Orthodontic brackets

Abstract

To provide orthodontic brackets with a short length in the anterior-posterior direction. [Solution] The orthodontic bracket 1 comprises a body 10, a shutter 20 for closing and opening a slot 11, and a clip 30. The body 10 has a positioning section 40 for positioning the clip 30 in a closed position and an open position. The positioning section 40 comprises an open positioning section 54 for housing the clip 30 in the open position, a closed positioning section 51 located between the open positioning section 54 and the slot 11 for housing the clip 30 in the closed position, and a crossover section 52 provided between the open positioning section 54 and the closed positioning section 51 in the opening and closing direction, which elastically deforms the clip 30 when it moves between the open positioning section 54 and the closed positioning section 51.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an orthodontic bracket.

Background Art

[0002] FIG. 17A shows a cross-sectional view of an orthodontic bracket in an open state of Patent Document 1. FIG. 17B shows a cross-sectional view of the orthodontic bracket in a closed state of Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. 17A, the orthodontic bracket includes a body, a shutter that closes the slot of the body, and a clip attached to the body. The shutter is provided with an open positioning portion into which the clip fits when the shutter is in the open state, and a closed positioning portion into which the clip fits when the shutter is in the closed state.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the closed state shown in FIG. 17B, the shutter needs to cover the slot and the closed positioning portion needs to accommodate the clip. Here, for the sake of argument, the left-right direction in the figure is referred to as the front-back direction of the orthodontic bracket. Note that the opening and closing direction of the shutter is synonymous with this front-back direction. As shown in FIG. 17B, the front-back direction length of the orthodontic bracket is determined according to the distance A' from the closed positioning portion to the slot.

[0005] That is, the shutter needs to extend from the closed positioning portion to the slot. Also, in the closed state, the clip has to be arranged at a position away from the slot so that the open positioning portion of the shutter can be positioned between the clip and the slot.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide orthodontic brackets with a short length in the anterior-posterior direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An orthodontic bracket according to one aspect of the present invention is A body having a lower surface that is attached directly or indirectly to the tooth, and a slot for accommodating an archwire on its upper surface, A shutter is provided on the upper surface of the body that is movable in an opening and closing direction intersecting the slot, and which closes the slot and opens the slot. The shutter has an elastically deformable clip attached to its lower surface, The body has a positioning unit that positions the clip to a closed position where the shutter is in the closed state and to an open position where the shutter is in the open state, The positioning portion of the body is An opening positioning section for housing the clip in the open position, A closing positioning portion is located between the opening positioning portion and the slot in the opening and closing direction, and accommodates the clip in the closed position, An orthodontic bracket having a crossover portion provided between the open positioning portion and the closed positioning portion in the aforementioned opening and closing direction, which elastically deforms the clip when the clip moves between the open positioning portion and the closed positioning portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, orthodontic brackets with a short anterior-posterior length are provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the orthodontic bracket 1 of this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a front view of the clip 30. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the top surface of the body 10. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of the orthodontic bracket 1 in FIG. 3, as viewed in the arrow direction. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a view when the clip 30 is located at the rear end of the easy insertion portion 56. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a view when the clip 30 is located at the retaining portion 55. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C is a view when the clip 30 is located at the open positioning portion 54. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a side sectional view of the orthodontic bracket 1 in the open state. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a side sectional view of the orthodontic bracket 1 in the closed state. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a view when the clip 30 is located at the guide portion 53. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a view when the clip 30 is located at the overstep portion 52. [Figure 7C] FIG. 7C is a view when the clip 30 is located at the closed positioning portion 51. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a side view of the orthodontic bracket 1 in the open state. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a view of the orthodontic bracket 1 as seen from the rear. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10A is a front view of the clip 30A of the orthodontic bracket according to Modification 1. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B is a front view and a top view of the clip 30B of the orthodontic bracket according to Modification 2. [Figure 10C] FIG. 10C is a front view and a top view of the clip 30B of the orthodontic bracket according to Modification 2. [Figure 10D] FIG. 10D is a front view and a top view of the clip 30B of the orthodontic bracket according to Modification 2. [Figure 11A] FIG. 11A is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1B in the closed state according to Modification 3, to which the clip 30B shown in FIGS. 10B to 10D is applied. [Figure 11B] Figure 11B is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1B in the open state according to Modification 3. [Figure 12A] Figure 12A is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1C in the closed state according to Modification 4, to which the clip 30B shown in FIGS. 10B to 10D is applied. [Figure 12B] Figure 12B is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1C in the open state according to Modification 4. [Figure 13A] Figure 13A is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1D in the closed state according to Modification 5, to which the clip 30 shown in FIG. 1 is applied. [Figure 13B] Figure 13B is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1D in the open state according to Modification 5. [Figure 14A] Figure 14A is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1E in the closed state according to Modification 6, to which the clip 30 shown in FIG. 1 is applied. [Figure 14B] Figure 14B is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1E in the open state according to Modification 6. [Figure 15A] Figure 15A is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1F in the closed state according to Modification 7, to which the clip 30 shown in FIG. 1 is applied. [Figure 15B] Figure 15B is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1F in the open state according to Modification 7. [Figure 16A] Figure 16A is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1G in the closed state according to Modification 8, to which the clip 30 shown in FIG. 1 is applied. [Figure 16B] Figure 16B is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1G in the open state according to Modification 8. [Figure 17A] Figure 17A is a side cross-sectional view of the orthodontic bracket 100 in the open state according to the reference example. [Figure 17B] Figure 17B is a side cross-sectional view of the orthodontic bracket 100 in the closed state according to the reference example.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. For the sake of clarity, the descriptions of components having the same reference numerals as those already described will be omitted.

