Source: http://www.patentgenius.com/patent/7442039.html
Timestamp: 2019-01-17 06:21:52
Document Index: 780269876

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 24', 'art 15', 'art 24', 'art 35', 'art 24', 'arts 34', 'art 39', 'art 39', 'art 24', 'art 63', 'art 24']

Orthodontic bracket and clip release tool - Patent # 7442039 - PatentGenius
7442039 Orthodontic bracket and clip release tool
Inventor: Opin, et al.
Application: 10/730,268
Inventors: Opin; Perry (Milford, CT)
Katayose; Shingo (Futaba-gun, JP)
Endo; Kousei (Futaba-gun, JP)
Orikasa; Masaaki (Futaba-gun, JP)
Assignee: Tomy Incorporated (Fukushima-ken, JP)
U.S. Class: 433/11; 433/10; 433/13; 433/3; 433/8
Field Of Search: 433/11; 433/3; 433/13; 433/10; 433/8
1. 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 wireslot 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 thebase, 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 forreleasing 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 bodyhas 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 isprovided 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.
8. 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 bracketmain 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 partof 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 formedin 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 middlearea 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 endportion, 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, andwherein the wall portion extends in a direction perpendicular to the mesiodistal direction and perpendicular the direction of the middle groove.
9. The orthodontic bracket as set forth in claim 1, wherein the clip has a contacting portion, and wherein when the clip is released from the bracket main body, the contacting portion contacts to the wall portion, thereby regulating a releasingposition of the clip from the bracket main body.
10. The orthodontic bracket as set forth in claim 8, wherein the clip has a contacting portion, and wherein when the clip is released from the bracket main body, the contacting portion contacts to the wall portion, thereby regulating areleasing position of the clip from the bracket main body.
In general, the orthodontic bracket has been used for correcting teeth rows. As to the orthodontic bracket, a base thereof is provided with a bracket main body. The bracket main body is formed with an arch wire slot for receiving an arch wiretherein and is furnished with a clip for preventing the arch wire from getting out from the interior of arch wire slot.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,486 is concerned with a self-ligation bracket of sliding a U-shaped clip and releasing and closing the arch wire slot, and shows an art of inserting the bar-like tool into the hole of the clip for releasing theclip.
Further, since the hole into which the bar-like tool is inserted is formed at about center of the clip, a spring property of the clip is spoiled to reduce force pressing down the arch wire, and besides a problem arises that the clip is easilydeformed owing to concentration of stress.
In view of the above mentioned problems, the invention has been realized. Accordingly it is an object of the invention to offer an orthodontic bracket which enables to prevent the clip from deforming when releasing the clip, and a clip releasetool.
a substantially belt-like clip curved substantially in U-shape as covering at least one part of an opposite side to the base in the arch wire slot, the clip having a catching end portion for creeping under a cover portion supported by the bracketmain body at an upper end part thereof and a recess portion for catching a clip release tool for releasing the clip at the upper end part thereof; and
Herein, the orthodontic bracket according to the invention includes an embodiment that the bracket main body is secured to the face-like base attachable to the teeth surfaces, or an embodiment that the bracket main body is welded, via the base,to a band attached to the teeth surfaces.
In the thus structured orthodontic bracket, the clip is provided at the upper end part thereof with the recess portion which enables to catch the clip release tool for releasing the clip. The position catching the clip release tool is formed tobe the recess, so that it is not required to open a hole for the clip to pass through in the thickness direction. Thus, although the clip is substantially U-shaped and narrow in width, it keeps rigidity and can secure spring force to press down the archwire.
According to the orthodontic bracket of a second aspect of the invention, in the orthodontic bracket of the first aspect, it is desirable that the recess portion is a concave portion which is formed at the upper end part of the clip and does notpass through the clip along thickness.
According to the orthodontic bracket of a third aspect of the invention, in the orthodontic bracket of the first aspect, desirably the recess portion is a cut-and-rising portion where the clip rises along thickness in a direction separating fromthe bracket main body.
The recess portion is made the cut-and-rising portion by rising in a direction separating from the bracket main body, so that the recess portion can be comparatively easily formed. The clip can be released while being pressing it to the bracketmain body by use of an exclusively used tool.
According to the orthodontic bracket of a fourth aspect of the invention, in the orthodontic bracket of the third aspect, desirably the recess portion is the cut-and-rising portion where one side of a slit as a boundary formed at the upper endpart of the clip rises along thickness in a direction separating from the bracket main body.
