Self-ligating orthodontic bracket having undercuts and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9693836-B2
Application number	US-201514638368-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2015
Priority date	Nov 24, 2010
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an orthodontic appliance may include molding a plurality of green bodies in plurality of molds and coupling the green bodies so as to form an intermediate green body. The orthodontic appliance may be an orthodontic bracket body. The plurality of green bodies may be molded so as to be devoid of any undercut formations. Coupling the plurality of green bodies may form the intermediate green body to include at least one undercut formation. An orthodontic bracket may include an undercut formation not capable of being formed in a single shot molding process and not formed through post-formation processes. The undercut formation may include a guiding track and/or a retaining recess configured to receive a portion of the ligating member. The ligating member may include a flexible ligating portion that overlies the archwire slot and a relatively rigid main body portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An orthodontic bracket, comprising:
a bracket body configured to be mounted onto a tooth, the bracket body including an archwire slot having a base surface and opposed slot surfaces projecting perpendicularly from the base surface and being adapted to receive an archwire therein, the bracket body further including a support surface intersecting one of the opposed slot surfaces, a pair of opposing projections extending outwardly from the support surface, the support surface and opposing projections defining a guiding track having a first portion and a second portion having a width between opposing projections greater than a width between opposing projections of the first portion, the first portion being spaced apart from the archwire slot by the second portion; and
a resilient ligating member coupled to the bracket body and movable relative thereto in the guiding track between an opened position in which the archwire is received into the archwire slot, and a closed position in which the resilient ligating member overlies the archwire slot,
wherein the resilient ligating member is capable of flexing between an expanded position and a contracted position, the resilient ligating member being in the expanded position when in the second portion of the guiding track and being in the contracted position when in the first portion of the guiding track, wherein moving the resilient ligating member toward the opened position applies a force to the resilient ligating member causing the resilient ligating member to deform to the contracted position so as to fit within the first portion of the guiding track.

2. The orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the guiding track has a generally constant width, and the second portion of the guiding track has a variable width.

3. The orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , wherein the variable width of the second portion is narrowest at an intersection of the first portion and the second portion and the variable width is greatest at an intersection of the second portion with the archwire slot.

4. The orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , wherein the guiding track has a Y-shaped configuration.

5. The orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , wherein the second portion has an arcuate shape such that the width of the second portion is greatest at the intersection of the guiding track with the archwire slot.

6. The orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , wherein the guiding track is configured to interfere with the resilient ligating member to provide a threshold level of resistance to movement of the resilient ligating member away from the closed position toward the opened position.

7. The orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , wherein the resilient ligating member is a generally elongate member formed in a closed geometrical shape.

8. The orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , wherein the resilient ligating member is resiliently biased toward the expanded position.

9. The orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , wherein the resilient ligating member is configured to deform from the expanded position to the contracted position when the resilient ligating member is moved from the closed to the opened position.

10. The orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , wherein the resilient ligating member is configured to impose a biasing force on the archwire.

11. The orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , wherein the shape of the resilient ligating member in the contracted position is different from the shape of the resilient ligating member in the expanded position.

12. The orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , further comprising:
a retaining mechanism for retaining the resilient ligating member to the bracket body when the resilient ligating member is in the opened position.

13. The orthodontic bracket of claim 12 , wherein the retaining mechanism includes a retaining pin coupled to the bracket body, and the resilient ligating portion forms a ring, the retaining pin contacting the ring when the resilient ligating member is in the opened position.

14. The orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , wherein the bracket body includes a retaining recess opposite of, and separated by the archwire slot from, the guiding track, the retaining recess being configured to receive a portion of the resilient ligating member when in the closed position.

15. The orthodontic bracket of claim 14 , wherein a shape of the retaining recess includes a constant radius of curvature and a section of the ligating member conforms to that shape.

16. The orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , wherein the resilient ligating portion is in the expanded position when the resilient ligating member completely overlies the archwire slot.

Assignees

• Ormco Corp

Inventors

• Oda Todd I

Classifications

• A61C7/30 Primary

  by resilient means; {Dispensers therefor} · CPC title

• A61C7/287 Primary

  Sliding locks · CPC title