1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an external irrigation solution delivery system for dental handpiece, which is specifically used for choosing the required irrigation solutions, other than the initials from the dental unit, for dental handpiece in operation and also heating the solution if required.
2. Description of Related Art
Dental handpiece is the collective name for a kind of dentist hand-held instrument, it mainly include handpieces driven by compressed air, such as high speed grinding handpiece, low speed grinding handpiece, drilling handpiece, three-way spray gun and scaler, the handpiece is usually activated for washing by stepping a foot switch of the dental unit for controlling the supply of water and compressed air.
However, the pipeline of water supply system in a dental unit which supply water for the use of dental handpiece can only provide normal water such as purified tap water or distilled water; therefore, during the process of treatment, if a dentist needs to use medicinal/chemical solutions, he or she has to use additional apparatus with different sets of handpiece and control switch for the purpose, which will inevitably extends the time of treatment process and causes inconvenience to both the dentist and patient.
The main purpose of present invention is to supply the dental handpiece an external irrigation solution delivery system capable of supplying solution of choice, needed for the treatment procedure, to the dental handpiece, using the same control switch as that for the dental handpiece.
The secondary purpose of the present invention is to provide a preheated solution to the dental handpiece if necessary for the treatment purpose without any additional apparatus to heat the solution.
To achieve the purposes above mentioned, this invention of dental handpiece external irrigation solution delivery system mainly consists of one, two or more solution containers, and the pressure inside the container can be increased through the input of compressed air which is supplied through a dental handpiece connector, so as to force the solution filled inside the container to flow out via tubes connected to the container. In case of more than one container, containing different type of solutions, are attached to the system, the flow of the solutions from the different container to the dental handpiece is controlled through a switch valve, which helps to switch between the solutions from the different containers. The flow rate of the solutions can also be controlled through a flow control valve. Moreover, this devices can also heat the solutions inside the container through a heating device to maintain the solution at the temperature of 45˜65° C. to supply the dental handpiece in the course of operation.
The external irrigation solution delivery system of dental handpiece of present invention can be divided into two cases in practical use, which are one solution container and more than one solution containers, take one solution container as an example of preferred embodiment, please refer to
Among the structure mentioned above, said solution outlet channel is set at a dental handpiece connector, take a dental hand in patent No. M470674 of the Republic of China for instance, there is a control valve set at the inside of the dental handpiece connector, a solution outlet attachment is set connected to such control valve, by controlling the control valve, it connects a first solution transmission pipe of said dental handpiece with another second solution transmission pipe, or connects the solution outlet attachment with the first solution transmission pipe of the connector and blocks the connection between the first solution transmission pipe and the second solution transmission pipe at the same time. Said dental handpiece and the air inlet attachment 521 are connected to an air supply device respectively, every such air supply device controls the inflow of pressurized air to the dental handpiece or said air inlet attachment 521 by controlling an exterior foot switch respectively, which means it at least needs two foot switches to control the inflow of pressurized air to the dental handpiece and the air inlet attachment 521.
Besides, said air inlet attachment 521 and said solution outlet attachment 531 can be set at a dental handpiece connector, said dental handpiece connector 5 includes a connector body 51, an air control valve 52 and a solution control valve 53, the connector body 51 at least has a solution transmission pipe 512 and an air transmission pipe 511, the inlet opening of said air transmission pipe 511 connects to an air supply device, said air inlet attachment 521 is set at the air control valve 52, by controlling such air control valve 52, the air inlet attachment 521 and the air transmission pipe 511 can be connected or blocked, said solution outlet attachment 531 is set at the solution control valve 53, by controlling solution control valve 53, it connects the inlet opening and outlet opening of solution transmission pipe 512, or connects said solution outlet attachment 531 and the outlet opening of the solution transmission pipe 512 and blocks the connection between the inlet opening and outlet opening of said solution transmission pipe at the same time. The inlet opening of air transmission pipe 511 connects to air supply device, each air supply device only needs a foot switch to control the inflow of pressurized air to the air inlet attachment 521 of dental handpiece connector 5 and traditional dental handpiece connected to the dental handpiece connector 5, which means it only needs a foot switch to control the inflow of pressurized air to traditional handpiece and air inlet attachment 521.
