Patent ID: 11871925
Assignee: CILAG GMBH INTERNATIONAL
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
a shaft assembly that defines a shaft axis;
a surgical end effector coupled to said shaft assembly by an articulation joint configured to facilitate articulation of said surgical end effector relative to said shaft assembly between an unarticulated position and articulated positions, wherein said articulation joint comprises:
a proximal joint member coupled to said shaft assembly, wherein said proximal joint member comprises a proximal face that defines a proximal apex;
a distal joint member coupled to said surgical end effector, wherein said distal joint member comprises a distal face that defines a distal apex; and
a linkage assembly configured to retain said proximal apex in rolling inter-engagement with said distal apex, wherein said linkage assembly comprises:
a first link comprising a first link proximal end pivotally pinned to said proximal joint member for pivotal travel relative thereto about a first proximal pivot axis that is transverse to the shaft axis and a second proximal pivot axis that is transverse to the first proximal pivot axis and the shaft axis, and wherein said first link comprises a first link distal end pivotally pinned to said distal joint member for pivotal travel relative thereto about a first distal pivot axis that is transverse to the shaft axis and a second distal pivot axis that is transverse to the shaft axis and the first distal pivot axis; and
a second link comprising a second link proximal end pivotally pinned to said proximal joint member for pivotal travel relative thereto about the first proximal pivot axis and the second proximal pivot axis, and wherein said second link comprises a second link distal end pivotally pinned to said distal joint member for pivotal travel relative thereto about the first distal pivot axis and the second distal pivot axis.