Patent Grant
10591029
This application is a national phase filing under 35 U.S.C. 371 of International Application No. PCT/IL2015/050186, filed Feb. 18, 2015, which claims priority from Israeli Patent Application No. 231054, filed Feb. 20, 2014, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The presently disclosed subject matter is related to the field of apparatuses used for introduction into a structure, in particular, apparatuses made for advancement along a predetermined curved trajectory.
Apparatuses for introduction into a structure via an opening (e.g. a hole) have been known for many years, and are used for different applications. For example, these apparatuses are known as: drills which are used in mechanical engineering, catheters which are used in medical endoscopy, monitoring devices which are used for various monitoring purposes, etc. In some cases, there is a need to introduce an apparatus along a straight path, and at some later stage to change the path of the introduction to a predetermined curved trajectory in which the device should be stable and its path should be well defined.
The presently disclosed subject matter is related to an apparatus and a method for introduction into an object along a straight path and advancement therein along a predetermined curved trajectory. The apparatus and the method can be used for a wide variety of applications, for example: constituting a carrier for introducing an least one object into a structure; monitoring a particular location within a structure; forming a curved channel within or though a structure; clearing a path within a structure, e.g., by drilling; providing a curved anchoring member within a structure; forming a reinforcing member within a structure; cutting-out a sample of material from a structure; filling a region within a structure; and expanding a spacing between parts of a structure.
The term ‘structure’ refers hereinafter in the specification and the claims to any part or element known in the fields of medicine, mechanics, physics, engineering, etc. The structure can be for example, a human body; an animal body; and an inanimate object. The structure can be made, for example, of the following materials or combination thereof: concrete, wood, metal, plastics and soil, etc.
The dimensions of the apparatus and the structure of its parts can be chosen in accordance with the intended application to be performed.
According to a first aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided an apparatus for advancement along a predetermined curved trajectory, comprising:
a. a conduit having a conduit distal end;
b. an elongated member having a main axis, at least partially extending within said conduit and movable therein along its length. The elongated member comprises a segmented assembly formed of a plurality of segments hingedly connected with each other, each having an orientation axis perpendicular to the main axis; and
c. a deflecting member extending along said main axis so as to have a first state with a first extension along at least a part of the segmented assembly including its most distal segment, and a second state with a second extension along said part of the segmented assembly, the second extension exceeding the first extension.
The deflecting member has a distal end mechanically associated at least with said most distal segment of the segmented assembly so as to allow the distal end to exert a pushing force on at least the most distal segment at least when the deflecting member changes its state from the first state to the second state. The segmented assembly is configured to change its configuration, at least when the pushing force is exerted, from a straight configuration associated with the first state of the deflecting member, in which all the segments have their orientation axes parallel to each other, into a curved configuration associated with the second state of the deflecting member, in which at least the part of the segmented assembly extends beyond the conduit distal end and the corresponding segments of said part change their orientation with respect to each other by means of their hinges so that the orientation axes of the corresponding segments form an angle therebetween, and so that the part of the assembly is rendered a curved shape.
According to a second aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided an apparatus for advancement along a predetermined curved trajectory, comprising:
a. a conduit having a conduit distal end;
b. an elongated member having a main axis, at least partially extending within the conduit and movable therein along its length. The elongated member comprises a segmented assembly formed of a plurality of segments hingedly connected with each other, each having an orientation axis perpendicular to the main axis; and
c. a deflecting member extending along the conduit and configured to change configuration of the segmented assembly from a straight configuration in which all the segments have their orientation axes parallel to each other, into a curved configuration, in which at least a part of the segmented assembly including its most distal segment extends beyond the conduit distal end and the corresponding segments of said part change their orientation with respect to each other by means of their hinges so that the orientation axes of the corresponding segments form an angle therebetween, and so that the part of the assembly is rendered a curved shape.
