US6695614B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Light beam hardening apparatus for curing material
Assignee: Ivoclar Vivadent AG
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Filing: 2001-12-13
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Granted: 2004-02-24
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Expires: 2021-12-13
Abstract
Abstract A light beam hardening apparatus is provided for hardening a material, such as dental material, exposed to light emitted by the light beam hardening apparatus. The light beam hardening apparatus includes a semi-conductor light emitting source operable to emit light in the visible light spectral range of a light strength of at least 200 mW/cm 2 , a base receptacle for supporting the semi-conductor light emitting source, and a heat conducting connection for conducting heat from the semi-conductor light emitting source to the base receptacle. The semi-conductor light emitting source includes a plurality of light emitting chips or light emitting diodes (LED). The base receptacle includes a plurality of cradles each for supporting therein a respective one of the light emitting chips.
Inventors
- 👤 Wolfgang Plank
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 22:27
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61C; A61C19/00; A61C19/003; A61C19/004; A61C2204/00; A61C2204/002
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
A light beam hardening apparatus for hardening a material exposed to light emitted by the light beam hardening apparatus, comprising: a semi-conductor light emitting source operable to emit light in the visible light spectral range of a light strength of at least 200 mW/cm 2 , the semi-conductor light emitting source including a plurality of light emitting chips having a conductive substrate; a base receptacle for supporting the semi-conductor light emitting source base receptacle including a plurality of recessed cradles in the form of reflectors, each for supporting therein a respective one of the light emitting chips; a cooling body disposed adjacent the backside of the base receptacle, the cooling body having longitudinal ribs on its exterior for extracting heat therefrom; and a metallic heat conducting connection for each individual light emitting chip connecting the conductive substrate of each semi-conductor light emitting source to the base receptacle for conducting heat from the semi-conductor light emitting source to the base receptacle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
160 words
A light beam hardening apparatus for hardening a material exposed to light emitted by the light beam hardening apparatus, comprising: a semi-conductor light emitting source operable to emit light in the visible light spectral range of a light strength of at least 200 mW/cm 2 , the semi-conductor light emitting source including a plurality of light emitting chips having a conductive substrate; a base receptacle for supporting the semi-conductor light emitting source base receptacle including a plurality of recessed cradles in the form of reflectors, each for supporting therein a respective one of the light emitting chips; a cooling body disposed adjacent the backside of the base receptacle, the cooling body having longitudinal ribs on its exterior for extracting heat therefrom; and a metallic heat conducting connection for each individual light emitting chip connecting the conductive substrate of each semi-conductor light emitting source to the base receptacle for conducting heat from the semi-conductor light emitting source to the base receptacle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A light beam hardening apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light emitting chips includes a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED) arranged such that the light emitted by at least one of the LEDs overlaps the light emitted by another LED.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
A light beam hardening apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the semi-conductor light emitting chips are soldered to the base receptacle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
A light beam hardening apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein each light emission source is soldered to the base receptacle by a silver solder layer having a thickness of between 20 and 500 μm.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
A light beam hardening apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the base receptacle includes an outer surface comprised of at least one of metal and ceramic material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
A light beam hardening apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each cradle includes a silver reflective coating.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
A light beam hardening apparatus according to claim 1 , and further comprising a pair of power supply wires connected to each chip.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
A light beam hardening apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the backside of the base receptacle and the cooling body is configured in a truncated cup shape generally corresponding to the shape of a reflector halogen bulb lamp.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
51 words
A light beam hardening apparatus according to claim 1 , and further comprising a light collecting device disposed relative to the semi-conductor light emitting source for collecting light emitted therefrom to focus the light through an outlet of the light collecting device having a cross section of less than 1 centimeter.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
A light beam hardening apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the spectral region of the emitted light is at a maximum in the blue light region which includes ultraviolet light.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
A light beam hardening apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the base receptacle includes a copper and silver alloy.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
A light beam hardening apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the base receptacle is comprised of a ceramic material which has a metallic over coat.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
A light beam hardening apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light beam hardening apparatus is connectable to a power supply voltage of between 110 volts to 250 volts and includes a back up battery as an energy storage source.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
A light beam hardening apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the base receptacle includes a pair of contact pins projecting from the backside of the base receptacle which are receivable in corresponding holes in a receptacle configured for normally receiving therein a reflector halogen bulb lamp.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2007-02-23 | 2007-08-25 | 2008-02-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-02-23 | 2011-08-25 | 2012-02-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-02-23 | 2015-08-25 | 2016-02-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |