Orthodontic brackets and convertible buccal tubes

• US 6,506,049 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2001
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Augusta Developments Inc.
• Original Assignee: Augusta Developments Inc.
• Inventors: Hanson, G. Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor, Cary E.
• Application Number:
  US09/796,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20020034715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 433/10, 433/11, 433/13, 433/14, 433/17
• US Class Current: 433/11
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/282 Buccal tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/285 Locking by rotation

Abstract

A new structure is provided for orthodontic devices comprising a bracket or a convertible buccal tube, both of which have a body with a mesial-distal extending arch wire receiving slot therein. Both have a slot closure member, also referred to as a jamming shutter, pivotally mounted by the body for movement between slot open and closed positions and consisting of a pivot portion including an arm portion with a mesially-distally extending slot closure portion at its end. The slot closure portion has a part that closes the slot and mesially-distally extending parts that in the slot closed position engage an adjacent body surface with an interference jamming fit sufficient to retain the slot closure member in slot closed position. Any movement of the slot closure member to and from the slot closed position involves flexing of these engaged parts away from the device body against the elasticity of the material, removing the need for latches or retaining springs. The body or the closure member has a recess into which an opening tool can be inserted and rotated to open the closure member. A bracket will usually be “active”, including a flat attitude controlling spring having a free end protruding into the slot to engage with an arch wire therein. A surface of the pivot portion can be a cam that in slot open position holds the spring out of the slot, so that the wire can be more easily inserted and removed. In brackets for incisors or canines the bracket body labial-lingual dimension decreases progressively from the lingual to the labial; with the slot closed the occlusal surface is unobstructed and forms a bite plane engaged by the cutting edge of the opposed tooth during biting action to oppose overbite. A convertible buccal tube employs the same basic structure and has the slot opening at an appropriate surface with the slot closure member, and an attitude controlling spring if provided, similarly mounted in the body.

Claims

1. An orthodontic device comprising:

a device body having labial, lingual, gingival, occlusal, mesial and distal surface portions, the body having therein a mesial-distal extending arch wire receiving slot having one side open to a respective device body surface portion to permit insertion of an arch wire into the slot, and

a slot closure member mounted by the device body so as to be movable about a pivot axis between a slot open position in which the open slot side is open, and a slot closed position in which the closure member closes the open slot side to retain an orthodontic arch wire in the slot;

wherein the slot closure member comprises;

a pivot portion mounted by the device body for the pivoting movement of the slot closure member about the pivot axis; and

a slot closure portion movable with the pivot portion and extending mesially-distally with respect to the device body; and

wherein the slot closure portion comprises;

a slot closure part that in the slot closed position closes the open side of the arch wire slot; and

at least one mesially-distally extending body engaging part that in the slot closed position of the slot closure member engages with an adjacent surface portion of the device body with an interference fit butting engagement between them providing a retaining force such that the slot closure member is retained thereby in the slot closed position, and such that movement of the slot closure member into the slot closed position requires flexing of the body engaging part in a direction away from the device body against the elasticity of the material of the body engaging part.

2. An orthodontic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is provided within the bracket body a flat attitude controlling spring member having a fixed end portion fixed to the bracket body and a free end portion extending into the arch wire receiving slot for engagement in a mesially-distally extending plane with an arch wire in the slot, such engagement urging the arch wire toward the slot closure part.

3. An orthodontic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spring member free end portion engages an adjacent surface of the pivot portion of the slot closure member, and said adjacent surface comprises a cam surface so shaped that when the slot closure member is in slot open position it moves the free end portion out of the arch wire receiving slot.

4. An orthodontic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein in slot closed position the slot closure part of the slot closure portion buts against an adjacent surface of the arch wire receiving slot to establish the fully closed position of the slot closure member.

5. An orthodontic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the slot closure part or the device body has formed therein between the butting surfaces a tool-receiving recess elongated in the mesial-distal direction and opening to the butting surfaces, the tool-receiving recess permitting insertion therein of the flattened end of an opening tool which upon rotation about a labial-lingual axis moves the slot closure member toward the slot open position.

