Self-ligating orthodontic brackets comprising a filled and fiber-reinforced polymeric material
OwnerNorbert Abels, Claus-H. Backesinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A self-ligating orthodontic bracket includes a bracket base, an arch wire slot in the bracket base, and a ligation cover. The bracket base and the ligation cover comprise a polymer resin reinforced glass or ceramic fibers, and further comprising a particulate filler. The cover is hingedly connected to the bracket base and rotatable relative to the bracket base between an open, non-ligating position and a closed, ligating position. The combination of reinforcing fibers and filler (e.g., spherical glass particles) provides substantially increased overall strength and durability while providing increased flexibility and toughness in the region of an optional hinge connection between the ligation cover and the bracket base.
Claims20
An orthodontic bracket comprising:
- a bracket base;
- at least one arch wire slot in said bracket base, said slot being adapted to receive an arch wire therein;
- and
- a ligation cover hingedly connected to the bracket base by a hinge element and movable relative to the bracket base about the hinge element between an open, non-ligating position relative to the arch wire slot in which the arch wire slot is completely unoccluded by the ligation cover and a closed, ligating position relative to the arch wire slot;
- wherein the bracket base, hinge element, and ligation cover comprise a filled polymer resin composition reinforced with flexible glass or ceramic fibers and a particulate filler, wherein the hinge element reinforced with the flexible glass or ceramic fibers and the particulate filler has increased toughness and flexibility compared to a hinge element in the absence of the flexible glass or ceramic fibers and the particulate filler.
An orthodontic bracket comprising:
- a bracket base;
- at least one arch wire slot in said bracket base, said slot being adapted to receive an arch wire therein;
- a ligation cover hingedly connected to the bracket base and selectively rotatable relative to the bracket base between an open, non-ligating position and a closed, ligating position;
- and
- an elongate film hinge attached at one end to the bracket base and at an opposite end to the ligation cover so as to hingedly connect the ligation cover to the bracket base,
- wherein the bracket base, ligation cover, and film hinge comprise a polymer resin composition reinforced with substantially spherical filler particles comprising at least one of glass, ceramic, ceramic/glass, or organically modified ceramic particles, wherein the hinge element reinforced with the spherical filler particles has increased strength and flexibility compared to a hinge element in the absence of the substantially spherical filler particles.
An orthodontic bracket comprising:
- a bracket base;
- at least one arch wire slot in said bracket base, said slot being adapted to receive an arch wire therein;
- and
- a ligation cover hingedly connected to the bracket base and selectively rotatable relative to the bracket base about a hinge element between an open, non-ligating position in which the arch wire slot is completely unoccluded by the ligation cover and a closed-ligating position;
- wherein the bracket base, hinge element, and ligation cover comprise a polymer resin reinforced with spherical glass filler particles, wherein the hinge element reinforced with the spherical glass filler particles has increased strength and flexibility compared to a hinge element in the absence of the spherical glass filler particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.