Patent ID: 9259292
Filing Date: 2016-02-16
CPC Classification: A61C

Claim Text:
1. An adjustable dental prophylaxis angle, comprising: a hand piece having a first longitudinal axis; a tool head pivotably coupled to the hand piece by a pivot, the tool head having a second longitudinal axis and a tool drive, wherein the pivot comprises a pin carried by one of the tool head and the hand piece, and a socket defined by the other of the tool head and the hand piece, wherein the pin is pivotably received within the socket, the pin extends along a pivot axis that is transverse to each of the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis, and the hand piece and the tool head pivot angularly about the pivot axis in a plane perpendicular to the pivot axis; a drive linkage connected to the tool drive to operatively connect the tool drive with a drive carried by the hand piece, the drive linkage having a flexible joint that allows the drive linkage to flex when the tool head pivots relative to the hand piece; and an adjuster operatively coupled to the hand piece and to the tool head so as to rotate axially relative to the hand piece and to the tool head, wherein rotating the adjuster axially causes the tool head to pivot angularly laterally about the pivot axis relative to the hand piece, whereby an angle of the second longitudinal axis of the tool head relative to the first longitudinal axis of the hand piece is adjustable, wherein rotating the adjuster in a first direction pivots the tool head from a first position toward a second position relative to the hand piece, and wherein rotating the adjuster in a second direction opposite the first direction pivots the tool head from the second position toward the first position.