US 7,515,683 B2
	Unit for acquiring dental radiographic images
Eros Nanni, Castel Guelfo di Bologna (Italy); Stefano Malucelli, Cannuzzo di Cervia (Italy); Dario Righini, Imola (Italy); and Luciano Langella, Casnate (Italy)
Assigned to CEFLA Società Cooperativa, Imola (Italy)
Filed on Nov. 27, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/604,641.
Claims priority of application No. 05425838 (EP), filed on Nov. 28, 2005.
Prior Publication US 2007/0237291 A1, Oct. 11, 2007
Int. Cl. A61B 6/14 (2006.01); H05G 1/02 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 378—38  [378/193]

3 Claims

1. A unit for acquiring dental radiographic images of a patient comprising: an x-ray head, a supporting arm of the x-ray head, coupling means of the x-ray head to the supporting arm, wherein said coupling means comprise a ball joint comprising a spherical member carried by said supporting arm and x-ray head and a housing seat of the spherical member; and a locking device for locking the ball joint in a determined angular position, the locking device comprising at least one locking member mobile between a locking position of the spherical member inside said housing seat and a releasing position, and actuating means for shifting the locking member between said locking and releasing positions; wherein the ball joint comprises a first plate provided with said housing seat; the locking device comprising a second plate, which extends about the spherical member, defines said locking member, and is rotationally coupled to the first plate to oscillate, with respect to the first plate, between said locking and releasing positions; and the actuating means comprising an actuating cylinder for shifting the second plate from the locking position to the releasing position.