Patent ID: 7261560

Claim:
A dental suction device comprising: a hollow tube having flexibility and shape retainability, said tube being formed with suction holes and having two ends; a connector connected to at least one of said two ends of said tube and having a vacuum port adapted to be connected to a vacuum source, said connector having a passage through which said vacuum port communicates with said at least one of the two ends of said tube; and a valve mounted in said connector for adjusting a degree of opening of said passage; wherein said connector comprises a first member to which is connected said vacuum port and a second member to which is connected said at least one of the two ends of said tube, said second member being coupled to said first member so as to be rotatable relative to said first member; wherein said passage extends through said first and second members; wherein said valve is mounted in said first member; wherein said second member is rotatable about an axis of said passage relative to said first member; wherein one of said first and second members includes a cylindrical mounting protrusion having an outer cylindrical surface with an annular groove formed therein, said passage extending through said cylindrical mounting protrusion; wherein the other of said first and second members has a cylindrical bore formed at one end thereof, said cylindrical bore having an inner surface; wherein a seal ring, which is separate and discrete from said other of said first and second members, is secured to said inner surface of said cylindrical bore of said other of said first and second members; and wherein said cylindrical mounting protrusion is rotatably mounted in said cylindrical bore and said seal ring is provided with lubricity and is engaged in said annular groove of said cylindrical mounting protrusion in such a manner as to allow relative rotation between said first and second members.