US2492427A - Mouth reflector with light - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 27, 1949 J. J. HOEFLING 2,492,427

MOUTH REFLECTOR WITH LIGHT I Filed Jan. 25 1947 INVENTOR. c/AcK JHOEFL 1N6 hgw 'ATTOENEY.

Patented Dec. 27, 1949 UNITED STATES PAT ENT OFFICE 2392,42? Moms.ssrLs-omswimmefit Jack J. Hiieflihg; San Premises, oaur. Application-January 25, 19 41, SerialNo. (o1. 128 225 The invention, in general, relates. to dentistry and more particularly relates to an instrument in the nature of a speculum for affording accessibility to and-rillumination ofthe mouth.

In the gradual evolution of oral instruments for facilitating the practice of d'ental and surgical operations there have been devised numerous devices for spreadingwarrdho'lding the jaws or the cheeks of a patient inflxed open position as well as' simultaneously illuminating the interior" of the mouth. Manyoft e instruments'heretofore devised are" cumbersbme and in use subj'ect a patient to undue discomfort and pain. In addition, many of these prior devices are of complex construction and, in general, are difficult to assemble and position properly. The present invention is directed to obviating inherent disadvantages of prior specula and similar devices.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved mouth reflector and light unit which is easily applied and as easily removed, and which is highly efllcacious in accomplishing the dual function of spreading the cheeks of a patient to retain them in a fixed position and of illuminating the interior of the mouth.

Another important object of my invention is to provide an improved mouth reflector and light of the indicated nature which is additionally characterized by its simplicity of construction from a minimum of parts, and which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved mouth reflector and light of the aforementioned character which is free of obstructing elements and parts which otherwise would render discomfort to a patient and impediments to facile operations, and which is appreciably compact in construction so as to lie snugly against the check both inside and out.

Other objects of the invention, together with some of the advantageous features thereof, will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of my invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that I am not to be limited to the precise embodiment shown, nor to the precise arrangement of the various elements thereof, as my invention, as defined in the appended claim, can be embodied in a plurality and variety of forms.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the inside of the pre- Z" fe'rred embodiment of the invention with dotted lines showing the ear attachment connection and the latter foreshort'ened by broken lines'to' indicate e h Figure Sis a sectional levatior' al view o'f a" preferred embodiment of the invention, with ear attachment removed. a c v Figure 4 i's a fragmentary piarnview' of the outside of the preferred embodiment of the inven tion.

, Figure 5 is a' perspective-view of the lamp re taihi'ng clip of the" preferred embodiment of the I11 t i I r fill are m r d m i flector' and light' of the resent invention prefer ably comprises a reflector element having a polished concave inner face, means for removably fastening an ear attachment thereto, together with a detachable socket clip for removably mounting a lamp and having a channel therethrough for passing an electrical conductor.

As particularly illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 4 of the annexed drawings, I provide a reflector plate H which preferably is fabricated from a polishable metal of relatively thin section and which is formed with a concave inner surface l2. A portion ofsuch inner surface I2 is recessed or off-set, as indicated by the reference numeral I3, to afford a seat for a lamp casing 14. Formed integral with the plate H is an exterior cheekengaging member I6 having its free extremity l1 bent upon itself to provide a finger clasp l8 which is used in positioning the device within the mouth and when removing the same. A suitable, relatively small hook IB is provided on the member IE to afford the removable fastening of an ear attachment 2| to the device whereby the reflector unit is firmly held in proper position within the mouth with the loop portion 22 of the ear attachment encircling the ear. In order to accommodate variable sizes of patients heads, as to distances between the mouth and the ear, I provide a series of perforations 23 in the strap portion 24 of the ear attachment so that the attachment can be variably fastened to the hook l9 using any selected one of the perforations 23.

In accordance with my invention, my improved mouth reflector and light includes a clip 26 which cooperates with the reflector plate I I to hold the lamp casing l4 firmly in engagement with the inner surface of the plate. The clip 26 is provided with a channel or groove 21 through which a suitable electrical cord 28 housing electrical conductors may be passed for connecting the lamp 29 of lamp casing M to a source of electrical ene gy, not shown. As indicated in Figure 3, the cord 28 is provided with a conventional electrical plug 3| for connecting the unit to a standard floor outlet of an electrical circuit.

In using the improved reflector and light combination, the unit is picked up or grasped with a finger encircling the finger grasp I8 and the reflector plate II inserted into the mouth between the teeth and the cheek of the patient with the cheek-engaging member l6 fitting along the outside of the cheek. With the ear attachment 2| fastened to small hook l9, the loop portion 22 of the attachment is passed around the patients ear and the unit is thus positioned.

- If a long cord 28 is provided, it may be convenient to have a switch, not shown, interposed in the circuit or cord so that by merely throwing the switch the lamp 129 can be energized or deenergized at will, with the plug 3! of course connected to the floor outlet of the electrical circuit. With the lamp 29 lighted, the polished inner concave surface of the reflector plate H effectively will illuminate the interior of the mouth. The construction of the lamp-retaining clip 26 furnishes a positive interlock with the cheek-engaging member !6 of the reflector to insure an effective clamp on the lamp casing l4 and to this end I provide down-turned ears 25 on the inner extremity of the clip which interlock, when slipped into place, with shoulders afforded on a reduced portion of the cheek-engaging member [6, as clearly depicted in Figures 4 and 5 of the annexed drawings. The present embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings is compact, economical to manufacture, requires little, if any, maintenance and fits the mouth with no obstruction to interfere with operations conducted in treating the teeth or performing dental or surgical operations within the mouth.

It is to be understood that the appended claim is to be accorded a range of equivalents commensurate in scope with the advance made over the prior art.

I claim:

A mouth reflector and light combination comprising a reflector element having an inner polished surface and a channel in said surface, a lamp casing removably fitting said channel; said lamp casing being adapted to removably hold a lamp therein, a cheek-engaging member integral with said reflector element, and a retaining clip partially overlying said lamp casing as well as partially overlying a portion of said cheekengaging member and interlocking therewith to hold said lamp casing in the channel of said reflector element.

JACK J. HOEFLING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 128,851 Switzerland Nov. 16, 1928 268,462 Germany Dec. 18, 1913 439,649 France June 19, 1912

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