US3368279A

US3368279A - Dental hand-piece and tool

Info

Publication number: US3368279A
Application number: US509794A
Authority: US
Inventors: Weissman Bernard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-11-26
Filing date: 1965-11-26
Publication date: 1968-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 1985-02-13

Description

Feb. 13, 1968 B. wElssMAN DENTAL HAND PIECE AND TOOL Filed NOV 26, 1965 "lll/lll,

BY l l J l/ MVL United States Patent O 3,368,279 DENTAL HAND-PIECE AND TOGL Bernard Weissman, 304 Ashland Place, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11217 Filed Nov. 26, 1955, Ser. No. 509,794 14 Claims. (Cl. 32-27) The present invention relates to a `den-tal hanfdpiece and improved tool therefor.

The object `oi the present invention is to provide a highly novel and eiii'cient dental tool dor use with a dent-al hand-piece. Other and further :ob-jects y'and advantages |will be readily apparent to one skilled -in the ait from a consideration of the following sneciication taken in lconne'c-tion with the appended drawing.

'In `the drawing, which illustrates the best mode 4presently `contemplated `ifor 'carrying out the invention,

FIGURE l1 illust-rates ya dental hand-.piece lof the 'contraangle type embodying the present invention showing a tool in the process of being inserted therein;

FIGURE 2 is lan elevational view of la dental tool in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2A `is a lfragmentary `sectional view .on `an enlarged scale taken on the line 2a-2a of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE -3 is a fragmentary view of the handapiece head when viewed in the direction of the arrows y3 3 of FIGURE 1 vshowing the tool lock in open position;

FIGURE 4 is la sectional view of the hand-'piece taken along the Iline '4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the handpiece -with the tool in disengaged position therein taken along the line 54S olf FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 'is `a sectional View taken lalong the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5;

`FIGURE 7 is a sectional view 'taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 5; `and FIGURE l8 'is `a view similar to FIGURE 7 showing the tool in enga'ged b-ondition in the handpie'ce head.

FIGURES l, 3 and 4 illustrate a contra-angle tool holder for a .dental handepiece which tool holder embodies the instant invention. The tool holder may be of generally conventional :form las used in the practice of dentistry and is design-ated generially by the reference numeral 110. A lcontraJangle tool holder of the type to which the present invention pertains, generally includes a :coupling member .11 which is provided at one end with a tubular sleeve l1l2. The coupling member '1"1 is `adapted to receive 'the chuck end of a dental lhandpie'ce which is not illustrated. 'Ihe coupling member 11 mounts la drive shaft f1'3 which is .gripped in 'the ichuck of the h-anclpiecc so that it can be rotated by the dental engine. The coupling member |1\1 also mounts la coupling shaft 14 which is in operative connection with and disposed lat an angle with .respect t-o lthe drive :shaft 1-3 so `as to be driven thereby. The coupling shalt 14 extends into the tubular sleeve lf2. The sleeve lis releasably locked t-o the coupling member by means of la spring biased detent '15 which is engagezrb'le in one of the apertures 116 provided in the sleeve. A linger piece i17 -is utilized 'to effect the disengagement .of the detent from the aperture.

The tubular sleeve 112 is provided with a housing 1S which mounts a 'worm gear 19 and a pinion .gear ZG which is driven by the worm gear. The coupling shaft 14 drives the worm gear 19 by imeans of companion meshed gears generally indicated by the reference numeral 21. As best shown in FIGURE 5, the pinion lgear 20 is provided with a hollow core 22. The core is substantially cylindrical in conorrnation except `at one end thereof where it is provided 'with a ledge 23. The pinion gear 20 is retained in position within the housing 18 by means of a threaded nut 24 lwhich is releasa'bly engaged within the housing.