The segmented assembly when in its curved configuration has a concave side and a convex side. At least in a majority of the segments, each pair of adjacent segments has stabilizing portions closer to the convex side than the concave side and that are other than the hinged connection therebetween. The stabilizing portions are configured to engage each other in both the straight and the curved configurations of the segmented assembly so as to resist torsion of the adjacent segments with respect to each other.
According to a third aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided an apparatus for advancement along a predetermined curved trajectory, comprising:
a. a conduit having a conduit distal end;
b. an elongated member, having a main axis, at least partially extending within the conduit and movable therein along its length. The elongated member comprises a segmented assembly formed of a plurality of segments hingedly connected with each other, each having an orientation axis perpendicular to the main axis; and
c. a deflecting member extending along the conduit and configured to change configuration of the segmented assembly from a straight configuration in which all the segments have their orientation axes parallel to each other, into a curved configuration, in which at least a part of the segmented assembly including its most distal segment extends beyond the conduit distal end and the corresponding segments of said part change their orientation with respect to each other by means of their hinges so that the orientation axes of the latter segments form an angle therebetween, and so that the part of the assembly is rendered a curved shape.
The segmented assembly when in its curved configuration has a concave side and a convex side. The hinges are disposed closer to the concave side than the deflecting member.
In the first aspect of the apparatus, the segmented assembly when in its curved configuration can have a concave side and a convex side. In the first and the third aspects of the apparatus, at least in a majority of the segments, each pair of adjacent segments can have stabilizing portions which are closer to the convex side than the concave side and that are other than the hinged connection therebetween. The stabilizing portions can be configured to engage each other in both the straight and the curved configurations of the segmented assembly so as to resist torsion of the adjacent segments with respect to each other.
In the first and the second aspects of the apparatus, the hinges can be disposed closer to the concave side than the deflecting member.
Any one or more of the following features, designs and configurations can be incorporated in the apparatus according to the presently disclosed subject matter, independently or in combination thereof:
In the straight configuration, the segments associated with the part of the assembly can be restricted by an internal wall of the conduit to assume their parallel orientation with respect to each other.
The distal end of the deflecting member can further be mechanically associated with the most distal segment so as to allow the most distal segment to exert a pushing force on the distal end at least when the part of the segmented assembly is introduced into the conduit via the conduit distal end and the segmented assembly changes its configuration from the curved to the straight configuration, thereby changing the state of the deflecting member from the second state to the first state.
The apparatus can further comprise a moving mechanism configured for applying a pushing force on the elongated member for moving the elongated member along the conduit and causing the part of the segmented assembly to extend beyond the conduit distal end and to be introduced into the conduit via the conduit distal end.
The apparatus can further comprise an actuator being mechanically associated with the deflecting member and configured for moving the deflecting member along said main axis and changing its state between the first and the second states.
The moving mechanism can be mechanically associated with the actuator, so that operation of the moving mechanism to move the elongated member along the conduit entails operation of the actuator to move the deflecting member in the same direction, thereby assisting in the movement of the elongated member in that direction.
The ability of both the deflecting member and the moving mechanism to apply pushing forces at the same direction allows effectively advancing the segment assembly into the structure. The fact that the direction of movement of the deflecting member is similar to that of the elongated member allows the deflecting member to assist in the advancement of the elongated member into the structure and to improve this advancement.
The elongated member can further comprise an additional segmented assembly and a movable member having a first end to which the segmented assembly is connected and a second end to which the additional segmented assembly is connected.