[0011] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the orthodontic bracket 1 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the orthodontic bracket 1 has a body 10, a shutter 20, and a clip 30. The orthodontic bracket 1 is used for orthodontic treatment of teeth in conjunction with an archwire or ligation wire. For convenience, in the following description, the directions shown in Figure 1 are defined as forward F, backward B, upward U, downward D, left L, and right R, but these directions differ from the directions in actual use.

[0012] Body 10 is the area to which the archwire or ligation wire is attached. The upper surface of body 10 is provided with a slot 11 for accommodating the archwire. Body 10 is made of ceramics, metal, or resin. The lower surface of body 10 may be directly attached to the tooth, or it may be indirectly attached to the tooth via other components such as a bonding base.

[0013] Slot 11 extends horizontally in Figure 1. Slot 11 extends from the left side to the right side of body 10. Slot 11 has a roughly rectangular shape in cross-sectional view, extending in the front-to-back and up-to-down directions.

[0014] The shutter 20 is a component capable of closing the slot 11. The shutter 20 is also made of ceramics, metal, or resin. The shutter 20 is a roughly plate-shaped component located above the body 10, extending in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0015] The shutter 20 is mounted on the upper surface of the body 10 so as to be movable in the front-to-back direction (opening and closing direction) that intersects with the slot 11. The shutter 20 can be in a closed state that closes the slot 11 and an open state that opens the slot 11. The direction in which the shutter 20 is moved to the closed state is forward F, and the direction in which the shutter 20 is moved to the open state is backward B. During orthodontic treatment, the shutter is in the closed state with the archwire housed in the slot 11, and is opened when the archwire is replaced.

[0016] Figure 2 is a front view of the clip 30. As shown in Figure 2, the clip 30 is an elastic member made of metal, resin, or tough ceramics, and is elastically deformable. The clip 30 is a substantially inverted U-shaped member. In the illustrated example, the clip 30 is a plate-like member extending in the vertical and horizontal directions. The clip 30 has a connecting portion 31 extending in the horizontal direction, and legs 32 extending downward from the left and right ends of the connecting portion 31, respectively. The connecting portion 31 connects the upper ends of the pair of legs 32.

[0017] In this embodiment, the clip 30 is described as a plate-shaped member, but the clip 30 may be made of a wire with a circular cross-section, as long as it is an elastically deformable member.

[0018] The clip 30 is attached to the underside of the shutter 20. The upper part of the connecting portion 31 of the clip 30 is inserted into a recess 21 (see Figure 4) on the underside of the shutter 20, which is sized to accommodate the connecting portion 31 of the clip 30. The clip 30 remains attached to the shutter 20 and is elastically deformable so that the distance between the legs 32 changes.

[0019] Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the top surface of the body 10. As shown in Figure 3, the body 10 has a positioning section 40 that positions the clip 30 in a closed position where the shutter 20 is closed and in an open position where the shutter 20 is open. In the illustrated example, the positioning section 40 is provided on the top surface of the body 10 so as to face the bottom surface of the shutter 20.

[0020] The positioning section 40 has a guide rail section 41 and two guide grooves 42. The guide rail section 41 is a protruding ridge that extends in the front-rear direction and protrudes upward from the upper surface of the body 10. The guide grooves 42 are grooves that extend along the front-rear direction on both sides of the guide rail section 41. The pair of legs 32 of the clip 30 are guided in the front-rear direction along the guide grooves 42 while straddling the guide rail section 41.

[0021] The guide rail section 41 and the guide groove 42 constitute a closed positioning section 51, a crossover section 52, a guide section 53, an open positioning section 54, a retaining section 55, and an easy insertion section 56, in the direction from the closed side (front F) to the open side (rear B) in the opening and closing direction. Due to the different width dimensions (length in the left-right direction) of the guide rail section 41, the guide rail section 41 and the guide groove 42 constitute the closed positioning section 51, the crossover section 52, the guide section 53, the open positioning section 54, the retaining section 55, and the easy insertion section 56.

