Control unit for dental equipment

Claim 2

A dental control unit comprising in combination, a substantially horizontal plate-like base arranged to be supported stationarily, a housing detachably connectable to said base, a plurality of compact control modules positioned in side-by-side relation within said housing and operable respectively to control the operation of different dental instruments, each module comprising a sub-frame having a portion complementary to said base, means detachably connecting said complementary portions of said sub-frame of said modules to said base, dental utility supply control valves connected to said sub-frame of each module and supported thereby, supporting wall means connected to and supported by the rear portion of said base and extending upwardly therefrom, dental utility manifold means supported directly and compactly within said housing by said wall means, conduits connected between said control valves of said modules and manifold means, a bezel supported by the forward portion of said base and engaged by the forward portion of said housing, and front face panels respectively carried by said sub-frames of said modules and arranged in side-by-side relation to each other relative to said bezel to comprise a composite planar front wall of said housing and said bezel overlying the edge portions of said composite arrangement of front face panels.

Claim 3

A dental control unit comprising in combination, a substantially horizontal plate-like base arranged to be supported stationarily, a housing detachably connectable to said base, a plurality of compact control modules positioned in side-by-side relation within said housing and operable respectively to control the operation of different dental instruments, each module comprising a sub-frame having a portion complementary to said base, means detachably connecting said complementary portions of said sub-frame of said modules to said base, dental utility supply control valves connected to said sub-frame of each module and supported thereby, supporting wall means connected to and supported by the rear portion of said base and extending upwardly therefrom, dental utility manifold means supported directly and compactly within said housing by said wall means, conduits connected between said control valves of said modules and manifold means, a bezel supported by the forward portion of said base and engaged by the forward portion of said housing, and front face panels respectively carried by said sub-frames of said modules and arranged in side-by-side relation to each other relative to said bezel to comprise a composite planar front wall of said housing and said bezel overlying the edge portions of said composite arrangement of front face panels.

Claim 4

A dental control unit comprising in combination, a substantially horizontal plate-like base arranged to be supported stationarily, a housing detachably connectable to said base, a plurality of compact control modules positioned in side-by-side relation within said housing and operable respectively to control the operation of different dental instruments, each module comprising a sub-frame having a portion complementary to said base, means detachably connecting said complementary portions of said sub-frame of said modules to said base, dental utility supply control valves connected to said sub-frame of each module and supported thereby, supporting wall means connected to and supported by the rear portion of said base and extending upwardly therefrom, dental utility manifold means supported directly and compactly within said housing by said wall means, conduits connected between said control valves of said modules and manifold means, a bezel supported by the forward portion of said base and engaged by the forward portion of said housing, and front face panels respectively carried by said sub-frames of said modules and arranged in side-by-side relation to each other relative to said bezel to comprise a composite planar front wall of said housing and said bezel overlying the edge portions of said composite arrangement of front face panels.

Claim 5

The control unit according to claim 1 further including braces extending upwardly and forwardly from said base to the upper portion of said bezel to brace the same relative to said base independently of said housing.

Claim 6

The control unit according to claim 1 in which said manifold means include manifolds connected respectively to sources of air and water and further including a pressure regulator valve connected to one end of said water manifold means and an air filter connected to one end of said air manifold means and operable commonly to regulate water pressure and filter the air delivered to the control means of all said modules.

Claim 7

The dental control unit according to claim 1 in which each module has a supporting member for a dental instrument supported by the forward portion thereof adjacent said front face panel, means on each supporting member to receive and support a dental instrument to be operated in response to the control valves carried by the module to which said dental instrument is connectable, primary control means commonly connected to all the supply control valves of all the modules of said control unit, and conditioning control means on each module connected in series with said primary control means and operable upon the removal of a dental instrument from the supporting member of the module to which said member is connected to cause delivery of at least one dental utility to said instrument through the supply control valve of its module after said primary control means also is actuated, said conditioning control means of said other modules preventing opening of said supply control valves thereof when said primary control means is actuated for a selected module.

