Dental apparatus

Sept 9, 1941.

H. FREEDMAN

DENTAL APPARATUS

Filed May 3, 1941

2,255,657

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Patented Sept 9, 1941

2,255,657

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,255,657

DENTAL APPARATUS

Hyman Freedman, New York, N. Y.

Application May 3,

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in dental apparatus and has particular reference to a saliva ejector and its mounting,. and the method of making the same.

An object·, of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus in which a source of illumination is carried within an ejector tube and so arranged therein as to properly illuminate a patient’s mouth, and have its temperature reduced by the fluid being withdrawn from the oral cavity.

Another object resides in utilizing the divided sections of an ejector tube as conductors for supplying current to an incandescent lamp carried by said tube, and coating said sections with a dielectric composition which will insulate the sections from each other.

Another object is to form a chamber in the mouthpiece portion of an ejector tube for the reception therein pf an incandescent lamp, and to provide said portion with an apertiired sleeve member which cooperates with a part of said tube to retain a transparent cover for said chamber in covering position relative to the lamp therein.

A further object is to conceal within an ejector tube, at least a portion of an injector tube and to so dispose an outlet for the latter in the wall of the ejector tube as to cause a spray from said outlet tube to be directed onto the upper teeth in the oral cavity when the ejector tube is in draining position in said cavity.

The above and other objects will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

in the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a saliva ejector and its mounting constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are transverse sections on the lines 3—3, 4—4, and 5—5, respectively, of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the mouthpiece portion of the ejector tube, and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the two sections of the ejector tube before assembly.

The device of the present invention is shown as comprising an ejector tube, generally indicated by the numeral 10, which is bowed adjacent one end thereof to form a downwardly

1941, Serial No. 391,695 (CL 32—33) inclined mouthpiece portion, generally designated by the numeral I i, which is adapted to be inserted into the lower portion of the oral cavity for a drainage operation with the tube 5 suspended from the patient’s mouth in a substantially vertical position, as is customary with a saliva ejector of this character. The tube 10 is divided longitudinally into two sections 12 and i 3, with the end of the latter section at the 10 bowed portion of the tube terminating short of the adjacent end of the section 12. Said sections have their longitudinal edges inturned to provide flanges 14 and 15, respectively, which are opposed to each other when said sections are 15. assembled. In accordance with the present in, vention, the two sections of the tube are utilized / as electrical conductors for supplying current to a source of illumination, such as the small incandescent lamp 16, mounted within the mouth20 piece portion of the tube. For this purpose, the sections 12, 13 are made of any suitable conducting material and, before assembly, the greater portions of the lengths of said tube are sprayed, or have otherwise applied thereto, on 25 the outer and inner surfaces thereof with an electrically insulating coating 17 of any preferred composition. This coating covers the entire length of the tube to the point 18 adjacent the lower end of said tube remote from the mouth30 piece, and, from this point to the lower extremity of the tube, the sections are bare of said insulation for electrical contact with conductors in the mounting 19 for the tube, which mounting will later be described in detail. A preferred coat35 ing for the tube sections consists of a phenol formaldehyde composition having high dielectric and adhesive powers, and which is boil-proof and will resist chipping. Upon completion of the coating operation, the two sections 12, (3 are 40 brought together with their flanges 14, 15 in abutting relation and the adhesive quality of the composition will aid in securing said sections together. Rings or collars 20 may also be employed to secure the sections in assembled re45 lation.

A means for injecting a fluid into the oral cavity is employed in conjunction with the ejector tube, and the arrangement of this means is such that a spray will be directed against the 50 upper teeth to lower the temperature caused by grinding and to cleanse said teeth, and also the lower ones, these operations being especially desirable when grinding the teeth so as to effectively drain any residue of such operation from 55 the oral cavity. The injector means, as shown,

2,255,657 of the ejector tube. By so inclining the surfaces of the flanges 14, it will be apparent that when the cover 32 is being inserted into position by engagement of its edges with said flanges and forced upwardly along said bearing surfaces to position the upper end of the cover beneath the upper end of the sleeve member, a wedging action upon the upper end of the cover will be effected and this action, in conjunction with engagement of the side walls 31 with the cover 32, will frictionally retain said cover in position. When mounted in place, as in Figure 2, the lower extremity of the cover is spaced sufficiently from the lip 30 to provide an inlet 33 through which the drainage from the oral cavity passes into the mouthpiece and over the lamp 16 into the tube 10 from which it is carried away through the mounting 19. By passing over the lamp 16 and in direct contact therewith, the drainage fluid will 20 have a cooling effect upon the lamp to lower the temperature thereof and thus prevent any possibility of the heat from the filament of said lamp having an injurious effect upon the patient’s mouth. The construction herein described 25 also provides for the ready replacement of the lamp 16 by the simple expedient of extracting the cover 13 from its position and then removing the lamp from the chamber by an outward pull thereon which will withdraw the wires 25 from 30 the sockets 26 and 27.