[0022] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the orthodontic bracket 1 in Figure 3, taken from the line IV-IV. As shown in Figure 4, the guide rail portion 41 has a trapezoidal shape in this cross-sectional view, becoming narrower towards the top. Therefore, the width dimension (length in the left-right direction) of the guide rail portion 41 decreases from bottom to top. In this embodiment, the side surface 41a of the guide rail portion 41 has a constant inclination angle with respect to the upper surface of the body 10 in the front-rear direction.

[0023] Since the side surface 41a of the guide rail section 41 has a tapered shape, it can have different width dimensions at different positions in the vertical direction. Also, as will be described later, the guide rail section 41 can have different width dimensions at different positions in the front-rear direction. Therefore, in the following explanation, the term "width dimension La of the guide rail section 41" will be defined as follows. First, a clip 30 in a state that is not elastically deformed is placed on the overhang portion 52, and the point where both sides 41a of the guide rail portion 41 on the overhang portion 52 are in contact with the clip 30 is defined as the contact point P. Furthermore, the vertical distance of this contact point P from the bottom surface 42b of the guide groove 42 is defined as the height h. The left-right dimension of the guide rail portion 41 at a height h from the bottom surface 42b of the guide groove 42 will be called the width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41. In this embodiment, since the cross-sectional shape of the guide rail portion 41 differs at positions in the front-rear direction, the width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 will be a different value depending on the position in the front-rear direction.

[0024] As shown in the illustrated example, when the leg portion 32 of the clip 30 is in surface contact with the guide rail portion 41, a specific height h can be set from the area of ​​surface contact, and the left-right dimension of the guide rail portion 41 at this specific height h can be defined as the width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41. For example, the width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 can be defined as the left-right distance between the midpoints in the vertical direction of the contact surfaces of the two sides 41a of the guide rail portion 41.

[0025] The guide groove 42 has a bottom surface 42b that extends laterally from both sides 41a of the guide rail section 41, and a side surface 42a that extends diagonally upward from the bottom surface 42b and is paired with the side surface 41a of the guide rail section 41. The side surface 42a of this guide groove 42 is also a tapered surface in which the lateral separation distance from the side surface 41a of the guide rail section 41 widens from bottom to top. The lateral separation distance between the side surface 41a of the guide rail section 41 and the side surface 42a of the guide groove 42 will also be referred to as the width dimension of the guide groove 42, with respect to the height h from the bottom surface 42b.

[0026] Furthermore, the opposing inner surfaces 32a of the pair of legs 32 of the clip 30 are also inclined surfaces that move closer together upwards. In other words, the opposing inner surfaces 32a of the legs 32 are tapered so that the distance between them decreases as you move upwards. Therefore, the distance between the legs 32 decreases from bottom to top. In the following explanation, as shown in Figure 2, the distance between the pair of legs 32 in the left-right direction at a height h from the lower end of the legs 32 of the clip 30 in a state where it is not elastically deformed will be called the "distance Lb between the legs 32". Here, height h is the height from the bottom surface 42b of the guide groove 42 at the contact point P where the width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 described above is defined.

[0027] Returning to Figure 3, the closing positioning section 51 is provided at the front end of the positioning section 40. The length of the closing positioning section 51 in the front-rear direction is slightly greater than the length of the clip 30 in the front-rear direction. The width dimension La of the guide rail section 41 of the closing positioning section 51 is greater than the distance Lb between the pair of legs 32 of the clip 30 when it is not elastically deformed.

[0028] The overpass section 52 is located behind the closed positioning section 51. The width dimension La at the front end of the guide rail section 41 of the overpass section 52 is greater than the width dimension La at the rear end of the guide rail section 41 of the overpass section 52. The width dimension La of the guide rail section 41 of the overpass section 52 increases towards the closed positioning section 51. The width dimension La at the front end of the guide rail section 41 of the overpass section 52 is equal to the width dimension La at the rear end of the guide rail section 41 of the closed positioning section 51.

[0029] The guide section 53 is located behind the overhang section 52. The guide section 53 extends in the front-rear direction and guides the clip 30 in that direction. The width dimension La of the guide rail section 41 of the guide section 53 is equal in the front-rear direction. The combined front-rear length of the overhang section 52 and the guide section 53 is greater than the front-rear length of the clip 30. The width dimension La of the guide rail section 41 of the guide section 53 is smaller than the distance Lb between the pair of legs 32. In addition, the width dimension of the guide groove 42 in the guide section 53 narrows from rear to front.

