Source: https://patents.justia.com/patent/20190139729
Timestamp: 2019-08-17 13:21:11
Document Index: 671529658

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 119', 'Application No. 60', '§ 119', 'Application No. 60', '§ 119', 'Application No. 60', '§ 119', 'Application No. 60']

US Patent Application for Force Switch Patent Application (Application #20190139729 issued May 9, 2019) - Justia Patents Search
Justia Patents US Patent Application for Force Switch Patent Application (Application #20190139729)
Jan 8, 2019 - Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
A method of creating a switch, comprising disposing a switching element movably within an interior cavity of the switch to define switch-making and switch-breaking positions along a switching axis of the switching element, disposing a biasing element about the switching element to impart a biasing force to the switching element to place the switching element in one of the switch-making and switch-breaking positions until an external force imparted to the switching element exceeds the biasing force to cause the switching element to change to the other position, disposing a biasing force-adjusting element in cooperative engagement with the biasing element such that a magnitude of the biasing force is adjustable, and coupling a conductive contact to the switching element to define a switch-making state when the switching element is in the switch-making position and a switch-breaking state when the switching element is in the switch-breaking position.
is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/894,361, filed on Feb. 12, 2018, which:
is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/496,896, filed on Apr. 25, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,934,920, issued on Apr. 3, 2018, which:
is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/495,232, filed on Sep. 24, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,666,389, issued on May 30, 2017, which:
is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/036,630, filed on Sep. 25, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,872,046, issued on Oct. 28, 2014, which:
is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/571,159, filed on Aug. 9, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,592,700, issued on Nov. 26, 2013, which:
is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/728,471, filed on Mar. 22, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,269,121, issued on Sep. 18, 2012, which:
is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/270,518, filed on Nov. 13, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,714,239, issued on May 11, 2010, which:
is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/750,622, filed on May 18, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,479,608, issued on Jan. 20, 2009, which:
claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/801,989, filed on May 19, 2006;
claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/810,272, filed on Jun. 2, 2006;
claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/858,112, filed on Nov. 9, 2006; and
claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/902,534, filed on Feb. 21, 2007,
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided a method of creating a switch to be disposed along a longitudinal axis of a device, the method comprising providing a hollow body defining an interior cavity, disposing a switching element movably within the interior cavity to define: (1) a switch-making position along a switching axis of the switching element and (2) a switch-breaking position along the switching axis of the switching element, disposing a biasing element about the switching element to impart a biasing force to the switching element to place the switching element in one of the switch-making position and the switch-breaking position until an external force imparted to the switching element exceeds the biasing force to thereby cause the switching element to change to the other one of the switch-making position and the switch-breaking position, disposing a biasing force-adjusting element in cooperative engagement with the biasing element such that a magnitude of the biasing force is adjustable using the biasing force-adjusting element, and coupling an electrically-conductive contact to the switching element to define: (1) a switch-making state when the switching element is in the switch-making position and (2) a switch-breaking state when the switching element is in the switch-breaking position.
In accordance with a further feature, the switching element is a piston.
In accordance with an added feature, the electrically-conductive contact is physically coupled to the switching element and is shiftable along the switching axis between the switch-making position and the switch-breaking position.
In accordance with an additional feature, the biasing force-adjusting element comprises a stop element defining a second interior cavity in which the switching element is movably disposed, the stop element being at least partly disposed in the interior cavity of the hollow body.
In accordance with yet another feature, the switching element comprises a bias contact and the biasing element is disposed about at least a portion of the switching element between the stop element and the bias contact.
In accordance with yet a further feature, the magnitude of the biasing force is dependent upon a position of the stop element within the interior cavity of the hollow body.
In accordance with yet an added feature, the biasing element imparts the biasing force to place the switching element in the switch-making position to create a normally closed switch configuration.
In accordance with again a further feature, further comprising electrically connecting an electric indication circuit to the switching element and the electrically-conductive contact, wherein the electric indication circuit comprises an indicator operable to transmit state-change information to signal to a user that a state change of the switching element has occurred.
