Dental articulator capable of fixed horizontal condyle and adjustable horizontal condyle
AssigneeTesco Dental (Hong Kong) Limited
InventorChun Pong CHEUNG
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dental articulator (10) includes a lower base (12) having two support arms (28) extending therefrom. Each support arm (28) includes an upper end with an opening (30) therein. Each opening (30) is adapted to receive a fixed-angle temporomandibular joint assembly (32) having a fixed horizontal condyle angle or an adjustable-angle temporomandibular joint assembly (34) having an adjustable horizontal condyle angle. A dental articulator kit may initially include only a pair of fixed-angle temporomandibular joint assemblies (32) with the pair of adjustable-angle temporomandibular joint assemblies (34) available to be acquired by a user at a later time.
Claims17
A dental articulator comprising a lower base having two support arms extending therefrom, each support arm having an upper end with an opening therein, each opening being adapted to receive a fixed-angle temporomandibular joint assembly having a fixed horizontal condyle angle or an adjustable-angle temporomandibular joint assembly having an adjustable horizontal condyle angle.
A dental articulator kit comprising a dental articulator base having a lower support carrying two support arms extending therefrom, each support arm having an upper end with an opening therein, a pair of fixed-angle temporomandibular joint assemblies having a fixed horizontal condyle angle, the fixed-angle temporomandibular joint assemblies each having an extension adapted to fit in a respective one of the openings, and an optional pair of adjustable-angle temporomandibular joint assemblies having an adjustable horizontal condyle angle, the adjustable-angle temporomandibular joint assemblies each having an extension adapted to fit in a respective one of the openings, wherein the optional pair of adjustable-angle temporomandibular joint assemblies may be acquired by a user at a later time such that a user can upgrade the dental articulator kit to include both the pair of fixed temporomandibular joint assemblies and the pair of adjustable temporomandibular joint assemblies, wherein, upon acquiring the pair of adjustable temporomandibular joint assemblies, the pair of fixed-angle temporomandibular joint assemblies and the pair of adjustable-angle temporomandibular joint assemblies are interchangeable in the openings based on whether a user of the dental articulator kit desires a fixed horizontal condyle angle or an adjustable horizontal condyle angle.
A method of adjusting a dental articulator, comprising steps of
- providing a dental articulator having a lower base with two support arms extending therefrom, each support arm having an upper end with an opening therein,
- inserting a pair of temporomandibular joint assemblies having a fixed horizontal condyle angle in the openings,
- removing the pair of temporomandibular joint assemblies having a fixed horizontal condyle angle from the openings, and
- inserting a pair of temporomandibular joint assemblies having an adjustable horizontal condyle angle in the openings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.