Orthodontic brackets

Abstract

To provide an orthodontic bracket having a short length in the front-to-back direction. [Solution] An orthodontic bracket (1) has a body (10), a shutter (20) that places a slot (11) in a closed or open state, and a clip (30). The body (10) has a positioning portion (40) that positions the clip (30) in the closed or open position. The positioning portion (40) has an open positioning portion (54) that houses the clip (30) in the open position, a closed positioning portion (51) that is located between the open positioning portion (54) and the slot (11) and houses the clip (30) in the closed position, and a crossing portion (52) that is provided between the open positioning portion (54) and the closed positioning portion (51) in the opening and closing direction and that elastically deforms the clip (30) when the clip (30) moves between the open positioning portion (54) and the closed positioning portion (51).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to orthodontic brackets. [Background technology]

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

[0003] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 10,660,729 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the closed state shown in Figure 17B, the shutter must cover the slot and the closed positioning portion must accommodate the clip. Here, the left-right direction in the figure will be referred to as the front-rear direction of the orthodontic bracket. The opening and closing direction of the shutter is also synonymous with this front-rear direction. As shown in Figure 17B, the front-rear 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 must extend from the closed positioning portion to the slot, and the clip must be positioned away from the slot so that the open positioning portion of the shutter can be positioned between the clip and the slot in the closed state.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an orthodontic bracket that is short in the anterior-posterior direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An orthodontic bracket according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a body having a lower surface attached directly or indirectly to a tooth and an upper surface provided with a slot for receiving an arch wire; a shutter that is movable on the upper surface of the body in an opening / closing direction that intersects with the slot, and that switches the slot between a closed state and an open state; a clip attached to the lower surface of the shutter and capable of elastic deformation; the body has a positioning portion that positions the clip at a closed position where the shutter is in the closed state and at an open position where the shutter is in the open state, The positioning portion of the body is an open positioning portion that accommodates the clip in the open position; a closed positioning portion located between the open positioning portion and the slot in the opening and closing direction, the closed positioning portion accommodating the clip in the closed position; an overhanging portion that is provided between the open positioning portion and the closed positioning portion in the opening and closing direction and that elastically deforms the clip when the clip moves between the open positioning portion and the closed positioning portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] In accordance with the present disclosure, an orthodontic bracket having a short anterior-posterior length is provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an orthodontic bracket 1 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the clip 30. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the top surface of the body 10. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the orthodontic bracket 1 taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a view showing the clip 30 positioned at the rear end of the insertion-facilitating portion 56. FIG. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a diagram showing the clip 30 positioned at the retaining portion 55. FIG. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C shows the clip 30 positioned at the open positioning portion 54. FIG. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional side view of the orthodontic bracket 1 in an open state. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a side cross-sectional view of the orthodontic bracket 1 in a closed state. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a view showing the clip 30 positioned in the guide portion 53. FIG. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a view showing the clip 30 positioned at the overhanging portion 52. FIG. [Figure 7C] FIG. 7C is a view showing the clip 30 positioned at the closed positioning portion 51. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a side view of the orthodontic bracket 1 in an open state. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a rear view of the orthodontic bracket 1. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10A is a front view of a clip 30A of an orthodontic bracket according to Modification 1. FIG. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B is a front view and a top view of a clip 30B of an orthodontic bracket according to the second modification. [Figure 10C] FIG. 10C is a front view and a top view of a clip 30B of an orthodontic bracket according to Modification 2. [Figure 10D] FIG. 10D is a front view and a top view of a clip 30B of an orthodontic bracket according to the second modification. [Figure 11A] FIG. 11A is a top view of an orthodontic bracket 1B in a closed state according to Modification 3, to which the clip 30B shown in FIGS. 10B to 10D is applied. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1B according to the third modification in an open state. [Figure 12A] FIG. 12A is a top view of an orthodontic bracket 1C in a closed state according to Modification 4, to which the clip 30B shown in FIGS. 10B to 10D is applied. [Figure 12B] FIG. 12B is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1C according to the fourth modification in an open state. [Figure 13A] FIG. 13A is a top view of an orthodontic bracket 1D in a closed state according to Modification 5, to which the clip 30 shown in FIG. 1 is applied. [Figure 13B] FIG. 13B is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1D of the fifth modification in an open state. [Figure 14A] FIG. 14A is a top view of an orthodontic bracket 1E in a closed state according to Modification 6, to which the clip 30 shown in FIG. 1 is applied. [Figure 14B] FIG. 14B is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1E of the sixth modification in an open state. [Figure 15A] FIG. 15A is a top view of an orthodontic bracket 1F in a closed state according to Modification 7, to which the clip 30 shown in FIG. 1 is applied. [Figure 15B] FIG. 15B is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1F of the seventh modification in an open state. [Figure 16A] FIG. 16A is a top view of an orthodontic bracket 1G in a closed state according to Modification 8, to which the clip 30 shown in FIG. 1 is applied. [Figure 16B] FIG. 16B is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1G of Modification 8 in an open state. [Figure 17A] FIG. 17A is a side cross-sectional view of an orthodontic bracket 100 in an open state according to a reference example. [Figure 17B] FIG. 17B is a cross-sectional side view of the orthodontic bracket 100 in a closed state according to a reference example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience, the description of components having the same reference numerals as components already described in the description of the embodiments will be omitted.

