Abstract: A dental handpiece having a bur-receiving chuck with spring jaws which exert a strong clamping force on the shank of a bur for operatively securing the bur to the handpiece rotor, such handpiece also having a lever-actuated bur release mechanism for forcing the jaws apart when removal and replacement of a bur is desired. A force-multiplying control lever for camming open the clamping jaws is an integrated part of the handpiece assembly and is carried by a removable disk-shaped cover that may be rotated with respect to the head of the handpiece to position the lever at whatever radial direction the user prefers. A helical cup spring frictionally engages the cover to maintain the lever in its selected direction of operation, and at least one annular leaf spring bears against a cam portion of the control lever to hold the lever in a retracted or lowered position during operation of the handpiece.

Abstract: A quick connect/disconnect coupling for dental handpieces that includes a pair of telescoping coupling sleeves equipped with a plurality of bayonet slots and lugs for detachably connecting the sleeves together. In one sleeve is a spring-loaded connector body having a plurality of axially extending passages communicating with the fluid (air and water) conduits of a supply hose, the connector having a hard-surface planar end face exposed at the distal end of the sleeve. The other sleeve is a proximal extension of a handpiece and contains a plurality of tubes arranged and dimensioned to be received in the passages of the connector body when the two sleeves are coupled together. A resilient gasket, confined by a rigid support ring, surrounds the tubes and includes frusto-conical ring portions about such tubes for sealingly engaging the end face of the connector body.

Abstract: A connector for attaching a supply hose to a dental handpiece, the connector including a generally cylindrical body having a longitudinally-extending socket containing a lamp for directing light towards a fiberoptic light conductor of the handpiece during operation. The body also includes an exhaust air passage that extends alongside the socket and communicates with that socket through a slot extending substantially the full length of the socket. The lamp includes bulb and base portions with the base portion having a lug projecting radially outwardly through the slot into the exhaust air passage. A tool has stem and head portions insertable into the exhaust air passage for engaging the lug when extraction of the lamp is desired.