Moving locking connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016101509-A1
Application number	US-201514970278-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 15, 2015
Priority date	Jun 19, 2013
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A twisting sleeve or collar which is cylindrical and has an elongated guide or channel fluidly connecting the outer annular wall with the inner annular wall of the sleeve is disclosed. A connector having at least one open end and an elongated slot with a floor and a pin guide through the floor is further disclosed. The pin guide is open to the inside of the connector. Between the sleeve and the slot is a pin, having a pin head visible through the elongated guide, and two opposing soring arms of a size and shape to fit in said slot, and a pin body which movably fits inside pin guide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A locking tool-mounting connector, comprising:
an elongated connector ( 20 ) with an open end ( 24 ) forming a tool guide ( 26 ) a slot ( 25 ) and a pin guide ( 27 ) extending into the open end; a movable sleeve ( 500 ) having a L shaped pin catch guide ( 600 ); and, a movable pin assembly ( 30 ) having a pin head ( 38 ), a first curved spring arm ( 32 ) and a second curved spring arm ( 34 ) extending therefrom, a pin body ( 36 ) having a distal end ( 37 ); and, wherein the arms are asymmetrical, with one arm above the other arm.

2 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the pin body sits movably in the pin guide.

3 . The connector of claim 2 further comprising a tool shaft ( 102 ) with retention fixture ( 100 ) inserted into the tool guide.

4 . The connector of claim 2 , wherein the L shaped pin catch guide has a first catch region ( 602 ) and a second catch region ( 604 ) and a corner ( 605 ).

5 . The connector of claim 4 , wherein the two regions remain fluidly connected.

6 . The connector of claim 5 , wherein the pin head is a guide which extends above the spring arms and is a size and shape to fit in the L shaped pin catch and allow the sleeve to move along the first catch region, the corner and the second catch region.

7 . The connector of claim 3 wherein:
the first spring arm further comprises:
a curved member ( 210 ) with a proximal end ( 201 ) and a distal end ( 202 );
wherein the proximal end is affixed to the pin assembly;
wherein the distal end is unaffixed and oriented below the height of the proximal end on the pin assembly; and, whereby the sleeve sliding over the curved member compresses the spring arm against the floor ( 28 ) of the slot thereby pushing the distal end of the pin into the open tool guide.

8 . The connector of claim 3 wherein:
the second spring arm further comprises:
a curved member ( 200 ) with a proximal end ( 211 ) and a distal end ( 212 );
wherein the proximal end is affixed to the pin assembly;
wherein the distal end is unaffixed and oriented below the height of the proximal end on the pin assembly; and, whereby the sleeve sliding over the curved member compresses the spring arm against the floor not pushing the distal end of the pin into the open tool guide.

9 . The connector of claim 2 , wherein the distal end of the pin ( 37 ) is curved.

10 . The connector of claim 4 , wherein the sleeve can be rotated around the connector thereby moving the pin head from the corner to the second catch region.

11 . A method of reversibly affixing a shaft to a connector, the method comprising:
placing a pin of a pin assembly in an L shaped catch within an elongated connector; placing a movable sleeve having pin catch guide over the pin assembly and the elongated connector whereby the pin head is visible through the pin catch; inserting a tool shaft with a retention fixture into the open end of the elongated connector; and, sliding the sleeve along the connector whereby the movable sleeve compresses the two spring arms of the pin assembly and urges the distal end of the pin through the guide into the retention fixture.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the pin catch is fluidly connected first catch region and second catch region.

13 . The method claim 12 , wherein the pin head is a guide which extends into the L shaped pin catch and is a size and shape to allow the sleeve to slide and rotate around it.

14 . The method of claim 11 , the method further comprising forming the spring arms opposite one another on the pin body.

15 . The method of claim 14 , the method further comprising forming one spring arm nearer to the pin head then the other spring arm whereby the spring arm near the pin head, when compressed, will urge the distal end of the pin into the retention fixture.

16 . The method of claim 14 , the method further comprising forming one spring arm further from the pin head then the other spring arm whereby the spring arm further from the pin head, when compressed, will not urge the distal end of the pin into the retention fixture.

17 . The method of claim 13 , the method further comprising:
sliding the sleeve axially along the connector whereby the pin head moves from a first position ( 701 ) in the first catch region to the second position ( 702 ) near the corner thereby compressing the spring arm and moving the distal end in the retention fixture; and, wherein rotating the sleeve from the second position to a third position ( 703 ) places the pin head in the second catch region thereby preventing the release of the retention fixture by limiting the sleeve movement around the pin head back to the first catch region without first rotating the sleeve along the connector.

Assignees

• Eca Medical Instr

Inventors

• Nino John
• Ivinson David

Classifications

• B23B31/1072

  Retention by axially or circumferentially oriented cylindrical elements (cylindrical elements acting as jaws B23B31/223) · CPC title

• B25B23/0035 Primary

  Connection means between socket or screwdriver bit and tool · CPC title

• B23B31/1074

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B25G3/12

  Locking and securing devices · CPC title

• B23B2231/46

  Pins · CPC title