interface having a reduced diameter relative to the shaft and the screw; and
a sleeve coupled to the screwdriver shaft at a handle, the screwdriver shaft being rotatable relative to the sleeve to insert the screw into a target hole, the sleeve remaining external to the target hole, rotation of the screwdriver stressing the interface so that the interface breaks when the screw has been inserted into the target hole to a target depth.

14. The screwdriver assembly of claim 13 , wherein the sleeve is removably coupleable to the handle, at least one of the sleeve and the handle being reusable.

15. The screwdriver assembly of claim 13 , wherein the interface has a shape that creates a stress riser to initiate the interface break between the screw and the shaft.

16. A method, comprising:
inserting a distal end of a screw an initial distance into a target hole in bone, a head of the screw being releasably coupled to a screwdriver, the screwdriver being releasably coupled to a sleeve;
rotating the screwdriver until a distal end of the sleeve engages a surface of the bone surrounding the target hole, preventing the sleeve from rotating with the screw;
advancing the screw distally into the target hole until the screw is completely countersunk into the target hole, disengaging the sleeve from the screw;
interference between the bone and the sleeve prevents rotation of the sleeve until the screwdriver disengages from the screw; and
withdrawing the screwdriver and the sleeve from the bone.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein a breakable interface connects a distal end of the screwdriver to the head of the screw, further comprising disengaging the screwdriver from the screw by breaking the interface.

18. A method, comprising:
inserting a rotatable insert into a channel extending longitudinally through a screwdriver, a distal end of the insert extending past a distal end of the screwdriver;
advancing the distal end of the insert and the distal end of the screwdriver into a head of a screw;
inserting a distal end of the screw an initial distance into a target hole in bone;
rotating the insert relative to the screwdriver to advance the screw distally into the target hole;
disengaging the distal end of the screwdriver and the distal end of the insert from the screw; and
withdrawing the screwdriver and the insert from the bone.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the insert remains in a fixed position relative to the screw when the insert is rotated relative to the screwdriver.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
rotating the insert a predetermined amount in a first direction to prevent separation of the screwdriver and the screw;
advancing the screw distally by rotating the screwdriver; and
rotating the insert the predetermined amount in a second direction, the second direction being opposite of the first direction, to allow separation of the screwdriver from the screw.

Assignees

• Depuy Synthes Products Inc

Inventors

• Spreiter Gregor
• Schumacher Yvonne
• Scherrer Simon
• Défossez Henri
• Mcmanus Joshua

Classifications

• B25B23/105

  the gripping device being an integral part of the driving bit · CPC title

• B25B23/10

  using mechanical gripping means · CPC title

• A61B17/8888

  at its central region · CPC title

• A61B17/8891

  at its periphery · CPC title

• A61B17/8615

  at the central region of the screw head · CPC title