The recess portion is the cut-and-rising portion which causes one side of the slit as the boundary in the direction separating from the bracket main body, whereby the recess portion is comparatively easily formed. In addition, thereby, seeingthe slit as the boundary, its front side can be a convex and its inner part can be a concave, so that though not being the exclusively used tool, the clip can be released while being pressing it to the bracket main body.
a substantially belt-like clip curved substantially in U-shape as covering at least one part of an opposite side to the base in the arch wire slot, the clip having a catching end portion for creeping under a cover portion supported by the bracketmain body at an upper end part thereof and a catching cutout portion substantially in V-shape for catching a clip release tool for releasing the clip at the upper end part thereof; and
The clip is formed at the upper end part thereof with a catching cutout portion substantially in V-shape which enables to catch the clip release tool for releasing the clip, whereby the recess portion can be more easily formed. The clip can beeasily formed, while the spring force of the clip can influence over the catching ends formed at the upper end parts of the clip extending to both of mesial and distal sides. Therefore, rotation control of the arch wire can be effectively exercised.
According to the orthodontic bracket of a ninth aspect, in the orthodontic bracket of the first aspect or the eighth aspect, the clip has a contacting portion and the bracket main body has a receiving portion enabling to contact to the contactingportion, and wherein when the clip is released from the bracket main body, the contacting portion contacts to the receiving portion, thereby enabling to regulate a releasing position of the clip from the bracket main body.
The releasing position of the clip from the bracket main body by the contacting portion and the receiving portion is enabled to be regulated, whereby it is possible to prevent the clip from exceedingly releasing or dropping from the bracket mainbody.
The clip release tool of a tenth aspect of the invention, for releasing a clip from a bracket main body of an orthodontic bracket, the orthodontic bracket comprising a base firmly attachable directly or indirectly to teeth surfaces, a bracketmain body equipped on one side of the base, an arch wire slot shaped in groove along mesiodistal direction in the bracket main body, enabling to support an arch wire therein, a substantially belt-like clip curved substantially in U-shape as covering atleast one part of an opposite side to the base in the arch wire slot, the clip having a catching end portion for creeping under a cover portion supported by the bracket main body at an upper end part thereof and a recess portion or a substantiallyV-shaped catching cutout portion for catching a clip release tool for releasing the clip at the upper end part thereof, and a guide portion formed in at least one of the bracket main body and the base, and along a tooth axial direction crossing with thearch wire slot, enabling to guide the clip, the clip release tool comprising:
wherein the first projection enables to catch the recess portion or the substantially V-shaped catching cutout portion of the clip, and the second projection regulates the engagement of the first projection with the recess portion or the catchingcutout portion, while pressing down the clip to prevent the clip from deformation of the clip.
The clip release tool comprises the first projection and the second projection arranged substantially in V-shape. The first projection is caught with the recess portion or the catching cutout potion, and the second projection regulates theengagement of the first projection with the recess portion or the catching cutout portion.
Explanations will be made to embodiments according to the invention, referring to the attached drawings. In each of the following embodiments, members and others having explained in FIG. 1 will be given the same numerals or corresponding marksin other drawings for simplifying or omitting the explanation.
Herein, in each of under shown embodiments, as the orthodontic bracket, a twin bracket (the bracket having the two cover portions) is exemplified, but the invention is also applicable to a single bracket, and is not limited to the twin bracketonly.
As shown in FIG. 1, an orthodontic bracket 10 as a first embodiment of the invention comprises a base 11, a bracket main body 12, an arch wire slot 13, a guide portion 14, and a substantially belt-like clip 20. The base 11 is firmly attachabledirectly or indirectly to teeth surfaces. The bracket main body 12 is equipped on one side of the base 11. The arch wire slot 13 is shaped in groove in the bracket main body 12. The guide portion 14 is formed in at least one of the bracket main bodyand the base, and along a tooth axial direction crossing with the arch wire slot 13. The substantially belt-like clip 20 is guided by the guide portion 14.
In the orthodontic bracket 10, the clip 20 is curved substantially in U-shape as covering at least one part of an opposite side to the base in the arch wire slot 13. A pair of catching end portions 21 are provided at an upper end part alonglength of the clip 20. A catching groove 15A is provided at the lower part of a cover portion 15 supported by the bracket main body 12. The pair of catching end portions 21 are caught to enable to creep under the catching groove 15A.
The clip 20 is formed with a concave portion 25 as the recess portion in an upper end part 24 between the pair of catching end portions 21. The concave portion 25 is used for catching a clip release tool 30 (see FIGS. 4 to 7) for releasing theclip 20.
Thus, if an operator inserts the heel portion 31 of the clip release tool 30 into the concave portion 25 and moves the clip 20 by the clip release tool 30, mutual engagement between the catching end portions 21 of the clip 20 and the catchinggroove 15A of the cover part 15 (see FIG. 1) can be more certainly and easily canceled.
