Dental attachment structure

Claim 2

In a dental structure for removably mounting a dental appliance, which includes a partial denture, a bridge, or a similar dental appliance, in an oral cavity, comprising a female member having an upright wall attached to an abutment tooth within said oral cavity and having a socket attached to said upright wall for removably seating a male member, and said dental appliance having a cavity for accommodating said male member therein, the improvement wherein said male member comprises: a substantially cup-shaped body having a base, a cylindrical wall extending from said base, and a projection extending from the base in the same general direction as said wall; and a stop member having an end surface projecting laterally from said base, whereby said end surface positively contacts said upright wall of said female member for providing an additional stabilizing contact surface and serving as a stop surface to prevent said male member from pivoting toward said upright wall of said female member.

Claim 3

A dental structure according to claim 1, wherein said female member further comprises a base extension having a free end extending from a lower portion of said upright wall, said socket being attached to said free end of said base portion.

Claim 4

A dental structure according to claim 2, wherein said male member further comprises a cut-out section in said cylindrical wall for accommodating said base extension within the region of said socket.

Claim 5

A dental structure according to claim 3, wherein said male member further comprises a bevel at said base to permit an easier entry of said male member within said cavity of said dental appliance.

Claim 6

A dental structure according to claim 4, wherein said projection is shaped substantially in the form of an hourglass, including a waist at the midpoint of the projection where two convex curve profiles of said hourglass shape meet.

Claim 7

A dental structure according to claim 1, wherein said end surface is a flat planar surface which is substantially parallel and contacting with the surface of the upright wall when said male member is seated in said female member.

Claim 8

In a dental structure of removably mounting a dental appliance, which includes a partial denture, a bridge, or a similar dental appliance, in an oral cavity, comprising a female member having an upright wall attached to an abutment tooth within said oral cavity and having a socket attached to said upright wall for removable seating a male member, and said dental appliance having a cavity for seating said male member, the improvement wherein, said male member comprises: a substantially cup-shaped body having a base, a cylindrical wall extending from said base, and a projection extending from the base is the same general direction as said wall; a stop member having an end surface projecting laterally from said base, whereby said said end surface positively contacts said upright wall of said female member for providing an additional stabilizing contact surface and serving as a stop surface to prevent said male member from pivoting toward said upright wall of said female member; said projection being shaped substantially in the form of an hourglass, including a groove at the midpoint of the projection where two convex curve profiles of said hourglass shape meet; and said female member comprises: a convex profiled ridge formed inside said socket for providing a complementary snap retention fit with said substantially hour-glass shape projection.

Claim 9

In a dental structure of removably mounting a dental appliance, which includes a partial denture, a bridge, or a similar dental appliance, in an oral cavity, comprising a female member having an upright wall attached to an abutment tooth within said oral cavity and having a socket attached to said upright wall for removable seating a male member, and said dental appliance having a cavity for seating said male member, the improvement wherein, said male member comprises: a substantially cup-shaped body having a base, a cylindrical wall extending from said base, and a projection extending from the base is the same general direction as said wall; a stop member having an end surface projecting laterally from said base, whereby said said end surface positively contacts said upright wall of said female member for providing an additional stabilizing contact surface and serving as a stop surface to prevent said male member from pivoting toward said upright wall of said female member; said projection being shaped substantially in the form of an hourglass, including a groove at the midpoint of the projection where two convex curve profiles of said hourglass shape meet; and said female member comprises: a convex profiled ridge formed inside said socket for providing a complementary snap retention fit with said substantially hour-glass shape projection.

Claim 10

A dental structure according to claim 7, wherein said female member further comprises a base extension having a free end extending from a lower portion of said upright wall, said socket being attached to said free end of said base portion.

Claim 11

A dental structure according to claim 8, wherein said male member further comprises a cut-out section in said cylindrical wall for accommodating said base extension within the region of said socket.

Claim 12

A dental structure according to claim 9, wherein said male member further comprises a bevel at said base to permit an easier entry of said male member within said cavity of said dental appliance.

Claim 13

A dental structure according to claim 7, wherein said groove is situated above said ridge when said male member is fully seated in said socket of said female member.

Claim 14

A dental structure according to claim 7, wherein said end surface is a flat planar surface which is substantially parallel and contacting with the surface of the upright wall when said male member is seated in said female member.

Claim 15

A male member which is seated within a cavity, a dental appliance, which includes a partial denture, a bridge, or a similar dental appliance, in an oral cavity, and for mounting to a socket of a female member having an upright wall, comprising: a substantially cup-shaped body having a base, a cylindrical wall extending from said base, and a projection extending from the base in the same general direction as said wall; and a stop member having an end surface projecting laterally from said base, whereby said end surface positively contacts said upright wall of said female member for providing an additional stabilizing contact surface and serving as a stop surface to prevent said male member from pivoting toward said upright wall of said female member.

Claim 16

A male member which is seated within a cavity, a dental appliance, which includes a partial denture, a bridge, or a similar dental appliance, in an oral cavity, and for mounting to a socket of a female member having an upright wall, comprising: a substantially cup-shaped body having a base, a cylindrical wall extending from said base, and a projection extending from the base in the same general direction as said wall; and a stop member having an end surface projecting laterally from said base, whereby said end surface positively contacts said upright wall of said female member for providing an additional stabilizing contact surface and serving as a stop surface to prevent said male member from pivoting toward said upright wall of said female member.

Claim 17

A dental structure according to claim 13, wherein said male member further comprises a cut-out section in said cylindrical wall.

Claim 18

A dental structure according to claim 14, wherein said male member further comprises a bevel at said base to permit an easier entry of said male member within said cavity of said dental appliance.

Claim 19

A dental structure according to claim 15, wherein said projection is shaped substantially in the form of an hourglass, including a groove at the midpoint of the projection where two convex curve profiles of said hourglass shape meet.

Claim 20

A dental structure according to claim 13, wherein said end surface is a flat planar surface which is substantially parallel and contacting with the surface of the upright wall when said male member is seated in said female member.