1. Technical Field
The present invention is directed to dental devices for animals and, more particularly, to an equine dental speculum which includes upper and lower frames pivotably connected to one another at the rear thereof, the frames each including upper and lower jaw and teeth engagement bars extending across and connecting the front portions thereof with their being designed to fit within a horse's mouth, at least one set of securement straps for securing the speculum on a horse, and at least one frame spacing securement device which includes a slide stop assembly movably mounted on the upper frame and a frame spacing bar pivotably mounted on the lower frame and connected to the slide stop assembly, the slide stop assembly operative to frictionally engage the upper frame via a stop bar such that as the upper and lower frames are pivoted away from one another, the frame spacing securement device prevents the upper and lower frames from pivoting towards one another via the frictional contact between the stop bar and the upper frame until the stop bar is pivoted to release the frictional contact between the stop bar and the upper frame, thus providing a continuously and infinitely adjustable frame spacing system by which large or small mouth opening movements of the horse are accommodated and secured by the operation of the present invention.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A veterinary dental speculum is generally utilized to hold the mouth of an animal, such as a horse, open while dental and/or medical attention is given to the animal. The dental speculum is designed to prevent the animal from closing its mouth when the veterinarian or care giver is attempting to work on the interior of the animal's mouth.
Many different types of veterinary dental speculums are shown in the prior art, including such devices as Meister, U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,901, Berzina, U.S. Pat. No. 2,096,083, Stubbs, U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,665, and Jeffrey, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,776. Each of these prior art devices is designed to address and solve the problem encountered in dealing with large animals such as horses, and that is specifically that these animals do not generally consent to a person inserting hands, tools, etc., into their mouths without some type of restraint being utilized to prevent the animal from closing their mouth. It should be noted, however, that each of the prior art devices cited includes an adjustment device which includes a ratchet or screw by which the distance between the sections of the speculum may be adjusted and secured. The significant problem with the use of such ratchets and screws is that they do not provide continuous infinite adjustment of the distance between the upper and lower frames of the dental speculums, which means that if the user of one of the devices found in the prior art is unable to get the animal to open its mouth a sufficient distance to enable the device to ratchet to the next setting, the user is unable to effectively take what mouth opening movements the animal is giving him or her and slowly and steadily move and retain the mouth in an open position. There is therefore a need for an equine dental speculum which incorporates this continuous infinite adjustment of the spacing between the upper and lower frames of the speculum and would do so in a manner which does not require the user to manually adjust or operate elements or devices to take advantage of the measured opening of the animal's mouth.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved equine dental speculum.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved equine dental speculum which includes upper and lower frames pivotably connected to one another at the rear thereof, upper and lower jaw and teeth engagement bars which engage the teeth and jaw of the horse, and at least one frame spacing securement device which provides infinite adjustment and retention of spacing between the upper and lower frames within the range of which the horse may open its mouth.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved equine dental speculum in which the frame spacing securement device includes a slide stop assembly movably mounted on the upper or lower frame, a frame spacing bar pivotably mounted on the opposite one of the upper and lower frame and connected to the slide stop assembly, the slide stop assembly further including a stop bar adjustment mounted on the side stop assembly carriage, the stop bar including a frame arm slot through which the frame arm extends such that the stop bar frictionally engages the frame arm to permit rearward sliding of the slide stop assembly yet prevent forward sliding on the frame arm as the upper and lower frames are pivoted away from each other.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved equine dental speculum which will safely and comfortably secure a horse's mouth in an open position and will do so without requiring manual adjustment of ratchets or screws to secure the speculum in its extended or open position.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved equine dental speculum which does not include spacing securement devices which generate significant amounts of noise so as to eliminate a potentially upsetting external stimulus which could result in the further startling or spooking of the horse, who is likely already nervous or frightened due to the circumstances of use of the present invention.
Finally, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved equine dental speculum which is relatively simple and durable in design and construction and is safe, efficient, and effective in use.
The present invention provides an improved equine dental speculum which includes an upper frame having left and right upper frame arms each including a forward end, a rearward end, and a middle section, and a lower frame having left and right lower frame arms each including a forward end, a rearward end, and a middle section. A pair of pivot joints pivotably join the upper and lower frames at the rearward ends of the respective adjacent left and right frame arms and upper and lower jaw and teeth engagement bars each having incisor engagement sections extend between and releasably connect the forward ends of the left and right upper frame arms and left and right lower frame arms respectively. At least one set of the securement straps is mounted on the equine dental speculum for releasably securing the speculum on a horse and most importantly at least one frame spacing securement device is mounted on the equine dental speculum, the frame spacing securement device including a slide stop assembly movably mounted on the middle section of one of the left and right upper and left and right lower frame arms, the slide stop assembly including a movably mounted arm-engaging carriage and a stop bar adjustably mounted on the arm-engaging carriage, the stop bar having a frame arm slot extending transversely therethrough and having dimensions slightly larger than the cross-sectional dimensions of the frame arm on which the stop bar is mounted and through which the frame arm extends when the slide stop assembly is mounted thereon, the stop bar releasbly frictionally engaging the frame arm on which the slide stop assembly is mounted. A frame spacing bar extends from and is pivotably connected to the middle section of the opposite one of the left and right upper and left and right lower frame arms on the same side as the slide stop assembly such that as the upper and lower frames are pivoted apart from one another, the slide stop assembly is moved rearwards on the middle section of the frame arm on which it is mounted, and the stop bar releasbly frictionally engages the frame arm on which it is mounted to prevent the slide stop assembly from moving forwards on the frame arm thereby preventing the upper and lower frames from moving towards one another until and unless the stop bar is pivoted to release the frictional contact between the frame arm and the frame arm slot of the stop bar whereby the equine dental speculum of the present invention can be manually opened in connection with the horse's mouth being opened and the horse may not close its mouth due to the retention of the spacing between the upper and lower frames until the stop bar of the slide stop assembly is released to permit the slide stop assembly to slide forwards on the frame arm.
