US3787978A

US3787978A - Saliva ejector chin clamp

Info

Publication number: US3787978A
Application number: US00290566A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Rogers
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-09-20
Filing date: 1972-09-20
Publication date: 1974-01-29
Anticipated expiration: 1991-01-29

Abstract

An adjustable chin clamp having a self locking arrangement designed inherent to the clamp for use with a saliva ejector.

Description

United States Patent [1 1' Rogers Jan. 29 19 741 SALIVA EJECTOR CH IN CLAMP Prima ExaminerRobert Peshock 76It:WtL.R,7LAb, U 1 men or xi gf f OS r ales Att0rney,A gent, or F irm-Bruce & McCoy [22] Filed: Sept. 20, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 290,566

' [57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. 32/33 [51] Int. Cl. A6lc 17/04 An v 7 mm #7? "we ustable chm clamp havmg a self locklng ar- [58] Fleld of Search "32/33 128/275 rangement designed inherent to the clamp for use with 128/299 300 a saliva ejector.

[56] V References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 Chin 1s; 4 Drawing Figures 7/1953 Scott 32/33 SALIVA EJECTOR CHIN CLAMP CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The device of the present invention is related to ap plicants co-pending U. S. application Ser. No. 1 10,947 for TONGUE CONTROLLER SALIVA EJECTOR filed Jan. 29, I971.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to saliva ejectors and more particularly to a chin clamp for a saliva ejector.

2. Description of the Prior Art The closest known prior art is the chin clamp disclosed in U. S. Pat. No. 2,603,870 to E. H. Nordin for SALIVA EJECTOR issued July 22, 1952. That device is made out of metal and is tightened by a thumbscrew. The disadvantages of the prior art are the expense of manufacture, the fact the device requires two hands to adjust it upv or down along the ejector tube, and the time required to effect the adjustment. Two hands are required because one hand must hold the stem or tube portion of the saliva ejector to counteract the torque necessary to loosen or tighten the screw.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a chin clamp for a dental appliance and it comprises an upper member with a generally planar surface at a first end thereof for engaging the underside of a patients chin. The upper member has an aperture at the opposite or second end thereof for mounting the upper member on a vertically disposed portion of the dental'appliance.

A lower member-is hinged to the first end of the upper member and disposed generally therebelow in vertical alignment.

The hinge is relatively stiff and resilient permitting only slight movement of the lower member relative to the upper member by force. The members return to the original position when the force is removed.

The. lower member also has an aperture disposed therein at the second end thereof proximate the hole in the first member whereby when the second endsof the upper and lower members are squeezed together, the apertures will align permitting the chim clamp to slide along the portion of the dental appliance the clamp is disposed on. The chin clamp is locked in position on the applicance when the ends of said membersare released permitting the members to spread apart to unalign the holes and to grip the appliance.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a chin clamp which is inexpensive to manufacture and can be made of a, molded plastic material requiring no machining.

It is another object of the present invention to pro vide a chin clamp which can be moved up and down on a shaft simply by squeezing two flanges together and which then stays firmly in place on the shaft when the flanges are released.

And it is a further object of thepresent invention to provide a chin clamp which can be moved on a shaft with one hand operation and quickly loosened in case of an emergency where quick removal of a dental instrume'n i essential.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view. of a chin clamp of the present invention mounted on the tube of a saliva ejector; v

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the present invention; and FIG. 4 is an end elevation taken along the lines 44 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present invention is a chin clamp 11 which can be used for any type of a dental appliance utilizing an elongated generally tubular member which is disposed in a vertical position with respect to the patients head. The preferred embodiment, the chin clamp is utilized with a saliva ejector. It comprises a generally V-shaped element which is made up of a molded resilient plastic material such as delrin which is an acetal resin.

The clamp has upper and lower members l3, 15 respectively, with the upper member joining the lower one at the first ends thereof at the apex 17 of the V- shaped element. The lower member is disposed generally below and in vertical alignment with the upper member. The upper member has a relatively smooth and rounded surface 19 on the upper side at the first end thereof for engaging the underside of a patients chin.

The apex of the two members forms a relatively stiff resilient hinge by virture of the'physical properties of the materials which are utilized for, the chin clamp. In actuality little flexing actually seems to occur right in the hinge, but seems to be distributed mainly over the length of the lower member.

The second or free end 21 of the upper member has a hole 23 disposed therein proximate the free end thereof. The hole is slightly larger in diameter than the lower tube portion 25 of a saliva ejector 27 and is formed to support the upper member of the chin clamp in generally perpendicular relation to the ejector tube.

The lower member 15 of the chin clamp is slightly thinner in cross section than the upper member so that when the two members are compressed together the lower bends relatively more than the upper one. The lower member also has an arched configuration 29 adjacent the apex of the members which projects outward from the upper member and is embodied for spreading the stress of the flexing motion of the chin clamp over a larger working area and to relieve the stress in the hinge or apex area.

The lower member has a hole 31 proximate the free or second end 33 thereof slightly misaligned from the hole formed in the upper member.=The hole is formed for engaging the lower tube portion 25 of the saliva ejector and is slightly larger in diameter than the tube portion. The hole is positioned so that when the chin clamp is mounted on a saliva ejector tube, without pressure being imposed on the upper and lower members forcing them together, the resiliency of the hinge will spread the members to grip the tube as the holes of the members are urged out of alignment.

