Locking apparatus for whip arm of unit chair

Abstract

A locking apparatus for a whip arm of a unit chair is disclosed. The locking apparatus for a whip arm of a unit chair is configured to lock and unlock a whip arm configured to support a handpiece tubing of the unit chair, the locking apparatus comprising: a main roller coupled to an end of the whip arm and configured to rotate about a rotational axis, the main roller including a pawl protruding from one side thereof; a latch plate configured to guide the pawl such that, as the main roller rotates, the pawl is engaged at a locking position to lock the whip arm, and, when the handpiece tubing is pulled and the pawl is disengaged from the locking position, the whip arm is unlocked; a spring unit configured to provide an elastic force to return the main roller and the latch plate to pre-rotation positions thereof; and a cover unit to which the main roller and the latch plate are axially coupled, the cover unit covering the main roller and the latch plate, wherein the latch plate includes a pawl guide hole configured to guide a movement path of the pawl, and the pawl guide hole may be formed in an irregular zigzag shape.

Description

Whip arm locking device of a dental unit chair

[0001] The present invention relates to a whip arm locking device for a dental unit chair, and more specifically, to a whip arm locking device for a dental unit chair in which the locking state of the whip arm on which the handpiece tubing is installed is maintained without generating tension within the treatment position range when the operator is performing treatment, and when the handpiece is to be mounted after treatment is completed, the locking of the whip arm can be released by a simple motion of pulling the handpiece tubing, thereby reducing wrist fatigue of the operator by not generating resistance due to tension and making it easy to handle the handpiece so that treatment can be performed safely.

[0002] Generally, dental examinations and treatments are performed with the patient lying in a unit chair.

[0003] A dental unit chair may be equipped with a lighting device to illuminate the inside of the oral cavity, a doctor table equipped with various treatment tools (such as a handpiece), a monitor to display the inside of the oral cavity or CT image information, a water supply device, and a table for patient convenience.

[0004] The various devices and instruments installed in these unit chairs are configured so as not to obstruct the movement of the patient or the operator, and to enable the operator to perform treatment easily.

[0005] Meanwhile, the dental unit chair is equipped with a handpiece used for dental treatment, and the handpiece (or suction) is a tool that is connected to the end of a handpiece tubing to supply electricity, air, or water, and is easy to handle.

[0006] Here, the handpiece tubing is provided on the doctor's table on one side of the unit chair, and is positioned at the operator's waist level while hanging down.

[0007] However, this type of handpiece tubing places a burden on the operator's wrist due to the structure where the load is concentrated downward when the operator holds the handpiece. Consequently, stable handling is difficult during dental treatments that require precise wrist technique, and if the operator accidentally drops the handpiece, the handpiece may be damaged or cleanliness issues may arise.

[0008] Recently, a whip arm type has been developed and is being used, which can reduce the strain on the operator's wrist when using the handpiece, maintain a clean tubing condition so that the handpiece tubing does not touch the surface even if the operator drops the handpiece, and allows easy access to the patient's oral cavity during treatment as the handpiece tubing is aligned with the patient's treatment position.

[0009] Here, the whip arm is an arch-shaped rod structure for supporting the handpiece tubing from the upper side so that the handpiece can be used with the handpiece tubing coming down from above.

[0010] This whip arm is provided on the unit chair so that it can rotate when the operator pulls the handpiece tubing while the handpiece tubing is mounted on the upper side.

[0011] Meanwhile, this whip arm type handpiece tubing is structured such that a constant pulling force is applied by a set tension, and the structure is such that when the operator pulls the handpiece to the patient's oral cavity position with a force greater than the set tension to perform treatment, and the treatment is completed, the handpiece is released from gripping, thereby being restored to the mounting position by the tension.

[0012] However, the whip arm type handpiece tubing has a problem in that constant tension is applied even when pulled for treatment, causing a burden on the operator's wrist and ultimately making precise handling difficult.

[0013] Therefore, there is a need to develop a locking device that ensures the locked state is maintained without generating tension within the treatment position range during treatment by the operator.

