Patent ID: 8376740
Filing Date: 2013-02-19
Classification: A61C

Abstract:
1. An orthodontic bracket comprising: a support base; and a bracket member mounted on said base, the bracket member comprising: i) a main channel opened to receive an orthodontic wire; ii) a covering element crossing the main channel to limit access thereto, which covering element can be i) opened, and ii) closed to cover the opened main channel; and iii) a gripping element for the covering element, wherein, the bracket member has a quadrangular shape and comprises i) a first, second, third and fourth cut corners, ii) first and second lateral sides, iii) a first and second longitudinal sides, and iv) an upper face, the main channel is opened to the upper face of the bracket, longitudinally crossing the bracket, immediately following the first and the second cut corners, to receive the orthodontic wire, the bracket member further has i) a first housing longitudinally placed between the first and second cut corners and between the first longitudinal side and the main channel, the first housing having first and second lateral walls and a longitudinal wall, and ii) a second housing having a quadrangular cross section, longitudinally placed between the third and fourth cut corners and between the second longitudinal side and the main channel, said second housing has first and second lateral walls, a rear surface and a lower surface, wherein each lateral wall of the second housing includes a guide channel in an upper portion throughout a length thereof, the covering element comprising a main lid to cover the main channel, the main lid pivoting on two hinge elements integrally formed on the two lateral walls of the first housing, said main lid having a lower surface, a tong in a front portion of the main lid and located in a same plane as the lower surface, a whole of the tong rests on an end of the lower surface of the second housing when the main lid is in a closed position, the gripping element comprising a sliding lid having a wedge shape, the sliding lid retained on the second housing and covering the second housing, the sliding lid having i) an upper surface with a quadrangular housing, and ii) a lower surface with a directly depending rectangular element, the rectangular element located at a front portion of the sliding lid, the rectangular element having a front face, a lower surface, two lateral walls, a rear surface including a housing, the front surface of the rectangular element having a rectangular groove, each lateral wall of the rectangular element including a lateral gripping element, each gripping element directly depending from a respective lateral wall, and each lateral gripping element is a slide element retained in the respective guide channel of the second housing, each lateral gripping element presenting a rear surface in a plane of the rear surface of the rectangular element, and, together with the lower surface of the sliding lid, forms a longitudinal lying L-shaped lower stop edge, the bracket member further comprises a pushing element comprising a spring element placed in the second housing, the spring element constantly pushing said longitudinal lying L-shaped lower stop edge of the sliding lid to thereby constantly push the sliding lid towards the first longitudinal side of the bracket to forwardly maintain the sliding lid in a closed position, said sliding lid is slidable backwards by compressing the spring element between the longitudinal lying L-shaped lower stop edge of the sliding lid and the rear surface of the lower stop wall, the main lid remains gripped in a closed position when the tong is located in and gripped in the rectangular housing of the sliding lid, and to open the main lid, the sliding lid is slid backwards to remove the tong from the rectangular housing and lifted upwardly to place the orthodontic wire in the main channel.