The additional segmented assembly can be formed of a plurality of additional segments hingedly connected with each other, each having an orientation axis perpendicular to the main axis. The deflecting member extending along said main axis so as to have an additional first state with an additional first extension along at least a part of the additional segmented assembly including its segment being most distal to the segmented assembly, and an additional second state with an additional second extension along said part of the additional segmented assembly. The additional first extension is exceeding the additional second extension. The deflecting member can have a proximal end mechanically associated at least with said most proximal segment of said additional segmented assembly so as to allow said most proximal segment to exert a pushing force on the proximal end of the deflecting member, at least when the deflecting member is changing its state from the additional first state to the additional second state. The additional segmented assembly can be configured to change its configuration, at least when said pushing force on the said proximal end is exerted, from an additional curved configuration associated with said additional first state of the deflecting member, in which all the additional segments are disposed in orientation with respect to each other by means of their hinges so that the orientation axes of the corresponding segments form an angle therebetween, into an additional straight configuration associated with said additional second state of the deflecting member, in which the segments of the part of the additional segmented assembly have their orientation axes parallel to each other.
The number of the additional segments can be identical to the number of the segments of the segmented assembly.
In the first state of the deflecting member it can assume its additional first state and in the second state of the deflecting member it can assume its additional second state.
The curved shape can be similar or identical to the additional curved shape.
The actuator can be constituted by the segmented assembly and by the additional segmented assembly so that: operation of the moving mechanism to move the elongated member along the conduit to cause said segmented assembly to extend from the conduit distal end, entails the part of the additional segmented assembly to change its configuration from the additional curved configuration to the additional straight configuration, which entails the most proximal segment of the additional segmented assembly to exert a pushing force of the proximal end on the deflecting member, causing it to move in the same direction and to change its state from the first to the second state, thereby changing the configuration of the segmented assembly from the straight to the curved configuration; and operation of the moving mechanism to move the elongated member along the conduit to cause said segmented assembly to be introduced into the conduit via the conduit distal end, entails the segmented assembly to change its configuration from the curved configuration to the straight configuration, which entails the most distal segment to exert a pushing force on the distal end of the deflecting member, causing it to move in the same direction and to change its state from the additional second state to the additional first state, thereby changing the configuration of the additional segmented assembly from the additional straight configuration to the additional curved configuration.
The curved channel can have a straight portion extending along the conduit for housing the additional segmented assembly in its additional straight configuration and a curved portion for housing the part of the additional segmented assembly therein in the additional curved configuration of the additional segmented assembly. The additional segmented assembly can be movable within the curved channel between its additional straight configuration and additional curved configuration.
The moving mechanism can comprise a rack and pinion gear in which the pinion is a circular gear and the rack is a linear gear formed along the elongated member.
The stabilizing portions can be constituted by a projecting portion of one segment and a recessed portion of its adjacent segment, configured to receive the projecting portion.
The hinges can be disposed in proximity to the concave side and the deflecting member can be disposed in proximity to the convex side.
The curved shape can be an arc characterized by a center of curvature O facing the concave side and a radius R defined between the main axis and the center of curvature O. The hinges of the part of the segmented assembly can be equally spaced from the center of curvature O to a first distance D1 and the deflecting member extending along a first channel formed in the elongated member. The first channel can be spaced from the center of curvature O to a second distance D2 and the following condition is fulfilled: D1<R<D2.
Each segment of at least a majority of said segments can comprise: an inner segment face constituting a part of the concave side; an outer segment face opposite thereto, constituting a part of the convex side; first and second opposite outer wings, constituting at least a part of the recessed portion, respectively extending between the inner segment face and the outer segment face therebetween; and first and second opposite inner wings, constituting at least a part of the projecting portion, respectively extending between the inner segment face and the outer segment face. The first and second inner wings of one segment can be received and hingedly movable within the recessed portion formed between the first and second outer wings of its adjacent segment, thereby forming the segmented assembly and allowing the segmented assembly to change its configuration.
The connection between two adjacent segments can be such that the first outer wing of one segment is pivotally connected to the first inner wing of its adjacent segment and the second outer wing of said one segment is pivotally connected to the first inner wing of the adjacent segment.
