Articulatable surgical instrument system

1. A surgical instrument assembly, comprising:

a shaft comprising a first drive portion of a drive system;

an end effector comprising a second drive portion of said drive system; and

an articulation joint rotatably connecting said end effector to said shaft, wherein said end effector is rotatable between a first position comprising an unarticulated position and a second position comprising an articulated position about said articulation joint, wherein said first drive portion and said second drive portion are operably engageable and disengageable with each other as a result of the articulation of said end effector between said unarticulated position and said articulated position, wherein said first drive portion is separated from and not operably engaged with said second drive portion when said end effector is in said unarticulated position, and wherein said first drive portion is operably engaged with said second drive portion when said end effector is in said articulated position.

2. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 1 , wherein said second articulated position comprises a fully articulated position.

3. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 1 , wherein said shaft comprises a longitudinal shaft axis, wherein said end effector comprises a longitudinal end effector axis, wherein said shaft axis and said end effector axis are aligned when said end effector is in said unarticulated position, and wherein said end effector axis is orthogonal to said shaft axis when said end effector is in said articulated position.

4. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 1 , wherein said end effector further comprises a staple cartridge including a cartridge body and a plurality of staples removably stored in said cartridge body, wherein said drive system comprises a firing drive configured to eject said staples from said staple cartridge.

5. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 4 , wherein said end effector further comprises:

an anvil movable relative to said staple cartridge; and

a closure drive configured to move said anvil between an open position and a closed position, wherein said closure drive comprises a motor positioned on said end effector.

6. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 1 , wherein said end effector further comprises:

a staple cartridge including a cartridge body and a plurality of staples removably stored in said cartridge body; and

an anvil movable relative to said staple cartridge, wherein said drive system is a closure drive configured to move said anvil between an open position and a closed position.

7. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 6 , wherein said end effector further comprises a firing drive configured to eject said staples from said staple cartridge, and wherein said firing drive comprises a motor positioned on said end effector.

8. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first drive portion comprises a first rotatable shaft and a first bevel gear mounted to said first rotatable shaft, wherein said second drive portion comprises a second rotatable shaft and a second bevel gear mounted to said second rotatable shaft, wherein said first bevel gear is not meshed with said second bevel gear when said end effector is in said first unarticulated position, and wherein said first bevel gear is meshed with said second bevel gear when said end effector is in said second articulated position.

9. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 1 , wherein said end effector is rotatable about an articulation axis, wherein said end effector further comprises:

a staple cartridge including a cartridge body and a plurality of staples removably stored in said cartridge body; and

an anvil movable relative to said staple cartridge, wherein said anvil is rotatable about a closure axis, and wherein said closure axis is parallel to said articulation axis.

10. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 1 , wherein said end effector is rotatable in an articulation plane, wherein said end effector further comprises:

a staple cartridge including a cartridge body and a plurality of staples removably stored in said cartridge body; and

an anvil movable relative to said staple cartridge, wherein said anvil is rotatable within a closure plane, and wherein said closure plane is co-planar with said articulation plane.

11. A surgical instrument assembly, comprising:

a shaft, comprising:

a proximal shaft end;

a distal shaft end; and

a longitudinal shaft axis extending between said proximal shaft end and said distal shaft end;

an end effector, comprising:

a first jaw;

a second jaw, wherein said first jaw is movable relative to said second jaw between an open position and a closed position about a closure axis, wherein said closure axis is transverse to said shaft axis;

an articulation joint rotatably connecting said end effector to said distal shaft end of said shaft, wherein said end effector is rotatable about an articulation axis, wherein said articulation axis is parallel to said closure axis, and wherein said closure axis is distal to said articulation axis.

12. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 11 , wherein said shaft comprises a first drive portion of a drive system, wherein said end effector comprises a second drive portion of said drive system, wherein said end effector is rotatable about said articulation joint between a first position and a second position, wherein said first drive portion is not operably engaged with said second drive portion when said end effector is in said first position, and wherein said first drive portion is operably engaged with said second drive portion when said end effector is in said second position.

13. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 12 , wherein said first position of said end effector comprises an unarticulated position and said second position comprises an articulated position.

14. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 13 , wherein said second position comprises a fully articulated position.

15. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 13 , wherein said end effector comprises a longitudinal end effector axis, wherein said shaft axis and said end effector axis are aligned when said end effector is in said unarticulated position, and wherein said end effector axis is orthogonal to said shaft axis when said end effector is in said articulated position.

16. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 12 , wherein said end effector further comprises a staple cartridge including a cartridge body and a plurality of staples removably stored in said cartridge body, wherein said drive system comprises a firing drive configured to eject said staples from said staple cartridge.

17. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 16 , wherein said end effector further comprises a closure drive configured to move said first jaw between said open position and said closed position, wherein said closure drive comprises a motor positioned on said end effector.

18. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 12 , wherein said first drive portion comprises a first rotatable shaft and a first bevel gear mounted to said first rotatable shaft, wherein said second drive portion comprises a second rotatable shaft and a second bevel gear mounted to said second rotatable shaft, wherein said first bevel gear is not meshed with said second bevel gear when said end effector is in said first position, and wherein said first bevel gear is meshed with said second bevel gear when said end effector is in said second position.

19. A surgical instrument assembly, comprising:

a shaft;

an end effector, comprising:

a first jaw; and

a second jaw, wherein said first jaw is movable relative to said second jaw between an open position and a closed position within a closure plane, and wherein said first jaw is movable relative to said second jaw about a closure axis; and

an articulation joint rotatably connecting said end effector to said shaft, wherein said end effector is rotatable within an articulation plane, wherein said closure axis is distal to said articulation joint, and wherein said articulation plane is co-planar with said closure plane.