Patent ID: 7585171

Claim:
A self-ligating orthodontic bracket having: a mounting base for attachment to a tooth surface; an archwire slot formed upon said base and sized for receiving an orthodontic archwire; a rotary ligating cover selectively rotatable between an open position permitting access to said archwire slot and a closed position covering said archwire slot; one or more locking mechanisms comprising cooperatively engaging features located on said cover and said base for holding said rotary ligating cover in a closed position; wherein said rotary ligating cover comprises a plate eccentrically rotatably mounted on an axial member journalled into said base; wherein said one or more locking features comprise a rotational stop formed upon one of a lower surface of said plate and an outward surface of said base, said rotational stop cooperatively mating with cutout portions in the other of said lower surface of said plate and said outward surface of said base; and one or more concentric circular recesses formed upon one of said lower surface of said plate and said outward surface of said base within which said rotational stop tracks when said plate is rotated, said one or more concentric circular recesses defining an opening direction and a closing direction of said plate.