Patent EP0130784A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0130784A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Bone stapler
Assignee: 3M Co
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Filing: 1984-06-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-06-27
Abstract
Abstract A bone stapler including a housing in which a staple can be driven by a driver along a passageway from an inlet opening to an outlet opening by manual activation of a drive mechanism. A manually retractable blocking member is pro ided to prevent the driver from fully returning to engage another staple at the inlet opening after it has driven a first staple so that the drive mechanism can be manually activated an additional number of times to further impactthedriven staple. Also a staple cartridge is provided which, when removed from the stapler, insures that no staple can remain in the stapler, and the stapler will accept different parts that receive the cartridge and define the passageway so that staples of different sizes may be driven.
Inventors
- 👤 John H. C/O Minnesota Mining And Bent
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 17:03
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60K; B60K26/00; B60K26/02; A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/068; A61B17/0682; A61B17/064; A61B17/0642; A61B2017/00535; A61B2017/00544
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
357 words
A stapler adapted for use with generally U -shaped staples each comprising a central portion and two generally parallel leg portions projecting generally in the same direction from opposite ends of its central portion and having distal ends, said stapler comprising: a housing having a passageway extending from an inlet opening to an outlet opening, said passageway being adapted to guide a single staple moved from the inlet to the outlet opening with the distal ends of its legs leading; means for biasing a stack of staples into said inlet opening; a driver having an end portion adapted to engage the central portion of a said staple and being mounted on said housing for sliding movement between a load position with the driver spaced from the inlet opening to afford movement of one of the staples into the passageway, along said passageway through an intermediate position with said end portion pushing the staple, to an eject position at which the end portion of the plunger pushes the staple out said outlet opening and at which eject position the driver is stopped by said housing, said driver having a length along said passageway so that a portion thereof will be positioned adjacent said inlet opening during movement of said ram from said intermediate to said eject position to prevent movement of a second staple in said stack into said passageway through said inlet opening; and drive means adapted to be manually activatable for rapidly and forcefully propelling said driver along said passageway toward said eject position and for subsequently biasing said driver for movement from said eject position back to said load position; wherein said stapler is adapted for stapling bone and further includes blocking means for automatically preventing movement of said driver from said intermediate position to said load position after movement of said driver from said load position to said eject position so that with said driver in said load position, said drive means may be manually activated a first time to drive a staple to said outlet opening and may subsequently be manually activated an additional number of times to further impact that driven staple.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
357 words
A stapler adapted for use with generally U -shaped staples each comprising a central portion and two generally parallel leg portions projecting generally in the same direction from opposite ends of its central portion and having distal ends, said stapler comprising: a housing having a passageway extending from an inlet opening to an outlet opening, said passageway being adapted to guide a single staple moved from the inlet to the outlet opening with the distal ends of its legs leading; means for biasing a stack of staples into said inlet opening; a driver having an end portion adapted to engage the central portion of a said staple and being mounted on said housing for sliding movement between a load position with the driver spaced from the inlet opening to afford movement of one of the staples into the passageway, along said passageway through an intermediate position with said end portion pushing the staple, to an eject position at which the end portion of the plunger pushes the staple out said outlet opening and at which eject position the driver is stopped by said housing, said driver having a length along said passageway so that a portion thereof will be positioned adjacent said inlet opening during movement of said ram from said intermediate to said eject position to prevent movement of a second staple in said stack into said passageway through said inlet opening; and drive means adapted to be manually activatable for rapidly and forcefully propelling said driver along said passageway toward said eject position and for subsequently biasing said driver for movement from said eject position back to said load position; wherein said stapler is adapted for stapling bone and further includes blocking means for automatically preventing movement of said driver from said intermediate position to said load position after movement of said driver from said load position to said eject position so that with said driver in said load position, said drive means may be manually activated a first time to drive a staple to said outlet opening and may subsequently be manually activated an additional number of times to further impact that driven staple.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
A bone stapler according to claim 1 wherein said bone stapler further includes manually activated means for resetting said blocking means to allow return movement of said driver from said intermediate position to said load position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
A bone stapler according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said housing has outwardly projecting pointed projections flanking said outlet opening adapted to help position and stabilize portions of bone to be joined by a said staple.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
209 words
