Dental instrument having a lamp assembly suspension including vibration and thermal isolation means

A dental handpiece comprising:

• a handle portion having a proximal end and a distal end;
• a head portion connected to said handle portion distal end, said head portion including a gas-driven motor capable of rotatably driving a work tool;
• casing means associated with said handle portion;
• light source support means within said casing means, said light source support means comprising light source mounting means constituting the sole support of a light source for maintaining said light source free from contact with said casing means, first resilient connecting means and second resilient connecting means, each of said first and second resilient connecting means connected between said light source mounting means and portions of said casing means and constituting the sole suspension of said light source mounting means;
• means for electrically connecting said light source support means to electric power source connecting means;
• and
• light guiding means having a first terminus adjacent said light source support means and having a second terminus adjacent said distal end to direct light from a light source to the vicinity of a work tool, when said light source support means includes an operating light source and said gas-driven motor has operably associated therewith a work tool.

In a dental instrument having the capability of providing intraoral illumination, wherein the instrument includes housing means having light source mounting means, connecting means providing both mechanical support for said light source mounting means within said housing means and electrical connection of said light source mounting means to electric power source connecting means, light guide means having a first terminus adjacent said light source mounting means and having a second terminus outside of said housing means for delivering light from a light source mountable within said light source mounting means to illuminate a region outside of said housing means, the improvement comprising:

• said connecting means comprising electrically conductive first resilient means connected between said light source mounting means and said housing means and electrically conductive second resilient means connected between said light source mounting means and said housing means, said light source mounting means maintaining said light source free from contact with said housing means and constituting the sole support of said light source, said first and second resilient means connected to spaced-apart portions of said light source mounting means and constituting the sole suspension of said light source mounting means therefrom, each of said electrically conductive first and second resilient means having a property of resilience, low thermal conductivity and a low mass relative to the mass of said light source mounting means sufficient to substantially inhibit the transfer by conduction through said connecting means of mechanical vibration or of heat, or both, between said light source mounting means and said housing means.

A dental handpiece comprising:

• a housing means;
• work tool connecting means within said housing means;
• driving means associated with said work tool connecting means for providing work-producing motion to said work tool connecting means;
• light guiding means having a first terminus within said housing means and a second terminus outside of said housing means;
• light source mounting means within said housing means for holding a light source in close proximity to said first terminus of said light guiding means and free from contact with said housing means, said mounting means constituting the sole support of said light source and having a pair of electrical contacts for making electrical connection to power source connecting means;
• and
• support means within said housing means for supporting said light source mounting means, said support means comprising resilient means constituting the sole suspension of said light source mounting means therefrom and said resilient means having properties of resilience and low mass relative to the mass of said mounting means so that transfer of heat and/or mechanical vibration between said housing means and said light source mounting means through said resilient means is substantially inhibited during use of said dental handpiece.

A light source adapter for a dental instrument, said adapter comprising:

• first rigid support means;
• second rigid support means spaced apart and rigidly connected with said first rigid support means;
• light source mounting means suspended between said first and second rigid support means for maintaining a light source free from contact with said first and second rigid support means, said light source mounting means constituting the sole support of said light source;
• first resilient suspension means connected between said first rigid support means and said light source mounting means;
• second resilient suspension means connected between said second rigid support means and said light source mounting means;
• said first and second resilient suspension means constituting the sole suspension of said light source mounting means and having properties of resilience and low mass relative to the mass of said mounting means so that transfer of heat and/or mechanical vibration between said rigid support means and said light source mounting means through said suspension means is substantially inhibited during use of said dental instrument.