| US 7,347,691 B1 | ||
| Protective sleeve for saliva ejector | ||
| Daniel E. Kelly, Sr., Coral Springs, Fla. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Ines Collia Kelly, Coral Springs, Fla. (US) | ||
| Filed on Dec. 27, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/645,682. | ||
| Int. Cl. A61C 17/14 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 433—91 | 4 Claims |
| 1. A protective sleeve for a saliva ejector, the ejector having a tubular portion with a porous distal end portion of larger
diameter than the tubular portion, the sleeve comprising a soft, resilient, porous body having a generally cylindrical external
configuration with an open end and a closed end opposite the open end, the body further defining:
a frustoconical ejector tube passage disposed substantially concentrically therein, the ejector tube passage having a large
diameter opening at the open end of the body and a small diameter neck portion disposed generally medially within the body;
and
a generally cylindrical cavity extending from the small diameter end of the ejector tube passage terminate near the closed
end of the body, the cavity having an intermediate diameter smaller than the large diameter opening and greater than the small
diameter neck portion of the ejector tube passage, the neck portion of the ejector tube passage forming a body retaining element
when the body is installed upon the saliva ejector tube with the cavity snugly surrounding the end portion thereof;
a bulbed portion disposed externally upon the closed end of the body, the bulbed portion having a larger diameter than the
body and being a relatively smaller extent than said cylindrical extent of said body; and
a saliva ejector having a tubular portion with a porous distal end portion of larger diameter than the tubular portion thereof,
whereby the generally cylindrical cavity snugly grips the distal end portion to provide positive elastic attachment of the
sleeve to the ejector tube.
|