Interlocking Composite Dental Appliances With Nonlinear Force Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional additive manufacturing techniques struggle to produce orthodontic appliances with sufficient stiffness for applying repositioning forces to teeth while maintaining toughness over extended periods, and often require labor-intensive separation of integrally formed supports.
Innovation Solution
The development of composite materials with mechanically interlocking elements, comprising an interlocking structure and a matrix, which allows for decoupling of portions without fracturing, and provides improved toughness and flexibility by constraining movement in specific directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional additive manufacturing techniques use single material with uniform composition, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but mechanical properties are insufficient for both stiffness and toughness requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials with non-uniform composition consisting of multiple phases or materials to achieve both sufficient stiffness and toughness. The composite structure allows different regions to provide different mechanical properties, resolving the contradiction between strength requirements and manufacturing simplicity by accepting controlled material complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies local quality by creating regions with different material properties within the same object. Specific areas are designed with higher stiffness for force application while other regions maintain toughness for durability, allowing the object to exhibit spatially varying mechanical properties tailored to functional requirements.
2Force
If orthodontic appliances are made with high stiffness for applying repositioning forces, then force application capability is improved, but toughness and flexibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by creating spatially varying material properties where stiff regions provide force application capability while flexible regions maintain toughness. This allows the appliance to simultaneously achieve high force output and resistance to fracture by optimizing material distribution across different functional zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite materials with contrasting mechanical properties to resolve the stiffness-toughness tradeoff. The composite structure combines rigid phases for force generation with ductile or flexible phases for energy absorption, enabling the appliance to meet both force application and durability requirements.
3Strength
If additive manufacturing creates integrally formed supports, then structural integrity is improved, but post-processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by designing the object with distinct modular sections that are additively manufactured as integrated components but can be subsequently separated. The segmentation strategy allows supports and functional elements to be produced as a unified structure for structural integrity, then divided into separable modules for efficient post-processing and assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
Materials and additively manufactured objects including mechanically interlocking elements are provided. In some embodiments, a dental appliance includes an appliance body made at least partially out of a composite material. The composite material can include an interlocking structure having a plurality of interlocking elements. The interlocking structure can have a first mechanical property. The composite material can also include a matrix surrounding at least a portion of the interlocking structure. The matrix can have a second mechanical property different from the first mechanical property.