Granted Patent B2

US 12,330,222 · App. 17/610,137 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

Inventor: Michael J. Milella (Thousand Oaks, CA)

Assignee: ECA Medical Instruments

B23B31/083B23B31/20B23B2231/58Y10T279/17179

Abstract

Claims (24)

1. A retention assembly for connecting a base to a tool having a shaft, the retention assembly comprising:

a shaft engagement socket defining a shaft receptacle configured to receive the shaft along an insertion axis;

a retainer configured to releasably secure the shaft to the shaft engagement socket, the retainer having a body that defines an opening extending therethrough, the opening being dimensioned to receive the shaft; and

at least one finger extending from the body of the retainer, the at least one finger defining a sliding surface and being configured to contact the shaft,

wherein the sliding surface of the at least one finger is configured to slidably contact a ramp on the shaft engagement socket;

wherein the retainer is configured to translate relative to the shaft engagement socket along the insertion axis, such that when the retainer is translated toward the shaft engagement socket, the sliding surface of the at least one finger slides along the ramp of the shaft engagement socket and causes the at least one finger to move away from the shaft, and when the retainer is translated away from the shaft engagement socket, the sliding surface of the at least one finger slides along the ramp and causes the at least one finger to move towards the shaft; and

wherein the retainer defines a guide configured to contact the shaft and to align the shaft to a permitted orientation, such that the shaft is precluded from moving through the retainer if the shaft is not in the permitted orientation.

2. The retention assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one finger further includes a protrusion between the sliding surface and the body of the retainer, the protrusion extending from the at least one finger towards the insertion axis and configured to be received within a notch on the shaft, such that when the protrusion is in the notch, the shaft is precluded from moving along the insertion axis.

3. The retention assembly of claim 2 , wherein the protrusion is triangular and the notch on the shaft is triangular.

4. The retention assembly of claim 2 , wherein the protrusion is arcuate and the notch on the shaft is arcuate.

5. The retention assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one finger is deformable such that when the retainer is translated towards the shaft engagement socket, the at least one finger deflects radially away from the insertion axis.

6. The retention assembly of claim 1 , wherein the retainer includes a plurality of fingers.

7. The retention assembly of claim 6 , wherein the retainer includes at least two fingers.

8. A retention assembly for connecting a base to a tool having a shaft, the retention assembly comprising:

a shaft engagement socket defining a shaft receptacle configure to receive the shaft along an insertion axis;

a retainer configured to releasably secure the shaft to the shaft engagement socket, the retainer having a body that defines an opening extending therethrough, the opening being dimensioned to receive the shaft; and

at least one finger extending from the body of the retainer, the at least one finger defining a sliding surface and being configured to contact the shaft,

wherein the sliding surface of the at least one finger is configured to slidably contact a ramp on the shaft engagement socket;

wherein the retainer is configured to translate relative to the shaft engagement socket along the insertion axis, such that when the retainer is translated toward the shaft engagement socket, the sliding surface of the at least one finger slides along the ramp of the shaft engagement socket and causes the at least one finger to move away from the shaft, and when the retainer is translated away from the shaft engagement socket, the sliding surface of the at least one finger slides along the ramp and causes the at least one finger to move towards the shaft;

wherein the retainer includes an outer wall extending from the body and a deformable clip disposed on the outer wall, the deformable clip being configured to slidably engage the shaft engagement socket to releasably secure the retainer to the shaft engagement socket; and

wherein the shaft engagement socket includes four walls, each wall being orthogonal to two adjacent walls, the four walls defining the shaft receptacle being configured to receive the shaft, wherein the proximal end of the shaft having a rectangular cross section and wherein the shaft engagement socket is configured to contact a locking surface on a socketing region of the shaft when the socketing region is in the shaft engagement socket, such that when the wall is in contact with the locking surface, rotational movement of the shaft around the insertion axis is precluded and wherein the socketing region is shaped to correspond to the cross-section of the shaft.

9. The retention assembly of claim 8 , wherein the body of the retainer includes a cutout between the at least one finger and the outer wall.

10. The retention assembly of claim 9 , wherein the body includes a plurality of cutouts between the at least one finger and the outer wall.

11. The retention assembly of claim 8 , wherein the shaft engagement socket defines a radial channel having a floor and a ceiling, the radial channel being configured to receive an attachment clip therein, the attachment clip being movable within the channel between the floor and the ceiling, such that the movement of the retainer towards the shaft engagement socket is confined by contact between the attachment clip and the ceiling, and movement away from the shaft engagement socket is confined by contact between the attachment clip and the floor.

Assignments (4)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (15)