Patent ID: 7351248

Claim:
A surgical instrument comprising: a first elongated member having a handle end portion, a working tip portion and a box hinge portion between said handle and tip end portions; a second elongated member having a handle end portion, a working tip portion and a box hinge portion between said handle and tip end portions; said first box hinge portion being defined by a slot having generally flat parallel sides for receiving said second box hinge portion therein; said second box hinge portion having a continuous, non-stepped, cross-sectional shape conforming with the flat, parallel sides of the slot in said first box hinge portion and comprising a surface generally perpendicular to the parallel sides, the surface having a width that is generally continuous in width with the handle and tip portions of the second elongated member on either side of the second box hinge portion; and a hinge pin extending through the parallel sides of the slot and through said second box hinge portion hingedly connecting together said first and second elongated members.