Dental chair and adjustable head support mechanism therefor

Abstract

A dental chair is disclosed which has an adjustable headrest incorporating a flush mounted adjustment mechanism allowing (1) adjustment about a central pivot, (2) vertical adjustment or (3) forward and rear adjustment. The dental chair also incorporates deflectable "wing" portions adjacent each of the arm supports which do not need adjustment and which allow the dentist more ready access to the patient.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. An adjustment mechanism linking a head support and means for attachment to the back support of a chair comprising: an elongated linking member having two parallel annular openings extending therethrough near each end,   slots in the linking member extending from the outer surface thereof into communication with each of the annular openings, each of the slots allowing the internal diameter of each of the annular openings to be reduced by compression of the linking member adjacent the slots;   an open-ended channel extending through the linking member essentially transverse to the axis of each of the annular openings and communicating with the slots and a segment of each of the annular openings;   annular pins received in each of the annular openings, each pin having an external diameter slightly less than the internal diameter of the respective annular opening in the uncompressed state, allowing free rotation thereof, each pin having a channel extending around the outer circumference thereof;   means connecting one of the annular pins to the head support and the other annular pin to the means for attachment to the back support;   a pin extending through the open-ended channel of the linking member communicating with the respective channels in the annular pins to retain the annular pins in place in the linking member;   retaining means at one end of the pin to retain the pin in place in the open-ended channel; and   cam means connected to the opposite end of the pin for exerting tension on the pin relative to the linking member to compress the linking member, reducing the diameter of the annular openings and frictionally engaging the annular pins to lock them against rotation.   
     
     
       2. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein the annular pin connected to the head support comprises two unconnected arcuate segments and wherein the means connecting the annular pin to the head support is a rod having a width less than the diameter of the annular pin extending between the two segments, the rod pivotally connected to the segments midway between their ends for adjustment of the headrest about the pivotal connection. 
     
     
       3. In a dental chair having a floor support, padded lower body support, arm supports, head support and adjustable back support, the improvement comprising providing flexible wing portions extending from the upper terminating edge of the back support down each side to a point adjacent the rear of each of the arm supports, allowing a dentist or technician closer access to the patient sitting in the chair by deflection of the wing portions and providing an adjustment mechanism for the head support, the mechanism comprising: an elongated linking member having two parallel annular openings extending therethrough near each end,   slots in the linking member extending from the outer surface thereof into communication with each of the annular openings, each of the slots allowing the internal diameter of each of the annular openings to be reduced by compression of the linking member adjacent the slots;   an open-ended channel extending through the linking member essentially transverse to the axis of each of the annular openings and communicating with the slots and a segment of each of the annular openings;   annular pins received in each of the annular openings, each pin having an external diameter slightly less than the internal diameter of the respective annular opening in the uncompressed state, allowing free rotation thereof, each pin having a channel extending around the outer circumference thereof;   means connecting one of the annular pins to the head support and the other annular pin to the means for attachment to the back support;   a pin extending through the open-ended channel of the linking member communicating with the respective channels in the annular pins to retain the  annular pins in place in the linking member;   retaining means at one end of the pin to retain the pin in place in the open-ended channel; and   cam means connected to the opposite end of the pin for exerting tension on the pin relative to the linking member to compress the linking member, reducing the diameter of the annular openings and frictionally engaging the annular pins to lock them against rotation.   
     
     
       4. The mechanism of claim 3 wherein the annular pin connected to the head support comprises two unconnected arcuate segments and wherein the means connecting the annular pin to the head support is a rod having a width less than the diameter of the annular pin extending between the two segments, the rod pivotally connected to the segments midway between their ends for adjustment of the headrest about the pivotal connection. .Iadd. 5. In a dental chair including a back support having two sides and a top, and two spaced apart arm supports mounted by the back support adjacent opposite sides thereof, two arm slings respectively associated with the two arm supports, each arm sling comprising: means mounted by the back support adjacent one side thereof, said means extending behind and adjacent the respective arm support for engaging the arms of a patient so as to maintain the patient's arms close to the patient's body while sitting in the chair,   said means including a deflectable portion moveable (1) relatively toward the patient from an original position by application of a force directed toward the patient in order to permit close access to the patient while sitting in the chair, and (2) relatively away from the patient unitl resuming said original position upon termination of such force application. .Iaddend..Iadd. 6. The dental chair of claim 5, wherein each of said arm slings comprises sling support means secured to and extending from the back support adjacent said respective arm support, and wherein each of said deflectable portions comprises flexible sheet means extending between the sling support means and the back support..Iaddend. .Iadd. 7. The chair of claim 6, further comprising a headrest mounted by the back support..Iaddend. .Iadd.8. The chair of claim 7, further comprising means operatively associated with said headrest and the back support for adjusting the position of said headrest with respect to the back support. .Iaddend.