Model-teeth base manufacturing device and model-teeth base manufacturing method

Abstract

Provided are a model-teeth base manufacturing device and a model-teeth base manufacturing method which make it possible to efficiently manufacture, through injection molding, a model-teeth base having thereon a plurality of model teeth having teeth axes in different orientations. A model-teeth base manufacturing device 1 comprises: a fixed-side mold 4; a movable-side mold 5 that is disposed on one side of the fixed-side mold 4 and can be opened and closed with respect to the fixed-side mold 4; a pre-ejector 6 that is disposed on the other side of the fixed-side mold 4 and can be moved in a direction approaching or separating from the fixed-side mold 4; and a plurality of block pieces 7 that are provided to the pre-ejector 6 and that form insertion holes 3 into which model-teeth imitating the shape of respective teeth are inserted. In a state where the fixed-side mold 4 and the movable-side mold 5 are clamped together, cavities 14, which are spaces for forming the model-teeth bases 2 and are to be filled with a resin material, are formed between the fixed-side mold 4 and the movable-side mold 5. The cavities 14 are inclined so that the front-teeth sides thereof are positioned close to the pre-ejector 6 side as compared to the back-teeth sides thereof.

Description

Model dental base manufacturing apparatus and model dental base manufacturing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a model dental base manufacturing apparatus and a model dental base manufacturing method for manufacturing a model dental base used for a dental model and provided with model teeth imitating the shape of teeth.

[0002] Conventionally, as a dental model including model teeth imitating the shape of teeth and a model dental base having insertion holes into which the model teeth are inserted, for example, a dental arch model as disclosed in Patent Document 1 below has been proposed. The gingiva of this dental arch model is formed by, for example, injection molding. When the gingiva of the model is formed by injection molding, the tooth root insertion holes of the gingiva of the model are formed in a shape that is easy to mold with a mold. Specifically, the plurality of tooth root insertion holes of the gingiva of the model are formed extending in the same direction. Therefore, in a state where the model teeth are inserted into the tooth root insertion holes of the gingiva of the model, the tooth axes of the model teeth extend in the same direction, which is different from the case of natural teeth. In the case of natural teeth, the direction in which the tooth axis extends is different depending on the tooth (the inclination angle of the tooth axis is different depending on the tooth).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-328083

[0004] As described above, although the conventional gingiva of the model can be easily mass-produced by injection molding, the direction of the tooth axis cannot be made different like that of natural teeth, and the configuration is simplified. When dental treatment practice is performed using a dental arch model having a simplified gingiva of the model, trainees cannot experience the actual tooth root part and cannot perform a meaningful practice.

[0005] Therefore, as a result of intensive research on a model dental base in which the direction of the tooth axis can be made different depending on the tooth, the present inventor focused on the inclination angle of the tooth axis and arrived at the present invention. That is, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a model dental base manufacturing apparatus and a model dental base manufacturing method that can efficiently manufacture by injection molding a model dental base to which a plurality of model teeth are attached and in which the directions of the tooth axes of the respective model teeth are different.

[0006] (1) The present invention relates to a model tooth base manufacturing apparatus which has a plurality of insertion holes into which model teeth that mimic the shape of teeth are inserted, and manufactures a model tooth base which is inclined such that each of the insertion holes inclins the tooth axis of each of the model teeth into which it is inserted in a different direction, comprising: a fixed side mold; a movable side mold which is disposed on one side of the fixed side mold and can be opened and closed relative to the fixed side mold; a cutting section which is disposed on the other side of the fixed side mold and can move in a direction approaching or moving away from the fixed side mold; and a plurality of pieces which are provided on the cutting section for forming the insertion holes, wherein when the fixed side mold and the movable side mold are clamped together, a cavity which is filled with resin material in the space for forming the model tooth base is formed between the fixed side mold and the movable side mold, and the cavity is inclined such that the front tooth side of the cavity is located closer to the cutting section than the back tooth side of the cavity.

