Patent ID: 8882501

Claim:
A dental handpiece with a switching valve for fluid lines, comprising a drive section and a handpiece body detachably connected to a distal end of said drive section, said drive section comprising a first water line for distally transferring water from a water source, a first chip air line for distally transferring chip air from a chip air source, said handpiece body comprising a second water line for distally transferring water, a second chip air line for distally transferring chip air, an axial bore opened in a proximal end face of the handpiece body, a circumferential water channel in communication with said second water line, and a circumferential chip air channel in communication with said second chip air line, both circumferential channels being provided in an inner surface of said handpiece body in the axial bore at an axially offset position from each other, wherein said circumferential water channel and said circumferential chip air channel are positioned such that, when the drive section is connected to the handpiece body, said first water line is in communication with said circumferential water channel for allowing communication between said first and second water lines, and said first chip air line is in communication with said circumferential chip air channel for allowing communication between said first and second chip air lines, characterized in that said handpiece body has a switching valve provided between said circumferential chip air channel and said second chip air line for selectively allowing and preventing communication therebetween, wherein opening of said valve switches said communication to an ON-state in which chip air is allowed to pass from said circumferential chip air channel into said second chip air line, whereas closing of said valve switches said communication to an OFF-state in which chip air is prevented from passing from said circumferential chip air channel into said second chip air line, wherein said switching valve further selectively allows and prevents communication between said circumferential water channel and said second chip air line, wherein said opening of said valve prevents said communication between said circumferential water channel and said second chip air line, whereas said closing of said valve allows said communication between said circumferential water channel and said second chip air line.