Subsequently, a scan head for structure reinforcement and an intraoral scanner thereof

Abstract

A scanning head for structural reinforcement and an intraoral scanner with an increased number of repeated uses, belonging to the technical field of intraoral scanners, comprising a plastic base layer (10) with a window formed at the tip, an adhesive layer (20) applied to all or part of the surface of the plastic base layer region facing the window, and a mirror layer (30) placed within the window and adhered to the plastic base layer (10) via the adhesive layer (20). The adhesive layer (20) is configured to improve the fitting force with the plastic base layer (10) by a reinforcing structure in order to strongly adhere to the mirror layer (30). By improving the surface energy of the plastic at the adhesion location, or by embedding from the outside, a material with high surface energy is grafted onto the contact surface. When the external grafted material is porous and mesh-like or porous, the penetration of the adhesive in the grid can provide additional mechanical gripping force, thus improving the adhesion stability of the adhesive. Alternatively, a multi-adhesive countermeasure is adopted, where the inner adhesive ensures adhesion to the plastic, and the outer adhesive provides waterproof isolation for the inner adhesive.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of intraoral scanners, and particularly relates to a scan head for reinforcing an adhesive structure and an intraoral scanner with an increased number of repeat uses equipped with the same.

Background Art

[0002] The intraoral scan Tip head (probe) in the industry is usually a plastic product. Since the surface energy of the plastic part is low, the performance of the plastic itself changes during the high-temperature sterilization process, and an interactive reaction occurs with the adhesive, after multiple high-temperature sterilization treatments, the surface adhesive force between the silica gel and the plastic substrate drops sharply, thus causing the Tip to fall off.

[0003] In order to reduce the use cost of the Tip and increase the number of times the Tip can be sterilized at high temperature, it is necessary to solve the problem of the adhesive strength between the mirror and the plastic after multiple high-temperature sterilizations. This problem has not yet been effectively solved in the industry.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Regarding the above technical problems, the present invention aims to provide a scan head for reinforcing an adhesive structure, which improves the fitting force between the adhesive layer and the adherend by a reinforcing structure, improves the adhesive strength between the mirror layer and the plastic base layer after multiple high-temperature sterilizations, and further improves the number of repeat uses of the intraoral scanner.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted in the present invention is as follows.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A scan head for reinforcing an adhesive structure, used for intraoral scanning, comprising: a plastic base layer with a window formed at the tip portion; An adhesive layer applied to all or part of the surface of the plastic base layer region facing the window, A mirror layer placed inside the window and adhered to the plastic base layer through the adhesive layer. The adhesive layer is configured to improve the fitting force with the plastic base layer by a reinforcing structure in order to strongly adhere to the mirror layer.

[0007] In some technical solutions, the reinforcing structure includes at least one metal mesh. The metal mesh is embedded in the adhesion region between the mirror layer and the plastic base layer, and the adhesion region is the plastic base layer region facing the window.

[0008] In some technical solutions, the metal mesh is integrally formed with the plastic base layer, or The metal mesh is connected to the plastic base layer by means of vacuum metal spraying, electroplating, or hot press embedding.

[0009] In some technical solutions, the adhesive layer includes an inner adhesive layer and an outer adhesive layer. The inner adhesive layer is applied to the adhesion surface of the mirror layer, and the outer adhesive layer is applied to the surrounding region of the plastic base layer with respect to the inner adhesive layer, and the surrounding region is in the plastic base layer region facing the window.

[0010] In some technical solutions, the inner adhesive layer is a liquid adhesive layer, and the outer adhesive layer is a solid adhesive layer.

[0011] In some technical solutions, the inner adhesive layer is applied to the central region of the adhesion surface of the mirror layer, and the outer adhesive layer is applied to the outer peripheral edge of the plastic base layer region facing the window. When the mirror layer and the plastic base layer are adhered, the inner adhesive layer and the outer adhesive layer cover the entire surface of the mirror layer.

[0012] In some technical solutions, the reinforcing structure includes a modified layer formed by a method of changing the surface characteristics of the plastic base layer.

[0013] In some technical solutions, the method of changing the surface characteristics of the plastic base layer may be any one of heating, ion beam, and laser etching.

[0014] In some technical solutions, the laser etching is specifically laser engraving.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention further provides an intraoral scanner with an increased number of repeated uses, which includes a scan body and the scan head, and the scan body and the scan head are removably connected.

