A METHOD FOR EXCHANGING A WORKING TOOL AT A DENTAL DEVICE AND THE WORKING TOOL TO BE EXCHANGED

Abstract: The invention relates to a dental device, and a method for exchanging a working tool at a dental device having an exchangeable vibrating of rotating working tool. The working tool (1, 3, 33) is connected to a protective housing (2) to be mounted around a movement generating or transmitting device (5, 5A). The working tool is exchangeable by aid of a turning operation of said housing (2) in relation the movement generating or transmitting device.

Description: A method for exchanging a working tool at a dental device and the working tool to be exchanged This invention relates to a method for exchanging a working tool means of a dental device and an exchangeable working tool means for a dental device having a vibrating, oscillat¬ ing or rotating working tool. The invention relates parti- cularly to an improvement of a dental device having an ultra sonic vibrating dental tip, for instance a sealer, for remov¬ ing teeth coatings. A known sealer device comprises a core device having an oscillation generating part, which can not be sterilized and which is surrounded by an exchangeable, sterilizable, elon¬ gated protective housing functioning as a housing. The pro¬ tective housing is open at its rear end and has an opening having a smaller diameter at its front end. This housing is mountable around the core device sealed with an 0-ring at its rear end towards an unloading socket and at its front end with an O-ring provided around the front of the core device. A sealer tip fixed to or integral with a nipple can be screw¬ ed onto the oscillation generating part through an opening at the front end of the sterilized housing first after that the housing has been mounted around the core device. The sterile sealer tip is then surrounded by a particular tip holder during the screwing operation in order to keep the sterilized tip sterile and to protect the operator from being injured by the tip. Thus, in this construction, the housing is not in thorough contact with the vibrating tip or a part of it. The object of the invention is to provide a dental device in which the use of the particular tip holder is eliminated and which has an easy exchange of protective housing and working tip. Yet another object is to provide a dental device having a housing and a tip held together when not mounted on a core device of a dental device. Another object of the invention is to provide a dental device having a vibrating, oscillating or rotating tool with a non- vibrating housing. At least some of these objects are achieved with a method having the characterizing features disclosed in Claim 1. Further features and developments and a working tool unit for a dental device are disclosed in the other claims. According to the invention the tip and the housing are ex¬ changed at the same time. This means that it is possible to operate the housing instead of a separate tip holder during the exchange of the tip. The holder and the tip are then kept together in one unit. It is to be noted that it is recommend- able to have both a sterilized housing and a sterilized tip for each patient. In this way a particular tip holder is eliminated. The use for the dental device according to the invention is not limited to sealer devices or the like but can be used for other kinds of dental devices having exchangeable tools, for example rotating tools connectable to a movement generating or transferring unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a more complete understanding of the present invention and for further objects and advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG 1 shows a side view of an embodiment of a dental de¬ vice having a vibration core part together with some exchangeable housings according to the invention, FIG 2A shows a side view, partly in section, of a first embodiment of the housing provided on the core part, in accordance with the invention, FIG 2B shows a section, in larger scale than in FIG 2A, of the front end of the housing in FIG 2A provided on the core part, FIG 2C shows a front end view of the housing in FIG 2A without a connected tip, FIG 3A shows a view from above of the device in FIG 2A, FIG 3B shows a section along B-B in FIG 3A in larger scale, FIG 3C shows a section along C-C in FIG 3B, FIG 3D shows a section along D-D in FIG 3B. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG 1, a dental device comprises a core part having a part 5A providing vibration with a protruding front tube part 5 having an internal thread. A stationary sleeve 4 is provided at the rear end of the vibration providing part 5A. The vibration providing part 5A is connected to a conduit for electric supply and supply of fluid through the sleeve 4. A couple of O-rings 7A and 7B are provided around the vibration providing part 5A near the front end and rear end, respectively. Several separate protecting housings 2 can be mounted and exchanged around the core part and will be held on place by the O-rings. The O-rings 7A and 7B have such thickness as to hold the housing 2 a distance from the vibration providing part 5A and is made by a rather soft material in order to suppress vibration transfer to the housing 2 to a minimum. This is according to known technics. According to the invention, the tip 1 is connected to the front end of the housing and thus uniting these parts. The unity of the housing and tip with its nipple is then provided on the core part. As apparent from FIGs 2B and 3B, the tip 1 is fixed to, preferably integral with a nipple 3. Thus, in the embodiment shown, the nipple 3 flares to a circular flange 31 having a diameter slightly less than the inner diameter at the uttermost front end of a front part 6 of the protective housing 2. The nipple 3 is provided with a peripheral groove 9, just rear of its circular flange 31. A groove 8 is provided in the inner surface of the front side of the housing. An 0-ring 7 of a soft material is provided in the groove 9 protruding somewhat from the surface of the nipple and adapted to rest into the groove 8 in the housing. The 0-ring 7 functions to hold together the protective hous¬ ing and the nipple 3 in a releasable way when the housing/nipple/tip combination is not mounted on the core part and also functions as a vibration damping connection between the vibrating nipple 3 with the tip 1 and the housing. Also, the 0-ring 7 seales the inside of the protective housing from intrusion of liquids and/or polu- tions. The tip 1 shall be connected to the vibrating front tube part 5 which has an internal thread. The nipple 3 of the tip 1 has a threaded screw 33 at its rear part adapted to be screwed into the tube part 5. According to the invention the protective housing together with the tip is connectable to be secured on the core part by turning the protective housing 2 and holding the sleeve 4 stationary. Therefore, the contact between the nipple 3 of the tip 1 and the protective housing 2 is made not by a circular sectional form but by a non-circular sectional form providing work drive elements adapted to drive the tip around when rotating the housing 2, so that the screw 33 is screwed into the tube 5 when the operator turns the housing 2. In the embodiment shown in the Figures, the part of the nipple further inside the housing 2 is thus provided with a cut-off part 10 on two diametrical sides. The inner side 6 of the front end of the housing 2 is in turn provided with an inner profile adapted to the outer profile at 32,10 of the nipple 3 with its cut-off parts 10 and is thus provided with shoulders 11 functioning to draw the nipple 3 around while leaning against the cut-offs 10 when the housing is turned. There is a little play between the outer profile 32,10 of the nipple and the part 6 with the shoulders 11 of the housing. At the turning operation the 0-ring 7 is somewhat deformed in its peripheral direction and springs back to its normal condition as soon as the turning operation is finished and by doing so slightly rotates the housing 2 backwards so that the little play is again established. In this way transfer to the housing 2 of the vibration from the nipple with the tip 1 is avoided. Thus, the tip 1 can be provided on the vibrating core part together with the housing 2 without the need to touch the tip or to have a particular tip holder. The housing can be sterilized together with the tip and the tip and the housing need not be taken apart. While the design of instrument herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be under¬ stood that the invention is not limited to this precise design of instrument, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. For example, the 0-ring 7 may be exchanged by some other element or elements having the same functions, such as having the inside of the front part of the housing made of a soft elastic vibration damping and sealing material. Vibration damping material may be provided everywhere where surfaces between the tip/nipple and the housing meet. The work drive arrangement between the nipple 3 and the housing 2 can be designed in another way as the one shown, for instance having a hexagone structure, being provided with pins to be resting in grooves, or the like. The essential here is that the there is some kind of clamp tie function between the housing 2 and the tip device, and this means that it is within the scope of the invention to have some kind of adapter between the two (not shown). Such kind of adapter may be useful in order to adapt invention for using tips on the market not having a form of its nipple exactly adapted to the inner form of the housing or being adaptable by some kind of simple cutting operation of its outer surface. The connection between the nipple 3 and the vibrating part 5 can be provided in another way, for instance being in the form of a bayonet joint.

