US 11,864,759 B2
Articulated stapling with fire lock
Justin Williams, Southbury, CT (US)
Assigned to Covidien LP, Mansfield, MA (US)
Filed by Covidien LP, Mansfield, MA (US)
Filed on Nov. 30, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/106,357.
Application 17/106,357 is a continuation of application No. 16/014,000, filed on Jun. 21, 2018, granted, now 10,849,622.
Prior Publication US 2021/0077102 A1, Mar. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 17/072 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/07207 (2013.01) [A61B 17/00234 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00477 (2013.01); A61B 2017/07257 (2013.01); A61B 2017/07271 (2013.01); A61B 2017/07285 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A loading unit for a surgical apparatus comprising:
a shaft assembly;
an end effector extending from the shaft assembly;
an articulation rod positioned to articulate the end effector relative to the shaft assembly between an unarticulated position and an articulated position;
a pivot guide that has a distal end portion pivotally coupled to a proximal end portion of the end effector and having an arcuate inner surface and a curved outer surface, the curved outer surface maintaining the pivot guide in position to guide a beam assembly along a predetermined path when the end effector is in the articulated position; and
a fire lock assembly movable in response to movement of the articulation rod, the fire lock assembly including a spring and a fire lock, the spring configured to urge the fire lock toward a first position to selectively prevent the beam assembly from advancing through the end effector for preventing the end effector from firing.