Unitary cartridge type turbine assembly

Claim 2

A self-contained cartridge assembly free of any outer enclosure for insertion and use as a unit in and for removal from a plurality of dental handpieces in which the housing interiors are different in size and in which each housing has a fluid inlet to direct fluid into the housing and an outlet to exhaust fluid from the housing and in which the housing becomes the enclosure for said cartridge assembly when said cartridge assembly is positioned therein, said cartridge assembly comprising sleeve shaped means of substantially the length of the housing and for engagement with a dental tool, a turbine having impeller faces extending into the housing and for impingement thereagainst by fluid directed into the housing through the fluid inlet thereof to rotate said turbine, said impeller being connected with said sleeve for conjoint rotation therewith, rollable bearings fixed on said sleeve on opposite sides of said impeller, and engaging means captured on said rollable bearings extending outward therefrom for fluid tight engagement with the wall of the handpiece housing on opposite ends of said impeller to confine and direct the inlet fluid against said impeller and the faces thereof to contain the fluid from flowing outward from between said cartridge and the engagement of said engaging means with the housing.

Claim 3

In a cartridge type turbine assembly as in claim 1, said engaging means being yieldable to cushion the engagement between said cartridge type turbine assembly and the housing to absorb vibrations therebetween.

Claim 4

In a cartridge type turbine assembly as in claim 2, said engaging means being of a size and being deformable to engage fluid tightly with housing walls of different sizes.

Claim 5

In a cartridge type turbine assembly as in claim 3, seat means on said rollable bearings mounting said engaging means to support the same in fixed position thereon and to prevent removal of said engaging means from their respective bearing.

Claim 6

In a cartridge type turbine assembly as in claim 3, said rollable bearings being spaced from and on opposite sides of said impeller faces from between 0.030 inches to 0.060 inches, and said impeller faces being spaced from the wall of the housing from between 0.010 inches and 0.030 inches.

Claim 7

In a cartridge type turbine assembly as in claim 1, said rollable bearings being spaced from and on opposite sides of said impeller faces from between 0.030 inches to 0.060 inches.

Claim 8

In a cartridge type turbine assembly as in claim 1, said impeller faces being spaced from the wall of the housing from between 0.010 inches and 0.030 inches.

Claim 9

In combination with a turbine operated dental handpiece having a housing with an interior wall to accommodate a turbine and fluid inlet and outlet means for the supply and exhaust respectively of fluid from the housing, a unitary turbine assembly free of any enclosure comprising rollable bearings relatively spaced from each other and each said bearing having inner and outer races, a rotatable turbine in said space between said bearings and having a plurality of impeller faces to receive the impingement of fluid thereagainst in the housing, seal means captured on the outer races of said bearings in fluid tight direct engagement with the interior wall of the housing to enclose said turbine between said spaced bearings and the interior wall such that fluid entering the housing is caused to impinge upon the impeller faces and to exhaust outward from the housing through the fluid outlet means, and an elongated dental tool holder mounting said bearings in their spaced relationship and with said turbine therebetween, said tool holder including a sleeve connected with said inner races of said bearings and with said turbine to rotate conjointly therewith, and said seal means being releasably engageable with the interior wall of the housing to enable said unitary turbine assembly to be inserted into and removed from engagement as a unit with the housing wall so that the housing becomes the enclosure for the unitary turbine assembly.

Claim 10

In combination with a turbine operated dental handpiece having a housing with an interior wall to accommodate a turbine and fluid inlet and outlet means for the supply and exhaust respectively of fluid from the housing, a unitary turbine assembly free of any enclosure comprising rollable bearings relatively spaced from each other and each said bearing having inner and outer races, a rotatable turbine in said space between said bearings and having a plurality of impeller faces to receive the impingement of fluid thereagainst in the housing, seal means captured on the outer races of said bearings in fluid tight direct engagement with the interior wall of the housing to enclose said turbine between said spaced bearings and the interior wall such that fluid entering the housing is caused to impinge upon the impeller faces and to exhaust outward from the housing through the fluid outlet means, and an elongated dental tool holder mounting said bearings in their spaced relationship and with said turbine therebetween, said tool holder including a sleeve connected with said inner races of said bearings and with said turbine to rotate conjointly therewith, and said seal means being releasably engageable with the interior wall of the housing to enable said unitary turbine assembly to be inserted into and removed from engagement as a unit with the housing wall so that the housing becomes the enclosure for the unitary turbine assembly.