The mounting 19 is shewn as comprising a length of rubber hose 34 formed in its outer surface with opposed longitudinally extending grooves 35 in which are countersunk flat elec35 trical conducting strips 36 which are retained in position in said grooves by a fabric covering 37. . At the end of the mounting, shown in Figure 2, the conducting strips 36 are secured by terminals 38 which extend through the wall of ther hose comprises a tube 21 which, for a major portion of its length and more particularly that portion extending from a point .adjacent the mouthpiece, is arranged along the interior surface of the section 13 of the. tube iO.·. Adjacent the lower end of the latter tube, the injector tube 21 projects through the wall of section 13 to provide the exteriorly depending portion 22 to which may be connected a small hose 23α for supplying a fluid to the injector tube from a suitable source. At the upper extremity of the tube 21 the same communicates with a discharge outlet opening 23 formed in the wall of section 13 in the bowed portion of the latter and disposed diagonally in said wall so that the spray exiting from said opening be directed upwardly at a divergent angle from the tube and in such direction that when the mouthpiece of the device is properly positioned within the patient’s mouth, said spray will impinge against the upper teeth and thus wash down into the lower portion of the oral cavity any residue which might otherwise accumulate in the patient’s mouth during an operation. It will be noted that, by mounting the injector tube 21 within the tube 10, said injector tube will be concealed with the exception of the portion 22 thereof and the circular contour of the ejector tube will thus not be altered.

With the upper extremity of the section 13 terminating short of that of the section 12, there is formed, in the mouthpiece portion of the tube, an open chamber or recess into which the incandescent lamp 16 may be introduced. This chamber 24 (Figure 3) is formed essentially by the portion of the section 12 which extends downwardly beyond the extremity of the section 13 and, preferably, the dimensions of the section 12 and of the lamp 18 are such that the flanges 14 of said section will engage the lamp 16, when -- ------— --— --. - , , the latter is in position, to frictionally retain the 40 for direct contact with the bared portions of the lamp in the chamber 24 and permit of its insertion into said chamber by applying pressure upon the lamp sufficient to force the same past the inner edges of said flanges. Before the lamp 16 is so mounted in the chamber, the wires 25 of said lamp, which are connected to the filament thereof, are inserted into sockets 26 and 27 carried, respectively, by the sections 12 and 13 to thereby establish electrical connection between said sections and said lamp.

Cooperating with and forming part of the mouthpiece portion of the tube is a sleeve member, generally indicated by the numeral 28, which is coated with the same insulating composition that is applied to the tube proper, and which fits over and embraces the extremities of the sections 12 and 13 and is insulated therefrom. The upper surface of the sleeve 28 is cut away from a point adjacent its inner extremity to the outer extremity thereof to provide an aperature 29, and the outer extremity of said sleeve is formed with a lip 30, constituting the end of the mouthpiece which rests in the patient’s mouth when the device is in position. As best shown in Figure 3, the sides 31 of the sleeve, which is preferably 65 made of metal, have a degree of resiliency and extend upwardly beyond the flanges 14 of the section 12, and form a means for retaining in position a transparent cover 32 for the chamber 24 and the lamp 16 therein. This cover 32 is 70 arcuate in cross section and its longitudinal edges are adapted to rest upon the flanges 14 which, in this portion of the section 12, form bearing surfaces which are slightly inclined, as best shown. _?5in Figure 2, with respect to the longitudinal axis sections 12,13 of the ejector tube which is rotatably mounted within the hose, the terminals 38 thus providing an electrical connection between the conductors 36 and the conducting sections of the tube 16 whereby current will flow through said sections to the sockets 26, 27, and thence to the filament of the lamp 16.

It is understood that although the insulation has been removed from the outer surface of the tube below the point 18, the insulation between the flanges 14 and 15 continues to the lower end of the tube.