Dental Prophy Angle Lock System for Rotor Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Disposable dental prophy angles face challenges in reducing the number of pieces while maintaining the positional stability of the rotor within the outer housing, which is critical for proper engagement and balance during rotation, to prevent failure and ensure safety.
Innovation Solution
A novel prophy angle design featuring a housing with a lock system that includes a lock channel and a seal to restrain the rotor's linear movement while allowing rotation, and an adapter with a slidable sleeve that biases the drive shaft to ensure proper engagement with the rotor, reducing the complexity of assembly and enhancing stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the number of separate pieces in the prophy angle assembly is reduced to lower manufacturing cost and simplify assembly, then manufacturing cost and assembly complexity decrease, but the ability to maintain and restrain the position of the rotor within the outer housing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lock is integrated into the rotor assembly, combining the locking function with the rotor structure. This merging allows the rotor to restrain its own position within the outer housing through the lock's interaction with the lock receiver, reducing the need for separate positioning components while maintaining stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The lock is positioned within the outer housing and interacts with the lock receiver that is formed as part of the housing structure. The rotor, lock, and housing are nested together in a compact arrangement where the lock channels receive the drive shaft tip, creating a space-efficient assembly that maintains positional stability without requiring additional separate pieces.
2Device complexity
If the rotor position is not properly restrained within the outer housing, then assembly complexity decreases, but the prophy angle may fail or cause damage to the adaptor, dental professional and/or patient
Solution Approach 1:
The lock is divided into upper and lower portions that define the lock channel, with each portion contributing to restraining the drive shaft tip from different directions. This segmentation allows the locking function to be distributed across multiple structural elements within the rotor assembly, enhancing reliability without requiring a complex separate locking mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The lock acts as an intermediary element between the drive shaft and the rotor housing. The lock channels receive and restrain the drive shaft tip, mediating the interaction between these components to ensure proper positioning and prevent failure while maintaining a simple overall assembly structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces the number of pieces in the prophy angle assembly while maintaining the rotor's positional stability, enhancing safety and functionality by preventing imbalance and improper engagement during rotation.
Implementation Method 1
A resilient member is connected to the drive shaft for biasing the drive shaft along the line
Implementation Method 2
the lock receiver permits rotation of the lock within the lock receiver and restrains linear movement of the lock
Implementation Method 3
A seal is positioned between the housing and the rotor
Data Source
AI summary
A dental prophy angle includes a housing and a rotor. The housing defines a first bore and a second bore in communication with the first bore, and rotor is disposed within the second bore. The rotor includes a gearing system, and rotor includes a lock having a lock channel configured to receive a tip of a drive shaft. The housing includes a lock receiver for receiving the lock receiver permits rotation of the lock within the lock receiver and restrains linear movement of the lock in a direction substantially parallel to a rotational axis of the rotor.