Dentistry – Apparatus – Work support
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-17
2001-08-28
Wilson, John J. (Department: 3732)
Dentistry
Apparatus
Work support
C433S163000, C224S217000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06280189
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a clip holder for dental material that is to be placed onto a body part and comprises a securing clip that is especially placed onto the finger of a user where it is held under elastic stress. It at least partially surrounds the finger or body part The clip holder has a base body to which the securing clip is connected.
Such a clip holder is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,482. This known clip holder has a substantially conical securing device that receives a sponge for cleaning soiled areas resulting during treatment with dental materials. In addition, the securing tongue supports a semicircular securing wire. A prophylactic paste can be introduced into this holding wire for treatment of the patient.
This solution is, in principle, well suited when the dentist needs a certain paste for a particular patient The dental treatment requires, however, often further substances so that the receiving depression according to the aforementioned U.S. patent would have to be exchanged in order to thus allow use of further substances.
On the other hand, the flat metal strip that serves as a receiving element for the dental material, will not suppress vibrations so that there is the risk that the user, i.e., the treating dentist, will lose portions of the dental material placed into the depression. This is undesirable especially because of the resulting soiling.
Furthermore, it has been suggested to provide finger clips with small depressions which can be filled with different dental materials. Filling is done with dental material from bulk containers, and the dentist can remove in sequence the needed substances and place them into the depression, or, in the alterative, a plurality of finger clips are used, for example, a total of three which are then filled with different types of dental materials. A disadvantage is that the dental materials that are provided in bulk can be contaminated by the utensils that are used for filling the depressions when, for example, accidentally the utensil of one material is introduced into a different kind of bulk material. Furthermore, there is a risk that the dental materials can be confused especially when the dentist does not employ the same arrangement for the respective finger clips.
A disadvantage of the known holders is also that the received dental materials are not supported sufficiently well. This is especially relevant because the support action at one finger by its very nature does not allow for a steady containment so that it would be impossible to use liquid dental materials with such finger clips.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a clip holder of the aforementioned kind which is especially suitable to receive dental materials in an impact-reduced and contamination-protected manner, even with single dose units, and provides ergonomic handling.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is characterized in that the base body of the clip holder has a cutout for prepared dental material units.
With the inventive clip holder it is first especially advantageous that the prepared dental material units can be simply inserted without risking that already during insertion soiling will occur. The design of the cutouts as part of the base body will eliminate an unsteady connection such as provided by a sheet metal strip (prior art) so that, even when a lateral impact occurs, the resulting vibrations are received and compensated by the base body and the finger or body part to which this clip holder is secured, but are not introduced into the dental material unit. The cutout provides a protective action and surrounds practically a securing collar of the dental material unit so that it preferably retreats in a lateral direction.
An especially favorable feature is the design of the dental material unit as an elongate capsule. Because of the elongate, downwardly extending capsule design it is possible to use liquid dental materials. It is preferred to limit the degree of filling to a maximum of 75% of the height of the dental material unit.
For example, the dental material unit can be a capsule-like tube having a height of 2 cm and an outer diameter of 5 mm. Removal of the liquid is then carried out in a manner known to a person skilled in the art by a small brush or a similar handling tool. A dental material contained in such a capsule, in general, has sufficient surface tension in order to prevent leakage from the capsule, for example, when the inner diameter of the capsule is 3 or 4 mm. In any case, the narrow and deep design of the dental material unit results in a container that prevents accidental spillage and this is true also for dental materials in the form of fine powders.
Especially fine powders have the tendency to whirl up so that the surrounding air and thus the dental practice are exposed to soiling and contamination.
These contaminations can be avoided in an especially favorable manner in that the dental material unit is safely supported. According to an advantageous embodiment, the dental material unit is laterally secured with elastic stress at the finger or the securing clip. When the securing dip is placed onto the finger the dental material unit is laterally pushed away so that it is, on the one hand, securely clamped in the cutout but, on the other hand, can be easily removed from the cutout when the clip holder is removed from the finger.
In an especially preferred embodiment, two dental material units are arranged adjacent to one another. The two dental material units thus have fixed positions, but allow a safe and vibration-protected receiving action with the aforementioned advantages. A color coating of the respective capsule-like tubes can avoid confusion of the dental materials with great reliability. It is especially advantageous in this context that the two dental material units extend in the direction of the axis of the body part so that they are not projecting too much and are thus indirectly supported by the body part.
Even though the inventive dip holder is primarily intended as a finger clip, it is understood that according to other embodiments it is also possible to use such clip holders on the wrist. This is, for example, disclosed in European Patent Application 0 302 004.
It is especially advantageous that the base body and the securing clip, including the cutouts, is produced as a unitary molded plastic part. With this solution it can be ensured that no pointed inner comers will result which are prone to soiling. With a suitable selection of materials, the clip holder can be sterilized and/or disinfected in a suitable manner or can be autoclaved. Furthermore, an especially secure and steady receiving action for the dental material units will result. The plastic part can, for example, be produced as unitary part by injection molding.
The connection between the cutout and the dental material unit can be embodied in any suitable manner. While a plug-in connection which provides the required clamping action by lateral spreading, is especially beneficial with regard to manipulation, it is understood that, if desired, also other suitable fastening measures may be realized. For example, the dental material unit can be provided with an adhesive so that it can be glued into place but removed when needed from the cutout. Furthermore, it can be threaded into the cutout whereby a coarse thread is preferred that can be easily cleaned. Finally, a catch or snap connection between the cutout and the dental material unit can be provided. Furthermore, it is not required that the cutout completely surrounds the dental material unit. A supporting action that ensures that upon lateral impact the dental material unit will not become detached from the cutout is sufficient whereby, however, a circular (annular) support action is preferred.
According to another preferred embodiment, the dental material unit has a securing collar having a diameter that is greater than the inner diameter of the cutout so that the dental material unit projects only by the
Ivoclar Vivadent AG
Koiman Alan S.
Thompson John C.
Wilson John J.
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