U.S. patent number RE28,667 [Application Number 05/223,343] was granted by the patent office on 1975-12-30 for double tray dental apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Kirkman Laboratories, Inc.. Invention is credited to Kenneth W. Gores.
United States Patent |
RE28,667 |
Gores |
December 30, 1975 |
Double tray dental apparatus
Abstract
Apparatus is provided to encase both upper and lower dentition
of a human mouth. A pair of trays are resiliently hinged together
to apply forces operating in a divergent manner to aid in retention
of the apparatus in the mouth during use which may be as a
mouthguard and as a medication applicator.
Inventors: |
Gores; Kenneth W. (Bellevue,
WA) |
Assignee: |
Kirkman Laboratories, Inc.
(Portland, OR)
|
Family
ID: |
26917678 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/223,343 |
Filed: |
February 3, 1972 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
856395 |
Sep 9, 1969 |
03536069 |
Oct 27, 1970 |
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
128/861;
433/42 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61C
19/063 (20130101); A61C 5/90 (20170201); A63B
71/085 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61C
19/00 (20060101); A61C 5/14 (20060101); A61C
19/06 (20060101); A61C 5/00 (20060101); A63B
71/08 (20060101); A61F 005/56 () |
Field of
Search: |
;32/17,14
;128/136,134,260 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Peshock; Robert
Claims
I claim:
1. Dental apparatus, comprising:
a pair of upper and lower dentition .[.encasing troughs;.].
.Iadd.trays; .Iaddend.
a hairpin-shaped resilient bridge member disposed adjacent the
buccal exteriors of said paired .[.troughs.]. .Iadd.trays
.Iaddend.at each side;
said resilient members each having a U-end between a pair of
outwardly biased legs; .[.and.].
.Iadd.said trays and said resilient members being formed of the
same pliant material; and .Iaddend.
said legs being joined to said .[.trough.]. .Iadd.tray
.Iaddend.sides forward of the posterior portions thereof.Iadd., the
ends of each said leg having a lap connection, non-pivotally
anchoring said end to a tray side, the intermediate portions of
said resilient members each having reduced cross-sectional area
relative the cross-sections of said leg ends adjacent said lap
connections thereby insuring bending of the resilient members into
hairpin shape, said lap connections transferring the forces of said
resilient members into the tray sides before and behind said
connections whereby resilient members in use exert divergent forces
on said trays tending to uniformly press and hold the trays into
contact with the user's teeth during opening and closing of the
jaws and during lateral and anterior/posterior movements thereof.
.Iaddend.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the U-ends of said
resilient members are disposed adjacent the posterior portions of
said pair .[.troughs.]. .Iadd.of trays .Iaddend.and said legs are
attached forward thereof. .[. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in
which the troughs and resilient members are formed of pliant
material and said resilient members
are integrally joined thereto..]. 4. Apparatus according to claim 3
in which said .[.troughs.]. .Iadd.trays .Iaddend.are closed at
their
posterior portions. 5. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which
porous, spongelike inserts are disposed in said .[.troughs..].
.Iadd.trays..Iaddend. 6. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which
said .[.troughs.]. .Iadd.trays .Iaddend.include instanding means
upon their inner surfaces to partially overlie and retain said
inserts in said .[.troughs..]. .Iadd.trays..Iaddend.
Description
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A feature of this invention has been the provision of two U-shaped
trays shaped to encase the upper and lower dentition in the human
mouth. Normally the two trays are disposed coplanar in mirrorlike
relation. They are joined at the sides by .Iadd.integral
.Iaddend.flexible and resilient hinge means permitting the
.[.troughs.]. .Iadd.trays .Iaddend. to be disposed to embrace upper
and lower dentition. The hinge means operate to insure seating and
retention of the trays in place in the mouth. Spongelike material
placed in the tray bottoms provide cushioning and also may serve as
a carrier and applicator for oral medication.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the double-tray dental apparatus as
it normally appears in coplanar mirrorlike disposition;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus disposed to embrace upper
and lower dentition;
FIG. 3 is a cross-section on line 3--3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a resilient, spongelike single tray
insert;
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a double-tray insert; and
FIG. 6 is a cross section of a tray showing insert retention
means.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Two trays 10 and 12 are arranged in mirrorlike relation to each
other as shown in FIG. 1 in which the trays are shown in their
normal coplanar disposition. Each tray is U-shaped and comprises a
bottom 14, the inner or lingual wall 16. The outer or buccal wall
18 and rear or end walls 20. In the preferred arrangement of trays
10 and 12 the open ends of their U-shapes face each other, as
shown.
Hinge members 22,22 span between the trays, being anchored at 24 at
their ends .Iadd.by the lap connections .Iaddend.to like buccal
walls 18 of the two trays an appreciable distance forward of the
end walls 20.
Desirably the trays 10,12 and hinge members are produced
.Iadd.integrally .Iaddend.by plastic molding techniques from pliant
materials of which polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene and similar
plastic materials are suitable. For the sake of comfort to the
user, the trays should not be hard and inflexible.
The channel cavity in each tray is configured and sized and shaped
to loosely fit either the upper or lower dentition of a user when
the apparatus is folded as in FIG. 2. In such situation the
flexible hinge members 22 are bent or bowed so that their natural
resilience functions to exert divergent forces tending to press and
hold the trays into contact with the user's teeth.
The elongate form of hinge members 22 permits the trays to conform
to the user's jaws with respect to anterior-posterior as well as
lateral malrelationship. In other words, a tray may shift forward
and rearward as well as laterally with respect to the other tray to
obtain the desired conformance.
While this apparatus may be used as a mouthguard by athletes
engaging in body contact sports, it has another valuable use in the
application of medicinal compounds. An insert 26 formed of
spongelike resilient material may be disposed in the cavity of
either or both trays. A particular such use is concerned with
applying fluoride compounds which are available in liquid and gel
form. Such compound may be introduced to the insert or inserts in
place in the apparatus. When the two trays are placed in the mouth,
the user bites down and compresses the insert material causing the
medication to be forced into all interproximal spaces and around
and about the teeth. Relief of such pressure causes a sucking back.
The result is a thorough and complete bathing treatment of the
user's dentition.
In FIG. 5 the double insert comprising portions 27,28 are connected
by lateral extending bridges 30,30 which also permit lateral and
anterior-posterior adjusting movements to accommodate
malocclusion.
The bridge members 22 may be medially thinned as at 23 to some
degree less than their cross section adjacent their .Iadd.lap
connected and .Iaddend. anchored ends to facilitate the lateral and
anterior-posterior shifting required where malocclusion is
encountered.
In FIG. 6 instanding horns 32 are shown on the inner surfaces of
the walls 16,18 to overlie the insert 26 to loosely hold it in the
channel as the device is being readied or placed in the mouth.
The apparatus here disclosed is the preferred form. It will be
apparent to those skilled in the art that alternatives may be
employed to accomplish the same results. Also materials may be
substituted to obtain equivalent structure and performance.
* * * * *