Sintering furnace for components made of sintered material, in particular dental components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017176103-A1
Application number	US-201515116936-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 12, 2015
Priority date	Feb 12, 2014
Publication date	Jun 22, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a sintering furnace ( 1 ) for components ( 15 ) made of a sintered material, in particular for dental components, comprising a furnace chamber ( 2 ) having a chamber volume (VK), wherein a heating device ( 5 ), a receiving space ( 9 ) having a gross volume (VB) located in the chamber volume (VK) and delimited by the heating device ( 5 ), and a useful region ( 10 ) having a useful volume (VN) located in the gross volume (VB), are disposed in the furnace chamber ( 2 ). The furnace chamber ( 2 ) has an outer wall ( 3 ) consisting of a plurality of walls having a wall portion ( 7 ) to be opened for introduction of a component to be sintered having an object volume (VO) into the receiving space ( 9 ). In the furnace chamber ( 2 ) the heating device ( 5 ) has a thermal radiator ( 6 ) having a radiation field ( 13 ) which is disposed on at least one side of the receiving space ( 9 ). At least the useful volume (NV) disposed in the receiving space ( 9 ) is disposed in the radiation field ( 13 ) of the radiator ( 6 ), wherein the maximum possible distance (d) of the component ( 15 ) to be sintered from the radiator ( 6 ) corresponds to at most twice the dimension (D y ) of the maximum useful volume (VN).

First claim

1 - 8 . (canceled)

9 . A dental sintering furnace for one or more components made of sintered material, comprising a furnace chamber having a chamber volume (VK), the chamber volume (VK) having a heating device, a receiving space having a gross volume (VB) being delimited by the heating device, and a useful region with a useful volume (VN) located in the gross volume (VB);
wherein the furnace chamber has an outer wall that includes a plurality of walls having at least one wall portion to be opened in at least one of the plurality of walls for introduction of a component to be sintered having an object volume (VO), into the receiving space; wherein the heating device in the furnace chamber has a thermal radiator with a radiation field; wherein the radiator is disposed at least on one side of the receiving space; wherein at least the useful volume (VN) disposed in the receiving space is disposed in the direct radiation field of the radiator; wherein the maximum possible distance (d) of the component to be sintered to the radiator corresponds at most to a second largest dimension (Dy) of a maximum of the useful volume (VN); wherein the useful volume (VN) of the useful region has a ratio to the chamber volume (VK) of the furnace chamber from 1:50 to 1:1; wherein the useful volume (VN) of the useful region stands in a ratio to the gross volume (VB) of the receiving space from 1:20 to 1:1.

10 . The dental sintering furnace according to claim 9 , wherein the useful volume (VN) of the useful region stands in a ratio to the object volume (VO) of the component to be sintered from 1,500:1 to 1:1.

11 . The dental sintering furnace according to claim 9 , wherein the outer wall has a chamber inner wall that is impermeable to the radiation field and/or reflects it.

12 . The dental sintering furnace according to claim 9 , wherein the heating device has a thermal radiator with a heating rate in the useful region of at least 200 K per minute at 20° C.

13 . The dental sintering furnace according to claim 12 , wherein the thermal radiator is heated in a resistive or an inductive fashion.

14 . The dental sintering furnace according to claim 9 , wherein the useful volume (VN) is at most 20×20×40 mm 3 and that the dimensions of the useful volume (VN) are at most 20 mm×20 mm×40 mm.

15 . The dental sintering furnace according to claim 9 , wherein the radiator is configured as a crucible.

Assignees

• Sirona Dental Systems Gmbh
• Dentsply Sirona Inc

Inventors

• Fornoff Peter
• Schmidt Christian

Classifications

• F27B17/02

  specially designed for laboratory use · CPC title

• F27B17/025 Primary

  for dental workpieces · CPC title

• F27B14/10

  Crucibles · CPC title

• F27B2014/0843

  Lining or casing · CPC title

• F27B17/0025

  specially adapted for treating semiconductor wafers · CPC title