Dental applicator

Abstract

The invention relates to a dental applicator comprising an applicator housing and a plunger body guided movably in said applicator housing, wherein the applicator housing comprises a connection for detachably mounting a cannula in a pressure-resistant manner, said cannula comprising a connection body and a cannula tube that is rigidly connected in or on said connection body, and the applicator housing (12) and/or plunger body (14) having a receiving device (22) for at least partially receiving a bendable cannula tube (20).

Claims

1. A dental applicator comprising: an applicator housing and a plunger body guided movably in said applicator housing, wherein the applicator housing comprises a connection for detachably mounting a bendable cannula in a pressure-resistant manner, said cannula comprising a connection body and a cannula tube that is rigidly connected in or on said connection body, wherein the applicator housing has a recess for receiving the bendable cannula tube, wherein the recess is a radially extending recess formed as a blind hole on an annular reinforcement member of the applicator housing located proximate an entry of the applicator housing.

2. The dental applicator in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cannula tube is insertable into the radially extending recess.

3. The dental applicator in accordance with claim 1, wherein the recess is provided with a depth stop and wherein the cannula tube is insertable into the recess until the cannula tube abuts against the depth stop.

4. The dental applicator in accordance with claim 1, wherein the recess has a depth which amounts to at least twice a diameter of the cannula tube.

5. The dental applicator in accordance with claim 4, wherein the diameter of the cannula tube provides a clearance of at least 50 μm inside the recess, and wherein the recess has an inside diameter which is at least 50 μm larger than the circumference of the cannula tube.

6. The dental applicator in accordance with claim 1, wherein the recess is provided with at least two bending stops which are spaced apart from each other, which bending stops are offset towards each other by 180°.

7. The dental applicator in accordance with claim 1, wherein the recess is circular and has a straight course.

8. The dental applicator in accordance with claim 1, wherein the recess is provided, on an outward-pointing end, with at least one curved end surface which extends in a circularly curved fashion around the outward-pointing end.

9. The dental applicator in accordance with claim 8, wherein the curved end surface is provided with a radius which corresponds to at least the minimally admissible bending radius of the cannula tube.

10. The dental applicator in accordance with claim 8, wherein the curved end surface is provided on the levelling-off margin of the radius, with at least one pre-defined ramp angle.

11. The dental applicator in accordance with claim 1 wherein the recess enters into the plunger body in a fashion coaxially with the plunger body.

12. The dental applicator in accordance with claim 1, wherein the recess extends radially away from a shank of the plunger body or from the applicator housing, adjacently to the respectively associated handle plate, and wherein on the handle plate which is adjacent to the recess, angle markings are attached which signal the bending angle of the cannula tube during the bending of the end of the cannula tube which is inserted into the recess.

13. The dental applicator in accordance with claim 1, wherein the recess has a depth which is at least three times a diameter of the cannula tube.

14. The dental applicator in accordance with claim 1, wherein the recess has a depth which is no more than ten times a diameter of the cannula tube.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages, details and features result from the following description of several exemplary embodiments of the invention with the help of the drawings which show:

(2) FIG. 1 a schematic side view of an embodiment of a dental applicator in accordance with the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 the embodiment in accordance with FIG. 1, however depicting the applicator housing with the cannula detached, viewing it from underneath;

(4) FIG. 3 a schematic perspective view of a further embodiment of a dental applicator in accordance with the invention; and

(5) FIG. 4 a detail of a further embodiment of a dental applicator in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) In FIG. 1, a dental applicator 10 in one embodiment is depicted schematically. The dental applicator is provided with an applicator housing 12 in which a plunger body 14 is guided in a basically known fashion. The guidance may, for instance, be a sliding guide in the manner of a syringe. However, it may also be provided with a threading, such that material may be squeezed out of the applicator housing at great pressure by means of rotating the plunger body.

(7) The dental applicator 10 is further provided with a cannula 16 which is detachably attached to the front end of the applicator housing. The attachment is done, for example, via a screw thread or, for example, a bayonet lock. In a basically known fashion, the attachment is formed such that a sealing is accomplished, such that dental material under pressure, which is provided inside the applicator housing 14, is squeezed into the cannula 16.

