Dental apparatus

• US 6,755,650 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2002
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ferton Holding SA
• Original Assignee: Ferton Holding SA
• Inventors: Decosterd, Christian, Beerstecher, Lutz
• Primary Examiner(s): WEHNER, CARY ELLEN
• Application Number:
  US10/104,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20030077552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 433/80, 433/84, 433/88, 222/402.17, 222/185.1, 215/307, 215/309, 215/310, 215/311, 215/312, 215/315, 601/162, 601/165, 601/155, 604/91, 604/83
• US Class Current: 433/88
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/0084 Supply units, e.g. reservoir arrangements, specially adapted pumps

Abstract

A dental apparatus comprises a connector arrangement for allowing a connection of a fluid reservoir containing a fluid which is supplied to a dental handpiece under control of a valve arrangement by a suction pump which has a suction line that is connected with a reception member of a connector piece of the fluid reservoir on which a closure one-way check valve is arranged which is biased by a closure spring towards a closing position on a valve seat of the connector piece which is further provided with an aeration one-way check valve over an aeration opening for compensating a negative pressure which will be produced inside of the fluid reservoir when the closure one-way check valve is opened at its valve member and fluid is drawn from the fluid reservoir for being supplied to the handpiece.

Claims

1. A dental apparatus comprising a connector arrangement for allowing a connection of a fluid reservoir containing a fluid which is supplied to a dental handpiece under control of a valve arrangement by a suction pump which has a suction line that is connected with a reception member of a connector piece of the fluid reservoir, comprising:

a closure one-way check valve which is arranged on the connector piece of the fluid reservoir whereby a valve member which is biased by a closure spring towards a closing position on a valve seat of the connector piece may be pushed by a counterpart into an open position against the biasing force of the closure spring, and

an areation one-way check valve which is arranged over an aeration opening of the connector piece of the fluid reservoir for compensating a negative pressure which will be produced inside of a fluid reservoir when the closure one-way check valve is opened at its valve member and fluid is drawn from the fluid reservoir via the suction line of the suction pump and supplied to the handpiece via a pressure line of the suction pump,

said closure one-way check valve and said aeration one-way check valve being both arranged on a cap-shaped cover piece which for closing a fluid filler opening of the fluid reservoir may be fixed on its one side to the fluid reservoir and which on its opposite side is provided with a spigot-like connection piece for being fitted into a recess of the reception member.

2. The dental apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recess of the reception member is formed in an upper wall of a housing of the dental apparatus, the suction line of the suction pump being connected to the recess of the reception member and further to the closure one-way check valve which is accommodated by the spigot-like connection piece.

3. The dental apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a projection which projects upwardly from a bottom portion of the recess of the reception member conditions the closure one-way check valve for being opened by pushing the valve member upwardly into its open position with respect to the valve seat of the connector piece.

4. The dental apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connection between the connector piece of the fluid reservoir and the recess of the reception member is sealed by at least one sealing ring and is mutually fixed by a spring ring.

5. The dental apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the suction line of the suction pump is provided with a directional control valve by means of which an associated connection line of a dental handpiece which is connected with the pressure line of the suction pump may be alternately connected with two fluid reservoirs that contain different fluids and that are received by two different reception members with which the suction pump is connected with two branches of the suction line.

6. The dental apparatus of claim 5, wherein the dental handpiece may be connected by its associated connecting line and via said directional control valve with a supply line for fresh water.

7. The dental apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a supply of fresh water and/or a supply of fluid from a fluid reservoir may be selectively switched between a first dental handpiece and a second dental handpiece via a first change-over switch valve and a second change-over switch valve which are arranged downstream of the directional control valve in associated connecting lines of the first and second handpieces.

8. The dental apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said first handpiece is a dental scaler for a dental ultrasonic treatment and said second handpiece is a dental abrasive blasting instrument having an integrated powder reservoir and being provided with an associated water supply line and an associated supply line for compressed air for supplying a nozzle piece of the dental abrasive blasting instrument with a combined jet of compressed air mixed with an abrasive dental powder of its integrated powder reservoir and water.

9. A fluid reservoir containing a fluid for being used with a dental apparatus connected with a dental handpiece for dental treatment, comprising

a connector piece which is provided with two one-way check valves of which a valve member of a first one-way check valve is arranged over a discharge opening of the fluid reservoir and adapted for being pushed into an open position against a biasing force of a closure spring and relative to a valve seat and of which a valve member of a second one-way check valve is arranged over an aeration opening of the fluid reservoir for balancing a negative pressure which will be produced inside of the fluid reservoir when fluid is drawn from the fluid reservoir in the open position of the valve member of the first one-way check valve, and

a cap-shaped cover piece for accommodating the two one-way check valves and adapted for being fixed on its one side to the fluid reservoir for closing a fluid filler opening of the fluid reservoir and for being fitted on its opposite side into a complementary recess of a reception member of the dental apparatus by means of spigot-like connection piece which accommodates the first one-way check valve.

10. The fluid reservoir according to claim 9, wherein the cap-shaped cover piece is provided with an inner thread of a screw-type closure of which a complementary outer thread is provided on a neck portion of the fluid reservoir whereby the outer thread also serves as a screw-on thread of a closure cap for the fluid reservoir.

11. A dental apparatus comprising means for allowing a connection of a fluid reservoir containing a fluid which is supplied to a dental handpiece under control of a valve arrangement by a suction pump which has a suction line that is connected with a reception member of a connector piece of the fluid reservoir, comprising:

a closure one-way check valve which is arranged on the connector piece of the fluid reservoir whereby a valve member which is biased by a closure spring towards a closing position on a valve seat of the connector piece may be pushed by a counterpart into an open position against the biasing force of the closure spring,

an areation one-way check valve which is arranged over an aeration opening of the connector piece of the fluid reservoir for compensating a negative pressure which will be produced inside of a fluid reservoir when the closure one-way check valve is opened at its valve member and fluid is drawn from the fluid reservoir via the suction line of the suction pump and supplied to the handpiece via a pressure line of the suction pump; and

wherein the suction line of the suction pump is provided with a directional control valve by means of which an associated connection line of a dental handpiece which is connected with the pressure line of the suction pump may be alternately connected with two fluid reservoirs that contain different fluids and that are received by two different reception members with which the suction pump is connected with two branches of the suction line.

12. The dental apparatus of claim 11, wherein the dental handpiece may be connected by its associated connecting line and via said directional control valve with a supply line for fresh water.

13. The dental apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a supply of fresh water and/or a supply of fluid from a fluid reservoir may be selectively switched between a first dental handpiece and a second dental handpiece via a first change-over switch valve and a second change-over switch valve which are arranged downstream of the directional control valve in associated connecting lines of the first and second handpieces.

14. The dental apparatus according 13, wherein said first handpiece is a dental scaler for a dental ultrasonic treatment and said second handpiece is a dental abrasive blasting instrument having an integrated powder reservoir and being provided with an associated water supply line and an associated supply line for compressed air for supplying a nozzle piece of the dental abrasive blasting instrument with a combined jet of compressed air mixed with an abrasive dental powder of its integrated powder reservoir and water.