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EP0455852B1 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Medical and, in particular, dental device

Assignee: Siemens AG
•
Filing: 1990-05-09
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Granted: 1994-08-10
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Expires: 2010-05-09
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Abstract

No abstract record available.

Inventors

  • 👤 Klaus Stöckl

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 10:44
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61G; A61G15/00; A61G15/02; A61C; A61C1/00; A61C1/0007; A61C1/0015; A61C1/0023

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim 294 words
Actuating arrangement for dental devices having the following features: a) the device comprises a plurality of pieces of equipment (1 to 6), the positions and/or operating characteristics of which can be changed with the aid of electrical control units (motors, valves, switches), b) the device also comprises an actuating arrangement (7) with an actuating element (20) which can be moved into at least two working positions from a home position, c) signal transmitters (24, 25; 29, 30; 82, 83), which are responsive in the working positions, are assigned to the actuating element (20), d) at least one vision panel (15, 16) is available, which panel contains a plurality of function display elements (F1 to F22) with symbol identification, e) the function display elements (F1 to F22) contain optical signal transmitters, f) the device also comprises a control electronics unit with a micro-controller (70) which is connected on the input side to the signal transmitters (24, 25; 29, 30; 82, 83) of the actuating element (20) and, on the output side, is connected to the optical signal transmitters of the function display elements (F1 to F22) of the vision panel (15, 16), characterised in that g) in the control electronics unit the control signals from the signal transmitters (24, 25; 29, 30; 82, 83) are processed such that the optical signal transmitters of the function display elements (F1 to F22) are activated in sequence depending on the actuation of the actuating element (20) in the direction of the first working position selected, whilst the pertinent control units are provisionally switched, in which case, when the desired function display element is reached and the actuating element (20) is subsequently switched into the second working position, an activation signal is sent to the relevant control unit (11).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 44 words
Device in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that the actuating arrangement is designed as a pedal-operated switch (7) and contains a plate-shaped actuating element (20), the dimensions of which are such that the operator can place his/her entire foot down flat on it.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 34 words
Device in accordance with claim 2, characterised in that the plate-shaped actuating element (20) is arranged in one plane and can be moved in this plane in two directions running perpendicular to each other.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 31 words
Device in accordance with claim 3, characterised in that the actuating element (20) is additionally mounted such that it can also swivel about an axis (28) extending vertical to said plane.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 53 words
Device in accordance with claim 2, characterised in that the actuating element (20) is arranged such that it can be moved, on the one hand, about a horizontal axis (22) extending transversely to the longitudinal axis and, on the other hand, about a vertical axis (28) arranged so as to be perpendicular thereto.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 31 words
Device in accordance with claim 5, characterised in that the horizontal axis (22) and vertical axis (28) are placed at 1/3 of the length (L) of the plate-shaped actuating element (20).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 59 words
Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the actuating element (20) is coupled with path-dependent transmitters (82, 83) which, depending on an adjustment of the actuating element (20), cause the optical signal transmitters of the function display elements (F1 to F22) of an information graphics block (I, II, III) to be activated.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 50 words
Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the actuating element (20) is coupled with an additional switch element which, in comparison with the signal transmitters (24, 25; 29, 30), has a raised pressure point, triggering an additional switching function when this is exceeded.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 74 words
Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the function display elements (F1 to F22) on the vision panel (15, 16) are arranged along at least an imaginary branch, or a branch which is visually identifiable on the vision panel, (31, 35, 43, 56, 58, 59, 60) and, together with the optical signal transmitters on the vision panel, form at least one information graphics block (I, II, III).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 32 words
Device in accordance with claim 9, characterised in that the function display elements (F1 to F22) are arranged on junctions (32, 33; 36 to 40; 44, 45) coming off from the branch.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 43 words
Device in accordance with claim 9, characterised in that the optical signal transmitters are always activated from a reference point (57) or a reference line of a selected information graphics block (I to III) associated with the home position of the actuating element.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 40 words
Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 11, characterised in that a monitor (17) is provided as a vision panel on whose screen (16) at least one information graphics block (I, II, III) can be represented electronically.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 49 words
Device in accordance with claim 12, characterised in that the screen (16) of the monitor (17) is provided with a touch-screen-keypad whose surface arrangement of switches corresponds with the arrangement of the function display elements (F1 to F22) of the information graphics block to be represented (I, II, III).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 54 words
Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 13, characterised in that associated with the function display elements (F1 to F22) of an information graphics block (I, II, III) there is a graphic symbol representation (34, 41, 45) of those pieces of equipment whose position and/or operating characteristics are to be changed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 45 words
Device in accordance with claim 14, characterised in that the graphic symbol representation (41) is arranged along a reference line (35) of an information graphics block (I, II, III) forming the branch and subdivides said block into a top and a bottom graphics block section.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 32 words
Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 15, characterised in that several information graphics blocks (I, II, III) are provided next to each other on the vision panel (15).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 25 words
Device in accordance with claim 16, characterised in that several information graphics blocks (I to III) have a common reference line (56) forming the branch.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 28 words
Device in accordance with claim 16, characterised in that the information graphics blocks (I to III) are divided into several planes (E2, E3) with several branches (58, 59).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 73 words
Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 18, characterised in that at least one information graphics block (I, II, III), starting from a reference point (57), has a vertical line (31, 43, 60) forming the branch on which horizontal lines (32 to 34; 44, 45) branch off at certain intervals, at the ends of which lines the optical signal transmitters of the information display elements (F1 to F22) are arranged.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 40 words
Device in accordance with claim 19, characterised in that further optical signal transmitters (47, 48, 49 to 53) are arranged at the point where a branch (31, 35, 43, 40) intersects with the horizontal lines (32 to 34; 44, 45).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 101 words
Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 20, characterised in that the micro-controller (70) contains one or several pulse counters (71) assigned to the signal transmitters (24, 25; 29, 30) in the actuating arrangement (7), which counters can be operated at a prescribed frequency and, when a signal is received, activate the optical signal transmitters (47, 48, 49 to 55) on the branch (31, 35, 43, 56, 58, 60) of an information graphics block (I, II, III) in succession in accordance with an actuation of the actuating element (20) in the direction of one of the working positions.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 91 words
Device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 21, characterised in that when a monitor (17) is used with a screen (16) as a vision panel, the output section (72) of the micro-controller (70) is connected to a video controller (80) which constructs the image of the information graphics blocks (I, II, III) and provides the video signals on the screen, with the image data being transmitted once the electronics have been switched on from a data memory (75) via the video controller (80) to an image memory (81).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 28 words
Device in accordance with claim 2, characterised in that the pedal-operated switch can be adjusted from a central position into four working positions that are complementary in pairs.

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