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US 6,071,119 AGranted
Dual mode self-ligating orthodontic bracket
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsJames D. Christoff, John S. Kelly, Evangelos G. Georgakis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-ligating orthodontic bracket has a latch that is movable from a slot-open position to a first closed position or a second closed position. In the first closed position of the latch, the latch engages an archwire with sufficient force to provide active orthodontic therapy. In the second closed position, the effective labial-lingual dimension of the archwire slot is somewhat greater than the overall labial-lingual dimension of the archwire such that the bracket provides passive orthodontic therapy.
Claims27
An orthodontic bracket comprising:
- a base;
- a body extending from the base;
- an archwire slot extending in the body;
- and
- a latch movable relative to the body along a generally straight path extending in a generally occlusal-gingival direction, the latch being movable to a slot-open position to permit insertion or removal of an archwire from the archwire slot, the latch being movable to a first closed position wherein the latch engages the archwire for active orthodontic therapy, the latch also being movable to a second closed position wherein the latch is spaced from the same archwire for passive orthodontic therapy.
2 more elements
An orthodontic bracket comprising:
- a base;
- a body extending from the base;
- an archwire slot extending in the body;
- and
- a latch pivotally movable relative to the body about an axis generally parallel to the direction of extension of the archwire slot, the latch being movable to a slot-open position to permit insertion or removal of an archwire from the archwire slot, the latch being movable to a first closed position wherein the latch engages the archwire for active orthodontic therapy, the latch also being movable to a second closed position wherein the latch is spaced from the same archwire for passive orthodontic therapy.
2 more elements
An orthodontic bracket comprising:
- a base;
- a body extending from the base;
- a pair of mesial tiewings connected to the body and spaced apart from each other;
- a pair of distal tiewings connected to the body and spaced apart from each other;
- an archwire slot extending in the space between the pair of mesial tiewings and in the space between the pair of distal tiewings, and wherein the pair of mesial tiewings is spaced from the pair of distal tiewings to present a channel there between;
- a latch;
- and
- a hinge pivotally connecting the latch and the body for movement of the latch relative to the body in the channel to a slot-closed position for retaining an archwire in the archwire slot and a slot-open position to permit insertion or removal of an archwire from the archwire slot, wherein the latch includes a pair of arms extending away from each other in a generally mesial-distal direction and extending over the archwire slot labially over the space between the pair of mesial tiewings and over the space between the pair of distal tiewings;
- wherein one of the latch and the body include a notch and the other of the latch and the body include a pair of catches, wherein one of the catches is spaced labially of the other catch, wherein the latch includes a labial section, wherein the archwire slot includes a lingual side, and wherein the labial section is closer to the lingual side when the notch is received by one of the catches as compared to when the notch is received by the other of the catches.
6 more elements
An orthodontic bracket comprising:
- a base;
- a body extending from the base;
- a pair of mesial tiewings connected to the body and spaced apart from each other;
- a pair of distal tiewings connected to the body and spaced apart from each other;
- an archwire slot extending in the space between the pair of mesial tiewings and in the space between the pair of distal tiewings, and wherein the pair of mesial tiewings is spaced from the pair of distal tiewings to present a channel therebetween;
- a latch;
- and
- a hinge pivotally connecting the latch and the body for movement of the latch relative to the body in the channel to a slot-closed position for retaining an archwire in the archwire slot and a slot-open position to permit insertion or removal of an archwire from the archwire slot, wherein the latch includes a pair of arms extending away from each other in a generally mesial-distal direction and extending over the archwire slot labially over the space between the pair of mesial tiewings and over the space between the pair of distal tiewings;
- wherein one of the latch and the body include a catch and the other of the latch and the body include a pair of notches, wherein the notches are spaced from each other, wherein the latch includes a labial section and wherein the archwire slot includes a lingual side, and wherein the labial section is closer to the lingual side when the catch is received in one of the notches as compared to when the catch is received in the other of the notches.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.