[0011] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an orthodontic bracket 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the orthodontic bracket 1 has a body 10, a shutter 20, and a clip 30. The orthodontic bracket 1 is used to correct the alignment of teeth together with an arch wire, a ligature wire, and the like. For convenience, in the following description, the front direction F, the back direction B, the up direction U, the down direction D, the left direction L, and the right direction R are defined in terms of the directions shown in FIG. 1, but these directions differ from the directions in actual use.

[0012] The body 10 is the portion to which an arch wire or ligature wire is attached. The upper surface of the body 10 is provided with a slot 11 for accommodating the arch wire. The body 10 is made of ceramic, metal, or resin. The lower surface of the body 10 may be directly attached to the tooth, or may be indirectly attached to the tooth via another member such as a bonding base.

[0013] 1, the slot 11 extends from the left side surface to the right side surface of the body 10. The slot 11 has a generally rectangular shape in cross section extending in the front-rear and up-down directions.

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

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

[0016] FIG. 2 is a front view of clip 30. As shown in FIG. 2, clip 30 is made of metal, resin, or tough ceramics, and is an elastic member that can be elastically deformed. Clip 30 is a member that is roughly inverted U-shaped. In the illustrated example, clip 30 is a plate-like member that extends in the up-down and left-right directions. Clip 30 has a connecting portion 31 that extends in the left-right direction, and leg portions 32 that extend downward from the left and right ends of connecting portion 31, respectively. Connecting portion 31 connects the upper ends of a pair of leg portions 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 rod 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 FIG. 4) provided on the underside of the shutter 20 and sized to accommodate the connecting portion 31 of the clip 30. The clip 30 is elastically deformable so that the spacing between the legs 32 changes while it remains attached to the shutter 20.

[0019] Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the top surface of the body 10. As shown in Fig. 3, the body 10 has a positioning portion 40 that positions the clip 30 at a closed position where the shutter 20 is closed and at an open position where the shutter 20 is open. In the illustrated example, the positioning portion 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 portion 40 has a guide rail portion 41 and two guide grooves 42. The guide rail portion 41 is a convex strip that extends in the front-to-rear direction and protrudes upward from the top surface of the body 10. The guide grooves 42 are grooves that extend in the front-to-rear direction on both sides of the guide rail portion 41. The pair of legs 32 of the clip 30 are guided in the front-to-rear direction along the guide grooves 42 while straddling the guide rail portion 41.

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

[0022] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the orthodontic bracket 1 taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 4, the guide rail portion 41 has a trapezoidal shape that narrows toward the top in this cross-sectional view. Therefore, the width dimension (left-right length) 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 top surface of the body 10 in the front-rear direction.

