Dental furnace

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9733018-B2
Application number	US-201414378860-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2014
Priority date	Jan 15, 2013
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a dental furnace, in particular a firing furnace or press furnace, for firing or pressing a dental restoration part which is receivable in the furnace, possibly after pre-heating in a pre-heating furnace, and which is placeable on a base, in particular centrally thereon, wherein the dental furnace comprises a firing chamber whose diameter is larger than, in particular at least twice as large as, the largest dental restoration part to be fired, and which comprises a control device and an operating unit at the or for the dental furnace ( 10 ), wherein by means of the operating unit ( 26 ) the size and/or the weight and/or the number of the dental restoration part(s) ( 18 ) to be fired or pressed is adjustable in units.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dental furnace for firing or pressing a dental restoration part which is receivable in the furnace, for pre-heating or after pre-heating in a pre-heating furnace, and which is positioned on a base, wherein the dental furnace comprises
a firing chamber having a diameter larger than a largest dental restoration part to be fired,
a control device,
an operating unit for the dental furnace, and
a detection device,
wherein size and number of the dental restoration part(s) to be fired or to be pressed may be detected,
wherein the detection device supplies the control device with a value or values of the detected size and the number of the dental restoration part(s) and wherein the control device is configured to quantify the value or values and offers the quantified value or values to the user in a number of units by means of the operating unit,
wherein the control device is configured to suggest or adjust a firing program based on the number of units.

2. The dental furnace according to claim 1 , wherein the size and/or the number and/or the weight of the dental restoration part(s) may be detected by the detection device of the dental furnace which is connected to the control device.

3. The dental furnace according to claim 1 , wherein the dental furnace comprises a display device which can display the size and/or the weight of the dental restoration part(s) in units.

4. The dental furnace according to claim 3 , wherein the operating unit comprises an operating panel which enables the setting of a press program or a firing program in units depending on the detected size or the detected weight of the dental restoration part(s).

5. The dental furnace according to claim 1 , wherein the operating unit enables the control via voice control and/or gesture control and/or via a remote control.

6. The dental furnace according to claim 1 , wherein a detection device detects the number and/or the size of the dental restoration part(s) to be fired or pressed and comprises an IR sensor or a camera.

7. The dental furnace according to claim 6 , wherein the detection device supplies the control device with the output signal of the IR sensor or the camera and wherein the control device comprises an image recognition device which recognizes individual regions of the image detected and assigns them to the dental restoration parts.

8. The dental furnace according to claim 7 , wherein the control device detects the number and/or size of the dental restoration parts by means of the image of the dental restoration parts detected by the IR sensor or the camera, based on a predetermined distance between IR sensor or camera and the dental restoration parts, and outputs the number and/or size based on the result of the recognition of the image of the dental restoration parts.

9. The dental furnace according to claim 8 , wherein the camera is designed as a thermal imaging camera and wherein in the image recognition of the image of the dental restoration parts detected by the detection device an outline of hot areas corresponding to hot dental restoration parts differs from cold surroundings and wherein based on the image recognition the number and/or the size of the dental restoration parts is determined.

10. The dental furnace according to claim 9 , wherein the detection device supplies the control device with a numerical value regarding the size and/or the weight of the dental restoration part and wherein the control device carries out a comparison with predetermined value ranges for quantification which is similar to rounding, and supplies the display device with a rounded result for display in units.

11. The dental furnace according to claim 10 , wherein a detection device of the dental furnace is switched to active at the beginning of the press cycle or the firing cycle of the dental furnace and wherein when the dental restoration part(s) approaches and/or is inserted into and/or placed into/on the dental furnace, the detection device automatically detects the number, the size and/or the weight of the dental restoration part(s).

12. The dental furnace according to claim 11 , wherein the dental restoration part(s) is intended for being received in the dental furnace on a firing tray and wherein a detection device of the dental furnace detects the firing tray with regard to the weight, the size and the density thereof and wherein the control device introduces the parameters of the firing tray into the quantification.

13. The dental furnace according to claim 12 , wherein a firing aid of the dental furnace comprises an encoding via which a detection device of the dental furnace recognizes it and carries out an automatic adjustment of the firing program or the press program.

14. The dental furnace according to claim 13 , wherein the control device carries out a correction factor for controlling the firing program or press program upon recognition of a firing tray or other firing aid by the detection device and offers the correction as a correction factor or as a correction value to the user for selection on a display device ( 29 ).

15. The dental furnace according to claim 1 , wherein the dental furnace is a firing furnace or a press furnace.

16. The dental furnace according to claim 1 , wherein the dental restoration part is positioned centrally on the base.

17. The dental furnace according to claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the firing chamber is at least twice as large as the largest dental restoration part to be fired.

18. The dental furnace according to claim 12 , wherein the size of the firing tray comprises height and/or diameter and the density of the firing tray comprises mass.

19. The dental furnace according to claim 13 , wherein the firing aid comprises a firing tray, comprises an encoding via which a detection device of the dental furnace ( 10 ) recognizes it and carries out an automatic adjustment of the firing program or the press program.

Assignees

• Ivoclar Vivadent Ag

Inventors

• Grünenfelder Robert
• Kettner Philipp
• Bürke Harald

Classifications

• A61C13/20 Primary

  Methods or devices for soldering, casting, moulding or melting {(A61C13/04, A61C13/081 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F27B17/025 Primary

  for dental workpieces · CPC title

• F27D21/02

  Observation or illuminating devices · CPC title

• F27D21/00

  Arrangement of monitoring devices; Arrangement of safety devices · CPC title

• F27D19/00

  Arrangements of controlling devices · CPC title