HANDPIECES FOR DENTAL SURGERY AND THE LIKE

• US 3,803,716 A
• Filed: 04/14/1972
• Issued: 04/16/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Marcel Garnier
• Original Assignee: Marcel Garnier
• Inventors: Garnier, Marcel
• Primary Examiner(s): Peshock, Robert
• Application Number:
  US05/244,017
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 32/26,DIG.8,27 279/66,51
• US Class Current: 433/129
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/14 Tool-holders , i.e. operating tool holders, e.g. burr holders

Abstract

A dental surgery handpiece for interchangeable rotatable tools includes a chuck accessible through an open end of a tubular support, opening and closing of the chuck being controlled by rotation of an actuating ring inside the support and accessible through openings therein. The chuck is mounted on a driving shaft, the chuck/shaft assembly being freely rotatable when a locking pin assumes a disengaged position and part of the chuck/shaft assembly being locked against rotation to enable operation of the actuating ring when said pin assumes a locking position. A sleeve slidably mounted on the support between two positions closes said openings and disengages said pin in a first position, and allows access to the actuating ring through said openings in a second position in which it holds said pin in its locking position.

Claims

1. A handpiece for interchangeable rotatable tools, comprising an elongate tubular support, a driving shaft coaxially rotatably mounted in the support, a chuck secured to an end of the shaft, said chuck being accessible through an open end of the support and including an inner component having radially movable clamping jaws and an outer component having a clamping sleeve, said components being relatively displaceable to radially adjust the clamping jaws by cooperation thereof with the clamping sleeve, a locking member movably mounted on the support between a locking position in which it locks a part integral with the shaft or with one of the components of the chuck against rotation relative to the support and a disengaged position in which the chuck and shaft are free to rotate in the support, an actuating ring coaxially mounted about said shaft, said actuating ring being rotatably displaceable when said part is locked against rotation and being associated with means for converting such a rotational displacement thereof into a relative displacement of said components to radially adjust the clamping jaws, an opening in the support through which opening the actuating ring is accessible, and a cover movably mounted outside the support between a first position covering said opening and a second position allowing access to the actuating ring through said opening, said cover cooperating with the locking member such that in said first position the locking member is in its disengaged position and in said second position the locking member is in its locking position.

2. A handpiece according to claim 1, in which said driving shaft and one of said components are axially fixed, and the other of said components is axially movable, said clamping sleeve cooperating with the clamping jaws to radially adjust the clamping jaws when the axially movable component is axially displaced relative to the axially fixed component, said locking member being adapted to lock the axially fixed component or a part axially holding the axially fixed component, and said actuating ring being associated with means for converting said rotational displacement thereof into an axial displacement of the axially movable component.

3. A handpiece according to claim 2, in which the outer component of the chuck is fixed to and axially movable with the actuating ring, said actuating ring being threadably mounted on the shaft, said inner component of the chuck being axially fixed between a stop face on the shaft and a stop face on said outer component, at least one of said stop faces being substantially frusto-conical and cooperating with said clamping jaws, and said locking member when in its locking position engaging with the shaft to lock the shaft against rotation relative to the support.

4. A handpiece according to claim 3, in which said locking member is a pin slidably mounted in a radial aperture in the support between a locking position in which an inner end of the pin engages with a cylindrically disposed toothing on the shaft and a disengaged position in which an outer part of the pin protrudes from the outer surface of the support, a spring urging said pin from the locking position towards the disengaged position, said cover when in its first position allowing the pin to adopt the disengaged position and when in its second position being located over said aperture to hold the pin in the locking position.

5. A handpiece according to claim 4, in which said spring is a resilient rod disposed in a longitudinal outer groove of the support and secured towards one end thereof to the support, the other end of the rod being bent radially inwardly to form said locking pin, said cover being formed by an outer sleeve axially slidably mounted on the support, said outer sleeve including an outwardly flaring bevelled trailing edge adapted to slide over and press inwardly against an outer bent portion of said rod adjacent to said other end thereof when the outer sleeve is moved from the first towards the second position.

6. A handpiece according to claim 2, in which the outer component of the chuck is axially fixed and the actuating ring is fixed to the shaft, said inner component of the chuck including an internally threaded rear sleeve portion threadably engaged on a screw at said one end of the shaft, said inner component being axially slidable in but held against rotation relative to the outer component, and said locking member when in its locking position engaging with the outer component of the chuck to prevent rotation of the chuck relative to the support.

7. A handpiece according to claim 6, in which said locking member is a pin disposed radially in relation to the support and movable in a direction perpendicular to its axis along a longitudinal slot in the support, a spring urging said pin from the disengaged position towards the locking position in which an inner end part of the pin engages with a cylindrically disposed toothing on the outer component of the chuck, said cover being formed by an outer sleeve axially slidably mounted on the support and being adapted in its first position to hold said pin in its disengaged position against the action of said spring.

8. A handpiece according to claim 7, in which said locking pin is secured between coaxial outer and inner rings respectively axially slidably mounted against outer and inner surfaces of the support, said spring being a helical compression spring acting against a forward end of the inner ring facing towards said open end of the support, said outer sleeve having a forward end adapted when in said first position to bear against a rear end of the outer ring, said outer sleeve being releasably held in its first position against the action of said compression spring by means of an annular spring disposed in an outer annular groove of the support and cooperating with a rear end of said outer sleeve.