US Patent 12023203 Force limiting assembly for surgical instrument

A force limiting assembly for a surgical instrument that has a handle and a lever pivotally mounted to the handle at a pivot point for movement of an internal drive shaft. The lever is coupled to the drive shaft by a cantilever spring that is positioned within the lever. The free end of the cantilever is spaced apart from the pivot point of the lever and coupled to the drive shaft via stops positioned on the drive shaft on either side of the free end of the cantilever spring. As the lever is pivoting by a user, the forces move the drive shaft and bias the cantilever spring, thereby reducing and ultimately limiting the amount of force that a user may apply to the drive shaft via operation of the lever.