The invention relates to a portable dental instrument sterilizing container. The container collects and disposes of the soiled liquids ejected from dental surgery instruments during or following sterilization of their internal passages. The container holds the instruments during such operations. The prior art embraces apparatus for sterilizing the air and/or water supply passages of the handgrips of certain dental surgery instruments such as high speed drills and scale removers. The fluids supplied through these passages serve as propellant for the instrument and/or as coolants for the instrument while being used in the area of the patient's mouth subjected to treatment. Apparatus of the type in question is disclosed in DE-OS 3 246 266. This discloses that at a convenient moment when the instruments are not in use, the instruments are placed in the sterilizing apparatus. The internal passages of the instruments are filled to capacity with a sterilizing liquid. The sterilizing liquid is left to act for a given duration before being ejected forcibly from the passages, generally by flushing out with water. In fact, these instruments form part of a column-mounted assembly of equipment to be found in any modern dental surgery equipment which incorporates a pressurized supply of water for their operation. Turning on the water supply, the internal passages of the instruments are flushed clear of the soiled sterilizing liquid and rinsed and filled with clean water in the process. Thus, with the rinse completed, the passages remain primed with water in readiness for subsequent use. When carrying out the two operations of sterilizing and flushing the passages, splashing and dripping are prevented by placing the instruments initially in a special container. The special container serves ultimately to collect the sterilizing liquid and with it, the substances removed from the passages. Care also needs to be taken to ensure that the sterilizing liquid, an acid and chemically aggressive fluid in most cases, will not overflow from the container. Such overflow would stain, if not actually damage the surface on which the container stands. Accordingly, the volume of the container will be such, preferably, to accommodate the entire quantity of sterilizing liquid and flushing liquid utilized. Further, provision must be made to ensure that the instrument grips will not fall and become dirty, and/or cause the surface on which the container stands to be subjected to chemical attack.
German patent DE PS-36 11 327 discloses apparatus in which to place the handgrips of dental surgery instruments and collect the soiled sterilizing liquid aforementioned. The apparatus can be positioned over the spittle bowl of the column equipment and discharge its contents thereinto from an annular chamber, or trap, that forms part of the container. This type of apparatus permits a continuous discharge of any sterilizing liquid overflowing from the trap to the spittle bowl. However, whilst the overflow problems are eliminated by such an arrangement, absolute hygiene cannot be guaranteed in that the spittle bowl is a ready source of germs. An additional drawback of the trap-type apparatus is that the instruments and their handgrips are held permanently in an environment (the annular chamber) that is also occupied by the soiled sterilizing liquid, and inevitably, by the germs entrained in it. Another problem arising with the German patent apparatus is that of the difficulty experienced with cleaning operations. The annular chamber has to be upturned in order to empty it entirely of its contents. This is a contingency that necessarily influences the mobility and positioning of the container. The annular chamber serves additionally to enable part immersion in the soiled sterilizing fluid, of the terminal section of the instrument and of the end of the suction tube connected to the column vacuum pump. However, as the suction capacity of this tube is distinctly greater than the capacities of the various instruments and handgrips put together, the need also exists for a replenishing system to keep the annular chamber topped up with liquid to ensure that it will not empty out and cause the suction tube to draw in air only. With the container placed above the spittle bowl, the empty chamber will be in direct communication with the outlet of the bowl. Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks described above.