Denture Abutment Holding Attachment for Precise Cutting Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for producing denture abutments lack efficient means to determine the direction of materials relative to cutting machines, leading to potential misalignment and inefficiencies in the cutting process.

Innovation Solution

The use of a holding attachment with a pin and engagement portion that corresponds to the cutting machine's pin insertion hole and rotation stopper, along with a fitting portion that aligns with the material's position reference, allowing for easy determination of the material's direction before cutting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If no holding attachment with positioning features is used, then the cutting machine can operate freely, but the material direction cannot be determined accurately leading to misalignment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment accuracyVSAvoidholding attachment structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The holding attachment serves as an intermediary device between the cutting machine and the denture abutment material. It includes a body with a held portion that receives the material, and a mounting portion with positioning features (protrusion fitting into recess, or recess fitting into protrusion) that interfaces with the cutting machine's rotation stopper. This intermediary structure enables precise directional alignment without complicating the cutting machine itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The holding attachment is prepared in advance with positioning features (protrusions or recesses) that correspond to rotation stoppers on the cutting machine. The denture abutment material is also pre-formed with reference portions (D cut surfaces or recesses). Before cutting begins, these positioning features are already in place to guide the material into the correct orientation, eliminating the need for complex real-time alignment procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If simple holding without positioning features is used, then the holding attachment is simple, but the material direction relative to cutting machine cannot be determined

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedirection determinationVSAvoidholding attachment structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The holding attachment incorporates asymmetric positioning features: a protrusion extending from one location on the mounting portion, or a recess formed at a specific location. These asymmetric features correspond to asymmetric rotation stoppers on the cutting machine, creating a unique fit orientation. Similarly, the denture abutment material has asymmetric reference portions (D cut surfaces or recesses) that only fit in one orientation, making direction determination straightforward through the asymmetric geometry rather than complex markings or procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

3Manufacturing precision

If holding attachment with positioning features is used, then material alignment is precise, but the holding attachment structure becomes complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedirectional alignmentVSAvoidholding attachment structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The holding attachment is segmented into distinct functional portions: a body with a held portion for receiving the denture abutment material, and a mounting portion with positioning features for interfacing with the cutting machine. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized independently - the held portion focuses on secure material holding while the mounting portion focuses on precise positioning, reducing overall complexity compared to a monolithic design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3865086B1Holding attachment for denture abutment, cutting machine, and production method for denture abutment
Publication Date: 2022.10.26 DGSHAPE CORP
  • EP3865086B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3865086B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3865086B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Holding attachment 100 including a holding portion Hd with a round or substantially round columnar hole shape in which a held portion 310 of a material before cutting 300 is inserted and a mounting portion 110A that is mounted on a work mount 50 of a cutting machine 10. The mounting portion 110A includes at least one pin 111 that is inserted to at least one pin insertion hole 52A provided in the work mount 50 and at least one engagement portion 112 that is engaged with at least one rotation stopper 52B provided in the work mount 50. A position reference portion 312 of the material before cutting 300 is recessed from a round or substantially round columnar outer peripheral surface 311 of the held portion 310. The holding portion Hd includes a fitting portion Hd2 fit to the position reference portion 312 of the material before cutting 300.