6. An orthodontic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivot and slot closure portions are connected by an intervening arm portion;

wherein the pivot and arm portions are movable between slot open and slot closed positions in a recess opening centrally to one of the surface portions of the device body; and

wherein in slot closed position corresponding surfaces of the pivot and arm portions are flush with the device body surface portion in which the recess is formed.

7. An orthodontic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivot and slot closure portions are connected by an intervening arm portion joined to the body engaging part of the slot closure portion at a junction;

and

wherein the junction is of reduced mesial-distal dimension to thereby increase the effective mesial-distal length of the body engaging part available for said flexing.

8. An orthodontic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slot closure member is mounted by the device body for movement about the pivot axis by two separate pivot pin sections mounted in the device body with their respective axes inclined either both labially or both lingually, so that they urge the slot closure member respectively labially or lingually into the interference fit butting engagement, whereby movement of the slot closure member into the slot closed position requires flexing of the pivot pin sections as well as of the body engaging part against their elasticity.

9. An orthodontic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of a surface portion of the body engaging part that in the slot closed position engages the adjacent surface portion of the device body part to provide the retaining force, and said adjacent surface portion of the device body part, is provided with a thin adherent coating to increase the retaining force between them.

10. An orthodontic bracket comprising:

a bracket body having labial lingual, gingival, occlusal, mesial and distal portions, the body having therein a mesial-distal extending arch wire receiving slot with its labial or lingual side open respectively to the labial or lingual surface portion to permit insertion of an archwire into the slot, and

a slot closure member pivotally mounted by the bracket body so as to be movable about a pivot axis between a slot open position in which the open slot side is open, and a slot closed position in which it closes the open slot side to retain an arch wire in the slot;

wherein the slot closure member comprises;

a pivot portion mounted by the bracket body for the pivoting movement of the slot closure member about the pivot axis, and

a slot closure portion movable with the pivot portion and extending mesially-distally with respect to the bracket body; and

wherein the slot closure portion comprises;

a slot closure part that in the slot closes the open side of the arch wire slot; and

at least one mesially-distally extending body engaging part that in the slot closed position of the slot closure member engages with an adjacent surface portion of the bracket body with an interference fit butting engagement between them providing a retaining force such that the slot closure member is retained thereby in the slot closed position, and such that movement of the slot closure member into the slot closed position requires flexing of the bracket engaging part in a direction away from the bracket body against the elasticity of the material of the body engaging part.

11. An orthodontic bracket as claimed in claim 10, wherein there is provided within the bracket body a flat attitude controlling spring member having a fixed end portion fixed to the bracket body and a free end portion extending into the arch wire receiving slot for engagement in a mesially-distally extending plane with an arch wire in the slot, such engagement urging the arch wire toward the slot closure part.

12. An orthodontic bracket as claimed in claim 11, wherein the free end portion of the spring member engages an adjacent surface of the pivot portion, and said adjacent surface comprises a cam surface so shaped that when the slot closure member is in slot open position it moves the free end portion out of the arch wire receiving slot.

13. An orthodontic bracket as claimed in claim 12, and comprising an auxiliary spring member operative with the cam surface with the slot closure member in slot closed position to assist in retaining the slot closure member in that position.

14. An orthodontic bracket as claimed in claim 11, wherein the fixed end portion of the spring member is sandwiched between the bracket body and a foil member attached to the labial or the lingual surface portion of the bracket body, which foil member is in turn sandwiched between the bracket body and a tooth to which the bracket is to be attached.

15. An orthodontic bracket as claimed in claim 14, wherein the fixed end portion of the spring member is provided with a through aperture and the spring, the bracket body and the foil member are attached to one another by upsetting a portion of the bracket body or the foil member into the through aperture.

16. An orthodontic bracket as claimed in claim 11, wherein the bracket body comprises therein a mesially-distally extending ledge behind which the free end portion of the spring member can be engaged to prevent engagement between the free end portion and an arch wire within the archwire slot.

17. An orthodontic bracket as claimed in claim 10, wherein the bracket body has a recess therein in which the slot closure member moves, the recess opening centrally to the bracket body gingival or occlusal surface portion, and

wherein in slot closed position respective gingival or occlusal surfaces of the pivot and slot closure portions are flush with the corresponding bracket body surface portion.

