Abrading – Machine – Reciprocating tool
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-19
2001-07-03
Morgan, Eileen P. (Department: 3723)
Abrading
Machine
Reciprocating tool
C451S162000, C451S168000, C451S356000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254464
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF ART
The present invention relates to a hand scaler sharpener unit and a hand scaler sharpening apparatus. In particular, the invention relates to a hand scaler sharpener unit for restoring mainly the cutting edge of a hand scaler by sharpening the same with a grindstone, which hand scaler is commonly used in periodontal treatment for manual removal of dental calculus, dental plaque, or necrotized cementum, or for manual polishing of root surfaces, as well as to a hand scaler sharpening apparatus having this hand scaler sharpener unit and a hand scaler securing unit for securing a hand scaler.
BACKGROUND ART
A hand scaler is widely used as a hand tool for removing dental calculus and the like. A hand scaler as shown in FIG.
14
and designated as
1
, may be segmented into a grip section
2
which is grasped by an operator, shank sections
3
which are contiguously provided usually at the ends of the grip section
2
and bent as required, and blade sections
4
each of which is provided at the tip of each shank section
3
. One of the blade sections
4
, which are double-edged, is shown enlarged and in section in
FIGS. 15 and 16
, respectively. The blade section
4
has an inner face
4
a
, right and left sides
4
b
, and a curved back face
4
c.
The inner face
4
a
and each of the right and left sides
4
b
form a sharp edge, which substantially functions as a cutting edge
5
for removing dental calculus or for performing other treatments.
When the cutting edge
5
becomes dull as a result of use, the edge
5
can hardly catch calculus, resulting in decreased treatment efficiency. In addition, the operator is likely to exert excess force to the scaler
1
to cause wound in the gum or periodontal tissues of a patient or to cause damage to the scaler
1
. For obviating such danger, the cutting edge
5
has to be restored by proper sharpening with a grindstone.
Conventional methods for restoring the cutting edge may be divided into manual sharpening wherein a surface of a grindstone in the form of a rectangular plate is placed to the side
4
b
of the scaler blade section
4
, and moved up and down along the side
4
b
with a hand, and motor-assisted sharpening wherein a grindstone in the form of a circular disk is rotated by a motor, and the side
4
b
of the blade section is held to the peripheral surface of the grindstone.
The manual restoration of the cutting edge is carried out with the scaler
1
in one hand and the grindstone in the other hand, adjusting the angle of the grindstone surface to the inner face
4
a
in conformity with the angle of the cutting edge
5
. It is thus much more laborious than the motor-assisted sharpening, and is particularly difficult for an inexperienced beginner. Even the angles adjusted by skilled operators may have individual difference, and the finishing may not be uniform.
Restoration of the cutting edge by the motor-assisted sharpening also has problems. For example, the side
4
b
of the blade section is sharpened with the curved outer peripheral surface of a grindstone, so that restoration of the cutting edge to exactly the original angle before wearing is hard to achieve, compared to the manual sharpening using a flat grindstone surface. This, in combination with continuous rotation of the grindstone, often leads to excess grinding of the scaler.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hand scaler sharpener unit that is capable of easily restoring the cutting edge of a hand scaler to its original angle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a hand scaler sharpening apparatus that enables even a beginner to restore the cutting edge of a hand scaler easily and uniformly.
According to the present invention, there is provided a hand scaler sharpener unit adapted to sharpen a hand scaler with a grindstone for restoration of the hand scaler, comprising:
a base member having a base surface slanted at an angle to a level line,
a grindstone mounting member for mounting a grindstone thereon, and
a grindstone driving means for reciprocatingly moving said grindstone mounting member along said base surface.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a hand scaler sharpening apparatus comprising the hand scaler sharpener unit mentioned above, and a hand scaler securing unit for securing a hand scaler generally vertically during operation of the sharpener unit.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2578081 (1951-12-01), Miller et al.
patent: 2703470 (1955-03-01), Porter et al.
patent: 3133381 (1964-05-01), Freed
patent: 3576089 (1971-04-01), Magnuson
patent: 4179850 (1979-12-01), Gillette
patent: 5155939 (1992-10-01), Pheulpin
patent: 5643059 (1997-07-01), Chen
patent: 5667434 (1997-09-01), Prusaitis et al.
patent: 5-29661 (1987-07-01), None
patent: 1-146650 (1989-06-01), None
patent: 5-503667 (1993-06-01), None
patent: 9-511951 (1995-10-01), None
Keil & Weinkauf
Morgan Eileen P.
Nakanishi Inc.
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