[0023] Because the side surface 41a of the guide rail portion 41 is tapered, the width dimension can vary at different positions in the vertical direction. As will be described later, the guide rail portion 41 can also have a different width dimension at different positions in the front-rear direction. Therefore, in the following description, the term "width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41" will be defined as follows. First, the clip 30 is placed on the overhanging portion 52 in an unelastically deformed state, and the point at which both side surfaces 41a of the guide rail portion 41 at the overhanging portion 52 contact the clip 30 is defined as a 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 a height h. The left-right dimension of the guide rail portion 41 at a position of height h from the bottom surface 42b of the guide groove 42 is referred to as the width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the guide rail portion 41 differs depending on the position in the front-rear direction, and therefore the width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 varies depending on the position in the front-rear direction.

[0024] As 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 within the surface contact area, 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 of the contact surfaces of both side surfaces 41a of the guide rail portion 41 in the up-down direction.

[0025] The guide groove 42 has a bottom surface 42b extending laterally from both side surfaces 41a of the guide rail portion 41, and a side surface 42a extending obliquely upward from the bottom surface 42b to form a pair with the side surface 41a of the guide rail portion 41. The side surface 42a of the guide groove 42 is also a tapered surface such that the left-right distance from the side surface 41a of the guide rail portion 41 increases from bottom to top. Regarding the left-right distance between the side surface 41a of the guide rail portion 41 and the side surface 42a of the guide groove 42, the left-right dimension at height h from the bottom surface 42b will be referred to as the width dimension of the guide groove 42.

[0026] The opposing inner surfaces 32a of the pair of legs 32 of the clip 30 are also inclined surfaces that approach each other upward. In other words, the opposing inner surfaces 32a of the legs 32 are tapered so that the distance between them decreases upward. Therefore, the distance between the legs 32 decreases from bottom to top. In the following description, the lateral distance between the pair of legs 32 at a height h from the lower end of the legs 32 of the clip 30 in an unelastically deformed state, as shown in FIG. 2, is referred to as the "distance Lb between the legs 32." Here, the height h refers to the height from the bottom surface 42b of the guide groove 42 to the contact point P, at which the width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 is defined.

[0027] 3, the closed positioning portion 51 is provided at the front end of the positioning portion 40. The length of the closed positioning portion 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 portion 41 of the closed positioning portion 51 is greater than the distance Lb between the pair of legs 32 of the clip 30 when not elastically deformed.

[0028] The climbing portion 52 is provided behind the closed positioning portion 51. The width dimension La of the front end of the guide rail portion 41 of the climbing portion 52 is larger than the width dimension La of the rear end of the guide rail portion 41 of the climbing portion 52. The width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 of the climbing portion 52 increases toward the closed positioning portion 51. The width dimension La of the front end of the guide rail portion 41 of the climbing portion 52 is equal to the width dimension La of the rear end of the guide rail portion 41 of the closed positioning portion 51.

[0029] The guide portion 53 is provided behind the overhanging portion 52. The guide portion 53 extends in the front-rear direction and guides the clip 30 in the front-rear direction. The width La of the guide rail portion 41 of the guide portion 53 is constant throughout the front-rear direction. The total front-rear length of the overhanging portion 52 and the guide portion 53 is greater than the front-rear length of the clip 30. The width La of the guide rail portion 41 of the guide portion 53 is smaller than the distance Lb between the pair of leg portions 32. Furthermore, in the guide portion 53, the width of the guide groove 42 narrows from the rear to the front.

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

[0031] The retaining portion 55 is provided behind the open positioning portion 54. The width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 of the retaining portion 55 is larger than the width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 of the open positioning portion 54. A step surface 43 is provided on the side surface 41a of the guide rail portion 41 between the open positioning portion 54 and the retaining portion 55. The width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 of the retaining portion 55 is larger than the distance Lb between the pair of legs 32.

