Granted Patent B1

US 7,879,055 · App. 10/875,061 · Granted Feb 1, 2011

Abstract

Claims (55)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first member including an inner wall defining a bore along a longitudinal central axis and a sharpened terminal end;

a second member operable to be placed in said bore defined by said inner wall, said second member having opposing surfaces formed in an outer wall that define an open slot therebetween, said open slot having an entrance opening and an exit opening, one of said entrance and exit openings being coaxial with said longitudinal central axis, wherein said open slot extends along and through said outer wall from said entrance opening to said exit opening;

a cutting area defined by at least a first portion of said first member including the sharpened terminal end or a first portion of said second member;

at least one of said first member or said second member is operable to move relative to the other of said first member or said second member;

wherein said first portion of said first member and said first portion of said second member are operable to form an interference at the cutting area upon moving at least one of said first member or said second member to cut a third member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first member defines said cutting area at an end of said first member.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said second member defines an interference area positionable near said cutting area.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said interference area is movable relative to said cutting area to form said interference.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:

an actuation mechanism;

wherein said actuation mechanism is operable to move said second member relative to said first member to form said interference by engaging said interference area with said cutting area.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said first member defines a slot such that said first member expands radially outwardly as said interference area of said second member engages said cutting area of said first member.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second member includes an expanded area extending from a portion of said second member operable to engage said cutting area defined by said first member.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein an interference area substantially includes a conical portion defined by said second member including at least a virtual apex defined within and away from a terminal end of said second member.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said sharpened terminal end of said first member includes a cutting edge and said second member includes an interference portion;

wherein the actuation includes movement of said first member toward the interference portion.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a length defining portion;

wherein said length defining portion is operable with said cutting area to select a length of the third member.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cutting area engages a portion of the third member at a first end of said open slot.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein a hooked portion is located on said second member at a transition between said open slot and said first end of said open slot, said hooked portion operable to assist in positioning said third member into said open slot.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said open slot terminates at a second end of said open slot in a recess defined at a distal end of said second member.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

an actuation mechanism including a handle portion and a trigger portion;

wherein said actuation mechanism is operable to be grasped by a user to move at least one of said handle portion or said trigger portion relative to the other of said handle portion or said trigger portion to move at least one of said first member or said second member.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first member or said second member are movable relative to the other of said first member or said second member in at least one of an axial manner, a rotational manner, a radial manner, or combinations thereof.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said opposing surfaces are fixed relative to each other.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a first member extending from a proximal end to a distal end and including an inner wall and an outer wall that collectively define a first bore and a second bore, the second bore being offset proximally from said distal end, said first bore communicating with a terminal end of said distal end;

a second member having a flexible shaft and a cutting head, said second member operable to move axially relative to said inner wall;

a cutting portion located on said cutting head; and

an interference portion defined by a portion of said inner wall, said interference portion extending at an acute angle relative to a longitudinal axis of said first member from said second bore to said first bore, said interference portion intersecting said longitudinal axis while said outer wall maintains a cylindrical profile along an entire length of said first member;

wherein said cutting portion is operable to slidably engage a portion of said interference portion at a location distally relative to said second bore during axial movement of said second member in said first member and wherein said flexible shaft flexes to accommodate slidable movement of said cutting portion along said interference portion.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said second member is substantially solid.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said cutting portion includes a cutting edge defined by said second member;

wherein said interference portion is operable to engage said cutting edge to define said cutting portion.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said interference portion includes a distal end defining a holding area.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising:

an actuation mechanism including a first member and a second member;

wherein actuation of said actuation mechanism is operable to move at least one of said first member and said second member relative to the other of said first member and said second member.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said first member is operable to move at least one of axially, radially, linearly, rotationally, or combinations thereof relative to said second member.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

a first member defining a longitudinal central axis and including an inner wall defining a passage, said first member defining a first slot that extends parallel with said longitudinal central axis and a secondary slot that connects with said first slot and that extends substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal central axis;

a second member moveable within said passage; and

a cutting region including:

an enlarged conical portion including an exterior wall defined by said second member that extends away from said longitudinal central axis;

an interference wall defined by said first member;

wherein said conical portion is operable to engage said interference wall to cut a third member and wherein said first and secondary slots cooperate to accommodate radial expansion of said first member while said first member resiliently flexes and said conical portion engages said interference wall.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the interference wall is a terminal end of said first member;

wherein said conical portion engages the interference wall of said first member on an exterior of said first member.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising:

an actuation mechanism including a handle portion and a trigger portion;

wherein at least the handle portion extends at an angle to said first member to substantially define a pistol grip;

wherein said actuation mechanism is operable to be grasped by a user to move at least one of said handle portion or said trigger portion relative to the other of said handle portion or said trigger portion to move at least one of said first member or said second member.

Assignments (9)