Dental treatment control unit

• US 4,043,041 A
• Filed: 05/06/1976
• Issued: 08/23/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John Robert Hornick
• Original Assignee: John Robert Hornick
• Inventors: Hornick, John Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Peshock, Robert
• Application Number:
  US05/683,936
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 32/22, 222/571, 141/115, 141/117, 141/119, 141/311 A, 141/116, 251/295, 251/5, 251/9, 251/57
• US Class Current: 433/101
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/0061 Air and water supply systems; Valves specially adapted therefor A61C1/052 takes precedence; rinsing or air-blowing devices A61C17/02

Abstract

A dental treatment control unit for controlling the flow of air and/or water to dental treatment instruments. The flow of air and/or water through flexible lines to selected ones of the dental instruments is regulated by line squeezing lever arms that are normally biased for squeezing the flexible lines to prevent the flow of air and/or water therethrough. The lever arms are moved in response to the operation of a foot control mechanism to unsqueeze those air and/or water lines that are connected to the selected dental treatment instruments. A foot pedal controls a closed hydraulic system which includes a hydraulic actuator which operates a piston to move the line squeezing lever arms.

Flow of air and/or water to only selected dental treatment instruments is automatically programmed by positioning the hydraulic actuator and piston adjacent the squeezing lever arm corresponding to the selected instrument. Automatic programming is provided by a positioning lever arm having the hydraulic actuator and piston attached to one end thereof and a dental instrument receptacle attached to the other end. When a given selected dental treatment instrument is removed from the receptacle, the positioning lever arm responds by moving to position the hydraulic actuator and piston adjacent the squeezing lever arm corresponding to the given selected instrument.

Claims

1. A dental treatment control unit for controlling the flow of air and water to dental treatment instruments, comprising,

flexible lines for supplying air and/or water to said instruments,

means for regulating the flow of air and/or water in said lines to selected ones of said instruments, and

foot-controlled means for controlling said regulating means

characterized by

said regulating means comprising

means that are normally biased for squeezing said flexible lines to prevent the flow of air and/or water therethrough, and means for unsqueezing those of said lines that are connected to a selected dental treatment instrument;

and

said foot-controlled means comprising

a closed hydraulic system including a hydraulic actuator that controls said unsqueezing means in response to opertion of a foot pedal.

2. A dental treatment control unit according to claim 1, wherein the regulating means comprise

a line squeezing lever arm corresponding to each dental treatment instrument,

a post adjacent said squeezing lever arm defining a path between the post and said lever arm within which path the air and/or water lines for said corresponding dental treatment instrument are positioned, wherein said lever arm is normally biased to squeeze the lines between said lever arm and the post to prevent the flow of air and/or water therethrough, and

a piston operated by the hydraulic actuator and positionable adjacent said squeezing lever arm corresponding to said selected dental treatment instrument to move said lever arm to unsqueeze said lines to allow the flow of air and/or water to said selected instrument in reponse to operation of said foot pedal.

3. A dental treatment control unit according to claim 2, further comprising means for automatically programming the positioning of the piston adjacent the squeezing lever arm corresponding to said selected dental treatment instrument, comprising,

a positioning lever arm having a receptacle for a dental treatment instrument attached to one end of said arm and said piston coupled to the other end of said arm, wherein the positioning lever arm is movable in response to removal of a given selected dental treatment instrument from the receptacle to position the piston adjacent said squeezing lever arm corresponding to said given selected instrument.

4. A dental treatment control unit according to claim 3, wherein the positioning lever arm is further movable in response to replacement of said given selected instrument in said receptacle to position the piston adjacent a squeezing lever arm corresponding to different selected dental treatment instrument.

5. A dental treatment control unit according to claim 1, further comprising,

means for automatically programming the regulating means in accordance with the selection of a said dental treatment instrument to enable the unsqueezing of those lines that are connected to said selected dental treatment instrument.

6. A dental treatment control unit according to claim 5, wherein the regulating means comprise

a line squeezing lever arm corresponding to each treatment instrument,

a post adjacent said squeezing lever arm defining a path between the post and said lever arm within which path the air and/or water lines for said corresponding dental treatment instrument are positioned, wherein said lever arm is normally biased to squeeze the lines between said lever arm and the post to prevent the flow of air and/or water therethrough, and

a piston operated by the hydraulic actuator and positionable adjacent said squeezing lever arm corresponding to said selected dental treatment instrument to move said lever arm to unsqueeze said lines to allow the flow of air and/or water to said selected instrument in reponse to operation of said foot pedal;

and the programming means comprise

a positioning lever arm having a receptacle for a dental treatment instrument attached to one end of said arm and said piston coupled to the other end of said arm, wherein the positioning lever arm is movable in response to removal of a given selected dental treatment instrument from the receptacle to position the piston adjacent said squeezing lever arm corresponding to said given selected instrument and is further movable in response to replacement of said given selected instrument in said receptacle to position the piston adjacent a squeezing lever arm corresponding to a different selected dental treatment instrument.

7. A dental treatment control unit according to claim 1, further comprising,

means for preventing dripping of water from a selected dental treatment instrument following the usage thereof and the squeezing shut of the water supply line thereto.

8. A dental treatment control unit according to claim 7, wherein the dripping preventing means comprise,

a pinch bulb corresponding to said selected dental instrument,

an additional water line having one end connected to the water supply line at a point between the regulating means and said dental instrument and having the other end connected to the pinch bulb;

and

means for squeezing the pinch bulb when the regulating means are controlled to allow water to flow through the water supply line to said instrument, and for releasing the pinch bulb when the regulating means are controlled to squeeze shut the water supply line, thereby causing the pinch bulb to provide a retracting pressure in the water supply line when the water supply line is squeeze shut.

9. A dental treatment control unit according to claim 8, wherein the regulating means comprise

a line squeezing lever arm corresponding to each dental treatment instrument,

a post adjacent said squeezing lever arm defining a path between the post and said lever arm within which path the air and/or water lines for said corresponding dental treatment instrument are positioned, wherein said lever arm is normally biased to squeeze the lines between said lever arm and the post to prevent the flow of air and/or water therethrough, and

a piston operated by the hydraulic actuator and positionable adjacent said squeezing lever arm corresponding to said selected dental treatment instrument to move said lever arm to unsqueeze said lines to allow the flow of air and/or water to said selected instrument in response to operation of said foot pedal;

and

the means for squeezing the pinch bulb comprise

a bar adjacent each squeezing lever arm corresponding to a dental instrument having a water supply line thereto, said bar defining an opening between said lever arm and said bar within which opening said corresponding pinch bulb in positioned so as to be squeezed when said squeezing lever arm is moved to unsqueeze said water supply line, and so as to be released when said squeezing lever arm is moved to squeeze said water supply line shut.

10. A dental treatment control unit according to claim 1, for additionally controlling accessory dental treatment instruments that are not dependent upon controlling the flow of air and/or water thereto, further comprising,

means for controlling said accessory instruments in response to the operation of said hydraulic actuator.

11. A dental treatment control unit for controlling the flow of air and water to dental treatment instruments, comprising,

flexible lines for supplying air and/or water to said instruments,

means for regulating the flow of air and/or water in said lines to selected ones of said instruments, and

foot-controlled means for controlling said regulating means

characterized by

said regulating means comprising

means that are normally biased for squeezing said flexible lines to prevent the flow of air and/or water threrethrough, and means for unsqueezing those of said lines that are connected to a selected dental treatment instrument;

and

said foot-controlled means comprising

a closed system including an actuator that controls said unsqueezing means in response to operation of a foot pedal.