The improved equine dental speculum of the present invention thus provides significant advantages over those prior art devices currently being used in the equine dental field. For example, and perhaps most importantly, the slide stop assembly of the frame spacing securement device permits infinite adjustment of the spacing between the upper and lower frames of the equine dental speculum, and therefore as the horse opens its mouth, the equine dental speculum of the present invention can be manually opened to retain the mouth in the particular open position regardless of the extent to which the horse has opened its mouth. Unlike other devices found in the prior art, specifically those which include ratcheting or screw-type devices for securing the upper and lower frames in spaced-apart position, it is not necessary for the horse's mouth to be opened any particular amount corresponding to the next ratchet or screw position in order to retain the mouth in that particular open position, and therefore it is far more comfortable and less startling for the horse on whom the veterinarian or equine dental care giver is working to use the present invention than it is to use those devices found in the prior art. Furthermore, because the slide stop assembly is slidably mounted on one of the frame arms, there are fewer moving and interacting parts of the present invention than are found in those devices currently used in the prior art. This renders it less likely that mechanical failure will cause collapse of the upper and lower frames towards one another which could result in injury to the equine dental care giver utilizing the equine dental speculum. Finally, because the connection of the upper and lower jaw and teeth engagement bars to the upper and lower frames includes a pivot stop which prevents the upper and lower frame arms from pivoting towards one another beyond a pre-selected extent, it is far more comfortable for horses to be fitted with the equine dental speculum of the present invention than that encountered in fitting those devices found in the prior art. It is thus seen that the improved equine dental speculum of the present invention provides a substantial improvement over those devices found in the prior art.
The improved equine dental speculum 10 of the present invention is shown best in
Upper and lower frames 12 and 32 are preferably pivotably connected to one another at the rearward ends 18a, 18b, 38a, and 38b of the left and right upper and lower frame arms 14a, 14b, 34a and 34b wherein the pivot joint 50a and 50b in each of the left and right upper and lower frame arms 14a, 14b, 34a, and 34b would include a pin-receiving hole 52a, 52b, 52c, and 52d which, when aligned as shown in
Extending between and releasably connecting the forward ends 16a and 16b of left and right upper frame arms 14a and 14b is an upper jaw and teeth engagement bar 60 which, in the preferred embodiment, would include a semi-circular upper bite plate 62 and an arcuate forward wall 64 extending around the forward circumference of the upper bite plate 62, as shown best in
In a similar manner, extending between and connecting the left and right lower frame arms 34a and 34b at the forward ends 36a and 36b thereof is a lower jaw and teeth engagement bar 80 which also includes a lower bite plate 82, forward wall 84, and left and right lower frame arm engagement hooks 86a and 86b. The left and right lower frame arms 34a and 34b would be connected to the lower jaw and teeth engagement bar 80 in an identical manner as that described in connection with upper jaw and teeth engagement bar 60 and the frame rotation stop shoulders 70 found on both the upper and lower jaw and teeth engagement bars 60 and 80 will maintain proper spacing of the left and right upper and lower frame arms 14a, 14b, 34a, and 34b from each other when the improved equine dental speculum 10 of the present invention is placed on the horse's head, as shown in
Another significant improvement over those devices found in the prior art provided by the present invention is that the present invention provides an improved frame spacing device which is operative to maintain the spacing of the upper and lower frames 12 and 32 relative to one another in a far more simple and straightforward manner. Specifically, the present invention provides left and right frame spacing securement devices 90a and 90b which act to secure the upper and lower frames 12 and 32 in a selected spaced position as the upper and lower frames 12 and 32 are pivoted apart from one another about pivot joints 50a and 50b. In the preferred embodiment, each of the left and right frame spacing securement devices 90a and 90b are generally identical to one another and therefore the description of right frame spacing securement device 90b should be understood to apply equally to left frame securement device 90a.