Each of the first and the second outer wings can comprise: a first front contact surface; a second front contact surface; a first rear contact surface and a second rear contact surface, so that in the straight configuration, the second rear contact surfaces of one segment contact the second front contact surfaces of its adjacent segment, thereby providing a contact surface between the two adjacent segments in addition to the hinges therebetween, and in the curved configuration, the first front contact surfaces of one segment contact the first rear contact surfaces of its adjacent segment, thereby delimiting the deflection of these segments with respect to each other to a predefined extent and transferring the pushing force from the most distal segment to at least one of its successive segments for causing them to form an angle between orientation axes of the adjacent segments.
Exertion of the pushing force by the moving mechanism can transfer this force between two segments disposed in the straight orientation with respect to each other by the contact between the second front contact surfaces of one segment with the second rear contact surfaces of its adjacent segment, in addition to the hinges therebetween, and between two segments with an angle between their orientation axes by contact between the first front contact surfaces of one segment with the first rear contact surfaces of its adjacent segment, in addition to the hinges therebetween.
The deflecting member can be selected from a group comprising: an elongated metal strip, an elongated bendable rod, a roller chain and a cardan shaft.
Each of the segments can include a second channel configured to allow passage of a working tool through the elongated member.
The apparatus can further comprise the above working tool comprising a shaft received within the second channels of the segments and a tip mountable to a distal end of the shaft in proximity to the most distal segment.
The shaft can be rotatable.
During initiation of a drilling operation by the apparatus of the presently disclosed subject matter and the change of configuration from the straight to the curved configuration, the following forces can be exerted simultaneously:
The fact that the above three pushing forces are exerted substantially and at least partially in the same direction at least during initiation of the drilling operation, an effective drilling of the structure is obtained. When these forces are exerted, a superposition of them can provide an intensified and effective drilling within the object.
According to a fourth aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided a method for operating an apparatus for advancement along a predetermined curved trajectory. The method comprises steps of:
a. obtaining said apparatus, comprising: a conduit having a conduit distal end; an elongated member having a main axis, at least partially extending within said conduit and movable therein along its length. The elongated member comprises a segmented assembly formed of a plurality of segments hingedly connected with each other, each having an orientation axis perpendicular to the main axis; and a deflecting member extending along said main axis so as to have a first state with a first extension along at least a part of the segmented assembly including its most distal segment, and a second state with a second extension along said part of the segmented assembly, the second extension exceeding the first extension; said deflecting member having a distal end mechanically associated at least with said most distal segment of said segmented assembly;
b. moving the elongated member along the conduit so as to cause at least said part of the segmented assembly to extend beyond the conduit distal end;
c. changing the state of the deflecting member from the first to the second state, thereby causing the distal end of the deflecting member to exert a pushing force on at least the most distal segment; and
d. causing the segmented assembly, at least by way of said pushing force, to change its configuration from a straight configuration associated with said first state of the deflecting member, in which all the segments have their orientation axes parallel to each other, into a curved configuration associated with said second state of the deflecting member, in which at least said part of the segmented assembly extends beyond said conduit distal end and the corresponding segments of said part change their orientation with respect to each other by means of their hinges so that the orientation axes of the corresponding segments, thereby rendering said part of the segmented assembly a curved shape.
The step (b) can trigger the step (c) which can trigger the step (d).
The step (d) can be performed by moving the deflecting member by an actuator along the conduit in a direction of movement which is similar to the direction of movement of the elongated member.
The method can further comprise a step of moving the elongated member along the conduit so as to cause at least said part of the segmented assembly to be introduced into the conduit distal end, thereby causing the most distal segment to exert a pushing force on the distal end at least when the part of the segmented assembly, changing the state of the deflecting member from the second state to the first state and allowing the segmented assembly to change its configuration from the curved to the straight configuration.
The movement of the elongated member can be performed by operating a moving mechanism which applies a pushing force on the elongated member in the respective direction of movement of the elongated member.
In order to better understand the subject matter that is disclosed herein and to exemplify how it may be carried out in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Reference is first made to
According to the examples of the above figures, the apparatus 1 is a drill which is configured for advancement along a predetermined curved trajectory. It is appreciated that the apparatus of the presently disclosed subject matter according to its different aspects can have applications other than drilling, and drilling is only one of them.
