Locking apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11478263-B2
Application number	US-201917420083-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2019
Priority date	Dec 31, 2018
Publication date	Oct 25, 2022
Grant date	Oct 25, 2022

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a locking apparatus, and more particularly, to a locking apparatus with improved locking performance as a locking unit is stuck between different members capable of moving relative to each other and in which locking is released as an unlocking unit pushes the locking unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A locking apparatus comprising:
a first body part;
a second body part capable of a relative movement with respect to the first body part;
a locking unit capable of moving within an interval between the first body part and the second body part and simultaneously contacting the first body part and the second body part; and
an unlocking unit disposed on a movement path of the locking unit and capable of pushing the locking unit in a direction away from the first body part or the second body part,
wherein, when the locking unit simultaneously contacts the first body part and the second body part, a movement of the second body part with respect to the first body part in at least one direction is prevented,
wherein the interval between the first body part and the second body part decreases in any one direction in a section where the first body part and the second body part face each other,
wherein, when the locking unit simultaneously contacts the first body part and the second body part in the section, the second body part is prevented from moving in a direction in which the interval with the first body part decreases, and
wherein the locking unit comprises a locking main body part, and the locking main body part comprises:
a contact part disposed between the first body part and the second body part; and
an elastic member connected to the first body part, having an elastic restoring force, and pushing the contact part in the direction in which the interval between the first body part and the second body part decreases.

2. The locking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the unlocking unit pushes the locking unit in a direction in which the interval between one side of the first body part and one side of the second body part, which face each other, in the section increases, so as to enable a relative movement between the first body part and the second body part, which is prevented by the locking unit.

3. The locking apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second body part is disposed inside the first body part, and one side of the second body part which faces the first body part forms the interval with the first body part decreasing in one direction, and the other side facing the one side contacts the first body part.

4. The locking apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the second body part is flat and is movable inside the first body part.

5. The locking apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the first body part extends to be symmetric toward both sides with respect to a center portion thereof,
the locking unit comprises a plurality of locking units and is disposed at both sides of the center portion of the first body part,
the unlocking unit comprises a plurality of unlocking units corresponding to the plurality of locking units and is capable of pushing the plurality of locking units, and
when the plurality of locking units simultaneously contact the first body part and the second body part, the first body part and the second body part are prevented from moving in two directions.

6. The locking apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second body part is disposed inside the first body part, and the interval between inner circumferential surfaces of the first body part facing the second body part decreases in one direction.

7. The locking apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second body part is flat, and the first body part is symmetrically formed with respect to a movement axis of the second body part as an axis of symmetry.

8. The locking apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the locking unit and the unlocking unit respectively comprise a plurality of locking units and a plurality of unlocking units, which are disposed at both sides with respect to a movement axis of the second body part as an axis of symmetry.

9. The locking apparatus of claim 8 , wherein
the first body part extends to be symmetric toward both sides with respect to a center portion thereof,
the plurality of locking units are disposed at both sides with respect to the center portion of the first body part,
the plurality of unlocking units corresponding to the plurality of locking units are capable of pushing the plurality of locking units, and
when the plurality of locking units simultaneously contact the first body part and the second body part, the first body part and the second body part are prevented from moving in both directions.

10. The locking apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second body part is coaxial with the first body part and rotatably disposed outside the first body part.

11. The locking apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second body part has a hollow, and the first body part is disposed inside the second body part.

12. The locking apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second body part is rotatable clockwise or counterclockwise.

13. The locking apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the interval between the first body part and the second body part, which face each other, decreases in one of clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

14. The locking apparatus of claim 13 , wherein
the locking unit comprises a plurality of locking units in a movement direction of the second body part, and
the unlocking unit comprises a plurality of unlocking units corresponding to the plurality of locking units.

15. The locking apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the interval between the first body part and the second body part decreases in one of clockwise and counterclockwise directions in at least one section where the first body part and the second body part face each other, and decreases in a direction different from the direction of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions in at least other section where the first body part and the second body part face each other.

16. The locking apparatus of claim 15 , wherein
the one section and the other section each comprise a plurality of sections between the first body part and the second body part,
the locking unit comprises a plurality of locking units corresponding to a plurality of the one sections and the other sections, and
the unlocking unit comprises a plurality of unlocking units corresponding to the plurality of locking units.

17. The locking apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the locking unit comprises:
a first locking unit capable of moving in the at least one section; and
a second locking unit capable of moving in the at least other section, and,
when the first locking unit and second locking unit simultaneously contact the first body part and the second body part, the second body part is prevented from rotating in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

18. The locking apparatus of claim 17 , wherein each of the first locking unit and the second locking unit is provided in one pair to be origin-symmetric with respect to a rotation center of the second body part as the origin.

19. The locking apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the unlocking unit is coaxial with the first body part and the second body part and is capable of rotating clockwise or counterclockwise around the co-axis as a rotation axis.

20. The locking apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the unlocking unit comprises:
a first unlocking unit capable of pushing the first locking unit; and
a second unlocking unit rotating in a direction opposite to a rotational direction of the first unlocking unit and capable of pushing the second locking unit.

21. The locking apparatus of claim 20 , wherein each of the first and second unlocking unit comprises an unlocking main body disposed on the movement path of

Assignees

• Livsmed Inc

Inventors

• Lee Jung Joo
• Lee Dong Wook
• Kim Hee Jin

Classifications

• A61B2017/00367

  Details of actuation of instruments, e.g. relations between pushing buttons, or the like, and activation of the tool, working tip, or the like · CPC title

• A61B17/2909 Primary

  Handles · CPC title

• A61B17/00234 Primary

  for minimally invasive surgery (A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B17/2833 Primary

  Locking means · CPC title

• A61B2017/2929

  with a head rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft · CPC title