Patent Publication Number: US-2013252200-A1

Title: Plaster teeth model gripper and articulator having the same

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES 
     Applicant claims foreign priority under Paris Convention to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0030544 filed Mar. 26, 2012, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, where the entire contents are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a plaster teeth model gripper and an articulator having the same, and more particularly, to a plaster teeth model gripper that is capable of allowing a desired tooth to be attached to and detached from a plaster teeth model through only the cutting of a plaster teeth model, being simply manufactured, and being easily mounted on an articulator, and an articulator having the plaster teeth model gripper. 
     2. Background of the Related Art 
     Typically, an articulator used in dentistry is a mechanical device used to fix a plaster teeth model for manufacturing denture thereto, thereby helping a dental technician manufacture the denture. 
     A conventional articulator has an arm having one end rotatably disposed at an upper end of a column erected from one end of a base and plaster models being solidified are fixedly disposed at the arm and the base, thereby performing the articulation of the plaster models. Alternatively, the conventional articulator has upper and lower fixing means having upper and lower grippers manipulated by means of fastening bolts to fix upper and lower teeth models to the arm and the base. 
     According to the conventional articulator using plaster, however, when a plaster teeth model is detached after manufacturing denture is finished, there occur some problems that the plaster teeth model may be broken by means of strokes, the articulator may be also damaged, the environmental pollution may be caused by plaster waste, and the time for solidifying the plaster is much needed to make the workability deteriorated, and the cost of plaster material may be increased. On the other hand, according to the conventional articulator using the upper and lower grippers for mechanically fixing the upper and lower teeth models, the fixing is carried out by means of the fastening bolts, and in the process where the articulation is repeatedly carried out many times, the fastening force becomes weakened to change the articulation posture, thereby causing defects in the articulation. 
     So as to solve the above-mentioned problems, therefore, there has been proposed Korean Patent No.10-0601345 entitled ‘dental articulator having dual balls’, which is capable of finely adjusting a three-dimensional articulation posture and exerting a secure fastening force by a lever, but in this case, since three fastening bolts are provided, it is hard to perform accurate fixing and manipulation of the fastening bolts. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a plaster teeth model gripper and an articulator having the same that is capable of allowing a desired tooth to be attached to and detached from a plaster teeth model through only the cutting of a plaster teeth model, thereby avoiding the inconvenience in manufacturing double or triple plaster dies using separate metal pins and the unnecessary consumption of the materials used, and that is capable of simply manufacturing the plaster teeth model, and that is capable of being easily mounted on the articulator. 
     To accomplish the above object, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plaster teeth model gripper including: a base plate disposed in a flat form on the underside of a gum of a teeth model; and a teeth model gum-supporting frame formed erectedly on one surface of the base plate along the outer periphery of the gum of the teeth model in such a manner as to form a teeth model gum chamber open in a vertical direction from the base plate at the inside thereof. 
     According to the present invention, desirably, the teeth model gum-supporting frame has a plurality of equally spaced-apart protrusions formed in the height direction along the inner periphery thereof. 
     According to the present invention, desirably, the plurality of equally spaced-apart protrusions is gradually increased in sectional areas in the height direction. 
     According to the present invention, desirably, the teeth model gum chamber has a base protrusion formed from the bottom surface of the base plate at the inside thereof. 
     According to the present invention, desirably, the base protrusion has a shape of a continuously bent plate. 
     According to the present invention, desirably, the base plate has a circular steel plate attached on the underside thereof. 
     According to the present invention, desirably, the teeth model gum-supporting frame has a shape of a partial or full mouth. 
     According to the present invention, desirably, a plaster teeth model is mounted in the teeth model gum chamber. 
     To accomplish the above object, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an articulator having a lower plate on which a lower side teeth model is mounted, an arm having one end rotatably disposed at a column erected from one side of the lower plate, and an upper plate on which an upper side teeth model is mounted in such a manner as to be supported on the other end of the arm, wherein a plaster teeth model gripper is mounted on the upper plate and the lower plate, respectively, the plaster teeth model gripper having a base plate disposed in a flat form on the underside of a gum of a teeth model and a teeth model gum-supporting frame formed erectedly on one surface of the base plate along the outer periphery of the gum of the teeth model in such a manner as to form a teeth model gum chamber open in a vertical direction from the base plate at the inside thereof. 