The apparatus 1 comprises the following components: a housing 10, a conduit 20 extending from the housing 10, an elongated member 30 with a segmented assembly 40, a moving mechanism 60 and a deflecting member 70. In general, the operation of the apparatus 1 is such that actuation of the moving mechanism 60 causes the segmented assembly 40 to extend outside from the conduit 20 automatically entailing deflection of the extending part of the segmented assembly 40 by the deflecting member 70 to a predetermined stabilized curved shape. In addition, actuation of the moving mechanism 60 to cause the segmented assembly 40 to be introduced into the conduit 20 automatically entails the introduced part of the segmented assembly 40 to be straightened within the conduit 20.
Below is a detailed explanation regarding the structure of the apparatus 1 and its manner of operation.
The housing 10 has a handle 11 shaped so as to fit a hand of an operator of the apparatus 1. The conduit 20 has a conduit distal end 22 with an opening and a conduit proximal end 24 connected to the housing 10. The conduit distal end 22 and the conduit proximal end 24 extend along an axis X.
When the operator holds the apparatus 1 at the handle 11, the conduit distal end 22 can be introduced into an aperture of a structure to be treated. If the aperture does not exist, the conduit distal end 22 can be disposed by the operator in proximity to the structure, at a location in which the aperture should be created by the apparatus 1.
The elongated member 30 (shown in a detailed manner in
The housing 10 has a curved channel 12 in which the additional segmented assembly 50 is seated and movable. The curved channel 12 has a straight portion 14 and a curved portion 16. The curved channel 12 is structured so that the part of the additional segmented assembly 50 which is received within the straight portion 14, is forced to assume a straight shape, and the part of the additional segmented assembly 50 which is received within the curved portion 16 is forced to assume a curved shape.
The moving mechanism 60 is configured to move the elongated member 30 along the axis X within the conduit 20, for causing a part of the segmented assembly 40 or the entire segmented assembly 40 to extend beyond the conduit distal end 22, and for causing the segmented assembly 40 (as shown, for example, in
After introduction of the conduit 20 into the structure to be treated, and upon the operator's decision, the moving mechanism 60 is actuated for causing the segmented assembly 40 to extend beyond the conduit distal end 22 while its shape is curved proportionally to its extension beyond the conduit distal end 22.
The moving mechanism 60 includes a rack and pinion gear constituted by the following components: a rotatable handle 62 mounted to a small circular gear 64 which in turn rotates a large circular gear 66. The large circular gear 66 is seated on a linear gear 36 formed in the movable member 35. Clockwise rotation of the handle 62 (when seen from the front face of the handle 62), rotates the small circular gear 64 in the same direction, thereby rotating the large circular gear 66 in the anti-clockwise direction, which in turn applies a pushing force on the movable member 35. This pushing force causes the segmented assembly 40 to extend beyond the conduit distal end 22. Anti-clockwise rotation of the handle 62 causes the segmented assembly 40 to be introduced in the conduit 20 via the conduit distal end 22.
The moving mechanism 60 can be structured so the when each segment of the segmented assembly 40 escapes from the conduit distal end 22, an audible indication of a “click” is provided to the operator of the apparatus 1. This indication allows the operator to receive information regarding the advancement and the curvature of the part segmented assembly 40 that extends from the conduit 20 and is disposed within the structure. In other words, by hearing each “click”, the operator can know what is the length of the part of the segmented assembly that has escaped from the conduit 20, and respectively can know what is the extent of the curvature of this part.