Claim 11

A unitary turbine assembly as in claim 8, said seal means being of a yieldable material and engaging with the interior walls of different sizes of housings fluid tightly to cause the outer race of its respective bearing to be non-rotatable relative to such engaged wall.

Claim 12

A unitary turbine assembly as in claim 8, said bearings being spaced from and on opposite sides of said rotatable turbine from between 0.030 inches to 0.060 inches.

Claim 13

A unitary turbine assembly as in claim 8, said impeller faces being spaced from the wall of the housing of the dental handpiece from between 0.010 inches to 0.030 inches.

Claim 14

A unitary turbine assembly as in claim 8, a recessed seat defined in the periphery of each of the outer races of said bearings, and said seal means on each of the outer races of said bearings being mounted within a respective one of said peripheral seats to retain the seal means fixed with respect to its respective bearing unitl forcefully removed therefrom for replacement.

Claim 15

A wall-less unitary cartridge type turbine assembly free of an outer enclosure for use in a circular housing of a dental handpiece in which the interior circular wall of the housing is utilized as the wall of the turbine assembly, said assembly comprising a rotatable axially elongated chuck having operable means for releasable engagement with a dental tool, a sleeve connected with said chuck for rotation therewith and rotation relative thereto to actuate said operable means to releasably engage a dental tool, a turbine on said sleeve intermediate the ends thereof for rotation therewith, said turbine having a plurality of circumferentially spaced impeller faces against which fluid may impinge to rotate said turbine, rollable bearings spaced axially along said sleeve and on opposite sides of said impeller and axially from said impeller faces, each of said rollable bearings having inner and outer races with said inner race connected with said sleeve for rotation therewith and said outer race being rotatable with respect thereto, and seal means of yieldable deformable material mounted on said outer race of each of said bearings and from displacement therefrom so that said chuck, sleeve, turbine, rollable bearings and seal means are connected together as a unit free of an enclosing wall and for use as a cartridge type insert into and for removal from the housings of different dental handpieces with said seal means yielding to fit into the interior wall of the housing and deforming into fluid-tight engagement therewith such that the housing wall becomes the temporary enclosing wall of said turbine assembly while the same is therein and until said turbine assembly is removed from said housing by disengagement of said seal means therefrom.

Claim 16

A wall-less unitary cartridge type turbine assembly free of an outer enclosure for use in a circular housing of a dental handpiece in which the interior circular wall of the housing is utilized as the wall of the turbine assembly, said assembly comprising a rotatable axially elongated chuck having operable means for releasable engagement with a dental tool, a sleeve connected with said chuck for rotation therewith and rotation relative thereto to actuate said operable means to releasably engage a dental tool, a turbine on said sleeve intermediate the ends thereof for rotation therewith, said turbine having a plurality of circumferentially spaced impeller faces against which fluid may impinge to rotate said turbine, rollable bearings spaced axially along said sleeve and on opposite sides of said impeller and axially from said impeller faces, each of said rollable bearings having inner and outer races with said inner race connected with said sleeve for rotation therewith and said outer race being rotatable with respect thereto, and seal means of yieldable deformable material mounted on said outer race of each of said bearings and from displacement therefrom so that said chuck, sleeve, turbine, rollable bearings and seal means are connected together as a unit free of an enclosing wall and for use as a cartridge type insert into and for removal from the housings of different dental handpieces with said seal means yielding to fit into the interior wall of the housing and deforming into fluid-tight engagement therewith such that the housing wall becomes the temporary enclosing wall of said turbine assembly while the same is therein and until said turbine assembly is removed from said housing by disengagement of said seal means therefrom.

Claim 17

A wall-less unitary cartridge type turbine assembly as in claim 13, said outer races of each of said rollable bearings having a circumferential seat defined in the outer periphery thereof in which said seal means is mounted and prevented from displacement.

Claim 18

A wall-less unitary cartridge type turbine assembly as in claim 13, said rollable bearings being spaced on opposite axial sides of said impeller faces from between 0.030 inches and 0.060 inches and said impeller faces being arranged on said unitary cartridge type turbine assembly such that when the same is within the housing said impeller faces are spaced from the interior wall thereof from between 0.010 inches and 0.030 inches.