Retainer members for orthodontic brackets

A retaining device for use with a bracket having a passageway for receiving a portion of the retaining device, comprising:

• a front portion adapted to engage over at least a part of a portion of a bracket having an arch wire receiving opening therein, and to pass over at least a portion of the arch wire receiving opening to retain an arch wire in a bracket body;
• and
• a rear portion coupled to said front portion and adapted to be received in the passageway defined by said bracket, said rear portion comprising means for springly engaging at least two opposed surface portions of a passageway of a bracket and for being springingly wedged between and in contact with both of said opposed surface portions of said passageway to be retained in said passageway with said front portion at least partially covering an arch wire receiving opening of a bracket.

An orthodontic bracket arrangement comprising:

• at least two spaced apart bracket bodies each having means for receiving an arch wire, means for mounting said bracket bodies to a tooth in a spaced-apart relationship, and means defining an elongated passageway at least between the bracket bodies;
• and
• a retainer member slideably engageable with said bracket bodies and including a front portion which extends over at least a portion of the front portions of said bracket bodies and over at least a portion of an arch wire received in said bracket bodies to retain said arch wire in said bracket bodies, and a resilient rear portion connected with said front portion and adapted to be inserted into said passageway, said rear portion comprising means for springingly engaging at least two opposed surface portions of said passageway defining means and for being springingly wedged between and in contact with both of said opposed surface portions to retain said rear portion of said retaining device in said passageway with said front portion at least partially covering said arch wire.

A retaining device for use with a bracket arrangement having at least two spaced-apart bracket bodies and means defining a passageway for receiving a portion of the retaining device, comprising:

• a front portion adapted to engage over at least a part of a portion of a bracket having an arch wire receiving opening therein, and to pass over at least a portion of the arch wire receiving opening to retain an arch wire in a bracket body;
• and
• a rear portion coupled to said front portion and adapted to be received in the passageway defined by said bracket arrangement, said rear portion comprising means for engaging at least two opposed surface portions of a passageway of the bracket arrangement and for being wedged between and in contact with both of said opposed surface portions of said passageway to be retained in said passageway with said front portion at least partially covering an arch wire receiving opening of a bracket.

A retaining device for use with a bracket arrangement having at least two spaced-apart bracket bodies each having an arch wire receiving opening therein, and means defining a passageway located between said spaced-apart bracket bodies for receiving at least a portion of the retaining device therein, the retaining device comprising:

• front portions adapted to respectively engage over at least a part of a portion of said two spaced-apart bracket bodies and to pass over at least a portion of the respective arch wire receiving openings to retain an arch wire in said bracket bodies;
• and
• a rear portion coupled to both of said front portions and adapted to be received in the passageway defined by said bracket arrangement, said rear portion comprising means cooperating with said passageway defining means, said cooperating means lockingly engaging said rear portion in said passageway with said front portions at least partially covering the respective arch wire receiving openings of said spaced-apart bracket bodies.

A retaining device for use with a bracket arrangement having at least one bracket body and means defining a passageway for receiving a portion of the retaining device, comprising:

• a front portion adapted to engage over at least a portion of a bracket body having an arch wire receiving opening therein, and to pass over at least a portion of the arch wire receiving opening to retain an arch wire in the bracket body;
• and
• a rear portion coupled to said front portion and adapted to be received in the passageway defined by said bracket arrangement, said rear portion comprising means cooperating with said passageway defining means for retaining said rear portion in said passageway with said front portion at least partially covering an arch wire receiving opening of a bracket, said rear portion being bowed to present a concave surface portion spaced from a surface of said passageway defining means, said space between said concave surface portion and said surface of said passageway defining means defining an access channel in said passageway for passing of auxiliaries, or the like, therethrough.

A retaining device for use with a bracket arrangement having at least one bracket body and means defining a passageway for receiving a portion of the retaining device, comprising:

• a front portion adapted to engage over at least a portion of a bracket body having an arch wire receiving opening therein, and to pass over at least a portion of the arch wire receiving opening to retain an arch wire in the bracket body;
• and
• a rear portion coupled to said front portion and adapted to be received in the passageway defined by said bracket arrangement, said rear portion comprising means cooperating with said passageway defining means for retaining said rear portion in said passageway with said front portion at least partially covering an arch wire receiving opening of a bracket, said rear portion having a void area such that at least a portion of said rear portion does not fill the complete width of said passageway in the mesial-distal direction of said passageway, said rear portion at least partially defining, with said passageway defining means, an access channel in said passageway for passing of auxiliaries therethrough.

A retaining device for use with a bracket arrangement having at least one bracket body and means defining a passageway for receiving a portion of the retaining device, comprising:

• a front portion adapted to engage over at least a portion of a bracket body having an arch wire receiving opening therein, and to pass over at least a portion of the arch wire receiving opening to retain an arch wire in the bracket body;
• and
• a rear portion coupled to said front portion and adapted to be received in the passageway defined by said bracket arrangement, said rear portion comprising first and second members connected together in a generally U-shape, said rear portion cooperating with said passageway defining means for retaining said rear portion in said passageway with said front portion at least partially covering an arch wire receiving opening of a bracket, at least one of said first and second members extending in the mesial-distal direction of said passageway to an extent substantially equal to the width of said passageway for substantially preventing mesial-distal movement of said retaining device relative to said bracket body and at least the other of said first and second members having a void portion in the mesial-distal direction of said passageway for at least partially defining an access channel in said passageway for passing of auxiliaries, or the like, therethrough.