Dental oven

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9951993-B2
Application number	US-201213555540-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2012
Priority date	Jul 25, 2011
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A dental oven comprising a firing chamber for the heat treatment of dental restoration parts. The firing chamber is connected to a negative pressure source via a suction line. A valve arrangement is located between the firing chamber and the suction line with the aid of which the suction line is closable towards the firing chamber in order to maintain a negative pressure in the firing chamber. The suction line between the valve arrangement and the negative pressure source is ventilatable via an ambient air connection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Dental oven comprising
a firing chamber for the heat treatment of dental restoration parts, the firing chamber connected to a negative pressure source via a suction line,
wherein a valve arrangement is disposed between the firing chamber and the suction line,
wherein the suction line is closable towards the firing chamber in order to maintain a negative pressure in the firing chamber,
wherein a pressure gauge measures pressure in the firing chamber,
wherein the suction line comprises a flexible, uninsulated hose located between the valve arrangement and the negative pressure source and is ventilatable via an ambient air connection;
wherein a control device is provided for the valve arrangement which is used to turn on a flushing program in which the valve arrangement locks a firing chamber suction line connection and connects the ambient air connection to the suction line and in which the negative pressure source draws ambient air through the suction line;
wherein the flushing program can be carried out at any time; and
wherein the control device is configured to evaluate an output signal of the pressure gauge, and if the control device determines the pressure gradient is too low, the control device switches the valve arrangement to start the flushing program.

2. Dental oven according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control device for the valve arrangement vents the suction line for a predetermined period of time by selecting a ventilation program, and carries out the flushing program.

3. Dental over according to claim 2 ,
wherein the predetermined period of time is 1 minute and the flushing program is carried out in occurring cycles.

4. Dental oven according to claim 1 ,
wherein the valve arrangement is provided with a switching valve having an output connection connected to the suction line and having a first switching connection comprising the ambient air connection and having a second switching connection comprising the firing chamber suction connection, and
wherein the switching valve is controllable by the control device.

5. Dental oven according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control device of the dental oven also acts on the negative pressure source, the negative pressure source provided with a negative pressure pump, and
wherein the negative pressure source is connected to the control device via a control line or wirelessly for turning the negative pressure source on and off, and
wherein the control device turns on the negative pressure source when the suction line is to be ventilated.

6. Dental oven according to claim 1 ,
wherein the valve arrangement comprises a valve, whereupon opening of the valve, the firing chamber connection of the valve arrangement can be connected to the ambient air, and
wherein the control device of the dental oven turns off the negative pressure source in the valve arrangement.

7. Dental oven according to claim 1 ,
wherein a negative pressure sensor is connected to the firing chamber and measures the pressure or the negative pressure in the firing chamber, and
wherein an output signal of the negative pressure sensor is recorded by the control device of the dental oven, and
wherein the control device controls the desired negative pressure in the firing chamber by turning on the negative pressure source.

8. Dental oven according to claim 1 ,
wherein the negative pressure in the firing chamber is recorded continuously and
wherein the negative pressure source is turned on when the negative pressure is too low,
wherein, if turning on of the negative pressure source, the negative pressure does not increase sufficiently, the valve arrangement is controlled and the flushing program is turned on.

9. Dental oven according to claim 1 ,
wherein the flushing program is turned on during a firing cycle, during a specific service program of the dental oven, or between firing cycles.

10. Dental oven according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control device records the output signal of the negative pressure sensor of the dental oven continuously or recurrently and records the pressure drop gradient while the negative pressure source is turned on, and turns on the flushing program when the pressure drop gradient falls below a predetermined threshold value.

11. Dental oven according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pressure drop gradient comprises the drop in pressure per unit of time.

12. Dental oven according to claim 1 ,
wherein the firing chamber of the dental oven is connected to the negative pressure source via a second suction line, and that both suction lines can be turned on optionally via a switching valve so that at any time one of the suction lines is turned on and the other is closed.

13. Dental oven according to claim 1 ,
wherein a dental oven can be retrofitted with a valve arrangement comprising at least two valves or at least one switching valve with a control device, which allows for a flushing program.

14. Method for operating a dental oven in which dental restoration parts are heat-treated and put under negative pressure,
wherein the dental oven comprises a suction line comprising a flexible, uninsulated hose that extends between a firing chamber and a negative pressure source,
wherein the negative pressure can be produced in the firing chamber, a valve arrangement provided between the firing chamber and the suction line, the valve arrangement closes the suction line towards the firing chamber in order to maintain a negative pressure in the firing chamber, and the suction line between the valve arrangement and the negative pressure source is ventilated, via an ambient air connection;
wherein a control device for the valve arrangement turns on a flushing program in which the valve arrangement makes a connection between an output connection of the valve arrangement and the ambient air, via which the suction line can be flushed, wherein the negative pressure source draws in air through the suction line and wherein at the same time the valve arrangement locks the connection of the valve arrangement to the firing chamber;
wherein the flushing program can be carried out at any time; and
wherein the control device is configured to evaluate an output signal of the pressure gauge, and if the control device determines the pressure gradient is too low, the control device switches the valve arrangement to start the flushing program.

15. Method according to claim 14 ,
wherein when the negative pressure source is turned on via the valve arrangement interconnected suction line, the development of the negative pressure in the firing chamber is measured continuously or periodically recurrently and
wherein a flushing program is started when the negative pressure in the firing chamber decreases more slowly than in correspondence with a predetermined threshold value.

Assignees

• Jussel Rudolf
• Ivoclar Vivadent Ag

Inventors

• Jussel Rudolf

Classifications

• F27B17/025 Primary

  for dental workpieces · CPC title

• A61C13/20

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