Dentistry – Orthodontics – Bracket
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-30
2001-02-20
Wilson, John J. (Department: 3732)
Dentistry
Orthodontics
Bracket
C433S011000, C433S020000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06190166
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an orthodontic device to be used for correcting teeth in the state of irregular articulation.
2. Description of a Prior Art
As orthodontic means, it has been heretofore customary to connect adjacent teeth with a wire so as to ensure the exertion of force on teeth under correction in the direction of correction. A concrete device for embodying this means comprises an arch wire and a fixing member to be fastened to the relevant tooth. The fixing member has formed therein a wire mounting groove. The force of correction is enabled to act on the tooth under correction by fixing the stationary position of the arch wire in the mounting groove.
As means for fixing the aforementioned arch wire in the mounting groove, use of a rock pin (JP-B-55-48814), an insertion groove (JP-B-61-47097), or a binding line (JP-B-02-53053 and JP-B-03-71896) has been proposed.
The conventional mounting structure mentioned above has the arch wire directly fixed unexceptionally to the fixing member fastened to the tooth and has this work of fixing performed, as a matter of course, while the patient under treatment keeps his mouth open. Moreover, since the mounting of the arch wire requires this wire to be fixed so as to produce a proper amount of correcting force, the dentist himself finds it a good deal of work and the patient finds it a labor accompanied by considerable pain. The four prior patent publications disclose inventions which invariably move the arch wire toward and from the mounting groove for attachment and detachment on the tooth in the direction from the horizontal direction relative to the tooth or from the root toward the tip of the tooth. When the orthodontic device is operated particularly on the rear side of a tooth, the attachment or detachment of the wire to the mounting groove inside the narrow oral cavity turns out to be troublesome work.
Though the conventional dental correction resorting to the arch wire utilizes the bend or the twist to be produced in the arch wire for adjusting the direction of the correcting force exerted on the tooth, this method does not necessarily allow the adjustment to be attained with expected delicacy.
A main object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an orthodontic device which permits the work of mounting to be effected on the patient easily and, at the same time, allows the adjustment the correcting force to be finely carried out.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The orthodontic device according to this invention comprises a wire member consisting of on arch wire fixed through concatenation with a tooth and an engaging part fixed at positions corresponding to points of fixation of the arch wire, and a fixing member adapted to be fixed to the tooth and provided with means for mounting the engaging part.
The arch wire, therefore, can be fixed through concatenation to the patient's tooth by having the fixing member mounted fast in advance at prescribed positions of the patient's tooth as with adhesive agent, forming the engaging part on the arch wire at the positions and in the direction to be selected preparatorily in due consideration of the expected action of the correcting force, and mounting the engaging part on the fixing member.
Further, in the orthodontic device according to the present invention, the engaging part of the wire member is projected in the shape of a leg from the arch wire and provided with a pair of opposite leg parts that are endowed with elasticity so as to resist closing of the leg parts. The leg parts provided with engaging projected parts projecting outwardly, and the fixing member is provided with a mounting groove possessing inclined inner side faces allowing insertion of the engaging projected parts and a wire groove for enabling the arch wire to be set therein after the leg has been forcibly inserted into the mounting groove and the engaging projected parts have been brought into engagement with a terminal of the mounting groove.
When the leg-shaped engaging part is forcibly inserted into the mounting groove, therefore, the leg parts are gradually pressed in the width direction by the inclined inner side faces. When the engaging projected parts depart from the mounting groove, the leg parts are allowed to open by the elastic force of themselves, and the engaging projected parts are brought into engagement with the terminal of the groove and induced to assume a state no longer allowed to slip and, at the same time, the arch wire is set fast in the wire groove and fixed through concatenation with the patient's tooth.
The above and other objects and features of this invention will be described more specifically below with reference to the drawings annexed hereto.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1280628 (1918-10-01), Angle
patent: 3477129 (1969-11-01), Rubin
patent: 4310306 (1982-01-01), Wallshein
patent: 4496318 (1985-01-01), Connelly, Jr.
patent: 4669980 (1987-06-01), Degnan
patent: 55-48814 (1980-12-01), None
patent: 61-47097 (1986-10-01), None
patent: 2-53053 (1990-11-01), None
patent: 3-71896 (1991-11-01), None
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
Wilson John J.
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