FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a dental care unit and more specifically, but not exclusively, to a portable dental care unit.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Dentistry, by nature, is bound to the four walls of a dental practice which houses and powers the tools necessary to conduct adequate dental examination on patients. Dental care is easily accessed in urban areas whilst those who live in rural areas have limited and inadequate access to dental care.

These limitations, of access to dental care, extend to those who are immobile, whether due to a disease or disability and who cannot leave their home.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a portable dental care unit which at least partially alleviates the problem associated with the prior art or provides a useful alternative thereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention there is provided a portable dental care unit comprising: - a plurality of structural elements which are movable relative to each other; the structural elements being movable between: o a portable configuration, wherein the structural elements are arranged in a relatively compact state such that the unit is transportable; and o a stationary configuration, wherein the elements are arranged in a relatively expanded state to provide seating support for a dental patient; and the structural elements forming a compartment in the portable configuration for housing dental equipment within the compartment when the unit is transported.

The structural elements may form a dental chair in the stationary configuration for providing seating support for a dental patient.

The structural elements may include a back; a seat; a leg rest; and side panels.

The back may include a headrest which may be used as a handle when transporting the unit. The seat may include two panels with an intermediate hinge.

The compartment may be formed between the back, leg rest, and side panels with at least part of the seat as base of the compartment.

The structural elements may be elevated in the stationary configuration by means of stowable legs.

The unit may include an adjustable incline support member for supporting the back and adjusting the angle of the back.

The unit may include locking means for locking the structural elements relative to each other in the portable configuration. The unit may include locking means for locking the structural elements relative to each other in the stationary configuration.

The unit may include wheels for transporting the unit in the portable configuration.

The unit may include straps attached to the back structural element to transport the unit on a person's back when in the portable configuration.

The unit may be configured to render a portable dental carry pack when in the portable configuration.

The unit may include an integral cover.

The dental equipment may include a battery; an inverter; a number of solar panels; a charge controller; a multitool; an overhead light; an autoclave; an amalgamator; a suction unit and/or a dental handpiece with a drill. The overhead light may be connected to the handle of the carry pack.

The unit may be collapsible into the portable dental carry pack when not in use and the carry pack may be configured to house equipment utilised in the provision of dental services.

The collapsible dental unit may be collapsible from a stationary configuration, to a collapsed portable configuration, substantially in the form of a carry pack for the transport of the dental unit and equipment.

The dental unit may be secured when in the portable configuration and may include means of carrying.

The carry pack may include a set of wheels to facilitate transport of the unit. The wheels may be configured to be utilised by the dental unit when in the stationary or portable configuration. The dental unit may include a power source and may define a compartment for housing the power source. The power source may be solar powered.

The dental unit may include solar panels. The solar panels may be parabolic in shape to assist in increasing the efficiency of sunlight capture. The solar panels may further be shaped and dimensioned and include an adjustable component to assist with adaptation of the solar panels to uneven terrain.

The solar panels may be in hinged association with the dental unit when in the stationary configuration. The solar panels may be collapsible into the dental unit when in the portable position. The solar panels may be fan like.

The dental unit may include a charge controller which may assist in connecting the battery to the solar panel and in regulating the voltage and current from the solar panels to the battery.

dental unit may include an inverter. The dental unit may include a cable for connection to a hand piece for receiving power driven dental tools.

The dental unit may include a multi-functional dental tool. The dental tool may include at least one or more of the tools including but not limited to a dental explorer; amalgam plugger; periodontal probe; ball burnisher; spatula; amalgam carrier; dental mirror; matrix band and/or discoid cleoid.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a carrier including a housing shaped and dimensioned to hold a power supply, various tools and parts to be used in dental examination, the housing of the carrier expandable into a dental chair for dental examination.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the invention is described below, by way of a non-limiting example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portable dental care unit in a portable configuration;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a dental care unit in a stationary configuration;

and

Figure 3 is a side view of the dental care unit of Figure 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference to the drawings in which like features are indicated by like numerals, a portable dental care unit is generally indicated by reference numeral 1.

The portable dental care unit 1 includes a plurality of structural elements (2, 3, 4, 5 and 7) which are movable relative to each other by means of hinges 8. The structural elements allow the dental unit to be movable between a portable configuration as shown in Figure 1 and a stationary configuration as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The structural elements include a back 2, a seat 3, a leg rest 4, side panels 5 and a headrest 7. In the portable configuration the structural elements are arranged in a relatively compact state. The compact state ensures that the unit may be transported by a person, such as a dentist, requiring the use of the unit in different locations. In the stationary configuration the structural elements are arranged in a relatively expanded state. The expanded state allows for a patient to be seated on the dental unit which serves as a dental chair. The dentist can perform dental procedures on the patient while the unit is in the stationary configuration.

