Patent ID: 8573971

Claim:
An orthodontic bracket comprising: two structural portions formed as one contiguous piece and connected through one or more webs at a hinge mechanism having one of a pin or axle, said one or more webs being frangible to allow the two structural portions to move relative to each other when said one or more webs are sheared, said hinge mechanism including a void space with a substantially elliptical-shaped cross section and the pin or axle having a hexagonal cross sectional shape, wherein the pin or axle is moveable within the void space from a first position where the pin or axle is interconnected with the two structural portions to a second position where the pin or axle is rotated and the connection of the one or more webs with the pin or axle is sheared; a plurality of locking recesses that allow archwires having different cross-section sizes to be inserted and fixed in one of said plurality of locking recesses; and wherein one of the two structural portions comprises a ligation cover having a first open and a second closed position, wherein when in said second closed position, the ligation cover functions to cover an archwire inserted in one of said plurality of locking recesses.