[0032] The insertion-facilitating portion 56 is provided behind the retaining portion 55. The width dimension La of the front end of the guide rail portion 41 of the insertion-facilitating portion 56 is equal to the width dimension La of the rear end of the guide rail portion 41 of the retaining portion 55. The width dimension La of the rear end of the guide rail portion 41 of the insertion-facilitating 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 insertion-facilitating portion 56 increases from the rear to the front.

[0033] (Installation method) 5A, 5B, and 5C, a method for attaching the shutter 20 with the clip 30 attached to the body 10 will be described. Note that in the following explanation, the attachment method will be explained with a focus on the clip 30, but in reality, the operator operates the shutter 20 to move the clip 30.

[0034] Fig. 5A is a view when clip 30 is positioned at the rear end of insertion facilitation portion 56. The upper left side of Fig. 5A is a top view of body 10, the lower left side of Fig. 5A is a cross-sectional view of body 10, and the right side of Fig. 5A is a cross-sectional view of body 10 and shutter 20 taken along a cross section extending in the up-down and left-right directions at the position of clip 30. Similarly, in the following Figs. 5B, 5C, 6A, 6B, and 6C, the upper left side is a top view of body 10, the lower left side is a cross-sectional view of body 10, and the right side is a cross-sectional view of body 10 and shutter 20 taken along a cross section extending in the up-down and left-right directions at the position of clip 30.

[0035] 5A, the legs 32 of the clip 30 are positioned at the rear ends of the guide grooves 42. In this state, the pair of legs 32 straddle the guide rail portions 41. Because the width dimension La of the rear ends of the guide rail portions 41 of the insertion-facilitating 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, clip 30 is moved forward along guide rail portion 41. Here, width dimension La of guide rail portion 41 of insertion-facilitating portion 56 gradually increases toward the front, and width dimension La of the front end of guide rail portion 41 of insertion-facilitating portion 56 is greater than distance Lb of pair of legs 32. Therefore, as clip 30 is moved forward, clip 30 is elastically deformed such that the space between pair of legs 32 of clip 30 is pushed apart.

[0037] 5B is a diagram showing clip 30 positioned at retaining portion 55. As shown in FIG. 5B, clip 30 elastically deforms when passing through retaining portion 55 so that distance Lb between pair of legs 32 becomes the largest. Therefore, the greatest operating force is required when clip 30 passes through retaining portion 55.

[0038] 5C is a diagram showing the clip 30 positioned at the open positioning portion 54. As shown in FIG. 5C, the width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 of the open positioning portion 54 is smaller than the distance Lb between the pair of legs 32. Therefore, when the clip 30 passes through the retaining portion 55 and reaches the open positioning portion 54, the clip 30 no longer elastically deforms. In this manner, the clip 30 and the shutter 20 can be attached to the body 10.

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

[0040] (Open to closed operation) Next, the operation of changing the orthodontic bracket 1 from the open state to the closed state will be described 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 arrow views taken along line VI-VI shown in Figure 3. Here again, the operation will be described with a focus on the clip 30, but in reality, the operator operates the shutter 20 to move the clip 30.

[0041] As shown in Figure 6A, in the open state, the clip 30 is located in the open positioning portion 54. Conversely, when the clip 30 is located in the open positioning portion 54, the slot 11 is not blocked by the shutter 20 but is open. In this state, the clip 30 is not elastically deformed. When the clip 30 is moved forward from this state, it can be placed in the closed state shown in Figure 6B.

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

[0043] 7B is a diagram showing the clip 30 positioned at the climbing portion 52. As shown in FIG. 7B, when the clip 30 is moved further forward from the guide portion 53, the clip 30 passes over the climbing portion 52. The width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 of the climbing portion 52 gradually increases, and the width dimension La of the rear end of the guide rail portion 41 of the climbing portion 52 is larger than the distance Lb of the pair of legs 32. Therefore, a gradually larger operating force is required to pass over the climbing portion 52.