[0007] (2) In the above (1), the model tooth base preferably comprises an upper model tooth base into which an upper model tooth, which mimics the shape of the upper teeth, is inserted, and a lower model tooth base into which a lower model tooth, which mimics the shape of the lower teeth, is inserted, and the cavity preferably comprises a first cavity which is a space for forming the upper model tooth base and a second cavity which is a space for forming the lower model tooth base.

[0008] (3) In (1) or (2) above, it is preferable that the plurality of pieces are slidable relative to the tip portion in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the tip portion.

[0009] (4) The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a model tooth base, which uses a model tooth base manufacturing apparatus that manufactures a model tooth base having a plurality of insertion holes into which model teeth that mimic the shape of teeth are inserted, and inclined such that each of the insertion holes inclins the tooth axis of each of the model teeth into which the tooth is inserted in a different direction, wherein the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus comprises a fixed mold, a movable mold disposed on one side of the fixed mold and openable and closable relative to the fixed mold, a cutting section disposed on the other side of the fixed mold and movable in a direction approaching or moving away from the fixed mold, and the cutting section provided with the insertion holes The present invention provides a plurality of pieces for forming a model tooth base, wherein, when the fixed mold and the movable mold are clamped together, a cavity is formed between the fixed mold and the movable mold in which resin material is filled in the space for forming the model tooth base, the cavity is inclined such that the anterior tooth side of the cavity is located closer to the pre-removal portion than the posterior tooth side of the cavity, and after the resin material filled in the cavity has solidified, a pre-removal step is performed in which the pre-removal portion is moved away from the fixed mold and the plurality of pieces are removed from the insertion holes before the fixed mold and the movable mold are opened.

[0010] According to the present invention, a model tooth base manufacturing apparatus and a model tooth base manufacturing method can be provided that can efficiently manufacture model tooth bases, to which multiple model teeth can be attached, in which the orientation of the tooth axis of each model tooth is different, by injection molding.

[0011] This is a schematic front view showing the state of use of a model tooth base manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, with the interior visible. This is a schematic top view showing the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, with the interior visible, with some parts omitted. This is a schematic front view showing the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, with the cavity filled with resin material. This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of a piece of the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, with a part enlarged. This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing another example of a piece of the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, with a part enlarged. This is a schematic front view showing the state of use of a model tooth base manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, with the tip section in the middle of movement. This is a schematic front view showing the state of use of a model tooth base manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, with the tip section having moved further from the state in Figure 6.

[0012] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic front view showing the use of a model tooth base manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, with the interior visible. Figure 2 is a schematic top view of the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus of Figure 1, with some parts omitted to show the interior. In the illustrated example, one side is considered the bottom and the other side the top.

[0014] The model tooth base manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment manufactures a model tooth base 2 having a gingival portion by injection molding. The model tooth base 2 manufactured by the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus 1 has a plurality of insertion holes 3 into which a plurality of model teeth that mimic the shape of teeth are inserted, and each of the insertion holes 3 is inclined so as to tilt the tooth axis of each of the model teeth into which it is inserted in a different direction. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus 1 has a fixed mold 4, a movable mold 5, a pre-cutting section 6, and a plurality of piece pieces 7. In the illustrated example, the fixed mold 4 and the movable mold 5 are arranged vertically.

[0015] The model tooth base 2 has multiple insertion holes 3 into which multiple model teeth are attached. As shown in Figure 2, the multiple model teeth are arranged in a roughly U-shape to represent anterior and posterior teeth. Typically, they are arranged like the multiple teeth found in the upper and lower jaws of a human.

[0016] The fixed mold 4, located on the upper side, is positioned so as to be immovable. In the illustrated example, the fixed mold 4 has a fixed mold plate 8 and a fixed insert 9. The fixed mold plate 8 has a recess 10 that opens downwards. The fixed insert 9 is detachably provided in this recess 10.

[0017] The movable mold 5 is positioned on one side of the fixed mold 4. In the illustrated example, the movable mold 5 is positioned below the fixed mold 4. The movable mold 5 is vertically movable between a position in contact with the fixed mold 4 and a position located below the fixed mold 4. Thus, the movable mold 5 is movable between a closed mold position and an open mold position. Therefore, the movable mold 5 can be opened and closed relative to the fixed mold 4. In the illustrated example, the movable mold 5 has a movable mold plate 11 and a movable insert 12. The movable mold plate 11 has a recess 13 that opens upward. The movable insert 12 is detachably provided in this recess 13.

[0018] In this configuration, when the movable mold 5 and the fixed mold 4 are closed, the movable insert 12 of the movable mold 5 is superimposed on the fixed insert 9 of the fixed mold 4. With the movable insert 12 and the fixed insert 9 superimposed, and the fixed mold 4 and the movable mold 5 clamped together, a cavity 14 is formed between the fixed mold 4 and the movable mold 5, which is a space for forming the model tooth base 2 and is filled with resin material. As described above, the multiple model teeth to be attached to the model tooth base 2 are arranged in a roughly U-shape so that there are anterior teeth and posterior teeth. Therefore, the cavity 14, which is the space for forming the model tooth base 2, has an anterior tooth side and a posterior tooth side. In this case, the cavity 14 is inclined such that the anterior tooth side of the cavity 14 is located closer to the pre-cut portion 6, which will be described later, than the posterior tooth side of the cavity 14.

[0019] Figure 3 is a schematic front view showing the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus of Figure 1, and shows a cavity filled with resin material. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the model tooth base 2 manufactured by the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment has an upper jaw model tooth base 15 having a plurality of insertion holes 3 into which a plurality of upper jaw model teeth that mimic the shape of the upper jaw teeth are inserted, and a lower jaw model tooth base 16 having a plurality of insertion holes 3 into which a plurality of lower jaw model teeth that mimic the shape of the lower jaw teeth are inserted. Therefore, the cavity 14 which forms the model tooth base 2 has a first cavity 17 which is the space for forming the upper jaw model tooth base 15, and a second cavity 18 which is the space for forming the lower jaw model tooth base 16. The first cavity 17 and the second cavity 18 are separated in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the cutting portion 6. In the illustrated example, the first cavity 17 and the second cavity 18 are separated in the left-right direction. In this configuration, the molar sides of the first cavity 17 and the second cavity 18 face each other, while the anterior sides of the first cavity 17 and the second cavity 18 face in opposite directions.

[0020] The inclination angle α of the first cavity 17 is preferably 1° to 30°, and more preferably 5° to 15°. Typically, the inclination angle α is 10°. The inclination angle α of the first cavity 17 is within the above range, taking into account the inclination of the maxillary anterior teeth and the maxillary posterior teeth of a person. The inclination angle β of the second cavity 18 is preferably 1° to 30°, and more preferably 10° to 20°. Typically, the inclination angle β is 15°. The inclination angle β of the second cavity 18 is within the above range, taking into account the inclination of the mandibular anterior teeth and the mandibular posterior teeth of a person. As shown in Figure 3, the inclination angle α of the first cavity 17 is smaller than the inclination angle β of the second cavity 18. The posterior tooth side end of the first cavity 17 is located closer to the tip portion 6 than the posterior tooth side end of the second cavity 18. For example, the distance A between the molar-side end of the first cavity 17 and the molar-side end of the second cavity 18 is approximately 3.0 mm. In this way, the molar-side of the first cavity 17 is located closer to the tip portion 6 than the molar-side of the second cavity 18.

[0021] The pre-punching portion 6 is positioned on the other side of the fixed mold 4. In the illustrated example, the pre-punching portion 6 is positioned above the fixed mold 4. The pre-punching portion 6 is movable vertically between a position in contact with the upper part, which is the other side of the fixed mold 4, and a position located above the fixed mold 4. Thus, the pre-punching portion 6 is movable in a direction approaching or moving away from the fixed mold 4. In the illustrated example, the pre-punching portion 6 has a first piece 19 located on the lower side and a second piece 20 located on the upper side.

