Mortise lock for locking a removable tooth-replacement prosthesis
OwnerWolfgang Gabrielinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An artificial tooth has embedded therein a mortise lock including a housing set into the tooth and accommodating a bolt member which is slidable to protrude from the interior of the housing to engage into a recess in a keeper which is fixed firmly to the jaw bone of a patient. The mortise lock includes an elastic ring which is movable with the bolt and engages a collar in the end of the housing when the lock is in unlocked position, to prevent the bolt from being removed from the housing. The collar is detachable to enable removal of the bolt for replacement of the elastic ring.
Claims12
In mechanism for locking a dental prosthesis to a keeper fixed in a patient's mouth, such mechanism including a housing adapted to be fixed in the prosthesis and a bolt having a portion received in the housing and slidable relative thereto between a locked position in which one end portion of the bolt projects from the housing for engagement with the keeper to lock the prosthesis in the patient's mouth and an unlocked position in which such bolt one end portion is retracted for disengagement from the keeper to free the prosthesis for removal from the patient's mouth, the improvement comprising the housing having a first end wall forming a flange projecting generally inward toward the bolt portion received in the housing, and an elastic ring encircling the bolt and moved therewith between the locked and unlocked positions of the bolt, said housing first end wall being abutted by said elastic ring in unlocked position of the bolt for limiting retraction of the bolt.
In mechanism for locking a dental prosthesis to a keeper fixed in a patient's mouth, such mechanism including a housing adapted to be fixed in the prosthesis and a bolt having a portion received in the housing and slidable relative thereto between a locked position in which one end portion of the bolt projects from the housing for engagement with the keeper to lock the prosthesis in the patient's mouth and an unlocked position in which such bolt one end portion is retracted for disengagement from the keeper to free the prosthesis for removal from the patient's mouth, the improvement comprising the housing having a first end wall forming an annular flange projecting generally inward toward the bolt, the bolt portion received in the housing having a lateral projection intermediate said housing first end wall and such bolt one end portion which projectionis moved with the bolt between its locked and unlocked positions, said housing first end wall being abutted by said projection in unlocked position of the bolt for limiting retraction of the bolt, and said housing first end wall being a collar releasably connected to the housing so that said housing first end wall is detachable from the remainder of the housing enabling removal of the bolt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.