[0044] 7C is a diagram showing the clip 30 positioned at the closed positioning portion 51. As shown in FIG. 7C, when the clip 30 passes through the overhanging portion 52 and reaches the closed positioning portion 51, the orthodontic bracket 1 can be brought into the closed state shown in FIG. 6B. In this state, the clip 30 is elastically deformed, and a force is applied that clamps the guide rail portion 41 between the pair of legs 32. Therefore, unless an external force of a certain level or greater is applied that moves the clip 30 rearward, the clip 30 remains positioned at the closed positioning portion 51, and the orthodontic bracket 1 remains in the closed state.

[0045] (operation from closed to open state) Next, the operation of changing from the closed state to the open state will be described. In the closed state, the clip 30 is positioned at the closed positioning portion 51. Conversely, when the clip 30 is positioned at the closed positioning portion 51, the slot 11 is blocked by the shutter 20. In this state, the clip 30 is elastically deformed as described above. When the clip 30 is moved backward from this state, it can be set to the open state.

[0046] The clip 30 is moved rearward from the closed positioning portion 51 against the frictional force between the clip 30 and the guide rail portion 41 due to elastic deformation of the clip 30. Then, the pair of legs 32 pass through the guide rail portion 41 of the climbing portion 52 and are guided by the guide portion 53. At this time, the width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 gradually decreases, so the operating force required to move the clip 30 gradually decreases. When the clip 30 is further moved rearward, it reaches the open positioning portion 54. In this state, the clip 30 abuts against the stepped surface 43 of the retaining portion 55 and cannot move rearward any further.

[0047] (front-to-back length) Next, it will be explained that the orthodontic bracket 1 of this embodiment has a shorter length in the front-to-rear direction than the orthodontic bracket 100 of the reference example. Fig. 17A is a side cross-sectional view of the orthodontic bracket 100 of the reference example in an open state. Fig. 17B is a side cross-sectional view of the orthodontic bracket 100 of the reference example in a closed state.

[0048] In the orthodontic bracket 100 according to the reference example shown in Fig. 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 house the clip 130. In other words, as shown in Fig. 17B, the length of the orthodontic bracket 100 in the front-to-rear direction is determined according to the distance A' from the closed positioning portion 151 to the slot 111.

[0049] As described above, in the orthodontic bracket 100 according to the reference example, the shutter 120 must 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 can be positioned 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. This allows the distance A between the closed positioning portion 51 and the slot 11 to be shortened, thereby shortening the length of the shutter 20 in the front-to-rear direction. Furthermore, since the open positioning portion 54 of the shutter 20 is not located between the clip 30 and the slot 11 in the closed state, the clip 30 and the closed positioning portion 51 can be positioned close to the slot 11. This also shortens the length of the body 10 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0051] 17A and 17B, the orthodontic bracket 100 of the reference example has a clip 130 disposed in a through-hole 131 provided in the body 110. In this case, the length of the body 110 in the front-to-rear direction tends to be large in order to avoid interference between the through-hole 131 and the tiewing 132. However, in the orthodontic bracket 1 of this embodiment, there is no need to provide a through-hole in the body 10 for arranging the clip 30, so the anterior-posterior length of the body 10 is less likely to increase. For reference, when a standard-sized orthodontic bracket 1 of the reference example is produced, the orthodontic bracket 1 of this embodiment can be made 0.4 mm shorter in the anterior-posterior direction than the orthodontic bracket 100 of the reference example, which is a 10% reduction in the overall anterior-posterior length. Furthermore, the shape of the orthodontic bracket anterior to the slot 11 varies depending on the type and size of the orthodontic bracket. Therefore, when comparing only the anterior-posterior length behind the slot 11, in the illustrated example, a 0.4 mm reduction in the anterior-posterior length corresponds to a 25% reduction in the length of the orthodontic bracket 100 of the reference example. In clinical orthodontic treatment, if an orthodontic bracket is large, it may collide with the opposing teeth when a patient wearing the orthodontic bracket bites down, causing the opposing teeth to wear down or the orthodontic bracket to break. Furthermore, the presence of the orthodontic bracket itself can cause discomfort in the patient's mouth. For this reason, it is desirable for the orthodontic bracket 1 to be as small as possible. Because the orthodontic bracket 1 of this embodiment has a short anterior-posterior length, it is possible to reduce the discomfort caused by the orthodontic bracket 1 to the patient.

