Flexible dental model articulator

Claim 1

An articulator for correlating the casts of a dental model, each of the casts including a mounting, said articulator comprising in combination: (a) a pair of resiliently flexible brackets, each said bracket terminating at one end; (b) means for pivoting the one end of one bracket with the one end of the other bracket about a common pivot axis; (c) means for interconnecting each of the casts with another end of one bracket of said pair of brackets, said interconnecting means including a ball and socket joint and wherein one of the ball and socket of said ball and socket joint is defined by the mounting and wherein the other of the ball and socket of said ball and socket joint is formed by said bracket; (d) a groove formed within a surface of said ball and socket joint; and (e) each bracket of said pair of brackets including a base member having opposed ends and a pair of arms, each arm of said pair of arms depending from one of said opposed ends to form a junction therebetween, each of said opposed ends and each of said arms having a reduced cross section at the respective one of said junctions for encouraging flexing of each bracket of said pair of brackets at said junctions and a web disposed at each of said junctions for interconnecting the respective ones of said opposed ends and said arms for discouraging flexing in the plane of said webs; whereby, flexing of the brackets at each of said junctions is encouraged after the angular relationship between each cast and the interconnected one of said pair of brackets has been fixed after registration of the casts relative to one another and during correlation of the casts.

Claim 10

A method for mounting casts of a dental model to afford correlation of the casts throughout a full range of occlusal and masticatory registration, said method comprising the steps of: (a) pivoting along a pivot axis one end of a first bracket with a hingedly connected one end of a second bracket; (b) interconnecting the other end of one of the brackets through a pivot mechanism providing pivotal freedom between each cast and its connected bracket about any axis of a set of intersecting orthogonal axis, each pivot mechanism including one element of a ball and socket joint and another element of the ball and socket joint being disposed at the other end of each bracket, said step of interconnecting including the step of interconnecting the one and the other elements to form a ball and socket joint between each cast and its attached bracket; (c) positioning the casts relative to one another at one end of the range of occlusal and masticatory registration to be reintegrated by adjusting the angular relationship about any or all pivot axis between each cast and its engaged bracket and by adjusting the angular relationship about the pivot axis between the hingedly connected ends of the brackets; (d) immobilizing the pivot mechanism between each cast and its engaged bracket by applying and flowing the adhesive into a groove extending into each ball and socket joint on completion of said positioning step to maintain permanently fixed the angular relationship between each cast and its respective brackets; and (e) encouraging flexing of each of the brackets primarily at specific locations of each of the brackets by having a reduced cross section at such specific locations to assist in the correlation of the casts throughout the full range of occlusal and masticatory registration.

Claim 11

A method for mounting casts of a dental model to afford correlation of the casts throughout a full range of occlusal and masticatory registration, said method comprising the steps of: (a) pivoting along a pivot axis one end of a first bracket with a hingedly connected one end of a second bracket; (b) interconnecting the other end of one of the brackets through a pivot mechanism providing pivotal freedom between each cast and its connected bracket about any axis of a set of intersecting orthogonal axis, each pivot mechanism including one element of a ball and socket joint and another element of the ball and socket joint being disposed at the other end of each bracket, said step of interconnecting including the step of interconnecting the one and the other elements to form a ball and socket joint between each cast and its attached bracket; (c) positioning the casts relative to one another at one end of the range of occlusal and masticatory registration to be reintegrated by adjusting the angular relationship about any or all pivot axis between each cast and its engaged bracket and by adjusting the angular relationship about the pivot axis between the hingedly connected ends of the brackets; (d) immobilizing the pivot mechanism between each cast and its engaged bracket by applying and flowing the adhesive into a groove extending into each ball and socket joint on completion of said positioning step to maintain permanently fixed the angular relationship between each cast and its respective brackets; and (e) encouraging flexing of each of the brackets primarily at specific locations of each of the brackets by having a reduced cross section at such specific locations to assist in the correlation of the casts throughout the full range of occlusal and masticatory registration.

Claim 13

A method for mounting casts of a dental model to afford correlation of the casts through a full range of occlusal and masticatory registration, said method comprising the steps of: a. pivoting along a pivot axis one end of a first bracket with a hingedly connected one end of a second bracket; b. interconnecting the other end of one of the brackets through a pivot mechanism providing pivotal freedom between each cast and its connected bracket about any axis of a set of intersecting orthogonal axis; c. positioning the casts relative to one another at one end of he range of occlusal and masticatory registration to be reintegrated by adjusting the angular relationship about any or all pivot axis between cast and its engaged bracket and by adjusting the angular relationship about the pivot axis between the hingedly connected ends of the brackets; d. immobilizing the pivot mechanism between each cast and its engaged bracket with an adhesive, said step of immobilizing includes the step of flowing the adhesive into a groove extending into the pivot mechanism, on completion of said positioning step to maintain permanently fixed the angular relationship between each cast and its respective brackets; and e. encouraging flexing of each of the brackets primarily at specific locations of each of the brackets by having a reduced cross section at such specific locations to assist in the correlation of the casts throughout the full range of occlusal and masticatory registration.

Claim 14

A method for mounting casts of a dental model to afford correlation of the casts through a full range of occlusal and masticatory registration, said method comprising the steps of: a. pivoting along a pivot axis one end of a first bracket with a hingedly connected one end of a second bracket; b. interconnecting the other end of one of the brackets through a pivot mechanism providing pivotal freedom between each cast and its connected bracket about any axis of a set of intersecting orthogonal axis; c. positioning the casts relative to one another at one end of he range of occlusal and masticatory registration to be reintegrated by adjusting the angular relationship about any or all pivot axis between cast and its engaged bracket and by adjusting the angular relationship about the pivot axis between the hingedly connected ends of the brackets; d. immobilizing the pivot mechanism between each cast and its engaged bracket with an adhesive, said step of immobilizing includes the step of flowing the adhesive into a groove extending into the pivot mechanism, on completion of said positioning step to maintain permanently fixed the angular relationship between each cast and its respective brackets; and e. encouraging flexing of each of the brackets primarily at specific locations of each of the brackets by having a reduced cross section at such specific locations to assist in the correlation of the casts throughout the full range of occlusal and masticatory registration.

Claim 16

A method for reintegrating the casts of a dental model through a full range of occlusal and masticatory registration to develop a dental prosthetic device mounted on the casts, said method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a mounting at each cast; (b) pivoting along a pivot axis one end of a first bracket with a hingedly connected one end of a second bracket; (c) interconnecting each mounting with the other end of one of the brackets through a ball and socket joint; (d) positioning the casts relative to one another at one end of the range of occlusal and masticatory registration to be reintegrated by adjusting the angular relationship between each mounting and its engaged bracket and adjusting the angular relationship about the pivot axis between the hingedly connected ends of the brackets; (e) immobilizing the ball and socket joint between connected ones of the mounting and the brackets with an adhesive, said step of immobilizing including the step of flowing the adhesive into a groove extending into each ball and socket joint, to maintain permanently fixed the angular relationship established between connected ones of the mountings and brackets on completion of said step of positioning; (f) flexing the brackets to translate and rotate the casts relative to one another to determine adjustments necessary to the model teeth or prosthetic devices or restorations formed thereon; (g) encouraging flexing of each of the brackets primarily at specific locations of each of the brackets by having a reduced cross section of the brackets at such specific locations to assist in the correlation of the casts throughout the full range of occlusal any masticatory registration; (h) alteratively pivoting the casts about the pivot axis of the brackets through an obtuse angle or disengaging the brackets one from the other to permit unrestricted access to the cast for making the adjustments determined in said flexing step; (i) alternatively repivoting the casts into registration with one another or reengaging the brackets with one another depending upon whether said pivoting or disengaging step, respectively, were undertake; and (j) repeating said steps of flexing, alternatively pivoting or disengaging and alternatively repivoting or reengaging until the model teeth, prosthetic device or restoration is developed.

Claim 17

A method for reintegrating the casts of a dental model through a full range of occlusal and masticatory registration to develop a dental prosthetic device mounted on the casts, said method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a mounting at each cast; (b) pivoting along a pivot axis one end of a first bracket with a hingedly connected one end of a second bracket; (c) interconnecting each mounting with the other end of one of the brackets through a ball and socket joint; (d) positioning the casts relative to one another at one end of the range of occlusal and masticatory registration to be reintegrated by adjusting the angular relationship between each mounting and its engaged bracket and adjusting the angular relationship about the pivot axis between the hingedly connected ends of the brackets; (e) immobilizing the ball and socket joint between connected ones of the mounting and the brackets with an adhesive, said step of immobilizing including the step of flowing the adhesive into a groove extending into each ball and socket joint, to maintain permanently fixed the angular relationship established between connected ones of the mountings and brackets on completion of said step of positioning; (f) flexing the brackets to translate and rotate the casts relative to one another to determine adjustments necessary to the model teeth or prosthetic devices or restorations formed thereon; (g) encouraging flexing of each of the brackets primarily at specific locations of each of the brackets by having a reduced cross section of the brackets at such specific locations to assist in the correlation of the casts throughout the full range of occlusal any masticatory registration; (h) alteratively pivoting the casts about the pivot axis of the brackets through an obtuse angle or disengaging the brackets one from the other to permit unrestricted access to the cast for making the adjustments determined in said flexing step; (i) alternatively repivoting the casts into registration with one another or reengaging the brackets with one another depending upon whether said pivoting or disengaging step, respectively, were undertake; and (j) repeating said steps of flexing, alternatively pivoting or disengaging and alternatively repivoting or reengaging until the model teeth, prosthetic device or restoration is developed.