Rod bender

• US 5,161,404 A
• Filed: 10/23/1991
• Issued: 11/10/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zimmer Technology Incorporated (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Zimmer Incorporated (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hayes, S. Kyle
• Primary Examiner(s): JONES, DAVID B
• Application Number:
  US07/780,593
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• Field of Search: 72/458, 72/459, 72/479, 140/106
• US Class Current: 72/458
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8863 Apparatus for shaping or cutting osteosynthesis equipment by medical personnel
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 7/063 Pliers with forming dies
• CPC Class Codes: B21F 1/002 by means of manually operated devices, e.g. pliers

Abstract

An instrument for bending a rod, wherein the instrument includes an elongated handle and an angled tip extending therefrom. The tip includes a channel or bore therethrough for receiving the rod. The top side of the tip may include a flat surface thereon. Two such instruments are used to bend a rod by inserting one end of the rod into the channel of one instrument and the other end of the rod into the channel of the other instrument. Force is applied to the instruments to preliminarily bend the rod. The instruments are each then rotated 180 degrees, and further force is then applied to the instruments to further bend the rod. The force may be applied until the flat surface on each instrument abuts each other.

Claims

1. An instrument for bending a rod comprising an elongated handle having a first axis and an angled tip extending at an angle therefrom and having a second axis, such that the first and second axes form an obtuse angle therebetween in a first direction, and an acute angle therebetwen in a second direction opposite the first direction, and wherein the tip includes a channel therethrough for receiving the rod and wherein the tip has a length and includes a distal face and the channel is a cylindrical channel which extends throughout the length of the angled tip forming a first opening through the distal face at one end of the channel and forming a second opening through the instrument at the other end of the channel, and wherein the channel is radially enclosed between the first opening at the distal face of the angled tip and the second opening.

2. The instrument of claim 1 wherein the acute angle is in the range of about 10 to 30 degrees.

3. The instrument of claim 1 wherein the acute angle is about 15 degrees.

4. An instrument for bending a rod comprising an elongated handle having a first axis and an angled tip extending at an angle therefrom and having a second axis, such that the first and second axes form an obtuse angle therebetween in a first direction, and an acute angle therebetween in a second direction opposite the first direction, and wherein the tip includes a channel therethrough for receiving the rod and wherein the tip has a length and includes a distal face and the channel is a cylindrical channel which extends throughout the length of the angled tip forming a first opening through the distal face at one end of the channel and forming a second opening through the instrument at the other end of the channel, and wherein the channel is radially enclosed between the first opening at the distal face of the angled tip and the second opening, and wherein the tip has a first side in the second direction, and wherein the first side includes a flat surface thereon.

5. A method of bending a rod utilizing two instruments each having an elongated handle having a first axis and an angled tip extending therefrom and having a second axis, such that the first and second axes form an angle therebetween, and wherein the tip includes a channel therethrough for receiving the rod, and wherein the rod is an elongated rod having a first end and a second end, and wherein the method comprises the following steps:

a) inserting the first end of the rod into the channel of one of the instruments;

b) inserting the second end of the rod into the channel of the other instrument, and thus aligning the second axis of each instrument with the elongated rod;

c) applying force to each handle to swing the two handles toward each other to create a bend in the rod;

d) rotating each instrument about each instrument'"'"'s second axis;

e) subsequent to said rotating step, applying further force to each handle to continue to swing the two handles toward each other to further increase the bend in the rod.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the rotating step comprises rotating each instrument 180 degrees about each instrument'"'"'s second axis.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the tip of each instrument has a top side and wherein the top side includes a flat surface thereon, and wherein the step of applying further force further includes the step of applying such further force until the flat surface of each instrument abuts each other.