Dental furnace

Abstract

The invention concerns a dental furnace, with a furnace base and with a furnace hood, wherein the furnace hood includes a firing chamber for the accommodation of dental restorations, with a temperature sensor that records the temperature of the dental restoration and which is connected to a control device which controls the dental furnace, and the dental furnace (10) includes a drive unit (18) for the furnace hood (16) and the control device (30) controls the drive unit (18) based on the temperature recorded by the temperature sensor (20), namely opens the furnace hood.

Claims

1. Dental furnace comprising a furnace base, a furnace hood, wherein the furnace hood includes a firing chamber for the accommodation of dental restorations and a drive unit for the relative movement between the furnace hood and the furnace base, with a temperature sensor that records the temperature of the dental restorations and which is connected to a control device which controls the dental furnace, wherein the control device controls the drive unit based on the temperature recorded by the temperature sensor and opens the furnace hood relative to the furnace base, wherein the temperature sensor is an optical sensor and comprises a two-dimensional sensor array, wherein the temperature sensor is positioned outside of the firing chamber, wherein ambient temperature and dimensions of the dental restoration and/or a muffle which accommodates the dental restoration can be recorded with the aid of the temperature sensor, and wherein the temperature sensor also records the presence or absence of the dental restoration and the moment of removal of the dental restoration and forwards a result of the recording to the control device, wherein the control device stores the result.

2. Dental furnace in accordance with claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor continuously records the temperature of the dental restoration, and wherein the control device calculates a temperature gradient from the continuously recorded temperature values of the temperature sensor.

3. Dental furnace in accordance with claim 1, wherein the optical sensor is an infrared sensor.

4. Dental furnace in accordance with claim 3, wherein the temperature sensor is a thermographic camera.

5. Dental furnace in accordance with claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is positioned laterally above the furnace base.

6. Dental furnace in accordance with claim 1, wherein the furnace hood is provided with a window transparent for IR radiation which is positioned within the optical path between the dental restoration accommodated inside the firing chamber and the temperature sensor (20).

7. Dental furnace in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control device is suitable for controlling the cooling-down rate of the dental restoration by means of changing the position of the furnace hood relative to the furnace base with the help of the drive unit.

8. Dental furnace in accordance with claim 1, wherein a temperature of a carrier of the object to be fired can be recorded with the help of the temperature sensor.

9. Dental furnace in accordance with claim 1, wherein processing programs can be selected with the aid of an operation device, which processing programs can be stored in the control device, and wherein target values for a cooling-down rate of the dental restoration are predetermined in the processing programs.

10. Dental furnace in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control device is suitable for lowering the furnace hood if the cooling-down rate of the dental restoration is to high compared with a target value predetermined by a selected processing program, and wherin the control device is suitable for elevating or accelerating the furnace hood if the cooling-down rate of the dental restoration is too low compared with the target value predetermined by the selected processing program.

11. Dental furnace in accordance with claim 1, wherein a heating device is provided inside the furnace hood, and wherein the control device is suitable for switching on the heating device if the cooling-down rate of the dental restoration is too high compared with a target value predetermined by a selected processing program.

12. Dental furnace in accordance with claim 1, wherein a cooling device is provided at the dental furnace, and wherein the control device is suitable for switching on the cooling device if the cooling-down rate of the dental restoration is too low compared with a target value predetermined by a selected processing program.

13. Dental furnace in accordance with claim 1, wherein the dental furnace further comprises a signalling device connected to the control device, and wherein the control device is suitable via the signalling device to signal the deviation below a cooling-down temperature of the dental restoration part predetermined by a selected processing program.

14. Process for controlling a dental furnace, wherein the dental furnace is provided with a furnace base and a furnace hood which can be moved with the help of a drive unit, and the furnace hood includes a firing chamber for accommodation of dental restorations, and wherein the dental furnace is further provided with a temperature sensor which is connected to a control device and which is positioned outside the firing chamber, wherein the method comprises the following steps the control device opens the furnace hood after expiry of a completed firing process corresponding to a predetermined value stored in the control device; the temperature sensor records the temperature of the dental restoration; and if the temperature of the dental restoration recorded by the temperature sensor falls below a value stored in the control device, the control device completely opens the furnace hood with the help of the drive unit and/or outputs a signal to the user via a signalling device connected to the control device, and wherein the temperature sensor also records the presence or absence of the dental restoration and the moment of removal of the dental restoration and forwards a result of the recording to the control device, wherein the control device stores the result.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages, details and features of an exemplary embodiment result from the Figures and the following description of the invention.

(2) The Figures show:

(3) FIG. 1 a schematic view of the dental furnace in accordance with the present invention;

(4) FIG. 2 a schematic view of the control of the position of the furnace hood during the controlled cooling process in the furnace in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) A dental furnace 10 comprises a furnace base 11 with a firing chamber bottom 12 which is destined to accommodate the object to be fired, for instance a muffle 13 (depicted here with workpiece 14 inserted). For firing, the object to be fired is accommodated in a firing chamber 15 which is depicted only schematically in FIG. 1 and which is provided in furnace hood 16 that is connected with furnace base 11 with the help of a joint 17. The degree to which furnace hood 16 is opened is adaptable via motor 18 which is only hinted in FIG. 1 for reasons of clarity. If the dental furnace 10 in accordance with the present invention is a pressing furnace, it additionally comprises, preferably in furnace hood 16, a device for pressing the dental material to be processed, the depiction of which, however, has been omitted here for the sake of more clarity.

