Orthodontic Bracket Assembly with Jig-Inserted Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing orthodontic devices with lingual apparatus face difficulties in assembling a dental archwire to brackets due to challenging access, leading to insufficient precision and potential bracket shifting during installation.
Innovation Solution
A ready-to-use orthodontic device with a dental archwire pre-assembled to brackets, utilizing a dental jig and connectors that allow precise positioning and attachment to the teeth, manufactured through CAD models and additive manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If connectors are designed thin to allow bracket movements during archwire insertion, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to bracket shifting under archwire forces
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into two functional segments: a first end that remains attached to the bracket and a second end that is inserted into the dental jig cavity. This segmentation allows the bracket to maintain its position during archwire insertion while enabling easy removal of the connector after installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is pre-attached to the bracket before installation, and the dental jig is pre-configured with cavities that receive the connector's second end. This preliminary preparation ensures that the bracket position is fixed and maintained throughout the archwire insertion process, preventing shifting while allowing for easy operation.
2Manufacturing precision
If brackets are fixed to teeth before archwire assembly, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficult access during installation
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is pre-assembled with the connector and archwire in a controlled manufacturing environment, ensuring precise positioning. The entire assembly is then inserted as a unit into the dental jig, which guides the bracket to the correct position on the tooth. This preliminary assembly maintains precision while simplifying the clinical installation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The dental jig acts as an intermediary tool that receives the pre-assembled bracket-connector-archwire unit. The jig's cavities guide the connector into the correct position, ensuring accurate bracket placement on the tooth while allowing the archwire to be assembled before final installation.
3Ease of operation
If connectors are made detachable from brackets, then ease of operation is improved for installation, but reliability deteriorates during the installation process
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is designed as a detachable component with a first end attached to the bracket and a second end inserted into the dental jig. This segmentation allows the connector to provide temporary stabilization during installation while enabling easy removal after the archwire is properly secured, balancing reliability with ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is pre-attached to the bracket in the manufacturing stage, providing immediate stabilization. During installation, the connector's second end is inserted into the dental jig cavity to maintain bracket position. After installation, the connector can be easily removed, balancing reliability during the critical installation phase with ease of operation for removal.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an orthodontic device (10), comprising : a dental jig (30) ; a plurality of brackets (32), designed for being fixed to a tooth ; and a plurality of connectors (34), a first end of each connector being attached to one of the brackets. The dental jig comprises cavities (44), each cavity comprising an inner surface (48) extending along an insertion axis (46). A second end of each connector comprises a plug (80) having an outer surface (82), complementary with the inner surface (48) of a corresponding cavity of the jig. The second end of each connector is configured for being attached to the jig by inserting the plug into the corresponding cavity, by translation along the insertion axis (46), so that the orthodontic device is in an assembled state.