The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 10, 2020
Filed:
Dec. 21, 2016
Ethicon Endo-surgery, Llc, Guaynabo, PR (US);
Morgan R. Hunter, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Austin E. Wise, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Douglas B. Hoffman, Harrison, OH (US);
Jeffrey S. Swayze, West Chester, OH (US);
Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Hillsboro, OH (US);
Ethicon LLC, Guaynabo, PR (US);
Abstract
A surgical instrument that includes a surgical end effector that is articulatable relative to an elongate shaft. The end effector includes a first jaw and a second jaw. The second jaw is movable between an open position and closed positions when a closure member is moved in a closing direction. An articulation lock is configured to move from a locked configuration wherein the end effector is prevented from articulating and an unlocked configuration wherein the end effector is articulatable. The articulation lock is configured to move from the locked configuration to the unlocked configuration when the closure member is moved from the open position in the closing direction.