US2489967A - Dental cuspidor shield - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 29, 1949 H. H. LAWNE 2,489,967

.DENTAL CUSPIDOR SHIELD Filed June 22, 1948 |Nvr-:NTOR HARO/p H. LAV/NE,

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Patented Nov. 29, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DENTAL CUSPIDOR SHIELD Harold H. Lavine, Washington, vD. C.

Application .I une 22, 1948, Serial No. 34,445

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a shield for a dental cuspidor.

One object of my invention is to provide a shield for a dental cuspidor which will prevent dental patients from expectorating beyond the walls of the cuspidor.

Another object is to provide such a device which may be easily attached and removed.

A further object of my invention is to provide such a device constructed of material which may be readily cleaned and sterilized.

A still further object of my invention is to provide such a structure which may be inexpensively manufactured and will be durable in use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon considering the following specification when read in light of the attached drawings, in which Fig. l. is a front elevation of my invention attached to a standard dental cuspidor,

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of my invention attached to a dental cuspidor, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the shield.

In the drawings wherein like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the reference numeral 5 indicates generally the standard dental lavatory and cuspidor comprising a hollow standard 5 having at the top thereof a glass stand and drain 1, water supply pipe 8, arranged to feed water to a glass 9 standing on the glass stand and drain l. An additional water supply pipe Ill leads from the standard 6. A cuspidor support II is attached to the standard 5 and contains a drain pipe therein. A cuspidor I2, having a funnel-shaped lower portion I3 for conveying fluid material from the cuspidor I2 to the drain in the cuspidor support II, is mounted on top of the cuspidor support II. The cuspidor I2 is further provided with an upstanding annular side wall I4, having an inturned lip portion I5 provided at its upper edge.

A shield I6 is formed from a semi-circular sheet of plastic stock and is provided with a multiplicity of flexible plastic hooks I'I on the outer lower face thereof. The hook members I'I are secured to the shield I6 by integral formation, glueing, screws, or any other suitable means. 'Ihe lower corners I3 of the shield IS are turned outwardly and upwardly to provide additional hook elements I9.

In the use and operation of the invention, the shield I6 is inserted within the interior of the cuspidor I2 with the lower edge of the shield I5 extending to the lower surface of the cuspidor I2. The hooks I'I are engaged over the outer edge of the annular wall I4 and the hooks I9 are engaged under the inner lower edge of the lip I5. This, as can be seen from Fig. l, provides a rather stable locking arrangement to prevent accidental disengagement of the shield I6 from the cuspidor I2.

An opening 20 may be provided in one side of the shield I6 to permit the passage of the water supply pipe I0 through the shield IB to the cuspidor I2.

In modern dental work, it is customary to paralyze the fifth trigeminal nerve and the seventh facial nerve with Novocain or other local anesthetic prior to performing any painful operation on the teeth. The paralysis of these nerves in turn paralyze or cause the loss of control of the facial muscles and the muscles of the tongue which interferes seriously with the patients ability to control his expectoration, and consequently, a patient will oftentimes miss the dental cuspidor when he attempts to expectorate the blood and saliva collected in his mouth, following a dental operation, and will expectorate on the floor or wall. This, of course, creates both an unsanitary and an unsightly condition and presents a serious problem to the dentist in cleaning the premises after one patient has been released before the next patient can be admitted.

With my invention, the patient will be prevented from spreading expectorant over the premises and the shield may be easily and quickly cleaned by the dentist or his assistant before the next patient is admitted.

While I have disclosed one form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention as deiined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A shield for a dental cuspidor comprising a semi-circular body member, a pair of outwardly and upwardly extending hook elements formed on the two lower corners of the body member, a multiplicity of downwardly extending hook elements attached to the outer surface of said body whereby the body member is adapted to be inserted within a dental cuspidor with the iirstnamed hooks engaged under the inturned lip of the cuspidor and the second-named hooks engaging over the outside wall of the dental cuspidor.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the body member and the hook members are formed of flexible plastic material.

3. A shield for a dental cuspidor of the type comprising a bowl having a relatively flat bottom portion, downwardly converging into a drain portion, the outer circumferential edge of the bottom portion being ared upwardly and outwardly to form a side wall, and the top edge of said side Wall being rolled inwardly and downwardly to form an in-turned lip comprising a semi-circular body member, a pair of outwardly and upwardly extending hook elements formed, integrally with the body meml'xerl by; outwardly ande upwardlyf bending the two lower corners, and a multiplicity of downwardly extending flexible hook elements, attached to the outer surface of said body, said first-named hook elements being adaptedto; em-a gage under the lip of the cuspidor in cooperation 15a REFERENCES CITED The; following4 References are of record in the le Qi this;v patenti.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

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