Dental appliances with shaped material components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10150244-B2
Application number	US-201615298830-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2016
Priority date	Oct 20, 2016
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure provides method, computing device readable medium, and devices for dental appliances formed with folded material components. An example of a method of forming a dental appliance, includes forming a shell having a number of tooth apertures configured to receive and reposition a number of teeth of a patient along one jaw of a patient, the shell having a number of specialized components and wherein the number of specialized components are formed from folding multiple sections of the first sheet of material over each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a dental appliance with a shaped specialized component, comprising:
forming a shell having a number of tooth apertures configured to receive and reposition a number of teeth of a patient along one jaw of a patient, the shell having a number of specialized components and wherein the number of specialized components are formed from folding multiple sections of a first sheet of material over each other.

2. The method of forming a dental appliance of claim 1 , wherein the method includes:
forming the shell having a first sheet of material for use in forming a particular specialized component; and
bending a portion of the first sheet of material over itself to form first and second folded layers of material.

3. The method of forming a dental appliance of claim 2 , wherein forming the shell having a first sheet of material for use in forming a particular specialized component includes forming the first sheet with a score line thereon for facilitating the folding of the sheet at the score line.

4. The method of forming a dental appliance of claim 3 , wherein the method further includes folding the sheet at the score line while the sheet of material is still in a formable state.

5. The method of forming a dental appliance of claim 3 , wherein the method further includes folding the sheet at the score line by applying heat to the score line to transition the material at the score line to a formable state.

6. The method of forming a dental appliance of claim 3 , wherein bending a portion of the first sheet of material over itself to form first and second folded layers of material includes forming a number of waveform shapes in the sheet of material wherein the sinusoidal shapes have number of peaks and valleys in the sheet of material and then applying a force to lay at least one peak over onto at least one other peak to create a variable thickness of material.

7. The method of forming a dental appliance of claim 6 , wherein applying a force to lay at least one peak over onto at least one other peak includes applying a force with a roller mechanism.

8. The method of forming a dental appliance of claim 2 , wherein bending a portion of the first sheet of material over itself to form first and second folded layers of material includes forming a number of sinusoidal shapes in the sheet of material wherein the sinusoidal shapes have number of peaks and valleys in the sheet of material and then applying a force to lay at least one peak over onto at least one valley.

9. The method of forming a dental appliance of claim 8 , wherein applying a force to lay at least one peak over onto at least one valley includes applying a force with a roller mechanism.

10. The method of forming a dental appliance of claim 2 , wherein bending a portion of the first sheet of material over itself to form first and second folded layers of material includes imparting a force while bending the portion of the first sheet of material to create a spring from the first and second folded layers of material.

11. A method of forming a dental appliance, comprising:
forming a shell having a number of tooth apertures configured to receive and reposition a number of teeth of a patient along one jaw of a patient and having a first sheet of material extending outward from the shell; and
folding multiple sections of the first sheet of material over each other to form one or more specialized features having a thickness that is thicker than the thickness of the material forming the tooth apertures.

12. The method of forming a dental appliance of claim 11 , wherein the method includes:
forming the shell having a first sheet of material for use in forming a particular specialized component; and
bending a portion of the first sheet of material over itself to form first and second folded layers of material.

13. The method of forming a dental appliance of claim 12 , wherein bending a portion of the first sheet of material over itself to form first and second folded layers of material includes forming a number of peaks and valleys in the sheet of material and then applying a force to lay at least one peak over onto at least one valley.

14. The method of forming a dental appliance of claim 12 , wherein bending a portion of the first sheet of material over itself to form first and second folded layers of material includes forming a number of peaks and valleys in the sheet of material and then applying a force to lay at least one peak over onto at least one other peak.

15. The method of forming a dental appliance of claim 12 , wherein bending a portion of the first sheet of material over itself to form first and second folded layers of material includes forming a number of peaks and valleys in the sheet of material by positioning multiple elongate elements against at least one surface of the first sheet of material.

16. The method of forming a dental appliance of claim 12 , wherein bending a portion of the first sheet of material over itself to form first and second folded layers of material includes forming a number of peaks and valleys in the sheet of material by positioning at least one surface of the first sheet of material against a surface of a template in which the surface has a peak and valley shape.

Assignees

• Align Technology Inc

Inventors

• Sato Jun
• Kimura Ryan
• Shanjani Yaser

Classifications

• A61C7/10

  Devices having means to apply outwardly directed force, e.g. expanders · CPC title

• B29C53/06

  Forming folding lines by pressing or scoring · CPC title

• B65H45/00

  Folding thin material (specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of particular products, see appropriate subclasses, e.g. D06F89/00) · CPC title

• B29C53/043

  using rolls or endless belts · CPC title

• A61C13/0013

  using stereolithographic techniques · CPC title