Self-Ligating Orthodontic Bracket With Spring Projection Retention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional orthodontic bracket designs require skilled application of wire ligatures, leading to increased chair time, food traps, calculus buildup, and unwanted resistant forces, while self-ligating brackets face manufacturing challenges and reliability issues with sliding ligating members.
Innovation Solution
A self-ligating orthodontic bracket with a spring and projection retention mechanism that allows for easy archwire retention and release, reducing the need for separate ligatures and improving manufacturing efficiency, featuring a ligating member that can be easily manipulated and maintained in open or closed positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wire ligation is used to secure archwire in bracket slot, then archwire retention is achieved, but chair time increases and food traps are created
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the separate ligature component entirely and integrates the retention function directly into the bracket body through the sliding member mechanism. This extraction of the ligature element eliminates the time-consuming separate ligation step while maintaining archwire security through the sliding member's ability to cover and secure the archwire in the slot.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket is designed to be self-ligating through the sliding member mechanism that can be moved by the orthodontist or even by patient pressure to open and close the archwire slot. This self-service capability eliminates the need for separate ligature application and removal steps, significantly reducing chair time while maintaining reliable archwire retention.
2Productivity
If sliding ligating member is used in self-ligating bracket, then ligature application time is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a dynamic sliding member that can move between open and closed positions to control archwire access. This dynamic element provides the self-ligating function with high ligation speed. The manufacturing complexity is managed by designing the sliding member as a simple rectangular component that moves within a guided channel, using basic machining operations rather than complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket is segmented into distinct functional components: the bracket base, the archwire slot, and the independent sliding member. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured separately using optimized processes and then assembled, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while enabling rapid ligation through the independent sliding member mechanism.
3Reliability
If wire ligatures are used to bind archwire, then archwire is secured, but unwanted resistant forces are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the binding function from separate wire ligatures and implements it through the mechanical action of the sliding member covering the archwire slot. This eliminates the binding forces introduced by wire ligatures that create unwanted resistance, while the sliding member provides secure archwire retention through direct coverage and physical blocking of the slot opening.
4Reliability
If elastomeric ligatures are used for archwire retention, then archwire is secured, but they discolor and lose elasticity over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the disposable elastomeric ligatures with a durable, reusable sliding member mechanism that is integral to the bracket. This eliminates the problems of discoloration and elasticity loss over time, providing long-term reliable archwire retention without the need for frequent replacement. The sliding member can be cleaned and reused throughout the entire orthodontic treatment period.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances clinical efficiency, reduces scrap rates, and provides a durable, reliable archwire retention system that minimizes discomfort and unwanted forces during orthodontic treatment, while maintaining good oral hygiene.
Implementation Method 1
a spring within the recess and a projection on the bracket body into the recess such that the spring is compressed by the projection when the ligating member moves from the open position to the closed position
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
An orthodontic bracket includes a bracket body with a recess on a top surface of the bracket body and an archwire slot adapted to receive an orthodontic wire. The orthodontic bracket also includes a ligating member with a projection on its bottom surface. The ligating member is movably connected to the bracket body for retaining the orthodontic wire in the archwire slot when the ligating member is moved from an open position to a closed position. The orthodontic bracket also includes a discrete spring positioned in the recess on the bracket body such that a force is required to move the ligating member from the open position to the closed position.