DENTAL ARTICULATOR WITH REMOVABLE ANALOGUE BLOCKS
United States Patent 3593424
A dental articulator including upper and lower frames, the lower frame having a pair of laterally separated spherical styluses representing simulated condyles which extend upwardly therefrom. The upper frame has a pair of lateral arms and a forward arm, and the forward arm has means for indicating the orbital axis reference point. The lateral arms of the upper frame are adapted to receive a pair of simulated upper joint members, or analogue blocks, which are removably fastened thereto. Each simulated upper joint member has a roughly cubical configuration except for one longitudinal edge being cut off and curved in approximately a 90° arc so that the configuration of the member also corresponds approximately to one-quarter of a cylinder. A generally flat side opposite the curved surface is adapted to be attached to the underside of the articulator upper frame. Each simulated upper joint member has an irregularly shaped opening formed in its curved surface, one part of that opening representing the centric relation position. Each simulated upper joint member (analogue block) also has a dimple formed in its outward lateral side. When the spherical styluses of the lower frame are received in the centric parts of the openings of the simulated upper joint members, the common axis of the two dimples also passes through the radius centers of the spherical styluses. The articulator also includes a centric reference means for indicating the lateral alignment of the upper frame relative to the lower frame. The centric reference means has upper and lower parts extending from the respective frames, the two parts being adapted to interengage at a point precisely located on the common axis that passes through the radius centers of the two spherical styluses.
US Patent References:
Hinge joint for dental articulator
DePietro - April 1965 - 3176400
Dental articulator
Swanson - June 1968 - 3387369
Hinge joint for dental articulator
DePietro - April 1965 - 3176400
Dental articulator
Swanson - June 1968 - 3387369
Application Number:
04/836293
Publication Date:
07/20/1971
Filing Date:
06/25/1969
View Patent Images:
Export Citation:
Assignee:
Arant, Gene W. (Los Angeles, CA)
, Lee Robert L. (Los Angeles, CA)
, Lee Arlene M. (Los Angeles, CA)
, Lee Robert L. (Los Angeles, CA)
, Lee Arlene M. (Los Angeles, CA)
Primary Class:
Other Classes:
433/59
International Classes:
A61C11/02; A61C11/06; A61C11/00; A61C11/00
Field of Search:
32/32
Primary Examiner:
Peshock, Robert
Parent Case Data:
IDENTIFICATION OF REFERENCED PATENT
The present application is a division of my copending prior application Ser. No. 569,472 filed Aug. 1, 1966, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,452,439 issued July 1, 1969. The entire drawing and specification of the patent are incorporated herein by reference in order to provide a full and complete disclosure of the present invention.
Claims:
What I claim is
1. In an apparatus for recording and reproducing jaw movements, a simulated upper joint member including a solid body of rigid plastic material, having a roughly cubical configuration except for the lower rearward longitudinal edge thereof being cut off and curved in approximately a 90° arc so that said member also corresponds approximately to one-quarter of a cylinder, having a generally flat upper side which is adapted to be removably attached either to the upper frame of a transfer apparatus or to an articulator upper frame, said member having an irregularly shaped opening formed in the curved surface thereof, the bottom of said opening being of concave configuration and having a common radius of curvature at various points thereof, said member having a dimple formed in one end thereof and said dimple together with the radius center of one part of said opening forming an axis which is parallel to said generally flat upper side.
2. A simulated upper joint member as claimed in claim 1 having an elongated lug on said generally flat side thereof.
3. A simulated upper joint member as claimed in claim 1 wherein said solid body forms a wall extending about the entire circumference of said opening, including the laterally outward side thereof.
4. A dental articulator upper frame having a pair of lateral arms and a forward arm;
5. An articulator upper frame as claimed in claim 4 wherein said centric reference means is a spring-loaded pin slidable vertically through an opening in said upper frame.
6. The articulator upper frame claimed in claim 5 which further includes a setscrew for fastening said pin in a selected vertical position.
7. The articulator upper frame claimed in claim 4 wherein a locator hole is formed in each lateral arm thereof adjacent the corresponding slideway, each said simulated upper joint member has a corresponding slot formed in its upper surface, and which further includes a pair of vertically slidable locator pins, each occupying a corresponding hole in said upper frame and adapted to selectively engage the slot of the simulated joint member when said simulated joint members are positioned at a standard separation distance.
8. A lower frame for a dental articulator comprising:
9. An articulator lower frame as claimed in claim 8 wherein a centric reference notch is formed in the upper surface of said truss at its lateral center.
