Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Reeling device – Material stored in loops or variable-size coils
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-22
2002-11-26
Matecki, Kathy (Department: 3654)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Reeling device
Material stored in loops or variable-size coils
C137S355200, C191S01200C
Reexamination Certificate
active
06484959
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to apparatus for use by dental practitioners, specifically dentists, dental hygienists, dental therapists, oral surgeons, and the like. The present invention provides an apparatus which retracts dental tubing or cabling which is attached to or associated with various dental instruments used by the dental practitioner, when the dental instruments are not in use. However, when the dental instruments are to be used by the dental practitioner, and are removed from a holder therefor, the associated dental tubing or cabling is released from its retracted position so that it may be pulled into place at the dental work site by the dental practitioner.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Typically, dental practitioners—most usually dentists and dental hygienists and the like—employ a number of different dental instruments while performing many different dental procedures on their patients. Several of those dental instruments might be used at one time, for example a turbine and a suction device, x-ray or video camera devices together with a suction device, and so on. Typically, there may be four or as many as eight such devices that may be employed by the dental practitioner, and they are arranged in a cabinet which is placed either at the head of the patient when the patient is in a dental chair, or at the side of the patient when the patient is in a dental chair. The practitioner will work on the patient while standing or sitting beside the patient at either side or at the top of the patient's head; and the various instruments will be employed by the dental practitioner by being brought to the dental work site in the patient's mouth with their associated dental tubing or dental cabling being placed beside the head or beside the shoulder of the patient.
However, when the dental practitioner no longer wants to use the dental instrument, he or she will place the dental instrument back into the holder on the cabinet, together with the other dental instruments which may be employed. Unfortunately, each of those dental instruments is associated with dental tubing or cabling, and unless that dental tubing or cabling is retracted into the cabinet, it could get tangled with other dental tubing or cabling, or it could become a hazard over which the dental practitioner or a dental assistant could trip. Moreover, if the dental tubing or dental cabling becomes entangled or snarled, and a circumstance arises where the dental practitioner suddenly and quickly requires the use of one of the dental instruments, it may be possible that the dental instrument is not available immediately due to the entanglement of its respective dental tubing or dental cabling with the dental tubing and dental cabling of other instruments.
The present invention provides a simple and effective solution to the problem of retracting and releasing dental tubing and dental cabling, by taking advantage of certain facts relating generally to the practice of dentistry—at least as it is known in North America. Specifically, the present invention acknowledges that modem dental instruments are provided which either are associated with pneumatic tubing, hoses, and the like, or certain dental instruments may be associated with optical fibre. In either case, the dental tubing or cabling is flexible. Also, when dental tubing is employed, as noted, it will either be connected to a source of suction; and more particularly, for dental instrumentation required for drilling or polishing, and the like, all such instrumentation is pneumatically driven. Belt driven instrumentation is no longer employed.
Thus, it is convenient in the organization of a dental practitioner's operatory to gather all of the dental instruments which will be employed into a single cabinet, located beside or at the head of the patient, as noted above. That cabinet will be connected to a source of pneumatic pressure; and that fact is employed by the present invention.
The present invention also provides fail-safe operation. That is, if there is a source of pneumatic pressure whereby the dental practitioner can practice dentistry on patients, then that same source of pressure can be employed to ensure that the dental tubing and dental cabling associated with unused dental instrumentation at that instant in time is, indeed, retracted. If there is a failure of the source of pneumatic pressure, then the retraction of the dental tubing and dental cabling is relieved.
Still further, because a source of pneumatic pressure will be associated with the cabinet in which the dental tubing and dental cabling for the various dental instrumentation is to be retracted, the holder for each specific dental instrument can be associated with the source of pneumatic pressure in such a manner that when the respective dental instrument is removed from its holder, the respective dental tubing or dental cabling is released. This comes about as a consequence of the use of single-ended or single-acting pneumatic cylinders, which require connection to a source of pneumatic pressure if the cylinder rod or piston within the cylinder is to be extended. Immediately upon the release of pneumatic pressure—that is, immediately when the single-acting pneumatic cylinder is disconnected from the source of pneumatic pressure—the cylinder rod is free to move axially within the cylinder, without any appreciable resistance.
All of these matters are discussed in greater detail hereafter.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
A number of prior art approaches are known, by which dental cabinet appliances, retractors, and the like, are provided. They include the following:
Suter Canadian Patent 1,111,679, issued Nov. 3, 1981, teaches a dental unit which is intended to position dental instruments at a location which is convenient to a seated or standing dentist. In particular, a four-bar linkage is provided which swings a holder for various dental instruments from a low stored position to an in-use position. In the lower position, the dental instruments are convenient to a seated dentist; in the higher position, the instrument holder is convenient to a dentist who is standing. However, there is no consideration given to the associated dental tubing or cabling for the various dental instruments.
Japanese Patent abstract 62133308, published Dec. 7, 1988, teaches a dental apparatus whose purpose is to make the delivery of the flexible hose for a handpiece sufficiently long, by providing a flying arm which tilts forwardly. The flexible hose is delivered forwardly while sliding through an elongated hole in a base, and thence through a hole on the flying arm. The purpose is to permit the flexible hose to be extended while reducing the space in which the apparatus is stored.
Another Japanese Patent Abstract, 05334135, published Jul. 25, 1995, teaches a device which winds instrument hose or tubing, wherein a pulley and block moves along a guide, with the instrument hose being wound around a pulley.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,372,883 issued Mar. 12, 1968 to Ota, teaches a rotatable apparatus that is employed to pay out or draw in dental hoses. Means are provided to bias the rotatable apparatus in one direction about the rotation axis, so as to thereby draw in the hose.
Wahler et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,850, issue Jan. 6, 1970, teaches a similar device where the flexible hose is wound onto a pulley-like arrangement which is spring biassed so as to return the hose to a storage position.
McGaha U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,171, issued May 26, 1970, teaches a dental instrument cabinet and storage mechanism in which a partitioned and compartmented housing has a plurality of individual compartments into each of which a separate instrument and connecting hose means may be stored. The compartmented storage means is slidably mounted in the interior of the housing and is pulled out from the housing when it is desired for the instruments to be used.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,258, issued Sep. 26, 1972 to Fulton et al teaches a retractor for a dental handpiece, where the retractor is equipped with a spring-suppo
Matecki Kathy
Pham Minh-Chau
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