Foot control using rotatable cover plate for dental equipment

Claim 2

A foot control for dental equipment comprising a base plate, a cover plate rotatably mounted on said base plate, said cover plate having a lateral surface sufficiently large to permit a dentist to place his entire foot thereon, said cover plate comprising the top surface of said foot control, said cover plate being rotatable in a plane which is substantially parallel to said base plate, means secured to said cover plate for actuating dental equipment, and means associated with said actuating means for controlling said dental equipment, said actuating means being operated only when said cover plate is rotated, whereby the dentist can place his weight on his foot on the cover plate without operating said actuating means, and said controlling means being Regulated by the amount of rotation of said cover plate, said foot control having a ratio of height to width of less than 1:4.

Claim 3

The foot control of claim 1 wherein said base plate includes roller means therein and said cover plate rotates on said roller means.

Claim 4

The foot control of claim 1 wherein said cover plate is substantially convex over its outer surface.

Claim 5

The foot control of claim 1 wherein said cover plate has frictional means on the surface thereof.

Claim 6

The foot control of claim 4 wherein said frictional means comprises a plurality of upstanding ribs.

Claim 7

The foot control of claim 4 wherein said cover plate is substantially convex over its outer surface, but additionally includes a substantially vertically extending outer rim, with said frictional means being present on said convex surface and said outer rim.

Claim 8

The foot control of claim 1 wherein said actuating means comprises a cam block, with said cam block being adapted to regulate said control means.

Claim 9

The foot control of claim 7 wherein said foot control is adapted to regulate an air-driven dental handpiece, and said control means comprises a valve mounted on said base plate, with an inlet tube supplying air to said valve and an outlet tube passing from said valve to said handpiece, said cam block having a cam surface adapted to open said valve, with the amount of opening of said valve being directly proportional to the amount of rotation of said cover plate and its associated cam block, whereby the speed of rotation of the air-driven dental handpiece is directly proportional to the amount of rotation of said cover plate.

Claim 10

The foot control of claim 8 and further including a second valve and a third valve mounted on said base plate, said cam block adapted to contact said second valve and said third valve, an inlet tube adapted to supply air to said second valve, an inlet tube adapted to supply air to said third valve, an outlet tube passing from said second valve to a water control switch, an outlet tube passing from said third valve to said handpiece, said second valve adapted to regulate the supply of water to said air-driven dental handpiece, said third valve adapted to regulate the supply of coolant air to said air-driven dental handpiece, said first mentioned valve and said second valve being adapted to be opened by said cam block when said cover plate is rotated in a first direction, and said first mentioned valve and said third valve being adapted to be opened by said cam block when said cover plate is rotated in a second direction.

Claim 11

The foot control of claim 1 and further including spring means for maintaining said cover plate at a set position with respect to said base plate, with said cover plate being rotatable against the urging of said spring means, whereby said spring means will return said cover plate to said position.

Claim 12

The foot control of claim 1 and further including means for limiting the rotational movement of said cover plate relative to said base plate.

Claim 13

The foot control of claim 1 wherein said means for actuating said dental equipment comprises a cam block, and said means for controlling said dental equipment includes switch means mounted on said base plate which is controlled by said cam block, whereby the movement of said cam block against said switch means will actuate a dental handpiece associated with said foot control.

Claim 14

The foot control of claim 1 wherein said controlling means is adapted to control an electric handpiece, said controlling means comprising variable resistance means, with the speed of rotation of the motor of said electric handpiece being controlled in accordance with the resistance of said variable resistance means, and spaced non-contacting means mounted on said base for varying the resistance of said variable resistance means as said cover plate is rotated.

Claim 15

The foot control of claim 13 wherein said controlling means further includes switching means to enable said motor of said handpiece to rotate in one of two directions in accordance with the direction of rotation of said cover plate.

Claim 16

The foot control of claim 14 wherein said switching means are controlled by said actuating means.

Claim 17

The foot control of claim 13 wherein said spaced, noncontacting means comprise a photoelectric light and a photocell mounted on said base plate, with the light beam emanating from said photoelectric light being received by said photocell, said cover plate including means positioned between said photoelectric light and said photocell to vary the amount of light passing to said photocell, thereby varying the resistance of said variable resistance means.

Claim 18

The foot control of claim 16 wherein the means for varying the amount of light reaching the photocell comprises a wall depending from said cover plate, with said wall adapted to be interposed between said photoelectric light and said photocell.

Claim 19

The foot control of claim 1 wherein said base plate includes a sealed cavity in the lower side thereof, means for supplying air under pressure to said cavity, port means for exhausting air from said cavity to the underside of said base plate, and sealing means for maintaining the air under said base plate, whereby said maintained air provides an upward lift on said base plate, thereby enabling said foot control to be moved by the side of a user''s foot.

