Abstract:
A shock absorbing buffer structure for an amalgam mixer includes a driving power mechanism to generate a driving force to evenly mix materials held in a container and a plurality of buffer units to support the driving power mechanism. The structure can absorb vibration generated by the driving power mechanism during operation to reduce shock and noise.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a shock absorbing buffer structure for an amalgam mixer and particularly to an amalgam mixer that has a buffer and shock absorbing structure to absorb vibration during operation. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Silver amalgam filler has been used in dentistry for more than one hundred and fifty years. The rudimentary method for making the silver amalgam is as follow: holding mercury and silver powder in a measuring container, placing the container upside down to squeeze and discharge a selected amount of mercury and silver powder into a silver amalgam grinding device, and pressurizing, grinding and mixing evenly the mercury and silver powder. As the silver amalgam is a plastic alloy at room temperature, it can be filled into a tooth cavity and cured after a period of time. The characteristics of the silver amalgam vary according to different compositions of the mercury and silver powder and grinding time. The contemporary operation method is placing mercury and silver powder of a selected ratio into a capsule separating by a thin layer. When in use place the capsule in an amalgam mixer and set a selected time to process the mixing operation. The conventional amalgam mixer generates a great mechanical vibration and noise during mixing the solver powder and mercury at high speed shaking. The great vibration easily causes mechanical fatigue of mechanical elements and makes life span shorter and operation efficiency lower. The noise also is an annoyance to people and seriously interferes the working spirit of the dentist. All these shortcomings are pending to be overcome. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In view of the problems of the conventional amalgam mixers of generating too much vibration and noise, the primary object of the present invention is to provide an amalgam mixer to reduce vibration and noise. 
         [0004]    The present invention provides a shock absorbing buffer structure for an amalgam mixer that includes a driving power source, a transmission portion, a forcing arm, a bottom tray and a supporting chassis to hold the driving power source, transmission portion and forcing arm. The supporting chassis has a plurality of buffer units on the periphery. Each of the buffer units includes a first buffer element, a second buffer element, a plurality of washers, a detention strut, an adjustment element and a transverse supporting plate connecting to the supporting chassis. The first and second buffer elements are compressible and can generate returning elasticity after compressed. The transverse supporting plate is located between the first and second buffer units to hold the supporting chassis above the bottom tray in a suspension manner. During operation the first and second buffer elements generate a buffer space above and below the supporting chassis. The first and second buffer elements also generate a damping to reduce vibration of the supporting chassis during operation. The amalgam mixer thus constructed can be maintained steadily without generating a lot of noise. 
         [0005]    The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a fragmentary exploded view of an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3A  is a fragmentary enlarged schematic view of an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3B  is another fragmentary enlarged schematic view of an embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0010]    Please refer to  FIG. 1  for a fragmentary exploded view of an embodiment of the amalgam mixer of the invention. It includes a driving power source  7 , a transmission portion  71  to transmit the driving power of the driving power source  7 , a forcing arm  72  connecting to the transmission portion  71  to get the driving power and a bottom tray  8  to hold all the elements. The forcing arm  72  has a front end to hold a container which contains mercury and silver powder. The forcing arm  72  can be driven by the transmission portion  71  to shake the container at high speed to evenly mix the mercury and silver powder to become a stable silver mercury alloy. The driving power source  7 , transmission portion  71  and forcing arm  72  are installed on a supporting chassis  6 . The supporting chassis  6  has a plurality of buffer units  1  on the periphery. Each of the buffer units  1  includes a first buffer element  11  and a second buffer element  12  that are compressible and can generate returning elasticity when compressed, a plurality of washers  5  located on upper and lower two ends of the first and second buffer elements  11  and  12 , a detention strut  2  and an adjustment element  3  located on an upper end of the detention strut  2 . The adjustment element  3  may be a nut. The buffer unit  1  is coupled with the supporting chassis  6  through a transverse supporting plate  4  which is fastened to one side of the supporting chassis  6  through a plurality of screws  41 . The first buffer element  11  is located between the transverse supporting plate  4  and the bottom tray  8 . The second buffer element  12  is located on the transverse supporting plate  4 . The washers  5  are located on two ends of the first and second buffer elements  11  and  12 . The transverse supporting plate  4  has a round hole to allow the detention strut  2  to pass through. The detention strut  2  runs through the first and second buffer elements  11  and  12 , washers  5  and the transverse supporting plate  4 . The detention strut  2  has a lower end fastened to the bottom tray  8  and an upper end coupled with the adjustment element  3 . The adjustment element  3  has screw threads to engage with the detention strut  2  and is movable up and down on the detention strut  2 , thereby to press the washer  5  located on the upper side of the second buffer element  12  to compress the space of the first and second buffer elements  11  and  12 . Hence the first and second buffer elements  11  and  12  are located on upper and lower two ends of the transverse supporting plate  4  and remain at desired positions to suspend the supporting chassis  6  above the bottom tray  8 . 
         [0011]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  3 A and  3 B, the driving power source  7 , transmission portion  71 , forcing arm  72  and supporting chassis  6  are suspended above the bottom tray  8  through the buffer units  1  installed on the transverse supporting plate  4 . The first and second buffer elements  11  and  12  have the upper and lower ends pressing the transverse supporting plate  4  so that vibration generated by the transmission portion  71  and forcing arm  72  during operation is absorbed by the first and second buffer elements  11  and  12  on the transverse supporting plate  4 . Thereby shock absorbing and noise reducing effect can be achieved. The damping of the buffer unit  1  can be adjusted to reduce the vibration. This is accomplished through the adjustment element  3  on each buffer unit  1  by rotation to move up or down on the detention strut  2 . When the adjustment element  3  is moved downwards (referring to  FIG. 3B ), the first and second buffer elements  11  and  12  are compressed, their elastic forces are applied to the transverse supporting plate  4  in the middle, thus a greater damping against vibration is formed on the transverse supporting plate  4 . To do otherwise, a smaller damping is formed. Hence the buffer unit  1  can be adjusted as required to alter the damping to achieve optimal shock absorbing and noise reducing effect. 
         [0012]    The embodiment set forth above serves merely illustrative purpose and is not the limitation of the invention. For instance, the first and second buffer elements  11  and  12  may be springs or elastic bending reeds that are compressible and have returning elasticity after compressed. The transverse supporting plate  4  may be integrally formed and interposed between the buffer units  1 , or include a plurality of separated transverse plates each being interposed between the buffer units  1 . 
         [0013]    While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiment of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.