10. A dental articulator lower frame as claimed in claim 9 having a pair of spherical styluses supported above respective ones of said posts, and having a flat reference surface formed on the upper central portion of said truss on respective sides of said centric notch, said flat reference surface being at the same elevation as the radius centers of said spherical styluses.
11. A lower frame for a dental articulator as claimed in claim 10 wherein said forward arm, said lateral arms, said posts, and said truss are integrally formed from a single metallic member.
12. A dental articulator comprising, in combination:
13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein each said rigid plastic body has a roughly cubical configuration except for the transversely extending lower rearward edge thereof being cut off and curved in approximately a 90° arc so that said body also corresponds approximately to one-quarter of a cylinder, said opening extending in a generally front-to-rear direction along said curved surface.
14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the bottom of each said opening has common radius of curvature at various points thereof.
15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the bottom of each said opening has a common radius of curvature at various points thereof, equal to the radius of curvature of said spherical styluses.
16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the upper part of said centric reference means is a spring-loaded pin slidable vertically through an opening in said upper frame.
17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein each said simulated upper joint member has a dimple formed in its outward lateral side, said dimples being aligned with the radius centers of the centric parts of said openings.
18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said upper frame has laterally extending slideways formed therein, said simulated upper joint members being slidable laterally outwardly when said removable fastening means are removed; and wherein said lower frame also has laterally extending slideways in which said spherical styluses are slidable laterally outwardly.
19. A simulated upper joint member adapted for reproducing jaw movements,
1. In an apparatus for recording and reproducing jaw movements, a simulated upper joint member including a solid body of rigid plastic material, having a roughly cubical configuration except for the lower rearward longitudinal edge thereof being cut off and curved in approximately a 90° arc so that said member also corresponds approximately to one-quarter of a cylinder, having a generally flat upper side which is adapted to be removably attached either to the upper frame of a transfer apparatus or to an articulator upper frame, said member having an irregularly shaped opening formed in the curved surface thereof, the bottom of said opening being of concave configuration and having a common radius of curvature at various points thereof, said member having a dimple formed in one end thereof and said dimple together with the radius center of one part of said opening forming an axis which is parallel to said generally flat upper side.
2. A simulated upper joint member as claimed in claim 1 having an elongated lug on said generally flat side thereof.
3. A simulated upper joint member as claimed in claim 1 wherein said solid body forms a wall extending about the entire circumference of said opening, including the laterally outward side thereof.
4. A dental articulator upper frame having a pair of lateral arms and a forward arm;
5. An articulator upper frame as claimed in claim 4 wherein said centric reference means is a spring-loaded pin slidable vertically through an opening in said upper frame.
6. The articulator upper frame claimed in claim 5 which further includes a setscrew for fastening said pin in a selected vertical position.
7. The articulator upper frame claimed in claim 4 wherein a locator hole is formed in each lateral arm thereof adjacent the corresponding slideway, each said simulated upper joint member has a corresponding slot formed in its upper surface, and which further includes a pair of vertically slidable locator pins, each occupying a corresponding hole in said upper frame and adapted to selectively engage the slot of the simulated joint member when said simulated joint members are positioned at a standard separation distance.
8. A lower frame for a dental articulator comprising:
9. An articulator lower frame as claimed in claim 8 wherein a centric reference notch is formed in the upper surface of said truss at its lateral center.
10. A dental articulator lower frame as claimed in claim 9 having a pair of spherical styluses supported above respective ones of said posts, and having a flat reference surface formed on the upper central portion of said truss on respective sides of said centric notch, said flat reference surface being at the same elevation as the radius centers of said spherical styluses.
11. A lower frame for a dental articulator as claimed in claim 10 wherein said forward arm, said lateral arms, said posts, and said truss are integrally formed from a single metallic member.
12. A dental articulator comprising, in combination:
13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein each said rigid plastic body has a roughly cubical configuration except for the transversely extending lower rearward edge thereof being cut off and curved in approximately a 90° arc so that said body also corresponds approximately to one-quarter of a cylinder, said opening extending in a generally front-to-rear direction along said curved surface.
14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the bottom of each said opening has common radius of curvature at various points thereof.
15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the bottom of each said opening has a common radius of curvature at various points thereof, equal to the radius of curvature of said spherical styluses.
16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the upper part of said centric reference means is a spring-loaded pin slidable vertically through an opening in said upper frame.