3,368,279 Patented Feb. 13, 1968 Pursuant to the present invention, there is provided a tool which is .generally indicated 'by the reference numeral 25. As here shown, the tool is `constitu-ted by a 'drill having la body portion 26 from one end of which there extends a drill bit 27, 'an elongated neck 2S extends from the other end of the body portion, land the neck is provided with an eccentric hea-d The body portion 26 is lgenerally of lcylindrical conformation aand is provided with a .plurality of planar surfaces or rangs 3() which extend int-o the body portion trom lthe neck 28. Immediately `afd-jacent the neck 28, the tangs 36 provide the tool 25 with a substantially square cross-section las best shown in FIGURE 2A.

The nut 24 is provide-d With a central aperture SI1 which is in registry with the hollow core .22 provided in the pinion gear 20 as best shown in FIGURE l7. Consequently, it will be understood that the tool or drill 25 may be inserted into the hollow passageway or core 2'2 of the pinion gear l20 through lthe `aperture "31 lby grasping the drill bit 27 and inserting the head 29 through the aperture i31 `of the nut 24. The eccentric head 29 must be rotated so as to @clear the ledge 23 las shown in FIG- URE 7. Thereafter, the tool y25 may be .rotated so that the eccentric head 29 is positioned relative to the ledge 23 so as to prevent the inadvertent disengagement of the tool iro-m the pinion gear. In order to lock the tool in the gear, provision is :made fior the llock 32. 'Ihe look G2 is pivotally mounted -in a slot 133 defined in the housing 1'8. The pivot rfor the lock 32 is constituted by a pivot screw 34. The lock -32 is provided with a tinger piece 3'3 whereby it may be pivotally moved from its operative locking position to its inoperative disengaged position as shown in FIGUR'E 3. The lock 32 is provided with `a locking slot 435 which is adapted to engage neck 28 of the tool 25 as best sho-'wn in

yFIGURES

5, 7 and 8.

It will be noted that the housing 118 is provided with an end aperture 36 as best shown in FIGURE `8 which is in registry With the passageway or core f2.2 provided in the pinion gear 20. `Pursuant to a feature of the present invention, provision is made for a leaf spring 37 which is 4mounted on the exterior of the housing 118 by lmeans of the previously mentioned pivot screw 34 'as best seen in FIGURE 5. The leaf spring G7 is provided with ja depressed portion 68 which is normally biased by the spring into the housing aperture 36 as best shown in FIGURE 5. Furthermore, it will be noted that the spring portion '38 is engaged AWith the head 29 of the tool 25 so as to bias the tool to the position thereof shown in 'FIG- URE 5. In said position, it will be noted 'that the tangs 30 Iare disengaged ir-om lthe ledge 23 with the result that there is no frictional engagement between the |tool land the pinion gear 20. Consequently, the rotation of the latter .by the vvorm .gear 19 :will not rotate the Itool 25. However, when the tool is moved inwardly or the housing 18 in the direc-tion of the arrow '39 shoavn in FIG- URE 8, tang portions 30 of the tool are frictionally engaged with the ledge 23 so that the tool now is rotated by the pinion gear v20. Consequently, i-t will be apparent that the tangs :oi the tool fand the ledge of the pinion gear provide a clutching operation, the clutch being disengaged in the position tot the tool vshown vin FIGURE 5 and the clutch being engaged or operative in the position thereof shown in FIGURE 8.

The foregoing clutching action is highly advantageous. For example, when the tool 25 is disposed in a patients mouth, the tool will normally be in the position thereof shown in FIGURE 5 being biased in said position by the leaf spring 37 as shown in FIGURE 5 and FIGURE 7. Consequently, the tool Will not rotate and therefore while the tool is manipulated within the patients mouth, there is no danger of the tool inadvertently touching any portion of the patients mouth. However, when the drill bit 27 of the tool is forced against a tooth 40 as shown in FIGURE 8, the tool is moved inwardly of the housing 18 as indicated by the arrow 39 against the bias of the spring 37 until the tool is wedged against the ledge 23 so as to provide the desired frictional engagement. The tool begins to rotate to perform the desired drilling op` eration.