The holes are positioned in the upper and lower members so as to permit a portion of each of the members to project beyond or rearward of the ejector tube as flanges 35 which can be gripped by a user to squeeze the members together. ii

It will be seen that the present invention accomplishes all the objects that are attributable thereto. It

can be moved up or down on a shaft such as a saliva ejector tube by simply squeezing the flanges together. The clamp stays firmly in place when the flanges are released to allow the members to spread and grip the ejector tube. The chin clamp holds a saliva ejector, or x-ray holders, or any other instrument that may be used in the mouth by means of a clamp. There is no machining necessary to make the present invention; it can be made in a one step molding operation. The plastic material is more economical to use than metal because no machining steps are required for its manufacture.

The great advantage of the present invention is its ease of use and it saves time since it does not require two hands in order to adjust the chin clamp up or down on the shaft as is necessary with the state of the prior art. Since it can be so quickly adjusted, it is of great help in case of emergency where quick removal of the dental instrument from the patients mouth is essential.

While the invention has been described in its preferred form, it is not to be limited to the details as set forth except as may be necessitated by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A clamping member for use with a dental appliance comprising:

an upper member with a generally planar surface at a first end thereof for engaging the underside of a patients chin, said upper member having an aperture at the opposite or second end thereof for mounting said upper member on a vertically disposed portion of the dental appliance,

a lower member hinged to the first end of said upper member and disposed generally therebelow in vertical alignment, said hinge being relatively stiff and resilient permitting only slight movement of said lower member relative to said upper member by force and returning said members to the original position when said force is removed, said lower member having an aperture disposed therein at the second end thereof proximate the hole in said first member and slightly misaligned with respect thereto whereby when the second ends of said upper and lower members are squeezed together said apertures will align permitting said chin clamp to slide along the portion of the dental appliance said clamp is disposed on and locking said chin clamp in position on said appliance when the ends of said members are released permitting said members to spread apart to unalign the apertures and to grip the appliance.

2. The chin clamp of claim 1 wherein said device is comprised of a plastic material such as molded delrin, an acetal resin.

3. A chin clamp for a saliva ejector comprising a generally V-shaped element made of a molded plastic material such as an acetal resin and having upper-and lower members, the upper of said members joining the lower thereof at the first ends thereof at the apex of said V-shaped element, said apex forming a relatively stiff resilient hinge by virtue of the physical properties of the material utilized for the chin clamp, the upper member having a relatively smooth and rounded surface on the upper side of the first end thereof for engaging the underside of a patients chin, the second or free end of said upper member having a hole disposed therein proximate the free end thereof, said hole being slightly larger in diameter than the lower tube portion of a saliva ejector and formed to support the upper member of said chin clamp in generally perpendicular relation to said ejector tube, the lower member of said chin clamp being slightly thinner in cross section than said upper member, and having an arched configuration adjacent said apex and projecting outward from said upper member for spreading the stress of the flexing motion over 'a larger working area, said lower member having a hole proximate the free second end thereof slightly misaligned from the hole formed in said upper member and formed for engaging the lower tube portion of a "saliva ejector, said hole being slightly larger in diameter than said tube portion and positioned so that when said chin clamp is mounted on a saliva ejector without pressure on the upper and lower members forcing them together, the resiliency of the hinge will spread the members to grip the tube as the holes of the members are urged out of alignment, said holes being positioned in said members to permit a portion of said members to project beyond said ejector tube as flanges which can be gripped by a user to.

squeeze the members together.

Claims

1. A clamping member for use with a dental appliance comprising: an upper member with a generally planar surface at a first end thereof for engaging the underside of a patient''s chin, said upper member having an aperture at the opposite or second end thereof for mounting said upper member on a vertically disposed portion of the dental appliance, a lower member hinged to the first end of said upper member and disposed generally therebelow in vertical alignment, said hinge being relatively stiff and resilient permitting only slight movement of said lower member relative to said upper member by force and returning said members to the original position when said force is removed, said lower member having an aperture disposed therein at the second end thereof proximate the hole in said first member and slightly misaligned with respect thereto whereby when the second ends of said upper and lower members are squeezed together said apertures will align permitting said chin clamp to slide along the portion of the dental appliance said clamp is disposed on and locking said chin clamp in position on said appliance when the ends of said members are released permitting said members to spread apart to unalign the apertures and to grip the appliance.

3. A chin clamp for a saliva ejector comprising a generally V-shaped element made of a molded plastic material such as an acetal resin and having upper and lower members, the upper of said members joining the lower thereof at the first ends thereof at the apex of said V-shaped element, said apex forming a relatively stiff resilient hinge by virtue of the physical properties of the material utilized for the chin clamp, the upper member having a relatively smooth and rounded surface on the upper side of the first end thereof for engaging the underside of a patient''s chin, the second or free end of said upper member having a hole disposed therein proximate the free end thereof, said hole being slightly larger in diameter than the lower tube portion of a saliva ejector and formed to support the upper member of said chin clamp in generally perpendicular relation to said ejector tube, the lower member of said chin clamp being slightly thinner in cross section than said upper member, and having an arched configuration adjacent said apex and projecting outward from said upper member for spreading the stress of the flexing motion over a larger working area, said lower member having a hole proximate the free second end thereof slightly misaligned from the hole formed in said upper member and formed for engaging the lower tube portion of a saliva ejector, said hole being slightly larger in diameter than said tube portion and positioned so that when said chin clamp is mounted on a saliva ejector without pressure on the upper and lower members forcing them together, the resiliency of the hinge will spread the members to grip the tube as the holes of the members are urged out of alignment, said holes being positioned in said members to permit a portion of said members to project beyond said ejector tube as flanges which can be gripped by a user to squeeze the members together.