Claims: We claim: 1. Method for exchanging a working tool at a dental device having a protective housing (2) normally covering movement generating or transferring parts (5,5A) of the dental device, characterizing in that the working tool (1,3,33) is connected to the protective housing (2), and the working tool is exchangeable by aid of a turning operation of said housing (2) in relation of said movement generating or transmitting parts (5,5A). 2. Dental device having an exchangeable vibrating or rotating working tool, said working tool being connectable to a move¬ ment generating device (5,5A) around which a protective housing (2) is mountable, characterized in connecting means (3,7,8,9) to connect said working tool (1,3,33) to said protective housing (2), and means (10,11) to transfer a rotating movement from said protective housing to said work¬ ing tool. 3. Dental device according to Claim 2, characterized in that said movement transferring means (10,11) comprises a non- circular section of mating parts of the outside of a part of said working tool insertable into said housing and the in¬ ternal side of said housing at a part (6) to engage said working tool (1,3,33). 4. Dental device according to Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that said movement transmitting means comprises at least one out-cut (10) in a part (32) of said tool insertable into the housing and corresponding, mating, protruding means (11) of the inside of said housing. 5. Dental device according to anyone of Claims 2 to 4, cha¬ racterized in that said connection means (7,8,9) comprises a groove (9) in said tool at its insertable part, a groove (8) inside said housing opposite to the groove in the tool when the tool is inserted, and an elastic element (7) provided in said grooves. 6. Dental device according to Claim 5, characterized in that said elastic element is an 0-ring (7). 7. Dental device according to anyone of Claims 2 to 6, cha¬ racterized in that a rear part of said working tool to be placed inside said housing comprises a connection means (33) connectable to an appropriate means (5) of said movement generating or transferring device by a turning operation. 8. Dental device according to Claim 7, characterized in that said connection means (33) of the working tool is a threaded screw and that said appropriate means (5) comprise a tube part having internal threads. 9. Dental device according to anyone of Claims 2 to 8, cha¬ racterized in that said movement generation of transferring device provides ultra sonic vibrations, and that said working tool comprises a sealer tip (1) for removing teeth coatings. 10. Dental device according to anyone of Claims 2 to 9, characterized in that said rotating movement transferring means (10,11) includes form tie parts of said working tool and said housing.

Inventors: OHLSSON ANDERS L, STORMATS ANDERS A, SVANBERG H GOERAN, OHLSSON, ANDERS, L., STORMATS, ANDERS, A., SVANBERG, H., GOERAN
Applicants: AMDENT AB, OHLSSON ANDERS L, STORMATS ANDERS A, SVANBERG H GOERAN, OHLSSON, ANDERS, L., STORMATS, ANDERS, A., SVANBERG, H., GOERAN
Application year: 1995
Main classification: A61C1
IPC codes: A61C1, A61C3, A61C17