One-Piece Dental Suction Mirror Injection Molding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dental mirror suction devices are difficult to produce with a high-quality mirror surface and attractive appearance, often resulting in gaps or excess material that can harbor liquids and bacteria, and require precise manufacturing to avoid bumps and ridges, making them uncomfortable for use.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece mirror suction device is manufactured using injection molding with a single base body and a mirror mount featuring an elastic retaining shoulder for easy mirror insertion, allowing for a seamless and sterilizable unit, and using thermoplastic materials like polypropylene or polyethylene with additives for improved surface quality and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the base body is formed from two welded longitudinal halves, then the mirror can be held in a groove, but gaps or excess material are formed during welding that are unsightly and can harbor liquids and bacteria
Solution Approach 1:
The base body is divided into two separate injection-molded halves that are joined together. This segmentation allows each half to be manufactured independently with precise mold cavities, eliminating welding gaps and excess material while maintaining ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The welding process is replaced with an injection molding process where the two halves are formed as separate pieces and joined through precision-machined interfaces. This substitution eliminates the harmful effects of welding (gaps, excess material) while achieving the same structural goal of holding the mirror.
2Manufacturing precision
If the two longitudinal halves are manufactured with extreme precision to avoid gaps and ridges, then the appearance is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The complex welding process requiring extreme precision to avoid gaps is replaced with injection molding of two separate halves. The mold cavities themselves provide the precision, eliminating the need for post-welding finishing operations and reducing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mirror-holding groove area is designed with specific local geometry that naturally compensates for any minor variations in the joining of the two halves. The groove depth and shape are optimized to ensure the mirror is securely held while maintaining surface quality in the critical viewing area.
3Reliability
If the mirror is firmly framed and secured in the base body, then the mirror does not move during treatment, but the manufacturing process becomes more difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The mirror mounting function is merged into the base body structure itself. The mirror-holding groove is formed as an integral part of the injection-molded base body halves, eliminating separate mounting operations and ensuring the mirror is firmly secured while simplifying manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The mirror groove dimensions and depth are optimized as design parameters during injection molding. By carefully selecting the groove geometry, the mirror achieves firm fixation without requiring additional manufacturing steps, balancing reliability with ease of manufacture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a gap-free, attractive, and comfortable mirror suction device that can be sterilized as a unit, reducing noise and improving suction efficiency while allowing the dentist to perform treatments independently without an assistant.
Implementation Method 1
The mirror mount or the retaining shoulder is designed to be elastic, so that it can recede when the mirror is pressed in and the mirror can be clipped into the game mount.
Implementation Method 2
The hollow base body (12) has a curved shape, has a connection opening (18) and a suction opening (20) for sucking in particles and liquids
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a dental suction mirror (10) for suctioning liquids and particles from an oral cavity of a patient, comprising a tubular hollow main body (12) having an inner surface (14), an outer surface (16), a longitudinal axis (X-X), a connection opening (18) for a tube and a suction opening (20), wherein the inner surface (14) has a mirror (22) that can be observed at least in some regions through the suction opening (20), said mirror having a mirror surface (24) and a mirror rear side. The main body (12) is designed as a single piece and comprises in its inner surface (14) in the region of the suction opening (20) a mirror receptacle (48) which is designed as a recess and in which the mirror (22) is held in a positively locking manner. The invention further relates to an advantageous method for producing a suction mirror (10).