Patent ID: 7857185

Claim:
A disposable loading unit for attachment to a surgical stapling apparatus, said disposable loading unit comprising: a staple cartridge supported in a carrier operably couplable to the surgical stapling apparatus; an anvil assembly movably coupled to said carrier for selective movable travel between open and closed positions relative to said staple cartridge; an axial drive assembly having a distal end portion constructed to move in a distal direction through a slot in said staple cartridge in response to a drive motion imparted to said axial drive assembly from the surgical stapling apparatus and also move in a proximal direction through said slot in said staple cartridge in response to a retraction motion applied to said axial drive assembly from the surgical stapling apparatus, said distal end portion of said axial drive assembly configured to impart a closing force to said anvil assembly as said axial drive assembly is driven in said distal direction in said slot in said staple cartridge; and an anvil release assembly operably cooperating with said distal end portion of said axial drive assembly and said anvil assembly for selectively causing said distal end portion of said axial drive assembly to discontinue imparting said closing force to said anvil assembly regardless of where said distal end portion of said axial drive assembly is located within said slot in said staple cartridge, wherein said anvil release assembly comprises: an anvil pin releasably coupled to said distal end portion of said axial drive assembly and positioned to impart said closing force to said anvil assembly as said distal end portion of said axial drive assembly is driven in said distal direction; and a disengagement member interfacing with said anvil pin to decouple said anvil pin from said distal end portion of said axial drive assembly upon application of the retraction motion to said axial drive assembly.