[0052] Furthermore, the positioning portion 40 of the orthodontic bracket 1 of 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, exerting a frictional force on the guide rail portion 41, making it easier to maintain the closed state. Furthermore, when changing from the open state to the closed state, the clip 30 elastically deforms, providing an appropriate resistance to the operator, thereby informing the operator that the closed state has been reached. Conversely, when changing from the closed state to the open state, the resistance weakens, informing the operator that the closed state has been released.

[0053] Figure 8 is a side view of the orthodontic bracket 1 in an open state. 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 side surface of the illustrated orthodontic bracket 1 is provided with a front ligating groove 61 extending diagonally upward and rearward, and a posterior ligating groove 62 which is located rearward of the front ligating groove 61 and extends diagonally downward and rearward. A front portion 62a of this posterior ligating groove 62 is provided in the shutter 20, and extends diagonally downward and rearward from the slot 11 toward the lower part of the rear portion of the body 10. A rear portion 62b of this posterior ligating groove 62 is provided in the body 10, and extends diagonally downward and rearward so as to be continuous with the front portion 62a. This posterior ligating groove 62 is provided so as to straddle from the shutter 20 to the body 10. A horizontal ligating groove 63 extending in the left-right direction is also provided in the rear portion of the body 10 of the orthodontic bracket 1.

[0054] Fig. 9 is a view of the orthodontic bracket 1 as seen from behind. As shown in Fig. 9, a pair of retaining guide portions 12 that protrude upward are provided on the upper surface of the body 10, outside the pair of guide grooves 42 in the left-right direction. These retaining guide portions 12 extend in the front-to-rear direction, as shown in Fig. 1. The upper end of the retaining guide portion 12 provided to the left of the guide rail portion 41 protrudes leftward, and the upper end of the retaining guide portion 12 provided to the right of the guide rail portion 41 protrudes rightward.

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

[0056] In other words, the left removal prevention guide portion 12 and the left removal prevention groove 22 abut at abutment surfaces that slope rightward from top to bottom, and the right removal prevention guide portion 12 and the right removal prevention groove 22 abut at abutment surfaces that slope leftward from top to bottom. In this way, the shutter 20 is provided with the removal prevention groove 22 that extends in the front-to-rear direction, and the upper surface of the body 10 is provided with a removal prevention guide portion 12 that fits into the removal prevention groove 22 of the shutter 20. The removal prevention guide portion 12 restricts the shutter 20 from coming off upward while allowing the shutter 20 to move in the front-to-rear direction.

[0057] Therefore, even if an arch wire or other force acts on the shutter 20 to cause it to come off upward relative to the body 10, the pair of contact surfaces will prevent the shutter 20 from coming off upward from the body 10. Furthermore, the guide portion 12 and the retaining groove 22 have corresponding cross-sectional shapes, and both extend in the front-to-rear direction, so they also function to guide the movement of the shutter 20 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0058] 4, the positioning portion 40 has a tapered surface that applies a force to the clip 30 to push the clip 30 upward. Specifically, the guide rail portion 41 has a convex shape that narrows toward the top. Therefore, when the pair of legs 32 of the clip 30 straddles the guide rail portion 41, the left and right side surfaces 41a of the guide rail portion 41 apply a force to push the clip 30 upward. 9, the upper surface of the body 10 is provided with a retaining guide portion 12 that fits into a retaining groove 22 of the shutter 20. This prevents the shutter 20 from coming off the body 10. 7C, when the clip 30 is positioned in the closed positioning portion 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 removal prevention guide portion 12. This prevents the shutter 20 from rattling when in the closed state.

