Self-Ligating Orthodontic Bracket With Rotatable Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current orthodontic brackets face challenges in reducing frictional engagement between archwires and bracket surfaces, as well as between archwires and ligating devices, which hinders tooth movement efficiency and patient comfort. Additionally, existing designs lack effective texturing for enhanced adhesive bonding to teeth.
Innovation Solution
The development of a self-ligating orthodontic bracket with a rotatable member that secures and releases archwires within a slot, featuring a cylindrical portion and extensions that can be rotated to cover or uncover the slot, along with embedded symbols or characters on the bracket base to increase adhesive surface area for improved bonding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a ligating device is used to restrict the archwire within the slot, then the archwire is secured in place, but frictional engagement between the archwire and ligating device increases, reducing tooth movement efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the ligating device from the system by using a self-ligating bracket mechanism where the archwire is retained through the bracket's inherent design rather than an external ligating device, thereby eliminating the frictional engagement between archwire and ligature
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the self-ligating cover with cam action) that mediates between the archwire and bracket, allowing the archwire to be secured without direct frictional contact through the cam-activated cover system
2Reliability
If a ligating device is used to restrict the archwire within the slot, then the archwire is secured in place, but the duration of orthodontic treatment increases due to reduced friction
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the ligating device entirely and using the self-ligating bracket mechanism, the patent eliminates the friction that would otherwise slow tooth movement, thereby reducing treatment duration while maintaining archwire retention
Solution Approach 2:
The self-ligating bracket performs the ligating function automatically through its built-in cam and cover mechanism, eliminating the need for separate ligating devices and reducing friction-induced treatment delays
3Ease of operation
If the bracket size is reduced to improve patient comfort, then the bracket becomes smaller and more smoothly contoured, but the adhesive bonding surface area decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the adhesive bonding function in a specific textured region on the bracket base, allowing the rest of the bracket to remain small and smooth for patient comfort while the localized textured area provides sufficient bonding surface
4Strength
If the adhesive bonding surface is increased through texturing, then bonding strength is improved, but the bracket size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by adding texturing only to the bracket base where adhesive bonding occurs, rather than increasing the overall bracket size or complexity, thus improving bonding strength while maintaining a simple compact design
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed, at least in part, to a self ligating orthodontic bracket having a rotatable member for securing an archwire within a slot of the bracket. Embodiments of the orthodontic bracket disclosed herein include a bracket body containing the archwire slot as well as tie wings for attaching various orthodontic devices (e.g., elastomeric bands) to the bracket. The rotatable member is rotatable in a first direction (e.g., counter clockwise) relative to a body of the bracket for securing or locking the archwire within the slot, and for rotating in an opposite direction (e.g., a clockwise direction) relative to the bracket body for unsecuring or unlocking the archwire so that it is substantially unrestrained from exiting the slot.