Orthodontic brackets and convertible buccal tubes
First Claim
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 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 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.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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
17 Citations
32 Claims
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1. An orthodontic device comprising:
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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 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 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An orthodontic bracket comprising:
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a bracket body having labial, lingual, gingival, occlusal, mesial and distal surface 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 arch wire 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 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 bracket body with an interference fit butting engagement between them 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. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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23. An orthodontic convertible buccal tube comprising:
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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.
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32. 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:
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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.
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Specification