[0022] The first piece 19 is a plate-like structure with a roughly rectangular shape in plan view, with its surface facing up and down. The upper surface of the first piece 19 is provided with a plurality of first recesses 21 that open upward. The bottom surface of each first recess 21 is provided with a first through hole 22 that penetrates in the vertical direction. The first through hole 22 opens to the bottom surface of the first recess 21 and also to the lower surface of the first piece 19. The first piece 19 is provided with a plurality of through holes 23 that penetrate in the vertical direction. Each through hole 23 opens to the upper surface of the first piece 19 and also to the lower surface of the first piece 19. The second piece 20 is a plate-like structure with a roughly rectangular shape in plan view, with its surface facing up and down. The upper surface of the second piece 20 is provided with a plurality of second recesses 24 that open upward. The bottom surface of each second recess 24 is provided with a second through hole 25 that penetrates in the vertical direction. The second insertion hole 25 opens to the bottom surface of the second recess 24 and also opens to the lower surface of the second piece 20.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the lower surface of the second piece 20 is superimposed on the upper surface of the first piece 19, and the first piece 19 and the second piece 20 are fixed to each other with screws or the like. In the state where the first piece 19 and the second piece 20 are fixed together, the through hole 23 of the first piece 19 is continuous with the second insertion hole 25 of the second piece 20. Therefore, the second insertion hole 25 is in communication with the through hole 23 of the first piece 19 and opens to the lower surface of the first piece 19 through the through hole 23.

[0024] The tip section 6 is provided with multiple insert pieces 7 for forming multiple insertion holes 3 into which multiple model teeth are inserted. In the illustrated example, some of the multiple insert pieces 7 are provided on the second piece 20, and the remaining multiple insert pieces 7 are provided on the first piece 19.

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of a component piece of the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 1, with a portion enlarged. Figure 5 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing another example of a component piece of the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 1, with a portion enlarged.

[0026] The piece 7 provided on the second piece 20 is rod-shaped and oriented vertically. A pair of shaft portions 26, 26 are provided at the upper end of the piece 7 on the second piece 20, facing each other across the axis of the piece 7. The pair of shaft portions 26, 26 are round rod-shaped and extend in a direction away from each other from the piece 7. The outer shape of the lower end of the piece 7 on the second piece 20 has the outer shape of the tooth root portion of a model tooth. The piece 7 on the second piece 20 is provided in the second recess 24 of the second piece 20. Specifically, with the piece 7 passing through the second insertion hole 25 of the second piece 20 and the through hole 23 of the first piece 19, the pair of shaft portions 26, 26 of the piece 7 are placed on the bottom surface of the second recess 24, thereby supporting the piece 7 on the second piece 20. In the state where piece 7 is attached to the second piece 20, piece 7 protrudes downward from the first piece 19.

[0027] The piece 7 provided on the first piece 19 has two types of configurations. One of the two types of configurations, the piece 7 having one configuration (hereinafter referred to as "one piece"), is rod-shaped and runs in the vertical direction. At the upper end of one piece 7, a pair of shaft portions 26, 26 are provided so as to face each other across the axis of the piece 7. The pair of shaft portions 26, 26 are round rod-shaped and extend in a direction away from each other from one piece 7. The outer shape of the lower end of one piece 7 has the outer shape of the tooth root of a model tooth. As shown in Figure 4, one piece 7 is provided in the first recess 21 of the first piece 19. Specifically, with one piece 7 passing through the first insertion hole 22 of the first piece 19, the pair of shaft portions 26, 26 of one piece 7 are placed on the bottom surface of the first recess 21, thereby supporting one piece 7 on the first piece 19. One of the pieces, piece 7, when attached to the first piece 19, protrudes downward from the first piece 19.