[0030] The open positioning section 54 is located behind the guide section 53. The width dimension La of the guide rail section 41 of the open positioning section 54 is equal in the front-rear direction. The width dimension La of the guide rail section 41 of the open positioning section 54 is equal to the width dimension La of the rear end of the guide rail section 41 of the guide section 53. The front-rear length of the open positioning section 54 is slightly greater than the front-rear length of the clip 30. The side surface 41a of the guide rail section 41 is smoothly continuous from the closed positioning section 51 to the overhang section 52, the guide section 53, and the open positioning section 54.

[0031] The retaining portion 55 is located behind the opening positioning portion 54. The width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 of the retaining portion 55 is greater than the width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 of the opening positioning portion 54. Between the opening positioning portion 54 and the retaining portion 55, a stepped surface 43 is provided on the side surface 41a of the guide rail portion 41. The width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 of the retaining portion 55 is greater than the distance Lb between the pair of legs 32.

[0032] The easy-insert portion 56 is located behind the retaining portion 55. The width dimension La at the front end of the guide rail portion 41 of the easy-insert portion 56 is equal to the width dimension La at the rear end of the guide rail portion 41 of the retaining portion 55. The width dimension La at the rear end of the guide rail portion 41 of the easy-insert portion 56 is smaller than the distance Lb between the pair of legs 32. The width dimension of the guide rail portion 41 of the easy-insert portion 56 increases from rear to front.

[0033] (Installation method) Next, Figures 5A, 5B, and 5C will be used to explain how to attach the shutter 20 with the clip 30 attached to the body 10. While the following explanation will focus on the clip 30, in reality, the operator moves the clip 30 by operating the shutter 20.

[0034] Figure 5A shows the clip 30 positioned at the rear end of the easy-insert portion 56. The upper left side of Figure 5A is a top view of the body 10, the lower left side is a cross-sectional view of the body 10, and the right side is a cross-sectional view of the body 10 and shutter 20 in the vertical and horizontal directions at the position of the clip 30. Similarly, in Figures 5B, 5C, 6A, 6B, and 6C, the upper left side is a top view of the body 10, the lower left side is a cross-sectional view of the body 10, and the right side is a cross-sectional view of the body 10 and shutter 20 in the vertical and horizontal directions at the position of the clip 30.

[0035] First, as shown in Figure 5A, the legs 32 of the clip 30 are positioned at the rear end of the guide groove 42. In this state, the pair of legs 32 straddle the guide rail portion 41. Since the width dimension La at the rear end of the guide rail portion 41 of the easy insertion portion 56 is smaller than the distance Lb between the pair of legs 32, the clip 30 is not elastically deformed.

[0036] In this state, the clip 30 is moved forward along the guide rail portion 41. Here, the width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 of the easy insertion portion 56 gradually increases towards the front, and the width dimension La at the front end of the guide rail portion 41 of the easy insertion portion 56 is greater than the distance Lb between the pair of legs 32. Therefore, as the clip 30 is moved forward, the clip 30 undergoes elastic deformation so that the space between the pair of legs 32 of the clip 30 is pushed apart.

[0037] Figure 5B shows the clip 30 in the position of the retaining portion 55. As shown in Figure 5B, the clip 30 elastically deforms so that the distance Lb between the pair of legs 32 is maximized when passing through the retaining portion 55, so the greatest operating force is required when moving the clip 30 through the retaining portion 55.

[0038] Figure 5C shows the clip 30 in the positioning section 54. As shown in Figure 5C, the width dimension La of the guide rail section 41 of the positioning section 54 is smaller than the distance Lb between the pair of legs 32. Therefore, once the clip 30 passes through the retaining section 55 and reaches the positioning section 54, the clip 30 ceases to elastically deform. In this way, the clip 30 and shutter 20 can be attached to the body 10.

[0039] Furthermore, there is a stepped surface 43 between the opening positioning part 54 and the retaining part 55. Therefore, even if the shutter 20 is released in this state, the clip 30 will hit the stepped surface 43 and will not be able to overcome the retaining part 55, thus preventing the clip 30 from falling off the body 10.

[0040] (Operation from open state to closed state) Next, we will explain the operation of moving the orthodontic bracket 1 from the open state to the closed state using Figures 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, and 7C. Figure 6A is a side cross-sectional view of the orthodontic bracket 1 in the open state. Figure 6B is a side cross-sectional view of the orthodontic bracket 1 in the closed state. Figures 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views taken along the line VI-VI shown in Figure 3. Here again, we will focus on the clip 30 to explain the operation, but in reality, the operator moves the clip 30 by operating the shutter 20.

[0041] As shown in Figure 6A, in the open state, the clip 30 is located at the open positioning part 54. Conversely, when the clip 30 is located at the open positioning part 54, the slot 11 is not closed by the shutter 20 and is open. In this state, the clip 30 is not elastically deformed. Moving the clip 30 forward from this state will result in the closed state shown in Figure 6B.

