Sofia, Bulgaria

ARTICULATOR - SEMIADJUSTABLE, ARCON

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is about specifically constructed articulator - semiadjustable, arcon for dental medicine and dental technique and serves for fixing and analyzing the working models, preparation of prosthetic constructions and reproduction of the lower mandible positions and movements versus the upper mandible, outside patient's oral cavity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

We have information about "Articulator" that is described in DE 195

30 157 Al ; A61C 11/02, containing the upper plate for fixing the maxillary working model and lower plate for fixing the mandibular working model. The articulator is partially adjustable (Semiadjustable - SA) and could reproduce in terms of individual values not all but part of the basic lower mandible movements: opening and closing, protrusion, retrusion, laterotrusion, and mediotrusion - progressive lateral shifting.

The joint cavity in the mechanical joint is in the shape of rounded groove, which is located at the interior of the semi-circular body. Joint head of spherical shape fits in the joint cavity. At the front the articulator contains incisive pin and incisive platform with shaped up inclinations of incisive lead, on the left and on the right, versus the middle line. This articulator has the following shortcomings: both mechanical joints are interconnected at fixed distance; they are more massive and volumetric; in-between the lower and upper working plate there is greater distance thus hindering the connection of the working models to them; there is no fixing mechanical device that is supposed to maintain at the rear the intra-parallel upper and lower plate of the articulator; the incisive platform cannot rotate.

We have information about articulators (Semiadjustable) that from "nonarcon" turned into "arcon" - articulator condilion. In the mentioned bibliography source N 2 is presented as Dentatus ARL (previous model - Nonarcon) was transformed into Dentatus ARA (new model -Arcon) and Hanau 96 H 20 (previous model - Nonarcon) was transformed into Hanau, H2 (new model - Arcon). In the cases of the two abovementioned articulators the mechanical joints in the new model are the same just like in the previous model, but with exchanged locations of the joint cavity and the joint head. The mechanical joints of the articulators arcon - Dentatus ARA and of Hanau, H2 correspond to the human temporomandibular joint: the joint head is located at the lower mandible, at articulator's lower shoulder correspondingly, and the joint cavity is at the upper mandible, at articulator's upper shoulder correspondingly, while in the case of nonarcon - the articulators Dentatus ARL and Hanau 96 H 20 is the opposite of the human temporomandibular joint: the joint head is at articulator's upper shoulder, and the joint cavity is at the lower shoulder and when operating them minimum inaccuracy is allowed. Thus their mechanical joints were reconstructed, in order to obtain the functional capacities of the arcon articulators.

There are various virtual articulators that are copies of the actually existing articulators with partial adjustability (Semiadjustable). They are applied in the computer programmes for preparing the dental prosthetic constructions according to the CAD/CAM technology. The dental prostheses are being constructed and modelled in the CAD device, via virtual juxtaposition between the virtual working models included in the virtual articulator. After completine their design they are sent to the CAM machine for milling them out of a ceramic or metal block.

We are searching for manners and means for: improving the capacities of this articulator class - "semiadjustable, arcon"; cutting down the materials consumption; facilitating the operations performed with them; improving the accuracy and precision when preparing dental prostheses.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The task of the invention is to create "Articulator - semiadjustable, arcon", as its construction will include new details - articulator parts with which to improve its capacities.

The offered "Articulator - semiadjustable, arcon" is designed of two parts: lower and upper. On the base of the lower part, magnetically connected working plate is located upwards, to which the mandibular working model is fixed. At the front, incisive platform is assembled on the base. At the rear the base is connected to vertical body to which horizontal axis is connected of variable length, with joint heads that are shaped up at both its ends. To each joint head a body of the joint cavity is adapted that is connected to articulator's upper part. The joint head and the body of the joint cavity could be movably or immovably connected, with the opportunity to separate the upper from the lower part of the articulator and to be fixed once again. Both bodies of the joint cavities in the upper part are connected to a plank that in the middle is connected to the upper vertical body to which an elevator is assembled at the front. The upper vertical body at the front is connected to upper horizontal shoulder, under which magnetically connected working plate is located. The vertical body and the upper vertical body at the rear could be immovably blocked with an elbow. At the front of the upper horizontal shoulder incisive pin is assembled that leans on the incisive platform. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention "Articulator - semiadjustable, arcon" is described at the attached figures, where:

- Figure 1 contains drawing of the articulator, of frontal and lateral view, with presented digital numbers of the details 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,16,20;

- Figure 2 presents the articulator of rear and lateral view, with presented digital numbers of the details 1,2,4,5,6,7,8,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,19,20;

- Figure 3 presents a section of articulator's mechanical joint, with the following numbered details 2,3,9,12,14,17,19;

- Figure 4 presents a section of articulator's mechanical joint, with the following numbered details 10,15,18;

- Figure 5 is the drawing of the projection of incisive pin 7 and of the incisive platform 8;

- Figure 6 presents the prototype of "Articulator - semiadjustable, arcon", of lateral view with descended elevator 4;

- Figure 7 is the prototype of figure 6 of "Articulator - semiadjustable, arcon", of lateral view with ascended elevator 4;

- Figure 8 is the prototype of figure 6 of "Articulator - semiadjustable, arcon", disassembled in three parts: lower part 21, elbow 13 and upper part 22.

