Abstract:
Disclosed is a dental utility system for managing dental utilities, including a dental utility housing, a dental delivery assembly base fixed to the front side of the dental utility housing, and a dental delivery assembly main arm horizontally pivotably connected to the dental delivery assembly base and which permits vertical movement of a dental delivery assembly main arm distal end. The dental delivery assembly base and a dental delivery assembly base cover define a dental utility housing utility pathway that directs dental utilities from the dental utility platform to the dental delivery assembly main arm. Also included are a dental utility platform, and a dental utility platform extendable mount. The dental utility platform extendable mount permits the dental utility platform to be positioned anywhere along a continuous range of positions.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 USC §119 to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/117,208 filed Nov. 23, 2008. The teachings of this application are incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTIONS 
       [0002]    This invention relates to dental utility cabinet for storing dental utilities. More particularly this invention relates to dental utility cabinet with an extendable drawer on which utility infrastructure can be mounted. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Conventional dental cabinets used in dental operatories can be required to serve a dual role. The cabinets serve as an area in which dental equipment can be stored. Included in this equipment are dental tools, some of which require utilities, including but not limited to electrical power, compressed air, vacuum, pressure, water, computer and video network cabling, and/or nitrous oxide. The cabinets may then also serve as an area in which the utility connections to the tools are made. These connections can include couplers, valves, pressure regulating devices, metering devices, electric power supply or electronic control equipment etc, which must be mounted somewhere. Often times, the connections are made and the mounting is done inside the dental utility cabinet, thus giving the dental cabinet the second role as a utility area. 
         [0004]    As the complexity of dental operatories increases with advances in technology, more utilities are required, and thus the utility portion of the dental cabinet increases in size and complexity. However, the inventors have realized that the dental cabinets are not experiencing a corresponding increase in interior volume to accommodate the increased utilities. The inventors further realized that the area within the dental cabinet devoted to utilities is becoming more crowded. As this area becomes more crowded, it is becoming increasingly difficult to design dental cabinets to accommodate these utilities and associated equipment. In addition, once the cabinets are built, it can be very difficult to actually install these components within the space allotted. The problem associated with these crowded utility installations becomes greatly pronounced once the dental cabinet has been installed in a dental operatory, and maintenance of a utility is required. With utilities installed in such confined spaces, maintenance can require at least awkward access by maintenance personnel, and in extreme cases, may require extensive disassembly of the surrounding cabinetry solely to permit access to the utility. As a result, maintenance costs, down time losses, and customer dissatisfaction may increase. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONS 
       [0005]    Connections between the dental utility service supply lines and the dental utility lines leading to the dental tools, which often include valves, gauges, regulating devices, and associated electric and electronic equipment etc are usually made within the cabinet or similar structure, which are often difficult to reach. This results in more time spent installing and maintaining the connections, valves, gauges, regulating devices, and associated electric and electronic equipment etc. Consequently, assembly and maintenance costs can be high. Still further, difficulty in maintaining the components may result in downtime, which may be a source of inconvenience for the dental personnel, and dental patients. The present inventors have recognized this, and as a result, the inventors of the present invention have designed a dental utilities cabinet with a readily accessible dental utilities assembly platform, such that these utilities, utility connection hardware, valves, gauges, electric and electronic equipment etc can be readily accessed. This dental utility cabinet may further include a pathway that leads dental utilities to an attached dental utility main arm, through which the utilities may be routed. A dental workstation could be attached to the dental utility main arm, thus completing a dental delivery system. 
         [0006]    In an embodiment, the inventions pertain to a dental rear delivery unit for enabling a doctor and dental assistant to treat a patient using dental handpieces and instruments from the head end of a dental chair. The delivery unit includes a doctor handpiece delivery head for supporting doctor handpieces and operator interfaces for controlling the operation of the handpieces. The doctor delivery head is substantially free of infrastructure supporting utilities that are provided to the handpieces, which enables the size of the doctor delivery head to be reduced and provides freedom of positioning of the doctor delivery head adjacent the patient. The delivery unit also includes a doctor flex arm carrying the doctor handpiece delivery head, together with power cable and signal cable for the delivery of utilities to the doctor handpieces. The delivery unit of this embodiment further may include an assistant instrument delivery head for supporting assistant instrument and interfaces for controlling the operation of the instruments, but being substantially free of infrastructure supporting utilities provided to the instruments for enabling the size of the assistant delivery head size to be reduced and provide freedom of positioning of the assistant delivery head adjacent the patient. An assistant flex arm carries the assistant handpieces delivery head, together with fluid conduits for the delivery of utilities to the assistant instruments. 
