Dental furnace

Abstract

A dental furnace for firing dental-ceramic compounds comprises a firing chamber for receiving ceramic elements to be fired. Further, a heating device for heating and firing the ceramic element is provided. The heating device comprises at least one heating element for producing IR radiation in the range of 0.8-5 μm.

Claims

1. A dental furnace for firing dental-ceramic compounds, comprising a firing chamber for receiving ceramic elements to be fired; a heating device for heating/firing said ceramic elements; a receiving element arranged in the firing chamber for receiving the ceramic elements; wherein said receiving elements comprises a radiation-absorbing material which in particular absorbs infrared radiation such that said receiving element serves as an additional heating element; and wherein said heating device comprises at least one quick-response heating element for producing IR radiation in the range of between about 0.8-5 μm.

2. The dental furnace according to claim 1, wherein the at least one quick-response heating element is provided for the generation of the infrared radiation.

3. The dental furnace according to claim 1, wherein the at least one quick-response heating element is provided for the firing chamber.

4. The dental furnace according to claim 1, wherein the heating of the at least one quick-response heating element from a cold condition up to reaching a radiation peak takes place in less than 10 seconds.

5. The dental furnace according to claim 1, wherein the at least one quick-response heating element and, optionally, the associated chamber are configured as an elongate or curved body.

6. The dental furnace according to claim 1, wherein in the firing chamber at least one reflection element is arranged for directing the radiation emitted by the at least one quick-response heating element towards the ceramic element.

7. The dental furnace according to claim 6, wherein the at least one quick-response heating element is partially surrounded by the reflector element.

8. The dental furnace according to claim 6, wherein the reflector element is parabolic as seen in cross-section.

9. The dental furnace according to claim 6, wherein the reflection element is configured as an elongate, in particular a partially cylindrical body which preferably extends over the overall heating length of an associated heating element.

10. The dental furnace according to claim 1, wherein the at least one reflection element is arranged on an inner surface of chamber walls defining the firing chamber.

11. The dental furnace according to claim 10, wherein the chamber walls defining the firing chamber comprise a heat insulation.

12. The dental furnace according to claim 1, wherein the receiving element is insulated from chamber walls, in particular arranged at a distance thereto.

13. The dental furnace according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature measuring device is provided in the firing chamber in the vicinity of the ceramic element to be fired.

14. A dental furnace for firing dental-ceramic compounds, comprising: a firing chamber for receiving ceramic elements to be fired, and a heating device for heating and/or firing said ceramic element; wherein said heating device comprises at least one quick-response heating element for producing IR radiation in the range of between about 0.8-5 μm; and wherein the heating of the at least one quick-response heating element from a cold condition up to reaching a radiation peak takes place in less than 10 seconds.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Hereunder the disclosure is explained in greater detail on the basis of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a dental furnace according to the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(3) The schematically illustrated and strongly simplified furnace comprises a firing chamber. The latter is defined by thermally insulated chamber walls, side wall 12, top 14 and bottom 16. The thermal insulation of the top 14 comprises two parabolic recesses 18 in the longitudinal direction, i.e. perpendicular to the drawing level. In these recesses a cylindrical heating element 20 also extending in the longitudinal direction perpendicularly to the drawing level is respectively arranged. The heating device may respectively comprise a plurality of heating elements 20. In particular, per heating element 20 at least one IR emitter is provided. Depending on the installation position, the orientation of the heating elements 20 may also be horizontal, transverse or the like, for example.

(4) The housing bottom 11 and the firing chamber are adapted to be vertically displaced relative to each other in the direction of an arrow 22 for opening and closing the firing chamber. The housing bottom 11 comprises an insulation body 16 which, in the closed condition, forms a side wall or a bottom wall of the firing chamber. At the insulation element 24 a receiving element 26 is arranged. The latter is made from a dark material having good absorption properties in the IR range, in particular silicon carbide. The receiving element 26 comprises spacers or feet 28 such that the receiving element 26 is insulated from the insulation element 16 and heat transfer takes place only to a small extent. On an upper side 30 of the table-like receiving element 26 a ceramic element 31 to be heated or to be fired, such as a dental prosthesis, is arranged. In addition, in the area of the ceramic element 31 a temperature measuring device 34 in particular connected with a furnace controller is arranged.

(5) In addition, on a side of the heating elements 20 facing away from the firing element, reflection elements 36 are arranged in the half-cylindrical recesses 18. With the aid of the reflection elements 36 the IR radiation emitted by the heating elements to the side and upwards is directed towards the ceramic element 32.

(6) Further, for the side walls 12 as well as for the top element 14 a material for heat insulation is provided.

(7) For firing the ceramic element 32, the latter is arranged on the receiving element 26 and the furnace is closed by displacing the housing bottom 11 together with the thermal insulation 16 in the direction of the arrow 22. Subsequently, the heating elements 20 are regulated with the aid of the controller such that, by using the IR emitters, a uniform heating and firing of the ceramic element 31 takes place.