# US 11,026,768 B2 · Dental appliance reinforcement > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,026,768 B2 - Document ID: US11026768B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/152,188 - Filed: 2008-05-13 - Published: 2008-10-30 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2008-05-13 - Assignees: Align Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Jon F. Moss; Lou Marzano; Eric E. Kuo; Kelsey D. Wirth - Inventors: Jon F. Moss; Lou Marzano; Eric E. Kuo; Kelsey D. Wirth - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11026768B2 ## CPC - A61C 7/08: Mouthpiece-type retainers {or positioners, e.g. for both the lower and upper arch (arch-shaped medicament applicators for teeth or gums A61C19/063; mouthguards for protecting the teeth of sportsmen A63B71/085)} - A61C 7/00: Orthodontics, i.e. obtaining or maintaining the desired position of teeth, e.g. by straightening, evening, regulating, separating, or by correcting malocclusions - A61C 9/00: Impression cups, {i.e. impression trays}; Impression methods {(computer-assisted sizing A61C13/0004; instruments for determining occlusion A61C19/05)} - A61C 7/002: {Orthodontic computer assisted systems} - A61C 13/0004: {Computer-assisted sizing or machining of dental prostheses} - A61C: DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE (non-driven toothbrushes A46B; {tongue scrapers A61B17/24;} preparations for dentistry A61K6/00; preparations for cleaning the teeth or mouth A61K8/00, A61Q11/00) ## Abstract Methods, systems, and apparatuses for dental appliance reinforcement are provided. One dental appliance includes a number of tooth apertures for the placement of teeth therein wherein the number of tooth apertures include an interior surface and an exterior surface, and a reinforcement rib positioned along the exterior surface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A dental appliance system, comprising: a series of dental appliances adapted to apply forces to a patient's teeth for moving the patient's teeth in accordance with a treatment path, the series of dental appliances including a first dental appliance associated with a first segment of the treatment path and a second dental appliance associated with a second segment of the treatment path, wherein each of the first and second dental appliances includes: a shell formed from a polymeric material having tooth apertures arranged in an arch shape based at least in part on the patient's dental arch, the shell comprising: at least one first arch-shaped rib integrally formed with the shell from the polymeric material and located on a lingual exterior surface of the shell, the at least one first arch-shaped rib following a contour of the lingual exterior surface of the shell along a first height of the shell; and at least one second arch-shaped rib integrally formed with the shell from the polymeric material and located on a labial exterior surface of the shell, the at least one second arch-shaped rib following a contour of the labial exterior surface of the shell along a second height of the shell different than the first height, wherein a thickness of the polymeric material of the shell at a location of the first arch-shaped rib or the second arch-shaped rib is larger than a thickness of the polymeric material of remaining portions of the shell that do not include the first or second arch-shaped rib; wherein the first and second arch-shaped ribs of the first dental appliance cooperate and are digitally modelled with the shell of the first dental appliance to determine and apply a first set of forces onto the patient's teeth to achieve a first pre-calculated displacement of the patient's teeth in accordance with the first segment of the treatment path, wherein the first and second arch-shaped ribs of the second dental appliance cooperate and are digitally modelled with the shell of the second dental appliance to determine and apply a second set of forces onto the patient's teeth to achieve a second pre-calculated displacement of the patient's teeth in accordance with the second segment of the treatment path, wherein the first pre-calculated displacement is different than the second pre-calculated displacement. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The dental appliance system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second arch-shaped ribs is positioned on the lingual and labial exterior surfaces of the dental appliance between two tooth apertures. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The dental appliance system of claim 1, wherein at least part of the at least one of the first and second arch-shaped ribs is positioned laterally and across a width of the tooth apertures. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The dental appliance system of claim 1, wherein a first part of the at least one of the first and second arch-shaped ribs has a first shape, and a second part of the at least one of the first and second arch-shaped ribs has a second shape that is different than the first shape. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The dental appliance system of claim 4, wherein the first and second arch-shaped ribs are positioned on the lingual and labial exterior surfaces of the dental appliance between two teeth apertures. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The dental appliance system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second arch-shaped ribs is sized to not interfere with an interface surface of the dental appliance that is to abut a portion of an exterior surface of one of the tooth apertures. ### Claim 7 A dental appliance system, comprising: a series of dental appliances adapted to apply forces to a patient's teeth for moving the patient's teeth in accordance with a treatment path, the series of dental appliances including a first dental appliance associated with a first segment of the treatment path and a second dental appliance associated with a second segment of the treatment path, wherein each of the first and second dental appliances includes: a shell formed from a polymeric material and having a number of tooth apertures formed in an arch shape, the shell comprising: a first arch-shaped rib integrally formed as part of the shell, the first arch-shaped rib following a contour of a lingual exterior surface of the shell along a first height of the dental appliance; and a second arch-shaped rib integrally formed as part of the shell, the second arch-shaped rib follows a contour of a labial exterior surface of the shell along a second height of the dental appliance different than the first height, wherein a thickness of the shell at a location of the first arch-shaped rib or the second arch-shaped rib is larger than a thickness of remaining portions of the dental appliance that do not include the first or second arch-shaped ribs; and wherein the first and second arch-shaped ribs of the first dental appliance cooperate and are digitally modelled with the shell of the first dental appliance to determine and apply a first set of forces onto the patient's teeth to achieve a first pre-calculated displacement of the patient's teeth in accordance with the first segment of the treatment path, wherein the first and second arch-shaped ribs of the second dental appliance cooperate and are digitally modelled with the shell of the second dental appliance to determine and apply a second set of forces onto the patient's teeth to achieve a second pre-calculated displacement of the patient's teeth in accordance with the second segment of the treatment path, wherein the first pre-calculated displacement is different than the second pre-calculated displacement. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The dental appliance system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first and second arch-shaped ribs includes a number of torsional reinforcing ribs for reinforcing the dental appliance regarding one or more torsional forces. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The dental appliance system of claim 7, further comprising one or more perpendicular force reinforcing ribs for reinforcing the dental appliance. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The dental appliance system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first and second arch-shaped ribs includes a reinforcing rib that provides reinforcing for the dental appliance regarding one or more torsional forces or one or more forces perpendicular to a line defined by two points comprising a center of one of the number of tooth apertures and a center of an adjacent tooth aperture. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The dental appliance system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first and second arch-shaped ribs has a semicircular cross-section. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The dental appliance system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first and second arch-shaped ribs includes a number of lateral reinforcing ribs for reinforcing the dental appliance regarding one or more translational forces. ### Claim 13 A dental appliance system, comprising: a series of dental appliances adapted to apply forces to a patient's teeth for moving the patient's teeth in accordance with a treatment path, the series of dental appliances including a first dental appliance associated with a first segment of the treatment path and a second dental appliance associated with a second segment of the treatment path, wherein each of the first and second dental appliances includes: a shell formed from a polymeric material and having tooth apertures formed in an arch shape for a placement of teeth therein, the shell comprising: a first arch-shaped rib integrally formed from the polymeric material on a lingual exterior surface of the shell and configured to reinforce the shell, and a second arch-shaped rib integrally formed from the polymeric material on a labial exterior surface of the shell and configured to reinforce the shell, wherein a thickness of the shell at a location of the first arch-shaped rib or the second arch-shaped rib is larger than a thickness of remaining portions of the shell that do not include the first or second arch-shaped ribs, wherein the first arch-shaped rib follows a contour of the lingual exterior surface along a first height of the shell, and wherein the second arch-shaped rib follows a contour of the labial exterior surface along a second height of the shell different than the first height; and wherein the first and second arch-shaped ribs of the first dental appliance cooperate and are digitally modelled with the shell of the first dental appliance to determine and apply a first set of forces onto the patient's teeth to achieve a first pre-calculated displacement of the patient's teeth in accordance with the first segment of the treatment path, wherein the first and second arch-shaped ribs of the second dental appliance cooperate and are digitally modelled with the shell of the second dental appliance to determine and apply a second set of forces onto the patient's teeth to achieve a second pre-calculated displacement of the patient's teeth in accordance with the second segment of the treatment path, wherein the first pre-calculated displacement is different than the second pre-calculated. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The dental appliance system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the first and second arch-shaped ribs includes a semicircle cross-section. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The dental appliance system of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second arch-shaped ribs is positioned around a rim of the shell and is adapted to be positioned around a gum line of the patient.