Evacuating rubber dam frame

Claim 2

An evacuating rubber dam frame for supporting a rubber dam adjacent to the mouth of a dental patient comprising a frame containing a hollow portion, said hollow portion having means for gathering in any fluid collected by said rubber dam, means for removal of fluid gathered into said hollow portion, and said frame being a U-shaped member which is contoured to be retractable against a portion of the face of said dental patient surrounding said patient's mouth.

Claim 3

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 1, further comprising means for retention of a rubber dam.

Claim 4

The evacuation rubber dam frame of claim 1, further comprising joint means for folding said frame.

Claim 5

The evacuation rubber dam frame of claim 1, further comprising means for removal of aerosol spray mists.

Claim 6

An evacuating rubber dam frame for supporting a rubber dam adjacent to the mouth of a dental patient comprising two vertical arms, a hollow horizontal arm connected to the bottom part of both of said vertical arms, said hollow horizontal arm having at least one evacuation opening in the rear of said horizontal arm for gathering in any fluid collected by said rubber dam, a hollow drainage tube attached to one of said arms for removal of fluid gathered into said hollow horizontal arm, and said frame being a U-shaped member which is contoured to be retractable against a portion of the face of said dental patient surrounding said patient's mouth.

Claim 7

An evacuating rubber dam frame for supporting a rubber dam adjacent to the mouth of a dental patient comprising two vertical arms, a hollow horizontal arm connected to the bottom part of both of said vertical arms, said hollow horizontal arm having at least one evacuation opening in the rear of said horizontal arm for gathering in any fluid collected by said rubber dam, a hollow drainage tube attached to one of said arms for removal of fluid gathered into said hollow horizontal arm, and said frame being a U-shaped member which is contoured to be retractable against a portion of the face of said dental patient surrounding said patient's mouth.

Claim 8

The evacuation rubber dam frame of claim 5, wherein said hollow drainage tube is attached to said hollow horizontal arm.

Claim 9

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 5, wherein said hollow horizontal arm has more than one evacuation opening in the rear of said horizontal arm.

Claim 10

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 5, wherein one of said vertical arms is hollow, wherein said hollow drainage tube is attached to said hollow vertical arm, and wherein said hollow drainage tube is a suction drainage tube.

Claim 11

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 5, wherein said hollow horizontal arm is a rigid horizontal arm.

Claim 12

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 5, wherein each of said two vertical arms is a hollow vertical arm.

Claim 13

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 5, wherein each of said two vertical arms is a rigid vertical arm.

Claim 14

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 6, wherein said hollow drainage tube is attached to the front of said hollow horizontal arm and positioned substantially opposite to said evacuating opening.

Claim 15

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 6, wherein said hollow drainage tube is a rigid drainage tube located in the front central portion of said hollow horizontal arm.

Claim 16

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 5, wherein each of said two vertical arms is continuously connected to said hollow horizontal arm to form a unitary frame.

Claim 17

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 14, wherein each of said two vertical arms is a hollow arm.

Claim 18

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 14, wherein each of said two vertical arms is a solid arm.

Claim 19

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 5, wherein at least one of said two vertical arms is a solid arm.

Claim 20

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 5, wherein at least one of said two vertical arms is of a thickness different from that of said hollow horizontal arm.

Claim 21

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 5, further comprising attachment means for removably coupling each of said two vertical arms to said hollow horizontal arm.

Claim 22

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 19, wherein said attachment means is selected from the group comprising screw thread means, friction joint means, and elbow joint means.

Claim 23

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 5, wherein said two vertical arms are in one plane and said hollow horizontal arm is in the same plane as said two vertical arms, and wherein the ends of said vertical arms remote from said horizontal arm are bent laterally outwardly from one another.

Claim 24

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 5, wherein said two vertical arms are in a first plane and said hollow horizontal arm is curved outwardly away from said first plane, and wherein the ends of said vertical arms remote from said horizontal arm are bent laterally outwardly from one another.

Claim 25

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 5, further comprising means for retention of a rubber dam.

Claim 26

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 6, further comprising barbs on said two vertical arms and barbs on said hollow horizontal arm.

Claim 27

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 24, wherein said barbs are so structured and arranged on said two vertical arms and in said hollow horizontal arm that said rubber dam when engaging said barbs provides a crossover seal around said hollow drainage tube at the location at which said hollow drainage tube is attached to said hollow horizontal arm.

Claim 28

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 6, further comprising barbs on said two vertical arms for engaging said rubber dam.

Claim 29

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 26, wherein said rubber dam has a hole in the lower portion thereof positioned to receive said hollow drainage tube and said hole being of slightly smaller inner diameter than the outer diameter of said hollow drainage tube, and wherein said barbs are so structured and arranged on said two vertical arms, that when said hollow drainage tube is inserted through said hole in said rubber dam, that said rubber dam when engaging said barbs provides a cupped selfseal around said hollow drainage tube at the location at which said hollow drainage tube is attached to said hollow horizontal arm.

Claim 30

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 5, wherein said hollow horizontal arm further comprises joint means for folding said frame.

Claim 31

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 28, wherein said joint means is a flexible joint means.

Claim 32

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 29, wherein said flexible joint means is selected from the group comprising a pivot joint, an elastic joint, and a flexible conduit joint.

Claim 33

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 28, wherein said joint means is an assembly joint means for assembling and disassembling said frame.

Claim 34

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 31, wherein said assembly joint means is a sleeve joint selected from the group comprising an out-of-round sleeve joint, a polygonal sleeve joint, an internally slotted sleeve joint and an externally slotted sleeve joint.

Claim 35

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 5, further comprising means for removal of aerosol spray mists.

Claim 36

The evacuating rubber dam frame of claim 33, wherein said means for removal comprises additional evacuation openings in at least one of said two vertical arms, said additional evacuation openings being positioned into said at least one vertical arm for evacuating aerosol spray mists.

Claim 37

An evacuating rubber dam frame for supporting a rubber dam adjacent to the mouth of a dental patient comprising two vertical arms, an imperforate horizontal arm connected to the bottom part of both of said vertical arms, a hollow horizontal arm having at least one evacuation opening in the rear of said hollow horizontal arm for gathering in any fluid collected by said rubber dam, a hollow drainage tube attached to said hollow horizontal arm for removal of fluid gathered into said hollow horizontal arm, coupling means for attaching said hollow horizontal arm to said imperforate horizontal arm, and said frame being a U-shaped member which is contoured to be retractable against a portion of the face of said dental patient surrounding said patient's mouth.

Claim 38

An evacuating rubber dam frame for supporting a rubber dam adjacent to the mouth of a dental patient comprising two vertical arms, an imperforate horizontal arm connected to the bottom part of both of said vertical arms, a hollow horizontal arm having at least one evacuation opening in the rear of said hollow horizontal arm for gathering in any fluid collected by said rubber dam, a hollow drainage tube attached to said hollow horizontal arm for removal of fluid gathered into said hollow horizontal arm, coupling means for attaching said hollow horizontal arm to said imperforate horizontal arm, and said frame being a U-shaped member which is contoured to be retractable against a portion of the face of said dental patient surrounding said patient's mouth.