         [0007]    The delivery unit also includes a cabinet generally at the head end of the dental chair that is intended to receive power and fluid from sources in the cabinet. The cabinet is in communication with the power cable, signal cable and fluid conduits for providing utilities to the doctor handpieces and assistant instruments. The cabinet also has a dental utility drawer slideably mounted therein housing infrastructure for the delivery and conditioning of the utilities to the doctor handpieces and assistant instruments and enabling inspection and servicing of the infrastructure. 
         [0008]    The utilities provided to the delivery heads typically involve electrical power, optical power, fluid under pressure and suction for fluid removal. The doctor handpieces and assistant instrument interfaces control the delivery of power and fluid to and from the handpieces and assistant instruments. 
         [0009]    The dental rear delivery unit may further include a flexible channel holding cable and fluid conduits extending from adjacent the infrastructure in the drawer to adjacent the cable and conduits in the flex arms for enabling the drawer to be moved between open and closed positions. In one embodiment, the flexible channel comprises a chain carrier device secured at one end thereof to the drawer and at the other end thereof to a stationary portion of the cabinet. 
         [0010]    The dental rear delivery unit may further include a cable and conduit holder in the cabinet for holding the cable and fluid conduits in a predetermined order. In an embodiment, the holder comprises a plurality of segments flexibly secured together for movement between an unlocked position in which the cable and fluid conduits may be positioned between the segments and a locked position in which the cable and conduits are held in place in the holder. The segments may define cooperating sets of recesses for holding the cables and conduits in place in the holder when the segments are moved to the locking mode. The cooperating sets of recesses may be of various sizes to receive and hold various size cables and fluid conduits. 
         [0011]    The utility infrastructure may include, but is not limited to, AC/DC electric adaptors, transformers, electrical switches, electronic processors, electronic controllers, optical sensors, optical sources, fluid pressure regulators, fluid filter devices and/or fluid flow control valves. The infrastructure may further comprise electrical connectors for connecting cables from the source of electrical power to the power cables for the flex arms. Further still, the infrastructure may further comprise unions for connecting fluid conduits from sources of fluid to the fluid conduits for the flex arms. 
         [0012]    The dental utility system may include a dental utility housing for supporting components of the dental utility system, including one or more structural members that define a utility space, a front side, and a plane defined by a coronal cross section of the front side, a dental delivery assembly base fixed to the dental utility housing at the front side, a dental delivery assembly main arm pivotably connected to the dental delivery assembly base, the main arm having a proximal end and a distal end with the proximal end being the attachment location of the arm to the base. A dental delivery assembly base cover may be removably connected to the dental utility system housing. The dental delivery assembly base and dental delivery assembly base cover define a dental utility housing utility pathway that directs dental utilities from the dental utility platform to the dental delivery assembly main arm. 
         [0013]    The dental utility system may further include infrastructure mounted in the dental utility system housing which enables the delivery and conditioning of the utilities to doctor handpieces and assistant instruments, which provides for inspection and servicing of the infrastructure. The system includes a dental utility drawer slidably mounted to the housing that supports and organizes the infrastructure. Also included is a dental utility platform extendable mount for supporting the weight of and providing a range of motion to the dental utility drawer, wherein the dental utility platform extendable mount is connected to the dental utility drawer and the dental utility housing. The dental delivery assembly base and dental delivery assembly base cover define a dental utility housing utility pathway that directs dental utilities from the housing to the dental delivery assembly main arm. The main arm may optionally include a conduit for guiding the dental utilities from the proximal end to the distal end of the main arm. 
