Dental appliance

• US 4,382,781 A
• Filed: 10/13/1981
• Issued: 05/10/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard C. Grossman
• Original Assignee: Richard C. Grossman
• Inventors: Grossman, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peshock, Robert
• Application Number:
  US06/310,495
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 433/5, 433/6, 433/7, 433/17, 433/18, 29/517, 174/13
• US Class Current: 433/17
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/282 Buccal tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/30 by resilient means; Dispensers therefor

Abstract

A dental appliance for use with a variety of different sizes and shapes of elongated wire-like members including: a metal tubular member for attachment to a band which band encircles a tooth for support and with the metal tubular member forming an open passage extending from one end of the tubular member to the other end of the tubular member. The open passage has a greater height than width and with the passage large enough to receive different sizes and shapes of wire-like members. An insert member has a size in one direction approximately the same as the width of the open passage and having a size in the other direction substantially equal to one-half of the height of the open passage so that two inserts substantially fill the open passage. Each insert also forms an elongated passage having a cross-section smaller in size than one-half of the cross-section of the open passage through the tubular member, thereby providing for a variety of different size passages through the combination of the tubular member and one or two of the inserts within the tubular member.

Claims

1. A dental appliance for the attachment to a band which band encircles a tooth and for use in supporting a variety of different sizes and shapes of elongated wire-like members including:

a metal tubular member and with the metal tubular member having an open passage extending from one end of the tubular metal to the other end and with the passage having a symmetrical cross-section and a greater height than width and with the passage having top and bottom portions each large enough to receive different sizes and shapes of wire-like members,

at least one insert member positioned within the passage through the tubular member at either the top or bottom portion and having a diameter in one direction approximately the same as the inside width of the passage and having a dimension in the other direction substantially equal to one-half of the height of the pressure through the tubular member and with two inserts substantially filling the passage,

the insert member also having an elongated passage smaller in cross-section than one-half of the passage through the tubular member and with the use of one or two inserts providing for a variety of different size passages through the tubular member for receiving and supporting a variety of different sizes and shapes of elongated wire-like members, and

means for removability maintaining the at least one insert member in position within the tubular member.

2. The dental appliance of claim 1 wherein one insert is positioned within the tubular member so that the dental appliance may receive and support wire-like members of a smaller size within the passage through the one insert and/or may receive and support wire-like members of a larger size within the remaining portion of the passage through the tubular member.

3. The dental appliance of claim 1 wherein two inserts are positioned within the tubular member so that the dental appliance may receive and support wire-like members of a smaller size within the passages through either one or both the inserts.

4. The dental appliance of claim 1 wherein one insert is positioned within the tubular member so that the dental appliance receives and supports a smaller wire-like member within the passage through the one insert and receives and supports a larger wire-like member within the remaining portion of the passage through the tubular member and additionally including at least one clip member having a pair of different size openings and with a first opening of the pair of a size to receive and support the smaller wire-like member and with a second opening of the pair of a size to receive and support the larger wire-like member.

5. A dental applicant for the attachment to a band which band encircles a tooth and for use in supporting a variety of different sizes and shapes of elongated wire-like members including:

a metal tubular member and with the metal tubular member having an open passage extending from one end of the tubular metal to the other end and with the passage having a symmetrical cross-section and a greater height than width and with the passage having top and bottom portions each large enough to receive different sizes and shapes of wire-like members,

at least one removable insert member positioned within the passage through the tubular member at either the top or bottom portion and having a diameter in one direction approximately the same as the inside width of the passage and having a dimension in the other direction substantially less than the height of the passage through the tubular member and with a plurality of inserts substantially filling the passage, and

the insert member also having an elongated passage smaller in cross-section than the cross-section of the passage through the tubular member and with the use of one or a plurality of inserts providing for a variety of different size passages through the tubular member for receiving and supporting a variety of different sizes and shapes of elongated wire-like members.

6. The dental appliance of claim 5 wherein one insert is positioned within the tubular member so that the dental appliance may receive and support wire-like members of a smaller size within the passage through the one insert and/or may receive and support wire-like members of a larger size within the remaining portion of the passage through the tubular member.

7. The dental appliance of claim 5 wherein a plurality of inserts are positioned within the tubular member so that the dental appliance may receive and support wire-like members of a smaller size within the passages through either one or the plurality of the inserts.