The segmented assembly 40 is formed of seven segments 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, 40e, 40f and 40g (shown in
The additional segmented assembly 50 is formed of seven segments 50a, 50b, 50c, 50d, 50e, 50f and 50g (shown in
The elongated member 30 has a first channel 32 extending along the main axis M between the most proximal segment 50a of the additional segmented assembly 50 and the most distal segment 40a of the segmented assembly 40 for accommodating the deflecting member 70 therein. According to the present example, the deflecting member 70 is an elongated flexible and rigid strip clearly shown in
The deflecting member 70 has a proximal end 72 and a distal end 74. The proximal end 72 is seated within a proximal recess 52 formed within the most proximal segment 50a and the distal end 74 is seated within a distal recess 42 formed within the most distal segment 40a. The proximal and the distal ends 72 and 74 are not bounded or connected to the segments 50a and 40a so that the deflecting member 70 has a freedom of slight movement within the first channel 32 upon operation of the moving mechanism 60.
The segmented assembly 40 and the additional segmented assembly 50 constitute an actuator, the role of which is to move the deflecting member 70 within the first channel 32 and to change the shape of the segmented assembly 40 and of the additional segmented assembly 50.
As generally mentioned above, the role of the deflecting member 70 is to cause the part of the segmented assembly that extends from the conduit distal end 22 to be maximally deflected from a straight to a predetermined curved shape, and to straighten the part of the segmented assembly that is introduced into the conduit 20 via the conduit distal end 22.
In general, when the moving mechanism 60 applies a pushing force on the elongated member 30 so as to cause a part of the segmented assembly 40 to extend beyond the distal end 22, the additional segmented assembly 50 is also drawn in the same direction. In particular, a similar part of the additional segmented assembly is received within the straight portion 14. This causes respective additional segments to pivotally approach each other, thereby shortening the length of a respective part of the first channel 32 by an extension Z (not shown) and causing the most proximal segment 50a to apply a pushing force on the proximal end 72 of the deflecting member 70. This pushing force causes the deflecting member 70 to move within the first channel 32 and to apply a pushing force on the most distal segment 40a. The extension Z is a sum of three extensions Z1, Z2 and Z3 (Z=Z1+Z2+Z3), which are shown in
In order to explain in a detailed manner the operation of the apparatus 1 and the deflecting member 70 therein, reference is now made specifically to
As shown in
In
In
In
The part 41 in
In
When the elongated member 30 is moved by the moving mechanism 60 from the position of
Further rotation of the handle 62 from the position of
It is appreciated that rotation of the handle 62 to an opposite direction will cause the elongated member 30 and the deflecting member 70 to move in the opposite direction. As a result of this rotation, the segmented assembly 40 and the additional segmented assembly 50 switch roles. Now, the most distal segment 40a is the one that exerts a pushing force of the deflecting member 70, causing a respective part of the additional segmented assembly 50 to assume its curved shape. In this case, the segmented assembly plays the role of an actuator.
Reference is now made specifically to
The elongated member 30 has a second channel 33 extending along the segmented assembly 40 and the movable member 35. The second channel 33 accommodates a rotatable bendable shaft 90 having a proximal end 92 and a distal end 94. The proximal end 92 of shaft 90 is received within a rotating element 96 and the distal end 94 is mounted to a rotatable tip 98. The rotating element 96 is configured to be rotated manually or automatically by a motor (not shown), thereby causing rotation of the shaft 90, and respective rotation of the tip 98. The shaft 90 can be rotated in both the straight and the curved configurations of the segmented assembly 40. This allows providing a conventional straight drilling and drilling along a curved path by a single apparatus.
It is known in the field of drilling, that in order to effectively drill into an object, a pushing force should be applied by an operator on the drill during its operation. This pushing force advances the tip of the drill into the object.
Reference is now made to
In view of the above, the fact that the pushing forces F1, F2 and F3 are exerted substantially in the same direction at least during initiation of the drilling operation, an effective drilling of the structure is obtained. When these forces are exerted, a superposition of them can provide an intensified and effective drilling within the object.