         [0014]    The dental utility platform extendable mount permits the dental utility platform to be positioned anywhere along a continuous range of positions, the range of positions including a fully retracted position where the dental utility platform and the dental utility platform extendable mount are substantially within the dental utility housing, and a fully extended position where the dental utility platform is substantially outside the dental utility housing, and wherein the range of motion is transverse to a plane defined by a coronal cross section of a front portion of the dental utility housing. 
         [0015]    The dental cabinet system for containing and managing dental utilities may also include a dental utility drawer suitable to support, guide, constrain movement of, and provide maintenance access to service to utility infrastructure, and a structural framework in the cabinet that defines a dental utility housing cavity such that when the dental utility drawer is in a fully retracted position the dental utility drawer is substantially within the dental utility housing cavity. Also included is a dental delivery assembly base fixed to the front side of the dental housing cavity and a dental delivery assembly main arm having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the dental delivery assembly main arm is pivotably connected to the dental delivery assembly base at the proximal end. 
         [0016]    The dental delivery assembly base and dental delivery assembly base cover define a dental utility pathway that directs cables and conduits from the dental utility housing to the dental delivery assembly main arm. Further included in the dental cabinet system is a dental utility platform extendable mount connected to the dental utility drawer and the dental utility structural framework that supports the dental utility drawer as the dental utility drawer moves through a range of dental utility drawer positions, the range of dental utility drawer positions including a fully retracted position and a fully extended position. Finally, included in the dental cabinet system is a dental cabinet assembly including a dental cabinet enclosure that has front side. The dental cabinet enclosure defining a space that has an opening at the front side. Furthermore, a coronal cross section of the dental cabinet enclosure front side defines a dental cabinet enclosure front plane behind which said dental utility drawer is when in the fully retracted position. 
         [0017]    A dental utility platform extendable mount for supporting the weight of and providing a range of motion to the dental utility drawer may also be provided, wherein the dental utility platform extendable mount is connected to the dental utility drawer. The dental utility platform extendable mount provides the dental utility drawer with a range of positions that includes a fully retracted position substantially within a dental utility housing cavity, a fully extended position substantially outside the dental utility housing cavity, and positions between the fully retracted position and the fully extended position, and wherein the dental utility platform extendable mount is also connected to the structural framework of the cabinet. The platform may further comprise service utility to dental utility connection hardware mounted to said service utility to dental utility connection hardware mount. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    The invention is explained in the following description in view of the drawings that show: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a utility housing with a retractable utility platform in an extended position, including utilities on the utility platform. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the utility housing and extended utility platform of  FIG. 1 , without the utilities shown in  FIG. 1 , but with a front cover in an extended position, installed in a dental cabinet equipped with a portion of a hinged utility delivery system shown as an arm. 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the utility housing, extended platform, and cabinet of  FIG. 2 , with the utility cover of the utility platform removed. 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the dental cabinet, utility housing, and platform of  FIG. 3 , in a completely stowed condition, with a utility delivery system cover in place. 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  shows a rear perspective view showing an embodiment comprising a flexible channel holding cable and fluid conduits extending from adjacent the infrastructure supported in a dental utility drawer. 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of a chain carrier that may be implemented as the flexible channel revealed in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  shows a front perspective view of a dental utility housing system that includes a cable and conduit holder. 
           [0026]      FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of a dental utility housing with flexibly attached doctor handpiece delivery head and assistant instrument delivery head. 
           [0027]      FIG. 9  shows a top, plan view of a typical dental operatory. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0028]    Turning to the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a dental utility system  100  including a dental utility system housing  104 , a dental utility drawer assembly  110 , a dental utility extendable platform mount  112 , dental utility gauges  116  and dental utility lines  117 . 
         [0029]    The dental utility system housing  104  includes a dental utility system housing front side  106 , which defines a dental utility system housing front side plane, and a dental utility system back side  108 . The dental utility system housing  104  provides structural support for the dental utility extendable platform mount  112  and dental utility system platform assembly  110 . 
         [0030]    The dental utility system platform assembly  110  includes dental utility drawer assembly framework  124 , dental utility drawer assembly plate  126  to which dental utilities and dental utility connection hardware may be mounted, dental utility drawer assembly spacers  128 , and dental utility drawer assembly cover  114 . Dental utility gauges  116  and dental utility lines  117  can be mounted to the dental utility drawer assembly framework  124 , and/or to the top and/or bottom of dental utility drawer assembly plate  126 . Dental utility drawer assembly cover  114  can cover the dental utility drawer assembly plate  126  as shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , or can cover more or less of the dental utility system platform assembly  110 . 
