Dentistry – Apparatus – Having means to emit radiation or facilitate viewing of the...
Patent
1986-04-09
1988-03-22
Peshock, Robert
Dentistry
Apparatus
Having means to emit radiation or facilitate viewing of the...
433 82, A61C 100
Patent
active
047325631
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a power or drive unit, in particular for dental instruments and to a tool unit connectable to such a power unit, in which passages are provided therethrough the power unit for transmitting electricity and one or more fluids to the tool unit. Power units of the general type are used in particular for dental drills, but can also be used for drills or cutters, for example, for use in connection with surgical operations.
In the case of a drilling or cutting instrument, the housing of the power unit contains a motor which may be either an electric motor or a turbine. The motor drives an output shaft which extends centrally in the coupling stub of the power unit and is, usually, terminated by an appropriate self-catching clutch part which is adapted to engage a matching clutch part in a tool unit, when the tool unit is being put into place on the connector stub. At the same time as the tool unit is being put into place, communication is established between fluid flow passages in the connector stub and corresponding flow passages in the tool unit, whereby fluids, such as water and air, are transfered and can be supplied to the work site of the tool unit through appropriate outlets or nozzles.
Instruments or appliances of this type are known in the art, wherein replacable tool units are designed with a small lamp for illuminating the work site during use of the tool. Due to the restricted space, in particular through the connector stub of the power unit, it has, however, been a problem to have electric current carried through to such a lamp. Therefor it has been attempted to arrange a map at the rear end of the power unit i.e. opposite the connector stub, and to conduct light from this lamp to a light source on the tool unit, whereby the light is transfered through a light conductor in the shape of one or more light conducting fibres which extend through the housing or handle portion of the power unit and on to the light source on the tool unit. Danish patent publication No. 146 647 discloses an example of such a known instrument.
However, in a power unit for removable or replacable tool units such an arrangement of light conductors is not useful without further measures. Moreover, it is necessary to install such a light conductor in an appropriate passage which, at least though the connector stub of the power unit, has to be made as an axially extending bore. The drilling of such a bore is very difficult to make with sufficient precision, in particular in view of the fact that it is necessary to drill relatively long distances axially through small wall thicknesses of material which, usually, is stainless steel and therefor is relatively hard.
In accordance with the invention one or more of the passage-defining walls in the connector stub is utilized as an electric conductor. Consequently, it is possible to transfer not only fluids, such as water and/or air, but also electric current to a removable or replacable tool unit without any need of drilling bores axially through walls in the connector stub.
The power unit of the invention does not necessarily include a motor or turbine, since the unit can be used as drive unit for replacable spraying or flushing tools with a lamp, and/or as power unit for a removable curing lamp for composite tooth filler materials. In the latter case it is an advantage that the tool unit which is designed as a curing lamp, can be cooled interiorly by means of the power unit of the invention, because know curing lamps tend to be hot during use to such an extent that they become unpleasant to hold in the hand.
However, a prefered embodiment of this invention includes a motor or turbine with a drive shaft which is arranged centrally in the connector stub. Thus, with this embodiment it is possible to transfer mechanical driving power, at least two fluid flows as well as electric current to replacable tool units.
As will be understood from the statements above, the tool unit can be designed for instance as a flushing tool with built-in light source; as a rad
REFERENCES:
patent: 4568284 (1968-02-01), Stanklewicz
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