Brace-type self-locking bracket

Abstract

The present application discloses a pole-type self-locking bracket, which includes a base with an arch wire groove, a mesh base fixed to the bottom side of the base, and a locking piece slidably mounted on the top side of the base for closing or opening the arch wire groove. An installation groove is formed on one side of the base facing the locking piece, and an oscillating elastic member is provided in the installation groove. One end of the elastic member is a reference end that abuts against the bottom of the installation groove, and the other end is a driving end that is linked with the locking piece. There are a first locking position close to the arch wire groove and a second locking position far from the arch wire groove on the swinging path of the elastic member; in the first locking position, the elastic force of the elastic member drives the locking piece to close the arch wire groove, and in the second locking position, the elastic force of the elastic member drives the locking piece to open the arch wire groove. The present application realizes the elastic force directions in different directions through the swing of the elastic member, ensures the stability of the working state of the elastic member and the movement accuracy of the locking piece, and avoids the situation that the locking piece function declines or fails due to the incomplete recovery of the elastic member after deformation in the related art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of dental orthodontics, and particularly to a strut-type self-locking bracket. Background Art

[0002] Generally, self-locking brackets use a single elastic rod, a double elastic rod, or a C-shaped tube as the locking device of the self-locking bracket. For example, Chinese patent document with publication number CN209751255U discloses a self-locking bracket for dental orthodontics, which includes an orthodontic bracket body, a sliding cover, a pin, an elastic member, and a mesh base. The orthodontic bracket body is provided with a groove for accommodating an orthodontic arch wire. On both sides of the groove, a first ligation wing and a second ligation wing are respectively provided. The first ligation wing is provided with a guiding groove for the sliding of the sliding cover. The sliding cover is installed in the guiding groove and the sliding direction is perpendicular to the direction of the groove. A hole for the pin to pass through is provided at the bottom of the guiding groove. A blind hole is provided at the bottom of the sliding cover, and the blind hole is in the shape of "only". The elastic member is embedded in the blind hole. The elastic member is a spring piece or a spring pin, and the shape is "︺" or "V". The mesh base is arranged on the back of the orthodontic bracket body. After the sliding cover is closed, the orthodontic arch wire is fixed in the groove on the orthodontic bracket body.

[0003] The inventor found that in similar related technologies, the elastic force generated by the transverse deformation of the elastic rod or tube is basically used to realize the locking function. However, these transverse elastic deformations are not easy to control, which often leads to a decrease or failure of the locking function caused by the inability to fully recover after deformation. At the same time, it is not easy to install the elastic rod as the locking device, which affects the production efficiency. At the same time, the elastic force direction of the elastic member generally acts on the locking piece through the guiding inclined plane, and the frictional resistance of the guiding inclined plane affects the movement effect of the locking piece. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, this application discloses a strut-type self-locking bracket, which includes a base with an arch wire groove, a mesh base fixed to the bottom side of the base, and a locking piece slidably installed on the top side of the base for closing or opening the arch wire groove. An installation groove is provided on one side of the base facing the locking piece. An oscillating elastic member is provided in the installation groove. One end of the elastic member is a reference end abutted against the bottom of the installation groove, and the other end is a driving end linked with the locking piece. On the swinging path of the elastic member, there is a first locking position close to the arch wire groove and a second locking position far from the arch wire groove.

[0005] In the first locking position, the elastic force of the elastic member drives the locking piece to close the arch wire groove. In the second locking position, the elastic force of the elastic member drives the locking piece to open the arch wire groove.

[0006] The following also provides several optional methods, which are not additional limitations to the above overall solution, but only further supplements or optimizations. Without technical or logical contradictions, each optional method can be combined with the above overall solution separately, or multiple optional methods can be combined with each other.

[0007] Optionally, two chutes for restricting the sliding path of the locking piece are provided on the base plate. Two opposite sides of the locking piece are slidably fitted in the corresponding chutes, and the opening of the installation groove is between the two chutes.

[0008] Optionally, the sliding direction of the locking piece is the span direction of the installation groove, and the span of the installation groove gradually increases from the bottom to the top to adapt to the swing of the elastic member.

