Dental apparatus
OwnerRobert L. Leeinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Jaw movements are measured mechanically and electrically. The information is used to adjust guide boxes on a dental articulator which cooperate with fixed styluses to simulate jaw movements. The information is also used to select preformed guide blocks with fixed walls. Such preformed guide blocks are adjustably mounted which causes change of the orientation of the fixed walls. Also disclosed is a hinge bracket for use in positioning preformed guide blocks for simple hinging action in an articulator. Further disclosed is a pair of alignment members having laterally extending openings which facilitate lateral adjustment of an articulator upper frame on fixed styluses of a lower frame.
Claims24
A method of simulating jaw movements comprising the steps of:
- measuring or registering specified parameters of a patients's lower jaw movements including side shift of the lower jaw from a predetermined location and including at least one protrusive path;
- selecting from a preformed supply of analogue guide blocks having paths formed therein of standarized sizes, classified on the basis of said lower jaw side shift, the set of blocks closest to the patient's jaw movement side shift parameters, the path in each of said blocks being adapted to receive a stylus on a dental articulator, said path having an upper wall, an inner or medial wall, and a rear wall adjacent a centic position point;
- and
- mounting the selected blocks in a dental articulator in a manner to receive the articulator styluses and to simulate the patient's jaw movements including rotating the blocks about the hinge axis of the articulator to the positions which will orient the guide block paths so that movement of the styluses within said block paths will best duplicate the patient's protrusive and side shift paths.
Dental apparatus for simulating human jaw movements comprising:
- a dental articulator lower frame having a pair of spaced styluses;
- a dental articulator upper frame including a pair of guide blocks having openings for receiving said styluses, said guide blocks being selected from a supply of blocks wherein said openings are preformed with fixed surfaces to guide styluses of an articulator to provide simulated human jaw movement, said fixed surfaces including an upper wall, an inner or medial wall, and a rear wall, said pair of guide blocks being selected to most closely simulate the side shift of the patient for whom the articulator is being used, and including means for mounting said blocks to be rotatably adjustable in the articulator around the hinge axis extending through the center of said styluses so that the blocks may be fixed in a position to enable said patient's protrusive jaw movement to be simulated.
An analogue guide block having a fixed pathway molded therein for use in a dental articulator to simulate the jaw movements of a human patient, said articulator having a pair of spaced styluses, each of which is to be received within a fixed pathway of one of said guide blocks, and said block having a mounting pin attached to said block and extending outwardly from the block, said pin being adapted to be received within the upper frame of said articulator and being mounted to permit adjustment of said block about an axis of the articulator.
An analogue guide block for use in a dental articulator having a pair of spaced styluses defining a hinge axis to simulate the jaw movements of a human patient, said block having a fixed pathway formed therein to receive the stylus of the articulator and having an exterior surface which is generally perpendicular to said axis when the styluses are positioned in said pathway of a pair of said blocks in centric position, and means formed on said exterior surface of said block defining a path which intersects said centric axis and corresponds to a specified path of an articulator stylus when moved in said pathway.
An alalogue guide block for use in a dental articulator to simulate jaw movements, said block having a pathway formed therein for receiving one of a pair of spaced styluses defining a hinge axis, said block having an exterior surface which is generally perpendicular to said axis when the styluses are positioned in centric position in the pathway of a pair of said blocks and means formed on exterior of said block defining a path which intersects said axis when the articulator is in centric position and which corresponds to said pathway in a manner such that a recording of a patient's jaw movement path may be compared with said exterior path on the block to determine whether the block can be used to closely simulate the patient's jaw movements.
The method of simulating jaw movements comprising the steps of:
- recording a path of a patient's jaw movement, said path intersecting the patient's jaw hinge axis;
- selecting from a preformed supply of analogue guide blocks, having standardized pathways for receiving the styluses of a dental articulator, the set of blocks which most closely simulate th patient's jaw movements when used in the articulator, said styluses defining a hinge axis, said selection being made by comparing the recorded path with a path on the exterior of one of said blocks which intersects said stylus hinge axis when the styluses are in centric position and which corresponds to said pathway within the block.
A dental articulator comprising:
- a lower frame having a pair of styluses fixed in spaced relation;
- an upper frame including a pair of guide blocks having openings formed therein for receiving said styluses;
- a hinging bracket mounted on said lower frame having a pair of hinge members positioned outwardly from said styluses and each having a hole formed therein aligned with the hinge axis through the centers of said styluses;
- and
- laterally adjustable pins extending through said holes to engage mating recesses in the outer faces of said guide blocks so that said upper frame may be pivoted with respect to said lower frame about said pins.
A dental articulator comprising:
- a lower frame having a pair of styluses fixed in spaced relation;
- an upper frame having means for mounting a pair of alignment members each having a laterally elongated opening for receiving said styluses;
- and
- dimples formed in the outer ends of said members aligned with said styluses for receiving a transfer face bow utilized in connection with mounting dental items onto the articulator, said members being laterally adjustable in said upper frame so as to accommodate face bows set to various face widths.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.