Dental saliva ejector tube assembly

A dental saliva ejector tube assembly comprising in combination:

• a. a dental saliva ejector tube having an upper end for extending into a patient's mouth and having a lower end for coupling to a vacuum;
• and b. a socket including:
• i. a central body extending along a central axis and having first and second opposing ends and a central passage extending therebetween, the first end including a port for being coupled to a source of a vacuum;
• ii. an elastic sleeve secured to and extending about the second end of said central body, said sleeve having an opening for receiving the lower end of said dental saliva ejector tube;
• iii. a spreader member disposed proximate the opening of said sleeve for enlarging the opening of said sleeve when said spreader member is moved away from the central axis of the central body;
• and
• iv. a lever pivotally secured to said central body and coupled with said spreader member, said lever being adapted to be actuated by a user for causing said spreader member to move apart from the central axis for enlarging the opening of said sleeve in order to engage or disengage the lower end of said dental saliva ejector tube.

A vacuum line socket and dental saliva ejector tube assembly, comprising in combination:

• a. a dental saliva ejector tube having a first end for being inserted into a patient's mouth and having a second end, said second end having an enlarged diameter retaining rib formed thereupon;
• b. a vacuum line socket having first and second opposing ends and a central passage extending therebetween, the first end including a port for being coupled to a source of a vacuum, and the second end forming a socket for receiving the second end of the dental saliva ejector tube, the central passage extending along a central axis;
• a lever pivotally secured to said vacuum line socket, said lever including a first end adapted to be actuated by a user and having an opposing second end;
• d. a latch mechanism associated with the second end of said lever and disposed generally proximate the second end of said vacuum line socket, said latch mechanism being adapted to engage the enlarged diameter retaining rib formed upon said dental saliva ejector tube when the first end of said lever is not actuated by a user, and wherein actuation of the first end of said lever causes the second end of said lever and said latch mechanism associated therewith to move away from the central axis, away from the second end of said dental saliva ejector tube, and away from the enlarged diameter retaining rib formed thereupon, for allowing said dental saliva ejector tube to be inserted within, or released from, the second end of said vacuum line socket;
• and
• e. a biasing means for biasing said latch mechanism toward the central axis of the central passage of said vacuum line socket.

A vacuum line socket and dental saliva ejector tube assembly, comprising in combination:

• a. a dental saliva ejector tube having a first end for being inserted into a patient's mouth and having a second end, said second end having an enlarged diameter retaining rib formed thereupon;
• b. a vacuum line socket having first and second opposing ends and a central passage extending therebetween, the first end including a port for being coupled to a source of a vacuum, and the second end forming a socket for receiving the second end of the dental saliva ejector tube, the central passage extending along a central axis;
• c. first and second latch mechanisms disposed generally proximate the second end of said vacuum line socket opposite one another and adapted to engage the enlarged diameter retaining rib formed upon the second end of said dental saliva ejector tube;
• d. biasing means for biasing said first and second latch mechanisms toward the central axis of the central passage of said vacuum line socket and toward one another;
• e. first and second levers pivotally secured to said vacuum line socket, said first lever being associated with said first latch mechanism, and said second lever being associated with said second latch mechanism, said first and second levers being adapted to be actuated by a user for causing said first and second latch mechanisms to move away from the central axis of the central passage of said vacuum line socket, and apart from each other, away from the second end of said dental saliva ejector tube, and away from the enlarged diameter retaining rib formed thereupon, for allowing said dental saliva ejector tube to be inserted within, or released from, the second end of said vacuum line socket.