A bone stapler according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said means for biasing a stack of staples into said inlet opening comprises a cartridge received in said housing and including a case comprising guide wall means defining an inner surface and side walls projecting normal t o said inner surface, said side walls having opposed transverse openings at said inner surface and aligned with said passageway, and one of said side walls having a longitudinal slot disposed generally at a right angle to said transverse slots, said inner surface defining a portion of said passageway at said inlet opening, said driver being movable through said openings and along said inner surface between said load and eject positions, said stack of staples being within said case, and said cartridge further including a follower on the side of said stack of staples opposite said passageway and movable within said case with said stack of staples; means for releasably retaining said case in engagement with said housing; a pusher having one end portion pivotably mounted on said housing and having an opposite distal end portion projecting through said longitudinal slot and engaging said follower; and means for biasing the distal end portion of said pusher toward said guide wall means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
172 words
A bone stapler according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said:housing and driver both comprise first and second parts, said first part of said housing defining said inlet and outlet openings and carrying said biasing means, and said second part of said housing carrying said drive means; and said stapler includes manually operable engagement means adapted for releasable engagement to afford using first parts adapted for staples of different sizes with said second part, said engagement means comprising one of said parts of said driver having walls defining a socket and the other of said parts of said driver having a tip portion adapted to be inserted in said socket when said parts of said driver are rotated out of alignment and to engage within said walls when said parts of said driver are rotated into alignment; said parts of said housing being adapted to be relatively rotated to afford engagement of said driver parts, and means adapted for releasably latching said parts of said housing together in proper alignment.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
334 words
A cartridge adapted for use in a stapler of the type adapted for use with generally U-shaped staples each comprising a central portion and two generally parallel leg portions projecting generally in the same direction from opposite ends of its central portion and having distal ends, which stapler comprises a housing having a passageway extending from an inlet opening to an outlet opening, said passageway being adapted to guide a single staple moved from the inlet to the outlet opening with the distal ends of its legs leading; a driver having an end portion adapted to engage the central portion of said staple and being mounted on said housing for sliding movement between a load position with the driver spaced from the inlet opening to afford movement of one of the staples into the passageway, along said passageway with said end portion pushing the staple, to an eject position at which the end portion of the plunger pushes the staple out said outlet opening; and drive means adapted to be manually activatable for propelling said driver along said passageway from said load to said eject position to move said staple from said inlet to said outlet opening, said cartridge including a case comprising an end guide wall having an inner surface and side walls projecting normal to said inner surface and adapted to be received in the housing of a said stapler; a stack of staples within said case; and means on said case adapted for indexing said case on the stapler and for being releasably engaged by co-operating means on the stapler, wherein said side walls have opposed transverse slots at said inner surface adapted to be aligned with the passageway. in the stapler, said guide wall being adapted to define a portion of the passageway at said inlet open- in g in the stapler, and said transverse slots afford movement of the driver through the transverse slots and along the inner surface of said end wall between said load and eject positions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
334 words
A cartridge adapted for use in a stapler of the type adapted for use with generally U-shaped staples each comprising a central portion and two generally parallel leg portions projecting generally in the same direction from opposite ends of its central portion and having distal ends, which stapler comprises a housing having a passageway extending from an inlet opening to an outlet opening, said passageway being adapted to guide a single staple moved from the inlet to the outlet opening with the distal ends of its legs leading; a driver having an end portion adapted to engage the central portion of said staple and being mounted on said housing for sliding movement between a load position with the driver spaced from the inlet opening to afford movement of one of the staples into the passageway, along said passageway with said end portion pushing the staple, to an eject position at which the end portion of the plunger pushes the staple out said outlet opening; and drive means adapted to be manually activatable for propelling said driver along said passageway from said load to said eject position to move said staple from said inlet to said outlet opening, said cartridge including a case comprising an end guide wall having an inner surface and side walls projecting normal to said inner surface and adapted to be received in the housing of a said stapler; a stack of staples within said case; and means on said case adapted for indexing said case on the stapler and for being releasably engaged by co-operating means on the stapler, wherein said side walls have opposed transverse slots at said inner surface adapted to be aligned with the passageway. in the stapler, said guide wall being adapted to define a portion of the passageway at said inlet open- in g in the stapler, and said transverse slots afford movement of the driver through the transverse slots and along the inner surface of said end wall between said load and eject positions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
A cartridge according to claim 6 including .a follower on the side of said stack of staples opposite said transverse slots and movable within said case with said stack of staples.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
55 words
A cartridge according to claim 6 or 7, wherein at least one of said side walls has a longitudinal slot disposed generally at a right angle to said transverse slots, said longitudinal slot being adopted to receive a portion of means on a said stapler for biasing said stack of staples toward said end wall.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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