Dental handpiece with disposable drill head assembly

摘要

The dental handpiece includes a disposable head assembly and a reusable handle which are removably coupled together. The head assembly includes a housing formed of plastic material forming a cavity in which is located a turbine operated drill assembly with a drill burr extending out of a lower opening. The upper wall of the housing is formed against the top of the drill assembly to permanently fix the drill assembly in the cavity such that the bearing mechanism for rotatably supporting the turbine and drill burr is integral with the head assembly. The head assembly also has a neck with a cavity for removably receiving the proboscis of the handle by way of a rear opening. The handle supplies and removes air to and from the head cavity for operating the turbine and also supplies air, water and light from the proboscis which are directed toward the burr by way of an outlet opening. The handle is snap-locked to the head assembly when the proboscis is located in the neck cavity. A protuberance extends from the proboscis for snap-locking the handle and the head assembly together. The lock mechanism of the head assembly may be broken away to remove the head assembly from the handle after which the head can be discarded.