That is, the toe portion 32 works in a direction of pressing the clip 20 against the bracket main body 12 (see FIG. 1), so that it can be prevented that the clip 20 is turned up by the bar-like tool having referred to concerning the related art,and the clip 20 can be avoided from deformation.
In FIG. 3A, the explanation has been made to the example of forming the concave portion 25 to be circular arc, but no limitation is made to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 3B, it is possible to form a position 26 to be deep toward a side ofthe toe portion 32 in the concave portion 25.
As seeing in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the left releasing portion 34 has a heel portion (a first projection) 31 and a toe portion (a second projection) 32, which are disposed substantially in V-shape and in vertical direction. The heel portion 31 ispositioned to enable to catch the concave portion 25 at the upper end part 24 of the clip 20 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).
As seeing in FIG. 6, the right releasing part 35 is provided with a heel portion (the first projection) 37 and a toe portion (the second projection) 38, which are disposed substantially in V-shape and in lateral direction. The heel portion 37 isat a position enabling to catch the concave 25 formed in the upper end part 24 of the clip 20 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).
In FIGS. 5A, 5B and FIG. 6, the left and right releasing parts 34, 35 have been explained as to the examples formed with the heel portions 31, 37 and the toe portions 32, 38, but no limitation is made thereto. For instance, as seeing in FIG. 7A,a releasing part 39A may be provided with a column limited in height, and as seeing in FIG. 7B, a releasing part 39B may be provided with a half-column limited in height.
In this case, since the concave portion 25 provided in the clip 20 at the side of the bracket main body 12 is convex, when the clip 20 is released from the bracket main body 12, the releasing position of the clip 20 is regulated in that theconcave portion 25 contacts, as the convex, a stepwise receiving portion 12A. It is possible thereby to avoid an exceeding release or drop of the clip 20 from the bracket main body 12. As shown, the stepwise receiving portion 12A is formed at an edgeof a middle groove portion 12B that runs in a direction perpendicular to the mesiodistal direction in the bracket main body 12.
As shown in FIG. 9, a clip 40 as the second embodiment of the invention is different from the clip 20 of the first embodiment only in that the clip 40 has, as the recess portion, a cut-and-rising portion 41 rising in a direction separating fromthe bracket main body 12 (see FIG. 1) along the thickness, and other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 10A, the cut-and-rising portion 41 is made in the direction separating from the bracket main body 12 (see FIG. 1) along the thickness by raising one side of making a boundary a slit 42 formed in the upper end part 24 of the clip40.
As shown in FIG. 12, a clip 50 as the third embodiment of the invention is different from the clip 20 of the first embodiment only in that the clip 50 has, as the recess portion, a cut-and-rising portion 51 rising in a direction separating fromthe bracket main body 12 (see FIG. 1) along the thickness, and other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 13, a clip 60 as the fourth embodiment of the invention is different from the clip 20 of the first embodiment only in that the clip 60 has, as the recess portion, a cut-and-rising portion 61 raising in a direction separating fromthe bracket main body 12 (see FIG. 1) along the thickness, and other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment.
In this case, since the substantially V-shaped cutout 64 is provided in the flat end part 63 of the cut-and-rising portion 61, the heel portion 31 is held by the cutout portion 64 and can be certainly caught with the cut-and-rising portion 61, sothat handling can be more heightened.
As shown in FIG. 14, a clip 70 as the fifth embodiment of the invention is different from the clip 20 of the first embodiment only in that the upper end part 24 is provided with a catching cutout portion 71 substantially in V-shape enabling tocatch the heel portion 31 (see FIG. 2) of the clip release tool 30 for releasing the clip 70, and other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment.
By determining the width W of the catching cutout portion 71 to be 0.5 to 2.0 mm and the depth D 0.3 to 1.0 mm, spring force of the clip 20 can be effectively transmitted to the catching end portions 21 formed at the upper end parts of the clip20 divided in the mesiodistal direction.
As shown in FIG. 15, a clip 80 as the sixth embodiment of the invention is different from the clip 20 of the first embodiment only in that the clip 80 is a cut-and-rising portion 81 rising in a direction separating from the bracket main body 12(see FIG. 1) along the thickness, and other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment.
The pair of rods 93 are, as shown in FIG. 18, positioned at the front end portions 93A thereof to both sides of the orthodontic bracket 10 disposed on the tooth 97. An arch wire 98 is placed between the first and second projections 94, 95 of onerod 93, while the arch wire 98 is similarly placed between the first and second projections 94, 95 of the other rod 93.