[0016] The present invention adopts the above technical solutions and has at least the following beneficial effects.

[0017] 1. The surface energy of the plastic material is relatively low, and the adhesion structure with the reflective mirror is easily damaged after multiple high-temperature sterilization treatments. The present application improves the fitting force of the adhesive layer to the plastic base layer, significantly improves the adhesion strength between the mirror layer and the plastic base layer, further increases the number of repeated uses of the intraoral scanner, and saves costs.

[0018] 2. Specifically, the present application can improve the surface energy of the plastic at the adhesion location and increase the fitting force by changing the surface characteristics of the plastic, or graft a material with high surface energy onto the contact surface by an external embedding method. When the external grafted material is porous and mesh-shaped or porous, the penetration of the adhesive in the grid can provide additional mechanical gripping force, thus improving the adhesion stability of the adhesive, or adopting a multi-adhesive countermeasure, where the inner adhesive ensures the adhesion force with the plastic, and the outer adhesive waterproofly isolates the inner adhesive.

[0019] To more clearly explain the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings and their reference signs necessary for use in the embodiments are briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings from these drawings without creative labor and obtain other embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] To more clearly explain the technical solutions in the embodiments or the prior art of the present invention, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings from these drawings without creative labor and obtain other embodiments.

[0022] For the sake of simplicity of the drawings, each figure schematically shows only the parts related to the invention, and they do not represent the actual structure as a product. Also, in order to simplify and make the drawings easier to understand, in some drawings, only one of the parts having the same structure or function is schematically illustrated, or only one of them is labeled. In this text, "one" not only represents "only one", but may also represent the case of "one or more".

[0023] The term "and / or" used in the description of the present application and the appended claims means any combination and all possible combinations of one or more of the related listed items, and it should be further understood that these combinations are included.

[0024] In this text, unless otherwise specifically defined and limited, the terms "attach", "be consecutive to", "connect" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral connection, a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or a communication inside two elements. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention can be specifically understood by those skilled in the art.

[0025] In the description of the present application, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "upright", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial direction", "radial direction", "circumferential direction", "lateral direction", "longitudinal direction", etc. is based on the drawings, and is only for facilitating the description of the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element pointed to must have a specific orientation, be configured and operated in a specific orientation. It should be understood that it does not limit the present invention.

[0026] In view of the fact that the surface energy of the plastic material is relatively low and the adhesion structure with the reflective mirror is likely to be damaged after multiple high-temperature sterilization treatments, the present application improves the fitting force of the adhesive layer 20 to the plastic base layer 10 by means of a reinforcing structure, significantly improves the adhesion strength between the mirror layer 30 and the plastic base layer 10, further increases the number of times the intraoral scanner can be repeatedly used, and saves costs.

[0027] Example 1 (Embedded from the outside)

[0028] Referring to FIG. 1, the scan head for reinforcing the adhesion structure according to this example is shown. This scan head includes a plastic base layer 10, an adhesive layer 20, and a mirror layer 30. The plastic base layer 10 has a housing structure, and a window is formed at the tip of the head portion. The adhesive layer 20 is applied to all or part of the surface of the plastic base layer region facing the window. The mirror layer 30 is placed within this window and is adhered to the plastic base layer via the adhesive layer 20. The adhesive layer 20 is configured to improve the fitting force with the plastic base layer by means of a reinforcing structure in order to strongly adhere to the mirror layer. The reinforcing structure may be a metal mesh 41 embedded in the adhesion region between the mirror layer 30 and the plastic base layer 10. This adhesion region is the plastic base layer region facing the window. By grafting a high-surface-energy material onto the surface of the plastic base layer 10 through the metal mesh 41 embedded from the outside, the fitting force of the adhesive to the plastic is significantly improved, the adhesion strength between the mirror layer 30 and the plastic base layer 10 is increased, further the number of times the intraoral scanner can be repeatedly used is increased, and costs are saved.

[0029] In this embodiment, the metal mesh 41 embedded from the outside is adopted. While the surface energy of the metal is much higher than that of the plastic material, the mesh structure provides additional mechanical gripping force for the penetration of the adhesive in the grid, thus improving the stability of the adhesion.

[0030] In the above embodiment, this metal mesh 41 may be integrally formed directly with plastic as an insert during the injection molding process, or may be added after the plastic injection molding process. Specifically, the connection with the plastic base layer 10 may be realized by means of vacuum metal spraying, electroplating, or hot press embedding.