     According to the present invention, desirably, the upper plate and the arm have balls mounted on the top surface thereof and the end portion thereof, and the balls are connected to each other through the spherical coupling with a pair of ball clamps by means of a clamp bolt having left-handed and right-handed screws provided around the center of the ball clamps so as to fasten the pair of ball clamps facing each other. 
     According to the present invention, desirably, the articulator further has a magnet disposed on the underside of the upper plate and the top of the lower plate, respectively, so as to attach the plaster teeth model gripper thereto through a magnetic force generated therefrom. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an articulator having a plaster teeth model gripper disposed thereon according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3   a  is a perspective view showing a plaster teeth model gripper according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3   b  is a plan view of  FIG. 3   a;    
         FIG. 3   c  is a perspective view showing an example wherein a plaster teeth model is molded in the gripper of  FIG. 3   a;  and 
         FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  are plan views showing medium and large-sized plaster teeth model grippers according to second and third embodiments of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged view showing the main parts of  FIG. 3   a.    
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Hereinafter, an explanation on a plaster teeth model gripper and an articulator having the same according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be in detail given with reference to the attached drawings. While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments. First, a plaster teeth model gripper  100  for use in an articulator  10  as shown in  FIG. 1  will be described. 
     The plaster teeth model gripper  100  can be made to have three shapes in accordance with the sizes of the teeth model. The plaster teeth model gripper  100  has a shape of a partial teeth model, as shown in  FIGS. 3   a  to  3   c,  and it has shapes of medium and large-sized teeth models, as shown in  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b.  Since the three shapes of the plaster teeth model gripper  100  have the same components as each other except that their sizes are different from each other and their base plates  102  have different shapes from each other, a structure of the plaster teeth model gripper  100  made for the partial teeth model in the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3   a  to  3   c,  the plaster teeth model gripper  100  for making the partial teeth model has a base plate  102  disposed in a flat form and a teeth model gum-supporting frame  104  formed erectedly on one surface of the base plate  102  along the outer periphery of the gum of the teeth model in such a manner as to form a teeth model gum chamber  103  open in a vertical direction from the base plate  102  at the inside thereof. The plaster teeth model gripper  100  is made of a plastic material, but it is made of metal or other materials, without any limitation thereto. So as to easily cut a required portion of the teeth model, however, it is desirably made of a plastic material. The teeth model gum-supporting frame  104  has a shape corresponding to the outer periphery of a partial or full mouth. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3   a  to  3   c,  the teeth model gum-supporting frame  104  has a plurality of equally spaced-apart protrusions  15  formed in the height direction along the inner periphery thereof. Desirably, the plurality of equally spaced-apart protrusions  105  has a given inclination in such a manner as to become gradually increased in sectional areas in the height direction. As a result, after an individual tooth  121  (or partial teeth) of a plaster teeth model  120  molded in the plaster teeth model gripper  100  has (have) been cut and removed, when it is fixedly inserted into its position, the insertion fitting is more ensured. 
     Further, the teeth model gum chamber  103  has a base protrusion  106  formed from the bottom surface of the base plate  102  at the inside thereof. Desirably, the base protrusion  106  has a shape of a continuously bent plate. The base protrusion  106  has a height equal to the teeth model gum-supporting frame  104  or a height higher or lower than the teeth model gum-supporting frame  104 . At this time, desirably, the base protrusion  106  has a given pattern wherein the bending is carried out regularly therealong. The base protrusion  106  is formed of an approximately S-shaped continuous bent plate, but it is not limited thereto. The base protrusion  106  has both ends not connected to the teeth model gum-supporting frame  104 , but of course, the both ends may be connected continuously thereto. Therefore, the base protrusion  106  is planted into the center portion of the root portion of the gum of the plaster teeth model  120  inserted into the teeth model gum chamber  103 , thereby serving to more stably mount the plaster teeth model  120  on the teeth model gum chamber  103 . 
     According to the present invention, the base plate  102  has a circular steel plate  107  attached on the underside thereof. 
     The plaster teeth model  120  is fixedly inserted into the teeth model gum chamber  103 . The plaster teeth model  120  has a partial or full mouth model in accordance with the shapes of the teeth model gum-supporting frame  104 . Also, the teeth model gum chamber  103  has a plurality of total or partial teeth model-detaching holes  108  formed at the ends of both sides thereof, so as to allow the overall teeth model to be separated from the plaster teeth model gripper  100 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the plaster teeth model  120  is mounted on the plaster teeth model gripper  100  under the above-mentioned structure. 
     At this time, the root portion of the lower side of the gum of the plaster teeth model  120  is insertedly fixed into the teeth model gum chamber  103 . If there is a need for separation of a tooth  121  from the plaster teeth model  120 , the tooth  121  is cut from the plaster teeth model  120 , as shown in  FIG. 3   c  and is a little moved to lift upwardly, thereby being easily separated therefrom. At this time, the cutting depth is somewhat lowered from the top surface of the base plate  102 . 
     Accordingly, the hidden portion between the adjacent teeth to each other can be elaborately trimmed. After trimming, the tooth  121  is inserted fixed to its position again, and articulation is carried out. At this time, the separated tooth  121  is insertedly fixed to its position by means of the base protrusion  106 . This is possible by grooves  121  a formed on the bottom surface of the tooth  121  by means of the base protrusion  106  and the plurality of equally spaced-apart protrusions  105  formed on the portion corresponding thereto when the cut tooth  121  is removed. 
     The plaster teeth model gripper  100  made in the above-mentioned process is applied to the articulator  10  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , so as to conduct the articulation. 
     That is, there is provided the articulator  10  having a lower plate  12  on which a lower side teeth model is mounted, an arm  16  having one end rotatably disposed at a column  14  erected from one side of the lower plate  12 , and an upper plate  18  on which an upper side teeth model is mounted in such a manner as to be supported on the other end of the arm  16 , wherein the plaster teeth model gripper  100  is mounted on the upper plate  18  and the lower plate  18 , respectively. 
     Further, the articulator  10  has a magnet  13  disposed on the underside of the upper plate  18  and the top of the lower plate  12 , respectively, so as to attach the plaster teeth model gripper  100  thereto through a magnetic force generated therefrom. 
     So as to fix the articulation posture, at this time, the upper plate  18  and the arm  16  have balls  18   a  and  16   a  mounted on the top surface thereof and the end portion thereof, and the balls  18   a  and  16   a  are connected to each other by means of a pair of ball clamps  17  fastened through a clamp bolt  19 . 
     The clamp bolt  19  has left-handed and right-handed screws at both sides around the center of the ball clamps  17 . Thus, one side left-handed screw of the clamp bolt  19  is screw-coupled to one side ball clamp  17 , and the other side right-handed screw thereof is screw-coupled to the other side ball clamp  17 . The pair of ball clamps  17  has spherical recesses formed on both side surfaces facing each other in such a manner as to be spherically coupled with the balls  18   a  and  16   a.    
     If the fastening force of the clamp bolt  19  is released, accordingly, the upper plate  18  is freely rotated and moved in the space in every direction. After the upper plate  18  is moved to a desired position, the clamp bolt  19  is fastened, so that the ball clamps  17  pull each other to allow the upper plate  18  to be rigidly fixed to the arm  16  side. 
     As described above, according to the present invention, the plaster teeth model gripper is mounted on the articulator through the magnetic force of the magnet of the articulator, thereby making the plaster bonding process in the conventional practices avoided. 
     Further, just through the pouring of the plaster into the plaster teeth model gripper, the teeth model can be fixed well, thereby making the manufacturing process of the teeth model desirably simple. 
     Additionally, so as to separate only partial teeth from the teeth model in the conventional practices, separate metal pins are fixed to the teeth to be separated, and a double layered plaster die should be made, which needs complicated work and causes the unnecessary consumption of time, material and environmental aspects. Contrarily, the plaster teeth model gripper according to the present invention can perform the separation work from the teeth model in easy and accurate manners, while avoiding some of the above-mentioned processes. 
     In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, on the other hand, one base protrusion is provided, but the base protrusion may be provided in two or more rows within the allowance space defined by the teeth model gum chamber, while having the same shape as each other. 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.