Abstract:
A high speed air-driven powerhead in a dental handpiece includes an automatic chuck with outside surfaces protection from overheating. An autochuck release push button on the back of the powerhead is constructed of low thermal conductivity and heat reflective materials to reduce heat due to friction from inadvertent contact with the chuck while rotating. In addition, a sudden stop mechanism is provided which arrests chuck rotation if the force of contact exceeds a level which would raise the temperature of the push button beyond a predetermined threshold. A vortex air barrier is also provided to seal the front end bearing of the powerhead. The barrier also permits spacing which prevents static axial overload of the bearing and eliminates possible damage to the bearing.

Description:
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/257,209 filed on Jun. 9, 1994, now abandoned. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to dental handpieces, and more particularly to a sudden stop mechanism and air-gap seal for an air-driven automatic chuck in a dental handpiece. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     An air-driven automatic chuck, also referred to as an autochuck, in a powerhead of a dental handpiece typically includes a spring which applies an axial force to radially adjustable jaws within a spindle to close and frictionally hold the shank of a tool. An opposite force applied by a finger-operated release push button on the back of the powerhead opens the jaws for permitting a tool to be inserted or removed. A dental handpiece generally describing this arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,363. 
     One of many and complex problems encountered in high speed handpieces is overheating. Under normal conditions of use, there is a slight gap between the rotating chuck and the release push button in order to prevent friction contact and overheating. But if the push button is pressed while the chuck is rotating at a high speed of 100,000 to 500,000 rpm, friction contact may rapidly overheat the push button without warning. Any tissue touched by a hot push button may experience an undesirable sensation of heat. In extreme cases this could result in tissue burn to either the patient or the dentist. 
     Studies have indicated that human tissue can burn, and experience pain, if exposed for as little as fifteen seconds to heat above a threshold temperature of 45° C. (113° F.). If the release push button is designed with relatively light spring to allow an operator to manipulate it with ease, improper operator use, such as pressing the button while the turbine is still running at high speed, can cause operator discomfort. Also, as components in the powerhead wear, the gap between the chuck and push button may eventually close and produce the same result. 
     During operation, there is also drive air leakage through the shaft front end bearings of the powerhead. In prior designs as much as 30% of the drive air escapes in this manner without ever reaching the air exhaust ports. The escaping air blows out factory preloaded grease which causes the powerhead to heat up and shorten bearing life. As the bearings begin to fail, their increased friction generates even more heat to the point where the temperature of the entire housing and particularly the autochuck release push button as well becomes excessive and intolerable to the patient, or to the touch of the dentist. Similarly, when the drive air supply is shut off and the rotating parts coast to a stop, the vacuum created in the powerhead may suck debris such as tooth particles, almalgam, other restorative materials and saliva into its moving parts and obviously affect turbine operation to adversely reduce performance of the handpiece. Maintenance of sterility of the handpiece is also made more difficult and tenuous. 
     Various designs in the powerhead have been attempted to reduce overheating the powerhead and autochuck release push button. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,856 and German Patent 2905484 each describe an automatic chuck which makes substantially point contact at the axis of relative rotation between the release push button and the chuck. So long as point contact is present there is relatively little friction, and a lower temperature rise to the push button than otherwise would be produced. However, the potential for a temperature rise high enough to burn, is still present. Over time the point contact will wear flat and the increased surface friction will produce more heat and raise the temperature to a much more undesirable level and increase the potential for tissue burn. 
     Modifications have also been proposed or implemented with the singular purpose of preventing air leakage or debris infiltration at the gap between the housing and spindle. For instance U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,798,775 and 4,295,830 teach sealing rings along the shaft to prevent leakage; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,791,835 and 3,324,552 teach flanges mounted on the shaft for throwing off debris by centrifugal force through an exit port provided in the turbine housing. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a heat sterilizable air-driven powerhead in a dental handpiece with protection against bearing overload and bearing damage, overheating, air leakage, and debris infiltration. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide in a high speed dental handpiece having an automatic chuck, thermal protection from heat generated upon brief frictional contact of the chuck and the tool release push button. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide, in a dental handpiece, a push button operated automatic chuck which reduces risk of injury due to transfer of heat of friction if the push button is inadvertently pressed while the chuck is rotating. 
