US2817900A

US2817900A - Denture

Info

Publication number: US2817900A
Application number: US609666A
Authority: US
Inventors: Glasser Philip
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-09-13
Filing date: 1956-09-13
Publication date: 1957-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 1974-12-31

Description

Dec. 31, 1957 P. GLASSER 2,817,900

DENTURE Filed Sept. 13, 1956 1 FIG. 2

IN V EN TOR.

J E/ G/asser United States Patent DENTURE Philip Glasser, Bronx, N. Y. Application September 13, 1956, Serial No. 609,666

(Zlaims. (Cl. 32-2) This invention relates to dentures and more particularly to dentures having shock absorbent characteristics.

It is an object of this invention to provide a shock absorbent denture which uniformly distributes the stresses it receives as a result of chewing and other operations of the mouth and jaws of the user.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an artificial denture which resists absorption of odors and is easily cleaned.

A further object of this invention is to provide a shock absorbent denture having a resilient cushion which is protected from deterioration as a result of surrounding atmospheric conditions.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a shock absorbent artificial denture which prevents deterioration of the gum ridge with which it comes into contact.

Other and more specific objects of the present invention wil be apparent from the following description as read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a partially cut away perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention shown in assembly;

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the shock distributing support employed in the aforesaid form of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken about the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows located near the ends of the said line;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken about the line 55 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows located near the ends of the said line 5-5.

Similar reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing, one form of the invention may be embodied in an upper and lower set of artificial dentures comprising a lower base 10, engageable with the lower gum ridge, a lower superstructure 11, having suitably formed artificial lower teeth, an upper superstructure 12, having suitably formed artificial upper teeth, and an upper base 13, engageable with the upper gum ridge. The

aforesaid bases

10, 13 and

superstructures

11, 12 may be composed of conventional acrylic plastic material having an outer surface which permanently hardens upon exposure to a cool atmosphere and a resilient inner portion produced upon subjection to body temperatures.

As illustrated in Fig. 2., the lower base is provided with a plurality of button posts 14 and locking posts 15, said

posts

14, 15 being engageable with corresponding apertures in the lower superstructure 11. When so engaged, these

posts

14, 15 secure the lower base and lower superstructure against accidental dislocation although the said base and superstructure are capable of manual separation for cleaning purposes. The upper base 13 and upper superstructure 12 are also provided with similar button posts and locking posts engageable with similar apertures in the same manner.

As appears in Fig. 3, the

aforesaid posts

14, 15 are rigidly supported upon a shock distribution member 16 comprising a pair of substantialy parallel curved strips 16a, 16b which are strengthened by an intermediate wire 17 arranged in a basket-weave or lattice-like conformation. Exterior to the shock distribution member 16 there are also located a plurality of closed wire loops 18. The aforesaid strips 16a, 16b, intermediate wire. 17, loops 18 and

posts

14, 15 are preferably metallic in composition but may be constructed of any substantially rigid material.

The button posts 14 have a lower expanded portion 19 which is not only supported by the shock distribution member 16 but may also be anchored within the acrylic plastic material of the upper and

lower bases

10, 13, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The intermediate portion of the button posts 14 comprises a vertical shank 20 terminating in a flat, expanded, elliptical, upper portion 21.

The locking posts 15 comprise a lower expanded portion 22, mounted and anchorable in the same manner as the button posts 14 and having a relatively thin intermediate portion 23 and a slightly expanded ellipsoidal end portion 24.

The said

posts

14, 15 are receivable within apertures 25 of the

aforesaid superstructures

11, 12 and are removably secured therein by the resilient action of the plastic material forming the walls of the said apertures 25. This retention is particularly effected by the action of the resilient lip portions 25a of the apertures since said lip portions engage the intermediate portions of the

posts

14, 15.

The apertures 25 extend into the interior portion of the upper and

lower superstructures

11, 12 which remains in a soft and resilient condition due to the temperature of the mouth of the user. This resilient condition is in contrast to the outer surfaces of the said superstructures which are relatively hard because of their exposure to the air as well as to water during cleaning operations. This hardness also exists, for the same reasons, throughout the relatively

thin bases

10, 13 due to their relatively thin cross-sections, and, as a result of this firm condition, the

bases

10, 13 tend to preserve the conformation of the gum ridge of the user which would otherwise disappear if a softer material were used in contact therewith.

It is also to be noted that the hardness of the

bases

10, 13 tends to maintain intimate contact between the plastic material composing same and the stress distribution member 16 which is embedded therein.

Moreover, the hardened plastic material resists the absorption of objectionable mouth odors and thereby protects the aforesaid resilient inner portion of the superstructures from such absorption and resultant deterioration.

An important feature of this invention resides in the fact that the elliptical upper portion 21 of the button posts 14 are contactable with the resilient plastic material within the

superstructures

11, 12 thereby allowing stresses communicated to the artificial teeth 26 to be concentrated upon the button posts 14 and thence transmitted to the shock distribution member 16 which, in turn, due to its lattice-like construction and loops attached thereto, distributes the stress uniformly upon the gum ridge in contact with the

bases

10, 13. Such stress distribution serves to prevent harmful deterioration and absorption of the bone structure underlying the gum ridge and also results in added comfort to the user.

It is worthy of mention that the button posts 14 may be located under any of the artificial teeth comprised within the superstructures, as required by dental expediency. Locking posts 15 also serve as stress distributing members but do not have as large an upper portion as that of the button posts because they are located beneath teeth generally subjected to lighter shock loads.

The foregoing discussion is not intended to imply that theinvention must be used with both upper and lower artificial dentures. On the contrary, the invention may be employed in either upper or lower dentures, or both, as desired.

The embodiments of the invention illustrated and described hereinabove have been selected for the purpose of clearly setting forth the principles involved. It will be apparent, however, that the present invention is susceptible to being modified in respect to details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. An improved artificial denture comprising in combination a base, a substantially horizontal stress distribution member secured within said base and having a plurality of substantially vertical button posts and locking posts mounted thereon, a superstructure removably engaged with said base and having a plurality of apertures whose internal peripheries are in yieldable contact with the said button posts and locking posts.

2. An improved artificial denture according to claim 1, the superstructure having a substantially hard outer surface and a resilient inner portion, said resilient inner portion being contactable with the upper portions of the said button posts and locking posts when the superstructure is subjected to stress so as to transmit said stress to the stress distribution member.

3. An improved artificial denture according to claim 2, the stress distribution member comprising a pair of substantially parallel curved strips, a wire lattice structure intermediate the said strips and affixed thereto, said strips having a plurality of wire loops exterior thereof and affixed thereto.

4. An improved artificial denture according to claim 2, said button posts comprising an expanded lower portion atfixed to the said stress distribution member, an intermediate shank portion and an upper expanded elliptical portion, said locking posts comprising an expanded lower portion affixed to said stress distribution member, a relatively thin intermediate portion and a substantially ellipsoidal end portion.

5. An improved artificial denture according to claim 4, said apertures having a resilient lip portion adapted to engage the intermediate portions of the said button posts and locking posts.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 424,587 Great Britain- Feb. 25, 1935