# US 5,348,473 A · Medical tool

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- Number: US 5,348,473 A
- Document ID: US5348473A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/018,396
- Filed: 1993-02-17
- Granted: 1994-09-20
- Earliest claimed: 1993-02-17
- Inventors: Michael F. Kivlighan, Jr.
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5348473A

## CPC

- A61C 17/005: {Devices for dental prophylaxis}
- A61C: DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE (non-driven toothbrushes A46B; {tongue scrapers A61B17/24;} preparations for dentistry A61K6/00; preparations for cleaning the teeth or mouth A61K8/00, A61Q11/00)

## Abstract

A medical tool such as a prophy angle is provided having primarily plastic parts to make disposing more economical. A portion of the drive shaft is made of metal to eliminate detrimental deformation. The housing is made of two plastic halves which snap-fit together and have projecting portions which surround a pair of oversized plastic beveled gears. A prophy cup having a locking projection is provided so that the locking projection fits into locking cavity on a stud of the tool. Vanes are disposed on the inside of the cup and have a step-like configuration to aid in retaining polishing paste in the cup.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A medical tool, comprising:
a housing including an elongated cylindrical body and a substantially cylindrical head portion transverse to an axis of said cylindrical body;
a drive gear; and
a driven gear;
wherein at least one of said drive gear and said driven gear have a diameter greater than an inside diameter of one of said cylindrical body and said head portion, respectively,
said drive gear being disposed in said cylindrical body and said driven gear being disposed in said substantially cylindrical head portion, and
further comprising protrusions extending from said elongated cylindrical body and said cylindrical head portion, said protrusions accommodating said drive gear and said driven gear, respectively.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A medical tool as recited in claim 1, wherein said drive gear and said driven gear have beveled faces, and said protrusions conform to the shape of these beveled faces.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A medical tool as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said cylindrical body and said head portion have a protrusion surrounding portions of at least one of said drive gear and said driven gear, respectively, extending beyond said cylindrical body and said head portion.