When using the external irrigation solutions delivery system of dental handpiece of present invention, the air supply device controls the inflow of pressurized air to the air inlet attachment through foot switch, or when such air supply device conveys pressurized air from the air inlet attachment 521 to air tube 2 through air transmission pipe of the dental handpiece connector 5, the pressurized air inflows to the solution container 12 of solution supply device 1 through air tube 2, after continuous increase of compressed air inflows into solution container 12, the pressure inside the solution container 12 is therefore arising, under the effect of flowing from high pressure to low pressure, the pressure inside solution container 12 forces the solution contained to output from the tube, and due to the setting of one-way valve 6 at air tube 2, the pressurized air is continuously flow into the solution container 12 and cannot return. Therefore, the pressure inside solution container 12 can only force the tube to output solution to water flow control valve 4, and water flow control valve controls the quantity of solution flow into the solution tube 3, making proper amount of solution flow to pneumatic on/off valve 31 through solution tube 3, since the pressurized air flows to the pneumatic on/off valve 31 through said air tube bifurcated from the three way connector 21 and activates pneumatic on/off valve, making solution flow to solution outlet attachment 531 through pneumatic on/off valve 31, hence achieves the purpose of supplying solution to use for dental handpiece, besides, when the pressure inside solution container 12 is excessive, the solution supply device 1 will release the superfluous pressure through air pressure relief valve 11, so as to maintain the pressure inside solution container 12 in capable of forcing solution to flow out through tube 13.
Moreover, when said air supply device controls the inflow of pressurized air to the dental handpiece through the foot switch, or controls the disconnection between air inlet attachment 521 and air transmission pipe 511 through the air control valve of dental handpiece connector 5, the pressurized air flowing into air tube pipe 2 is thereby blocked, at the meantime, since pneumatic on/off valve 31 stops receiving pressurized air from the air tube, it results in an immediate closure of the pneumatic on/off valve 31 and the solution would be blocked as well, which stops the flowing stream via solution outlet attachment 531, so as to avoid continuous solution supply because it is hard for the internal and external pressure of solution container 12 to reach a prompt balance when the supply of pressurized air stops.
Additionally, when there more than one of solution supply devices involves in the external irrigation solutions delivery system of dental handpiece of present invention, it utilizes flow divider 8 of three way connections or multiple connections to force compressed air to flow to different solution supply devices simultaneously , then in use of a water flow switcher 7, switching of which solution supply device is now connecting to the solution tube 3, so as to switch the solution in use of the dental handpiece; please see
The first solution container 141 has a first tube 142 inside, the inlet opening of the first tube 142 connects to such first solution container 141 and extends to the interior bottom of first solution container 141, the outlet opening of such first tube 142 extends to the exterior of the first solution supply device 14 and connects to one of the multiple inlet openings of water flow switcher 7 ; the second solution container 151 has a second tube 152 inside, the inlet opening of the second tube 152 connects to the second solution container 151 and extends to the interior bottom of second solution container 151, the outlet opening of such second tube 152 extends to the exterior of the second solution supply device 15 and connects another of multiple inlet openings of said water flow switcher 7; the solution tube 3 is connected between the outlet opening of said water flow control valve 4 and a solution outlet channel 52, and a pneumatic on/off valve 31 is set between the two openings of said solution tube 3, the air tube 2 is connected between the air inlet attachment 51 and the flow divider 8, there is a three way connector 21 set between the two openings of the air tube, through the bifurcation of three way connector 21, the air tube 2 and pneumatic on/off valve 31 is therefore connected.
The flow divider 8 is set with a first airway part 81 and another second airway part 82, said first airway part 81 connects to the first solution container 141 and said second airway part 82 connects to the second solution container 152, and the water flow control valve 4 is connected to the outlet opening of said water flow switcher 7 and the inlet opening of solution tube 3 correspondingly.