[0031] Here, the hot press type metal mesh embedding process is easy to operate, low in cost, and causes the least thermal damage to the plastic base layer 10. In addition, after the metal mesh 41 is embedded, a more stable additional mechanical connection occurs both between the metal mesh 41 and the plastic and between the metal mesh 41 and the adhesive, which is currently a method with relatively strong stability.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the hot press type metal mesh embedding process. It includes the steps of positioning the Tip (probe), placing the copper mesh in the specified area, turning on the hot press device, and effectively embedding the metal mesh 41 into the surface of the area facing the scan window of the plastic base layer 10 by heating and pressurizing, performing quality inspection on the manufactured scan head, returning to the thermocompression bonding step if the inspection is unqualified, and obtaining a qualified scan head if the reverse is true.

[0033] The main factors affecting this process include the material, dimensions and density of the metal mesh 41, the hot press temperature, pressure and time of the hot press process, etc.

[0034] Example 2 (Measures against Multi - Adhesives)

[0035] Referring to FIG. 2, a scan head for reinforcing an adhesive structure according to this embodiment is shown. This scan head includes a plastic base layer 10, an adhesive layer 20, and a mirror layer 30. The plastic base layer 10 is a housing structure, and one window is formed at the tip of the head portion. The adhesive layer 20 is applied to a part of the surface of the plastic base layer region facing the window. The mirror layer 30 is placed within this window and is adhered to the plastic base layer via the adhesive layer 20. The adhesive layer 20 is configured to improve the fitting force with the plastic base layer by a reinforcing structure in order to strongly adhere to the mirror layer.

[0036] Here, the adhesive layer 20 includes an inner adhesive layer 21 applied to the adhesive surface of the mirror layer 30, and an outer adhesive layer applied to the surrounding region of the inner adhesive layer 21 of the plastic base layer, where the surrounding region is in the plastic base layer region facing the window. By means of the multi - adhesive countermeasure, the fitting force of the adhesive to the plastic is significantly improved, the adhesive strength between the mirror layer 30 and the plastic base layer 10 is increased, the number of repeatable uses of the intra - oral scanner can be further increased, and costs can be saved.

[0037] In one preferred embodiment, the inner adhesive layer 21 is applied to the central region of the adhesive surface of the mirror layer 30, the outer adhesive layer 22 is applied to the outer peripheral edge of the plastic base layer region facing the window, and the inner adhesive layer 21 and the outer adhesive layer 22 cover the entire surface of the mirror layer 30. This can satisfy the maximization of the adhesive area and further improve the adhesive strength between the mirror layer 30 and the plastic base layer 10.

[0038] In the above - mentioned embodiment, the inner adhesive layer 21 is a liquid adhesive layer, and the outer adhesive layer 22 is a solid adhesive layer. The liquid adhesive layer ensures the adhesive force with the plastic, and the solid adhesive layer waterproofs and isolates the internal liquid adhesive layer. Due to the special structure of the outer adhesive, the stability of the inner adhesive can be effectively protected, thus ensuring the adhesive strength of the entire mirror layer 30.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a multi - adhesive sealing process, which includes the step of cleaning the Tip (probe) with ultrasonic waves, the step of applying a liquid adhesive to the middle region of the adhesive surface of the transmissive mirror layer and simultaneously applying a solid adhesive to the outer peripheral edge of the region facing the window of the plastic base layer 10, and the step of bonding the transmissive mirror layer and the plastic base layer 10.

[0040] The main factors affecting this process include the cleaning of the plastic surface, the coating structure of the inner and outer adhesives, the bonding temperature, humidity and time.

[0041] Example 3 (Improvement of surface energy)

[0042] Referring to FIG. 3, the scan head for reinforcing the adhesive structure according to this example is shown. This scan head includes a plastic base layer 10, an adhesive layer 20, and a mirror layer 30. The plastic base layer 10 has a housing structure, and a window is formed at the tip of the head portion. The adhesive layer 20 is applied to all or part of the surface of the plastic base layer region facing the window. The mirror layer 30 is placed within this window and is bonded to the plastic base layer through the adhesive layer 20. The adhesive layer 20 is configured to improve the fitting force with the plastic base layer by a reinforcing structure in order to strongly bond with the mirror layer. The reinforcing structure includes a modified layer 42 formed by a method of changing the surface characteristics of the plastic base layer. By changing the surface characteristics of the plastic, the fitting force of the adhesive to the plastic is significantly improved, the bonding strength between the mirror layer 30 and the plastic base layer 10 is increased, the number of times the intra - oral scanner can be repeatedly used is further increased, and costs are saved.

