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US 2022/0361982 A1Published application
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.
Claims20
A dental instrument comprising:
- a handle;
- a tip attached to the handle, the tip including:
- a shank including a distal portion extending along a longitudinal axis, the distal portion having an end surface and a slot having an opening along the end surface and extending rearwardly therein along the longitudinal axis;
- a tip end having a rear portion disposed within the slot and a forward portion extending forwardly away from the distal portion of the shank along the longitudinal axis thereof;
- and
- a material disposed within the slot between the rear portion of tip end and the distal portion of the shank to secure the tip end to the shank.
3 more elements
A method of manufacturing a dental instrument, the method comprising:
- providing a flexible tip end having a flat body with opposing planar main surfaces, the body including a retaining portion in a proximal end thereof;
- and
- forming a shank by at least one of 3D printing or injection molding around the retaining portion of the body, such that a distal portion of the shank is coupled to the retaining portion of the body to secure the flexible tip end to the shank, the shank configured to be coupled to a handle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.