Patent ID: 8277224

Claim:
A dental articulator comprising: an upper carrier tray supporting simulated upper gums and upper teeth, a lower carrier tray supporting simulated lower gums and lower teeth, and a pair of articulated members connected with respective upper and lower trays for movement of one of said trays about an axis to and from a closed position in which said upper and lower teeth are in contact to simulate a closed mouth in which said teeth are in a desired alignment, and hinge structure interconnecting said members and presenting said axis, and including a hinge component selectively movable transversely with respect to said axis to a fixed position where said axis provides said desired alignment in the closed position of said upper and lower teeth, said members having aligned openings therein receiving said hinge component for said transverse movement thereof to said fixed position to provide the desired alignment in the closed position of said upper and lower teeth, said articulated members including a second pair thereof connected with respective upper and lower carrier trays, said members of said second pair having aligned openings therein receiving a second hinge component selectively movable transversely with respect to said axis to a second fixed position where said axis provides the desired alignment in the closed position of said upper and lower teeth, each of said pairs of articulated members including an inner member connected with one of said trays and an outer member connected with the other of said trays, each of said hinge components comprising a hinge pin of predetermined diameter, the opening in each of said inner members being larger than the diameter of the associated hinge pin to permit movement of said hinge pins to said fixed positions to provide the desired alignment, and structure on said hinge pins and said inner members for releasably securing the hinge pins in said fixed positions.