Device and Method for Electrophoretic Deposition with a Movable Electrode

Abstract

One object on which the present invention is based is to specify an apparatus ( 101, 201, 301, 401, 501 ) for production of a mold ( 117 ), in particular of a dental mold ( 117 ), by means of electrophoretic deposition of particles ( 115 ) from a suspension ( 113, 213 ), in which case a predetermined spatial shape can be produced deliberately in order in this way to produce the mold ( 117 ) as close as possible to its final dimensions and final contour. A further aim is to produce the mold ( 117 ) at low cost, with efficient use of resources, quickly and in as simple a manner as possible, with good reproducibility of the method being desirable in order to achieve a low scrap rate. For this purpose, an apparatus ( 101, 201, 301, 401, 501 ) is proposed having a chamber ( 103, 503 ) for holding the suspension ( 113, 213 ), a first electrode ( 105, 405, 905 ) which is associated with the chamber ( 103, 503 ), a second electrode ( 107, 207, 307, 407, 807, 907 ) which is associated with the chamber ( 103, 503 ), a mount structure ( 107, 219, 907 ), which is associated with the chamber ( 103, 503 ) and on which the particles ( 115 ) can be deposited, with the mount structure ( 107, 219, 907 ) being formed by the second electrode ( 107, 207, 307, 407, 807, 907 ) and/or by a deposition element ( 219 ) which is arranged between the first electrode ( 105, 405, 905 ) and the second electrode ( 107, 207, 307, 407, 807, 907 ), and a voltage source ( 109, 409 ) for production ( 52 ) of an electrical potential difference between the first electrode ( 105, 405, 905 ) and the second electrode ( 107, 207, 307, 407, 807, 907 ), and having a positioning element ( 111, 111 a ) for carrying out a relative movement between the first electrode ( 105, 405, 905 ) and the mount structure ( 107, 219, 907 ) along a first predetermined path ( 627 ) during the electrophoretic deposition. According to a further aspect, a corresponding system (having an apparatus ( 101, 201, 301, 401, 501 ) according to the invention and a suspension ( 113, 213 ) of particles ( 115 ) which can be deposited electrophoretically), a corresponding method, a computer program for controlling an apparatus ( 101, 201, 301, 401, 501 ) such as this and a data storage medium having a computer program such as this are intended to be specified.

1 . Apparatus ( 101 ,  201 ,  301 ,  401 ,  501 ) for production of a mold ( 117 ), in particular of a dental mold ( 117 ), by means of electrophoretic deposition of particles ( 115 ) from a suspension ( 113 ,  213 ), having:
 a chamber ( 103 ,  503 ) for holding the suspension ( 113 ,  213 ),   a first electrode ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ) which is associated with the chamber ( 103 ,  503 ),   a second electrode ( 107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ) which is associated with the chamber ( 103 ,  503 ),   a mount structure ( 107 ,  219 ,  907 ), which is associated with the chamber ( 103 ,  503 ) and on which particles ( 115 ) can be deposited, with the mount structure ( 107 ,  219 ,  907 ) being formed by the second electrode ( 107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ) and/or by a deposition element ( 219 ) which is arranged between the first electrode ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ) and the second electrode ( 107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ), and   a voltage source ( 109 ,  409 ) for production of an electrical potential difference between the first electrode ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ) and the second electrode ( 107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ),   
     characterized by a positioning element ( 111 ,  111   a ) for carrying out a relative movement between the first electrode ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ) and the mount structure ( 107 ,  219 ,  907 ) along a first predetermined path ( 627 ) during the electrophoretic deposition. 
   
   
       2 . Apparatus ( 101 ,  201 ,  301 ,  401 ,  501 ) according to  claim 1 , 
     with the mount structure ( 107 ,  219 ,  907 ) being formed by a deposition element ( 219 ) which is arranged between the first electrode ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ) and the second electrode ( 107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ), and with the positioning element ( 111 ,  111   a ) making it possible to carry out a relative movement along a second predetermined path ( 729 ) between the second electrode ( 107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ) and the first electrode ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ) and/or the deposition element ( 219 ). 
   