When the drilling action is completed, the tool may be withdrawn from the bore hole in the tooth. As this is accomplished, the wedging action referred to above Continues to maintain the tool in rotary engagement with the pinion so that the tool rotates and will not be broken during the withdrawal process. Upon complete withdrawal of the tool from the bore hole in the tooth, a slight finger pressure on spring 37 is suicient to disengage the tool and restore it to the position shown in FIGURES 5 and 7. The rotation of the tool is thus irnmediately discontinued and the handpiece may then be repositioned as desired. The arrangement permits the dental engine to be adjusted to any desired speed or torque before the tool begins to operate. Rotation begins only after it has been firmly positioned in the desired location on the tooth surface and the requisite pressure has been applied. It will also be apparent that a buildup of speed or torque is thus avoided and full torque is immediately applied to the tool when pressure on the handpiece causes the tool to become engaged.

Although the invention has been illustrated in connection with a tool wherein the operative member is a drill bit 27, it will be understood that it may be applied with advantage to many other forms of dental tools such as dental burrs or the like or to wrenches used for inserting anchoring members into teeth. In the latter ease, a further advantage is provided in that the rotary motion of the wrench may be immediately arrested by application of finger pressure to the spring while the wrench is Still engaged with the dental anchor head.

It will be understood that various changes and modications may be made within the foregoing invention without, however, departing from the basic inventive concept thereof as set forth in the appended claims. It will be noted that the tool may be readily withdrawn from the tool holder when desired by merely pivoting the lock 32 to the inoperative position thereof shown in FIGURE 3 so as to disengage the lock from the tool. In the event that the tool head 29 does not clear the ledge 23, the tool bit 27 may be grasped and rotated so that the head will clear the ledge and the tool may then readily be withdrawn from the housing.

I claim:

1. A tool holder for a dental -hand-piece comprising a housing, a driving member mounted within said housing, said driving member being adapted to removably receive a dental tool, and said driving member having means cooperating with a dental tool to provide a clutch operation.

2. A tool holder as in claim `1, said driving member having a hollow core for receiving the dental tool, and said means being a portion extending into said Core for frictional engagement with the tool.

3. A tool holder as in claim 2, and resilient means provided on said housing to normally bias the tool out of engagement with said portion.

4. A tool holder as in claim said driving member having a hollow core for receiving the dental tool, and said means being a ledge provided at one end of said core and extending into the latter for frictional engagement with the tool.

5. In combination, a tool holder for a dental handpiece and a tool mounted by said holder, said holder comprising a housing and a driven gear mounted in said housing, said gear having a hollow core, said tool being mounted in said core, and cooperative means provided on said tool and said gear to constitute a clutch.

6. The combination as in claim 5, said core having a ledge defined therein, and said tool having a portion frictionally engageable with said ledge to define said clutch.

7. The combination as in claim 6, and means normally biasing said tool portion out of frictional engagement with said ledge.

8. The combination as in claim 7, said housing having an aperture in registry with said core, and said biasing means being a spring mounted by said housing and having a portion normally extending into said core to engage said tool.

9. A dental tool having an elongated body portion, an operative member provided at one end of said body portion, a neck provided at the other end of said body portion, an eccentric head provided on said neck, and clutch formation means extending from said neck into said body portion.

10. A dental tool as in claim 9, said clutch formation means being planar tang surfaces.

lil. A dental tool as in claim 10, said tool having a square cross-section at said tang surfaces.

12. A dental tool as in claim 9, wherein the operative member is a drill.

13. A dental tool as in claim 9, wherein the operative member is a burr.

14. A dental tool as in claim 9, wherein the operative member is a wrench element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,866,530 12/1958 Charlat 192-67 3,314,153 4/1967 Maurer 32-27 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

C. R. WENTZEL, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A TOOL HOLDER FOR A DENTAL HAND-PIECE COMPRISING A HOUSING, A DRIVING MEMBER MOUNTED WITHIN SAID HOUSING, SAID DRIVING MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO REMOVABLY RECEIVE A DENTAL TOOL, AND SAID DRIVING MEMBER HAVING MEANS COOPERATING WITH A DENTAL TOOL TO PROVIDE A CLUTCH OPERATION.