Device for receiving and separating pollutants of dental filling materials containing metal compounds and being contained in slime of drilling or the like especially in dentist practices

Abstract

Abstract 1. Device for receiving particulate pollutants and for separating water and particulate pollutants, in particular pollutants containg metal compounds such as mercury compounds and the like occurring in dentists' surgeries as are to be found in the drilling sludge of dental filling materials or the like, in which the device is connectable to a first water supply pipe (133) and a water drain pipe (26), and a preferably cylindrical, sealed and replaceable filter housing (20) with a preliminary filter (60) and a filter cartridge (80), an upper cover plate (30) detachably secured to the filter housing with a feed connection (33) connected to the first supply pipe (133) for supplying the water containing pollutants, particularly patients' mouth rinsing water or drilling water aspirated from the mouths of patients, as well as a base plate (22) with a water draining connection (25) which is connectable to the water drain pipe (26), characterized in that the upper cover plate is provided with a suction connection (34) which, via a suction pipe (35), is connected to a vacuum generating facility such as a vacuum pump (36), in that, underneath the cover plate (30), within the interior (28) of the filter housing (20), a supporting plate (50) is disposed which, below the aperture (33a) of the feed connection (33) located in the cover plate inner wall surface (37), is provided with a first perforation (51) and, below the aperture (34a) of the suction connection (34) located in the cover plate inner wall surface (37), is provided with a second perforation (52), the first perforation (51) being dimensioned so as to be larger than the supply connection aperture (33a), and in that the circumferential rim (51a) delimiting the first perforation (51) is sealed by means of a sealing ring, such as a toroidal sealing ring or the like (53) relative to the cover plate inner wall surface (37), in that the preliminary filter (60) is secured to the supporting plate (50) below the first perforation (51) and is detachably connected to said supporting plate, in that, below the second perforation (52), there is connected a safety valve (70) preferably constructed in the form of a float valve for preventing the aspiration of liquid issuing from the preliminary filter (60), in that the filter cartridge (80) is arranged on the base plate (22) within the area of the aperture (25a) of the water draining connection (25) terminating within the filter housing interior with the aid of a mounting means (125), in that the water draining connection (25) is connected to the suction connection of a suction pump (40), the pressure connection of which terminates in the waste water drain pipe (26), and in that, within the interior (28) of the filter housing (20), a liquid level measuring means (90) for maintaining a constant liquid level is disposed above the filter cartridge (80).

Inventors

• 👤 Jim Alkirk

Bibliographic Details