Shape setting a shape memory alloy dental arch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9328406-B2
Application number	US-201414230214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2014
Priority date	Aug 24, 2010
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

Methods are provided for shape-setting hyperelastic, single-crystal shape memory alloy (SMA) material while preserving the hyperelastic properties of the material. A wire or rod of a single crystal shape memory alloy material is heated to an annealing temperature (T a ). While maintained at the annealing temperature, the wire or rod is shaped by driving the wire or rod and a shaping form together into contact with each other, and the shaped wire or rod is quenched in a quenching medium virtually simultaneously with the shaping.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of shape-setting a hyperelastic material while preserving the hyperelastic properties of the material, the method comprising:
heating a wire or rod of a single crystal shape memory alloy material to an annealing temperature (T a );
while maintained at the annealing temperature, shaping the wire or rod by driving the wire or rod and a shaping form together into contact with each other; and
quenching the shaped wire or rod in a quenching medium, wherein the quenching rapidly follows and wherein the shaping and quenching occur within a fraction of a second the shaping.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single crystal shape memory alloy material is CuAlNi, CuAlMn, or CuAlBe.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heating comprises Joule heating.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the driving comprises mechanically, pneumatically or gravitationally driving the wire or rod against the shaping form.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the driving comprises mechanically, pneumatically or gravitationally driving the shaping form against the wire or rod.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the driving comprises mechanically or pneumatically colliding the wire or rod into contact with a shaping form comprising a mandrel.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the driving and quenching comprise dropping the wire or rod by gravitational force into the shaping form and continuously into the quenching medium.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the driving and quenching comprise dropping the shaping form by gravitational force into the wire or rod and continuously into the quenching medium.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the driving and quenching comprise mechanically accelerating the wire or rod and the shaping form into contact with each other and continuously into the quenching medium.

10. A method of shape-setting a hyperelastic material into a dental archwire while preserving the hyperelastic properties of the material, the method comprising:
heating a wire of single crystal shape memory alloy material selected from CuAlNi, CuAlMn, CuAlBe, or CuAlNiMnTi to an annealing temperature (T a );
while maintained at the annealing temperature, shaping the wire into an archwire shape by driving the wire and a shaping form together into contact with each other; and
quenching the archwire-shaped wire or rod in a quenching medium, wherein the quenching rapidly follows and wherein the shaping and quenching occur within a fraction of a second the shaping.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the single crystal shape memory alloy material is CuAlNi.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the driving comprises mechanically, pneumatically or gravitationally driving the wire or rod against the shaping form.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the driving comprises mechanically, pneumatically or gravitationally driving the shaping form against the wire or rod.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the driving comprises mechanically or pneumatically colliding the wire or rod into contact with a shaping form comprising a mandrel.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the driving and quenching comprise dropping the wire or rod by gravitational force into the shaping form and continuously into the quenching medium.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the driving and quenching comprise dropping the shaping form by gravitational force into the wire or rod and continuously into the quenching medium.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the driving and quenching comprise mechanically accelerating the wire or rod and the shaping form into contact with each other and continuously into the quenching medium.

Assignees

• Ormco Corp

Inventors

• Johnson Alfred David
• Alauddin Sammel S

Classifications

• A61C7/20 Primary

  Arch wires (A61C7/28 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C22F1/006 Primary

  Resulting in heat recoverable alloys with a memory effect · CPC title

• A61C2201/007

  using shape memory effect · CPC title

• C22C9/01

  with aluminium as the next major constituent · CPC title

• C22F1/08

  of copper or alloys based thereon · CPC title