[0028] One of the two configurations, the piece 7 having the other configuration (hereinafter referred to as the other piece) has a support portion 27 and an insertion portion 28. The support portion 27 has a pin portion 29 and a connecting portion 30. The pin portion 29 is pin-shaped with a head 31 and is aligned in the vertical direction. The connecting portion 30 is a roughly rectangular block shape and is provided at the lower end of the pin portion 29. The insertion portion 28 is rod-shaped and is aligned in the vertical direction. The upper end of the insertion portion 28 is provided with a groove portion 32 that opens upward. Both axial ends of the groove portion 32 are open. The width of the upper part of the groove portion 32 is smaller than the width of the lower part of the groove portion 32. Therefore, a pair of stepped portions 33, 33 are provided inside the groove portion 32. The outer shape of the lower end of the insertion portion 28 has the outer shape of the tooth root portion of the model tooth. As shown in Figure 5, the insertion portion 28 is supported by the support portion 27. Specifically, the insertion portion 28 is attached to the support portion 27 by passing the lower end of the pin portion 29 through the upper part of the groove portion 32 from one axial end of the groove portion 32, while passing the connecting portion 30 through the lower part of the groove portion 32. As the connecting portion 30 passes through the lower part of the groove portion 32, the stepped portion 33 of the groove portion 32 is hooked onto the upper surface of the connecting portion 30. In this way, the insertion portion 28 is supported by the support portion 27. As shown in Figure 1, the support portion 27 is supported by the first piece 19. Specifically, the support portion 27 is attached to the first piece 19 by inserting the pin portion 29 into the first piece 19 along the vertical direction. When the support portion 27 is provided on the first piece 19, it protrudes downward from the first piece 19. When the support portion 27 is provided on the first piece 19, the head 31 of the pin portion 29 is embedded in the first piece 19 and does not protrude upward from the first piece 19. In this way, the other piece 7 is attached to the first piece 19.

[0029] As described above, the pair of shaft portions 26, 26 of the piece 7 provided on the second piece 20 are placed on the bottom surface of the second recess 24. Therefore, as the pair of shaft portions 26, 26 slide along the bottom surface of the second recess 24, the piece 7 provided on the second piece 20 can move along the bottom surface of the second recess 24. For this reason, the second insertion hole 25 and the through hole 23 have a shape that allows the piece 7 to move. The pair of shaft portions 26, 26 of one piece 7 are placed on the bottom surface of the first recess 21. Therefore, as the pair of shaft portions 26, 26 slide along the bottom surface of the first recess 21, one piece 7 can move along the bottom surface of the first recess 21. For this reason, the first insertion hole 22 has a shape that allows one piece 7 to move. On the other piece 7, the stepped portion 33 of the groove portion 32 is hooked onto the upper surface of the connecting portion 30. Therefore, as the stepped portion 33 of the groove 32 slides along the upper surface of the connecting portion 30, the insertion portion 28 can move along the upper surface of the connecting portion 30. In this way, the multiple pieces 7 provided on the cutting portion 6 can slide relative to the cutting portion 6 in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the cutting portion 6.

[0030] Multiple piece pieces 7 provided in the pre-cutting section 6 can be inserted into the cavity 14 via the fixed-side mold 4. In the illustrated example, the multiple piece pieces 7 can be inserted into the corresponding cavity 14 of the first cavity 17 and second cavity 18 via the fixed-side mold plate 8 and the fixed-side insert 9. For this reason, the fixed-side mold plate 8 and the fixed-side insert 9 of the fixed-side mold 4 are provided with multiple through holes for the piece pieces 7 to pass through. The through holes provided in the fixed-side mold 4 are shaped to allow the piece pieces 7 to move. When the piece pieces 7 are inserted into the cavity 14, the portion of the piece piece 7 that has the outer shape of the tooth root of the model tooth is inserted into the cavity 14.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the multiple pieces 7 are inserted at an angle into the first cavity 17 for the maxillary model tooth base 15 and the second cavity 18 for the mandibular model tooth base 16. Therefore, the insertion hole 3 of the maxillary model tooth base 15 can be tilted to match the inclination angle of the tooth axis of the maxillary model tooth, and the insertion hole 3 of the mandibular model tooth base 16 can be tilted to match the inclination angle of the tooth axis of the mandibular model tooth. In the illustrated example, in the maxillary model tooth base 15, the piece 7 for forming the insertion holes 3 into which the lateral incisors are inserted and the insertion hole 3 into which the first premolars are inserted is the piece 7 provided on the second piece 20, the piece 7 for forming the insertion holes 3 into which the central incisors are inserted, the insertion hole 3 into which the canines are inserted, the insertion hole 3 into which the second premolars are inserted and the insertion hole 3 into which the third molars are inserted is the one piece 7 described above, and the piece 7 for forming the insertion holes 3 into which the first molars are inserted and the insertion hole 3 into which the second molars are inserted is the other piece 7 described above. In the mandibular model tooth base 16, the piece 7 that forms the insertion hole 3 into which the second molar is inserted and the insertion hole 3 into which the lateral incisor is inserted is the piece 7 provided on the second piece 20, the piece 7 that forms the insertion hole 3 into which the second premolar is inserted, the insertion hole 3 into which the canine is inserted and the insertion hole 3 into which the central incisor is inserted is the one piece 7 described above, and the piece 7 that forms the insertion hole 3 into which the third molar is inserted, the insertion hole 3 into which the first molar is inserted and the insertion hole 3 into which the first premolar is inserted is the other piece 7 described above.

[0032] Next, a method for manufacturing a model tooth base 2 using the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described. Figure 6 is a schematic front view showing the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus of Figure 1 in use, showing the cutting part in the middle of movement. Figure 7 is a schematic front view showing the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus of Figure 1 in use, showing the state where the cutting part has moved further from the state in Figure 6. Figures 1, 6, and 7 show the state of use of the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus 1 in chronological order.

[0033] When manufacturing the model tooth base 2, as shown in Figure 1, with the fixed mold 4 and the movable mold 5 clamped together and multiple piece pieces 7 provided in the pre-removal section 6 inserted into the cavity 14, molten resin material is injected into the cavity 14 from an injection molding machine (not shown). The injection molding machine has a conventionally known configuration. Typically, the injection molding machine moves powdered or pelletized resin material from a hopper into a cylinder heated by a heater, and injects the resin material molten by the heater into the cavity 14 from a nozzle provided at the tip of the cylinder. After the resin material filling the cavity 14 has solidified, a pre-removal process is performed before opening the fixed mold 4 and the movable mold 5. During the pre-removal process, the resin material has solidified and the model tooth base 2 has been formed, so the piece pieces 7 are inserted into the insertion holes 3 of the model tooth base 2. In the pre-removal process, the pre-removal section 6 is moved away from the fixed mold 4 to remove the multiple piece pieces 7 from the insertion holes 3.

[0034] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, in the pre-removal process, the pre-removal section 6 is moved upward, causing the piece 7 provided on the pre-removal section 6 to be removed from the cavity 14. As a result, the piece 7 is removed from the insertion hole 3 of the model tooth base 2. When the pre-removal section 6 is moved upward, the piece 7 provided on the second piece 20 and the aforementioned piece 7 slide along the bottom surface of the second recess 24 and the bottom surface of the first recess 21, respectively, while the insertion section 28 of the aforementioned piece 7 slides along the upper surface of the connecting section 30.

[0035] After the piece 7 is removed from the insertion hole 3 of the model tooth base 2, the fixed mold 4 and the movable mold 5 are opened. Then, the model tooth base 2 is removed from the movable mold 5 by a pin (not shown) provided in the movable mold 5. In this way, the model tooth base 2 is manufactured by injection molding.

[0036] In the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus 1 and model tooth base manufacturing method of this embodiment, the cavity 14 is inclined such that the anterior tooth side of the cavity 14 is located closer to the tip-removal section 6 than the posterior tooth side of the cavity 14. Therefore, in the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus 1 and model tooth base manufacturing method of this embodiment, the travel distance of the tip-removal section 6 can be shortened, and the piece 7 can be removed from the insertion hole 3. As a result, according to the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus 1 and model tooth base manufacturing method of this embodiment, model tooth bases 2 in which the orientation of the tooth axis of each of the multiple model teeth is different can be efficiently manufactured by injection molding.