Claim 20

The foot control of claim 1 wherein said foot control is adapted to regulate an air chip blower, valve means mounted on said base plate for controlling the air to said chip blower, depressible means resiliently mounted in said cover plate, said depressible means having valve opening means depending therefrom, whereby said valve means can be opened by depressing said depressible means and contacting said valve with said valve opening means.

Claim 21

A foot control for controlling an air-driven dental handpiece and an electric handpiece comprising a base plate, a cover plate rotatably mounted on said base plate, said cover plate being rotatable in a plane which is substantially parallel to said base plate, means secured to said cover plate for actuating said air-driven dental handpiece and said electric handpiece, switch means adapted to render the controls for the air-driven dental handpiece operational while preventing the operation of said electric handpiece, said switch means additionally being adapted to render the controls for the electric handpiece operational while preventing the operation of said air-driven dental handpiece, and means associated with said actuating means for controlling said air-driven dental handpiece and said electric handpiece, said actuating means being operated when said cover plate is rotated, and said controlling means being regulated by the amount of rotation of said cover plate.

Claim 22

A foot control for controlling an air-driven dental handpiece and an electric handpiece comprising a base plate, a cover plate rotatably mounted on said base plate, said cover plate being rotatable in a plane which is substantially parallel to said base plate, means secured to said cover plate for actuating said air-driven dental handpiece and said electric handpiece, switch means adapted to render the controls for the air-driven dental handpiece operational while preventing the operation of said electric handpiece, said switch means additionally being adapted to render the controls for the electric handpiece operational while preventing the operation of said air-driven dental handpiece, and means associated with said actuating means for controlling said air-driven dental handpiece and said electric handpiece, said actuating means being operated when said cover plate is rotated, and said controlling means being regulated by the amount of rotation of said cover plate.

Claim 23

The foot control of claim 20 wherein said electric handpiece includes an electric motor, and said controlling means includes switching means to enable said motor of said handpiece to rotate in one of two directions in accordance with the direction of rotation of said cover plate.

Claim 24

The foot control of claim 20 wherein said actuating means comprises a cam block, said cam block being adapted to regulate said controlling means, and said controlling means is adapted to control said electric handpiece, said controlling means comprising variable resistance means, with the speed of rotation of the motor of said electric handpiece being controlled in accordance with the resistance of said variable resistance means, and spaced, noncontacting means mounted on said base for varying the resistance of said variable resistance means as said cover plate is rotated.

Claim 25

A foot control for an electric handpiece comprising a base plate, a cover plate means rotatably mounted on said base plate, said cover plate being rotatable in a plane which is substantially parallel to said base plate, means secured to said cover plate for actuating said electric handpiece, and means associated with said actuating means for controllIng said electric handpiece, said controlling means being regulated by the amount of rotation of said cover plate, said controlling means comprising variable resistance means, with the speed of rotation of the motor of said electric handpiece being controlled in accordance with the resistance of said variable resistance means, and spaced, noncontacting means mounted on said base for varying the resistance of said variable resistance means as said cover plate is rotated.

Claim 26

A foot control for an electric handpiece comprising a base plate, a cover plate means rotatably mounted on said base plate, said cover plate being rotatable in a plane which is substantially parallel to said base plate, means secured to said cover plate for actuating said electric handpiece, and means associated with said actuating means for controllIng said electric handpiece, said controlling means being regulated by the amount of rotation of said cover plate, said controlling means comprising variable resistance means, with the speed of rotation of the motor of said electric handpiece being controlled in accordance with the resistance of said variable resistance means, and spaced, noncontacting means mounted on said base for varying the resistance of said variable resistance means as said cover plate is rotated.

Claim 27

The foot control of claim 23 wherein said spaced, noncontacting means comprise a photoelectric light and a photocell mounted on said base plate, with the light beam emanating from said photoelectric light being received by said photocell, said cover plate including means positioned between said photoelectric light and said photocell to vary the amount of light passing to said photocell, thereby varying the resistance of said variable resistance means.

Claim 28

The foot control of claim 24 wherein the means for varying the amount of light reaching the photocell comprises a wall extending from said cover plate, with said wall adapted to be interposed between said photoelectric light and said photocell.

Claim 29

The foot control of claim 23 wherein said rotatable means is rotatable in two directions, and said controlling means further includes switching means to enable said motor of said handpiece to rotate in one of the two directions in accordance with the direction of rotation of said rotatable means.

Claim 30

The foot control of claim 23 wherein said switching means are controlled by said actuating means.

Claim 31

The foot control of claim 23 wherein said rotatable means includes means adapted to be interposed between said spaced, non-contacting means, said resistance being dependent upon the location of said interposed means.