[0014] The objective of the present invention is to provide a whip arm locking device for a dental unit chair that solves these problems, wherein the locking state of the whip arm on which the handpiece tubing is installed is maintained without generating tension within the treatment position range when the operator is performing treatment, and the locking of the whip arm can be released by a simple motion of pulling the handpiece tubing when the handpiece is to be mounted after treatment is completed, thereby reducing wrist fatigue of the operator by eliminating resistance caused by tension and allowing for safe treatment by making the handling of the handpiece easy.

[0015] A whip arm locking device for a unit chair according to an embodiment of the technical concept of the present invention for achieving the above objective comprises: a main roller connected to the end of the whip arm, rotating about a rotation axis, and having a pole protruding from one side; a latch plate guiding the pole so that the whip arm is locked by the pole being caught in a locking position as the main roller rotates, and the whip arm is unlocked when the handpiece tubing is pulled and the pole moves out of the locking position; a spring portion providing elastic force to return the main roller and the latch plate to a position prior to rotation; and a cover portion axially coupled to the main roller and the latch plate and covering the main roller and the latch plate; wherein the latch plate includes a pole guide hole that guides the movement path of the pole, and the pole guide hole may be formed in an irregular zigzag shape.

[0016] In addition, the main roller has a roller rotation axis located on the inner side and a pawl provided on the outer side, and when the main roller rotates around the roller rotation axis, the pawl can move in a curved position.

[0017] In addition, the latch plate has a latch rotation axis positioned at a location spaced apart from the roller rotation axis of the main roller, and can rotate about the latch rotation axis by the pawl as the main roller rotates.

[0018] Additionally, the latch plate may include: a first support surface portion that is primarily supported by the pole as the main roller rotates; a second support surface portion that is axially coupled to the latch rotation axis and is secondarily supported by the pole as the main roller rotates; and a connecting surface portion that connects the first support surface portion and the second support surface portion.

[0019] In addition, the pole guide hole may be formed on the inner side where the first support surface, the second support surface, and the connecting surface meet.

[0020] Additionally, the pole guide hole may include: a locking groove formed on the inner side of the first support surface portion, into which the pole is engaged and the whip arm is locked; and a locking release groove formed on the inner side of the second support surface portion, into which the pole is released and the whip arm is unlocked.

[0021] In addition, the first support surface and the second support surface may be located on the same vertical plane, and the connecting surface may be connected to the first support surface and the second support surface such that the connecting surface has a surface inclined to move outward from the same vertical plane of the first support surface and the second support surface.

[0022] Additionally, the cover portion may include: a first cover portion for covering the front and bottom surfaces of the main roller where the latch plate is located; a second cover portion for covering the rear surface of the main roller connected to the bottom surface of the first cover portion; and a bracket installed on one side of the first cover portion and to which the latch plate is axially coupled.

[0023] In addition, a limit support groove may be formed on one side of the inside of the first cover portion to limit the rotation of the main roller by supporting the pole in a state before the main roller rotates.

[0024] In addition, the spring portion may include a torsion spring installed on the latch rotation axis to allow the latch plate to return to its pre-rotation position after rotating up to a predetermined angle.

[0025] Additionally, on one side of the bracket, an elastic support member may be installed to support the latch plate so that the latch plate is fixed in the pre-rotation position when the latch plate is returned to the pre-rotation position by the torsion spring.

[0026] In addition, the whip arm locking device of the unit chair may further include a sub-roller axially coupled to the roller rotation axis of the main roller adjacent to the main roller.

[0027] In addition, an interlocking projection is provided on one side of the sub-roller, and a projection receiving groove is formed on one side of the main roller that contacts the sub-roller to receive the interlocking projection, so that after the rotation of the main roller begins, the interlocking projection is caught in the projection receiving groove, and the sub-roller can rotate together with it from a set angle.

[0028] Additionally, the sub-roller is provided with a fixed limit pin protruding toward the second cover portion, and the second cover portion may have a curved elongated limit groove formed therein to guide the fixed limit pin.

[0029] In addition, the main roller may have a rotational operating range of 115 degrees, wherein the locking release section is formed up to a rotational range of 95 degrees from the state before rotation of the main roller, and the locking section is formed up to a rotational range of 20 degrees from the state where the main roller is rotated to the end.