Reference is now made to
The segmented assembly 40 when in its curved configuration has a concave side 44 and a convex side 46. The pivots (e.g., the pivots 45a and 45b) of the segmented assembly 40 are disposed closer to the concave side 44 than the deflecting member 70. In particular, the pivots are disposed in proximity to the concave side 44 and the deflecting member 70 is disposed in proximity to the convex side 46. This structure allows exerting a pushing force by the deflecting member 70 at the distal end of the segmented assembly, which is directed from the convex side 46 towards the concave side 44 and is initiated closer to the convex side 46. This force is schematically shown in
In
As shown in
Reference is now made particularly to
The connection between two adjacent segments is such that the first outer wing 49a of one segment is pivotally connected to the first inner wing 49c of its adjacent segment and the second outer wing 49b of said one segment is pivotally connected to the first inner wing 49d of the adjacent segment.
The first outer wing 49a comprises the following four surfaces: a first front contact surface 46a; a second front contact surface 46b; a first rear contact surface 46c and a second rear contact surface 46d. The second outer wing 49b comprises the following four surfaces: a first front contact surface 47a; a second front contact surface 47b; a first rear contact surface 47c and a second rear contact surface 47d.
In the straight configuration of the segmented assembly, the second rear contact surfaces 46d and 47d of one segment contact the second front contact surfaces 46b and 47b of its adjacent segment, thereby providing a contact surface between the two adjacent segments in addition to the hinges therebetween.
In the curved configuration, the first front contact surfaces 46a and 47b of one segment contact the first rear contact surfaces 46c and 47c of its adjacent segment, thereby delimiting the deflection of these segments with respect to each other to a predefined extent. The contact between segments of the part 41 allows also transferring the pushing force exerted on the most distal segment 40a to at least one of its successive segments for causing them to form an angle between orientation axes of the adjacent segments. The location of the first front contact surfaces 46a and 47b and the first rear contact surfaces 46c and 47c with respect to each other defines the angle between the orientation axes of two adjacent segments. For example, this location defines the value of the angles α1, α2 and α3.
When the moving mechanism 60 is actuated for exerting a pushing force on the elongated member 30 for causing the part 41 to extend beyond the conduit distal end 22, this force is transferred along the segmented assembly as follows:
i. in two segments with orientation axes parallel to each other, the force is transferred via the contact between the second front contact surfaces 46b and 47b of one segment with the second rear contact surfaces 46d and 47d of its adjacent segment. This transfer of force is performed in addition to its transfer via the hinges between the segments; and
ii. in two segments with orientation axes forming an angle between each other, the force is transferred via the contact between the first front contact surfaces 46a and 47a of one segment with the first rear contact surfaces 46c and 47c of its adjacent segment. This transfer of force is performed in addition to its transfer via the hinges between the segments.
Reference is now made to
Reference is now made to
Reference is now made to
The segmented assembly 340 has a first channel 332 extending along a deflecting member 370. In
In
The segmented assembly 340 further has a strip 380 disposed at the convex side 346. The strip 380 connects two adjacent segments of the segmented assembly 340 so as to limit their rotatable movement with respect to each other to a predetermined extent.
Reference is now made to
The segmented assembly 440 has a longitudinal axis M″ main axis along which it extends. The segmented assembly 440 is formed of eight segments 440a, 440b, 440c, 440d, 440e, 440f, 440g, 440h and 440i that are pivotally connected to each other by respective pivots 445a, 445b, 445c, 445d, 445e, 445f, 445g and 445h. Each one of the pivots has a pivot axis P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7 and P8. Each one of the pivots P1-P8 is angled with respect to the main axis M″ at obtuse angle which is slightly greater than 90 degrees). According to the present example, this angle is identical with respect to each one of the pivots P1-P8. The value of this angle defines the extension of the segmented assembly 440 along the main axis M″, and in particular, the spacing between the coils thereof.
The segmented assembly 440 of the above described helix shape can be used for lifting a part of the structure or for three dimensional advancement therein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 231054 | Feb 2014 | IL | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IL2015/050186 | 2/18/2015 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2015/125140 | 8/27/2015 | WO | A |
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| 20160348769 A1 | Dec 2016 | US |