Description of the details designated at figure 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8: 1 - base; 2 - plank; 3 - body of the joint cavity; 4 - elevator; 5 - upper horizontal shoulder; 6 - working plate; 7 - incisive pin; 8 - incisive platform; 9 - joint cavity carrier; 10 - vertical body; 11 - upper vertical body; 12 - pawl; 13 - elbow; 14 - joint head axes; 15 - scale of axis lateral shift; 16 - scale for the inclination of the incisive platform; 17 - scale for the inclination of the protrusion (sagittal) condyle path; 18 - elastic element; 19 - fixator;

20 - special screw; 21 - lower part; 22 - upper part; 23 - screw. EXAMPLES OF PERFORMANCE

Articulator - semiadjustable, arcon, consisting of base 1, over which working plate 6 is located. At the front, incisive platform 8 is assembled on the base. At the rear the base is immovably connected to vertical body 10, to which horizontal axis is assembled with two joint heads 14. In the middle of the axis, at the rear, scale is outlined for reporting the axis lateral shift on the left and on the right 15 and elastic element 18 is inbuilt. The axis with the two joint heads 14 is movably fixed, with the blocking capability, with the aid of fixator 19 to concave longitudinal groove, one on the left and one on the right that is located inside the body of the joint cavity 3. In the upper part on the outside of both bodies of the joint cavities 3, on the left and on the right pawl 12 and screw 23 are located with which to regulate the scale for the inclination of the protrusion (sagittal) condyle path 17, located at the joint cavity carrier 9. Both bodies of the joint cavities 3 are connected with plank 2 in the middle that in turn is immovably connected to the upper vertical body 11, which at the front is connected to the upper horizontal shoulder 5, under which the magnetically connected working plate 6 is located. At the front of the upper horizontal shoulder incisive pin 7 is assembled that leans at incisive platform 8.

The vertical body 10 and the upper vertical body 11 at the rear could be immovably blocked and de-blocked via elbow 13. At the front of the upper vertical body 11 an elevator 4 is adapted.

Operating the ARTICULATOR - SEMIADJUSTABLE, ARCON

The lower mandible working model is fixed for example with gypsum and centred at working plate 6, which is magnetically connected to base 1 in a manner that results in model's middle line and articulator's middle line coinciding and the chewing plane of the model could be horizontally located at the work bench. The upper mandible model is juxtaposed to the lower manHihl ^p wnrlrina mnrtal in r.entral nnsitinn Αΐηησ the nnner mandible working model minimum gypsum quantity and the working plate 6 are placed, as the latter is magnetically connected to the upper horizontal shoulder 5, which is immovably connected to elevator 4, fixed at the front of the upper vertical body 11 and capable of moving up and down until propping up the upper working model and connecting to it. Vertical body 10 is immovably connected to base 1, and the upper vertical body 11 is immovably connected on one hand to the upper horizontal shoulder 5, and on the other hand to plank 2, which is immovably connected to carrier 9, to which the body of the joint cavity is connected 3, one on the left and one on the right. Vertical body 10 and upper vertical body 11 could be blocked and de-blocked via elbow 13 thus the base 1 and the upper horizontal shoulder 5 could remain in continuous inter-parallel location while operating the articulator. In the middle of the axis with the two joint heads 14, scale 15 is outlined at the rear for reporting the lateral shift on the left and on the right, and this extension and shortening movement could be performed by the elastic element 18, inbuilt in the axis with the two joint heads 14, which are adapted to both bodies of the joint cavities 3 and via the fixator 19 they could be blocked in central position or perform opening and closing movement, in retrusion, laterotrusion and mediotrusion, with the reproduction of progressive and immediate lateral shift, as well as opportunity for detaching the lower 21 from the upper 22 part of the articulator and fixing them once again with the pin 12. With screw 23 you could fix the inclination of the protrusion (sagittal) condyle path according to scale 17, which is located at the external side of carrier 9. The incisive platform 8, being propped up by the incisive pin 7 is assembled at the front of base 1 and it could rotate, as its inclination could be blocked with special nut 16 and reported at scale 20.

The advantage of "Articulator - semiadjustable, arcon" is that the operations with it are facilitated, materials consumption is lowered and the accuracy and precision of the prepared dental prostheses are improved.