8. The dental appliance of claim 5 wherein one insert is positioned within the tubular member so that the dental appliance receives and supports a smaller wire-like member within the passage through the one insert and receives and supports a larger wire-like member within the remaining portion of the passage through the tubular member and additionally including at least one clip member having a pair of different size openings and with a first opening of the pair of a size to receive and support the smaller wire-like member and with a second opening of the pair of a size to receive and support the larger wire-like member.

9. A dental appliance for the attachment to a band which band encircles a tooth and for use in supporting a variety of different sizes and shapes of elongated wire-like members including:

a metal tubular member and with the metal tubular member having an open passage extending from one end of the tubular metal to the other end and with the passage having a greater height than width and with the passage large enough to receive different sizes and shapes of wire-like members,

at least one insert member positioned within the passage through the tubular member and having a diameter in one direction approximately the same as the inside width of the passage and having a dimension in the other direction substantially equal to one-half of the height of the passage through the tubular member and with two inserts substantially filling the passage,

the insert member also having an elongated passage smaller in cross-section than one-half of the passage through the tubular member and with the use of one or two inserts providing for a variety of different size passages through the tubular member for receiving and supporting a variety of different sizes and shapes of elongated wire-like members,

means for maintaining the at least one insert member in position within the tubular member wherein the one insert is positioned within the tubular member so that the dental appliances receives and supports a smaller wire-like member within the passage through the one insert and receives and supports a larger wire-like member within the remaining portion of the passage through the tubular member and additionally including at least one clip member having a pair of different size openings and with a first opening of the pair of a size to receive and support the smaller wire-like member and with a second opening of the pair of a size to receive and support the larger wire-like member, and

the at least one clip member has an open position and a closed position and with the clip member in the open position having at least one of the openings larger in size than the size of the opening in the closed position and with the clip member composed of soft metal so that the clip member may be squeezed together from the open position to the closed position.

10. A dental appliance for the attachment to a band which band encircles a tooth and for use in supporting a variety of different sizes and shapes of elongated wire-like members including:

a metal tubular member and with the metal tubular member having an open passage extending from one end of the tubular metal to the other end and with the passage having a greater height than width and with the passage large enough to receive different sizes and shapes of wire-like members,

at least one insert member positioned within the passage through the tubular member and having a diameter in one direction approximately the same as the inside width of the passage and having a dimension in the other direction substantially equal to one-half of the height of the passage through the tubular member and with two inserts substantially filling the passage,

the insert member also having an elongated passage smaller in cross-section than one-half of the passage through the tubular member and with the use of one or two inserts providing for a variety of different size passages through the tubular member for receiving and supporting a variety of different sizes and shapes of elongated wire-like members,

means for maintaining the at least one insert member in position within the tubular member wherein the one insert is positioned within the tubular member so that the dental appliance receives and supports a smaller wire-like member within the passage through the one insert and receives and supports a larger wire-like member within the remaining portion of the passage through the tubular member and additionally including at least one clip member having a pair of different size openings and with a first opening of the pair of a size to receive and support the smaller wire-like member and with a second opening of the pair of a size to receive and support the larger wire-like member, and

the at least one clip member is formed as a pair of joined cylinders and with at least one of the cylinders split along its length and with the wire-like member received within the one cylinder and the one cylinder squeezed together to close the split to support the wire-like member.

11. A dental appliance for the attachment to a band which band encircles a tooth and for use in supporting a variety of different sizes and shapes of elongated wire-like members including:

a metal tubular member and with metal tubular member having an open passage extending from one end of the tubular metal to the other end and with the passage having a greater height than width and with the passage large enough to receive different sizes and shapes of wire-like members,

at least one insert member positioned within the passage through the tubular member and having a diameter in one direction approximately the same as the inside width of the passage and having a dimension in the other direction substantially equal to one-half of the height of the passage through the tubular member and with two inserts substantially filling the passage,

the insert member also having an elongated passage smaller in cross-section than one-half of the passage through the tubular member and with the use of one or two inserts providing for a variety of different size passages through the tubular member for receiving and supporting a variety of different sizes and shapes of elongated wire-like members, and

means for maintaining the at least one insert member in position within the tubular member wherein the one insert is positioned within the tubular member so that the dental appliance receives and supports a smaller wire-like member within the passage through the one insert and receives and supports a larger wire-like member within the remaining portion of the passage through the tubular member and additionally including at least one clip member having a pair of different size openings and with a first opening of the pair of a size to receive and support the smaller wire-like member and with a second opening of the pair of a size to receive and support the larger wire-like member and

the at least one clip member is formed as a unitary piece having a figure eight configuration and split along its length and with the unitary piece squeezed together to close the split to support the wire-like members.

