Method and apparatus for manufacturing dental aligners

• US 20050082703A1
• Filed: 10/21/2003
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Wrosz, Roman
• Granted Patent: US 7,261,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/00 Orthodontics, i.e. obtaining or maintaining the desired position of teeth, e.g. by straightening, evening, regulating, separating, or by correcting malocclusions
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/08 Mouthpiece-type retainers or positioners, e.g. for both the lower and upper arch arch-shaped medicament applicators for teeth or gums A61C19/063; mouthguards for protecting the teeth of sportsmen A63B71/085
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2037/80 Identifying, e.g. coding, dating, marking, numbering
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2791/006 Using vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 37/02 Deburring or deflashing thermal deburring in general B23D79/005
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/04 Combined thermoforming and prestretching, e.g. biaxial stretching
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/18 Thermoforming apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/22 rotatable about an axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/702 Imitation articles, e.g. statues, mannequins medical equipment B29L2031/753; models B29L2031/40
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7536 Artificial teeth
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 425/809 Seal, bottle caps only

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a method and apparatus for manufacturing dental aligners. The system includes a workpiece introduction system having at least one workpiece preparation chamber. The system further has a mold manipulation system, having a mold introduction chamber, where a series of different molds may be introduced one after the other; a mold preparation chamber; a workpiece operation chamber; and a mold manipulator to move the mold between the mold introduction chamber, the mold preparation chamber, and the workpiece operation chamber; and a workpiece manipulator to move the workpiece between the workpiece preparation chamber and the workpiece operation chamber. In operation, the method includes steps of inserting a first workpiece into a workpiece preparation chamber; preparing the first workpiece for processing by subjecting the first workpiece to at least one preparation process; moving the first workpiece into a workpiece operation chamber; moving a first mold into a mold preparation chamber; preparing the first mold for processing by subjecting the first mold to at least one preparation process; moving the first mold into the workpiece operation chamber; moving the first mold and the first workpiece into cooperative engagement; subjecting the first workpiece to a vacuum on the side of the first workpiece facing the first mold; and repeating the above steps for a second workpiece and a second different mold.

Claims

1. An apparatus to manufacture dental aligners, comprising:

a workpiece introduction system, including at least one workpiece preparation chamber; and

a mold manipulation system, including;

a mold introduction chamber, wherein a series of different molds may be introduced one after the other;

a mold preparation chamber;

a workpiece operation chamber; and

a mold manipulator to move the mold between the mold introduction chamber, the mold preparation chamber, and the workpiece operation chamber; and

a workpiece manipulator to move the workpiece between the workpiece preparation chamber and the workpiece operation chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the workpiece introduction system is an inline system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the workpiece introduction system is a rotary turret system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mold manipulation system is a rotary turret system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mold introduction chamber and the mold preparation chamber are the same chamber.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a clamp system to connect the workpiece to the workpiece manipulator.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cutter, whereby an individual workpiece may be removed from a roll of plastic.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the workpiece preparation chamber includes an oven.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the oven includes a preheater or a heater or both.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mold preparation chamber includes an oven.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the oven includes a preheater or a heater or both.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mold manipulation system further comprises a plug manipulator to move a plug into the workpiece operation chamber.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a laser-marking system to mark the workpiece following its removal from the workpiece operation chamber.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a trimming system to trim the workpiece following its removal from the workpiece operation chamber.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the trimming system includes a multiple-axis CNC system.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the trimming system includes a 5-axis CNC system.

17. A method of manufacturing a series of dental aligners, comprising:

inserting a first workpiece into a workpiece preparation chamber;

preparing the first workpiece for processing by subjecting the first workpiece to at least one preparation process;

moving the first workpiece into a workpiece operation chamber;

moving a first mold into a mold preparation chamber;

preparing the first mold for processing by subjecting the first mold to at least one preparation process;

moving the first mold into the workpiece operation chamber;

moving the first mold and the first workpiece into cooperative engagement;

subjecting the first workpiece to a vacuum on the side of the first workpiece facing the first mold; and

repeating the above steps for a second workpiece and a second different mold.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the preparing the first or second workpiece includes heating the first or second workpiece, respectively.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the preparing the first or second workpiece includes pre-heating the first or second workpiece, respectively.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the preparing the first or second mold includes heating the first or second mold, respectively.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the preparing the first or second mold includes pre-heating the first or second mold, respectively.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising moving a plug and the first workpiece into cooperative engagement.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising marking the workpiece.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the marking is performed by a laser-marking device.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising trimming the workpiece.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the trimming is performed by a CNC device.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the heating occurs at a temperature of between about 525 and 595°

F.

28. An apparatus for fabricating a mass-customized appliance, comprising:

a web feeder;

a load station coupled to the web feeder to receive a mold; and

a forming station coupled to the load station to generate the appliance.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising a programmable logic controller (PLC) to control the forming station.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the PLC controls electrical and pneumatic I/O for the web feeder, heat zone, rotary SLA feed, forming, machine vision and die cutting functions.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the PLC stores and retrieves multiple recipes.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the PLC communicates over a network to allow real time monitoring of production throughput, preventive maintenance, and remote diagnostics management.

33. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the web feeder provides an in and out-feed to a piercing chain to provide safe rapid recovery from both machine malfunctions and roll change out.

34. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising a heater to provide a heat zone over the web feeder.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the heat zone further comprises a plurality of in-line individually controlled modular ceramic heaters.

36. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the load station comprises an opposing dual platform to allow continuous rotary introduction of unique molds to web without interruption to the process.

37. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the load station allows simultaneous loading of the next mold during the forming process.

38. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the forming station allows continuous introduction and removal of new unique mold to be thermoformed at each cycle.

39. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the forming station further comprises a pressure/vacuum chamber and wherein the pressure/vacuum chamber is first sealed on the web to allow pre-forming.

40. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the mold is introduced to the pre-formed web and simultaneously the vacuum and pressure are applied to form the material on the mold.

41. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the material is blown in a first direction over the mold and then blown in an opposite direction to deposit over the mold.

42. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein each is built with a 2D data matrix code containing unique identification.

43. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising a machine vision module that performs data acquisition from a multi-dimensional matrix code and reports the acquired data to a laser marking system.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the vision module comprises a camera and a light ring set up vertically over the station.

45. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein when the chamber is opened the load platform is withdrawn and the mold is retained in the web and transferred to the machine vision module.

46. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising a laser marker.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the laser marker is a diode pump laser with marking head, standard marking and targeting software and laser parameters.

48. The apparatus of claim 43, further comprising an interface to receive machine vision data acquisition and software for matching data file.