Self-ligating orthodontic bracket

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12048609-B2
Application number	US-202318097308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2023
Priority date	Jun 30, 2016
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure provides high strength, self-ligating appliances with orthodontically desirable dimensions. The appliances of the present disclosure incorporate a door slidably engaged to a channel in the body; one that can be opened or closed depending on the equilibrium position of an integral protrusion on the door. Cooperating grooves and rails on the body and the door can guide the door between the open and closed positions, and mitigate against unintentional detachment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An orthodontic appliance comprising:
a base having a bonding surface,
a body extending outwardly from the base, the body including a mesial-distally extending archwire slot having a bottom wall and a channel oriented perpendicular to the archwire slot, the channel including a latch oriented parallel to the archwire slot,
a door slidably coupled to the body, the door moveable between an open state in which an archwire can be ligated in the archwire slot and a closed state in which the archwire can be retained in the archwire slot, wherein the door has a facial surface and a lingual surface including coplanar mesial and distal regions, and wherein the bottom wall forms an acute angle with the mesial and distal regions, wherein the lingual surface includes a leading edge region that includes planar contacting surfaces that are substantially parallel to the bottom wall, wherein the lingual surface includes a strut projecting therefrom between the mesial and distal regions and at least one occlusal-gingivally extending groove arranged in mesial or distal region, and wherein a mesial-distal width of the strut is smaller than a mesial distal width of the facial surface.

2. An orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the strut is slidably received in the channel.

3. An orthodontic appliance according to claim 2 , wherein the latch is oriented perpendicular to the sliding direction of the door.

4. The orthodontic appliance of claim 3 , wherein the latch comprises a beam extending in a mesial-distal direction across the channel and offset from the bottom of the channel, and wherein the beam is deflectable in directions toward the bottom of the channel to allow the door to transition between the open state and the closed state.

5. An orthodontic appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the strut comprises a leg includes at least one rail extending along a mesial or distal side of the leg, and wherein the channel includes at least one recess, and wherein the rail is slidably engaged in the recess.

6. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the at least one occlusal-gingivally extending groove includes two grooves, a first groove and a second groove, each on opposing sides of the base of the strut and extending through at least a portion of the occlusal-gingival height of the door such that, in the closed state, a portion of the occlusal-gingivally extending groove is positioned over the bottom wall.

7. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises a first guiderail and a second guiderail on a facial surface of the body.

8. The orthodontic appliance of claim 7 , wherein the at least one occlusal-gingivally extending groove on the lingual surface of the door includes two grooves, a first groove and a second groove, and wherein the first guiderail is received in the first groove and the second guidrail is received in the second groove.

9. The orthodontic appliance of claim 8 , wherein sliding the door in a direction away from the archwire slot results in the latch traveling from the first groove to the second groove.

10. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the strut has a protrusion and a pair of grooves including a first groove and second groove, one on either side of the protrusion, and wherein sliding the door results in the protrusion causing the deflection of the latch.

11. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein a depth of the channel is greater than a depth of the archwire slot.

12. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the channel bisects the body.

13. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the strut comprises a leg and includes a first rail extending along a mesial side of the leg and a second rail extending along a distal side of the leg, and wherein the channel includes a mesial recess and a distal recess on the respective sides of the channel, and wherein the mesial rail is slidably engaged in the mesial recess and the distal rail is slidably engaged in the distal recess.

14. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 , wherein the channel has a channel bottom nearer the bonding surface than is the bottom wall of the archwire slot.

15. A method of ligating an archwire, the method comprising:
providing an appliance with a base having a bonding surface, a body extending outwardly from the base, the body including a mesial-distally extending arch wire slot having a bottom wall, and a door slidably coupled to a channel in the body, the door moveable between an open state in which an archwire can be ligated in the archwire slot and a closed state in which an archwire can be retained in the archwire slot;
wherein the body further comprises a first guiderail and a second guiderail on a facial surface of the body, and a lingual surface of the door includes a first occlusal-gingivally extending groove and a second occlusal-gingivally extending groove, and wherein the first guiderail is received in the first occlusal-gingivally extending groove and the second guiderail is received in the second occlusal gingivally extending groove,
sliding the door in the direction of the archwire slot, wherein sliding the door in the direction of the archwire slot deflects a latch extending across the channel in a lingual direction, the channel having a channel bottom nearer the bonding surface than is the bottom wall of the archwire slot.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the door includes a strut having a protrusion and a pair of grooves on either side of the protrusion, and wherein sliding the door results in the protrusion causing the deflection of the latch.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the strut has a protrusion and a pair of grooves including a first groove and second groove, one on either side of the protrusion, and wherein sliding the door results in the protrusion causing the deflection of the latch.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein sliding the door in a direction away from the archwire slot results in the latch traveling from the first groove to the second groove.

Assignees

• Solventum Intellectual Properties Company

Inventors

• Lai Ming-Lai

Classifications

• A61C7/16

  specially adapted to be cemented to teeth · CPC title

• A61C7/14

  Brackets (A61C7/28 takes precedence); Fixing brackets to teeth · CPC title

• A61C7/34

  using lock pins · CPC title

• A61C7/287 Primary

  Sliding locks · CPC title