[0059] The clip 30 and the positioning portion 40 are not limited to the shapes shown in Fig. 1. Orthodontic brackets according to modified examples will be described with reference to Figs. 10A to 16B. Fig. 10A is a front view of clip 30A of an orthodontic bracket according to modified example 1. As shown in Fig. 10A, it is preferable that the width dimension B of the connection portion from leg portion 32A to connecting portion 31A of clip 30A is approximately constant. This makes it less likely that stress concentration will occur when clip 30A elastically deforms.

[0060] 10B to 10D show a clip 30B of an orthodontic bracket according to Modification 2. The upper parts of FIGS. 10B to 10D are top views of the clip 30B, and the lower parts of FIGS. 10B to 10D are front views of the clip 30B. FIG. 10B also shows the clip 30B in a state where it is not elastically deformed. The clip 30B of this modification has a shape that is bent at the center when viewed from above. FIG. 10C shows the clip 30B in a further bent state, and FIG. 10D shows the clip 30B in a state where it is bent in the opposite direction to the original bending direction. When this clip 30B is bent strongly, the distance between the pair of legs 32B becomes narrower, and when it is bent in the opposite direction, the distance between the pair of legs 32B becomes longer. 10B to 10D show clip 30B bent at the center, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. Clip 30B may have a gently curved shape without any clear creases when viewed from above.

[0061] Fig. 11A is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1B in a closed state according to Modification 3, to which the clip 30B shown in Figs. 10B to 10D is applied. Fig. 11B is a top view of the orthodontic bracket 1B in an open state according to Modification 3. For the sake of explanation, the shutter 20 is omitted from Figs. 11A to 16B.

[0062] As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, in the orthodontic bracket 1B of Modification 3, the clip 30B elastically deforms when changing from the open state to the closed state in a top view. The clip 30B is bent so that its central portion is located further rearward than the left and right ends when viewed from above. When changing from the open state to the closed state, the left and right ends of the clip 30B are shifted rearward relative to the central portion, and the bent clip 30B elastically deforms so as to be pushed apart, widening the gap between the pair of legs 32B. This reduces the operating force required when changing from the open state to the closed state. Conversely, when changing from the closed state to the open state, the clip 30B elastically deforms so that the gap between the pair of legs 32B narrows, making it easier to maintain the closed state.

[0063] FIG. 12A is a top view of an orthodontic bracket 1C according to Modification 4 in a closed state, to which the clip 30B shown in FIGS. 10B to 10D is applied. FIG. 12B is a top view of an orthodontic bracket 1C according to Modification 4 in an open state. As shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, in the orthodontic bracket 1C of Modification 4, the clip 30B is arranged in the opposite direction to 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 change to the open state.

[0064] Fig. 13A is a top view of an orthodontic bracket 1D of Modification 5 in a closed state, to which the clip 30 shown in Fig. 1 is applied. Fig. 13B is a top view of an orthodontic bracket 1D of Modification 5 in an open state. As shown in Figs. 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 climbing-over portion 52D. Furthermore, the width dimension La of the guide rail portion 41 of the guide portion 53D may not be constant, but may be gradually increased from the rear to the front so as to be continuous with the climbing-over portion 52D.

[0065] Fig. 14A is a top view of an orthodontic bracket 1E in a closed state according to Modification 6, to which the clip 30 shown in Fig. 1 is applied. Fig. 14B is a top view of an orthodontic bracket 1E in an open state according to Modification 6. As shown in Figs. 14A and 14B, the guide rail portion 41 of the over-passing portion 52E may be a part of a cylinder.

[0066] Fig. 15A is a top view of an orthodontic bracket 1F in a closed state according to Modification 7, to which the clip 30 shown in Fig. 1 is applied. Fig. 15B is a top view of an orthodontic bracket 1F in an open state according to Modification 7. As shown in Figs. 15A and 15B, the guide portion 53F and the closed positioning portion 51F do not have to be composed of the guide rail portion 41 and the guide groove 42, and may be composed of only the guide groove 42F.

