Leveling Mechanism For X-ray Machines

Abstract

A leveling mechanism comprising two eccentrics rotatably mounted around the mounting shaft of a suspension system that supports an X-ray head. Respective wrenches for such eccentrics are mounted to the suspension system and may cooperatively engage their respective eccentrics to facilitate leveling of the suspension system in order to prevent drifting of the X-ray head.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to leveling mechanisms and more particularly to a leveling mechanism for a suspension-supported X-ray head.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Dental X-ray heads are normally supported by a suspension system which is either attached to the wall of a dentist's office or attached to a permanent mounting on the floor of the dentist's office. In either case, the mounting shaft of the suspension system must be precisely vertical or the dental X-ray head which is attached to the end of the suspension system will drift, i.e., the dental X-ray head will not hold the particular position in which it is placed.

In the past, in order to overcome the problem of having a drifting dental X-ray head, the repairman would attempt to install the mounting shaft in a precisely vertical position by leveling the upper edge of the wallplate and by placing shims behind the wall plate. This method was quite tedious and typically followed the trial and error approach. On numerous occasions such mounting of a dental X-ray machine on the wall was done in a new building where the walls had not yet settled. In many cases, after the original installation of the dental X-ray machine, the walls of the office would settle and a repairman had to be called back again to level the mounting shaft in order to prevent drifting of the dental X-ray head. The repairman had to be called every time the walls would settle. Thus, considerable expense and downtime of the dental X-ray machine was involved in the prior art method of preventing drifting of the dental X-ray head because the dentist or dental X-ray technician would have to call a repairman to relevel the mounting shaft because they could not do it themselves.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel leveling mechanism which is directly coupled to the mounting shaft of the suspension system.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel leveling mechanism which may be readily adjusted by the unskilled X-ray technician.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A leveling mechanism comprising two eccentrics rotatably mounted around the mounting shaft of a suspension system that supports an X-ray head. Respective wrenches for each eccentric are mounted to the suspension system and may cooperatively engage their respective eccentrics to facilitate leveling of the suspension system. The respective wrenches may be rotated so as to rotate either or both of the eccentrics in order to align the mounting shaft of the suspension system precisely vertical, i.e., to align the mounting shaft with the center of gravity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Additional objects, advantages and characteristic features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a wall-mounted suspension system having a dental X-ray head supported thereon in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the wall plate of a suspension system that is mounted to a wall and further illustrates the mounting shaft and its leveling mechanism coupled thereto in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross section of the leveling mechanism in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a top view of the leveling mechanism in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a dental X-ray machine 10 which includes suspension means 11 and a dental X-ray head 12. The dental X-ray machine 10 may be mounted to the wall of the dentist's office by means of a wall plate 13 and the screws 13a. As is well known, if a suspension system is properly aligned with the center of gravity any object supported by said suspension system can be moved from one position to another position, and the suspended object will remain stationary in the position to which it was moved. However, if an object is supported by a suspension system which is not properly leveled, i.e., if the suspension system is not properly aligned with the center of gravity, the object suspended from such suspension system will drift.

In the instant case, if the suspension means 11 is not properly aligned with the center of gravity, the dental X-ray head 12 will drift after it has been moved from one position to another. Therefore, if a dentist or the dental X-ray technician positions the dental X-ray head 12 in preparation to take a dental radiograph and the suspension means 11 is not properly leveled, the dental X-ray head 12 will drift from the position in which it was placed and thus prevent the taking of a dental radiograph of the area desired. Illustrated within an exposed portion of a cover 11b is a mounting shaft 11a. The suspension means 11 is rotatably mounted on the mounting shaft 11a. Therefore, if the mounting shaft 11a is precisely vertical, the suspension system 11 will be properly leveled and the dental X-ray head 12 will not drift.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a side view of the wall plate 13 mounted to a wall 14 within the office of the dentist. In the alternative, the wall 14 may represent a mobile cart to which wall plate 13 is mounted. The cover 11b of the suspension means 11 of FIG. 1 has not been included in order to illustrate a web having members 13b and 13c which retain the mounting shaft 11a. Coupled around the mounting shaft 11a is a leveling mechanism 15 which is comprised of a first eccentric 15a, a second eccentric 15b, a first wrench 15c, a second wrench 15d, and a locking means 15e. A bearing 16 is shown mounted in the web member 13b and around the mounting shaft 11a. Therefore, the mounting shaft 11a may be rotated within the bearing 16 and the leveling mechanism 15 so as to rotate the suspension means 11. The suspension means 11, as shown in FIG. 1, would be mounted on to the mounting shaft 11a and it would be rotated when the mounting shaft is rotated. The locking means 15e may be partially released to allow the leveling mechanism 15 to be manipulated.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a cross section of the leveling mechanism 15 in accordance with the present invention. As can be readily appreciated from a detailed study of this cross section of the leveling mechanism 15, if either or both of the eccentrics 15a and 15b are rotated, that part of the mounting shaft 11a located within the leveling mechanism 15 will be transposed to a new location as a function of the movement of either or both of the eccentrics 15a and 15b.

Referring now to FIG. 4 there is shown a top view of the leveling mechanism 15 including the components discussed above and further including the slots 15f and 15g in which the locking means 15e is located. A dot, designated as 20, and a dashed circle designated as 21, are shown illustrated within the leveling mechanism 15. The dot 20 represents a point on the axis of the mounting shaft 11a in proximity of the bearing 16. The area within the dashed circle 21 illustrates the area described by a point of the axis of the mounting shaft 11a moving in a plane normal to such axis in proximity of the leveling mechanism 15. In other words, in the operation of the leveling mechanism 15, when the wrenches 15c and 15d are rotated, their respective eccentrics 15a and 15b will move the mounting shaft 11a so as to make the mounting shaft 11a precisely vertical. Thus, a point on the axis of 11a within the plane of the circle 21 may be located in a plurality of positions to accomplish the desired leveling in order to prevent drifting of the dental X-ray head 12 of a particular dental office.

Thus, although the present invention has been shown and described with reference to particular embodiments, for example, a leveling mechanism which is located below a bearing of the mounting shaft, nevertheless, various changes and modifications obvious to a person skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, for example, a leveling mechanism located above a bearing of the mounting shaft, are deemed to lie within the spirit, scope and contemplation of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An X-ray apparatus comprising:

a web-shaped support member adapted to be mounted to a vertical wall, said web-shaped member having respective top and bottom horizontally disposed members, each respective horizontally disposed member having a respective vertically disposed opening therein;

a mounting shaft having a top portion and a bottom portion, said mounting shaft mounted within said respective vertically disposed openings of said respective horizontally disposed members of said web-shaped support member;

a movable suspension system having a first end and a second end, said first end of said movable suspension system rotatably mounted to said top portion of said mounting shaft;

an X-ray head mounted to said second end of said movable suspension system; and

a pair of abutting eccentrics located within said opening of said bottom horizontally disposed member and located around said bottom portion of said mounting shaft, said pair of abutting eccentrics individually adjustable for aligning the axis of said mounting shaft with the center of gravity in order to prevent drifting of said mounted X-ray head.

2. An X-ray apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a first wrench coupled to one of said abutting eccentrics for facilitating adjustment of said one eccentric;

a second wrench coupled to the other of said abutting eccentrics for facilitating adjustment of said other eccentric; and

locking means mounted to said bottom horizontally disposed member of said web-shaped support member and coupled to said first and second wrenches for retaining said first and second wrenches to their respective eccentrics.