US 9,962,236 C1 (12,705th)
Splatter reduction in a small head contra-angle prophy
Ajay Kumar, Palmdale, CA (US); Hamid Reza Abedi, Irvine, CA (US); and Vishu Shah, Diamond Bar, CA (US)
Filed by Ajay Kumar, Palmdale, CA (US); Hamid Reza Abedi, Irvine, CA (US); and Vishu Shah, Diamond Bar, CA (US)
Assigned to AKHA, LLC, Irvine, CA (US)
Reexamination Request No. 90/019,421, Feb. 15, 2024.
Reexamination Certificate for Patent 9,962,236, issued May 8, 2018, Appl. No. 15/253,442, Aug. 31, 2016.
Application 90/019,421 is a continuation of application No. 15/236,685, filed on Aug. 15, 2016, abandoned.
Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate issued on Sep. 17, 2024.
Int. Cl. A61C 17/00 (2006.01); A61C 1/12 (2006.01); A61C 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61C 17/005 (2013.01) [A61C 1/12 (2013.01); A61C 3/00 (2013.01)]
OG exemplary drawing
AS A RESULT OF REEXAMINATION, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT:
Claims 1, 13 and 18 are determined to be patentable as amended.
Claims 2-5, 9-12, 14-16 and 19, dependent on an amended claim, are determined to be patentable.
New claim 21 is added and determined to be patentable.
Claims 6-8, 17 and 20 were not reexamined.
1. A hand piece comprising:
a rotating member having a longitudinal axis; and
a splatter guard attached to a housing of the hand piece, the splatter guard having a proximate edge, proximate the rotating member, and a distal edge, distal the rotating member, the proximate edge extending lengthwise along the longitudinal axis and abutting the rotating member, wherein
the distal edge has a first thickness and the proximate edge has a second, smaller thickness; and
the proximate edge, at an end distal to the housing, terminates prior to a longitudinal end of the rotating member [ ; and
the proximate edge following a contour of and exterior of the rotating member and abutting the rotating member from a longitudinal start of the rotating member, where the rotating member attaches to the housing of the hand piece, opposite the longitudinal end thereof, to a distal end of the splatter guard.]
13. A splatter guard, comprising:
a mounting end for attachment to a hand piece;
a distal end opposite the mounting end;
a distal edge spanning between a connection end and the distal end, the distal edge being distal to a cleaning cup when the splatter guard is attached to the hand piece, the cleaning cup having a longitudinal axis; and
a proximate edge spanning between the connection end and the distal end, the proximate edge extending lengthwise along the longitudinal axis and abutting the cleaning cup when the splatter guard is attached to the hand piece [ ; and
ribs formed on a surface of the splatter guard, the ribs disposed between the proximate edge and the distal edge] , wherein
the proximate edge has a first thickness and the distal edge has a second, greater thickness; and
the distal end of the proximate edge terminates prior to a longitudinal end of the cleaning cup.
18. A dental cleaning tool comprising:
a cleaning cup having a longitudinal axis; and
a splatter guard attached to a housing of the hand piece, the splatter guard having a proximate edge, proximate the cleaning cup, and a distal edge, distal the cleaning cup, the proximate edge extending lengthwise along the longitudinal axis of the cleaning cup and abutting the cleaning cup, the splatter guard including a mounting end for attachment to the dental cleaning tool and a distal end opposite the mounting end, wherein
the proximate edge, at an end distal to the housing, terminates prior to a longitudinal end of the rotating member [ ;
the proximate edge following a contour of and exterior of the rotating member and abutting the rotating member from a longitudinal start of the rotating member, where the rotating member attaches to the housing of the hand piece, opposite the longitudinal end thereof, to a distal end of the splatter guard;]
the distal edge has a first thickness and the proximate edge has a second, smaller thickness; and
the distal end of the proximate edge terminates prior to a longitudinal end of the cleaning cup.
[ 21. A hand piece comprising:
a rotating member having a longitudinal axis; and
a splatter guard attached to a housing of the hand piece, the splatter guard having a proximate edge, proximate the rotating member, and a distal edge, distal the rotating member, the proximate edge extending lengthwise along the longitudinal axis and abutting the rotating member, the splatter guard further including ribs formed on a surface of the splatter guard, the ribs disposed between the proximate edge and the distal edge, wherein
the distal edge has a first thickness and the proximate edge has a second, smaller thickness; and
the proximate edge, at an end distal to the housing, terminates prior to a longitudinal end of the rotating member.]