The structural elements of the dental unit form a compartment 6 when in the portable configuration. The compartment 6 is formed between the back 2, leg rest 4, seat portion 3b and side panels 5 with the seat portion 3a as base of the compartment and a closing panel (not shown) attached to the leg rest 4. The compartment 6 houses dental equipment which is transported by the dentist from one location to another.

The back 2 includes a headrest 7 for the patient while seated. The headrest 7 may also be used as a handle when transporting the portable unit. The seat 3 comprises two panels with an intermediate hinge 8b which allows the seat portions (3a and 3b) to pivot relative to each other. This allows part 3a to be the base whilst 3b forms a side of the compartment 6. The closing panel (not shown) attached to the leg rest 4 pivots relative to the leg rest 4 and closes the top of the unit when in the portable configuration. In use, the dentist releases the locking means 1 1 of leg 9b, unstows the leg 9b and locks it in place. The dentist then unstows leg 9a and secures the leg into place to elevate the structural elements of the unit. The leg rest 4 and closing panel is unlocked and pivoted relative to the seat 3b into an open position and secured. The side panels 5 are unlocked from the seat 3 and the leg rest 4 with locking means (not shown) and secured in an open position. The dentist then alters the angle of the patient with an adjustable incline support member 10 attached to the unit and pivots the back 2 relative to the seat 3a. The dentist locks the structural elements of the dental unit in place when in the stationary configuration with the locking means 1 1. The dental unit is ready for use as a chair by a dental patient. After use, the dentist releases the locking means 1 1 as well as the locking means of the side panels 5 and collapses the stationary dental unit 1 into a portable configuration. The dentist may again use the locking means 1 1 to keep the dental unit in a portable carry pack configuration for transportation.

The collapsible dental unit 1 is configured to render a portable dental carry pack as shown in Figure 1 when not in use. The unit 1 is collapsible from an open stationary configuration, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, during examination of a patient, to a collapsed portable configuration, as shown in Figure 1, for the transportation of the dental unit 1. The dental unit 1 can be fastened into the closed configuration and include a means of carrying (not shown) the unit 1 thereby making it easily transportable. The dental unit 1 can be carried in a bag or integral cover (not shown). Further to the above, the dental unit 1 includes wheels 13 which assist in making the dental unit 1 moveable.

The unit includes a power source 12 which will power at least one tool (not shown), as well as other tools utilised to conduct dental examination. The power source 12 is a battery 12 which is solar powered by solar panels 14. The solar panels are parabolic in shape, hingeable in association with the collapsible unit 1 and include an adjustable component (not shown) to adapt the solar panels 14 to uneven terrain.

The dental unit 1 defines a compartment (not shown) to receive the battery (12), the battery 12 connected to the solar panels 14 by a charge controller 15 which regulates the voltage and current from the solar panels 14 to the battery 12.

The dental unit 1 includes an inverter 16 which is connected between the charge controller 1 5 and an electric outlet (not shown) thereby converting direct current to alternating current. The dental unit 1 further includes a cord (not shown) which connects a hand piece (not shown), which is utilised to drill out a tooth, to the inverter 16 thereby assisting in providing the hand piece with power as stored in the battery 12. The dental tool 17 provides the function of a number of tools which is in the form of a combination tool and manufactured typically from stainless steel. The dental tool 17 includes at least one or more of the following tools including a dental explorer; amalgam plugger; periodontal probe; ball burnisher; spatula; amalgam carrier; dental mirror; matrix band and/or discoid cleoid. The dental tool 17 typically includes two handles and nine interchangeable working ends depending on the procedure to be conducted.

The dental unit 1 includes a solar powered amalgamator 18 which vibrates at a frequency high enough to assist in combining mercury with a metal alloy to mix amalgam for filling of a tooth.

The dental unit 1 further includes an autoclave 19 to assist with sterilizing all equipment used to perform the examination and/or a procedure on a patient. The autoclave 19 can either be powered by the battery 12 but is typically directly powered by the solar panels 14. The dental unit 1 includes an attachable overhead light (not shown) to assist in providing light to an area of examination and/or procedure.

In an embodiment of the invention, the dental unit 1 is transportable in an integral cover (not shown) when in the portable configuration. In this embodiment of the invention, the further tools and parts for the dental unit are transportable in compartments of the cover.

In a further embodiment of the invention the dental unit 1 is shaped and dimensioned to be collapsible into a portable configuration and fastened to form a carrier (not shown), and further shaped to accommodate the dental tools and parts for the dental unit.

A further embodiment of the invention includes a carrier (not shown) which includes a housing shaped and dimensioned to hold a power supply 12, various tools and parts to be used in dental examination, the housing of the carrier expandable into a dental unit 1 for dental examination. It is envisaged that the invention will assist in making dental care available to all people equally and furthermore, to assist dentists in providing dental care to people in rural areas without access to dental practices.