(8) The cannula 16 consists of a connection body 18 and a cannula tube 20. The connection body 18 is preferably made out of a plastic material suitable for this purpose, as are the applicator housing 12 and the plunger body 14. In contrast, the cannula tube 20 is flexible in accordance with the invention. The cannula tube 20 is insofar plastically deformable with corresponding bending forces, but may additionally also be elastically deformable to a lower extent.

(9) It is preferably rather thin-walled with a wall thickness of, for example, between 50 μm and 200 μm, and a diameter of, for example, 1 mm. Its length may amount to between 1 cm and, for instance, 3 cm. It may be made out of steel or any other suitable material which, in any case, is resistant to the dental material to be applied.

(10) In accordance with the invention, the dental applicator is provided with a receiving device 22 in the area of the applicator housing/plunger body. In the embodiment depicted, two receiving devices 22 are depicted slightly schematically. They extend in the manner of blind holes parallel to a handle plate 24 of the applicator housing. The handle plate 24 serves for the purpose of closing the applicator housing towards the back and is also a gripping device at the same time. It is typically gripped from behind with two fingers, for example with index finger and middle finger, while pressure is exerted onto a press plate 26, which closes the plunger body 14 towards the back, by the thumb.

(11) The receiving devices 22 extend in a radial direction in the form of blind holes. They are formed on an annular reinforcement 28 which leans against the handle plate 24 in the direction towards the cannula 16 and also serves as a gripping device. The diameter of one receiving device amounts to 1.25 mm and is insofar determined for the receiving of cannula tubes with a diameter of 1.2 mm. In contrast to this, the diameter of the other receiving device amounts to 1.05 mm and is determined for the receiving of cannula tubes with a diameter of 1.0 mm The depth of the receiving device concerned, which is formed in the manner of a blind hole, amounts to 3.5 mm or 3 mm, respectively.

(12) This exemplary embodiment allows a slim configuration of the dental applicator in accordance with the invention. In order to accomplish the bending process, the cannula tube 20 is detached and is inserted into the suiting receiving device 22 and may then be bent as desired.

(13) After the bending process, the cannula 16, with the cannula tube 20 now curved, is again attached, together with the connection body 18, to the applicator housing 12.

(14) From FIG. 2 it can be taken that the handle plate 24 may bear markings which numerically support the bending process. For this purpose, the markings 0°, 30° and 45°, corresponding to one bending around each respective angle named, are entered. The user may thus see, when inserting into the receiving device 22 of the applicator housing 12 or the annular reinforcement 28, respectively, around what angle he is just doing the bending.

(15) In another embodiment which is not depicted here, stops are provided which make it possible to limit the bending process and at the same time suggest to the user from what bending angle on a necking of the cannula tube 20 would have to be feared.

(16) The invention is not limited to the arrangement of the receiving device 22 on the applicator housing 12. The receiving device may be attached at any suitable position, also somewhere on the wall or the front side of the applicator housing 12.

(17) In accordance with FIG. 3, it is attached centrally inside the plunger body 14 within the press plate 26. Here as well it holds true that when the connection body 18 is removed from the applicator housing 12 and the cannula tube 20 is inserted into the receiving device 22 with its front tip, bending is possible. In accordance with FIG. 3, the cannula tube 20 is already provided with a bent tip.

(18) From FIG. 4, the embodiment of a receiving device 22 is visible in detail. Here, the receiving device 22 is provided in the form of a bushing 40, wherein it is to be understood that a corresponding shape is also possible with an integrated, i.e. a one-piece, implementation.

(19) The end 42 of the receiving device 22 which points towards the outside is provided with a radius which at the same time forms a bending stop. The cannula tube 20 may thus be bent along the curved end 42 with a predetermined bending radius. The curved end surface 42 has the shape of a circular ring, such that it may be bent into any direction. An embodiment of the bending end with predetermined ramp angles (43) is also imaginable.

(20) As can be seen from FIG. 4, the receiving device 22 forms at the same time a depth stop 44. The cannula tube 20 may be inserted down to the bottom of the receiving device, which is until the tip of the cannula tube 20 abuts against the bottom of the receiving device inside the receiving device.

(21) In this position, the cannula tube 20 or, to be more precise, its front end, may be bent in any suitable fashion.

(22) In the exemplary embodiment depicted in accordance with FIG. 4, the bushing 40 is exchangeable, such that also bushings with receiving devices 22 with any different suitable inside diameter may be inserted instead of the former.