Orthodontic snap-in bracket
OwnerHarry W. Tepperinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerHarry W. Tepperinventor
Estimating the term…
An orthodontic bracket (20) is taught configured in such a manner that an archwire (48) may be snapped into place retaining the bracket labially on a patients tooth. The bracket has a base plate (22) with a pair of inwardly facing upstanding integral angular legs (46) formed within the base plate transverse to its mesial-distal axis. The legs project the full width of the base plate flush with its sides and are spaced apart essentially the narrowest width of a conventional archwire. The top angular legs have a gap (50) therebetween to allow the archwire to enter. Together with the base plate and the inside surface of the legs, a cavity (52) is formed, dimensioned to receive and retain the archwire. The cavity bottom (56) is parallel with the labial-buccal surface (24) of the base plate and either the legs or the cavity include one or more indentations to assure a proper snap-in effect. The bracket is extruded of a material having sufficient resiliency to arcuately spread apart allowing an archwire to be urged therebetween and snap shut into their primary position after an archwire has passed through thereby captivating an archwire therein. The second embodiment adds a spring clip (68) for complementing the snap shut action of the bracket.
An orthodontic bracket configured such that an archwire may be snapped into place retaining the archwire in the bracket labially on a patients tooth comprising,
An orthodontic bracket configured such that an archwire may be snapped into place retaining the archwire in the bracket labially on a patients tooth comprising,
An orthodontic bracket configured such that an archwire may be snapped into place retaining the archwire in the bracket labially on a patients tooth comprising,
An orthodontic bracket configured such that an archwire may be snapped into place retaining the archwire in the bracket labially on a patients tooth comprising,
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.