Method and means for making dental impressions

Claim 2

Means for making dental impressions including an impression tray adapted for insertion into the mouth of the patient, a low viscosity impression material for application to said impression tray, a gun for holding said impression material detachabley engaged with said impression tray, said gun including means for feeding said impression material into said impression tray, and pressure-responsive means carried by said gun in operative engagement with said means for feeding said impression material from said gun to said tray for preventing the flow of impression material into said impression tray upon build-up of a predetermined back pressure against said means for feeding the impression material into the impression tray.

Claim 3

The means of claim 1, wherein said impression tray includes a channel portion and a tube at the front of the tray in communication with said channel portion, and said tube includes two portions angularly disposed with respect to each other, one of said portions being angularly connected to said tray, and the other angular portion being engaged by said means for injecting the impression material into the tray, the angular relationships of the angular portions with respect to each other and to the tray being such that when the tray is in position in the mouth, said other angular portion extends from the mouth in a substantially horizontal plane.

Claim 4

The means of claim 1 with the addition of means for intra-orally visualizing a space between said tray and the mouth structure to accurately position the tray and avoid impingement of hard or soft mouth tissue.

Claim 5

The means of claim 3 wherein said means for intra-orally visualizing the space between the tray and the mouth structure comprises the construction of the tray with a clear translucent material.

Claim 6

The means of claim 1 with the addition of wax-like stabilizing means attached to said tray for accurately positioning and maintaining the tray in the mouth.

Claim 7

The means of claim 1, wherein the front of the impression tray is at an acute angle with the floor of the tray to give the tray the same contour as the space between the lip and the jaw and not to touch or distort the soft tissue covering the jaw or lip, nor to touch the front teeth.

Claim 8

The means of claim 1 wherein the peripheral edge of the tray is contoured to follow the shape of the human mouth without touching the soft tissue.

Claim 9

The means of claim 1, wherein said tray has a labiaL flange that forms an acute angle with the occlusal surface of the tray.

Claim 10

The means of claim 1, with the addition of nubs and platforms on said tray, and stabilizing wax attached to said nubs and platforms for accurately positioning and maintaining the tray in the mouth.

Claim 11

The means of claim 1, wherein said gun includes a housing, a hand grip connected to said housing, a cylindrical member for holding said impression material, one end of said cylindrical member being connected to said housing and the opposite end thereof being provided with an outlet opening for communication with the tube of said impression tray, a piston movable through said cylindrical member for moving the impression material towards the outlet opening, a trigger operatively mounted in said hand grip, and actuating means connecting said trigger and piston for advancing the latter in said cylindrical member in response to the operation of the former.

Claim 12

The means of claim 10, wherein said actuating means include a rack connected to, and movable with, said piston, a train of gears operatively engaged with said rack, and pawl means operatively engaged with said gear train and trigger for actuating the former upon operation of the latter.

Claim 13

The means of claim 11, wherein said pawl means slips upon exertion of a predetermined back pressure on said impression material to prevent the forcing of impression material into said tray under increased pressure of a sufficient degree to cause tissue displacement.

Claim 14

Means for making dental impressions including an impression tray, said tray having a channel portion and a trube at the front of the tray in communication with said channel portion, said tray being constructed of a clear, translucent material for intra-orally visualizing a space between said tray and the mouth structure to accurately position the tray and avoid impingement of hard or soft mouth tissue, wax-like stabilizing means positioned on said tray for maintaining the tray in position in the mouth, a low viscosity impression material for application to said impression tray, a gun for holding said impression material detachably engaged with said impression material into said impression tray, and pressure-responsive means carried by said gun in operative engagement with said means for feeding said impression material from said gun to said tray for preventing the flow of impression material into said impression tray upon build-up of a predetermined back pressure against said means for feeding the impression material into the impression tray.

Claim 15

Means for making dental impressions including an impression tray, said tray having a channel portion and a trube at the front of the tray in communication with said channel portion, said tray being constructed of a clear, translucent material for intra-orally visualizing a space between said tray and the mouth structure to accurately position the tray and avoid impingement of hard or soft mouth tissue, wax-like stabilizing means positioned on said tray for maintaining the tray in position in the mouth, a low viscosity impression material for application to said impression tray, a gun for holding said impression material detachably engaged with said impression material into said impression tray, and pressure-responsive means carried by said gun in operative engagement with said means for feeding said impression material from said gun to said tray for preventing the flow of impression material into said impression tray upon build-up of a predetermined back pressure against said means for feeding the impression material into the impression tray.

Claim 16

The means of claim 13 wherein said gun includes a housing, a hand grip connected to said housing, a cylindrical member for holding said impression material, on end of said cylindrical member being connected to said housing and the opposite end thereof being provided with an outlet opening for communication with the tube of said impression tray, a piston movable through said cylindrical member for moving the impression material towards the outlet opening, a trigger operatively mounted in said hand grip, and actuating means connecting said trigger and piston for advancing the latter in said cylindrical member in response to the operation of the former.

Claim 17

The means of claim 14, wherein said actuating means include a rack connected to, and movable with, said piston, a train of gears operatively engaged with said rack, and pawl means operatively engaged with said gear train and trigger for actuating the former upon operation of the latter.

Claim 18

The means of claim 15, wherein said pawl means slips upon exertion of a predetermined back pressure on said impression material to prevent the forcing of impression material into said tray under increased pressure of a sufficient degree to cause tissue displacement.

Claim 19

The means of claim 15 wherein said pawl means slips if there is back pressure created against said piston in excess of 1 1/2 psi.