Dental Unit Handle and Tray Unlocking With One Actuating Element

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current dental treatment units face challenges in hygiene due to limited operability and increased contamination risk from separate locking elements for mounting and dismounting the handle and instrument tray.

Innovation Solution

A dental treatment unit with a dual-function actuating element that can unlock either the handle or the instrument tray independently, using a common actuating mechanism with different directional movements to engage first and second locking mechanisms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate locking elements are used for mounting and dismounting the handle and instrument tray, then the locking functions are independent and reliable, but the operability is limited and the risk of contamination increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocking function reliabilityVSAvoidoperability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The actuating element is designed with dual functionality: it can actuate the first locking mechanism to unlock the handle and also actuate the second locking mechanism to unlock the instrument tray. This multi-functionality improves operability by reducing the number of separate operations needed while maintaining reliable locking functions through distinct locking mechanisms for each component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If separate locking elements are used for mounting and dismounting the handle and instrument tray, then each component can be locked independently, but the risk of contamination increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocking function reliabilityVSAvoidcontamination risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The actuating element is positioned on the dentist element away from the handle and instrument tray, extracting the unlocking function from proximity to the components. This spatial separation reduces the risk of contamination during the unlocking operation while maintaining independent locking capabilities through separate locking mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If a common actuating element is used to unlock both handle and instrument tray, then operability is improved and contamination risk is reduced, but the locking mechanisms must be selectively actuated

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveoperabilityVSAvoidlocking mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The locking mechanisms are segmented into two independent systems: the first locking mechanism for the handle and the second locking mechanism for the instrument tray. Each mechanism can be selectively actuated by the common actuating element through distinct directional movements, maintaining operational simplicity while enabling selective unlocking of either component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4422574B1Mechanism for assembling and disassembling the handles and the instrument holder, of a medical element

Publication Date: 2026.04.01 DENTSPLY SIRONA INC

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AI summary

Dental treatment unit (1) comprising: at least one removable handle (3); a removable instrument tray (4) for depositing instruments (5), wherein the instrument tray (4) has one or more claws (4a); a first locking mechanism (6) for locking/unlocking the handle (3) wherein, in the unlocked state, the handle (3) is removable from the dentist element (2); a second locking mechanism (7) for locking/unlocking the instrument tray (4) wherein, in the unlocked state, the instrument tray (4) including the claws (4a) is removable from the dentist element (2); a dentist element (2) which comprises a movable actuating element (8) which can actuate the first locking mechanism (6) in order to unlock the handle (3), and the same movable actuating element (8) can individually actuate the second unlocking mechanism (7) to unlock the instrument tray (4).