   
       3 . Apparatus ( 101 ,  201 ,  301 ,  401 ,  501 ) according to one of the preceding claims, 
     with the deposition element ( 219 ) having an ion-permeable membrane, in particular composed of a material selected from the group comprising gypsum, polystyrene, polymethylmethacrylate, polyethersulfone and their mixtures. 
   
   
       4 . Apparatus ( 101 ,  201 ,  301 ,  401 ,  501 ) according to one of the preceding claims, 
     with the mount structure ( 107 ,  219 ,  907 ) being formed by a deposition element ( 219 ) which is arranged between the first electrode ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ) and the second electrode ( 107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ), with the chamber ( 103 ,  503 ) having at least two chamber elements which are separated by the deposition element ( 219 ), with the first electrode ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ) being associated with a first chamber element and with the second electrode ( 107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ) being associated with a second chamber element, and with at least the first or the second chamber element being intended to hold the suspension ( 113 ,  213 ). 
   
   
       5 . Apparatus ( 101 ,  201 ,  301 ,  401 ,  501 ) according to one of the preceding claims, 
     with one or both of the electrodes ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ,  107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ) being provided with a means ( 935 ,  937 ) for shielding and/or focusing an electrical field between the electrodes ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ,  107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ). 
   
   
       6 . Apparatus ( 101 ,  201 ,  301 ,  401 ,  501 ) according to  claim 5 , 
     with one or both electrodes ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ,  107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ) being formed from a line element ( 933 ) which is surrounded by a shield ( 935 ,  937 ), with the shield ( 935 ,  937 ) extending further than the line element ( 933 ) in the direction of the opposite electrode. 
   
   
       7 . Apparatus ( 101 ,  201 ,  301 ,  401 ,  501 ) according to one of the preceding claims, 
     with one or both of the electrodes ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ,  107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ) having a pointed tip. 
   
   
       8 . Apparatus ( 101 ,  201 ,  301 ,  401 ,  501 ) according to one of the preceding claims, 
     with one of the electrodes ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ,  107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ) having a pointed tip and the other of the electrodes ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ,  107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ) having a surface ( 831 ) with a cross section in the form of a circular arc, preferably a surface ( 831 ) in the form of a spherical zone or a spherical cup. 
   
   
       9 . Apparatus ( 101 ,  201 ,  301 ,  401 ,  501 ) according to one of  claims 1  to  6 , 
     with the surfaces of the electrodes ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ,  107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ) each having mutually opposite partial surfaces with parallel surface normals. 
   
   
       10 . Apparatus ( 101 ,  201 ,  301 ,  401 ,  501 ) according to one of the preceding claims, 
     with the voltage source ( 109 ,  409 ) being designed to produce a constant or pulsed DC voltage or a constant or pulsed DC voltage with an AC voltage superimposed on it. 
   
   
       11 . Apparatus ( 101 ,  201 ,  301 ,  401 ,  501 ) according to one of the preceding claims, 
     with the apparatus ( 101 ,  201 ,  301 ,  401 ,  501 ) having a third electrode ( 425 ) which is associated with the chamber ( 103 ,  503 ), and with the voltage source ( 109 ,  409 ) being designed to produce a constant or pulsed DC voltage or a constant or pulsed DC voltage with an AC voltage superimposed on it, between the third electrode ( 425 ) and the first and/or second electrode ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ,  107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ). 
   
   
       12 . Apparatus ( 101 ,  201 ,  301 ,  401 ,  501 ) according to one of the preceding claims, 
     with at least one relative movement ( 627 ,  729 ) comprising a movement in at least two spatial directions, preferably in three spatial directions, and/or a rotation. 
   
   
       13 . Apparatus ( 101 ,  201 ,  301 ,  401 ,  501 ) according to one of the preceding claims, 
     with means being provided for arrangement of the first electrode ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ) essentially vertically above or below the second electrode ( 107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ). 
   
