Dental Workpiece Retaining Ring for Precise Re-Clamping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing holding devices for disk-shaped dental workpieces face challenges in accurately repositioning and re-clamping the workpieces after removal, leading to inaccuracies and potential unusability in further processing due to radial and axial misalignment.
Innovation Solution
A holding device with a two-part retaining ring design, where the inner ring element with clamping surfaces and support surfaces remains with the workpiece, and the outer ring element remains fixed, allowing for precise reinsertion and re-clamping via a form-fitting fixing device, ensuring positional accuracy with repeatability of less than 0.01 millimeters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the workpiece is removed from the holding fixture for other processing or measurement, then other operations can be performed, but the workpiece cannot be re-positioned precisely leading to displacement errors of several millimeters
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining ring is divided into two separate ring elements (inner ring element and outer ring element) that can be detached from each other. The inner ring element with clamping elements and support surfaces remains attached to the workpiece, while the outer ring element stays with the holding fixture. This segmentation allows the workpiece to be easily removed and reinserted without losing its position references, solving the repositioning accuracy problem while maintaining the ability to perform other operations.
2Productivity
If a separate holding device is clamped onto the retaining ring to hold multiple workpieces, then multiple blanks can be processed, but the blanks are only fastened by radial clamping force allowing slipping in axial direction and cannot hold narrower workpieces
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping mechanism is enhanced by adding axial clamping capability through the support surfaces that extend in the axial direction. The clamping elements can now exert force in both radial and axial directions, preventing slipping in the axial direction and enabling secure holding of narrower workpieces that would otherwise not be retained by radial clamping alone.
Data Source
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AI summary
Retaining device (1) for a dental workpiece (W), in particular for a disc-shaped dental workpiece (W), having a retaining ring (2) formed about a central axis (Z), for the purpose of receiving the dental workpiece (W), and a clamping device (3) for clamping the dental workpiece (W) on the retaining ring (2), wherein the clamping device (3) has at least one bearing surface (4) for the dental workpiece (W), said bearing surface (4) being mounted or formed on the retaining ring (2) and protruding radially in the direction of the central axis (Z), and at least one clamping element (5) mounted movably on the retaining ring (2), wherein, in a clamping position (ES), the dental workpiece (W) can be clamped between the at least one clamping element (5) and the at least one bearing surface (4), wherein the retaining ring (2) has an inner ring element (6), on which the at least one bearing surface (4) is mounted or formed and on which the at least one clamping element (5) is movably mounted, an outer ring element (7), and a fixing device (8) for releasably fixing the inner ring element (6) to the outer ring element (7).