US4593679A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Connector device for an endoscope
Assignee: Warner Lambert Technologies Inc
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Filing: 1985-02-04
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Granted: 1986-06-10
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Expires: 2005-02-04
Abstract
Abstract An endoscope has a handle portion and a separate shaft portion which can be joined to the handle portion. The shaft portion has a flexible shaft flexing movement of which is controlled by knobs on the handle portion, and this motion is transmitted across the handle/shaft interface by meshing gearwheels. Each tooth of each gearwheel has a crown shaped so as to have a central ridge between sloping sides which facilitate interengagement of the gearwheels when the latter are brought into crown-to-crown engagement in a non-rotating condition.
Inventors
- 👤 Ian P. Collins
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 18:48
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B1/00; A61B1/005; A61B1/0051; A61B1/0052; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T74/00; Y10T74/19; Y10T74/19219; Y10T74/19358; Y10T74/19949; Y10T74/19963; Y10T74/19972
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
154 words
An endoscope having a shaft, a handle separable from the shaft and a mechanism for transmitting motion from the handle to the shaft, the mechanism comprising two rotatable gearwheels which are respectively rotatably mounted in the handle and shaft and which are capable of being taken into and out of engagement by relative movement of the handle and shaft, wherein each gearwheel has teeth each of which has a crown shaped so as to have a central ridge positioned between sloping sides which extend from the ridge to the corresponding face of the tooth, the sloping sides of the crowns facilitating interengagement of the gearwheels when the latter are brought into crown-to-crown engagement in a non-rotating condition, said crown sides being planar, the minimum angle of inclination (to a notional planar crown) being a function of the coefficient of friction of the material of the gearwheels, said minimum angle ranging between 20° and 30°.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
154 words
An endoscope having a shaft, a handle separable from the shaft and a mechanism for transmitting motion from the handle to the shaft, the mechanism comprising two rotatable gearwheels which are respectively rotatably mounted in the handle and shaft and which are capable of being taken into and out of engagement by relative movement of the handle and shaft, wherein each gearwheel has teeth each of which has a crown shaped so as to have a central ridge positioned between sloping sides which extend from the ridge to the corresponding face of the tooth, the sloping sides of the crowns facilitating interengagement of the gearwheels when the latter are brought into crown-to-crown engagement in a non-rotating condition, said crown sides being planar, the minimum angle of inclination (to a notional planar crown) being a function of the coefficient of friction of the material of the gearwheels, said minimum angle ranging between 20° and 30°.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
An endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the gearwheels are fabricated of acetal and said minimum angle is 25°.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
An endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the handle has a pair of gearwheels and the shaft has a pair of gearwheels respectively engaged with the pair of gearwheels of the handle, the two pairs of gearwheels providing for controlled flexing of the shaft in two mutually orthogonal planes.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US1481720A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-06-09 | 1989-12-09 | 1990-06-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-06-09 | 1993-12-09 | 1994-06-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-06-09 | 1997-12-09 | 1998-06-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |