Ergonomic handle

Abstract: A handle (5) consists of a first arm (6) attached to a tablet (1) for holding handpieces (2), the free upper end of the said arm being equipped with a second arm (7) extending in parallel with a line (L) defined by the row of selectors (4) located on a console (3) on the tablet (1) for a length (L2) proportional to the length (L1) of the line (L).

Description: The present invention relates to an ergonomic handle for dental equipment such as handpiece holders or tablets forming part of dental units. Prior art handles according to the preamble of claim 1 have been disclosed in EP-A-0 529 132 and WO-A-9 208 391. Unlike conventional solutions, the handle disclosed by the present invention arises in response to the need for modern dental units, which use the latest technology to allow functions to be selected without any kind of physical contact between the operator's hand and the control panel, to be fitted with an element to serve as a reference and support for the operator's hand. The aim of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages by providing a handle whose structure is suitable for the manual control requirements of modern technological systems. The technical characteristics of the invention to achieve the aforestated aims are laid out in the claims below and the advantages of the disclosure are apparent from the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention by way of example and in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view, with some parts cut away in order to better illustrate others, of a handpiece tablet forming part of a dental unit and fitted with the ergonomic handle disclosed by the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side view of the handle disclosed, with some parts cut away in order to better illustrate others; Fig. 3 is a top plan view, with some parts cut away in order to better illustrate others, of another embodiment of the handle disclosed applied to a second handpiece tablet used by a dentist's assistant. With reference to the accompanying drawings, in particular Fig. 1, the handle disclosed is applied to equipment forming part of a dental unit (not illustrated as a whole) . One such piece of equipment is the tablet 1, or holder, for handpieces 2, which also mounts a console 3 used for selecting the functions of the dental unit and equipped with a plurality of selectors 4. The selectors are of the type activated without contact (also known in the trade as "NO TOUCH" selectors) and are arranged side by side and one above the other in at least one row labelled L. The selectors 4 are activated by a surface 8 being moved close to them, the said surface being in practice constituted by fingers 9 of a hand 10 of average length MM, considering as average length MM the length of the fingers 9 plus that of the adjacent portion of the palm of the hand. The handle 5 consists of a first arm 6 attached to the tablet 1 and equipped at its free upper end with a second arm 7 extending in parallel with a line L defined by the row of selectors 4 for a length, labelled L2 in Figs. 1 and 3, which is proportional to the length (L1) of the row of selectors 4. The distance of the second arm 7 from the line L defined by the row of selectors 4 is approximately equal to the aforesaid average length MM of the hand 10. In practice, therefore, all the dental surgeon needs to do to position his/her hand 10 at the correct distance necessary to select the functions of the dental unit with the selectors 4 is to rest it on the arm 7 of the handle 5. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the first arm 6, viewed in cross section, is arched, whilst the arm 7 is substantially horizontal and has two identical portions 7a and 7b forming a single, undivided part. The two portions 7a and 7b extend in opposite directions starting from the free end of the first arm 6, so as to define a "T" shaped handle 5. Similarly, Fig. 3 shows a second tablet 11 for holding handpieces 2, used by an assistant and equipped with a second console 12 with a plurality of "NO TOUCH" selectors 4 for selecting dental unit functions. The second tablet also has a handle 5, similar to the one described so far, with an arched first arm 6, but whose second arm 7 is a single element extending horizontally from the free end of the first arm 6 so as to define an "L" shape. Thanks to a handle structured in this way, the aims of the present invention are achieved in that, in addition to its conventional use to grip and move the handpiece tablet, the handle also serves to correctly position the dental surgeon's hand over the control console of the dental unit. That means there is less risk of the surgeon's moving his/her fingers too close to the selectors or accidentally touching them and also allows the surgeon to select functions without necessarily looking at the console. The invention described can be subject to modifications and variations without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Moreover, all the details of the invention may be substituted by technically equivalent elements.

Claims: A handle for equipment forming part of dental units such as a tablet (1) for holding handpieces (2) and fitted with a console (3), the said handle (5) comprising a first arm (6) attaching it to the tablet (1), characterized in that the console (3) has a plurality of no touch selectors (4) for selecting dental unit functions, placed side by side and/or one over the other in a line (L) and said handle (5) is equipped at its upper free end with a second arm (7) extending in parallel with the line (L) defined by the selectors (4) for a length (L2) that is proportional to the length (L1) of the line (L). The handle according to claim 1, where the said selectors (4) are activated by a surface (8) being moved close to them, the said surface being constituted by fingers (9) of a hand (10) of average length (MM), the said handle being characterized in that the distance between the second arm (7) and the line (L) defined by the selectors (4) is approximately equal to the said average length (MM). The handle according to claim 1, characterized in that the first arm (6), viewed in cross section, is arched, and the second arm 7 is substantially horizontal and has two identical portions (7a, 7b) extending in opposite directions starting from the free end of the first arm (6), so as to define a handle (5) with a "T" shape. The handle according to claim 1, characterized in that the first arm (6), viewed in cross section, is arched, and the second arm (7) is a single element extending horizontally from the free end of the first arm (6) so as to define a handle (5) with an "L" shape. The handle according to claim 1, where the said dental unit is equipped with a second tablet (11) for holding handpieces (2), used by an assistant, the said second tablet (11) being equipped with a second console (12) with a plurality of no touch selectors (4) placed side by side and/or one over the other in a line (L), characterized in that the said tablet (11) is equipped with the said handle (5) comprising the said first arm (6) attached to the said second arm (7), the latter extending in parallel to the line (L) defined by the selectors (4) for a length (L2) that is proportional to the length (L1) of the line (L).

Inventors: CASTELLINI FRANCO, CASTELLINI, FRANCO
Applicants: CASTELLINI SPA, CASTELLINI S.P.A.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A61G15
IPC codes: A61G15