Compact cable tension tender device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9850994-B2
Application number	US-76679410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2010
Priority date	Oct 12, 2006
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

A compact cable tension tender device includes first and second pulleys rotatably coupled to a drive shaft. First and second plates are fixed to the drive shaft. Drive stops on the plates engage and rotate the pulleys when the drive shaft is rotated. A resilient coupler urges the first and second pulleys to rotate away from engagement with the drive stops. Cables are coupled to the pulleys and adjusted to be in tension such that the first and second pulleys both engage the drive stops at the same time. The engagement of both pulleys with the drive stops at the same time minimizes lost motion when reversing the rotation of the drive shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tension tender device comprising:
a drive shaft;
a first plate fixedly coupled to the drive shaft and including a first drive stop;
a first pulley rotatably coupled to the drive shaft, the first pulley including a first recess that receives the first plate;
a first cable coupled to the first pulley, the first cable rotating the first pulley in a first direction when the first cable is in tension and thereby causing the first recess in the first pulley to engage the first drive stop; and
a resilient coupler coupled to the first pulley, the resilient coupler to urge the first pulley to rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction whenever the first cable is not in tension.

2. The tension tender device of claim 1 wherein the first drive stop is a surface on the periphery of the first plate that is parallel to an axis of rotation of the drive shaft.

3. The tension tender device of claim 1 further comprising a motor coupled to the drive shaft, the motor to rotate the drive shaft in the second direction to cause the drive stop to positively rotate the first pulley in the second direction and wind in the first cable.

4. A tension tender device comprising:
a drive shaft;
a first plate fixedly coupled to the drive shaft and including a first drive stop;
a first pulley rotatably coupled to the drive shaft, the first pulley including a first recess that receives the first plate;
a second plate fixedly coupled to the drive shaft and including a second drive stop;
a second pulley rotatably coupled to the drive shaft, the second pulley including a second recess that receives the second plate;
a first cable coupled to the first pulley, the first cable rotating the first pulley in a first direction when the first cable is in tension and thereby causing the first recess in the first pulley to engage the first drive stop;
a second cable coupled to the second pulley, the second cable rotating the second pulley in a second direction opposite the first direction when the second cable is in tension and thereby causing the second recess in the second pulley to engage the second drive stop independently of the first recess in the first pulley engaging the first drive stop; and
a resilient coupler coupled to the first and second pulleys, the resilient coupler urging the first pulley to rotate in the second direction whenever the first cable is not in tension and urging the second pulley to rotate in the first direction whenever the second cable is not in tension.

5. The tension tender device of claim 4 further comprising a motor coupled to the drive shaft, the motor to rotate the drive shaft in the second direction to cause the first drive stop to positively rotate the first pulley in the second direction and wind in the first cable and to rotate the drive shaft in the first direction to cause the second drive stop to positively rotate the second pulley in the first direction and wind in the second cable, wherein the engagement of the first pulley and the first drive stop together with the engagement of the second pulley and the second drive stop minimizes lost motion when reversing the rotation of the drive shaft.

6. The tension tender device of claim 4 wherein the first and second drive stops are surfaces on the periphery of the first and second plates that are parallel to the axis of rotation of the drive shaft.

7. The tension tender device of claim 4 wherein the first and second recesses face away from each other and the first and second plates rotatably couple the first and second pulleys to the drive shaft.

8. A tension tender device comprising:
a drive shaft;
a first drive stop fixedly coupled to the drive shaft;
a second drive stop fixedly coupled to the drive shaft;
a first pulley rotatably coupled to the drive shaft, the first pulley including a first stop surface that is fixed to the first pulley;
a second pulley rotatably coupled to the drive shaft, the second pulley including a second stop surface that is fixed to the second pulley;
a first cable coupled to the first pulley, the first cable rotating the first pulley in a first direction when the first cable is in tension and thereby causing the first stop surface of the first pulley to engage the first drive stop;
a second cable coupled to the second pulley, the second cable rotating the second pulley in a second direction when the second cable is in tension and thereby causing the second stop surface of the second pulley to engage the second drive stop independently of the first stop surface of the first pulley engaging the first drive stop; and
means for urging the first pulley to rotate in the second direction whenever the first cable is not in tension and for urging the second pulley to rotate in the first direction whenever the second cable is not in tension.

9. The tension tender device of claim 8 further comprising means for rotating the drive shaft in the second direction to positively rotate the first pulley in the second direction and wind in the first cable and for rotating the drive shaft in the first direction to cause the second drive stop to positively rotate the second pulley in the first direction and wind in the second cable, wherein the engagement of the first stop surface and the first drive stop together with the engagement of the second stop surface and the second drive stop minimizes lost motion when reversing the rotation of the drive shaft.

10. The tension tender device of claim 8 wherein the first drive stop and the second drive stop retain the first and second pulleys on the drive shaft.

11. A method of driving a cable loop, the method comprising:
coupling a first cable to a first pulley that includes a first stop surface that is fixed to the first pulley;
coupling a second cable to a second pulley that includes a second stop surface that is fixed to the second pulley;
adjusting the first cable to rotate the first pulley in a first direction and cause the first stop surface to engage a first drive stop fixed to a drive shaft;
adjusting the second cable to rotate the second pulley in a second direction opposite the first direction and cause the second stop surface to engage a second drive stop fixed to the drive shaft independently of the first stop surface engaging the first drive stop;
coupling the first pulley to the second pulley with a resilient coupler that urges the first pulley to rotate in the second direction whenever the first cable is not in tension and that urges the second pulley to rotate in the first direction whenever the second cable is not in tension;
rotating the drive shaft in the second direction to drive the cable loop by applying tension to the first cable; and
rotating the drive shaft in the first direction to drive the cable loop by applying tension to the second cable, wherein the engagement of the first stop surface and the first drive stop together with the engagement of the second stop surface and the second drive stop minimizes lost motion when reversing the rotation of the drive shaft.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein adjusting the first cable puts the first cable in tension and adjusting the second cable puts the second cable in tension.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the drive shaft, the first pulley, and the second pulley are rotated about a common axis.

Assignees

• Schena Bruce M
• Intuitive Surgical Operations

Inventors

• Schena Bruce M

Classifications

• F16H19/0672

  characterised by means for tensioning the flexible member · CPC title

• F16H19/06 Primary

  comprising {flexible members, e.g. an} endless flexible member · CPC title

• A61B2034/715

  Cable tensioning mechanisms for removing slack · CPC title

• A61B34/30

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• B25J9/1045

  comprising tensioning means · CPC title