[0009] Optionally, in the first locking position, the elastic member abuts against the groove wall of the installation groove close to the arch wire groove side, and in the second locking position, the elastic member abuts against the groove wall of the installation groove far from the arch wire groove side.

[0010] Optionally, a driving hole is provided on the bottom surface of the locking piece. Along the sliding direction of the locking piece, one end of the driving hole close to the arch wire groove is the first locking end, and the end far from the arch wire groove is the second locking end;

[0011] The driving end is adapted to be within the driving hole. When the elastic member is in the first locking position, the driving end presses against the first locking end; when the elastic member is in the second locking position, the driving end presses against the second locking end.

[0012] Optionally, both the first locking end and the second locking end include a stopping surface perpendicular to the moving direction of the locking piece, and the driving end and the reference end are respectively movably pressed within the driving hole and the installation groove.

[0013] Optionally, an avoidance groove is provided near the opening of the installation groove close to the arch wire groove. The avoidance groove is used to accommodate a part of the elastic member during the installation of the locking piece to release and allow the locking piece to be installed in place.

[0014] Optionally, the elastic member is a single or multiple columnar elastic rods made of nickel-titanium material.

[0015] Optionally, the elastic member includes multiple columnar elastic rods, and the elastic rods are independent of each other or connected to form a frame structure.

[0016] Optionally, the elastic member is sheet-shaped.

[0017] The technical solution disclosed in this application realizes the elastic force directions in different directions through the swing of the elastic member, thereby realizing the retention of the locking piece at different positions, ensuring the stability of the working state of the elastic member and the accuracy of the movement of the locking piece, and avoiding the situation that the function of the locking piece decreases or fails due to the incomplete recovery of the elastic member after deformation in the related art; at the same time, during the installation process, the technical solution of this application has the advantages of being simple to install and convenient for assembly.

[0018] The specific beneficial technical effects will be further explained in combination with the specific structure or steps in the specific implementation manner. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a self-locking bracket in an embodiment;

[0020] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a schematic diagram of the self-locking bracket in

[0021] Figure 3 and Figure 4 are schematic diagrams of different perspectives of the locking piece of the self-locking bracket;

[0022] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the elastic rod of the self-locking bracket in the first locking position;

[0023] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the elastic rod of the self-locking bracket in the second locking position.

[0024] The descriptions of the reference numerals in the drawings are as follows:

[0025] 1. Base tray; 11. Arch wire groove; 12. Mesh bottom; 13. Installation groove; 131. Avoidance groove; 14. Elastic member; 141. Reference end; 142. Driving end; 15. Slide groove;

[0026] 2. Locking piece; 21. Driving hole; 211. Stopping surface; 22. Driving inclined surface. Specific Embodiment

[0027] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0028] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "connected" to another component, it may be directly connected to the other component or there may be a central component. When a component is referred to as being "disposed on" another component, it may be directly disposed on the other component or there may be a central component at the same time.

[0029] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0030] refer to Figures 1 to 6 The present application discloses a strut-type self-ligating bracket, comprising a base 1 provided with an archwire slot 11, a mesh bottom 12 fixed to the bottom side of the base 1, and a locking piece 2 slidably mounted on the top side of the base 1 for closing or opening the archwire slot 11. A mounting groove 13 is provided on the base 1 on a side facing the locking piece 2, and a swinging elastic member 14 is provided in the mounting groove 13. One end of the elastic member 14 is a reference end 141 that abuts against the bottom of the mounting groove 13, and the other end is a driving end 142 that is linked to the locking piece 2. The swinging path of the elastic member 14 has a first locking position (such as Figure 5 ) and a second locking position away from the archwire slot 11 (eg Figure 6 );

[0031] In the first locking position, the elastic force of the elastic member 14 drives the locking plate 2 to close the archwire slot 11 , and in the second locking position, the elastic force of the elastic member 14 drives the locking plate 2 to open the archwire slot 11 .

[0032] The function of the elastic member 14 is to keep the locking plate 2 in a certain position. According to different working states, the elastic member 14 itself is also in different working positions. When in the first locking position, the elastic force of the elastic member 14 drives the locking plate 2 to close the archwire slot 11, that is, the elastic member 14 keeps the locking plate 2 in the state of closing the archwire slot 11. The archwire cannot escape from the archwire slot 11. When the locking plate 2 is driven by an external force greater than a preset value, the locking plate 2 can overcome the elastic force of the elastic member 14 and move. During the movement of the locking plate 2, the elastic member 14 moves from the first locking position to the second locking position. During the movement, the elastic force direction of the elastic member 14 changes from driving the locking plate 2 to close the archwire slot 11 to driving the locking plate 2 to open the archwire slot 11. Therefore, the locking plate 2 will be away from the archwire slot 11 under the action of the elastic member 14, which is convenient for clinicians and other operators to operate the archwire in the archwire slot 11.

[0033] In the related art, the elastic force of the elastic member 14 mostly acts on the locking piece 2 through the guiding inclined surface. The frictional resistance and jamming of the guiding inclined surface often affect the movement effect of the locking piece 2. At the same time, the deformation state of the elastic member 14 is not easy to control, which often leads to a decrease or failure of the locking function caused by the inability to completely recover after deformation. The present application overcomes the above problems by arranging the swing of the elastic member 14. The elastic force of the elastic member 14 directly acts on the locking piece 2, the driving method is simple and reliable, with fewer components and high reliability.

[0034] In terms of the movement constraint of the locking piece 2, referring to an embodiment, two sliding grooves 15 for restricting the sliding path of the locking piece 2 are provided on the base 1. The two opposite sides of the locking piece 2 are slidably fitted in the corresponding sliding grooves 15, and the opening of the installation groove 13 is between the two sliding grooves 15.

[0035] The sliding grooves 15 restrict the sliding direction of the locking piece 2. During the swinging process of the elastic member 14, the direction of the elastic force of the elastic rod may change, generating a component force in the non-sliding direction of the locking piece 2, and this component force is restricted by the sliding grooves 15 to ensure that the locking piece 2 operates stably in the preset direction.

[0036] In terms of the cooperation between the sliding groove 15 and the installation groove 13, referring to an embodiment, the sliding direction of the locking piece 2 is the span direction of the installation groove 13, and the span of the installation groove 13 gradually increases from the bottom to the top to adapt to the swing of the elastic member 14.

[0037] The installation groove 13 is used to accommodate the elastic member 14. Compared with the driving end 142 moving with the locking piece 2, the reference end 141 should remain relatively stable. From the design principle, the smaller the degree of freedom of the reference end 141, the more stable the spatial attitude of the elastic member 14 during movement. Therefore, the installation groove 13 has a larger span at the upper end to release the swinging stroke of the driving end 142, and the span of the installation groove 13 is reduced at the lower end to restrict the spatial position of the reference end 141. As shown in the drawings, the installation groove 13 presents a V shape with a larger upper part and a smaller lower part in the cross section.

[0038] In addition to the function of accommodating the elastic member 14, the installation groove 13 can also be used to provide a limit for the swinging stroke of the elastic member 14. Referring to an embodiment, in the first locking position, the elastic member 14 abuts against the groove wall of the installation groove 13 close to the arch wire groove 11, and in the second locking position, the elastic member 14 abuts against the groove wall of the installation groove 13 away from the arch wire groove 11.

[0039] When the elastic member 14 abuts against the wall of the installation groove 13, the swinging stroke of the elastic member 14 is restricted, thus ensuring the stability of the spatial state of the elastic member 14. Correspondingly, the swinging stroke of the elastic member 14 is synchronized with the movement stroke of the locking piece 2, so the two can be restricted synchronously. Specifically, in an embodiment, a driving hole 21 is provided on the bottom surface of the locking piece 2. Along the sliding direction of the locking piece 2, one end of the driving hole 21 close to the arch wire groove 11 is the first locking end, and the end far from the arch wire groove 11 is the second locking end;

[0040] The driving end 142 is adapted to be inside the driving hole 21. When the elastic member 14 is in the first locking position, the driving end 142 abuts against the first locking end; when the elastic member 14 is in the second locking position, the driving end 142 abuts against the second locking end.

[0041] In terms of the transmission relationship, the driving hole 21 synchronizes the positions of the locking piece 2 and the elastic member 14. Therefore, while restricting the swinging stroke of the elastic member 14, the installation groove 13 can also restrict the movement stroke of the locking piece 2, avoiding the separation of the locking piece 2 and the base 1. In this embodiment, the elastic member 14 itself takes into account the function of limiting the movement stroke of the locking piece 2, which can reduce the design and production costs of the limiting components.

[0042] To avoid the cooperation between the internal elastic member 14 of the driving hole 21 and the driving hole 21 in the external environment, referring to the manner disclosed in the accompanying drawings, the driving hole 21 is a blind hole and opens towards the installation groove 13. In terms of the details of the setting of the driving hole 21, in an embodiment, both the first locking end and the second locking end include a stopping surface 211 perpendicular to the movement direction of the locking piece 2, and the driving end 142 and the reference end 141 are respectively movably abutted inside the driving hole 21 and the installation groove 13.

[0043] The stopping surface 211 can withstand the elastic force exerted by the elastic member 14 on the locking piece 2 and can also abut against the elastic member 14 to limit the movement stroke of the locking piece 2. It should be noted that in this embodiment, there is no actual connection relationship between the two ends of the elastic rod and the locking piece 2 and the installation groove 13, and only the relative position is maintained by abutting. During the use of the self-locking bracket, the elastic member 14 is always pressed by the locking piece 2 and the installation groove 13, so it will not be in a free movement state. Correspondingly, this design has great advantages in the assembly process of the self-locking bracket. In an embodiment, an avoidance groove 131 is provided near the notch of the installation groove 13 close to the arch wire groove 11. The avoidance groove 131 is used to accommodate a part of the elastic member 14 during the installation of the locking piece 2 to allow the locking piece to be installed in place.

[0044] The deformation of the elastic member 14 into the avoidance groove 131 theoretically avoids the interference between the elastic member 12 and the locking piece 2 during the installation of the locking piece 2, thereby allowing the locking piece 2 to enter the preset installation position to meet the need for the elastic member 14 to enter the driving hole 21. During the assembly process, first place the elastic member 14 in the installation groove 13, and push the locking piece 2 along the sliding groove 15. Under the action of the locking piece 2, the elastic member 14 will move towards the arch wire groove 11 until it abuts against the groove wall of the installation groove 13 close to the arch wire groove 11. During the continuous advancement of the locking piece 2, it will drive the driving end 142 of the elastic member 14 to deform and enter the avoidance groove 131, thereby releasing the movement stroke of the locking piece 2 until the locking piece 2 closes the arch wire groove 11. At this time, the driving hole 21 is aligned with the driving end 142, and the driving end 142 of the elastic member 14 enters the driving hole 21 under its own elasticity to complete the assembly. In order to reduce the stress during the deformation of the driving end 142, a corresponding driving inclined surface 22 is also provided on the locking piece 2.

[0045] In terms of the details of the setting, the avoidance groove 131 communicates with the installation groove 13 and the arch wire groove 11. This design can provide a larger space for the avoidance groove 131 to meet the installation needs of larger-sized elastic members 14.

[0046] The elastic member 14 can also produce corresponding deformations according to different usage needs. For example Figure 2 In the disclosed embodiment, the elastic member 14 is a columnar elastic rod made of a single nickel-titanium material. The nickel-titanium material can meet the elastic force requirements of the columnar elastic rod during the deformation process. In other embodiments, the number of the elastic members 14 can change. For example, the elastic member 14 is a plurality of columnar elastic rods made of nickel-titanium material. Further, an interlocking relationship can also be set between the elastic members 14. For example, in one embodiment, the elastic rods are interconnected into a frame structure. Correspondingly, the elastic rods can also be set to be independent of each other. Further, in one embodiment, the elastic member 14 is a sheet.

