Patent ID: 7000819

Claim:
A surgical instrument, comprising: an end effector responsive to a longitudinal firing motion to perform a surgical operation; a shaft distally connected to the end effector; a firing member within the shaft to transfer the firing motion to the end effector; and a handle proximally connected to the shaft and firing member, comprising: a housing, a firing control configured for manual movement by an operator in a firing direction and in an opposite return direction, a firing mechanism comprising an axle passing through the firing control, an engagement member operatively configured to rotate about the axle into engage with the firing member, and a biasing wheel attached to the axle, and a handle housing including a friction surface attached to the handle housing and laterally aligned to contact the biasing wheel to effect engagement of the engagement member to the firing member during firing direction of the firing control and to rotate the engagement member away from the firing member during the opposite return direction of the firing control for multi-stroke firing with reduced ratcheting noise and with reduced likelihood of binding in the firing mechanism.