   
       14 . Method for production of a mold ( 117 ), in particular of a dental mold ( 117 ), by means of electrophoretic deposition of particles ( 115 ) from a suspension ( 113 ,  213 ), having the following steps:
 provision ( 50 ) of a suspension ( 113 ,  213 ) of particles ( 115 ) which can be deposited electrophoretically,   production ( 52 ) of an electrical potential difference between a first electrode ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ) and a second electrode ( 107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ), with one of the two electrodes ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ,  107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ) being arranged at least partially in the suspension ( 113 ,  213 ), and with the other of the two electrodes ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ,  107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ) making electrical contact with the suspension ( 113 ,  213 ), and   electrophoretic deposition ( 54 ) of particles ( 115 ) from the suspension ( 113 ,  213 ) on a mount structure ( 107 ,  219 ,  907 ), with the mount structure ( 107 ,  219 ,  907 ) being formed by the second electrode ( 107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ) and/or by a deposition element ( 219 ) which is arranged between the first electrode ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ) and the second electrode ( 107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ),   
     characterized in that the first electrode ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ) and/or the mount structure ( 107 ,  219 ,  907 ) are/is moved relative to one another ( 56 ,  58 ,  60 ) along a predetermined path ( 627 ) during the electrophoretic deposition ( 54 ). 
   
   
       15 . Method according to  claim 14 , 
     with the first electrode ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ) and/or the mount structure ( 107 ,  219 ,  907 ) being moved ( 56 ,  58 ,  60 ) relative to one another during the electrophoretic deposition ( 54 ) such that the local deposition conditions are governed essentially by the relative movement. 
   
   
       16 . System for production of a mold ( 117 ), in particular of a dental mold ( 117 ), by means of electrophoretic deposition of particles ( 115 ) from a suspension ( 113 ,  213 ), having:
 an apparatus ( 101 ,  201 ,  301 ,  401 ,  501 ) for production of a mold ( 117 ) according to one of  claims 1  to  13  and   a suspension ( 113 ,  213 ) of particles ( 115 ) which can be deposited electrophoretically in the chamber ( 103 ,  503 ) of the apparatus ( 101 ,  201 ,  301 ,  401 ,  501 ),   
     with the mount structure ( 107 ,  219 ,  907 ) and the first or the second electrode ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ,  107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ) being arranged at least partially in the suspension ( 113 ,  213 ) in the operating state, and with the other of the said electrodes ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ,  107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ) at least making electrical contact with the suspension ( 113 ,  213 ). 
   
   
       17 . System according to  claim 16 , 
     with the suspension ( 113 ) having an organic suspension agent. 
   
   
       18 . System according to  claim 16 , 
     with the suspension ( 213 ) having water as the suspension agent. 
   
   
       19 . System according to one of  claims 16  to  18 , 
     with the mount structure ( 107 ,  219 ,  907 ) being formed by a deposition element ( 219 ) which is arranged between the first electrode ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ) and the second electrode ( 107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ), with the chamber ( 103 ,  503 ) having at least two chamber elements, which are separated by the deposition element ( 219 ), in the operating state, with the first electrode ( 105 ,  405 ,  905 ) being associated with a first chamber element and with the second electrode ( 107 ,  207 ,  307 ,  407 ,  807 ,  907 ) being associated with a second chamber element, and with at least the first or the second chamber element containing the suspension ( 113 ,  213 ). 
   
   
       20 . System according to  claim 19 , 
     with another of the chamber elements containing an electrically conductive liquid ( 221 ) in the operating state. 
   
   
       21 . Computer program which causes an apparatus ( 101 ,  201 ,  301 ,  401 ,  501 ) to produce a mold ( 117 ) by means of electrophoretic deposition of particles ( 115 ) from a suspension ( 113 ,  213 ) according to one of  claims 1  to  13  in order to carry out a method according to  claim 14  or  15  when the computer program is run on the apparatus ( 101 ,  201 ,  301 ,  401 ,  501 ). 
   
   
       22 . Data storage medium having a computer program according to  claim 21 .