The orthodontic bracket 100 shown in FIGS. 19A to 19C has a bracket main body 120 basically similar to the bracket main body 12 used in the orthodontic bracket 10 of the first embodiment and a clip 200 similar to the clip 50 exemplified in thethird embodiment.
The orthodontic bracket 100 is different from those of the first and third embodiments in that a pair of contacting portions 200A is furnished in the clip 200 and the bracket main body 120 has a pair of receiving portions 120A enabling to contactwith the respective contacting portions 200A.
The contacting portions 200A are provided as cutouts substantially like a crank in flat at an end part of the clip 200 formed as expanding toward the upper end of the clip 200. On the other hand, the receiving portions 120A are stepwise portionsformed in the surface of the bracket main body 120, and the flat shape thereof corresponds to the flat shape of the contacting portions 200A (see FIG. 19C).
Therefore, the contacting portion 200A and the receiving portion 120A contact each other when the clip 200 is released until a predetermined position from the bracket main body 120, thereby to regulate the releasing position of the clip 200 fromthe bracket main body 120 (see FIGS. 19A and 19B).
When releasing the clip 200 from the bracket main body 120, the respective contacting portions 200A contact the respective receiving portion 120A. Therefore, the orthodontic bracket 100 regulates the releasing position of the clip 200 from thebracket main body 120, and it is possible to avoid the over-releasing or dropping of the clip 200 from the bracket main body 120.
As to other matters, qualities of materials, dimensions, configurations, numbers, arranging places, thickness sizes, and others of the clips, clip release tools, or bracket main bodies exemplified in the above embodiments may be arbitrary withoutmaking any limitations as far as accomplishing the invention.
As explained above, according to the orthodontic bracket of the first aspect of the invention, the clip is provided at the upper end part thereof with the recess portion which enables to catch the clip release tool for releasing the clip. Theposition catching the clip release tool is formed to be the recess, so that it is not required to open a hole for the clip to pass through in the thickness direction. Thus, it keeps rigidity and can secure spring force.
According to the orthodontic bracket of the second aspect of the invention, the recess portion is made the concave, so that the recess portion can be comparatively easily formed and the clip can be comparatively easily formed, it is possible toreduce the cost-up, prevent the clip from deformation, and secure the spring force of the clip.
According to the orthodontic bracket of the third aspect of the invention, the recess portion is made the cut-and-rising portion in the direction separating from the bracket main body, so that the recess portion can be comparatively easilyformed. The clip can be comparatively easily formed, and it is possible to reduce the cost-up, prevent the clip from deformation, and secure the spring force of the clip.
According to the orthodontic bracket of the fourth aspect of the invention, the recess portion is the cut-and-rising portion which causes one side of the slit as the boundary formed at the upper end part of the clip to rise along thickness in adirection separating from the bracket main body, so that the clip can be comparatively easily formed. It is possible to reduce the cost-up, prevent the clip from deformation, and secure the spring force of the clip.
According to the orthodontic bracket of the fifth aspect of the invention, the recess portion is formed at the end part of the clip, so that the recess portion can be more easily formed. Therefore, the cost-up can be reduced, and the exclusivelyused tool can be positioned accurately there at its front end.
According to the orthodontic bracket of the sixth aspect of the invention, the recess portion is shaped substantially in the half-spherical dome. Therefore, the clip release tool can be easily caught by the recess portion, making use of thesubstantially half-spherical dome. Thereby, when releasing the clip, it is possible to more easily release the clip.
According to the orthodontic bracket of the seventh aspect of the invention, the recess portion is formed with the cutout, so that the clip release tool can be easily caught by the recess portion. Thereby, when releasing the clip, it is possibleto more easily release the clip.
According to the orthodontic bracket of the eighth aspect of the invention, the clip is formed at the upper end part thereof with the catching cutout portion substantially in V-shape which enables to catch the clip release tool for releasing theclip. Therefore, the recess portion can be more easily formed, so that the clip can be easily formed, thereby enabling to reduce the cost-up.
According to the orthodontic bracket of the ninth aspect, when the clip is released from the bracket main body, the contacting portion contacts the receiving portion, thereby enabling to regulate the releasing position of the clip from thebracket main body. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the clip from exceedingly releasing from the bracket main body, and the clip from dropping from the bracket main body.
According to the clip release tool of the ten aspect of the invention, it comprises the first projection and the second projection arranged substantially in V-shape. The first projection is caught with the recess portion or the catching cutoutpotion, and the second projection regulates the engagement of the first projection with the recess portion or the catching cutout portion.
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