Periodontic tool with triangular vibration path
First Claim
1. A hand held periodontic tool comprising:
- a body having an elongated handle extending along a first axis and a shank extending along a second axis which intersects with the first axis, the shank having a free end;
a dental tip carried by the free end and extending transversely to the second axis; and
drive means carried within the body, for imparting a substantially triangular path of movement to the tip, wherein said triangular path lies substantially in a plane that is oblique to the first axis.
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Abstract
The tool has an elongated, at least partly hollow body including a handle portion and a free end adapted for carrying a periodontic end effector. A shaft, powered by a motor and rechargeable battery, rotates within the hollow portion. A fixed ring is mounted transversely in the hollow portion of the body, and a gear member is rotated by the shaft along the ring. An eccentric weight is carried by the gear member and is displaced so that the center of gravity of the eccentric weight follows a substantially triangular path as the gear member moves through one cycle. This vibrates the tool, and the end effector, in a substantially triangular path which achieves advantages in cleaning the tooth proximal surfaces by closely following the shape of the embrasure.
63 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A hand held periodontic tool comprising:
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a body having an elongated handle extending along a first axis and a shank extending along a second axis which intersects with the first axis, the shank having a free end; a dental tip carried by the free end and extending transversely to the second axis; and drive means carried within the body, for imparting a substantially triangular path of movement to the tip, wherein said triangular path lies substantially in a plane that is oblique to the first axis.
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2. A hand held periodontic tool comprising:
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a body having an elongated handle and a free end; a dental tip carried by the free end; and drive means located within the handle, for imparting a substantially triangular path of movement to the tip, said drive means including a drive weight having a center of gravity and means for displacing the center of gravity of the drive weight along a substantially triangular, planar path oriented transversely to the handle. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A hand held periodontic tool comprising:
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an elongated, at least partly hollow body having a handle portion and a free end adapted for carrying a periodontic end effector; a shaft powered to rotate within the hollow portion; a wheel member located in the hollow portion and driven by the shaft, the wheel member being constrained to move cyclicly along a prescribed path that is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction of the body; an eccentric weight carried by the wheel member, the eccentric weight having a center of gravity that follows a substantially triangular path as the wheel member moves through one cycle along the path; whereby the tool including end effector is vibrated by the momentum of the center of gravity of the eccentric weight. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. In combination with a hand held periodontic tool having an axis, a drive system for vibrating the tool, comprising:
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a means for rotating a shaft on the axis; a circular track ring held in a stationary, coaxial position within the tool; gear means operatively associated between the shaft and the track ring, for periodically traversing a path defined by the ring; and a drive weight carried by the gear means and having a center of gravity radially offset from the tool axis, said center of gravity following a substantially triangular path within the ring, as said shaft rotates. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification