Patent Application
20230181291
The present invention relates to a structure of a self-ligating bracket, and more particularly to a structure of a self-ligating bracket that has a simplified structure, improved durability, excellent operability, and high fixing strength.
A self-ligating bracket is provided to alleviate drawbacks of a traditional denture brace. The self-ligating bracket uses a fixed arch wire so as to reduce tying with tying wires or elastic elements. The self-ligating bracket allows an arch wire to insert or remove when set in an open condition, and the self-ligating bracket fixes the arch wire in an arch wire slot when set in a closed condition.
However, such a known self-ligating bracket suffers the following drawbacks and shortcomings that require further improvements:
Firstly, the process of manufacturing and assembling is sophisticated, so that the manufacturing efficiency is low and the fabrication cost and the sales prices are high.
Secondly, the self-ligating bracket includes a slide lid that is movable between an open position and a closed position. Multiplicity of movement of the slide lid between the open position and the closed position often results in failure of the self-ligating bracket due to elastic fatigue of a rubber ring or spring.
Thirdly, due to be small in the overall size, the strength of the slide lid is crucial factor that affects the control of force applied by an operator. In case that the strength of the slide lid is insufficient, the slide lid cannot be effectively kept in the closed position, and consequently, the arch wire cannot be securely fixed; oppositely, if the slide lid is overly strong, then the user has to apply a strong force for operation, and this may cause strong discomfort of the orthodontic patient.
The primary objective of the present invention is that elastic clamping arms are arranged inside a receiving channel to constrain a positioner formed on a bottom of a movable lid, so as to feature both operation easiness and structural strength for movement of the movable lid between an open position and a closed position of a base body, thereby helping improve service life and reduce fabrication cost with a simplified structure.
To achieve the above objective, the present invention comprises, in a main structure thereof, a base body, a receiving channel, an elastic body that comprises two elastic clamping arms, a connection part, and a receiving space, a movable lid, a positioner, a sliding opening, a retaining part, two avoiding spaces, and two guide slopes. The receiving channel is formed in the base body. The elastic body is arranged in the receiving channel Two ends of the connection part are respectively connected to the elastic clamping arms. The receiving space is formed between the elastic clamping arms. The movable lid is movably arranged on the base body. The positioner is arranged on a bottom of the movable lid and is movable in the receiving channel The sliding opening is formed in a wall of the receiving channel to allow the positioner to pass. The retaining part formed on an end of the positioner and is contactable and engageable with the elastic clamping arms to prevent the positioner from detaching from the receiving channel The two avoiding spaces are respectively formed between the elastic clamping arms and sidewalls of the receiving channel, in order to accommodate the elastic clamping arms and to establish communication between the receiving space and the sliding opening when the elastic clamping arms are pushed aside by the positioner. Further, the two guide slopes are respectively formed on two opposite sides of the positioner for respectively pushing the two elastic clamping arms into the two avoiding spaces.
When the present invention is used for orthodontics, the base body is similarly bonded to a surface of a tooth, and the movable lid 4 is operable for controlled movement of opening and closing. In a closed condition, the positioner is located inside the receiving space, and the elastic clamping arms constrain movement of the positioner so as to achieve the purpose of securely fixing the movable lid. When the movable lid is pulled to move outwards, the elastic clamping arms may retract into the avoiding spaces and thus setting the receiving space in communication with the sliding opening, so as to allow the positioner move out of the receiving channel, but is still affected by the retaining part being in contact engagement with the elastic clamping arms, so that the movable lid is prevented from separating and detaching from the base body, and only a minor force so applied may allow the movable lid to be opened, and easy operability is also ensured. Further, when the movable lid is re-closed, the guide slopes push the elastic clamping arms toward the avoiding spaces on the two sides. Thus, the present invention features all advantages of strengthened structure, simplified design, and easy operation.
Based on the above-described techniques, the drawbacks of the prior art self-ligating brackets in respect of complicated fabrication process, high cost, easy elastic fatigue, short service life, and hand control of strength of slide lid can be overcome, and advantages in practical use as noted above can be achieved.
Referring to
a base body 1;
a receiving channel 11, which is formed in the base body 1;
an elastic body 2, which is arranged in the receiving channel 11, the elastic body 2 comprising two elastic clamping arms 21, a connection part 22 connecting between the two elastic clamping arms 21, and a receiving space 23 formed between the elastic clamping arms 21;
a movable lid 4, which is movably arranged on the base body 1;
a positioner 5, which is arranged on a bottom of the movable lid 4 and is movably receivable in the receiving channel 11;
a sliding opening 111, which is formed in a wall of the receiving channel 11 for the positioner 5 to pass;
a retaining part 51, which is formed at an end of the positioner 5 and is contactable and engageable with the elastic clamping arms 21 to prevent the positioner 5 from detaching from the receiving channel 11;
two avoiding spaces 112, which are respectively formed between the two elastic clamping arms 21 and sidewalls of the receiving channel 11 that are provided for accommodating the elastic clamping arms 21 when the elastic clamping arms 21 are pushed aside by the positioner 5 and are set in communication with the receiving space 23 and the sliding opening 111; and
two guide slopes 53, which are respectively formed on two opposite sides of the positioner 5 for pushing the two elastic clamping arms 21 aside to move into the two avoiding spaces 112 respectively.
The above description provides an understanding to the structure of the present invention, and based on a combination of such an arrangement, advantages of structure simplification, improved durability, excellent operability, and high fixing strength can be realized. Further details are provided below.
Referring collectively to
When the present invention is used for orthodontics, a bottom of the base body 1 is similarly bonded to a surface of a tooth, and the movable lid 4 is operable for controlled movement of opening and closing. In the closed condition, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Referring to
In closing the movable lid 4a, in addition to the guide slopes 53a pushing open the elastic clamping arms 21a in directions toward the avoiding spaces 112a on the two sides, when the movable lid 4a is pushed to the end, the projecting part 52a is set into and in abutting engagement with the recessing part 221a, so as to have the positioner 5a completely located in the receiving space 23a. In such an operation, the unique arrangement of the projecting part 52a, the recessing part 221a, and the guide slopes 53a provides the positioner 5a, as being movable in such a minute operation space, with advantages of structure strengthening and arrangement simplification. Due to the overall size of the self-ligating bracket being relatively small (length and width being approximately 3 mm) and a major force acting portion of the retaining part 51a being of a width that is only around 0.1 mm in the force acting direction, the projecting part 52a is provided to increase the width of the retaining part 51a in order to improve force enduring strength thereof. The recessing part 221a is arranged to have a shape corresponding to the projecting part 52a in order to ensure the same stroke of movement for the positioner 5a, and further, the arrangement of the recessing part 221a help regulate the stress of the connection part 22a relative to the elastic clamping arms 21a so as to control the extent of swinging of the elastic clamping arms 21a and also the restoring spring force.
Further, the sloping parts 213a of the elastic clamping arms 21a are provided to operate collaboratively with the guide slopes 53a during the movement of the positioner 5a in a direction for closing, in order to reduce the frictional force induced between the elastic clamping arms 21a and the guide slopes 53a to thereby improve service life thereof. Further, the indicating part 54a provided at the end of the positioner 5a is a projecting structure showing a water droplet shape, and comprising a contracting part 541a at a front end and a diverging part 542a formed at one side of the contracting part 541a. The contracting part 541a has a width that is smaller than a width of the positioner 5a, so that when the movable lid 4a is moving toward the closing position, the elastic clamping arms 21a undergoes instantaneous shrinking or snapping at the site of the contracting part 541a, and the diverging part 542a helps to prevent excessive movement of the movable lid 4a. Vibration caused by such an operation may help improve hand feeling for an operator to server as a reminder that the movable lid 4a has reached a predetermined location.
