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US 7,442,039 B2Granted
Orthodontic bracket and clip release tool
AssigneeTomy Company, Ltd.
InventorsPerry Opin, Shingo Katayose, Kousei Endo, Masaaki Orikasa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An orthodontic bracket has a clip which is curved substantially in U-shape as covering at least one part of an opposite side to a base in an arch wire slot. Catching end portions which are provided at an upper end part of the clip may be caught to enable to creep under a cover portion supported by the bracket main body. The clip is formed at the upper end part thereof with a concave portion as a recess portion which enables to catch a clip release tool for releasing the clip.
Claims15
An orthodontic bracket comprising:
- a base firmly attachable directly or indirectly to teeth surfaces;
- a bracket main body equipped on one side of the base;
- an arch wire slot shaped as a groove along a mesiodistal direction in the bracket main body, operative to support an arch wire therein;
- a substantially belt-like clip curved substantially in a U-shape to cover at least one part of the arch wire slot that opposes the base, the clip having a catching end portion, at an upper end part of the clip, operative to creep under a cover portion of the bracket main body, and a recess portion, at the upper end part of the clip, operative to catch a clip release tool for releasing the clip;
- a guide portion formed in at least one of the bracket main body and the base, the guide portion provided along a tooth axial direction crossing with the arch wire slot, the guide portion operative to guide the clip;
- a middle groove, formed on the bracket main body at a middle area thereof along a direction perpendicular to the mesiodistal direction;
- and
- a wall portion which extends upward from an edge of the middle groove and faces the cover portion,
- wherein the bracket main body has a front end portion and a rear end portion, the front end portion being separated from the rear end portion by the arch wire slot, and
- wherein the cover portion is provided at the front end portion and the edge from which the wall portion extends is provided at the rear end portion, and wherein the wall portion extends in a direction perpendicular to the mesiodistal direction and perpendicular the direction of the middle groove.
7 more elements
An orthodontic bracket comprising:
- a base firmly attachable directly or indirectly to teeth surfaces;
- a bracket main body equipped on one side of the base;
- an arch wire slot shaped as a groove along a mesiodistal direction in the bracket main body, operative to support an arch wire therein;
- a substantially belt-like clip curved substantially in a U-shape to cover at least one part of the arch wire slot that opposes the base, the clip having a catching end portion, at an upper end part of the clip, operative to creep under a cover portion of the bracket main body, and a catching cutout portion, in the upper end part of the clip, substantially in a V-shape for catching a clip release tool for releasing the clip;
- a guide portion formed in at least one of the bracket main body and the base, the guide portion provided along a tooth axial direction crossing with the arch wire slot, the guide portion operative to guide the clip;
- a middle groove, formed on the bracket main body at a middle area thereof along a direction perpendicular to the mesiodistal direction;
- and
- a wall portion which extends upward from an edge of the middle groove and faces the cover portions
- wherein the bracket main body has a front end portion and a rear end portion, the front end portion being separated from the rear end portion by the arch wire slot, and
- wherein the cover portion is provided at the front end portion and the edge from which the wall portion extends is provided at the rear end portion, and wherein the wall portion extends in a direction perpendicular to the mesiodistal direction and perpendicular the direction of the middle groove.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.