[0042] Figure 7A shows the clip 30 in the position of the guide portion 53. As shown in Figure 7A, when the clip 30 is moved forward from the open positioning portion 54, the pair of legs 32 are guided by the guide rail portion 41 of the guide portion 53. Because the width dimension of the guide groove 42 of the guide portion 53 decreases from rear to front, the legs 32 of the clip 30 are pressed by the side surface 42a (see Figure 4) of the guide groove 42, causing the clip 30 to elastically deform.

[0043] Figure 7B shows the clip 30 when it is positioned over the overhang 52. As shown in Figure 7B, when the clip 30 is moved further forward from the guide 53, the clip 30 passes over the overhang 52. The width dimension La of the guide rail 41 of the overhang 52 gradually increases, and the width dimension La at the rear end of the guide rail 41 of the overhang 52 is greater than the distance Lb between the pair of legs 32. Therefore, a gradually increasing operating force is required to pass over the overhang 52.

[0044] Figure 7C shows the clip 30 in the closed positioning section 51. As shown in Figure 7C, when the clip 30 passes over the overhang section 52 and reaches the closed positioning section 51, it can be made into the closed orthodontic bracket 1 shown in Figure 6B. In this state, the clip 30 is elastically deformed, and a force acts on the guide rail section 41 by the pair of legs 32. Therefore, unless an external force greater than a certain amount is applied that moves the clip 30 in the rearward direction, the state in which the clip 30 is positioned in the closed positioning section 51 is maintained, and the orthodontic bracket 1 remains in the closed state.

[0045] (Operation from closed state to open state) Next, we will explain the operation of changing from the closed state to the open state. In the closed state, the clip 30 is located in the closed positioning part 51. Conversely, when the clip 30 is located in the closed positioning part 51, the slot 11 is closed by the shutter 20. In this state, as mentioned above, the clip 30 is elastically deformed. Moving the clip 30 backward from this state will result in the open state.

[0046] The clip 30 is moved backward from the closing positioning section 51 against the frictional force between the clip 30 and the guide rail section 41 due to the elastic deformation of the clip 30. As a result, the pair of legs 32 pass over the guide rail section 41 of the overpass section 52 and are guided by the guide section 53. During this process, the width dimension La of the guide rail section 41 gradually decreases, so the operating force required to move the clip 30 gradually decreases. If the clip 30 is moved further backward, it will reach the open positioning section 54. In this state, the clip 30 will hit the stepped surface 43 of the retaining section 55 and will not be able to move any further backward.

[0047] (Length in the front-to-back direction) Next, we will explain that the orthodontic bracket 1 of this embodiment has a shorter length in the anterior-posterior direction compared to the orthodontic bracket 100 of the reference example. Figure 17A is a side cross-sectional view of the orthodontic bracket 100 in the open state of the reference example. Figure 17B is a side cross-sectional view of the orthodontic bracket 100 in the closed state of the reference example.

[0048] In the orthodontic bracket 100 according to the reference example shown in Figure 17B, the open positioning portion 154 is provided between the closed positioning portion 151 and the slot 111. In the orthodontic bracket 100 according to the reference example, in the closed state, the shutter 120 must cover the slot 111, and the closed positioning portion 151 must accommodate the clip 130. In other words, as shown in Figure 17B, the front-to-back length of the orthodontic bracket 100 is determined according to the distance A' from the closed positioning portion 151 to the slot 111.

[0049] Thus, in the orthodontic bracket 100 of the reference example, the shutter 120 needs to extend at least from the closed positioning portion 151 to the slot 111. Furthermore, in the closed state, the clip 130 must be positioned away from the slot 111 so that the open positioning portion 154 of the shutter 120 is located between the clip 130 and the slot 111.

[0050] In contrast, in the orthodontic bracket 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the closed positioning portion 51 is provided between the slot 11 and the open positioning portion 54. Therefore, the distance A between the closed positioning portion 51 and the slot 11 can be shortened, and the front-to-back length of the shutter 20 is shortened. Also, since the open positioning portion 54 of the shutter 20 is not located between the clip 30 and the slot 11 when it is closed, the clip 30 and the closed positioning portion 51 can be positioned closer to the slot 11. Therefore, the front-to-back length of the body 10 is also shortened.

