Orthodontic Expansion Screw Base Body Spacer Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adjusting devices for orthodontic applications have limited service life due to the absorption of compressive, bending, and torsional forces, leading to potential device failure and injury, and require high precision and dexterity for adjustment, with a risk of spacer wedging due to manufacturing tolerances.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a base body with a spacer guide between anchor elements and additional guide means extending between anchor elements, along with a spacer system that includes a cylindrical surface and actuation section, enhances stability and reduces spacer wedging, allowing for easier and safer adjustment of the device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If lever means are fixed to anchor elements to transmit force, then force transmission is achieved, but service life is limited due to compressive, bending and torsional forces
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate functional components: a base body that remains stationary, lever means that are detachably connectable to the base body, and anchor elements that are detachably connectable to the base body. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and replaced if needed, improving overall reliability and service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The base body serves as an intermediary component between the lever means and anchor elements. It provides a stable mounting structure that absorbs the mechanical stresses, preventing direct transmission of compressive, bending, and torsional forces to the lever means and anchor elements, thereby extending their service life.
2Measurement precision
If spacer means is adjusted to change distance between anchor elements, then position adjustment is achieved, but precision and dexterity are required making it cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The base body with spacer guide acts as an intermediary that guides the movement of the spacer means. The guide ensures precise, linear movement along a defined path, eliminating the need for high dexterity while maintaining adjustment precision. The guide structure prevents lateral deviations and ensures accurate positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer guide structure provides self-aligning features that automatically center and guide the spacer means during adjustment. This self-service mechanism reduces the skill level required by the operator, as the guide structure itself ensures proper alignment and movement without requiring precise manual manipulation.
3Ease of manufacture
If manufacturing tolerances exist, then production is feasible, but spacer and anchor elements become wedged due to freewheeling
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer guide in the base body serves as an intermediary that compensates for manufacturing tolerances. The guide structure provides a constrained path that prevents lateral movement and wedging, allowing standard manufacturing tolerances to be maintained while eliminating the freewheeling effect that causes spacer-anchor element jamming.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the direct mechanical contact between spacer means and anchor elements with a guided mechanical system. The spacer guide provides controlled contact and movement constraints, substituting the uncontrolled freewheeling mechanical interaction with a guided system that tolerates manufacturing variations without causing wedging.
4Force
If anchor elements absorb compressive, bending and torsional forces, then force transmission is achieved, but device stability decreases and breakage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into a stable base body and detachable lever means and anchor elements. The base body is designed to be the stable component that resists compressive, bending, and torsional forces, while the detachable components can be replaced if they become compromised, maintaining overall device stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The base body acts as an intermediary that provides structural stability and force distribution. It serves as a rigid foundation that absorbs and distributes mechanical loads, preventing the transmission of destabilizing forces to the anchor elements and lever means, thereby maintaining device stability and preventing breakage.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The device (2) has an anchor element (12) defined at a direction body, and another anchor element (14) defined at another direction body. A telescopic spacer unit (16) adjusts the spacing between the anchor elements. A base body (18) is arranged between the anchor elements, and comprises a spacer guide (20) for the spacer unit. The spacer unit is arranged between two guide units (22) that are parallel to each other. The base body comprises a recess (30) through which an actuating portion of the spacer unit is operated from outside. An independent claim is also included for a regulation device.