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US 5,810,588 AGranted
Clamping device particularly useful for dental handpieces
OwnerYechiel Coheninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A clamping device for clamping a rodlike member to a housing, particularly a dental tool to a handpiece, includes a tapered sleeve and a tapered collet received within the tapered sleeve, both having open ends for receiving the rodlike member. A depressible button is engageable with the closed end of the tapered collet to move the collet outwardly of the tapered sleeve, thereby to expand the tapered collet and to permit removal or insertion of the rodlike member. Several improved versions are also described including an annular seal carried by the open end of the tapered sleeve, a coiled spring urging the tapered collet inwardly of the tapered sleeve, an air bearing rotatably mounting an air turbine and the tapered sleeve, etc.
Claims20
A clamping device for clamping a rodlike member to a housing, comprising:
- a taper ed sleeve carried by s aid housing and having an inner diameter which decreases from an open end thereof to its opposite end;
- a tapered collet received within said open end of the tapered sleeve;
- said tapered collet having an inner end and an open end for receiving the rodlike member, and an outer diameter which decreases from its open end to its opposite end;
- said tapered collet being formed with an axial slit starting from its open end and extending along at least a part of its length, permitting said part to contract in diameter in order to firmly clamp the rodlike member when received in the tapered collet and the tapered collet is received within the tapered sleeve;
- a depressible button carried by said housing and having an inner surface engageable with said opposite end of the tapered collet, and an outer surface engageable by a user to depress the button;
- a spring normally urging said button outwardly of the housing but being depressible to move the tapered collet outwardly of the tapered sleeve, thereby to expand said part of the tapered collet to permit removal of the rodlike member from the tapered collet, or insertion of the rodlike member into the tapered collet and firm clamping of the rodlike member in the tapered collet by manually pressing the rodlike member and tapered collet into the tapered sleeve;
- the open end of said tapered collet terminating short of the open end of said tapered sleeve;
- and an annular seal carried by said tapered sleeve between its open end and the open end of said tapered collet, said annular seal being coaxial with said tapered sleeve for receiving said rodlike member.
5 more elements
A clamping device for clamping a rodlike member to a housing, comprising:
- a tapered sleeve carried by said housing and having an inner diameter which decreases from an open end thereof to its opposite end;
- a tapered collet received within said open end of the tapered sleeve;
- said tapered collet having an open end for receiving the rodlike member, and an outer diameter which decreases from its open end to its opposite end;
- said tapered collet being formed with an axial slit starting from its open end and extending along at least a part of its length, permitting said part to contract in diameter in order to firmly clamp the rodlike member when received in the tapered collet and the tapered collet is received within the tapered sleeve;
- a depressible button carried by said housing and having an inner surface engageable with said opposite end of the tapered collet, and an outer surface engageable by a user to depress the button;
- a spring normally urging said button outwardly of the housing but being depressible to move the tapered collet outwardly of the tapered sleeve, thereby to expand said part of the tapered collet to permit removal of the rodlike member from the tapered collet, or insertion of the rodlike member into the tapered collet and firm clamping of the rodlike member in the tapered collet by manually pressing the rodlike member and tapered collet into the tapered sleeve;
- and a further spring between an inner end of said tapered collet and said opposite end of said tapered sleeve, said further spring urging said tapered collet inwardly of the tapered sleeve.
4 more elements
A clamping device for clamping a rodlike member to a housing, comprising:
- a tapered sleeve carried by said housing and having an inner diameter which decreases from an open end thereof to its opposite end;
- a tapered collet received within said open end of the tapered sleeve;
- said tapered collet having an open end for receiving the rodlike member, and an outer diameter which decreases from its open end to its opposite end;
- said tapered collet being formed with an axial slit starting from its open end and extending along at least a part of its length, permitting said part to contract in diameter in order to firmly clamp the rodlike member when received in the tapered collet and the tapered collet is received within the tapered sleeve;
- a depressible button carried by said housing and having an inner surface engageable with said opposite end of the tapered collet, and an outer surface engageable by a user to depress the button;
- a spring normally urging said button outwardly of the housing but being depressible to move the tapered collet outwardly of the tapered sleeve, thereby to expand said part of the tapered collet to permit removal of the rodlike member from the tapered collet, or insertion of the rodlike member into the tapered collet and firm clamping of the rodlike member in the tapered collet by manually pressing the rodlike member and tapered collet into the tapered sleeve;
- and a pin passing through said tapered sleeve and received within said axial slit of the tapered collet to prevent rotation of the tapered collet within said tapered sleeve.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.