US 5,700,184 A · Dental instrument sharpening system

Abstract

A dental instrument sharpening system includes an instrument arm for holding a chiral bladed dental instrument and for facilitating movement of at least one of the chiral blades of the dental instrument to a rotatable sharpening stone. A positioning mechanism, coupled to the instrument arm, positions at least one of the chiral blades of the dental instrument in a desired predetermined position. The positioning mechanism includes a clamping mechanism and indexed slotted member. The indexed slotted member has index protrusions, such as protruding nubs, that matingly engage with indentations in the handle of the dental instrument. The handle of the dental instrument includes at least one index indentation such as a conical indentation. The index indentation and the corresponding index protrusion mate to properly position the blade of the dental instrument in a predetermined longitudinal and axial position in the clamping mechanism.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A sharpening device for accurately sharpening chiral blades of a dental instrument, the device comprising:

housing means for holding a rotatable sharpening stone;
dental instrument holding means, operatively connected to said housing means, for securing at least one of the chiral blades in a predetermined position;
positioning guide means, operatively coupled to said housing, and having empirically determined indicia thereon representing a tangential position between the at least one chiral blade and said positioning guide means to facilitate repetitive positioning of said at least one of the chiral blades in said predetermined position;
said dental instrument holding means being pivotal for moving the at least one chiral blade between said indicia on said positioning guide means and said rotatable sharpening stone to facilitate placing of the at least one chiral blade on the empirically determined indicia to position the at least one chiral blade, and for subsequently moving the positioned chiral blade in desired contact with said sharpening stone.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Dental instrument sharpening system

Life of this patent

Dental instrument sharpening system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8