Support for firing articles in a dental laboratory

• US 5,941,700 A
• Filed: 12/24/1997
• Issued: 08/24/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Theo Fuchs
• Original Assignee: Theo Fuchs
• Inventors: Fuchs, Theo
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu, Jiping
• Application Number:
  US08/997,762
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 432/253, 432/258, 432/259, 432/261, 269/305, 269/900, 269/54.5, 269/266, 248/220.31
• US Class Current: 432/258
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/20 Methods or devices for soldering, casting, moulding or melting A61C13/04, A61C13/081 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F27B 17/025 for dental workpieces
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 5/0043 Supports specially adapted for dental prosthesis
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 5/005 Supports specially adapted for holding elongated articles in an upright position, e.g. sparking plugs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 269/90 Supporting structure having work holder receiving apertures or projections

Abstract

A support for firing articles for a dental laboratory as described, in which a tensioning plate (14) is provided between two carrier plates (10, 12), the carrier plates (10, 12) and the tensioning plate (14) exhibiting a corresponding pattern of boreholes (16). In these boreholes (16) carrier pins (32) are introduced, which by displacement of the tensioning plate (14) with respect to the carrier plates (10, 12) are clamped in place and fixed in their position.

Claims

1. Support for firing articles, said support comprising:

a carrier plate, said carrier plate provided with boreholes arranged in a pattern, said boreholes adapted for receiving carrier pins;

a plurality of carrier pins;

a tensioning plate (14) provided flush against said carrier plate (10) and slideably displaceable with respect to the carrier plate (10), said tensioning plate being provided with boreholes (16) in a pattern which corresponds with the pattern of the boreholes of the carrier plate (10); and

a tensioning device (20,

     26), via which the tensioning plate (14) can be displaced with respect to the carrier plate (10) for clamping of the carrier pins (32) and maintained in its displaced position.

2. Support for firing articles according to claim 1, wherein the tensioning plate (14) is provided between two carrier plates (10 and 12) which are connected to each other in congruence and which exhibit congruent patterns of boreholes (16).

3. Support for firing articles according to claim 2, wherein the two carrier plates (10, 12) are connected at their corners via screw means (18), wherein the screw means (18) retain the tensioning plate (14) in approximate registry with the carrier plates (10, 12).

4. Support for firing articles according to claim 3, wherein the two carrier plates (10, 12) project at their corners beyond the beveled corner edges (30) of the tensioning plate (14) and wherein the tensioning cam (20) is provided on one of the screws (18) between the carrier plates (10, 12) and lying against the edge corner (30) of the tensioning plate (14).

5. Support for firing articles according to claim 1, wherein the tensioning device includes a tensioning cam (20), which is mounted on the carrier plate(s) (10, 12) rotatably about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the plate(s) and which cam contacts one corner of the tensioning plate (14) with its cam circumference (26).

6. Support for firing articles according to claim 5, wherein the cam circumference (26) of the tensioning cam (20) radially increases in the circumference direction in such a manner that the tensioning cam (20) is self-detaining in its respective tensioning positions.

7. Support for firing articles according to claim 1, wherein said support is adapted for supporting dental articles during firing.

8. Support for firing articles according to claim 7, wherein said dental articles are crowns or bridges.

9. Support for firing articles according to claim 1, wherein said support is constructed of a non-oxidizing metal.