Dental Scaler Blade Groove Geometry for Lower Removal Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dental scaling instruments require significant user force for calculus removal and frequent sharpening due to inadequate optimization of the bevel angle, leading to hand fatigue and increased maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A dental scaling instrument with a geometrically impressed groove on the top surface and a modified bevel angle ranging from 20° to 60°, achieved through a combination of die pressing and sharpening processes, optimizing the edge geometry to reduce the force required and extend the sharpening frequency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If conventional manufacturing methods are used with standard bevel angles, then the instrument structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but significant force is required for calculus removal and frequent sharpening is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The top face of the blade is pre-formed with a specific geometric configuration (depression or groove) during the manufacturing process. This preliminary shaping of the top face allows the subsequent sharpening process to create the optimal bevel angle more easily, reducing the force required for calculus removal without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the blade by introducing a depression or groove on the top face with specific dimensions (depth, width, shape). This parameter modification alters how the blade engages with calculus, reducing the required insertion force while maintaining structural simplicity
2Duration of action of stationary object
If conventional top-face designs are used, then manufacturing is straightforward, but the bevel angle cannot be effectively optimized leading to frequent sharpening
Solution Approach 1:
The top face geometry is pre-configured during manufacturing with a depression or groove that guides the sharpening process. This preliminary action ensures that when the blade is sharpened, the bevel angle is consistently optimized, extending the time between sharpenings while adding only moderate geometric complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The depression or groove is located specifically on the top face of the blade, creating a localized geometric feature. This local modification concentrates the optimization effect at the cutting edge without requiring complex changes to the entire blade structure, thereby extending durability with moderate complexity increase
3Ease of operation
If the bevel angle is not optimized, then the instrument design is simple, but hand fatigue increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the bevel angle parameter by pre-forming the top face with a specific depression or groove geometry. This parameter change reduces the force required for calculus removal, improving ease of operation while maintaining relatively simple blade geometry that does not significantly increase manufacturing complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A dental scaling instrument comprising a handle segment and a curved segment mechanically connected to the handle segment. The curved segment comprises a support portion configured to connect the handle segment with the curved segment and a blade mechanically connected to the support portion, where the blade further comprises a depressed top face comprising a depression, at least two side faces wherein each of the at least two side faces are disposed adjacent to the top face sharing an edge, a bottom face contiguous with each of the at least two side faces and a distal tip formed by an intersection of the depressed top face, the at least two side faces, and the bottom face, wherein a bevel angle of the edge between the depressed top face and each of the at least two side faces is in a range of 20° to 75°.