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. 19, 2002
Filed:
May. 05, 1999
Fritz Pauker, Wiffertshausen/Friedberg, DE;
Thomas Viebach, Pischertshofen, DE;
Robert Pauker, Kissing, DE;
Gerhard Weiglhofer, Schwabhausen/Weil, DE;
STM Medizintechnik Starnberg GmbH, Weinheim, DE;
Abstract
A drive mechanism for moving a shaft or rod along its central axis that utilizes a flexible eversion tube surrounding a portion of and slidingly engaged to the outer surface of the shaft or rod. The drive mechanism uses at least one wheel group having two or more drive wheels that are coplanar with each other and, along the shaft's axis of movement, are aligned with each other and spaced apart. The drive wheels are in compressive contact with a central portion of the flexible eversion tube. The at least one wheel group is supported and located around the central portion by a sleeve that surrounds the central portion of the eversion tube. The sleeve contains slits that permit the individual wheels to contact the central portion of the tube and a casing having two pivotally connected halves that when clamped together, seal the wheel groups and sleeve within its cavity and enable a drive source to drive the wheels.