18. An orthodontic bracket as claimed in claim 10, and for application to the lingual surface of an incisor or canine tooth, which teeth are characterized in that their labial-lingual dimension increases progressively from the gingival to the occlusal;

wherein the bracket body has therein a recess opening to the lingual and occlusal surface portions in which the slot closure member is mounted so as to be movable between the slot open and closed positions;

wherein in the slot closed position the occlusal surface portion of the slot closure member is flush with the occlusal surface portion of the bracket body to thereby provide a combined occlusal surface which is unobstructed; and

wherein the gingival-occlusal dimension of the bracket body decreases progressively from the lingual to the labial, the decrease corresponding to the average increase from the occlusal to the gingival of an incisor or canine tooth, so that when the bracket is attached to the lingual surface of an incisor or canine tooth the unobstructed combined occlusal surface provides a mesial-distal, labial-lingual extending bite plane surface which the tooth edge at the junction of the occlusal and labial surface portions of an opposed incisor or canine tooth can engage during biting action to oppose overbite.

19. An orthodontic bracket as claimed in claim 10, wherein in slot closed position the slot closure part of the slot closure portion buts against the gingival or occlusal surface of the arch wire receiving slot to establish the fully slot closed position of the slot closure member.

20. An orthodontic bracket as claimed in claim 19, wherein the slot closure part or the bracket body has formed therein between the butting surfaces a tool-receiving recess elongated in the mesial-distal direction and opening to the butting surfaces, the tool-receiving recess permitting insertion therein of the flattened end of an opening tool which upon rotation about a labial-lingual axis moves the slot closure member toward the slot open position.

21. An orthodontic bracket as claimed in claim 10, wherein the pivot and slot closure portions are connected by an intervening arm portion joined to the body engaging part of the slot closure portion at a junction;

and

wherein the junction is of reduced mesial-distal dimension to thereby increase the effective mesial-distal length of the body engaging part available for said flexing.

22. An orthodontic bracket as claimed in claim 10, wherein the slot closure member is mounted by the bracket body for movement about the pivot axis by two separate pivot pin sections mounted in the bracket body with their respective axes inclined either both labially or both lingually, so that they urge the slot closure member respectively labially or lingually into the interference fit butting engagement, whereby movement of the slot closure member into the slot closed position requires flexing of the pivot pin sections as well as of the body engaging part against their elasticity.

23. An orthodontic bracket as claimed in claim 10, wherein the bracket body comprises two mesially-distally spaced pairs of gingivally-occlusally extending tie wings with the slot closure member mounted by the body between the tie wing pairs.

24. An orthodontic bracket as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least one of a surface portion of the body engaging part that in the slot closed position engages the adjacent surface portion of the bracket body part to provide the retaining force, and said adjacent surface portion of the bracket body part, is provided with a thin adherent coating to increase the retaining force between them.

25. An orthodontic convertible buccal tube comprising:

a buccal tube body having labial, lingual, gingival, occlusal, mesial and distal surface portions, the body having therein a mesial-distal extending arch wire receiving slot having one side open to one of the surface portions to permit insertion of an arch wire into the slot, and

a slot closure member mounted by the buccal tube body so as to be movable about a pivot axis between a slot open position in which the open slot side is open, and a slot closed position in which the closure member closes the open slot side to retain an arch wire in the slot;

wherein the slot closure member comprises;

a pivot portion mounted by the buccal tube body for the pivoting movement of the slot closure member about the pivot axis; and

a slot closure portion movable with the pivot portion and extending mesially-distally with respect to the device body;

and wherein the slot closure portion comprises;

a slot closure part that in the slot closed position closes the open side of the arch wire slot; and

at least one mesially-distally extending body engaging part that in the slot closed position of the slot closure member engages with an adjacent surface portion of the buccal tube body with an interference fit engagement between them such that the slot closure member is retained thereby in the slot closed position, and movement of the slot closure member to and from the slot closed position requires flexing of the body engaging part in a direction away from the buccal tube body against the elasticity of the material of the body engaging part.

