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US 11,432,906 B2Granted
Dental instrument with a flexible tip end and method of manufacture
AssigneeHu-Friedy Mfg. Co., Inc.
InventorsRavi P. Seeralan, Alexander M. Kerstein, Jennifer Nemeth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Dental instruments, assemblies, and components for a dental instrument are described with a two-piece tip that includes a flexible tip end and a stiff shank. Various methods of assembly are described for securing the flexible tip end to the shank including utilizing a slot in the shank and one or more pins inserted through the tip and shank, a securing material, and forming the shank with a distal portion coupled to a portion of the flexible tip end.
Claims16
A dental instrument comprising:
- a handle;
- a two-piece tip attached to the handle, the two-piece tip including:
- a shank including a distal portion with an end surface having a slot, the distal portion extending along a longitudinal axis, and an aperture extending through the distal portion in a direction generally orthogonal to the longitudinal axis;
- and
- a flexible tip end comprising a Nickel Titanium foil, the flexible tip end having an elongate spatula configuration with side edges of a rectangular rear portion extending to a convex distal edge of a curved forward portion, wherein the rectangular rear portion is inserted within the slot and includes an aperture extending therethrough;
- and
- a pin configured to be inserted through the apertures of the distal portion and the flexible tip end to secure the flexible tip end to the shank.
4 more elements
A method of manufacturing a dental instrument, the method comprising:
- providing a handle and a two-piece tip attached to the handle, the two-piece tip including:
- a shank including a distal portion with an end surface having a slot, the distal portion extending along a longitudinal axis, and an aperture extending through the distal portion in a direction generally orthogonal to the longitudinal axis;
- inserting a rectangular rear portion of a flexible tip end comprising a Nickel Titanium foil into the slot so that an aperture extending through the rectangular rear portion aligns with the aperture in the distal portion, the flexible tip end having an elongate spatula configuration with side edges of the rectangular rear portion extending to a convex distal edge of a curved forward portion;
- and
- inserting a pin through the apertures of the distal portion and the flexible tip end to secure the flexible tip end to the shank.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.