         [0031]    The dental utility extendable platform mount  112  includes dental utility extendable platform mount small arm  118 , dental utility extendable platform mount large arm  120 , and dental utility extendable platform mount base  122 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , dental utility drawer extends linearly in direction A, and retracts linearly in direction B. However other extendable mounts are contemplated, which may or may not extend linearly. It can be seen from the embodiment in  FIG. 1  that when in the extended position, dental utility drawer assembly  110  extends beyond dental utility system housing front side  106 . Other embodiments are contemplated in which the dental utility drawer assembly  110  may extend further or only partially beyond dental utility system housing front side  106 . When in the retracted position, dental utility drawer assembly  110  retracts to a position substantially inside dental utility system housing  104 . It is also contemplated that dental utility drawer assembly  110  be able to retract to a position completely inside dental utility system housing  104 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the dental utility system  100  of  FIG. 1  positioned within dental cabinet space  302  of dental cabinet  300 . Dental cabinet  300  has a dental cabinet front  306 , which defines a plane that is positioned in front of the dental utility system housing front side  106 . Dental delivery assembly base  204  is also shown attached to the cabinet front side  106 . Dental utility cables and conduits can be routed from the dental utility system platform assembly  110  to a dental delivery assembly base  204  via a dental utility housing utility pathway  144 . Dental delivery assembly base  204  further includes dental delivery assembly base vertical axis  202 . Attached to dental delivery assembly base  204  is a dental delivery assembly main arm  206 , which pivots horizontally about dental delivery assembly base vertical axis  202 , and which comprises a dental delivery main arm channel  146  through which utility lines  117  can be routed from the dental utility system platform assembly  110  to dental tools (not shown). Dental delivery assembly main arm  206  permits dental delivery assembly main arm distal end  208  the freedom to move up and down while dental delivery assembly base  204  pivots about dental delivery assembly base vertical axis  202 . The various mechanisms that can be used for this are known to those of ordinary skill in the art.  FIG. 2  also shows dental utility system platform assembly front cover  132  in an extended position, which is hinged to provide a decorative cover as well as visual and manual access to the dental utility system platform assembly  110  and infrastructure. Dental utility system platform cubby  130  provides room for infrastructure, such as but not limited to, gauges  116  and dental utility lines  117  etc. Also visible are dental utility extendable platform mount small arm  118 , dental utility extendable platform mount large arm  120 , dental utility extendable platform mount base  122 , and dental utility drawer assembly framework  124 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the dental utility system  100  and dental cabinet  300  of  FIG. 2 , with the dental utility drawer assembly cover  114  removed, exposing dental utility drawer assembly plate  126 . An exemplary utility connection hardware mount  134  is attached to dental utility drawer assembly plate  126 , and may hold hardware for making connections between dental utility service lines and dental utility lines that lead to dental handpieces. An exemplary second utility connection hardware mount  138  can be seen in this embodiment. The exemplary second utility connection hardware mount  138  of this embodiment mounts dental equipment  140  associated with dental utilities and utility connections to dental utility drawer assembly plate  126 . The hardware mounts contemplated include any configuration that assists in the connection of dental utility service supply lines with dental utility lines leading to dental handpieces. Also considered are hardware mounts that mount any other infrastructure components discussed herein, including but not limited to shut off valves, pressure regulators, pressure gauges, flow meters, electrical equipment, electronic equipment, imaging or computer equipment etc. Hardware mounts that mount dental utility lines themselves are also contemplated. Dental utility drawer assembly plate  126  serves as a rigid structure to which utilities, utility connection hardware, utility connection hardware mounts, and utility monitoring and other dental equipment can be attached. In this embodiment dental utility drawer assembly plate  126  is a plate, but any configuration that serves this function will be adequate. Also visible are dental utility extendable platform mount small arm  118 , dental utility extendable platform mount large arm  120 , dental utility extendable platform mount base  122 , and dental utility drawer assembly framework  124 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the dental utility system  100  and dental cabinet  300 , with a dental delivery assembly base cover  304  installed to provide a decorative cover for the dental delivery assembly base  204 , and dental utility system platform assembly front cover  132  in a retracted position. Dental cabinet  300  further comprises a structural back member  308 , a central structural member  310 , and a dental item storage area  312 . 
