Pivotable Support Plate for Multi-Sided Milling

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Solution Overview

Problem

In copy milling devices, particularly in dental technology, the need to repeatedly remove and re-clamp the holding element to access the model body from different sides during the milling process leads to inaccuracies and inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

A carrier plate with pivotable holding elements that can be arranged to pivot about a common horizontal axis or multiple axes, allowing the model body to be accessed from different sides without removal, using a locking device for precise positioning and a clamping mechanism for stable fixation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the holding element is fixed rigidly in the carrier plate, then the positional accuracy is maintained, but the model body cannot be accessed from different sides without removal and re-clamping

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess to model body from different sidesVSAvoidpositional accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The holding element is designed to be pivotable relative to the carrier plate about a horizontal axis, transforming the rigid fixed connection into a dynamic adjustable connection. This allows the holding element to be rotated to different angular positions (e.g., 0°, 90°, 180°, 270°) to access the model body from different sides while maintaining precise positioning through locking mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The angular position parameter of the holding element is changed by pivoting it to different orientations. The holding element can be positioned at various angles relative to the carrier plate, enabling multi-sided access to the model body while maintaining accurate positional relationships through defined angular increments and locking at specific positions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If the holding element is removed and re-clamped multiple times, then different sides of the model body can be accessed, but time is lost and inaccuracies are introduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess to different sidesVSAvoidtime for removal and re-clamping
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of removing and re-clamping the holding element, the pivotable design allows the holding element to be rotated in-place to different angular positions. This dynamic repositioning eliminates the time-consuming removal and re-clamping operations while maintaining secure fixation through the locking mechanism at each angular position

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If the holding element is removed and re-clamped multiple times, then different sides of the model body can be accessed, but positioning inaccuracies occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess to different sidesVSAvoidpositional accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The pivotable holding element with locking mechanism provides dynamic repositioning capability while maintaining precise positioning. The locking mechanism ensures that when the holding element is positioned at different angular orientations, it is securely fixed without the positioning inaccuracies that occur during repeated removal and re-clamping operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The angular position parameter can be changed by pivoting the holding element to standard angular increments (0°, 90°, 180°, 270°). This controlled parameter change allows access to different sides while maintaining accurate positional relationships, eliminating the cumulative positioning errors that occur with repeated removal and re-clamping

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Productivity

If the carrier plate is designed with pivotable holding elements, then multi-sided access is enabled without removal, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemilling process efficiencyVSAvoidcarrier plate structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pivotable holding element design adds rotational freedom to an otherwise simple carrier plate structure. The pivotable connection with locking mechanism enables multi-sided access and continuous processing, significantly improving productivity while adding only moderate structural complexity compared to rigid fixed designs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The pivotable holding element serves multiple functions: it securely holds the model body, allows rotation to different angular positions for multi-sided access, and maintains precise positioning through locking. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate operations or fixtures, improving productivity without proportionally increasing complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2114291B1Support plate for a duplicating milling apparatus
Publication Date: 2011.04.20 STEGER HEINRICH
  • EP2114291B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1c
  • EP2114291B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2114291B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed is a support plate (2) for a particularly manually actuated duplicating milling apparatus (1). Said support plate (2) comprises at least one through-hole (4, 4') in which a blank and a solid model are or can be arranged by means of one respective substantially disk-shaped retaining element (6, 21). The retaining elements (6, 21) for the blank and the solid model are or can be arranged in the at least one through-hole (4, 4') so as to be pivotable about at least one substantially horizontal axis of rotation (a, a', a", b, b').