[0051] In particular, in the reference example orthodontic bracket 100 shown in Figures 17A and 17B, the clip 130 is placed in a through hole 131 provided in the body 110. In this case, the length of the body 110 in the front-to-back direction tends to be large in order to avoid interference between the through hole 131 and the tie wing 132. However, in the orthodontic bracket 1 of this embodiment, there is no need to provide a through hole in the body 10 for positioning the clip 30, so the length of the body 10 in the front-to-back direction is less likely to increase. For reference, when creating a reference example of an orthodontic bracket 1 of a standard size, the orthodontic bracket 1 of this embodiment can be made 0.4 mm shorter in the front-to-back direction compared to the reference example orthodontic bracket 100, which is a 10% reduction in the overall length in the front-to-back direction. Also, the shape in front of the slot 11 differs depending on the type and size of the orthodontic bracket. Therefore, if we compare only the length in the front-to-back direction behind the slot 11, in the illustrated example, a reduction of 0.4 mm in the front-to-back direction length means that the length of the reference example orthodontic bracket 100 in that direction was reduced by 25%. In orthodontic clinical practice, if orthodontic brackets are large, when a patient with orthodontic brackets bites down, the brackets may collide with the opposing teeth, causing wear on the opposing teeth or damage to the orthodontic brackets. Furthermore, the presence of the orthodontic brackets themselves can cause oral discomfort to the patient. Therefore, it is desirable for the size of the orthodontic brackets 1 to be as small as possible. Because the anterior-posterior length of the orthodontic bracket 1 in this embodiment is short, it is possible to reduce the likelihood of causing such discomfort to the patient.

[0052] Furthermore, the positioning portion 40 of the orthodontic bracket 1 in this embodiment is equipped with a crossover portion 52 that elastically deforms the clip 30 when the clip 30 moves between the open positioning portion 54 and the closed positioning portion 51. In the closed state, the clip 30 elastically deforms and applies frictional force to the guide rail portion 41, making it easier to maintain the closed state. Also, when moving from the open state to the closed state, the clip 30 elastically deforms, providing appropriate resistance to the operator and indicating that the closed state has been reached. Conversely, when moving from the closed state to the open state, the operator can be notified that the closed state has been released by the weakening of the resistance.

[0053] Figure 8 is a side view of the orthodontic bracket 1 in the open position. As shown in Figure 8, a ligation groove is provided on the side of the orthodontic bracket 1. A ligation wire can be hooked into the ligation groove, and a predetermined orthodontic force can be applied to the orthodontic bracket 1 via the ligation wire. The illustrated orthodontic bracket 1 has an anterior ligation groove 61 extending diagonally upward and backward, and a posterior ligation groove 62 located behind the anterior ligation groove 61 and extending diagonally downward and backward. The front portion 62a of the posterior ligation groove 62 is provided in the shutter 20 and extends diagonally downward and backward from the slot 11 toward the lower rear part of the body 10. The rear portion 62b of the posterior ligation groove 62 is provided in the body 10 and extends diagonally downward and backward, continuing from the front portion 62a. The posterior ligation groove 62 is provided so as to span from the shutter 20 to the body 10. The rear part of the body 10 of the orthodontic bracket 1 also has a lateral ligation groove 63 extending in the left-right direction.

[0054] Figure 9 is a rear view of the orthodontic bracket 1. As shown in Figure 9, the upper surface of the body 10 is provided with a pair of retaining guide portions 12 that protrude upward outward from the left-right side of a pair of guide grooves 42. These retaining guide portions 12 extend in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 1. The upper end of the retaining guide portion 12 located to the left of the guide rail portion 41 protrudes to the left, and the upper end of the retaining guide portion 12 located to the right of the guide rail portion 41 protrudes to the right.

[0055] Furthermore, the lower surface of the shutter 20 is provided with a pair of retaining grooves 22 (dovetail grooves) that correspond to the shape of the retaining guide portion 12. The retaining grooves 22 also extend in the front-rear direction. The retaining groove 22 located to the left of the clip 30 has a cross-sectional shape that is recessed to the left, and the retaining groove 22 located to the right of the clip 30 has a cross-sectional shape that is recessed to the right.

[0056] In other words, the left retaining guide portion 12 and the left retaining groove 22 contact each other with contact surfaces that are inclined to the right from top to bottom, and the right retaining guide portion 12 and the right retaining groove 22 contact each other with contact surfaces that are inclined to the left from top to bottom. Thus, the shutter 20 is provided with retaining grooves 22 that extend in the front-rear direction, and the upper surface of the body 10 is provided with retaining guide portions 12 that fit into the retaining grooves 22 of the shutter 20. The retaining guide portion 12 restricts the shutter 20 from coming off upward while allowing the shutter 20 to move in the front-rear direction.

[0057] Therefore, even if a force such as an arch wire acts on the shutter 20 to detach it upward from the body 10, this pair of contact surfaces prevents the shutter 20 from detaching upward from the body 10. Furthermore, the retaining guide portion 12 and the retaining groove 22 have corresponding cross-sectional shapes and both extend in the front-to-back direction, thus also serving to guide the movement of the shutter 20 in the front-to-back direction.

[0058] As shown in Figure 4, the positioning section 40 has a tapered surface that applies an upward force to the clip 30. Specifically, the guide rail section 41 has a convex shape that narrows towards the top. Therefore, when the pair of legs 32 of the clip 30 straddle the guide rail section 41, the left and right sides 41a of the guide rail section 41 apply an upward force to the clip 30. As explained in Figure 9, the upper surface of the body 10 is provided with a retaining guide portion 12 that engages with the retaining groove 22 of the shutter 20. This prevents the shutter 20 from coming off the body 10. Therefore, as shown in Figure 7C, when the clip 30 is in the closed positioning section 51, an upward force acts on the clip 30 and the shutter 20, and the body 10 prevents the shutter 20 from moving upward with the retaining guide section 12. This prevents the shutter 20 from rattling when it is closed.

[0059] Note that the clip 30 and positioning part 40 are not limited to the shapes shown in Figure 1. A modified orthodontic bracket will be explained using Figures 10A to 16B. Figure 10A is a front view of the clip 30A of the orthodontic bracket according to Modified Example 1. As shown in Figure 10A, it is preferable that the width dimension B of the connection part from the leg portion 32A to the connecting portion 31A of the clip 30A is approximately constant. This makes it less likely for stress concentration to occur when the clip 30A undergoes elastic deformation.

[0060] Figures 10B to 10D show the clip 30B of the orthodontic bracket according to Modification 2. The upper part of Figures 10B to 10D is a top view of the clip 30B, and the lower part of Figures 10B to 10D is a front view of the clip 30B. Figure 10B also shows the clip 30B in a state without elastic deformation. In this modification, the clip 30B has a curved shape in the middle when viewed from above. Figure 10C shows the clip 30B in a further bent state, and Figure 10D shows the clip 30B bent in the opposite direction to the first bend. When this clip 30B is strongly bent, the distance between the pair of legs 32B becomes narrower, and when bent in the opposite direction, the distance between the pair of legs 32B becomes longer. Figures 10B to 10D illustrate a clip 30B that is folded in the middle, but the disclosure is not limited to this. The clip 30B may have a gently curved shape without a clear fold when viewed from above.

[0061] Figure 11A is a top view of the closed state of the orthodontic bracket 1B according to Modification 3, with the clip 30B shown in Figures 10B to 10D applied. Figure 11B is a top view of the open state of the orthodontic bracket 1B according to Modification 3. Note that the shutter 20 is omitted in Figures 11A to 16B for illustrative purposes.

[0062] As shown in Figures 11A and 11B, in the orthodontic bracket 1B of Modification 3, the clip 30B undergoes elastic deformation when viewed from above to close. In a top view, the clip 30B is bent so that its central portion is located behind the left and right ends. When moving from the open to the closed position, the left and right ends of the clip 30B shift relatively backward compared to the central portion, and the bent clip 30B undergoes elastic deformation so that it is pushed apart, thus widening the distance between the pair of legs 32B. Therefore, the operating force required to move from the open to the closed position is reduced. Conversely, when moving from the closed position to the open position, the clip 30B undergoes elastic deformation so that the distance between the pair of legs 32B narrows, making it easier to maintain the closed position.

[0063] Figure 12A is a top view of the closed state of the orthodontic bracket 1C according to Modification 4, to which the clip 30B shown in Figures 10B to 10D is applied. Figure 12B is a top view of the open state of the orthodontic bracket 1C according to Modification 4. As shown in Figures 12A and 12B, in the orthodontic bracket 1C of Modification 4, the clip 30B is positioned in the opposite direction to that of the orthodontic bracket 1B of Modification 3. Therefore, when changing from the open state to the closed state, the distance between the pair of legs 32B becomes narrower, requiring a large operating force. However, when changing from the closed state to the open state, the distance between the pair of legs 32B becomes wider, making it easier to open.

[0064] Figure 13A is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1D in the closed state of Modification 5, with the clip 30 shown in Figure 1 applied. Figure 13B is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1D in the open state of Modification 5. As shown in Figures 13A and 13B, the width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 of the closed positioning portion 51D may be smaller than the width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 of the overhang portion 52D. Also, the width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 of the guide portion 53D may not be constant, but may have a shape in which the width dimension La gradually increases from rear to front so as to be continuous with the overhang portion 52D.

[0065] Figure 14A is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1E in the closed state of Modification 6, with the clip 30 shown in Figure 1 applied. Figure 14B is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1E in the open state of Modification 6. As shown in Figures 14A and 14B, the guide rail portion 41 of the overhang portion 52E may be part of a cylinder.