Right frame spacing securement device 90b is best shown in
Mounted on and extending forwards from right section 98 of carriage 94 is a stop bar mounting hook 100 which engages and retains the stop bar 102 when the stop bar 102 is mounted on the right upper frame arm 14b, as shown best in
Therefore, carriage 94 is prevented from moving forwards on the right upper frame arm 14b when the stop bar 102 is forwardly biased via biasing pin 108 which causes upper and lower edges 106a and 106b of frame arm slot 104 to frictionally engage the right upper frame arm 14b. When the stop bar 102 is pivoted towards carriage 94 into a generally upright position, the frictional contact between the upper and lower edges 106a and 106b of frame arm slot 104 with right upper frame arm 14b is released and the carriage 94 may again move forwards on the right upper frame arm 14b.
Pivotably mounted on the middle sections 40a and 40b of left and right lower frame arms 34a and 34b are a pair of frame spacing bars 44a and 44b which extend upwards to pivotably connect to a respective one of the left and right frame spacing securement devices 90a and 90b, as shown best in
To securely mount the improved equine dental speculum 10 of the present invention on a horse 200, a pair of securement straps are mounted on the upper and lower frames 12 and 32, with there preferably being two securement straps, the first being an adjustable nose strap 74 mounted on and extending between a pair of brackets, one mounted on each of the left and right upper frame arms 14a and 14b of upper frame 12 and the second being an adjustable head strap 76 which is mounted on and connected to a pair of head strap connection slots 78a and 78b which are mounted on the upper frame 12 at the rearward ends 18a and 18b of left and right upper frame arms 14a and 14b, as shown best in
In operation, the improved equine dental speculum 10 of the present invention would be used in the following manner. First of all, the user would slide the device onto the horse 200 with the improved equine dental speculum 10 in the configuration shown best in
As was discussed previously, one of the significant problems in performing equine dentistry is that horses generally have extremely powerful jaws and, because they are animals, it can be an exceedingly trying task to keep the horse's mouth open during the performing of the dental services. As the horse 200 opens its mouth, the present invention may be manually expanded to pivot the upper and lower frames 12 and 32 apart thus taking whatever jaw-opening movement the horse makes and retaining the relative position of the upper and lower frames 12 and 32 regardless of how large or small is the opening movement of the horse's mouth. This is accomplished because as the left and right frame spacing securement devices 90a and 90b slide rearwards on the left and right upper frame arms 14a and 14b, the frictional engagement of the frame arm slot 104, specifically the upper and lower edges 106a and 106b of frame arm slot 104 of the stop bar 102, permits the opening of the upper and lower frames 12 and 32 relative to one another, but the frictional engagement of the stop bar 102 with the left and right upper frame arms 14a and 14b prevents the movement of the left and right frame spacing securement devices 90a and 90b forwards on the left and right upper frame arms 14a and 14b unless the stop bar 102 is pivoted on stop bar engagement hook 100 to release the frictional engagement of the frame arm slot 104 with left and right upper frame arms 14a and 14b.
This means that as the upper and lower frames 12 and 32 are pivoted away from one another manually corresponding to the horse opening its mouth, it does not matter how much or how little that pivoting motion actually is, the present invention will retain that separational movement and prevent the horse 200 from closing its jaws any amount until the stop bar 102 of each of the left and right frame spacing securement devices 90a and 90b is released. Once the equine dentistry or other such task is performed, the present invention may be released simply by pivoting stop bar 102 on stop bar engagement hook 100 to a position generally perpendicular to the left and right upper frame arms 14a and 14b to release the frictional contact between the frame arm slot 104 and the left and right upper frame arms 14a and 14b thereby permitting the left and right frame spacing securement devices 90a and 90b to move forwards on the left and right upper frame arms 14a and 14b. Once the upper and lower frames 12 and 32 have been returned to their initial configuration shown best in
It is to be understood that numerous additions, modifications and substitutions may be made to the improved equine dental speculum 10 of the present invention which fall within the intended broad scope of the appended claims. For example, the size, shape, and construction materials used in connection with the present invention may be modified or changed so long as the intended functional characteristics of the present invention are generally maintained. Also, although the upper and lower jaw and teeth engagement bars 60 and 80 have been described as including certain particular features which are designed to enhance their usefulness, the truly significant and critical features thereof are that the frame rotation stop shoulder 70 prevents overrotation of the left and right upper and lower frame arms 14a, 14b, 34a and 34b inwards toward one another which could adversely affect the performance and comfort of the improved equine dental speculum 10 of the present invention. Also, it should be noted that the left and right frame spacing securement devices 90a and 90b may be mounted on the lower frame arms 34a and 34b with the frame spacing bars 44a and 44b being mounted on the upper frame arms 14a and 14b, and the elements would function in a generally identical manner as described previously. Finally, although the present invention has been described for use in connection with horses and for use generally for equine dental purposes, it should be noted, of course, that it may be used for any purpose for which the device is suited, and it is expected that the present invention may be used with other types of livestock and for purposes other than equine dentistry.
There has therefore been shown and described an improved equine dental speculum 10 which accomplishes at least all of its intended objectives.