Curing light having a detachable tip
The present invention relates to a curing light having a detachable tip for spot curing of light sensitive composites. A series of tips having varying apertures is also envisioned. The present invention also relates to a curing light having a detachable tip for effecting partial curing of light sensitive composites. The advantage of the tip of the present invention, as compared to prior art tips, is that it is adapted to be fitted over the end of a curing light device without the need to remove any protective cover, focusing lens or similar structure that may be mislaid or lost. It also offers the added advantage of a simplified design without the necessity of having built-in complex optical properties normally served by the protective cover while, at the same time, the tip retains the advantages offered by prior art tips.
1 . A curing light for curing light sensitive composites comprising:
a light module housing having a proximal end and a distal end;
a lens cap near the proximal end of the housing; and
an opaque tip having a conical-shaped body, an interior, an exterior, an apex, and an aperture at the apex, adapted for enveloping at least a portion of the lens cap.
2 . The curing light of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said interior surface of the tip comprises a reflective surface or an opaque surface.
3 . The curing light of claim 1 wherein said lens cap is selected from a group consisting of a protective cover, a dome, a clear cover, a focusing lens, a light guide, a reflector and combinations thereof.
4 . The curing light of claim 1 wherein said tip comprises a circular ring section having an inside side-wall adapted to envelope at least a portion of the lens cap in a friction fit.
5 . The curing light of claim 1 wherein said lens cap comprises an outside wall having a substantially uniform diameter over at least a portion of said outside wall.
6 . The curing light of claim 1 wherein said lens cap comprises at least one raised structure on the outside wall.
7 . The curing light of claim 6 wherein said raised structure is selected from the group consisting of a protrusion, a bump, a ridge, a rim or combinations thereof.
8 . The curing light of claim 4 wherein said circular ring comprises at least one structure for mating with a corresponding raised structure on the outside wall of the lens cap.
9 . The curing light of claim 8 wherein said structure is selected from the group consisting of a depression, a groove, a channel, an enlarged diameter portion, or combinations thereof.
10 . The curing light of claim 8 wherein said structure is on the inside side-wall of the circular ring section.
11 . The curing light of claim 1 wherein the aperture of the tip controls the footprint of a beam of light emitted by the curing light.
12 . The curing light of claim 1 wherein said interior of the tip further comprises at least one protrusion for repeatably positioning the tip over the lens cap.
13 . The curing light of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the lens cap enveloped by the tip comprises of the same ore different material having similar coefficients of thermal expansion.
14 . A curing light device suitable for curing light curable dental composite materials comprising:
a light module housing including a distal end and a proximal end, with the proximal end of the housing being the light emitting end;
at least one molded reflector located towards the proximal end of the light module housing;
a lens cap fitted over the proximal end of the housing; and
an opaque tip having a conical-shaped body, an interior, an exterior, an apex, and an aperture at the apex, adapted for enveloping at least a portion of the lens cap.
15 . The curing light of claim 14 wherein said molded reflector, at least a portion of the housing to which the reflector is attached comprises of similar materials or materials having similar coefficients of thermal expansion.
16 . The curing light of claim 14 wherein said molded reflector comprises an inside surface, at least a portions of the inside surface is reflective.
17 . The curing light of claim 16 wherein said reflective surface comprises a thin coating of metal.
18 . The curing light of claim 16 wherein said reflective surface is concave.
19 . The curing light of claim 14 wherein said wherein said tip comprises a circular ring section having an inside side-wall adapted to envelope at least a portion of the lens cap in a friction fit.
20 . The curing light of claim 14 wherein said lens cap comprises at least one raised structure on the outside wall.
21 . The curing light of claim 19 wherein said circular ring comprises at least one structure for mating with a corresponding raised structure on the outside wall of the lens cap.
22 . The curing light of claim 21 wherein said structure is on the inside side-wall of the circular ring section.
23 . The curing light of claim 14 wherein the aperture of the tip controls the footprint of a beam of light emitted by the curing light.
24 . The curing light of claim 14 wherein said interior of the tip further comprises at least one protrusion for repeatably positioning the tip over the lens cap.
25 . The curing light of claim 14 wherein said tip, the lens cap, the molded reflector and the portion of the housing mounted to the molded reflector comprises the same material or different materials having similar coefficients of thermal expansion.
26 . The curing light of claim 14 wherein the lens cap and the tip are attached as a unit and the entire unit is detachable.
27 . The curing light of claim 14 further comprising a heat sink comprising a phase change material.
28 . A tip for controlling the footprint of a beam of light from a curing light comprises:
a conical-shaped body having an interior, an exterior, an apex, and an aperture at the apex; and
at least one circular ring section having an inside side-wall adapted to envelope at least a portion of a lens cap in a friction fit.
29 . The tip of claim 28 wherein said circular ring comprises at least one structure for mating with a corresponding raised structure on the outside wall of the lens cap.
30 . The tip of claim 29 wherein said structure is selected from the group consisting of a depression, a groove, a channel, an enlarged diameter portion, or combinations thereof.
31 . The tip of claim 28 wherein at least a portion of said interior surface of the tip comprises a reflective surface or an opaque surface.
32 . The tip of any of claims 28 wherein said tip is selected from a series of tips having varying diameter apertures adapted for effecting spot curing of composites.
33 . The tip of claim 29 wherein said structure is on the inside side-wall of the circular ring section.
34 . The curing light of claim 1 wherein the aperture of the tip controls the footprint of a beam of light emitted by the curing light.
35 . The tip of claim 29 wherein said interior of the tip further comprises at least one protrusion for repeatably positioning the tip over the lens cap.
36 . The tip of claim 29 wherein said aperture has a smaller diameter than the diameter of the lens cap.