# US 7,229,284 B2 · Dental articulator having dual balls

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- Number: US 7,229,284 B2
- Document ID: US7229284B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/177,546
- Filed: 2005-07-08
- Published: 2006-09-14
- Granted: 2007-06-12
- Earliest claimed: 2005-03-12
- Assignees: Alphadent
- Inventors: Jae Soo Uhm
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7229284B2

## CPC

- A61C 11/02: characterised by the arrangement, location or type of the hinge means {; Articulators with pivots}
- A61C 11/084: {for 3D adjustment, e.g. Ball-and-socket}
- A61C 11/08: with means to secure dental casts to articulator
- 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

A dental articulator capable of finely adjusting a three-dimensional articulation posture and exerting a secure fastening force by a lever is provided. The dental articulator includes a lower grip plate, a column, an arm, and an upper grip plate, wherein a first ball and a second ball are disposed between the arm and the upper grip plate, and wherein the dental articulator further comprises: a first clamp block having spherical recesses contacting with the first and second balls; a second clamp block having spherical recesses contacting with the first and second balls; a lever disposed on an outer surface of the second clamp block; an engaging bolt passing through the lever and the second clamp block into the first clamp block; and fastening bolts engaged into the lever to shorten a distance between the first and second clamp blocks.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A dental articulator comprising:
a lower grip plate on which a lower mouth mold is mounted;
a column disposed at one end of the lower grip plate;
an arm having one end rotatably disposed at an upper end of the column; and
an upper grip plate disposed at the other end of the arm,
wherein a first ball having a shape of a sphere is disposed at the other end of the arm, and a second ball having a shape of a sphere is disposed at a neck portion erected at a center of the upper grip plate, and
wherein the dental articulator further comprises:
a first clamp block having spherical recesses spherically contacting with the first and second balls, wherein a screw hole is provided at a central portion of the first clamp block;
a second clamp block having spherical recesses spherically contacting with the first and second balls, wherein an engaging bolt hole is provided at a central portion of the second clamp block;
a lever disposed on an outer surface of the second clamp block, wherein screw holes are provided to both ends of the lever, wherein an engaging bolt hole is provided to a central portion of the lever;
an engaging bolt passing through the engaging bolt hole of the lever and the engaging bolt hole of the second clamp block to be engaged into the screw hole of the first clamp block; and
fastening bolts engaged into the screw holes of the lever to shorten a distance between the first and second clamp blocks based on the fastening bolts' engagement position.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The dental articulator according to claim 1, wherein the lever is inserted into a groove formed on the outer surface of the second clamp block to prevent the lever from rotating.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The dental articulator according to claim 1, wherein the engaging bolt is located at a central portion between the first and second balls, and
wherein central axes of the fastening bolts are located close to central lines of the respective first and second balls.