Dental handpiece connector

Abstract

A dental handpiece connector is adapted to be inserted between a standard dental handpiece and a standard supply tube for the handpiece. The connector allows rocking movement of the handpiece about a transverse axis and also allows rotary movement of the handpiece about a longitudinal axis, while continuing a supply of air or air and water from the supply tube to the handpiece. There is a detent to establish a preferred rocking position of the handpiece relative to the connector.

I claim: 
     
       1. A dental handpiece connector for use with a dental air tube having a first connector thereon and with a dental handpiece having a second connector thereon, comprising a body having a first base adapted to engage said first connector and having a tine, means defining a cross bore in said tine, means in said body defining an air passage extending from said base to said cross bore, a disc adapted to be received against said tine, means defining an axial passage in said disc adapted to align with said cross bore, means defining a radial passage in said disc intersecting said axial passage, a pin having a pin chamber and arranged to confine said disc to rotation relative to said tine, means defining a first opening between the interior of said pin chamber and said air passage, a stem adapted to be received in said radial passage and having a second base adapted to engage said second connector, means defining a stem passageway in said stem, means defining a second opening between said stem passageway and said pin chamber, and means for confining said stem to rotation in said radial passage relative to said disc. 
     
     
       2. A device as in claim 1 in which said stem extends through said pin. 
     
     
       3. A device as in claim 1 in which said tine has a first planar surface and said disc has an opposite second planar surface in substantially air-tight, rotary abutment with said first planar surface. 
     
     
       4. A device as in claim 1 including means engaging said body and said disc and constituting a detent for relative rotary motion between said body and said disc. 
     
     
       5. A device as in claim 1 including a tube in said stem passageway, means defining a connector channel in said first base, and means including a hose joining said connector channel and said tube and in part disposed alongside said tine. 
     
     
       6. A device as in claim 1 including a main air passageway to said handpiece from said stem passageway and means defining a diversionary air passageway from said stem passageway to said handpiece. 
     
     
       7. A device as claim 1 including a second tine, said tine and said second tine being disposed on and in substantial contact with the opposite sides of said disc. .Iadd. 8. A dental handpiece and fluid supply tube connector, comprising: a first base;   a second base;   pin means connecting the bases for rotating the bases relative to each other transversely to the longitudinal axis of the first base;   means defining at least two fluid passageways through the first base, the pin means and the second base; one fluid passageway passing radially through the pin means and the other fluid passageway passing axially through the pin means; and   means for rotating the bases relative to each other about the longitudinal axis of the first base. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 9. A dental handpiece and fluid supply tube connector, comprising:   a first base,   at least one tine on the first base;   a second base;   pin means connected to at least one tine for rotating the handpiece and fluid supply tube relative to each other transversely to their longitudinal axes;   stem means connected to the second base for rotating the handpiece and fluid supply tube relative to each other about their longitudinal axes;   a disc rotatably connecting the pin means to the stem means;   a hose from the first base to the disc;   air supply means defining an air passage through the first base, at least one tine, the pin means, the disc, the stem means and the second base; and   water supply means defining a water passage through the first base, the   
     
     
        hose, the disc, the stem and the second base. .Iaddend..Iadd. 10.  A connector as in claim 9 wherein the water passage also passes through the pin means. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 11. A dental handpiece and fluid supply tube connector comprising: first and second bases adapted to be generally aligned and having overlapping ends;   pivot pin means extending transversely to the aligned longitudinal axes of the bases through the overlapping ends thereof for enabling relative pivotal movement between the bases about an axis which is transverse to the longitudinal axes of the bases;   a first fluid passage defined solely by the bases and the pin means and extending from the first base to the second base, whereby fluid can flow through the first fluid passage irrespective of the relative angular orientation of the bases; and   means defining a second fluid passage between the bases which is independent of the first fluid passage, wherein at least part of the means defining the second fluid passage is independent of the bases and the pin means and wherein the second passage extends through the pin means in a direction generally transverse to the axis of the pin means.