In accordance with again an added feature, the biasing element is a compression spring compressed between the bias contact and the stop element around the switching element to bias the switching element in a direction away from the stop element.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is also provided a method of operating a switch of a device, the method comprising, using a biasing element that is disposed about a switching element of the switch, imparting a biasing force to the switching element to place the switching element in one of a switch-making position and a switch-breaking position, wherein the switching element is movably disposed within an interior cavity of a hollow body of the switch to define: (1) the switch-making position along a switching axis of the switching element and (2) the switch-breaking position along the switching axis of the switching element, and an electrically-conductive contact is coupled to the switching element to define: (1) a switch-making state when the switching element is in the switch-making position and (2) a switch-breaking state when the switching element is in the switch-breaking position, and imparting an external force to the switching element, wherein a magnitude of the external force exceeds the biasing force to thereby cause the switching element to change to the other one of the switch-making position and the switch-breaking position.
In accordance with another feature, further comprising adjusting a magnitude of the biasing force using a biasing force-adjusting element that is in cooperative engagement with the biasing element.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a force switch, and methods thereof, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The figures of the drawings are not drawn to scale.
The force switch 1 can be incorporated into a device where force along the longitudinal axis of the device needs to be measured and an action needs to be taken when that force exceeds a given predetermined value. This force switch 1 can be used, for example, in a medical device, but is not limited to the exemplary embodiment of a medical device. As will be described in further detail below, the force switch 1 can be used with a circular surgical stapling device such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,025 to Main et al.
disposing a switching element movably within the interior cavity to define: a switch-making position along a switching axis of the switching element; and a switch-breaking position along the switching axis of the switching element;
disposing a biasing element about the switching element to impart a biasing force to the switching element to place the switching element in one of the switch-making position and the switch-breaking position until an external force imparted to the switching element exceeds the biasing force to thereby cause the switching element to change to the other of the switch-making position and the switch-breaking position;
disposing a biasing force-adjusting element in cooperative engagement with the biasing element such that a magnitude of the biasing force is adjustable using the biasing force-adjusting element; and
coupling an electrically-conductive contact to the switching element to define: a switch-making state when the switching element is in the switch-making position; and a switch-breaking state when the switching element is in the switch-breaking position.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrically-conductive contact is physically coupled to the switching element and is shiftable along the switching axis between the switch-making position and the switch-breaking position.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the biasing force-adjusting element comprises a stop element defining a second interior cavity in which the switching element is movably disposed, the stop element being at least partly disposed in the interior cavity of the hollow body.
the switching element comprises a bias contact; and
the biasing element is disposed about at least a portion of the switching element between the stop element and the bias contact.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the magnitude of the biasing force is dependent upon a position of the stop element within the interior cavity of the hollow body.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the biasing element imparts the biasing force to place the switching element in the switch-making position to create a normally closed switch configuration.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrically-conductive contact is electrically insulated from the hollow body and the switching element.
9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising electrically connecting an electric indication circuit to the switching element and the electrically-conductive contact, wherein the electric indication circuit comprises an indicator operable to transmit state-change information to signal to a user that a state change of the switching element has occurred.
10. The method according to claim 5, wherein the biasing element is a compression spring compressed between the bias contact and the stop element around the switching element to bias the switching element in a direction away from the stop element.
11. A method of operating a switching of a device, comprising:
using a biasing element that is disposed about a switching element of the switch, imparting a biasing force to the switching element to place the switching element in one of a switch-making position and a switch-breaking position, wherein: the switching element is movably disposed within an interior cavity of a hollow body of the switch to define: the switch-making position along a switching axis of the switching element; and the switch-breaking position along the switching axis of the switching element; an electrically-conductive contact is coupled to the switching element to define: a switch-making state when the switching element is in the switch-making position; and a switch-breaking state when the switching element is in the switch-breaking position; and a magnitude of the biasing force is adjustable using a biasing force-adjusting element that is in cooperative engagement with the biasing element; and
imparting an external force to the switching element, wherein a magnitude of the external force exceeds the biasing force to thereby cause the switching element to change to the other one of the switch-making position and the switch-breaking position.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the electrically-conductive contact is physically coupled to the switching element and is shiftable along the switching axis between the switch-making position and the switch-breaking position.
13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the biasing force-adjusting element comprises a stop element defining a second interior cavity in which the switching element is movably disposed, the stop element being at least partly disposed in the interior cavity of the hollow body.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the magnitude of the biasing force is dependent upon a position of the stop element within the interior cavity of the hollow body.
Publication number: 20190139729
Inventor: Kevin W. Smith (Coral Gables, FL)
Application Number: 16/242,548
International Classification: H01H 35/14 (20060101); H01H 11/00 (20060101); A61B 17/00 (20060101); A61B 17/115 (20060101); A61B 17/068 (20060101); H01H 13/18 (20060101);