Patent ID: 8206390

Claim:
A bone plate assembly, comprising: an intermediate plate component having a first and second tongue portion extending outwardly from a central portion; a first ratchet spring positioned in a ratchet spring groove of said first tongue portion and a second ratchet spring positioned in a second ratchet spring groove of said second tongue portion, wherein said ratchet spring grooves each include seats located at opposite ends thereof and said first ratchet spring includes opposite ends positioned in respective ones of said seats of said ratchet spring groove of said first tongue portion and said second ratchet spring includes opposite ends positioned in respective ones of said seats of said ratchet spring groove of said second tongue portion; and a first end plate component including a first tongue groove portion having a first ratchet spring engagement portion and a second end plate component including a second tongue groove portion having a second ratchet spring engagement portion, wherein said first and second tongue groove portions are slidably connected with said first and second tongue portions of said intermediate plate component such that said first and second ratchet springs are in ratcheting engagement with said first and second ratchet spring engagement portions, wherein said first and second ratchet spring engagement portions comprise a plurality of spaced lateral notches cut into an underside surface of said respective first and second tongue groove portions and said first and second ratchet springs are elliptically bowed outwardly from a respective one of said ratchet spring grooves into an aligned one of said plurality of spaced lateral notches.