         [0035]    Thus, when looking at the dental utility drawer assembly  110  as seen in the extended position, where dental utility drawer assembly cover  114  is removed, as in  FIG. 3 , it can be seen that the infrastructure is readily accessible for inspection and maintenance purposes. Yet, as seen in  FIG. 4 , it can also be seen that when in the retracted position, infrastructure is neatly and efficiently stored entirely within dental cabinet  300 , completely out of sight and out of the way of those using dental handpieces, including the dentist, dental assistant, and patient. Also seen is that the dental utility drawer assembly  110  travels in a linear path in a vector transverse to the front of the dental cabinet. In an embodiment dental utility drawer assembly  110  travels at 90 degrees to the front of the dental cabinet, but other angles are contemplated. When the dental utility drawer assembly  110  is in the fully extended position it is substantially on the other side of dental cabinet front  306 , and the plane defined by dental cabinet front  306 , than when dental utility drawer assembly  110  is in the fully retracted position. Embodiments are contemplated in which dental utility drawer assembly  110  is entirely on the opposite side of dental cabinet front  306 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 5  shows a rear perspective view of dental utility housing system that includes a dental utility drawer assembly  110  supporting dental utility infrastructure (not shown) similar to that as described above and a first and second flexible channels  710   a  and  710   b  for holding cable and fluid conduits extending from adjacent the infrastructure supported in a dental utility drawer. The flexible channels  710   a,b  curve around to guide cable and fluid conduits toward a cable and conduit holder  720   a  that is subjacent to the dental utility drawer assembly  110 .  FIG. 6  shows a nonlimiting example of a chain carrier  800  which is just one type of flexible channel that may be implemented.  FIG. 7  shows a front perspective view of the dental utility housing system shown in  FIG. 5  that provides a view of cable and conduit holder  720   a  and a second cable and conduit holder  720   b.  Cables and conduits are directed from flexible channels  710   a  and  710   b  to cable and conduit holders  720   a  and  720   b,  respectively. The holders  720   a,b  comprise a plurality of segments  721  flexibly secured together for movement between and unlocked position in which the cable and fluid conduits may be positioned between the segments and a locked position in which the cable and conduits are held in place in the holders  720   a,b.    
         [0037]      FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of a dental utility housing  1000  with flexibly attached doctor handpiece delivery head  1010  and assistant instrument delivery head  1020 . The doctor handpiece delivery head  1010  is connected to the housing via a doctor flex arm  1015  carrying the doctor handpiece delivery head, together with power cable and signal cable for the delivery of utilities to doctor handpieces (not shown) held by the doctor handpiece delivery head  1010 . The assistant instrument delivery head  1020  is connected to the housing via an assistant flex arm  1025  carrying the assistant handpieces delivery head, together with fluid conduits for the delivery of utilities to the assistant instruments (not shown) held by the assistant handpieces delivery head. These components provide a dental rear delivery unit for enabling a doctor and dental assistant to treat a patient using dental handpieces and instruments from the head end of a dental chair. 
         [0038]    Reference is made herein to a head end of a dental chair.  FIG. 9  shows a top plan view of a typical dental operatory.  FIG. 9  includes an example of a dental chair  900  having a head end  910 . 
         [0039]    While it is known to have utility lines to the dental tools themselves extend past dental cabinets, through these inventions the inventors have innovatively also enabled simple access to the valves and connections used to connect the utility lines from the dental tools to the utility service sources, access to the metering devices that regulate the flow within the dental utility lines to the dental tools, and access to the gauges that monitor the dental utilities. Consequently, installation and maintenance operations are made easier, which results in reduced manufacturing costs, reduced maintenance costs, and reduced inconvenience to dental personnel and customers resulting from maintenance downtime. 
         [0040]    While various embodiments of the present inventions have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes and substitutions may be made without departing from the inventions herein. Accordingly, it is intended that the inventions be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.