[0067] Fig. 16A is a top view of an orthodontic bracket 1G in a closed state according to Modification 8, to which the clip 30 shown in Fig. 1 is applied. Fig. 16B is a top view of an orthodontic bracket 1G in an open state according to Modification 8. As shown in Figs. 16A and 16B, the closed positioning portion 51G and the open positioning portion 54G may be formed only by guide grooves 42G, the first cylindrical portion 41G as the guide rail portion 41 and the guide grooves 42G may form the overriding portion 52G, and the second cylindrical portion 43G as the guide portion 53 may form the boundary between the guide portion 53G and the open positioning portion 54G.

[0068] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present disclosure should not be interpreted as being limited by the description of the present embodiments. The present embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications of the embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of the present disclosure should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1,1B,1C,1D,1E,1F,1G,100 Orthodontic Brackets 10,110 body 11,111 slots 12 Retaining guide 20,120 shutter 21. Hollow 22 Retaining groove 30, 30A, 30B, 130 Clip 31,31A connection part 32,32A,32B Legs 32a Inner surface of leg 40 Positioning part 41 Guide rail section 41a Side of guide rail 41G First cylindrical part 42, 42F, 42G guide groove 42a Side of guide groove 42b Bottom surface of guide groove 43 Step surface 43G Second cylindrical part 51,151 Closed positioning part 52 Overpass 53, 53D, 53F, 53G Guide section 54,154 Open positioning part 55 Stopper 56 Easy insertion part 61 Anterior ligation groove 62 Posterior ligation groove 62a Front 62b rear 63 Lateral ligation groove 131 Through hole 132 Tie Wing

Claims

1. a body having a lower surface attached directly or indirectly to a tooth and an upper surface provided with a slot for receiving an arch wire; a shutter that is movable on the upper surface of the body in an opening / closing direction that intersects with the slot, and that switches the slot between a closed state and an open state; a clip attached to the lower surface of the shutter and capable of elastic deformation; the body has a positioning portion that positions the clip at a closed position where the shutter is in the closed state and at an open position where the shutter is in the open state, The positioning portion of the body is an open positioning portion that accommodates the clip in the open position; a closed positioning portion located between the open positioning portion and the slot in the opening and closing direction, the closed positioning portion accommodating the clip in the closed position; a crossover portion that is provided between the open positioning portion and the closed positioning portion in the opening and closing direction and that elastically deforms the clip when the clip moves between the open positioning portion and the closed positioning portion, The orthodontic bracket, wherein the clip is an elastic member that extends in a vertical direction and in a direction intersecting the opening and closing direction.

2. The orthodontic bracket according to claim 1 , wherein the body has a guide portion extending along the opening and closing direction to prevent the shutter from coming off upward while allowing the shutter to move in the opening and closing direction.

3. The orthodontic bracket according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the clip is located closer to the slot than the tiewing or ligation groove when viewed in the direction in which the slot extends.

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

5. The clip is an elastic member that extends in a direction intersecting the up-and-down direction and the opening / closing direction, The 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 connecting upper ends of the pair of legs.

6. 6. The orthodontic bracket according to claim 5, wherein the legs have opposing side surfaces tapered so that the distance between the legs becomes shorter upward.

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

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

9. The shutter is provided with a retaining groove extending in the opening and closing direction, The orthodontic bracket according to claim 1 , wherein a guide portion for preventing the bracket from coming off is provided on an upper surface of the body, the guide portion being fitted into 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 of the opening positioning portion in the opening / closing direction that prevents the clip from falling off from the opening positioning portion to the opening side.

11. The orthodontic bracket according to claim 10, wherein the positioning portion has an insertion facilitation portion on the open side of the opening / closing direction relative to the anti-slip portion, for moving the clip over the anti-slip portion to the open positioning portion.

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

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

Images