[0030] Additionally, the spring portion may include a first tension spring that causes the main roller to return to its pre-rotation position after rotating up to a predetermined angle; and a second tension spring that causes the sub-roller to return to its pre-rotation position after rotating up to a predetermined angle.

[0031] In addition, the first tension spring may have a lower tensile strength compared to the second tension spring.

[0032] The whip arm locking device of a unit chair according to the present invention maintains the locked state of the whip arm on which the handpiece tubing is installed without generating tension within the treatment position range when the operator is performing treatment, and when the handpiece is to be mounted after treatment is completed, the locking of the whip arm can be released by a simple motion of pulling the handpiece tubing, thereby reducing wrist fatigue of the operator by not generating resistance due to tension and making it easy to handle the handpiece, thus enabling safe treatment.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a whip arm locking device of a unit chair according to one embodiment of the present invention installed on a whip arm on which a handpiece tubing is installed.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a whip arm locking device of a unit chair according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of Figure 2.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of a whip arm locking device of a unit chair according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of Fig. 4.

[0038] Fig. 6 is a front view of the latch plate.

[0039] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a whip arm locking device of a unit chair according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] FIG. 8 is a rear view of a whip arm locking device of a unit chair according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] FIGS. 9 to 12 are operating state diagrams of a whip arm locking device of a unit chair according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 13 is a diagram showing the rotational operating range of the whip arm.

[0043] In order to fully understand the present invention, the operational advantages of the present invention, and the objectives achieved by the implementation of the present invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention and the contents described therein.

[0044] The present invention will be described in detail below by explaining preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the attached drawings. Identical reference numerals in each drawing indicate identical components.

[0045] The present invention relates to a whip arm locking device for a unit chair, wherein, when the operator is performing treatment, the locking state of the whip arm on which the handpiece tubing is installed is maintained without generating tension within the treatment position range, and when the handpiece is to be mounted after treatment is completed, the locking of the whip arm can be released by a simple motion of pulling the handpiece tubing, thereby reducing wrist fatigue of the operator by not generating resistance due to tension and allowing for safe treatment by making the handling of the handpiece easy.

[0046] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 8, a whip arm locking device of a unit chair according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the 'whip arm locking device') may largely include a main roller (100), a latch plate (200), a spring part (300), and a cover part (400).

[0047] The whip arm locking device (10) of the present invention is a locking device for locking and unlocking a whip arm (1) for mounting a handpiece tubing (2) of a unit chair.

[0048] The above whip arm (1) is configured to rotate within a set range when the operator pulls the handpiece tubing (2) to a desired position when using the handpiece (3) for dental treatment.

[0049] First, the main roller (100) may be connected to the end of the whip arm (1) and rotate about a rotation axis, and may be provided with a pawl (160) protruding from one side.

[0050] The main roller (100) may have a first rotation shaft hole (110) formed on one side for inserting a roller rotation shaft (101), and a curved portion (120) formed that is connected to the first rotation shaft hole (110) and curved outwardly.

[0051] The roller rotation shaft (101) is formed in the shape of a cylindrical rod and can be axially coupled to both sides of the cover part (400).

[0052] A tubing insertion part (130) for inserting the end of the handpiece tubing (2) may be formed at the end of the above-mentioned curved part (120).

[0053] Meanwhile, the pole (160) may be installed on one side of the curved portion (120), that is, near the position opposite to the tubing insertion portion (130) in the curved portion (120).

[0054] The above pole (160) is formed in the shape of a cylindrical rod and serves as a stopper that stops the rotation of the main roller (100). One end is fitted and coupled to the main roller (100), and the other end is fixed by being caught in the pole guide hole (240) of the latch plate (200) described later.

[0055] The above pole (160) is configured with different diameters, and the outer end diameter of the pole (160) inserted into the pole guide hole (240) may be formed to be smaller than the central diameter of the pole (160).

[0056] Additionally, the outer surface of the central part of the pole (160) can be machined on both sides, and this is machined to insert a tool (not shown) so as to make it easy to assemble or disassemble the pole (160).

[0057] Meanwhile, on the rear side of the main roller (100), a projection receiving groove (140) may be formed, which is a space for a linkage projection (630) to move by rotation of the sub-roller (600) described later.

[0058] The above-mentioned protrusion receiving groove (140) is formed as a curved surface along the above-mentioned curved portion (120), and a groove space can be formed such that the inner side is closed and the outer side is open.

[0059] Meanwhile, on one side opposite the tubing insertion part (130) relative to the first rotation shaft hole (110), a spring groove (150) may be formed to reduce contact interference with the first tension spring (320) when the first tension spring (320) described later is in close proximity.

[0060] In this main roller (100), the roller rotation axis (101) is located on the inside and the pole (160) is provided on the outside, so that when the main roller (100) rotates around the roller rotation axis (101), the pole (160) can move in a curved position.

[0061] Next, the latch plate (200) is a part that guides the pole (160) so that the pole (160) is locked in the locking position as the main roller (100) rotates, thereby locking the whip arm (1), and so that the whip arm (1) is unlocked when the handpiece tubing (2) is pulled and the pole (160) moves out of the locking position.

[0062] The latch plate (200) can rotate with respect to the latch rotation axis (201) by the pawl (160) while the main roller (100) rotates, with respect to the latch rotation axis (201) which is spaced apart from the roller rotation axis (101) of the main roller (100).

[0063] The latch plate (200) may include a first support surface (210) that is primarily supported on the pole (160) as the main roller (100) rotates, a second support surface (220) that is axially coupled to the latch rotation axis (201) and is secondarily supported on the pole (160) as the main roller (100) rotates, a connecting surface (230) that connects the first support surface (210) and the second support surface (220), and a pole guide hole (240) formed on the inner side where the first support surface (210), the second support surface (220), and the connecting surface (230) meet, through which the pole (160) is guided.

[0064] The above latch plate (200) may be formed such that the first support surface portion (210), the second support surface portion (220), and the connecting surface portion (230) are formed as an integrated structure, and the pole guide hole (240) may be formed on the inner side of each of the first support surface portion (210), the second support surface portion (220), and the connecting surface portion (230) to form a hole in an irregular zigzag shape.

[0065] The lower surfaces of the first support surface (210) and the second support surface (220) are formed as curved surfaces so that the pole (160) is initially supported by contacting the lower surface of the first support surface (210), and then the pole (160) can be supported by contacting the lower surface of the second support surface (220) as it moves away from the first support surface (210).

[0066] Additionally, a third rotational shaft hole (221) to which the latch rotational shaft (201) is axially coupled may be formed on one side of the second support surface portion (220).

[0067] At this time, the lower portion between the first support surface portion (210) and the second support surface portion (220) may be spaced apart by a certain distance where the pole guide hole (240) is located, and the lower surface of the second support surface portion (220) may be positioned at a higher position than the lower surface of the first support surface portion (210). Additionally, the height difference (mutual spacing) between the lower surface of the first support surface portion (210) and the lower surface of the second support surface portion (220) may be formed to correspond to the diameter of the pole (160) so that the pole (160) can pass through.

[0068] The above connecting surface portion (230) is a part that connects the first supporting surface portion (210) and the second supporting surface portion (220) with the pole guide hole (240) in between, and can be formed to connect the upper portions of the first supporting surface portion (210) and the second supporting surface portion (220).

[0069] At this time, the first support surface portion (210) and the second support surface portion (220) are located on the same vertical plane, and the connecting surface portion (230) may be configured to connect the first support surface portion (210) and the second support surface portion (220) by having a surface that is inclined to gradually move outward from the same vertical plane of the first support surface portion (210) and the second support surface portion (220).

[0070] To this end, the connecting surface (230) may include an inclined surface (231) having an inclined surface connected to one side of the second supporting surface (220), a vertical surface (232) vertically arranged and connected to one side of the inclined surface (231), and a horizontal surface (233) horizontally arranged such that one side is connected to one side of the vertical surface and the other side is connected to one side of the upper portion of the first supporting surface (210).

[0071] Meanwhile, the pole guide hole (240) may include a locking groove (241) formed on the inner side of the first support surface (210) where the pole (160) is engaged and the whip arm (1) is locked, and a locking release groove (242) formed on the inner side of the second support surface (220) where the pole (160) is released and the whip arm (1) is unlocked.

[0072] That is, the locking groove (241) is formed on the side of the first support surface (210) and is a section where the pole (160) is locked, and the locking release groove (242) is formed on the side of the second support surface (220) and the connecting surface (230) and is a section where the pole (160) is unlocked.

[0073] Accordingly, the locking groove (241) and the locking release groove (242) are each formed with grooves facing outward, so that the pole (160) can be locked at a set position while passing through the groove space, or unlocked when it moves out of the locked groove section.

[0074] At this time, when the operator pulls the handpiece tubing (2) to rotate the main roller (100), the pole (160) rotates along the curve, and after the pole (160) comes into contact with the lower surface of the first support surface (210), it can be caught in the locking groove (241).

[0075] Then, when the handpiece tubing (2) is pulled again, the pole (160) moves out of the locking groove (241) and into the locking release groove (242) position, thereby releasing the lock.

[0076] At this time, according to the structure of the inclined surface (231) of the connecting surface (230), the pole (160) is not restricted from being caught on the upper side and is separated from the latch plate (200) by moving out of the pole guide hole (240), allowing the main roller (100) to rotate to the initial starting position.

[0077] Meanwhile, the whip arm locking device (10) of the unit chair may further include a sub-roller (600) axially coupled to the roller rotation axis (101) of the main roller (100) adjacent to the main roller (100).

[0078] The above sub-roller (600) is formed in a fan shape having a predetermined thickness, and a second rotational shaft hole (610) is formed on the inner side to be axially coupled to the roller rotational shaft (101), and a spring action groove (620) in the shape of a groove may be formed on a part of the outer side.

[0079] The above sub-roller (600) is a part that rotates in conjunction with the main roller (100) at a set rotation angle when the main roller (100) rotates, and is a part that sets the rotational motion of the whip arm (1) into two stages to rotate.

[0080] To this end, an interlocking projection (630) is provided on one side of the sub-roller (600), and a projection receiving groove (140) is formed on one side of the main roller (100) that contacts the sub-roller (600) to receive the interlocking projection (630), so that after the rotation of the main roller (100) begins, the interlocking projection (630) is caught in the projection receiving groove (140), and the sub-roller (600) can rotate together with it from a set angle.

[0081] That is, when the main roller (100) rotates by a set angle, the interlocking projection (630) provided on the sub-roller (600) gets caught in the projection receiving groove (140) of the main roller (100), and the sub-roller (600) rotates along with the main roller (100).

[0082] Next, the spring part (300) is a part that provides elastic force to allow the main roller (100) and the latch plate (200) to return to their previous positions.

[0083] The spring portion (300) may include a torsion spring (310) installed on the latch rotation axis (201) to allow the latch plate (200) to return to its previous position after rotating to a predetermined angle.

[0084] The above torsion spring (310) is a torsion spring with one end fixed to the latch plate (200) and serves to return the latch plate (200) to its previous position after the latch plate (200) has rotated by a predetermined angle by the pawl (160) and the pawl (160) has moved out of the pawl guide hole (240).

[0085] Meanwhile, when the latch plate (200) returns to its previous position by the torsion spring (310), an elastic support member (500) may be installed on one side of the bracket (430) described later so that the latch plate (200) does not descend further from the set position and can be fixed in place.

[0086] The above elastic support member (500) is fixed to one side of the bracket (430) by a bolt (B) and has a downwardly inclined surface formed thereon, and the downwardly inclined surface is configured to support the latch plate (200).

[0087] Meanwhile, the spring portion (300) may include a first tension spring (320) that causes the main roller (100) to return to its original position (initial starting position) after rotating to a predetermined angle, and a second tension spring (330) that causes the sub roller (600) to return to its original position after rotating to a predetermined angle.

[0088] Additionally, the first tension spring (320) and the second tension spring (330) can be connected to a spring fixing bar (301) which is fixed to one side of the cover part (400) described later.

[0089] Additionally, the other end of the first tension spring (320) may be fastened to a fixing pin (302) fixed to one side of the main roller (100), and the other end of the second tension spring (330) may be fastened to a fixing limit pin (303) fixed to pass through the spring operation groove (620) of the sub-roller (600).

[0090] At this time, the first tension spring (320) may be used to have a lower tensile strength than the second tension spring (330).

[0091] For example, the spring coil diameter of the second tension spring (330) is formed to be larger than the spring coil diameter of the first tension spring (320), so that the tensile strength of the second tension spring (330) can be made larger than the tensile strength of the first tension spring (320).

[0092] Accordingly, the tension required for the sub-roller (600) to rotate is greater than the tension required for the main roller (100) to rotate, and this means that when the sub-roller (600) subsequently rotates after the main roller (100) has rotated by applying a set tension, the main roller (100) requires a tension greater than the tension required for rotation.

[0093] That is, during the rotational section where the initial main roller (100) rotates, rotation is achieved with a smaller force, but from the point where the sub roller (600) rotates after the set rotation angle, a larger force must be applied to achieve rotation.

[0094] This is to prevent the whip arm (1) from rotating to the end point without too much resistance when the operator controls it, so that rotational handling is easily performed in the initial rotational section and rotational resistance is provided in the later rotational section so that stopping after proper rotation is achieved, thereby enabling easier handling operation.

[0095] Next, the cover portion (400) is a part for covering the main roller (100) and the latch plate (200), to which the main roller (100) and the latch plate (200) are axially coupled.

[0096] The above cover portion (400) may include a first cover portion (410) for covering the front and bottom surfaces of the main roller (100) where the latch plate (200) is located, a second cover portion (420) for covering the rear surface of the main roller (100) connected to the bottom surface of the first cover portion (410), and a bracket (430) installed on one side of the first cover portion (410) to which the latch plate (200) is axially coupled.

[0097] The above bracket (430) is a part for installing the latch plate (200) and may include a first installation part (431) that is bolted to the first cover part (410) on one side where the latch plate (200) is installed, and a second installation part (432) on the other side where the elastic support part (500) is bolted to.

[0098] The above cover portion (400) provides a space for installing the main roller (100), the latch plate (200), the spring portion (300), and the sub roller (600), and provides a portion for axially connecting the main roller (100) and the latch plate (200), and an installation surface for bolting the entire components together through a bolt (B).

[0099] Meanwhile, a limit support groove (411) may be formed on one side of the inner side of the first cover portion (410) to limit the rotation of the main roller (100) by supporting the pole (160) in a state before the main roller (100) rotates.

[0100] That is, the state in which the pole (160) is supported by the limit support groove (411) may mean that the main roller (100) is positioned at the initial starting position and the whip arm (1) is positioned at the initial fixed position before rotation.

[0101] Meanwhile, the sub-roller (600) is provided with a fixed limit pin (303) protruding toward the second cover part (420), and the second cover part (420) may have a curved elongated limit groove (421) formed therein to guide the fixed limit pin (303).

[0102] That is, after the sub-roller (600) is rotated, the fixed limit pin (303) is guided along the limit groove (421) and caught at the end of the groove, thereby limiting rotation, and this state is the state in which the whip arm (1) is rotated to the maximum state.

[0103] Below, the operating state of the whip arm locking device of the unit chair of the present invention described above will be explained in detail.

[0104] FIGS. 9 to 12 are diagrams showing the operating state of a whip arm locking device of a unit chair according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the rotational operating range of the whip arm.

[0105] FIG. 9 shows the initial state in which the handpiece (30) is mounted before the operator pulls the handpiece tubing (2), as a state before the main roller (100) is rotated.

[0106] Referring to FIG. 9, before the operator uses the handpiece (3) and before the main roller (100) is rotated (initial starting position), the pole (160) is supported and fixed in the limit support groove (411) of the first cover part (410), and the latch plate (200) can be supported in the elastic support part (500).

[0107] FIG. 10 shows the state in which the main roller (100) is rotated by a predetermined angle and the operator pulls the handpiece tubing (2) to the maximum.

[0108] Referring to FIG. 10, when the operator pulls and rotates the handpiece (3) to the maximum operating range to use it, the main roller (100) rotates and then the fixed limit pin (303) engages with the limit groove (421), thereby allowing the main roller (100) to stop at the maximum rotation state.

[0109] At this time, the pole (160) supports one side of the lower surface of the second support surface (220) of the latch plate (200), so that the latch plate (200) can be rotated by a predetermined angle.

[0110] Additionally, the sub-roller (600) can be rotated together with the rotation of the main roller (100).

[0111] In addition, if the operator does not pull the handpiece tubing (2), the tension force of the first tension spring (320) and the second tension spring (330) acts, and the main roller (100) is subjected to a force that attempts to return to the initial starting position, which is the position before rotation.

[0112] FIG. 11 shows a state in which the operator pulls the handpiece tubing (2) so that the main roller (100) rotates to the maximum operating range and then releases the handpiece tubing (2), causing the main roller (100) to retract by a predetermined angle so that the pole (160) is positioned in the locking groove (241) and locked in place.

[0113] Referring to FIGS. 11 and 13, the pole (160) moves along the lower surface of the second support surface (220) to the first support surface (210) and is caught in the locking groove (241), so that the main roller (100) can be fixed without further retracting. At this time, the rotation angle of the main roller (100) can be an angle retracted to a position of 20 degrees from the end position of the maximum operating range.

[0114] FIG. 12 shows a state in which the operator pulls the handpiece tubing (2) to return the handpiece (3) to its initial mounting position, causing the pole (160) to move out of the locking groove (241) and into the unlocking groove (242).

[0115] Referring to FIG. 12, the pole (160) is released from the locking groove (241) and the latch plate (200) is supported by the elastic support (500), and when the operator does not pull the whip arm (1), the main roller (100) can return to the initial starting position fixed before rotation.

[0116] In addition, if the operator does not pull the handpiece tubing (2), the tension force of the first tension spring (320) and the second tension spring (330) acts, causing the main roller (100) to have a force that attempts to return to the initial starting position direction before rotation.

[0117] As illustrated in FIG. 13, the whip arm locking device (10) of the present invention has a rotational operating range of 115 degrees for the main roller (100), wherein the locking release section is up to a rotational range of 95 degrees when the main roller (100) is in a pre-rotation state, and the locking section is up to a rotational range of 20 degrees when the main roller (100) is rotated to the end.

[0118] The whip arm locking device of a unit chair according to the technical concept of the present invention has the effect of reducing wrist fatigue of the operator by preventing resistance caused by tension, and making it easy to handle the handpiece so that treatment can be performed safely.

[0119] As explained above, the best embodiments are disclosed in the drawings and specification. Specific terms have been used herein, but they are used only for the purpose of describing the invention and are not intended to limit the meaning or the scope of the invention as described in the claims. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent alternative embodiments are possible therefrom. Accordingly, the true technical scope of protection of the invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A locking device for locking and unlocking a whip arm for mounting a handpiece tubing of a dental unit chair, A main roller connected to the end of the whip arm, rotating about a rotation axis, and provided with a pole protruding from one side; A latch plate guiding the pole so that the whip arm is locked as the pole is caught in the locking position as the main roller rotates, and the whip arm is unlocked when the handpiece tubing is pulled and the pole moves out of the locking position; A spring portion that provides elastic force to return the main roller and the latch plate to their previous positions; and The main roller and the latch plate are axially coupled, and the device includes a cover portion for covering the main roller and the latch plate. The above latch plate is, It includes a pole guide hole that guides the movement path of the above-mentioned pole, and A whip arm locking device for a unit chair, characterized in that the above-mentioned pole guide hole is formed in an irregular zigzag shape.

2. In Paragraph 1, The main roller mentioned above is, A whip arm locking device for a unit chair, characterized in that a roller rotation axis is located on the inner side and a pawl is provided on the outer side, and when the main roller rotates around the roller rotation axis, the pawl moves in a curved position.

3. In Paragraph 2, The above latch plate is, A whip arm locking device for a unit chair, characterized in that a latch rotation axis is positioned at a location spaced apart from the roller rotation axis of the main roller, and the main roller rotates around the latch rotation axis by means of the pawl while rotating.

4. In Paragraph 3, The above latch plate is, A first support surface portion that is primarily supported by the pole as the main roller rotates; A second support surface portion axially coupled to the above latch rotation axis and secondarily supported by the pole as the main roller rotates; and A whip arm locking device of a unit chair characterized by including a connecting surface connecting the first support surface and the second support surface.

5. In Paragraph 4, The above pole guide hole is, A whip arm locking device of a unit chair characterized by being formed on the inner side where the first support surface portion, the second support surface portion, and the connecting surface portion meet.

6. In Paragraph 5, The above pole guide hole is, A locking groove formed on the inner side of the first support surface portion, into which the pole is caught and the whip arm is locked; and A whip arm locking device of a unit chair, characterized by including: a locking release groove formed on the inner side of the second support surface portion, wherein the pole is released from locking and the whip arm is unlocked.

7. In Paragraph 6, The first support surface and the second support surface are Located on the same vertical plane, and The above connecting surface is, A whip arm locking device for a unit chair, characterized by connecting the first support surface and the second support surface so as to have a surface inclined outwardly away from the same vertical plane as the first support surface and the second support surface.

8. In Paragraph 7, The above cover part is, A first cover portion for covering the front and bottom surfaces of the main roller where the above latch plate is located; A second cover portion for covering the rear surface of the main roller so as to be connected to the lower surface of the first cover portion; and A whip arm locking device for a unit chair, characterized by including a bracket installed on one side of the first cover portion and to which the latch plate is axially coupled.

9. In Paragraph 8, In the first cover portion above, A whip arm locking device for a unit chair, characterized by having a limit support groove formed on one side inside to limit the rotation of the main roller by supporting the pawl in a state before the main roller is rotated.

10. In Paragraph 7, The above spring part is, A whip arm locking device for a unit chair, characterized by including a torsion spring installed on the latch rotation axis to allow the latch plate to return to its pre-rotation position after rotating to a predetermined angle.

11. In Paragraph 10, On one side of the above bracket, A whip arm locking device for a unit chair, characterized in that an elastic support member is installed to support the latch plate so that the latch plate is fixed in the pre-rotation position when the latch plate is returned to the pre-rotation position by the torsion spring.

12. In Paragraph 8, The whip arm locking device of the above-mentioned unit chair is, A whip arm locking device of a unit chair, characterized by further including a sub-roller axially coupled to the roller rotation axis of the main roller adjacent to the main roller.

13. In Paragraph 12, One side of the above sub-roller is provided with an interlocking projection, and On one side of the main roller in contact with the sub-roller, a projection receiving groove is formed to receive the interlocking projection, A whip arm locking device for a unit chair, characterized in that after the rotation of the main roller begins, the interlocking projection engages with the projection receiving groove, and the sub-roller rotates in conjunction with it from a set angle.

14. In Paragraph 13, The above sub-roller is, A fixing limit pin is provided to protrude toward the second cover portion side, and The second cover part above is, A whip arm locking device for a unit chair characterized by having a curved elongated groove-shaped limit groove formed to guide the above-mentioned fixed limit pin.

15. In Paragraph 14, The main roller mentioned above is, The rotational operating range is 115 degrees, but, The above main roller is in a locking release section up to a 95-degree rotation range from its pre-rotation state, and A whip arm locking device for a unit chair, characterized in that the locking section extends up to the previous 20-degree rotation range while the main roller is rotated to the end.

16. In Paragraph 13, The above spring part is, A first tension spring that causes the main roller to return to its pre-rotation position after rotating to a predetermined angle; and A whip arm locking device of a unit chair characterized by including a second tension spring that causes the sub-roller to return to its pre-rotation position after rotating up to a predetermined angle.

17. In Paragraph 16, The first tension spring above is, A whip arm locking device for a unit chair characterized by having a lower tensile strength compared to the second tension spring.

Images