(6) Dental furnace 10 comprises moreover an operation device 19 which works in combination with a control device that is not depicted in FIG. 1. Connected to the control device, there is an IR camera 20 on top of furnace base 11. Camera 20 is arranged in such a fashion that it is positioned outside furnace hood 16 when the latter is closed and its opening and closing is not inhibited, when furnace hood 16 is opened, however, an unhindered view on the object to be fired is guaranteed. The recording area 21 of camera 20 extends along furnace base 11 and firing chamber bottom 12 in such a fashion that muffle 13 placed on firing chamber bottom 12 is recorded in its entire diameter. Preferably, camera 20 is positioned in such a fashion that it can record at least a small portion of muffle 13 inserted even if furnace hood 16 is only opened to a minimum, and thus a temperature measurement is possible even if furnace hood 16 is opened only to a minimum.

(7) In the state depicted in FIG. 1, furnace hood 16 (including firing chamber 15) is completely elevated, such that the object to be fired can be inserted and removed, respectively.

(8) In a particularly favourable fashion, in accordance with the present invention, a recording of the dimensions of the object to be fired is possible, besides the recording of the temperature of the object to be fired, with the help of the IR camera which is a two-dimensional array of IR sensors. In this, the contrast between the hot areas recorded by the camera (dental restoration or muffle) and the cooler areas which represent the temperature of the ambient air is made use of. In addition, an easier recording of the ambient temperature is possible in this fashion, whose value can also be used in controlling the cooling-down rate of the object to be fired.

(9) By recording the dimensions of the dental restoration or the muffle which accommodates the former, a conclusion to the mass and—if the material is known—thus to the heat capacity of the object to be fired is also possible in a rather reliable fashion. This additional parameter determined in that way can as well be used in controlling the cooling-down rate.

(10) It is to be understood that for controlling the position of furnace hood 16 relative to furnace base 11, besides the absolute position, the velocity of the movement, i.e. of opening and/or closing, can also be controlled with the help of control device 30. When the position calculated by control device 30 in accordance with the parameters determined, such as the current temperature of the object to be fired as well as the current cooling-down rate of the object to be fired, has been reached, the furnace hood will remain in this position until a deviation exceeding a predetermined threshold value is determined by control device 30. Subsequently, a new correction is carried out, if necessary in compliance with an also predetermined holding time or pause which is supposed to prevent permanent re-adjustment of the hood's position. Control device 30 uses commonly known algorithms, such as PID control or the like, for the determination of the control variable, i.e. the opening of furnace hood 16 relative to furnace base 11.

(11) FIG. 2 schematically depicts the control of the position of furnace hood 16. With the help of the IR camera 20 that is positioned outside firing chamber 15, the temperature information recorded within its recording area 21 is transferred to control device 30. Since the temperatures of the object to be fired (e.g. the muffle) thus measured are recorded continuously over time, control device 30 can determine a temperature gradient and/or a cooling-down rate and compare it with a target value stored in the memory (not depicted) of the control device.

(12) If this comparison results in a too low cooling-down rate, control device 30 will initiate a further opening of furnace hood 16 via motor 18, which is indicated by arrow 32 in FIG. 2. This makes possible an improved temperature equalisation between the air surrounding dental furnace 10 and muffle 13, the cooling-down rate will increase. If the cooling-down rate thus achievable were still not sufficient despite completely opened furnace hood 16, additional active cooling is possible with the help of further cooling measures, e.g. with the help of an external ventilator.

(13) In the opposite case, if the cooling-down rate is determined to be too high, motor 18 is controlled in such a fashion with the help of control device 30 that furnace hood 16 is moved relatively towards furnace base 11. Thus, on the one hand, muffle 13 is subjected again to the radiation of the residual heat of the insulation (not depicted) positioned inside furnace hood 16, on the other hand, the temperature equalisation between the ambient air and muffle 13 is hindered, which will lead to a reduction in the cooling-down rate. If the residual heat stored in furnace hood 16 were not sufficient for reducing the cooling-down rate to the target value preset by the processing programme, additional heat energy may be introduced with the help of the firing chamber heating which is positioned inside furnace hood 16 and which is not depicted either for the sake of clarity.

(14) The adaptation of the position of furnace hood 16 described above is done continuously in order to achieve a continuous control of the cooling-down rate of muffle 16. When a final temperature of the cooling down of muffle 16, that is also preset by the processing programme, has been reached, furnace hood 16 is opened completely by control device 30 with the help of motor 18, and in addition an acoustic signal is output via loudspeaker 22 or also optically via control panel 19, in order to give the user the information that the object to be fired can now be removed and dental furnace 10 is available for a new firing cycle.

(15) Basically, it is also possible to recognize if the dental restoration part is taken out too early with the help of a temperature sensor. This holds true in particular if the temperature sensor is provided as a thermographic camera. In this embodiment, it is favourable to record in the style of a protocol at what temperature the dental restoration part has been removed in order to be able to record insofar the exact adherence to the removal temperature prescribed.

(16) In an alternative embodiment, it is intended to adjust a firmly prescribed position of the furnace hood with the help of a motor on the basis of the known previous temperature treatment (firing temperature, heat capacity of the object to be fired, etc.), and thus realise a cooling-down curve prescribed by the firing programme and not variable (which curve will then of course not progress in a linear fashion), wherein the IR camera merely detects the deviation below a temperature threshold. This temperature threshold is individual for the different materials used, such as, for instance, feldspar or lithium bi-silicate ceramics, and the type of firing (soldering, oxidising, glazing, etc.).