[0037] As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the distance traveled by the pre-pulling section 6 when removing the piece 7 from the insertion hole 3 can be shortened. Therefore, the pre-pulling section 6 can be placed in a small space. Normally, there is only a small space on the other side of the fixed mold 4. According to this embodiment, the pre-pulling section 6 can be placed in the small space located on the other side of the fixed mold 4.

[0038] In this embodiment, the cavity 14 has a first cavity 17 for the maxillary model tooth base 15 and a second cavity 18 for the mandibular model tooth base 16. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the maxillary model tooth base 15 and the mandibular model tooth base 16 can be manufactured simultaneously using the same mold.

[0039] In this embodiment, the inclination angle α of the first cavity 17 is smaller than the inclination angle β of the second cavity 18. Also, the molar side of the first cavity 17 is located closer to the tip portion 6 than the molar side of the second cavity 18. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the maxillary model tooth base 15 and the mandibular model tooth base 16 can be manufactured more easily and simultaneously.

[0040] In this embodiment, the piece 7 is slidable relative to the tip section 6. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus 1 can be made simpler in configuration.

[0041] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any modifications or improvements that can achieve the objectives of the present invention are included within the scope of the present invention.

[0042] 1. Model tooth base manufacturing apparatus 2. Model tooth base 3. Insertion hole 4. Fixed mold 5. Movable mold 6. First removal section 7. Piece 14. Cavity 15. Maxillary model tooth base 16. Mandibular model tooth base 17. First cavity 18. Second cavity

Claims

1. A model tooth base manufacturing apparatus having a plurality of insertion holes into which model teeth that mimic the shape of teeth are inserted, and each of the insertion holes is inclined so as to incline the tooth axis of each of the model teeth into which it is inserted in a different direction, comprising: a fixed mold; a movable mold disposed on one side of the fixed mold and openable and closable relative to the fixed mold; a cutting section disposed on the other side of the fixed mold and movable relative to the fixed mold in a direction approaching or moving away from the fixed mold; and a plurality of pieces provided on the cutting section for forming the insertion holes, wherein, when the fixed mold and the movable mold are clamped together, a cavity is formed between the fixed mold and the movable mold in which a resin material is filled in the space for forming the model tooth base, and the cavity is inclined such that the anterior tooth side of the cavity is located closer to the cutting section than the posterior tooth side of the cavity.

2. The model tooth base comprises an upper model tooth base into which an upper model tooth, which mimics the shape of the upper teeth, is inserted, and a lower model tooth base into which a lower model tooth, which mimics the shape of the lower teeth, is inserted, and the cavity comprises a first cavity which is a space for forming the upper model tooth base and a second cavity which is a space for forming the lower model tooth base, the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The model tooth base manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of piece pieces are slidable relative to the cutting portion in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the cutting portion.

4. A method for manufacturing a model tooth base using a model tooth base manufacturing apparatus that manufactures a model tooth base having a plurality of insertion holes into which model teeth that mimic the shape of teeth are inserted, and each of the insertion holes is inclined so as to incline the tooth axis of each model tooth into which it is inserted in a different direction, wherein the model tooth base manufacturing apparatus comprises: a fixed mold; a movable mold disposed on one side of the fixed mold and openable and closable relative to the fixed mold; a cutting section disposed on the other side of the fixed mold and movable relative to the fixed mold and movable in a direction approaching or moving away from the fixed mold; and a plurality of pieces provided in the cutting section for forming the insertion holes, wherein, when the fixed mold and the movable mold are clamped together, a cavity is formed between the fixed mold and the movable mold in which a resin material is filled in the space for forming the model tooth base, and the cavity is inclined such that the anterior tooth side of the cavity is located closer to the cutting section than the posterior tooth side of the cavity. A method for manufacturing a model tooth base, comprising: after the resin material filled in the cavity has solidified, and before opening the fixed mold and the movable mold, a pre-extraction step is performed in which the pre-extraction portion is moved away from the fixed mold to remove the plurality of piece pieces from the insertion holes.

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