Dentistry – Apparatus – Having motor or means to transmit motion from motor to tool
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-26
2001-11-20
Wilson, John J. (Department: 3732)
Dentistry
Apparatus
Having motor or means to transmit motion from motor to tool
Reexamination Certificate
active
06319003
ABSTRACT:
The present invention concerns a quick fit revolving connecting unit for connecting a dental instrument to a supply unit, said connecting unit including:
a hose able to be connected to the supply unit and including electric conductors and at least one fluid conduit,
a fixed portion having a rear end connected to the hose and a front end provided with a group of electric contact rings connected to said conductors, said rings being visible on a peripheral surface of the fixed portion to allow an electric connection via revolving contact with the instrument, a set of channels passing through said fixed portion to allow the or each fluid conduit of the hose to communicate with the instrument, and
a rotating portion rotating freely around the fixed portion and including a coupling sleeve provided with a mechanical coupling device intended to co-operate with the instrument.
In conventional dental instruments, connecting units of this type are used to connect dental instruments, such as turbine, electric motor, light source or other handpieces, to a fixed supply and control unit including one or more fluid supply sources, an electric power supply and electric control circuits. These connecting units increasingly tend to be of a multi-purpose nature, allowing different types of dental instruments to be connected in succession to the same connecting unit.
International Patent Application WO 98/29052 discloses a revolving connecting unit called an attachment, which has the features indicated in the above preamble and further includes an additional interchangeable coupling piece, rotatably fitted onto the fixed portion. This additional coupling piece is intended to be fitted against the rear end of a dental instrument and therefore has a frontal face which specifically corresponds to the configuration of the rear face of the instrument. The additional coupling piece is held axially and in a rotatable manner on the fixed portion by means of a rotating stopping ring which is screwed thereon. The instrument itself is held axially by means of a coupling sleeve which rests on the additional coupling piece and is screwed onto the rear end of the instrument. When this sleeve is unscrewed, it can be slid backwards above the fixed portion and the hose to access the stopping ring and to actuate the latter in order to change the additional coupling piece as required, if another instrument with a different configuration has to be connected.
The presence of an additional coupling piece acting as an interface between the fixed portion of the connecting unit and the dental instrument has the drawback of increasing the total length of the apparatus carried in the dentist's hand. In these circumstances, the flexible hose connected to the rear tends to exert a torque on the apparatus which becomes higher the further the rear end of the apparatus is from the dentist's hand, and this torque can affect the accuracy of the dentist's gestures. One of the objects of the present invention is thus to create a multi-purpose revolving connecting unit which allows to reduce the length of the hand-held assembly as much as possible.
A basic idea of the invention consists in arranging the connecting unit so as to be able to omit the aforementioned additional coupling piece, the fixed portion of the connecting unit then being arranged to fit directly onto the rear end of the instrument. Thus, use is made of the fact that this fixed portion constitutes a multi-purpose element since the electric contacts and channel outlets which it has at the front allow revolving or non-revolving instruments to be connected to it, as well as instruments which use only fluids, or only power or electric signals, or both. In fact, the rear end of the instrument need only have a complementary configuration to that of the front end of the connecting unit which also allows one to revolve on the other.
However, this concept poses two particular problems. On the one hand, given that with increasing health requirements, instruments have to be sterilised between each patient, the coupling and uncoupling of the instruments to and from the connecting unit must be able to be effected simply and quickly. On the other hand, since the electric contact rings are visible on the sides of the prominent front portion of the connecting unit, it is desirable to protect them from accidental contact with foreign bodies, which could cause short-circuiting, or dirty or damage the electric contact surfaces.
These objects are achieved by a revolving connecting unit of the type indicated in the preamble, characterised in that stop means, allowing the coupling sleeve to rest axially on the fixed portion in a rotatable manner to pull the instrument backwards against the connecting unit, are inserted between said sleeve and said fixed portion, and in that the coupling sleeve extends forwards over a sufficient length to surround the group of contact rings and to prevent accidental contact between these rings and an external object when the connecting unit is not connected to an instrument.
As a result of this arrangement, the operator can connect an instrument to the connecting unit very simply and quickly, by inserting the fixed portion of the connecting unit into the back of the instrument and by rotating the coupling sleeve to effect the mechanical coupling, preferably achieved by means of a bayonet fitting. The same operations in reverse also allow quick uncoupling, which allows easy replacement of one instrument by another. The assembly also has the desired features of small length and protection of the electric contact parts, in accordance with the objects of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4403959 (1983-09-01), Hatakeyama
patent: 4534734 (1985-08-01), Lares
patent: 4978297 (1990-12-01), Vlock
patent: 5057015 (1991-10-01), Fleer
patent: 5476379 (1995-12-01), Disel
patent: 5511977 (1996-04-01), Futch, Jr.
patent: 5733117 (1998-03-01), Coss et al.
patent: 5868571 (1999-02-01), Nakanishi
patent: 6033220 (2000-03-01), Mosimann
patent: 98 29052 (1998-07-01), None
Bien-Air S.A.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Wilson John J.
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