Axial displacement bearing connecting a multi-section shaft for quick removal of dental tools from a handpiece

摘要

A dental handpiece (10) is provided with a drive motor (13), a drive shaft (12) operatively affixed to the drive motor (13) at one end of the drive shaft (12). A dental tool (11) is operatively affixed at the other end of the drive shaft (12). The drive shaft (12) is journaled within a axial displacement bearing (60), such that manipulated rotation of the dental tool (11) causes a first drive shaft section (61) to be axially displaced from and relative to a second drive shaft section (62). The axial displacement bearing (60) is caused to contact a bearing (51) thereby causing the drive shaft (12) to bind due to the frictional forces generated by that contact. This allows sufficient force such that the dental tool 11 can be disengaged from the handpiece (10).