Claim 8

The control unit according to claim 4 in which each module includes a bracket block on the forward portion thereof, said instrument supporting member of each module comprising a bracket arm supported by said bracket block for movement between operative and inoperAtive positions, the mounting of said arm being arranged to permit said arm to be responsive to the weight of a dental instrument and move said arm to said inoperative position thereof, connection means on said bracket block to receive one end of a conduit hose for connection thereto to deliver dental utilities to a handpiece when connected to the other end thereof, and utility conducting means extending between said connection means and said control valves for delivery of utilities to said connection means.

Claim 9

The dental control unit according to claim 4 in which said primary control means is foot actuated and comprises a pair of switches and separate actuating means in therefor, said supply control valves on all said modules being solenoid actuated and said pair of switches respectively being connected in series with the conditioning switches for the valves controlling the flow of air and water and in parallel with the solenoid coils of said supply control valves of said modules controlling the flow of air and water therefrom.

Claim 10

The dental control unit according to claim 6 in which said foot-actuated additional control means comprises pivoted lever means respectively interconnected to said pair of switches and movable in different directions to actuate said switches, whereby both switches may be operated simultaneously be a single foot of an operator.

Claim 11

A dental control unit comprising in combination, a housing, a plurality of control modules for dental instruments mounted within said housing in side-by-side relationship, each of said modules comprising a plurality of dental utility supply control valves actuated by remote control means and certain of said valves being interconnectable to a source of air under pressure, at least one of said modules including an air pressure regulator valve connected between the air supply control valve therein and said source of air; said regulator valve having means to pass air therethrough and arranged to control the maximum air pressure to be delivered therethrough to a dental instrument by said air supply control valve when opened and said regulator valve comprising a cooperable valve member and seat, spring means acting against said valve member to limit the closing of said valve, said regulator valve also having chamber means containing a diaphragm interconnected to said valve member, air supply means to deliver auxiliary air under pressure to one side of said diaphragm and operable to supplement the force exerted by said spring against said valve member and thereby increase the pressure required to close said valve and correspondingly vary the pressure of air to be delivered to a dental instrument; a normally closed auxiliary air control valve connected to said auxiliary air supply means to prevent flow of air said valve chamber, and means connected to said auxiliary air control valve and operable immediately upon the commencement of operation of a selected dental instrument to open said auxiliary valve and cause delivery of air to said auxiliary air supply means.

Claim 12

A dental control unit comprising in combination, a housing, a plurality of control modules for dental instruments mounted within said housing in side-by-side relationship, each of said modules comprising a plurality of dental utility supply control valves actuated by remote control means and certain of said valves being interconnectable to a source of air under pressure, at least one of said modules including an air pressure regulator valve connected between the air supply control valve therein and said source of air; said regulator valve having means to pass air therethrough and arranged to control the maximum air pressure to be delivered therethrough to a dental instrument by said air supply control valve when opened and said regulator valve comprising a cooperable valve member and seat, spring means acting against said valve member to limit the closing of said valve, said regulator valve also having chamber means containing a diaphragm interconnected to said valve member, air supply means to deliver auxiliary air under pressure to one side of said diaphragm and operable to supplement the force exerted by said spring against said valve member and thereby increase the pressure required to close said valve and correspondingly vary the pressure of air to be delivered to a dental instrument; a normally closed auxiliary air control valve connected to said auxiliary air supply means to prevent flow of air said valve chamber, and means connected to said auxiliary air control valve and operable immediately upon the commencement of operation of a selected dental instrument to open said auxiliary valve and cause delivery of air to said auxiliary air supply means.

Claim 13

The control unit according to claim 8 in which said supply means for auxiliary air includes venting means operable to dishcarge auxiliary air in excess of that applied against said diaphragm, and said control unit further including an adjustable means for said discharge valve operable relative to said venting means to restrict discharge of said venting of air and thereby increase the pressure of air capable of being applied to the diaphragm of said regulator valve.

Claim 14

The control unit according to claim 9 in which said adjustable discharge valve includes a foot-operable actuating member.

Claim 15

The control unit according to claim 9 in which said air supply means includes a manifold having means to receive air under pressure from a source thereof and means commonly connecting said manifold to the chamber means of said regulator valves of at least certain of said modules, said venting means also being connected to said manifold and operable to vent the same to Prevent auxiliary pressure being applied against the diaphragms of said regulator valves until said adjustable discharge valve is operated.