     A still further object of the invention is to provide, in a dental handpiece, a push button operated automatic chuck which will immediately arrest rotation if a frictional force between the chuck and the push button is exceeded. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a multiple function sudden stop mechanism and air-gap seal in an air-driven powerhead of a dental handpiece to prevent escape of drive air, debris infiltration, loss of factory pre-load grease, and bearing load limiting. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved powerhead for a dental handpiece with substantially no increase in overall dimensions, which is durable, sterilizable and relatively simple in design and construction, and which can be economically manufactured. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved powerhead with a rotating shaft spacer stop for preventing overload of the autochuck bearing or bearings. 
     Briefly, these and other objects of the present invention are achieved in an air-driven powerhead of a dental handpiece having a rotary automatic chuck which is axially moveable in front and rear end bearings between tool holding and releasing positions by forces applied by an operator through a spring-loaded release push button. Transfer of heat generated by inadvertent friction contact of the push button with the chuck, while the chuck is rotating at high speed, is reduced by the combined use in the push button of materials having a very low coefficient of thermal conductivity and high reflectivity and a sudden stop mechanism. 
     The sudden stop mechanism is interconnected between the housing of the handpiece and the chuck for arresting rotation if the friction force between the chuck and the push button exceeds a level which would raise the temperature of the push button above a predetermined threshold. In one embodiment, the chuck is suddenly stopped when radial arms, rotating with the chuck, shift axially and strike stationary pins in the powerhead housing. In another embodiment, the chuck is suddenly stopped when an annular stepped collar rotating with the chuck axially shifts and frictionally engages the front end of the housing. In addition, the rotating collar forms vortexes which sets up eddy currents of air at its periphery creating an air barrier or curtain in which the eddy currents rotate at 90 degrees to the normal air flow direction in the annular gap between the rotating collar and the stationary housing. This prevents drive air from escaping and blowing out factory preloaded grease which is one cause of overheating. It also serves as a seal against debris infiltration and loss of turbine power. The air seal forces normal air flow through the turbine to the exhaust port thereby maximizing the self-cooling properties of the powerhead. 
     The annular stepped collar mounted on the rotating shaft also serves as a spacer which limits the load that can be placed on the front bearing, for example four pounds, when the autochuck release push button is pressed to release the tool. The bearing design will be damaged when the axial load exceeds the design limit, such as four pounds for ceramic balls and ten pounds for steel balls. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a powerhead on the distal end of a dental handpiece, the powerhead including an automatic chuck with thermal protection according to the present invention: 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the powerhead taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1 showing the automatic chuck in a normal operating position; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the powerhead taken in a transverse plane along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2 with a sudden stop mechanism according to one embodiment of the invention in a non-arresting position; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the lower portion of FIG. 2 but with the sudden stop mechanism in a non-arresting position but in frictional contact; 
     FIG. 5 shows the sudden stop mechanism of FIG. 4 as viewed along the line 5--5; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the lower portion of FIG. 2 but with the sudden stop mechanism in an arresting position; 
     FIG. 7 shows the sudden stop mechanism of FIG. 6 as viewed along the line 7--7; 
     FIG. 8 shows a sudden stop mechanism according to another embodiment of the invention in a non-arresting position; 
     FIG. 9 is an enlarged view in cross-section of a front portion of the powerhead of FIG. 2 but with still another embodiment according to the invention of a sudden stop mechanism in a non-arresting position and also illustrating an air-gas seal; and 
     FIG. 9A is a greatly enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of a portion of the handpiece illustrated in FIG. 9 but showing the location of an air seal vortex formed during operation of the handpiece. 
     FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the sudden stop mechanism of FIG. 9 as viewed along the line 10--10. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings wherein like characters represent like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 the distal end of a high-speed dental handpiece 10 with thermal protection according to the invention. It includes a handle 12 with a fiber optics light tube 13 (FIG. 2) and a powerhead 14 in which a burr 16 or similar tool is inserted for rotation on an axis generally perpendicular to the length of handle 12. The physical size of powerhead 14 is critical for use in the oral cavity, particularly when used on the buccal surfaces of posterior teeth and for best high speed performance. In the preferred embodiments, the maximum height of the head is approximately 13 mm to 14 mm. 
     As shown in more detail in FIG. 2, powerhead 14 includes a hollow cylindrical housing 18, a top cover 18a, and coaxial rear and front anti-friction ball bearings 20 and 22 rotatably supporting a hollow spindle 24 in housing 18. An inlet port 25 provides drive air for rotating a turbine of radial blades 26 fixed around spindle 24 between bearings 20 and 22, and exhaust ports 27 discharge the spent air through handle 12. A hollow collet 28 axially slidable within spindle 24 has equally spaced radial jaws 28a at the lower end which taper outwardly to slide in complementary tapered radial slots 24a in spindle 24. A first coil spring 30 wound lengthwise between spindle 24 and collet 28 is seated in compression between a shoulder 24b of spindle 24 and a retainer 32 fixed in a groove around the rearward end of collet 28. The compression force of spring 30 urges collet 28 rearward into spindle 24 forcing jaws 28a to deflect radially inward and grip the shank of burr 16. The rearward travel of collet 28 is limited by a ball 33 captured in a socket of spindle 24 and engaged by a shoulder 28b. In an actual embodiment, a tool pullout force of 3.3 pounds minimum due to compression force is applied at the rearward limit of collet 28. 
