US 5,957,688 A · Dental model articulator

Abstract

A dental model articulator includes two hinge-jointed arms, each arm having segments connected at a hinge joint having mating elements, one integral to each segment of an arm. One element includes two cymbals that are coaxial on a major hinge axis and concave facing which resiliently capture between them a node of the mating element on the other segment which has the form of opposed, outwardly facing convexities. Multiaxial motion between the segments of each arm is accommodated by the rotation of the convexities of the node within detents at the apices of the cymbals. The extremities of each arm terminate in cylindrical rod-like elements that are parallel to the major hinge axis. The rods engage with transverse, cylindrical channels either cut-in, molded-in or affixed to the models. With the models positioned in centric occlusal relationship and the arms adjacently positioned and engaged, the four rods are adhesively fixed in the channels. Once fixed, the two hinge joints together define a single hinge axis posterior and interjacent to the models. Further, each hinge joint can allow the node elements to release from the axis detents and slide between the cymbals to permit protrusive and lateral masticatory motions between the dental models.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A dental model articulator for hingedly joining upper and lower dental models, the articulator comprising:

an arm comprising first and second arm segments, each having a proximal end and a distal end, and an intermediate hinge joint for joining the proximal ends of the first and second arm segments to provide hinging motion about a hinge axis, each arm segment terminating at its distal end in an arm connection element pivotally engageable with one of the upper and lower dental models, the arm connection element being pivotable about a single pivot axis, the hinge joint further having an amount of orthogonal deviation from the hinge axis that provides multiaxial adaptive motion for aligning the arm connection elements with the respective dental models.

A dental model articulator for hingedly joining a matched set of upper and lower dental models, comprising:

model connection elements to allow single axis pivotable connection, each of the models adjacently incorporating a pair of said elements, each element having a pivot axis, the pivot axes of each pair being approximately coaxial and perpendicular to a sagittal plane of the model, the model connection elements each having sufficient transverse width to allow engagement thereto with an amount of lateral freedom;
and
a pair of arms, each arm having two functional segments joined with hinge means providing hinging motion between the segments on a hinge axis which is allowed a range of orthogonal deviation from an axis perpendicular to a major axis of the arm segments, each of the arm segments extremitally disposed with an engageable arm connection element for pivotally engaging a corresponding model connection element which forms a connexus, the arm connection elements each having sufficient transverse axial width so that any adjustment motion of the connexus is limited to radial motion about the single pivot axis and transverse motion along the single pivot axis.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Dental model articulator

Life of this patent

Dental model articulator

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30