12. A dental appliance for the attachment to a band which band encircles a tooth and for use in supporting a variety of different sizes and shapes of elongated wire-like members including:

a metal tubular member and with the metal tubular member having an open passage extending from one end of the tubular metal to the other end and with the passage having a greater height than width and with the passage large enough to receive different sizes and shapes of wire-like members,

at least one insert member positioned within the passage through the tubular member and having a diameter in one direction approximately the same as the inside width of the passage and having a dimension in the other direction substantially less than the height of the passage through the tubular member and with a plurality of inserts substantially filling the passage,

the insert member also having an elongated passage smaller in cross-section than the cross-section of the passage through the tubular member and with the use of one or a plurality of inserts providing for a variety of different size passages through the tubular member for receiving and supporting a variety of different sizes and shapes of elongated wire-like members and wherein the one insert is positioned within the tubular member so that the dental appliance receives and supports a smaller wire-like member within the passage through the one insert and receives and supports a larger wire-like member within the remaining portion of the passage through the tubular member and additionally including at least one clip member having a pair of different size openings and with a first opening of the pair of a size to receive and support the smaller wire-like member and with a second opening of the pair of a size to receive and support the larger wire-like member, and

the at least one clip member has an open position and a closed position and with the clip member in the open position having at least one of the openings larger in size than the size of the opening in the closed position and with the clip member composed of soft metal so that the clip member may be squeezed together from the open position to the closed position.

13. A dental appliance for the attachment to a band which band encircles a tooth and for use in supporting a variety of different sizes and shapes of elongated wire-like members including:

a metal tubular member and with the metal tubular member having an open passage extending from one end of the tubular metal to the other end and with the passage having a greater height than width and with the passage large enough to receive different sizes and shapes of wire-like members,

at least one insert member positioned within the passage through the tubular member and having a diameter in one direction approximately the same as the inside width of the passage and having a dimension in the other direction substantially less than the height of the passage through the tubular member and with a plurality of inserts substantially filling the passage,

the insert member also having an elongated passage smaller in cross-section than the cross-section of the passage through the tubular member and with the use of one or a plurality of inserts providing for a variety of different size passages through the tubular member for receiving and supporting a variety of different sizes and shapes of elongated wire-like members and wherein the one insert is positioned within the tubular member so that the dental appliance receives and supports a smaller wire-like member within the passage through the one insert and receives and supports a larger wire-like member within the remaining portion of the passage through the tubular member and additionally including at least one clip member having a pair of different size openings and with a first opening of the pair of a size to receive and support the smaller wire-like member and with a second opening of the pair of a size to receive and support the larger wire-like member, and

wherein the at least one clip member is formed as a pair of joined cylinders and with at least one of the cylinders split along its length and with the wire-like member received within the one cylinder and the one cylinder squeezed together to close the split to support the wire-like member.

14. A dental appliance for the attachment to a band which band encircles a tooth and for use in supporting a variety of different sizes and shapes of elongated wire-like members including:

a metal tubular member and with the metal tubular member having an open passage extending from one end of the tubular metal to the other end and with the passage having a greater height than width and with the passage large enough to receive different sizes and shapes of wire-like members,

at least one insert member positioned within the passage through the tubular member and having a diameter in one direction approximately the same as the inside width of the passage and having a dimension in the other direction substantially less than the height of the passage through the tubular member and with a plurality of inserts substantially filling the passage,

the insert member also having an elongated passage smaller in cross-section than the cross-section of the passage through the tubular member and with the use of one or a plurality of inserts providing for a variety of different size passages through the tubular member for receiving and supporting a variety of different sizes and shapes of elongated wire-like members and wherein one insert is positioned within the tubular member so that the dental appliance receives and supports a smaller wire-like member within the passage through the one insert and receives and supports a larger wire-like member within the remaining portion of the passage through the tubular member and additionally including at least one clip member having a pair of different size openings and with a first opening of the pair of a size to receive and support the smaller wire-like member and with a second opening of the pair of a size to receive and support the larger wire-like member, and

wherein the at least one clip member is formed as a unitary piece having a figure eight configuration and split along its length and with the unitary piece squeezed together to close the split to support the wire-like members.