Torque-Adjusting Drum Orthodontic Bracket Assemblies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional orthodontic brackets require the removal and replacement of archwires and brackets to adjust torsional forces, making fine adjustments challenging and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
The development of orthodontic bracket assemblies with torque-adjusting drums that can be selectively rotated relative to the base, allowing for adjustments in torque without removing the archwire, using a socket for incremental adjustments and a clutch mechanism for precise control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional orthodontic brackets are used, then the bracket structure is simple, but torque adjustments require removal and replacement of archwires and brackets
Solution Approach 1:
The archwire slot is made rotatable relative to the bracket body through a drum mechanism, allowing the slot orientation to be dynamically adjusted while the bracket remains fixed on the tooth. This enables torque adjustment without removing the bracket or archwire, resolving the contradiction between ease of adjustment and time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket is divided into separate functional components: a fixed base attached to the tooth, and a rotatable drum containing the archwire slot. This segmentation allows independent adjustment of the slot orientation without affecting the bracket-tooth connection, enabling time-efficient torque modification.
2Measurement precision
If conventional orthodontic brackets are used, then the device structure is simple, but adjustment precision is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable drum mechanism with indexed positions provides precise control over archwire slot orientation. The drum can be rotated to specific angular positions to achieve exact torque values, delivering high adjustment precision while maintaining a relatively compact bracket structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable drum acts as an intermediary mechanism between the fixed bracket base and the archwire. It translates rotational motion into precise angular adjustments of the archwire slot orientation, enabling fine torque control without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the archwire slot is fixed in the bracket, then the bracket structure is simple, but torque cannot be adjusted without removing the archwire
Solution Approach 1:
The archwire slot is integrated into a rotatable drum that can be adjusted to different angular positions while the bracket remains fixed on the tooth. This dynamic adjustment capability allows torque modification without removing the archwire or bracket, simultaneously improving adaptability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The drum is pre-configured with multiple indexed positions corresponding to different torque values. The orthodontist can directly rotate the drum to the desired position without performing intermediate steps such as removing and reinstalling components, making the adjustment procedure simple and intuitive.
Data Source
AI summary
Orthodontic bracket assemblies with torque-adjusting drums. The drum defines at least a majority of the archwire slot of the corresponding bracket assembly, and the drum may be selectively rotated about its longitudinal axis to adjust the prescriptive force that is applied to a patient's tooth during orthodontic use of the bracket assembly. The bracket assembly includes a positioning assembly that selectively retains the drum in a selected orientation relative to the base of the bracket assembly, thereby defining a prescription to be imparted by the bracket assembly to a patient's tooth. In some embodiments, the bracket assembly includes a biasing mechanism that selectively urges the positioning assembly to a position in which the drum is, or is not, retained in a selected position. In some embodiments, the bracket includes a release mechanism that selectively disengages the positioning assembly to permit adjustment of the drum.