Dental mirror and protective mask with integral removal tab
AssigneePulpdent Corporation
InventorsKenneth J. Berk, Fredrick M. Berk, Donald Berk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dental mirror instrument with a reflecting surface comprising a metallized film or other reflecting material covered by a protective mask with at least one integral removal tab. Individual mirror/mask assemblies are cut from a multi-layer laminate which includes a release layer on the bottom which is adhesively attached to a thin, reflecting film, which is in turn attached to a protective mask layer. The cutting process creates a shaped reflecting surface covered by a protective mask that is congruent with the reflecting surface except for one or more small tabs projecting beyond the reflecting surface which are part of the protective mask and by which the protective mask may be easily removed.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing a dental mirror instrument having a handle and a head and including a mirror covered by a one-piece protective mask with a removal tab section that includes at least one integral removal tab which extends beyond the periphery of the mirror, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a laminate including at least a mask layer overlying an intermediate reflective film layer and a release liner layer;
- making a cut through at least the mask layer along the periphery of the removal tab section;
- making a cut through the mask layer and the reflective film layer along a line that follows the periphery of the mirror except along the border between the mirror and the removal tab section where the mirror lies adjacent to the removal tab section;
- making a cut through the release liner layer and the reflective film layer along the border between the removal tab section and the mirror;
- and
- removing the mirror and protective mask from the release liner and attaching the reflective film to the mirror instrument head.
A method of manufacturing a dental mirror instrument having a mirror covered by a protective mask having a removal tab section that includes at least one integral removal tab which extends beyond the periphery of the mirror, comprising the steps of:
- providing a dental mirror instrument assembly including a handle attached to a head section adapted to carry a reflecting mirror;
- providing a 3-layer laminate including:
- a middle layer made of a thin reflecting film;
- a mask layer on the top surface of the film layer for providing protection to the reflecting film attached to the film layer by a means for attaching that allows for relatively easy removal of the mask layer from the reflective film;
- and
- a release liner on the bottom surface of the reflecting film attached to the film layer by an adhesive that releases easily from the release liner while adhering strongly to the reflective film and the material from which the head section is made;
- creating a mirror assembly in the laminate by:
- making a cut through the mask and film layers, the cut being made along a line that follows the mask periphery including the removal tab section;
- making a cut through the release liner layer along the periphery of the removal tab section;
- making a cut through the release liner layer and the film layer which follows the periphery of the removal tab section, and which connects with the edges of the first cut in the film layer;
- and
- removing the mirror assembly, including the mirror and protective mask, from the release liner and applying it to said head section.
A dental mirror, comprising:
- a handle section adapted for being manually held;
- a head section attached to the handle section and having a flat, planar surface to which a mirror can be attached;
- a mirror comprising a thin, flexible, reflective film adhesively attached to said flat surface;
- and
- a manually-removable protective mask made of a single piece of a thin, flexible material covering the mirror surface, and including one or more integral removal tabs that extend beyond the mirror periphery;
- wherein the protective mask is attached to the mirror surface with a second adhesive spread over the bottom surface thereof and further comprising means for covering the adhesive in the areas of the removal tab.
A method of manufacturing an array of dental mirror assemblies suitable for application to a dental mirror instrument head section by automatic machinery, each assembly including a mirror covered by a protective mask having at least one integral removal tab which extends beyond the periphery of the mirror, comprising the steps of:
- providing a 3-layer laminate including:
- a middle layer made of a thin reflecting film;
- a mask layer on the top surface of the film layer for providing protection to the reflecting film attached to the film layer by a means for attaching that allows for relatively easy removal of the mask layer from the reflective film;
- and
- a release liner on the bottom surface of the reflecting film attached to the film layer by an adhesive that releases easily from the release liner while adhering strongly to the reflective film and the material from which the head section is made;
- creating a plurality of mirror assemblies in the laminate by repeatedly:
- making a cut through the mask and film layers, the cut being made along a line that follows the mask periphery of each mirror assembly including the removal tab;
- making a cut through the release liner layer along the periphery of the removal tab section of each mask assembly;
- and
- making a cut through the release liner layer and the film layer which follows the periphery of the removal tab section, and which connects with the edges of the first cut in the film layer of each mask assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.