17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein each said simulated upper joint member has a dimple formed in its outward lateral side, said dimples being aligned with the radius centers of the centric parts of said openings.
18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said upper frame has laterally extending slideways formed therein, said simulated upper joint members being slidable laterally outwardly when said removable fastening means are removed; and wherein said lower frame also has laterally extending slideways in which said spherical styluses are slidable laterally outwardly.
19. A simulated upper joint member adapted for reproducing jaw movements,
Description:
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a dental articulator which is based on no arbitrary assumptions except that the centric relation position of the mandible can be reliably recorded and can therefore be accurately reproduced in the articulator. The articulator of the present invention has an upper frame with a defined horizontal axis, a lower frame with a defined horizontal axis, and a centric reference device for centering the upper frame laterally with reference to the lower frame.
A unique feature of the invention is that the centric reference device is operative not merely in a vertical plane which represents the lateral centers of the two frames, but more specifically it is operative at a point which lies on the horizontal axes of both frames.
According to the present invention all of the jaw movement information is incorporated into a pair of analogue blocks which are removably attached in predetermined positions to the upper frame of the articulator. Each analogue block then acts as a simulated upper joint member. Each analogue block has a unique configuration including a curved surface in which an opening is formed that represents the jaw movement information.
Another unique feature of the invention is that a dimple is formed in the outward lateral end of each analogue block, the common axis of the two dimples passing through the radius centers of the spherical styluses of the articulator lower frame when those styluses are received in the centric parts of the openings in the analogue blocks. The dimples in the analogue blocks are used during the transfer of casts, by means of a conventional transfer face bow, to obtain a proper static reference position in three dimensions so that the casts when received by the articulator will be in their correct positions relative to the horizontal axes of the upper and lower frames of the articulator.
DRAWING SUMMARY
FIG. 1 is a rear elevational view of the articulator lower frame;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the articulator lower frame;
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the articulator lower frame;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view of the articulator upper frame with simulated upper joint members in position thereon;
FIG. 7 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of the articulator upper frame;
FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the articulator upper frame;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the left simulated joint member taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 8; and
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the articulator in a form ready to receive dental models.
Drawing FIGS. 1 to 10, inclusive, of the present application are identical to drawing FIGS. 60 to 69, inclusive, of the referenced patent.
Attention is also directed to FIGS. 42, 43, 44, and 45 of the patent which show the dimples in the outward lateral end wall of each analogue block. The dimple is also shown in block 125 in the upper portion of FIG. 79.
The present invention provides a dental articulator which is based on no arbitrary assumptions except that the centric relation position of the mandible can be reliably recorded and can therefore be accurately reproduced in the articulator. The articulator of the present invention has an upper frame with a defined horizontal axis, a lower frame with a defined horizontal axis, and a centric reference device for centering the upper frame laterally with reference to the lower frame.
A unique feature of the invention is that the centric reference device is operative not merely in a vertical plane which represents the lateral centers of the two frames, but more specifically it is operative at a point which lies on the horizontal axes of both frames.
According to the present invention all of the jaw movement information is incorporated into a pair of analogue blocks which are removably attached in predetermined positions to the upper frame of the articulator. Each analogue block then acts as a simulated upper joint member. Each analogue block has a unique configuration including a curved surface in which an opening is formed that represents the jaw movement information.
Another unique feature of the invention is that a dimple is formed in the outward lateral end of each analogue block, the common axis of the two dimples passing through the radius centers of the spherical styluses of the articulator lower frame when those styluses are received in the centric parts of the openings in the analogue blocks. The dimples in the analogue blocks are used during the transfer of casts, by means of a conventional transfer face bow, to obtain a proper static reference position in three dimensions so that the casts when received by the articulator will be in their correct positions relative to the horizontal axes of the upper and lower frames of the articulator.
DRAWING SUMMARY
FIG. 1 is a rear elevational view of the articulator lower frame;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the articulator lower frame;
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the articulator lower frame;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view of the articulator upper frame with simulated upper joint members in position thereon;
FIG. 7 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of the articulator upper frame;
FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the articulator upper frame;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the left simulated joint member taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 8; and
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the articulator in a form ready to receive dental models.
Drawing FIGS. 1 to 10, inclusive, of the present application are identical to drawing FIGS. 60 to 69, inclusive, of the referenced patent.
Attention is also directed to FIGS. 42, 43, 44, and 45 of the patent which show the dimples in the outward lateral end wall of each analogue block. The dimple is also shown in block 125 in the upper portion of FIG. 79.