MOUNTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATED DENTAL PROSTHESES PROCESSING

Abstract

In one aspect, a mounting device adapted to be temporarily connectable ex-vivo to an unfinished dental prosthesis body in the course of dental prosthesis processing includes a lower base part and an upper connecting part, wherein the connecting part is adapted to be connectable to the void volume of the dental prosthesis body. At least the connecting part comprises a porous material at least comprising a porous content of larger or equal to 15 volume-% and smaller or equal to 75 volume-% and a thermal conductivity at 800° C. of larger or equal to 0.05 W/mK and smaller or equal to 0.75 W/mK.

Claims

1. A mounting device adapted to be temporarily connectable ex-vivo to an unfinished dental prosthesis body in the course of dental prosthesis processing, wherein, the mounting device at least comprises a lower base part and an upper connecting part, wherein the connecting part is adapted to be connectable to the void volume of the dental prosthesis body, wherein at least the connecting part comprises a porous material at least comprising a porous content of larger or equal to 15 volume-% and smaller or equal to 75 volume-% and a thermal conductivity at 800° C. of larger or equal to 0.05 W/mK and smaller or equal to 0.75 W/mK.

2. The mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the porous material comprises SiO.sub.2 and Al.sub.2O.sub.3, wherein the SiO.sub.2-content is larger or equal to 10 weight-% and smaller or equal to 50 weight-% and the Al.sub.2O.sub.3-content is larger or equal to 10 weight-% and smaller or equal to 90 weight-%, wherein the sum of the SiO.sub.2-content and the Al.sub.2O.sub.3-content is larger or equal to 50 weight-%.

3. The mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the loss of ignition of the porous material is larger or equal to 0 weight-% and smaller or equal to 8 weight-%.

4. The mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the density of the porous material is larger or equal to 250 kg/m.sup.3 and smaller or equal to 1300 kg/m.sup.3.

5. The mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting part and the base part comprise the same porous material.

6. The mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the lower base part comprises an orientation marker.

7. The mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting part and the base part consists of the same porous material.

8. The mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting part and the base part comprises at least one interconnecting channel from the bottom to the top of the mounting device.

9. The mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the circumferential outer edge the supporting part comprises an angle of larger or equal to −30° and smaller or equal to 35° with respect to a flat surface.

10. Mounting device system comprising a mounting device according to claim 1 and a prosthesis, wherein the connecting part comprises an inner attachment part and an outer supporting part, wherein the inner attachment part is adapted to extend into the void volume of the dental prosthesis body and the outer supporting part is adapted to match the lower circumferential contour line of the dental prosthesis body, wherein the length difference between the lower contour line of the dental prosthesis body and the outer supporting part of the connecting part is smaller or equal to 10% with respect to the length of the dental prosthesis body lower circumferential contour line.

11. System according to claim 10, wherein the attachment part surface contoured to contact at least in part the inner surface of the dental prosthesis body, wherein the void volume between the inner attachment part surface and the dental prosthesis body inner surface after attachment of the mounting device to the dental prosthesis body is smaller or equal to 10 volume-% with respect to the void volume of the dental prosthesis body.

12. A process for an automated processing of a dental prosthesis, wherein the dental prosthesis is at least temporarily brought in contact with a mounting device according to claim 1 in a coating process.

13. Process according to claim 12, wherein the coating process is a glazing process.

14. Process according to claim 12, wherein the dental prosthesis is a prosthesis selected from the group consisting of crowns, bridges, multi-unit-bridges or combinations thereof.

Description

[0033] The present invention will be further described with reference to the following figures without wishing to be limited by them.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of the different parts of the inventive mounting device;

[0035] FIG. 2 shows a representation of the inventive mounting device;

[0036] FIG. 3 shows a combination of a prosthesis and the inventive mounting device.

[0037] In FIG. 1 a possible embodiment of the inventive mounting device (1) is depicted. The mounting device (1) comprises at least a lower base part (2) and an upper attachment part (3). The upper attachment part (3) may further comprise different structures, like an inner attachment part (4) and an outer supporting part (5). Therefore, the inner attachment part (4) and the outer supporting part (5) can be regarded as parts of the upper attachment part (3), because also these structures are involved in the attachment of the prosthesis (6) to the mounting device (1). In consequence, a two part set-up is realized including means for supporting the mounting device (1), i.e. the lower base part (2), and means for attaching a prosthesis (6) (not shown), i.e. upper attachment part (3) with inner attachment part (4) and outer supporting part (5). The overall mounting device (1) may comprise or consist the same material. The mounting device (1) may further comprise an orientation marker (8), wherein the marker is able to indicate or distinguish the direction of the prosthesis (9) on the mounting device (1) or the orientation of the mounting device (1) at all.

[0038] FIG. 2 shows the inventive mounting device (1), wherein the mounting device (1) also comprises a lower base part (2) and an upper attachment part (3), wherein in upper attachment part (3) also comprises the inner attachment part (4) and the outer supporting part (5). In addition, also the supporting part circumferential outer edge (9) is shown. The inner attachment part (4) is shaped in order that this part can be inserted into the inner void volume of a prosthesis (6) (not shown). The void volume of the prosthesis (6) is filled by the inner attachment part (4) after attaching the prosthesis (6) to the mounting device (1). The prosthesis (6) rests, at least in part, on the outer supporting part (5). Within this embodiment no orientation marker (8) is present on the mounting device (1).

[0039] FIG. 3 shows the inventive mounting device (1) after attachment of a dental prosthesis (6) to the mounting device (1). The dental prosthesis (6) is a crown in this case. It can be seen that the prosthesis (6) is attached to the mounting device (1) via the upper attachment part (3), wherein the inner void volume of the crown is at least in part filled by the inner attachment part (4). The dental prosthesis body lower circumferential contour line (7) rests, at least in part, on the outer supporting part (5) of the upper attachment part (3). Extra applied coating material is able to be guided to the upper attachment part (3) and, therefore, an accumulation of coating material at the dental prosthesis body lower circumferential contour line (7) is avoided. Automatic coating routines can be used. In addition, excess material can be applied intentionally in order to assure a sufficient amount of coating liquid without the need to manually remove the excess material after a firing step.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS AND SIGNS

[0040] 1 mounting device [0041] 2 lower base part [0042] 3 upper connecting part [0043] 4 inner attachment part [0044] 5 outer supporting part [0045] 6 dental prosthesis body [0046] 7 dental prosthesis body lower circumferential contour line [0047] 8 orientation marker [0048] 9 supporting part circumferential outer edge