Patent ID: 6948932

Claim:
A dental articulating device configured to duplicate at least a portion of a patient's mouth for use in producing a dental prosthesis, the device comprising: a) a pair of trays, pivotally coupled together, the trays pivoting with respect to one another between: i) a closed configuration, in which the trays are opposingly spaced-apart from one another; and ii) an open configuration, in which the trays are pivoted away from one another; and b) a pair of lower arms integrally formed with and extending from a lower tray; c) a pair of lower arms integrally formed with and extending from an upper tray: d) a pair of hinges, each disposed between a different one of the upper and the lower arms; e) the pair of hinges each being integrally formed with the arms and each including: i) a pivot axle, associated with one of the arms; ii) a shoulder, extending at least partially around the pivot axle and creating two axle portions extending on each side of the shoulder; and iii) a pair of opposing fingers, associated with another of the arms, with one of the pair of fingers contacting and extending at least partially about a first side of the axle while leaving a second side of the axle exposed, and with another of the pair of fingers contacting and extending about the second side of the axle while leaving the first side of the axle exposed; and f) wherein the pivot axles of the pair of hinges are collinear.