[0047] The following explains the usage process of the self-locking bracket in terms of the design of a single columnar elastic rod:

[0048] Refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , when an operator such as a clinician needs to open the locking piece 2 to open the arch wire groove 11, drive the locking piece 2 to move along the sliding groove 15 away from the arch wire groove 11 through a corresponding opening tool or the like. When the opening force is greater than the elastic force exerted by the elastic member 14 on the driving hole 21, the elastic member 14 in the first locking position will bend and deform, thereby releasing the movement stroke of the locking piece 2, and the locking piece 2 moves along the sliding groove 15;

[0049] During the movement of the locking plate 2, a balance point will be experienced, that is, the position where the elastic force direction of the elastic member 14 is perpendicular to the sliding direction of the locking plate 2. At this time, the elastic member 14 is subjected to the maximum force and the deformation is the maximum. When the clinician or other operator continues to drive the locking plate 2 to move, the elastic member 14 swings by itself, and the elastic force exerted by the elastic member 14 on the locking plate 2 will generate a component force in the direction away from the archwire slot 11, thereby pushing the locking plate 2 away from the archwire slot 11 and swinging it to the second locking position. At this point, the locking plate 2 completely opens the archwire slot 11.

[0050] When the clinician or other operator needs to close the locking plate 2 to seal the archwire slot 11 , the reverse operation is sufficient, and the state of the elastic member 14 is reversed, which will not be described in detail here.

[0051] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification. When the technical features in different embodiments are embodied in the same figure, it can be regarded that the figure also discloses the combination examples of the various embodiments involved.

[0052] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. The pole - type self - locking bracket, comprising a base with an arch wire groove, a mesh bottom fixed to the bottom side of the base, and a locking piece slidably mounted on the top side of the base for closing or opening the arch wire groove. Characterized in that, An installation groove is formed on one side of the base facing the locking piece. An elastic member that swings is arranged in the installation groove. An avoidance groove is arranged near the notch of the installation groove close to the arch wire groove. The avoidance groove is used to accommodate a part of the elastic member during the installation process of the locking piece to allow the locking piece to be installed in place. Two sliding grooves for restricting the sliding path of the locking piece are arranged on the base. Two opposite sides of the locking piece are slidably engaged in the corresponding sliding grooves. The opening of the installation groove is between the two sliding grooves. A driving hole is arranged on the bottom surface of the locking piece. Along the sliding direction of the locking piece, one end of the driving hole close to the arch wire groove is the first locking end, and the end far from the arch wire groove is the second locking end. One end of the elastic member is a reference end that abuts against the bottom of the installation groove, and the other end is a driving end that is linked with the locking piece. The driving end is adapted to be within the driving hole. On the swinging path of the elastic member, there are a first locking position close to the arch wire groove and a second locking position far from the arch wire groove. In the first locking position, the elastic force of the elastic member drives the locking piece to close the arch wire groove. In the second locking position, the elastic force of the elastic member drives the locking piece to open the arch wire groove.

2. The self - locking bracket according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The sliding direction of the locking piece is the span direction of the installation groove. The locking piece is also provided with a driving inclined surface that cooperates with the elastic member. The span of the installation groove gradually increases from the bottom to the top to adapt to the swing of the elastic member.

3. The self - locking bracket according to claim 2, Characterized in that, In the first locking position, the elastic member abuts against the groove wall of the installation groove on the side close to the arch wire groove. In the second locking position, the elastic member abuts against the groove wall of the installation groove on the side far from the arch wire groove.

4. The self - locking bracket according to claim 1, Characterized in that, Both the first locking end and the second locking end include a stopping surface perpendicular to the moving direction of the locking piece. The driving end and the reference end are respectively movably pressed in the driving hole and the installation groove.

5. The self - locking bracket according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The elastic member is a single or multiple columnar elastic rods made of nickel - titanium material.

6. The self - locking bracket according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The elastic member includes multiple columnar elastic rods, and the elastic rods are independent of each other or connected to form a frame - type structure.

7. The self - locking bracket according to claim 1, Characterized in that, The elastic member is sheet - shaped.

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