US 4,069,587 A · Dental handpiece control apparatus

Abstract

In the present apparatus, the removal of a dental handpiece from its holder opens a pilot-operated valve for supplying air or both air and water to the handpiece in conjunction with the usual foot pedal-operated valve. Preferably, the holder has aligned, narrow air passages on opposite sides of a recess which receives the handpiece, and the handpiece blocks these passages when it is in the holder. Upon removal of the handpiece, the flow of air from one of these passages across the recess and into the other passage supplies the pilot pressure for opening the pilot-operated valve. The pilot-operated valve may be separate from the holder or contained within it. In another embodiment, the holder has a reciprocable valve member controlling the application of pilot pressure to the pilot-operated valve. This valve member is depressed to a closed position by the handpiece when the latter is in the holder and is biased to an open position when the handpiece is removed from the holder.

Claims32

Dependent claims

In a dental apparatus for use with a dental handpiece supplied with pressure fluid, said apparatus including a pilot-operated valve having:

a main inlet for receiving pressure fluid;
a main outlet for passing the pressure fluid from said main inlet to the handpiece;
normally-closed valve means between said main inlet and said main outlet normally blocking the flow of pressure fluid between them;
a pilot pressure inlet;
and means for opening said valve means to connect said main inlet to said main outlet in response to pilot pressure at said pilot pressure inlet;
the improvement which comprises:
a holder for the handpiece having means defining a pair of aligned small passages, one for receiving pressure fluid and the other connected to said pilot pressure inlet of said pilot-operated valve for applying pilot pressure threto;
and means for blocking the flow of pressure fluid from said one passage to said other passage when the handpiece is in the holder and for passing pressure fluid from said one passage to said other passage when the handpiece is out of the holder;
said holder having a recess for receiving said handpiece, and said passages opening into said recess on opposite sides of the latter and in alignment with each other;
and said last-mentioned means comprising the dental handpiece itself which, when received in said recess, blocks said passages.

7 more elements

In a dental apparatus for use with a dental handpiece supplied with pressure fluid, said apparatus including a pilot-operated valve having:

a main inlet for receiving pressure fluid;
a main outlet for passing the pressure fluid from said main inlet to the handpiece;
normally-closed valve means between said main inlet and said main outlet normally blocking the flow of pressure fluid between them;
a pilot pressure inlet;
and means for opening said valve means to connect said main inlet to said main outlet in response to pilot pressure at said pilot pressure inlet;
the improvement which comprises:
a holder for the handpiece having means defining a pair of aligned small passages, one for receiving pressure fluid and the other connected to said pilot pressure inlet of said pilot-operated valve for applying pilot pressure thereto;
and means for blocking the flow of pressure fluid from said one passage to said other passage when the handpiece is in the holder and for passing pressure fluid from said one passage to said other passage when the handpiece is out of the holder;
said last-mentioned means comprising a normally-open valve member controlling the flow of pressure fluid between said passages and constructed and arranged to be closed when the dental handpiece is in said holder;
and said holder presenting a generally U-shaped recess for receiving the dental handpiece, and said normally-open valve member having an operator biased into said recess and engageable thereat by the handpiece to be displaced by the latter to a closed position.

7 more elements

A fluidic drive dental system for effecting fluidic driving of a dental handpiece comprising in combination a manually actuatable valve means for selectively producing a first fluidic pressure in response to the manual actuation thereof, handpiece control valve means including a support means for supporting a dental handpiece so that said control valve means is selectively acutated in response to said dental handpiece being removed from said support means, said control valve means being fluidically coupled intermediate said manually actuatable valve means and said dental handpiece for applying said first fluidic pressure produced by said manually actuated valve means to said dental handpiece to effect operation thereof in response to a coincidental actuation of said manually actuatable valve means and said handpiece control valve means.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Dental handpiece control apparatus

Life of this patent

Dental handpiece control apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims32