Handpiece assembly and dental unit chair having same

Abstract

The present invention provides a handpiece assembly and a dental unit chair having same. The handpiece assembly comprises: a handpiece; a fluid tube connected to the handpiece and formed such that a fluid flows therein; and a swing arm that supports the fluid tube and bends in a bending direction as the handpiece is pulled. The swing arm includes: a continuous member that extends continuously in the longitudinal direction; and a plurality of individual members that are distinguishable from each other and connected to the continuous member. Among the plurality of individual members, a pair of adjacent members define an intervening space for allowing the bending of the continuous member in the bending direction.

Description

Handpiece assembly and dental unit chair equipped therewith

[0001] The present invention relates to a handpiece assembly and a dental unit chair having the same.

[0002]

[0003] Typically, unit chairs are used to examine a patient's oral cavity and provide dental treatment. Unit chairs have multidirectional actuators that can adjust the patient's posture according to the user's manipulation. Unit chairs also have functions such as fluid delivery and suction.

[0004] The handpiece used by the doctor can operate by the pressure of the supplied fluid. To achieve this, the handpiece is connected to a line that supplies the fluid. The handpiece and line assume different positions between the stationary and in-use state. A flexible arm is sometimes used to support them. This arm has a complex structure because it repeatedly bends and extends.

[0005] The background technology described above is technical information that the inventor possessed for the purpose of deriving embodiments of the present invention or acquired during the derivation process, and cannot necessarily be said to be publicly known technology disclosed to the general public prior to the present application.

[0006]

[0007] One object of the present invention is to provide a handpiece assembly having a simple structure for easy assembly and disassembly, and a dental unit chair having the same.

[0008]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention for achieving the above-described object, a handpiece assembly comprises: a handpiece; a fluid tube connected to the handpiece and formed to allow fluid to flow therein; and a swing arm supporting the fluid tube and formed to bend in a bending direction as the handpiece is pulled, wherein the swing arm comprises a continuous member formed to extend continuously along a longitudinal direction; and a plurality of individual members coupled to the continuous member and distinct from each other, wherein an adjacent pair of the plurality of individual members can define a separation space for allowing bending of the continuous member along the bending direction.

[0010] Here, the continuous member includes a load, and the plurality of individual members can be joined to the load in a stacked state.

[0011] Here, the individual member includes a body part through which the load penetrates and is coupled; and a leg part located at the rear of the body part in the bending direction, and the separation space may be a space between a pair of adjacent body parts among the plurality of individual members.

[0012] Here, the load may include a first extension portion and a second extension portion arranged parallel to each other; and a joint portion connecting the first extension portion and the second extension portion.

[0013] Here, the swing arm may further include a frame to which the continuous member is coupled, and the frame may include a hook portion to which the load is fitted in a snap-fit ​​manner.

[0014] Here, the continuous member may be a main plate extending along the longitudinal direction, and the individual member may include a sub plate protruding along the bending direction from the side of the main plate.

[0015] Here, the sub-plates may be provided as a pair, correspondingly arranged on both sides of the main plate.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, a handpiece assembly comprises: a handpiece; a fluid tube connected to the handpiece and formed to allow fluid to flow therein; and a swing arm that supports the fluid tube and is formed to bend in a bending direction as the handpiece is pulled, wherein the swing arm may include a continuous member that extends continuously in a longitudinal direction and is formed to have a cross-sectional width that becomes wider as it goes along the bending direction.

[0017] Here, the continuous member may have a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction having an arc shape.

[0018] Here, the continuous member may be a plurality of plates extending along the longitudinal direction arranged to form an obtuse angle with respect to each other along a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0019] Here, the swing arm may further include a frame to which the continuous member is coupled, and the frame may include a hook portion to which the continuous member is fitted in a snap-fit ​​manner.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present invention, a dental unit chair may include a seat formed to support a patient; a doctor table positioned on one side of the seat; a handpiece assembly installed on the doctor table and described above; and a body formed to provide the fluid to the fluid tube.

[0021]

[0022] According to the handpiece assembly and the dental unit chair having the same according to the present invention configured as described above, the swing arm supporting the fluid line connected to the handpiece is formed by a plurality of individual members joined to a continuous member, and a separation space allowing bending of the continuous member along the bending direction is formed between adjacent pairs of individual members, so that the swing arm can have a simple structure for easy assembly and disassembly while fully performing bending and restoration functions.

[0023]

[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state of use of a dental unit chair according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the swing arm of Figure 1.

[0026] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the continuous member and individual member of Figure 2.

[0027] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the individual members of Figure 3.

[0028] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the swing arm of Figure 2 viewed from the rear.

[0029] Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the connection relationship between the frame and the continuous member of Fig. 5.

[0030] Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a swing arm according to a modified example of the swing arm of Fig. 2.

[0031] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the continuous member and individual member of Figure 7.

[0032] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a swing arm according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the swing arm of Fig. 9 viewed from the rear.

[0034] Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a swing arm according to a modified example of the swing arm of Fig. 9.

[0035]

[0036] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0037] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various forms and with various modifications. However, these embodiments are provided to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included within the technical spirit and scope of the present invention, as well as substitutions or additions of the components of one embodiment with those of another embodiment.

[0038] The attached drawings are merely intended to facilitate understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and should not be construed as limiting the technical ideas disclosed in this specification, but should be understood to encompass all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. In the drawings, the components may be expressed in exaggerated sizes or thicknesses for ease of understanding, but the scope of protection of the present invention should not be construed as being limited thereby.

[0039] The terminology used in this specification is only used to describe specific implementations or examples and is not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, the singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the specification, terms such as "comprises" and "consists of" are intended to indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification. In other words, it should be understood that terms such as "comprises" and "consists of" do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0040] Terms that include ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another.

[0041] When a component is referred to as being "connected / connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected / connected to that other component, or that there may be other components in between. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected / connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

[0042] When a component is referred to as being "above" or "below" another component, it should be understood that it is not only positioned directly above that other component, but that there may also be other components present in between.

[0043] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0044] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state of use of a dental unit chair according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Referring to this drawing, a dental unit chair (100) may include a base (110), a seat (120), a doctor table (130), a body (140), and an assist table (150).

[0046] The base (110) may be formed to be supported on a floor surface. A driving means (not shown) for adjusting the posture of the sheet (120) to be described later may be built into the base (110).

[0047] The seat (120) is configured to support a patient. The seat (120) can support a patient in a sitting or lying position. The seat (120) may have a lower body support part (121) that supports the patient's lower body and an upper body support part (125) that supports the patient's upper body.

[0048] The doctor table (130) is for holding the handpiece (131) used by the doctor. The handpiece (131) is a tool for various processing operations on teeth, alveolar bone, etc. The handpiece (131) may be equipped with a tool for a specific processing operation. The handpiece (131) may be equipped with a spindle motor operated by compressed fluid. The compressed fluid may be provided to the handpiece (131) through a fluid tube (133) connected to the base (110) and the body (140) described below. The fluid flows inside the fluid tube (133). A swing arm (135) is adopted for holding the handpiece (131) and, further, the fluid tube (133). As the doctor pulls the fluid tube (133) to use the handpiece (131), the swing arm (135) assumes a bent posture along the bending direction (B). When the handpiece (131) is not in use, the swing arm (135) can elastically return to its original state and assume a posture extended along the longitudinal direction (L). In the above, the handpiece (131), the fluid tube (133), and the swing arm (135) may be collectively referred to as a handpiece assembly. The handpiece assembly may be mounted on the table body (137). The table body (137) may be installed to be hung on a pole (145) of a body (140) to be described later via an angle adjustment arm (139).

[0049] The body (140) may house components related to providing compressed fluid and fluid suction power. The body (140) may serve to connect an air compressor, a suction pump, a water purifier, etc., located in a separate machine room, and a handpiece (131). The body (140) may be composed of a housing (141) supported on a floor surface, and a pole (145) connected to the housing (141) and arranged to extend upward. The doctor table (130) is exemplified as being installed to be hung from the pole (145), but may alternatively be connected to the base (110) on the opposite side of the body (140).

[0050] An assist table (150) can be connected to the body (140). Tools used by assistant personnel, such as a suction device or scaler, are placed on the assist table (150).

[0051] In addition to the above configuration, a light (160) that generates light to illuminate the patient's oral cavity and a spit (not shown) that receives saliva, foreign substances, etc. spit out by the patient may also be provided.

[0052] The swing arm (135) of the above handpiece assembly will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. For convenience of explanation, the swing arm will be given a new reference number of 200 below.

[0053] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the swing arm of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the continuous member and individual member of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the individual member of Fig. 3.

[0054] Referring to these drawings, the swing arm (200) may include a continuous member (210), an individual member (230), and a frame (250).

[0055] The continuous member (210) is formed to extend continuously along the longitudinal direction (L). In the present embodiment, the continuous member (210) is exemplified by a rod. The rod may have, for example, a first extension portion (211) and a second extension portion (213). They (211 and 213) are arranged along the longitudinal direction (L) and may be arranged parallel to each other. They (211 and 213) may be connected to each other by a joint portion (215). The rod may be a single member that has been bent multiple times. The rod may be made of a material having elastic restoring force, for example, a metal. The metal may include, for example, a shape memory alloy having high strength.

[0056] The individual members (230) are provided in a plurality of distinct pieces. The plurality of individual members (230) are coupled to the rod and can be stacked along the longitudinal direction (L). The individual members (230) can have a body part (231) and leg parts (235). The body part (231) can have, for example, a flat plate shape. A through hole (233) into which the rod is inserted can be formed in the body part (231). The leg parts (235) can be formed to protrude from the bottom surface of the body part (231) along the longitudinal direction (L). The leg parts (235) can be provided as a pair arranged at both ends of the body part (231) along the width direction (W) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (L). In order to allow bending between adjacent pairs of individual members (230), the leg parts (235) can be positioned at the rear of the body part (231) along the bending direction (B). The individual member (230) may be made of the same metal as the continuous member (210), or alternatively, may be made of a resin injection molded product.

[0057] A pair of adjacent individual members (230) define a separation space (S) to allow the rod to bend along a bending direction (B). The separation space (S) may be a space between a pair of adjacent body parts (231). When the rod is bent, the adjacent pair of body parts (231) may come closer to each other. In contrast, the adjacent pair of leg parts (235) may move away from each other.

[0058] The frame (250) may have, for example, an upper part (251) and a lower part (255). A continuous member (210) may be joined to the upper part (251) and the lower part (255). A plurality of individual members (230) may be arranged between the upper part (251) and the lower part (255). A roll may also be installed in the upper part (251) to prevent the fluid tube (133, see FIG. 1) from being blocked in its path when it is bent. The lower part (255) may be detachably joined to the table body (137, see FIG. 1).

[0059] The connection structure between the frame (250) and the continuous member (210) is described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the swing arm of FIG. 2 as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view for explaining the connection relationship between the frame and the continuous member of FIG. 5.

[0060] Referring to the drawings, the load can be coupled to the back surface of the frame (250). Specifically, a hook portion (257) can be formed on the back surface. The hook portion (257) is opened when the first extension portion (211) or the second extension portion (213) is pushed along the width direction (W), and then restored to its original state. The restored hook portion (257) clamps the first extension portion (211) or the second extension portion (213). As a result, the load can be simply fastened to the hook portion (257) in a snap-fit ​​manner.

[0061] The joint (215) can be fitted into the receiving portion (259). The receiving portion (259) can be composed of two parallel projections. The joint (215) can be fitted between the two projections and supported by the lower projection among them.

[0062] Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a swing arm according to a modified example of the swing arm of Fig. 2, and Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the continuous member and individual member of Fig. 7.

[0063] Referring to these drawings, the swing arm (200') may, similarly to the previous embodiment, include a continuous member (210'), an individual member (230'), and a frame (250).

[0064] The continuous member (210) may be a single plate (main plate) extending along the longitudinal direction (L). The main plate may have a cross-section that is generally arc-shaped. The individual member (230) may be a small plate (sub plate) protruding from the side of the main plate along the bending direction (B).

[0065] The subplates may be arranged in pairs on either side of the main plate. The subplates may be bent to further extend along the width direction (W). Adjacent pairs of subplates are separated from each other (spaced apart), but are all connected to the main plate.

[0066] The main plate and the sub-plate may be a single piece. For example, they may be injection-molded from resin. In this case, a process for assembling the main plate and the sub-plate is not required.

[0067] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a swing arm according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the swing arm of FIG. 9 as viewed from the rear.

[0068] Referring to these drawings, the swing arm (300) has a continuous member (310) and a frame (350) without a separate member (230, see FIG. 3), unlike the previous embodiment.

[0069] The continuous member (310) extends continuously along the longitudinal direction (L). The continuous member (310) may be a generally elongated plate. The continuous member (310) may be made of a material having elastic restoring force, for example, metal.

[0070] The continuous member (310) may be a single member having a generally circular cross-section. The cross-section is along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (L). The continuous member (310) may also be arranged so that the width of the cross-section increases as it goes along the bending direction (B).

[0071] The continuous member (310) can be fitted into the hook portion (357) formed on the upper part (351) and the lower part (355) of the frame (350). A protrusion (359) may be formed on at least one of the upper part (351) and the lower part (355), and a receiving hole (315) for receiving the protrusion (359) may be formed on the continuous member (310). By this connecting structure, the continuous member (310) can be easily connected / disconnected from the frame (350), while maintaining the connected state firmly.

[0072] The continuous member (310) is elastically bent to allow the swing arm (300) to bend in the bending direction (B), while at the same time, when restored to its original state, the swing arm (300) can firmly maintain a posture in which it is correctly extended along the longitudinal direction (L).

[0073] Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a swing arm according to a modified example of the swing arm of Fig. 9.

[0074] Referring to this drawing, the swing arm (300') is generally the same as the swing arm (300) according to the previous embodiment, but differs in that the continuous member (310') is made of a plurality of plates (311', 315').

[0075] The plurality of plates (311', 315') can be arranged to form obtuse angles with each other along a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (L). As a result, the plurality of plates (311', 315') can implement substantially the same function as the continuous member (310), which is a single member of the previous embodiment.

[0076]

[0077] The present invention has industrial applicability in the field of manufacturing dental unit chairs.

Claims

1. Handpiece; A fluid tube connected to the handpiece and formed so that fluid flows therein; and A swing arm is formed to support the fluid tube and to bend in a bending direction as the handpiece is pulled, The above swing arm, A continuous member formed to extend continuously along the longitudinal direction; and comprising a plurality of individual members joined to said continuous member and distinct from each other; Among the above multiple individual absences, an adjacent pair is: A handpiece assembly defining a separation space to allow bending of the continuous member along the bending direction.

2. In paragraph 1, The above continuous absence is, Including load, The above plural individual absences are, A handpiece assembly, which is joined to the above load in a stacked state.

3. In paragraph 2, The above individual absences are, a body part through which the above load penetrates and is joined; and Including a leg portion located at the rear of the bending direction among the above body portions, The above space is, A handpiece assembly, which is a space between a pair of adjacent body parts among the above-mentioned plurality of individual absences.

4. In paragraph 2, The above load is, First extension portions and second extension portions arranged parallel to each other; and A handpiece assembly comprising a joint connecting the first extension portion and the second extension portion.

5. In paragraph 2, The above swing arm, Further comprising a frame to which the above continuous absence is combined, The above frame is, A handpiece assembly comprising a hook portion into which the above load is snap-fitted.

6. In paragraph 1, The above continuous absence is, A main plate extending along the above longitudinal direction, The above individual absences are, A handpiece assembly comprising a sub-plate protruding along the bending direction from the side of the main plate.

7. In paragraph 6, The above subplate, A handpiece assembly provided as a pair, which are positioned correspondingly on both sides of the main plate.

8. Handpiece; A fluid tube connected to the handpiece and formed so that fluid flows therein; and A swing arm is formed to support the fluid tube and to bend in a bending direction as the handpiece is pulled, The above swing arm, A handpiece assembly comprising a continuous member extending continuously in a longitudinal direction and formed so that a cross-sectional width increases as it goes along the bending direction.

9. In paragraph 8, The above continuous absence is, A handpiece assembly, wherein a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction has an arc shape.

10. In paragraph 8, The above continuous absence is, A handpiece assembly, wherein a plurality of plates extending along the longitudinal direction are arranged to form an obtuse angle with respect to each other along a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

11. In paragraph 8, The above swing arm, Further comprising a frame to which the above continuous absence is combined, The above frame is, A handpiece assembly comprising a hook portion into which the continuous member is snap-fitted.

12. A sheet formed to support the patient; A doctor's table located on one side of the above sheet; A handpiece assembly installed on the above doctor's table and according to claim 1 or claim 8; and A dental unit chair comprising a body formed to provide the fluid to the fluid tube.

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