     Burr 16 may be released by moving collet 28 forward in opposition to the force of spring 30 to relax jaws 28a. This is accomplished by a circular pusher plate 34 threaded into an annular retainer 38 which, in turn, slides in a circular lip 18b of top cover 18a. Plate 34 has an interior surface 34d which is positioned to press against the convex surface of a dome pin 36 fixed to and projecting from the upper end of collet 28. Its point of contact with pin 36 coincides with the axis of rotation of spindle 24 to minimize friction under relative rotation. Also, dome pin 36 serves to plug the through-hole where debris can originate from the rotating burr 16. 
     A second coil spring 40 seated in compression between facing surfaces of cover 18a and an annular flange 34a of plate 34 normally maintains a gap in the order of 0.015 inch between plate 34 and the tip of dome pin 36. The rearward travel of plate 34 is stopped by an annular flange 34b engaging a lip 18b around the inside of cover 18a. In an actual embodiment, the spring imparts a compression force of 20 ounces at the rearward limit of plate 34. For resistance to wear, particularly at the point where they contact, plate 34 and dome 36 are preferably a hardened steel such as martensitic stainless steel AISI Type 416 or 431. 
     An insulator-type end cap 42 constructed from materials, such as injection moldable polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) polymers including TEFLON® FEP or PFA, having a low thermal conductivity in the order of 1.4±0.3 Btu.in/h.ft 2 .°F., with the push plate 34 forms a push button for the operator to apply a release force to the automatic chuck. The interior of the cap is concave and spherical in shape for best optical reflection with an annular lip 42a on the rim which snap-fits into a groove 34c in the rearward side of plate 34 and forms an insulating air space A between the plate 34 and cap 42. The air space A and the very low thermal conductivity of end cap 42 together significantly reduce transfer to the exposed side of cap 42 of any heat generated by friction at the point contact of plate 34 and dome pin 36. In addition, the interior arcuate surface of cap 42 is faced with a infrared reflective laminate 44, such as gold plating, to reflect back toward the plate 34 heat radiated therefrom. White PTFE polymers provide reflectivity greater than 50% and have been satisfactory in actual application experiments. The insulator-type end cap 42 could also be constructed from low thermal conduction ceramics or gold plated thermal conduction ceramics. 
     The above-described features as implemented in the automatic chuck significantly lessen the threat of exceeding the undesirable threshold temperature but under extreme conditions of friction contact, these precautions may not in and of themselves be sufficient. Therefore, the invention further provides for suddenly arresting rotation of the chuck by permitting bearings 20 and 22 to shift within housing 18 between upper and lower axial limits by mounting the turbine on soft compressible O-rings. The bearings are normally urged toward the rearward limit by a wavy third annular spring 50 mounted between a flange 22b around the outer race of bearing 22 and a washer 51 resting against an adjacent shoulder 18d on the interior surface of housing 18. 
     In an actual embodiment, the spring rate of spring 50 is 50 pounds per inch and imparts a compression force of 1.075 ounces at the rearward limit of bearings 20 and 22. The rearward limit is determined by a ring 46, fixed to the interior surface of housing 18, acting against a flange 20a on the outer race of bearing 20; and the forward limit is determined by a disk brake 52 striking against a pair of radially opposite pins 54 protruding into the housing cavity from a bottom wall 18e of housing 18. 
     Brake 52, consisting essentially of an oblong disk, having a pair of opposing flats or lands 52a is fixed to the outer surface of spindle 24. At the rearward limit of bearings 20 and 22, the axial clearance between brake 52 and pins 54 permits rotation of the chuck. However, in the position illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, a force applied to end cap 42, slightly exceeding the combined resistance of springs 30, 40 and 50 applied to dome pin 36, causes brake 52 to just slide across the facing ends of pins 54. The amount of heat generated at the point contact of plate 34 and dome pin 36 under this force may produce a slight, inconsequential warming of end cap 42. However, a rapid increase above an undesirable threshold temperature of 45° C., such as may occur with a higher force, is prevented by brake 52 shifting farther and striking the sides of abutment pins 54, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, to suddenly arrest chuck rotation. 
     FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment of the disk brake in which radial arms 56 rotate with spindle 24 and strike pins 54 to stop chuck rotation when the downward force applied to end cap 42 causes spindle 24 to shift forwardly. 
     In the arresting position of brake 52 or arms 56, the external force applied to end cap 42 must exceed the combined resistance of springs 30, 40 and 50 applied to dome pin 36. A further increase in the external force begins to move collet 28 forward to open jaws 28a. The combined resistance of the springs should be as low as possible in order to enable a light touch of the fingers, in the order of 112 ounces, to open collet jaws 28a. 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate another embodiment of the sudden stop mechanism. A stepped disk brake 58, fixed around spindle 24, includes opposite sides 58a and 58b in axial clearance, respectively, of a facing annular shoulder 18c in the housing 18 and the outer race 22a of front bearing 22. The radial outer edge 58d of the disc 58 faces a solid wall 18d which extends upwardly from the shoulder 18c. The outer race 22a of the front bearing 22 contacts the wall 18d above the disk 58. A chamber 60 is formed by a nonforaminous outer wall defined by the shoulder 18c and the wall 18d. The nonforaminous outer wall can also include the outer race 22a of the bearing 22. The disc 58 is located within the chamber 60. The first side 58a, the radial outer edge 58d and a portion of the second side 58b of the disc 58 form an inner boundary for air in the chamber 60. The chamber 60 has two openings located on opposite sides of the disc 58. The first opening is located between the inner and outer races of the bearing 22, and the second opening is the axial opening in the housing through which the collet 24 passes. When a force is applied to end cap 42, the surface of moving brake 58 and stationary shoulder 18c frictionally engage, but raised portion 58c maintains sufficient clearance to prevent the force from being transmitted from brake 58 to the outer race. The friction force of brake 58 upon contact with shoulder 18c will suddenly arrest rotation of the chuck. 
     Stepped disk brake 58 also limits the maximum static thrust load an operator can apply to front bearing 22. The space taken up by brake 58 and its position limits the maximum compression travel, typically less than 0.010 inch, before it bottoms out onto stationary shoulder 18c. Wavy annular spring 50, with a greater total compression travel, such as 0.0215 inch, cannot be completely compressed due to disk brake portion 58c first bottoming out on the stationary surface of shoulder 18c. The axial load is thereby removed from front bearing 22. In an actual embodiment, the static thrust load for bearing 22 with ceramic balls in stainless steel raceways is 10 pounds; and for stainless steel balls is 16 pounds. The bearing load limit with ceramic balls is determined as the point where there is no evidence of &#34;brinelling&#34; or indentations in the raceways, the ceramic ball being harder is unaffected. However, the bearing load with stainless steel balls is at that point where there is no evidence of brinelling of the raceways and no smile-like imprint distortions on the ball. 
     At normal operation speeds of the powerhead, the clearance of brake 58 between the outer race 22a of bearing 22 and shoulder 18c induces an annular vortex of air at the brake periphery which acts as an air barrier or curtain. During normal operation, escape of drive air from the powerhead is blocked by the air curtain thereby reserving the drive air for cooling powerhead 14 and push button 42. When the supply of drive air is shut off, the air curtain prevents debris from being drawn into the powerhead by the vacuum created during coasting of the rotating parts. The clearance required to produce the vortex air curtain v is a function of the drive air pressure, operating speed, flange size and properties of the facing surfaces. In general, the clearance should be less than about 0.010 inches, and preferably about 0.002 inches for operating speeds between 100,000 and 500,000 rpm. While the air seal is disclosed in combination with an autochuck-type handpiece, it can also be utilized in conventional non-autochuck handpieces as well. 
     Some of the many advantages and novel features of the invention should now be readily apparent. For example, thermal protection for a dental handpiece having an automatic chuck is provided whereby heat generated due to an inadvertent friction force between relative rotation of components will not overheat the release push button. Should the friction force exceed a predetermined level, rotation of the chuck is suddenly arrested. Means are also provided for preserving drive air for cooling by preventing leakage of the air from the powerhead, for preventing loss of factory-preloaded grease under positive air pressure conditions and infiltration of debris under vacuum operating conditions, and for limiting front bearing static thrust to safe non-damaging loads. These and other features as described are made possible by a unique design which requires substantially no increase in overall dimensions, produces a durable, sterilizable construction, and which can be economically manufactured. 
     It will be understood, of course, that various changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangement of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.