Abstract:
An Orthodontic bracket wherein an opened channel receiving an orthodontic wire, includes covering element to cover the opened channel, the covering element can be opened to allow a fast and easy insertion of the orthodontic wire into the channel and can be closed and blocked to avoid that the wire goes out from the channel.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    A. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention is related to orthodontic brackets and, more particularly, to an orthodontic bracket wherein an opened channel which receives an orthodontic wire includes means to cover said channel, which can be opened to allow a fast and easy insertion of the orthodontic wire into the channel and can be closed and blocked to avoid that the wire goes out from the channel. 
         [0003]    B. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Orthodontic brackets are well known in the art which are cemented over the teeth to receive a tensioned wire and act as strength transmitters to move and align the teeth to a suitable aesthetic and functional position. 
         [0005]    Normally, most of the existing bracket designs do not allow a simple installation of the orthodontic wires and additionally in some of said designs, the wires tend to go out from the bracket causing problems in the orthodontic treatment. 
         [0006]    In view of the above mentioned problems, some bracket designs have been suggested including means to cover the channel wherein the orthodontic wire is housed, which can be opened and closed to easily insert or remove the orthodontic wire from said channel. 
         [0007]    Examples of said brackets are disclosed in the following U.S. patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,269,681, 5,322,435, 5,516,284, 6,368,105, 6,960,080, 6,960,081, 6,964,565, 7,210,927, 7,210,928, 7,234,935, 7,419,375, 7,674,110, and in the following U.S. patent applications: 20040209219, 20070243497, 20090298003, 20100055636. 
         [0008]    However, in the brackets disclosed in said patents and patent applications, due to the particularities of their designs, there is the possibility that the means to cover the channel of the bracket open and release the wire because they do not include reliable blocking or gripping means, if they include them. 
         [0009]    In view of said problem, applicant developed an orthodontic bracket wherein the opened channel which receives the orthodontic wire includes means to cover said channel, which means include blocking means to avoid that said that said cover means open and the wire can leave the channel 
         [0010]    The blocking means act directly on the means to cover the channel, resulting practically impossible to open said cover means unless said blocking means be retired, which blocking means are actuated by means of a spring element maintaining them in place, by which the possibility that the means to cover the channel, open and the wire leave the channel, is practically inexistent. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    It is therefore a main object of this invention, to provide an orthodontic bracket wherein the opened channel which receives the orthodontic wire, includes means to cover said channel which in turn includes blocking means to avoid that said cover means open and the wire can go out from the channel. 
         [0012]    It is another main object of this invention, to provide an orthodontic bracket of the above disclosed nature wherein the blocking means act directly on the means to cover the channel, resulting impossible to open said means unless said blocking means be retired, which are actuated by means of a spring element maintaining the wire in its place, by which the possibility that the means to cover the channel, open and the wire leave the channel, is practically inexistent. 
         [0013]    These and other objects and advantages of the rotary bracket of this invention, will be clear to those persons having ordinary skilled in the art, from the following detailed description of the invention, which will be with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1 , is a perspective view of the orthodontic bracket of the present invention, without including the means to cover the channel, but including the sliding lid of the gripping means; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2 , is a perspective view of the orthodontic bracket of the present invention, without including the means to cover the channel nor the sliding lid of the gripping means; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3 , is a lower view of the orthodontic bracket of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4 , is a perspective view of the orthodontic bracket of the present invention, including the means to cover the channel but without including the sliding lid of the gripping means; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5 , is a perspective view of the orthodontic bracket of the present invention, including the means to cover the channel in an open position and including the sliding lid of the gripping means; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6 , is a front view in lower perspective of the sliding lid of the gripping means; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7 , is a rear perspective view of the sliding lid of the gripping means. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    The orthodontic bracket of the present invention, will be described in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof, making reference to the accompanying drawings wherein the same signs and numbers refer to the same parts of the shown drawings, wherein the bracket of the present invention, comprising:
       a support base  1  for bracket, comprising:
           a cross-shaped lower base member, comprising a first arm  2 , a second arm  3 , a third arm  4  and a four arm  5 , each having rounded ends and edges evenly distributed; each having an upper surface  6  and a lower surface  7  having a plurality of undulated slots  8  to receive an adhesive in order to be adhered to a tooth surface;   a tubular member  9  integrally and centrally mounted on the upper surface of the lower base member, having an upper surface to receive a bracket;   
           a quadrangular-shaped bracket member  10 , having:
           a first  11 , a second  12 , a third  13  and a four cut corner  14 , a first  15  and a second lateral side  16 , a first  17  and a second longitudinal side  18  and an upper face  19 ;   a lower base  20 , joined to the upper surface of the tubular member;   a main channel  21  opened to the upper face  19  of the bracket and crossing it longitudinally, immediately after of the first  11  and second cut corner  12 , to receive a first orthodontic wire (not shown), wherein said main channel  21  has an opened quadrangular-shaped cross section;   a passage  22  longitudinally crossing the bracket, beginning from the third cut corner  13 , and leading at the four cut corner  14 , through which a second orthodontic wire (not shown) passes, wherein said passage has a quadrangular cross section;   a first housing  23  longitudinally placed between the first  11  and second cut corner  12  of the bracket and between the lateral side  17  and the main channel  21  in which it leads, having a first  24  and a second lateral wall  25  and a longitudinal wall  26 ;   a second quadrangular-shaped housing  27  longitudinally placed between the third  13  and four cut corner  14  of the bracket and between the second longitudinal side  18  and the main channel  21 , wherein it leads, and over the passage  22 , said housing having a first and a second lateral wall, a rear surface and a lower surface, wherein each lateral wall includes a guide channel  28  in an upper portion along of all its length:   covering means to cover the main channel  21 , comprising:   a main lid  29  to cover the main channel  21 , pivoting on two hinge elements  30 ,  30 ′ which form an integral part of the lateral walls  24  and  25  of the first housing and in which it is retained, said lid having an upper surface  31  and a lower surface  32 , a tong  33  at a front portion, opposed where the lid is joined with the hinges  30 ,  30 ′, located at the same plane as the lower surface  32  and a quadrangular aperture  34  located in a central portion thereof, said lid  29  completely crossing the main channel  21  but covering it only partially, and wherein the whole of the tongue  33  rest in an end of the lower surface of the second housing  27  when it is at a closed portion;   gripping means for the lid, comprising:   a wedge-shaped sliding lid  35 , slide retained on the second housing  27 , and which covers it as a whole, including an upper surface  36 , a lower surface  36 ′, a quadrangular housing “C” in its upper surface  36  and a rectangular element  37  directly depending from the lower surface, located at a front portion of the lid  35 , having a lower surface  38 , two lateral walls  39 ,  39 ′, a rear surface “P” including a housing “R” and a front surface  40 , wherein: the front surface  40  includes a rectangular groove  41  and each lateral surface  39 ,  39 ′ including a lateral gripping element  42 ,  42 ′ each depending directly from a respective lateral surface  39 ,  39 ′, and each of which is slide retained in a guide channel  28  of the second housing  27 . Each lateral gripping element  42 ,  42 ′ presents a rear surface  43 ,  43 ′ which are in the same plane as the rear surface “P” of the rectangular element, which, together with the lower surface  36  of the sliding lid  35 , form a longitudinal lying “L”-shaped lower stop edge. Wherein said lid can slide behind of the second housing  27 , until the guide channels  28  allows it and wherein said lid  35  may return sliding forward until the guide channels  28  allows it, to an original closed position wherein the second housing  27  is completely covered. The wedge shape of the slide lid  35  allows that it be adapted to the curved shape of the upper face  19  of the bracket, so that it can maintain an upper face completely smooth when the sliding lid  35  is closed;   pushing means comprising a spring element  44  placed in the second housing  27 , to push said longitudinal lying “L”-shaped lower stop edge of the sliding lid  35 , so as to constantly push forward all the sliding lid  35  to the front face  17  of the bracket, this is, forwardly, maintaining it in a closed position, wherein said sliding lid  35  can be slide behind compressing the spring element  44  between the longitudinal lying “L”-shaped lower stop edge of the sliding lid  35  and the upper surface of the lower stop wall;   wherein the main lid  29  remains gripped in a closed position because its tong  33  is placed and gripped in the rectangular housing  41  of the sliding lid and wherein, to open the main lid  29 , the sliding lid  35  must be slide behind to discover the tong  33  of the main lid  29  and could be lifted upwardly to place an orthodontic wire in the main channel  21 .   
               
 
         [0038]    The quadrangular aperture  34  of the main lid  29  located in its central portion, facilitates the insertion of a tool to open and close said lid  29  and the housing “C” of the sliding lid  35  facilitates the insertion of a tool to slide said lid  35  forward and backward to release or grip the main lid  29  in a closed position. 
         [0039]    The main lid  29  opens to allow a fast and easy insertion of an orthodontic wire and, when closed and gripped with the sliding lid  35 , avoids completely that the orthodontic wire could go out from the bracket. 
         [0040]    Additionally, the main channel  21  can include means to reduce the friction between the wire and the channel, such as a depression in the lower wall of the channel to reduce the contact area between the wire and the channel  21 . 
         [0041]    Although it was described that the bracket of the present invention includes a passage  22  for a second orthodontic wire, in other embodiments of the invention this cannot be included or else, to include one or more passages. 
         [0042]    Also, in other embodiments of the invention, the gripping means for the main lid  29  could comprise any other type of suitable gripping means, as for example, elements in the lid which fits under pressure in the corresponding gripping means. 
         [0043]    Finally, it should be understood that the orthodontic bracket of the present invention is not limited to the above described embodiment and that those skilled in the art will be able, with the teachings herein established, to make changes in the orthodontic bracket of the present invention, which scope will be established exclusively by the following claims.