26. A convertible buccal tube as claimed in claim 25, wherein there is provided within a recess within the tube body a flat attitude controlling spring member having a fixed end portion fixed to the tube body and a free end portion extending into the arch wire receiving slot for engagement in a mesially-distally extending plane with an arch wire in the slot, such engagement urging the arch wire toward the slot closure part.

27. A convertible buccal tube as claimed in claim 26, wherein the free end portion of the spring member engages an adjacent surface of the pivot portion, and said adjacent surface comprises a cam surface so shaped that when the slot closure member is in slot open position it moves the free end portion out of the arch wire receiving slot.

28. A convertible buccal tube as claimed in claim 27, and comprising an auxiliary spring member operative with the cam surface with the slot closure member in slot closed position to assist in retaining the slot closure member in that position.

29. A convertible buccal tube as claimed in claim 26, wherein the tube body comprises therein a mesially-distally extending ledge behind which the free end portion of the spring member can be engaged to prevent engagement between the free end portion and an arch wire within the archwire slot.

30. A convertible buccal tube as claimed in claim 25, wherein the pivot and slot closure portions are connected by an intervening arm portion;

the intervening arm portion is movable between slot open and slot closed positions in a recess opening centrally to the occlusal or labial surface portion of the buccal tube body;

and in slot closed position a corresponding surface of the arm portion is flush respectively with the buccal tube occlusal or labial body surface portion.

31. A convertible buccal tube as claimed in claim 25, wherein in slot closed position the slot closure part of the slot closure portion butts against a corresponding surface of the arch wire receiving slot to establish the fully closed position of the slot closure member.

32. A convertible buccal tube as claimed in claim 31, wherein the slot closure part or the tube body has formed therein between the butting surfaces a tool-receiving recess elongated in the mesial-distal direction and opening to the butting surfaces, the tool-receiving recess permitting insertion therein of the flattened end of an opening tool which upon rotation about a labial-lingual axis moves the slot closure member toward the slot open position.

33. A convertible buccal tube as claimed in claim 25, wherein the pivot and slot closure portions are connected by an intervening arm portion joined to the body engaging part of the slot closure portion at a junction;

and

wherein the junction is of reduced mesial-distal dimension to thereby increase the effective mesial-distal length of the body engaging part available for said flexing.

34. A convertible buccal tube as claimed in claim 25, wherein at least one of a surface portion of the body engaging part that in the slot closed position engages the adjacent surface portion of the buccal tube body part to provide the retaining force, and said adjacent surface portion of the buccal tube body part, is provided with a thin adherent coating to increase the retaining force between them.

35. An orthodontic bracket for application to the lingual surface of an incisor or canine tooth, which teeth are characterized in that their labial-lingual dimension increases progressively from the gingival to the occlusal, the bracket comprising:

a bracket body having labial, lingual, gingival, occlusal, mesial and distal surface portions, having therein a mesial-distal extending arch wire receiving slot with its lingual side open to the lingual surface portion to permit insertion of an arch wire into the slot, and having therein a recess opening to the lingual and occlusal surface portions;

the bracket body also comprising a slot closure member mounted by the bracket body in the recess so as to be movable about a pivot axis between a slot open position in which the open slot side is open, and a slot closed position in which it closes the open slot side to retain an orthodontic arch wire therein, the slot closure member also having labial, lingual, gingival, occlusal, mesial and distal surface portions;

wherein in the slot closed position the occlusal surface portion of the slot closure member is flush with the occlusal surface portion of the bracket body to thereby provide a combined occlusal surface which is unobstructed; and

wherein the gingival-occlusal dimension of the bracket body decreases progressively from the lingual to the labial, the decrease corresponding to the average increase from the occlusal to the gingival of an incisor or canine tooth, so that when the bracket is attached to the lingual surface of an incisor or canine tooth the unobstructed combined occlusal surface provides a mesial-distal, labial-lingual extending bite plane surface which the tooth edge at the junction of the occlusal and labial surface portions of an opposed incisor or canine tooth can engage during biting action to oppose overbite.