Patent · US Expired

Dental handpiece

US4227878A · kind A · utility

148Cited by
5References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 27, 1978
Grant dateOct 14, 1980
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 27, 1998

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61C17/0217
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A dental handpiece for dispensing liquid and/or gaseous media into the mouth of a patient and having one or more internal ducts for supplying the media to a dispensing outlet. A shut-off valve is provided in each duct and comprises a valve seat, a closure body engaging the valve seat, and a plunger operable from externally of the handpiece to lift-off the closure body from the valve seat. An external actuator button is moveable in a radial aperture in the handpiece and is coupled with the plunger in a sealed valve chamber. When the plunger lifts-off the closure body from the valve seat, fluid medium can pass from the supply duct through the valve seat and the valve chamber to a duct leading to the dispensing outlet. The actuator button can be manipulated up and down in the aperture, but it can also carry out lateral tilting movement in order to operate the plunger. The enable the tilting movement, the actuator button has lateral clearance in the aperture, and also the cross-section of the valve chamber into which the button or its stem extends is at least as large as the cross-section of the aperture.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.