Patent ID: 8029282

Claim:
A self-aligning dental component carry and drive assembly, comprising: a dental component having a driving recess; and a carry and drive device comprising: a driver end having a distal end and a proximal end, the driver end including four generally planar drive surfaces each extending from the distal end to the proximal end of the driver end and being adapted to engage at least one surface within the driving recess of the dental component; at least one interference surface, wherein each interference surface is positioned between adjacent drive surfaces of the driver end, and each interference surface is beveled to incline inwardly toward a central axis of the driver end as the interference surface extends from the proximal end to the distal end of the driver end to enable frictional carrying engagement between the driver end and the driving recess of the dental component upon insertion of the driver end into the driving recess; and a pilot portion extending from the distal end of the driver end, the pilot portion comprising an aligning surface portion and a radiused surface portion proximally adjacent to the aligning surface portion, wherein the aligning surface portion is configured to align the central axis of the driver end with a central axis of the driving recess of the dental component, and wherein the radiused surface portion is configured to rotate on a beveled surface in the driving recess to enable alignment of the drive surfaces of the driver end with the at least one surface in the driving recess upon rotation of the driver end in the driving recess.