The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 28, 1998
Filed:
Jun. 03, 1996
Derek E Heath, Johnson City, TN (US);
Jerry A Mooneyhan, Johnson City, TN (US);
Van T Himel, Germantown, TN (US);
Tulsa Dental Products, L.L.C., Tulsa, OK (US);
Abstract
A portable holder for safely supporting a plurality of sharp dental instruments, and which comprises a body member which includes a base plate having a plurality of openings therein for supportingly receiving the instruments. A pressure plate is slideably mounted to the body member immediately below the base plate, and the pressure plate includes a plurality of openings which are aligned with the openings of the base plate and are adapted to receive the shanks of the instruments which are supported in the openings of the base plate. The pressure plate is mounted for slidable movement between a loading position wherein the openings of the base plate and the pressure plate are aligned, and an instrument retaining position wherein the openings are offset so that the instruments are engaged and lock in the openings. The holder facilitates the loading and unloading of the instruments from a dental handpiece, without requiring the dentist or attendant to touch the instruments, and it also facilitates the sterilization of the instruments in an autoclave.