Patent ID: 7857271

Claim:
A surgical tool holder comprising: a holding member, the holding member comprising: a clamping jaw having an open position, for receiving a guide rail, and a clamping position, for clamping the guide rail to mount the holding member to the guide rail, and being pivotable in a first axis, and a first engagement portion that is pivotable about the first axis and including a tooth, wherein the first engagement portion is associated with the clamping jaw such that pivoting of the first engagement portion causes the clamping jaw to pivot between the open and clamping positions; and a gripping member configured to supportingly grip a surgical tool and including a second engagement portion that is rotatable with respect to the first engagement portion about a second axis when disengaged from the first engagement portion, the second engagement portion including a plurality of teeth configured to abut and engage the first engagement portion tooth selectively in a plurality of relative rotational positions therebetween about the second axis to substantially block rotation between the holding member and the gripping member about the second axis, wherein with the teeth engaged the first and second engagement portions are operably associated such that displacement of the second engagement portion with respect to the first engagement portion causes the pivoting of the first engagement portion about the first axis to move the jaw to the clamping position while maintaining the teeth engaged, wherein the second engagement portion teeth define valleys therebetween that are slanted with respect to a plane that extends orthogonally to the second axis for facilitating camming the first engagement portion tooth upon the displacement of the second engagement portion teeth with respect to the first engagement portion teeth to pivot the first engagement portion.