[0043] In this embodiment, since the surface energy of the plastic material is relatively low, the adhesion structure with the reflective mirror is likely to be destroyed after multiple high-temperature sterilization treatments. By modifying the surface of the plastic, that is, by destroying the polymer structure of the plastic and breaking it to form stronger polar low molecules that can effectively adhere, the surface energy of the plastic in the adhesion area is directly improved.

[0044] Here, the method of changing the surface characteristics of the plastic may be any one of heating, ion beam, and laser etching.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the process for improving the surface energy of the plastic by laser engraving. It includes the steps of positioning the Tip (probe), setting the laser engraving parameters, laser engraving the adhesion area, performing quality inspection on the first scan head, and if the inspection fails, going back to reset the laser engraving parameters, and if not, obtaining a qualified scan head.

[0046] The main factors affecting this process include the area, depth of laser engraving, and power density of the laser, etc.

[0047] The embodiments described above merely represent some embodiments of the present invention, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed. However, it should not be understood that this limits the patent scope of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, without departing from the concept of the present invention, some modifications and improvements are possible, and all of these belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be subject to the appended claims.

[0048] Those skilled in the art should understand that although the present invention is described in terms of multiple embodiments, each embodiment does not necessarily contain only a single independent technical solution. Such a description in the specification is for clarity only, and those skilled in the art should understand the protection scope of the present invention as a whole and consider that the technical solutions related to each embodiment can be combined with each other to form different embodiments.

[0049] The meanings of the reference signs in the figures are as follows.

Description of Reference Signs

[0050] 10 Plastic base layer, 20 Adhesive layer, 21 Inner adhesive layer, 22 Outer adhesive layer, 30 Mirror layer, 41 Metal mesh, 42 Modified layer.

Claims

1. A scan head for reinforcing an adhesive structure, used for oral scanning, comprising: a plastic base layer with a window formed at the tip portion; an adhesive layer applied to all or part of the surface of the plastic base layer region facing the window; a mirror layer placed within the window and adhered to the plastic base layer via the adhesive layer; the adhesive layer is configured to improve the fitting force with the plastic base layer by a reinforcing structure in order to strongly adhere to the mirror layer; A scan head for reinforcing an adhesive structure.

2. The reinforcing structure comprises at least one metal mesh; the metal mesh is embedded in the adhesion region between the mirror layer and the plastic base layer, and the adhesion region is the plastic base layer region facing the window; The scan head for reinforcing an adhesive structure according to Claim 1.

3. The metal mesh is integrally formed with the plastic base layer, or the metal mesh is connected to the plastic base layer by means of vacuum metal spraying, electroplating, or hot press embedding; The scan head for reinforcing an adhesive structure according to Claim 2.

4. The adhesive layer comprises an inner adhesive layer and an outer adhesive layer; the inner adhesive layer is applied to the adhesion surface of the mirror layer, and the outer adhesive layer is applied to the surrounding region of the plastic base layer with respect to the inner adhesive layer, and the surrounding region is in the plastic base layer region facing the window; The scan head for reinforcing an adhesive structure according to Claim 1.

5. The inner adhesive layer is a liquid adhesive layer, and the outer adhesive layer is a solid adhesive layer; The scan head for reinforcing an adhesive structure according to Claim 4.

6. The inner adhesive layer is applied to the central region of the adhesion surface of the mirror layer, and the outer adhesive layer is applied to the outer peripheral edge of the plastic base layer region facing the window. When the mirror layer and the plastic base layer are adhered, the inner adhesive layer and the outer adhesive layer cover the entire surface of the mirror layer; The scan head for reinforcing an adhesive structure according to Claim 4.

7. The reinforcing structure comprises a modified layer formed by a method of changing the surface characteristics of the plastic base layer; The scan head for reinforcing an adhesive structure according to Claim 1.

8. The method of changing the surface characteristics of the plastic base layer is any one of heating, ion beam, or laser etching; The scan head for reinforcing an adhesive structure according to Claim 7. Claim 9 Laser etching is specifically laser engraving, The scan head for reinforcing the adhesive structure according to claim 8. Claim 10 A scan body, A scan head according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and The scan body and the scan head are removably connected, An intraoral scanner with an increased number of repeated uses.

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