Flexible ultrasonic cleaning bag

• US 4,903,718 A
• Filed: 10/19/1988
• Issued: 02/27/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Coltene/Whaledent Incorporated (Coltene Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: IPCO Corporation
• Inventors: Sullivan, Jerry F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Application Number:
  US07/259,926
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 134/1, 134/184, 206/601, 206/620, 383/41, 383/43, 383/63-67, 383/902, 383/904, 383/907, 68/3 SS, 366/127
• US Class Current: 134/184
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/036 Cleaning devices for dental prostheses removed from the oral cavity
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/002 Cleaning devices specially adapted for dental instruments disinfecting A61L2/00; cleaning in general B08B
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/12 by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware using sonic or ultrasonic waves A47L15/13; of natural teeth, of prostheses using ultrasonic techniques similar to those used for natural teeth A61C17/20; application of ultrasonic vibrations to chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general B01J19/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 134/901 Contact lens

Abstract

A container for cleaning dentures, dental or medical instruments, or the like is formed as a plastic bag which is filled with a cleaning solution and immersed together with dentures, instruments, or the like placed therein in a fluid of an ultrasonic cleaning device. The container is provided with an opening receiving the dentures, instruments, or the like and is sealingly closable by a closure such as a slide fastener. A number of such containers may be placed into a tray and immersed into the ultrasonic cleaning device, wherein the bags are subjected to ultrasonic vibrations transmitted to the cleaning solution inside the bags to thereby clean the articles in the bags.

Claims

1. A container for cleaning articles, such as dentures, dental or medical instruments, or the like, to be subjected to ultrasonic vibrations for cleaning, the container comprising:

a flexible, soft, pliable receptacle for receiving articles to be cleaned and being capable of transmitting ultrasonic vibrations therethrough;

inlet means for admitting a cleaning solution into said receptacle;

openable lock means permitting said articles into said receptacle and for selectively closing said receptacle; and

outlet means for discharging said cleaning solution for said receptacle, whereby said articles placed in the container filled with said solution and subjected to ultrasonic vibrations are cleaned in said container.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein said receptacle is a plastic bag.

3. A container according to claim 2, wherein said plastic bag is sealed at a top thereof.

4. A container according to claim 1, wherein said lock means includes a slide fastener.

5. A container according to claim 4, wherein said slide fastener is provided on a side wall of said receptacle.

6. A container according to claim 1, wherein said inlet means includes a valve provided on said receptacle and operated to fill said receptacle with said cleaning solution.

7. A container according to claim 6, wherein said valve is a one-way valve.

8. A container according to claim 6, wherein said valve is a two-way valve.

9. A container according to claim 6, wherein said outlet means includes a further valve provided on said receptacle and operated to drain said cleaning solution from said receptacle.

10. A container according to claim 9, wherein said receptacle has two recessed portions at opposite sides thereof, said recessed portions accommodating said valve and said further valve, respectively.

11. A container according to claim 6, wherein said receptacle has a top wall formed with a depression, said valve being disposed in said depression.

12. A container according to claim 1, wherein said outlet means includes a tear-off tab at a bottom corner of said receptacle to drain the cleaning solution therefrom.

13. A container according to claim 1, wherein said outlet means includes a tear-off corner of said receptacle and provided with indication means to facilitate removal of said corner from said receptacle to drain the cleaning solution therefrom.

14. A container according to claim 1, wherein said outlet means includes an outlet valve provided on said receptacle and operated to drain the cleaning solution from said receptacle.

15. A container according to claim 1, and comprising an open top and closure means at said open top, said open top serving as said inlet means, outlet means and for permitting articles into said bag.

16. A container for dentures, dental instruments, or the like to be subjected to ultrasonic vibrations for cleaning, the container comprising:

a closable envelope-shaped flexible, soft plastic bag for receiving dentures, instruments, or the like and being capable of transmitting ultrasonic vibrations therethrough;

inlet means for admitting a cleaning solution into said bag;

openable lock means permitting dentures, instruments, or the like into said receptacle and closing said bag; and

outlet means for discharging said cleaning solution for said bag whereby dentures, instruments or the like placed in the container filled with said solution and subjected to ultrasonic vibrations are cleaned in said container without swishing the container.

17. A container according to claim 16, wherein said lock means includes a slide fastener.

18. A container according to claim 17, wherein said inlet means and said outlet means each includes a one-way valve.

19. A container for dentures, dental or medical instruments, or the like, to be subjected to ultrasonic vibrations for cleaning, the container comprising:

an envelope-shaped flexible, soft plastic bag for receiving dentures, instruments, or the like and being capable of transmitting ultrasonic vibrations therethrough;

an inlet valve provided on said bag for admitting a cleaning solution into said bag;

a slide fastener having an openable mouth for admitting dentures, instruments, or the like into said bag and closable for closing said bag; and

a tear-off tab provided on a corner of said bag and tearable to permit said cleaning solution to drain from said bag whereby dentures, instruments or the like placed in the container filled with said solution and subjected to ultrasonic vibrations are cleaned in said container without swishing the container.

20. In a combination of a container for dentures, dental or medical instruments, or the like to be subjected to ultrasonic vibration cleaning within an ultrasonic cleaning device including a fluid bath, the container comprising:

a flexible soft pliable receptacle for receiving dentures, instruments, or the like;

inlet means for admitting a cleaning solution into said receptacle;

closure means which is opened to permit dentures, instruments, or the like into said receptacle and is closed to seal said receptacle; and

outlet means for discharging said cleaning solution for said receptacle,

said container receiving dentures, instruments, or the like and being filled with said cleaning solution and immersed into said fluid bath of said ultrasonic cleaning device, whereby ultrasonic vibrations induced in said fluid bath during operation of said ultrasonic cleaning device are transmitted through walls of said receptacle to said cleaning solution to remove contaminated particles from the dentures, instruments, or the like.

21. The combination according to claim 20, wherein said receptacle is a plastic bag.

22. The combination according to claim 21, and further comprising means for holding a plurality of containers to be immersed into said fluid bath of said ultrasonic cleaning device.

23. The combination according to claim 22, wherein said holding means comprises a tray including a mesh body having a plurality of compartments each receiving at least one of said containers, and handles provided on said body.

24. The combination according to claim 23, wherein said mesh body includes a plurality of partitions separating said compartments from each other.

25. The combination according to claim 22, wherein each of said containers is filled with a different cleaning solution.

26. The combination according to claim 20, wherein said container comprises an open top which serves as said inlet means and said outlet means, and wherein said closure means closes said open top.