US 12,330,222 B2
Shaft retention mechanism
Michael J. Milella, Thousand Oaks, CA (US)
Assigned to ECA Medical Instruments, Thousand Oaks, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/610,137
Filed by ECA MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS, Thousand Oaks, CA (US)
PCT Filed May 9, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/031622
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 9, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/226661, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 12, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0212321 A1, Jul. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. B23B 31/08 (2006.01); B23B 31/20 (2006.01)
CPC B23B 31/083 (2013.01) [B23B 31/20 (2013.01); B23B 2231/58 (2021.01); Y10T 279/17179 (2015.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
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.