Dental light device

• US 9,693,846 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2015
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kerr Corporation (Envista Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kerr Corporation (Envista Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Barry, Ruth, Wyatt, Stacy Lee, Soundararajan, Gopikrishnan, Gill, Owen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowman, Mary Ellen
• Application Number:
  US14/790,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20150320530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/004 Hand-held apparatus, e.g. guns
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 2204/002 using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/375 using buck topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/38 using boost topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/385 using flyback topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/397 Current mirror circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

A curing light device includes a body with a tip portion that has a plurality of elements for providing electrical energy to the distal end of the tip and for removing heat from the distal end of the tip. A light engine includes at least one light emitting element operable for emitting light and is positioned on the distal end of the tip portion. A power supply is positioned in the body and is rechargeable and includes at least one ultracapacitor element. Spring electrical contacts are positioned in the body and electrically coupled with the ultracapacitor element. The spring electrical contacts are spaced along the length of the body and configured for electrically engaging the tip portion along its length for delivering power to the light engine and for provide a spring alignment of the tip portion in the body.

Claims

1. A curing light device comprising:

a body with a tip portion having a proximal end and a distal end;

the tip portion including a plurality of elements for providing electrical energy to the distal end of the tip and for removing heat from the distal end of the tip;

a light engine including at least one light emitting element operable for emitting light, the light engine positioned on the distal end of the tip portion and electrically coupled with the tip portion elements to receive power and thermally coupled with the tip portion elements for removing heat from the light engine;

a power supply positioned in the body, the power supply being rechargeable and including at least one ultracapacitor element;

at least a pair of spring electrical contacts positioned in the body and electrically coupled with the ultracapacitor element, the spring electrical contacts spaced along the length of the body and configured for electrically engaging the tip portion along its length for delivering power to the light engine.

2. The curing light device of claim 1 further comprising a non-imaging element coupled with the light engine at the distal end of the tip portion for capturing and collimating the emitted light.

3. The curing light device of claim 1 wherein the tip portion elements include at least one heat sink element thermally coupled for removing heat from the light engine.

4. The curing light device of claim 1 wherein the elements of the tip portion are covered in a thermoplastic material for forming the tip portion.

5. The curing light device of claim 1 wherein the power supply further comprises a pair of ultracapacitor elements.

6. The curing light device of claim 1 wherein the power supply is operable for providing an operational run time of 1-10 minutes.

7. The curing light device of claim 1 wherein the light engine is operable for providing an output power of 1100-1800 mW/cm².

8. A curing light device comprising:

a body including a housing and a socket in the housing;

a tip having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end configured for plugging into the body socket to removably secure the tip with the body;

a light engine including at least one light emitting element operable for emitting light, the light engine positioned at the distal end of the tip;

the tip including a portion at the proximal end configured for plugging into the socket;

at least one spring electrical contact positioned in the socket for engaging the portion at the proximal end of the tip to deliver power to the tip, the at least one spring electrical contact further configured to engage the portion at the proximal end of the tip and provide a spring alignment of the tip in the socket.

9. The curing light device of claim 8 wherein the at least one spring electrical contact generally surrounds the inside of the socket for engaging the portion at the proximal end of the tip at multiple points around the socket.

10. The curing light device of claim 9 wherein the at least one spring electrical contact includes a plurality of shoulders positioned around the spring electrical contact, the shoulders configured for engaging the portion at the proximal end of the tip.

11. The curing light device of claim 8 further comprising a plurality of spring electrical contacts positioned in the socket, the spring electrical contacts longitudinally spaced along the length of the socket to engage the portion at the proximal end of the tip at a plurality of positions along the length of the portion.

12. The curing light device of claim 8 wherein the tip includes at least one electrical element for engaging the at least one spring electrical contact to deliver power to the tip.

13. The curing light device of claim 8 wherein the portion at the proximal end of the tip operates as a heat sink for removing heat from the light engine.

14. The curing light device of claim 8 wherein the tip includes a base that is wider than the portion at the proximal end of the tip, the portion at the proximal end extending beyond the base for plugging into the socket.

15. The curing light device of claim 8 further comprising a magnetic mechanism configured for removably securing the tip with the body.

16. The curing light device of claim 15 wherein the magnetic mechanism includes a magnet coupled with one of the body and the tip and a metal element coupled with the other of the body and the tip for removably securing the tip with the body.

17. A curing light system comprising:

a curing light device including;

a body with a tip portion having a proximal end and a distal end;

a light engine including at least one light emitting element operable for emitting light, the light engine positioned on the distal end of the tip portion;

a power supply positioned in the body, the power supply being rechargeable and including at least one ultracapacitor element;

a socket formed in the body and electrically coupled with the at least one ultracapacitor element;

a charger device for charging the curing light device, the charger device including;

a charger base;

an upstanding charger plug positioned in the base and configured to be received into the socket of the curing light device;

an opening in the charger base formed for receiving the body of the curing light device;

the body of the curing light device having a handle section with a shaped cross-section, the opening in the charger base appropriately configured to match the cross-section of the handle section for aligning the socket of the curing light device with the upstanding charger plug in the charger base when the charger base receives the body of the curing light device.

18. The curing light system of claim 17 wherein the upstanding charger plug positioned in the base includes an upstanding plastic section and a conductive plug contained in the upstanding plastic section, the shape of the upstanding plastic section providing a friction fit with the socket formed in the body of the curing light device.

19. The curing light system of claim 17 wherein the charger base provides a gravity force, the plug and socket requiring a removal force to separate the curing light device and charger base that is less than a gravity force of the charger base to facilitate one hand removal of the light device from the charger base.