For example, the solution contained in the first solution container 141 is purified water and the second solution container 142 contains a kind of medicinal solution, when the dentist using present system needs purified water in the operation, he or she may utilize said water flow switcher 7 to switch the connection of first tube 142 and the first tube is connected to water flow control valve 4 through the water flow switcher 7; meanwhile, the connection between second tube 152 and water flow switcher 7 is disabled. The convey of the pressurized air from air inlet attachment 51 of dental handpiece connector 5 to air tube 2 is therefore operated, simultaneously making the pressurized air flow into the first solution container 141 from first airway part 81 and into the second solution container 151 from second airway part 82 through the flow divider 8. The pressure inside first solution container 141 and second solution container 151 keeps rising, by utilizing the physical effect of flowing from high pressure to low pressure, the output of purified water contained in first solution container 141 flows from first tube 142 and the output of medicinal solution contained in second solution container 151 flows from second tube 152; in the meantime, since such water flow switcher 7 is connected to first tube 142, the first tube 142 makes the purified water flow into the pneumatic on/off valve 31 at solution tube 3 through water flow switcher 7 and water flow control valve 4, and flow to solution outlet channel 52 through pneumatic on/off valve 31, so as to supply purified water to dental handpiece for use.
Since the water flow switcher 7 cuts off the connection with second tube 152, the medicinal solution contained in second solution container 151 is now unable to flow into the water flow switcher 7, due to the pressure inside second solution container 151 cannot be released along with the outflow of medicinal solution from second tube 152 and together with the setting of one-way valve 6, causing the pressure inside second solution container 151 cannot be released from air tube 2; therefore, when the pressure inside second solution container 151 rises to a certain degree, the air pressure relief valve 11 set in second solution container 151 is capable to release the superfluous pressure for maintaining the pressure inside second solution container then avoid danger.
When the dentist needs to use medicinal solution during the operation, he or she only have to use water flow switcher 7 for cutting off the connection with first tube 142 and connecting to second tube 152 to stop the supply of purified water, and make second tube 152 convey medicinal solution into solution tube 3 through water flow switcher 7 and water flow control valve 4, then flow to the solution outlet channel 52 from said solution tube 3 to acquire medicinal solution to dental handpiece, besides, present dental handpiece solution supply system also includes one or more heating device, the heating device can individually or simultaneously heat one or several solution supply devices 1 or conduct heat preservation, maintaining the solution contained in solution container 12 of solution supply device 1 at the temperature of 45˜65° C. in the operation.
Said dental handpiece connector of the invention can be described in details as follows with figures:
The dental handpiece connector of present invention is used for connecting dental handpiece to an external solution supply device, different solutions are filled inside said solution supply device, those different solutions are possible to be sent to the dental handpiece connector of this invention respectively through multiple solution outlet tubes and transfusion tubes, so that the dentist can switch to select the solution in need from the dental handpiece according to different circumstances during the operation.
Please refer to
Moreover, there are corresponding solution switch structures set at said solution control valve 2A and said solution control valve groove, and other corresponding air switch structures are also set at the air control valve 3A and the air supply valve groove 14A. As shown in
When using the dental handpiece connector of present invention, if only needs using pressurized air, utilize the control unit to connect the inlet opening and outlet opening of air transmission pipe 12A through air control valve, so as to provide the pressurized air supplied by the air inlet pipe through air transmission pipe to dental handpiece for use; when dental handpiece requires solution, utilize air switch structure to connect the air outlet channel 31A and inlet opening and outlet opening of air transmission pipe 12A through the outlet control valve to form a three ends connection, so that the compressed air can not only be sent to dental handpiece through air transmission pipe 12A, part of air can further reach to the solution supply system through air outlet channel 31A at the same time therefore drives the flow of solution from solution supply system through solution transmission pipe 11A to dental handpiece. In addition, when dentist is in need of other solutions, he or she only needs to control the solution control valve 2A in solution switch structure to connect the solution inlet channel and the outlet opening of solution transmission pipe and block the connection between the inlet opening and the outlet opening of said solution transmission pipe, making the solution flowing through the solution inlet pipe cannot pass to dental handpiece, and the solution connected from solution inlet channel to the solution supply system will be supplied through solution inlet channel 21A to the dental handpiece for use.
Please refer to
Please see
Furthermore, it is not necessary to set an air switch structure in the dental handpiece connector of present invention, use said air control valve directly to maintain three ends connection formed by the air outlet channel together with the inlet opening and the outlet opening of said air transmission pipe, it only needs to control a switch on the solution supply system for controlling the access of compressed air to the solution supply system.
In conclusion, comparing present dental handpiece solution supply system with previous systems and technologies, following advantages can be discovered from the present external irrigation solution delivery system for dental handpiece:
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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103113791 | Apr 2014 | TW | national |
103114117 | Apr 2014 | TW | national |