[0066] Figure 15A is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1F in the closed state of Modification 7, with the clip 30 shown in Figure 1 applied. Figure 15B is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1F in the open state of Modification 7. As shown in Figures 15A and 15B, the guide portion 53F and the closed positioning portion 51F may not be composed of the guide rail portion 41 and the guide groove 42, but may be composed of only the guide groove 42F.

[0067] Figure 16A is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1G in the closed state of Modification 8, with the clip 30 shown in Figure 1 applied. Figure 16B is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1G in the open state of Modification 8. As shown in Figures 16A and 16B, the closed positioning portion 51G and the open positioning portion 54G may be composed only of the guide groove 42G, the overhang portion 52G may be composed of the first cylindrical portion 41G as the guide rail portion 41 and the guide groove 42G, and the boundary between the guide portion 53G and the open positioning portion 54G may be composed of the second cylindrical portion 43G as the guide portion 53.

[0068] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of this disclosure should not be interpreted restrictively by the description of these embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications to the embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of this disclosure should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and the scope of its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0069] 1,1B,1C,1D,1E,1F,1G,100 orthodontic brackets 10,110 bodies 11,111 slots 12 Retaining guide section 20,120 shutters 21 Indentation 22 Retaining groove 30, 30A, 30B, 130 clips 31,31A connection part 32,32A,32B Legs 32a Inner surface of the leg 40 Positioning section 41 Guide rail section 41a Side view of the guide rail section 41G First cylindrical section 42, 42F, 42G Guide groove 42a Side view of the guide groove 42b Bottom surface of the guide groove 43 Step surface 43G Second cylindrical section 51,151 Closing positioning section 52 Overcoming Club 53, 53D, 53F, 53G Guide section 54,154 Open positioning section 55 Retaining part 56 Easy insertion section 61 Anterior ligation groove 62 Posterior ligation groove 62a Front 62b Rear 63 Lateral ligation groove 131 Through hole 132 Tywing

Claims

1. A body having a lower surface that is attached directly or indirectly to the tooth, and a slot for accommodating an archwire on its upper surface, A shutter is provided on the upper surface of the body that is movable in an opening and closing direction intersecting the slot, and which closes the slot and opens the slot. The shutter has an elastically deformable clip attached to its lower surface, The body has a positioning unit that positions the clip to a closed position where the shutter is in the closed state and to an open position where the shutter is in the open state, The positioning portion of the body is An opening positioning section for housing the clip in the open position, A closing positioning portion is located between the opening positioning portion and the slot in the opening and closing direction, and accommodates the clip in the closed position, An orthodontic bracket having a crossover portion provided between the open positioning portion and the closed positioning portion in the aforementioned opening and closing direction, which elastically deforms the clip when the clip moves between the open positioning portion and the closed positioning portion.

2. The orthodontic bracket according to claim 1, wherein the body has a retaining guide portion that extends along the opening and closing direction and allows the shutter to move in the opening and closing direction while restricting the shutter from coming off upward.

3. The orthodontic bracket according to claim 1, wherein, viewed from the direction in which the slot extends, at least a portion of the clip is located on the slot side of the tie wing or ligation groove.

4. The orthodontic bracket according to claim 1, wherein the positioning portion has a tapered surface that applies an upward force to the clip.

5. The clip is an elastic member that extends in a direction intersecting the vertical direction and the opening / closing direction. The aforementioned clip A pair of legs facing each other in a direction intersecting the opening and closing direction, The orthodontic bracket according to claim 1, further comprising a connecting portion that connects the upper ends of a pair of legs.

6. The orthodontic bracket according to claim 5, wherein the legs have tapered surfaces on their opposing sides such that the distance between them decreases as they move upward.

7. The orthodontic bracket according to claim 5, wherein the width dimension of the connecting portion of the clip is constant.

8. The orthodontic bracket according to claim 5, wherein the clip has a curved shape in the center when viewed from above.

9. The shutter is provided with a retaining groove that extends in the opening and closing direction. The orthodontic bracket according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the body is provided with a retaining guide portion that engages with the retaining groove of the shutter.

10. The orthodontic bracket according to claim 1, wherein the positioning portion has a retaining portion on the opening side in the opening / closing direction relative to the opening positioning portion, which prevents the clip from falling out of the opening positioning portion toward the opening side.

11. The orthodontic bracket according to claim 10, wherein the positioning portion has an insertion-facilitating portion on the opening side in the opening / closing direction relative to the retaining portion, for moving the clip over the retaining portion to the opening positioning portion.

12. The positioning portion has a guide rail portion that extends in the opening and closing direction, The orthodontic bracket according to claim 1, wherein the width dimension of the guide rail portion in the open positioning portion is smaller than the width dimension of the guide rail portion in the closed positioning portion.

13. The orthodontic bracket according to claim 12, wherein the width dimension of the guide rail portion in the overhang portion gradually increases toward the closing direction of the opening and closing direction.

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