CN212547220U - Orthodontic appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model discloses an orthodontic appliance, including main part and movable part, the main part has the jut and is used for holding the archwire groove of arch wire, movable part with the main part cooperation and can for the main part removes between open position and closed position, be equipped with on the movable part and hold the chamber, the jut is received hold the intracavity, hold intracavity and placed locking piece or locking structure, locking piece or locking structure contain a expansion end, when locking piece or locking structure take place crooked, shrink, swing, drive the expansion end removes, because it has an expansion end, makes and removes during movable part, the application of force is softer, and the operation is easier.

Description

Orthodontic appliance

Technical Field

The utility model relates to an orthodontic appliance technical field, concretely relates to orthodontic appliance.

Background

At present, aiming at the problems of teeth or faces such as crowding of teeth, bucking of teeth, uneven arrangement of teeth, malocclusion and the like, an orthodontist treats a patient by adopting an orthodontic appliance, and orthodontic appliances such as a bracket, a buccal tube and the like are main components of the orthodontic treatment appliance. In conventional orthodontic treatment, an orthodontist affixes brackets to a patient's teeth and places an archwire into the archwire slots of the brackets, the archwire applying corrective forces through the brackets to the teeth to move the teeth into the correct positions. Conventional brackets use ligatures to retain the archwire within the archwire slot of each bracket, and self-ligating brackets have been developed that use movable parts such as pins or slides to retain the archwire within the archwire slots of the brackets. Self-ligating brackets have been successful in the marketplace today, but the structure of the brackets has continued to need improvement to complete their function, stability, and manufacturing costs.

Most auto-ligating bracket is through setting up the elastic component and come the shift position of locking the lid in the existing market, and the elastic component all is that both ends are fixed usually, or is connected or support tightly with the main part, or is connected or support tightly with the lid, through interlude flexure or deformation unblock when needing to remove the lid, because the both ends of elastic component are fixed, will make the flexible or deformation of elastic component interlude need the application of force great, and the installation is more difficult moreover. The support groove is pasted and is used on patient's tooth, if the required application of force of unblock is great when, can increase the degree of difficulty that the doctor removed the lid operation on the one hand, prolongs patient's treatment time for patient's impression is not good, and the too big easy support groove that makes of application of force drops from the tooth when on the other hand removed the lid.

The present application aims to provide an orthodontic appliance that is easy to install and easy to open.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In view of the above technical problem, the present invention provides an orthodontic appliance which is easy to install and easy to open.

The utility model provides a technical scheme that this technical problem adopted is:

an orthodontic appliance comprising a body and a movable member, the body having a protrusion and an archwire slot for receiving an archwire, the movable member cooperating with the body and being movable relative to the body between an open position and a closed position, the movable member having a receiving cavity therein, the protrusion being received in the receiving cavity, a locking member being disposed in the receiving cavity, the locking member including a retractable portion, the locking member including a movable end, the retractable portion being capable of retracting and expanding and cooperating with the protrusion to secure the movable member in at least the closed position, the retractable portion moving the movable end when retracted. The orthodontic appliance can be a bracket or a buccal tube. The locking piece for locking the movable part of the orthodontic appliance is provided with a movable end, when the movable part needs to be moved, force is applied to the locking piece, and one end of the locking piece is movable, so that on one hand, the locking piece can be more easily contracted by applying force, the movable part can be opened by applying force softly, and the operation is easy; on the other hand, the locking piece is only required to be placed into the containing cavity, the locking piece and the movable part do not need to be welded, and manufacturing and installation are easier. Different from most self-ligating brackets on the market at present, the locking piece is arranged in the accommodating cavity of the movable part, and a concave part is not required to be arranged on the main body, so that the structure is simplified, the structure of the orthodontic appliance is simplified, and the production cost is reduced; the locking piece is arranged in the accommodating cavity of the movable part, and the locking piece is limited in a smaller space, so that the stability of the locking piece can be improved, and the opening and closing times of the movable part are more and more stable. The prior art such as CN107714205B is similar to the prior art, which is simply dependent on the bending deformation of an elastic shaft or an elastic body to control the movement of a movable component and limit self-locking, the elasticity is determined by the elastic performance of the elastic body material, the elastic performance of the elastic body material is difficult to adjust, and the control force of a position locking switch of the movable component is determined by the elasticity, so the control of the self-locking switch of the prior art such as CN107714205B is difficult to adjust, but the scheme utilizes the contractible part of a locking piece to be matched with a rigid protruding part, the contractible part is contracted and deformed to provide elasticity, the elasticity is more formed by a spring structure, and is not only dependent on the elastic performance of the material, so the scheme can generate softer elasticity, and the control force value of the position locking of the movable component can be adjusted by adjusting the specific row shape, position locking, size, thickness, etc. for fine tuning control.

The locking piece contains collapsible portion, can be the whole of locking piece is collapsible, also can only contain a part to be collapsible, all can realize the auto-lock control to movable part. When the movable component is positioned at the opening position, the arch wire can be placed into the arch wire groove, and when the movable component is positioned at the closing position, the arch wire placed into the arch wire groove can not be taken out of the arch wire groove.

In some preferred embodiments, the locking member includes a blocking portion that abuts against the protrusion when the movable member is in the closed position, thereby blocking movement of the movable member. The orthodontic appliance requires the archwire to be stably secured within the archwire slot during use, with the movable member in the closed position being the position that closes the archwire slot. The provision of the blocking portion on the locking member enables the movable member to be stably held in the closed position, i.e. the orthodontic appliance is able to stably secure the archwire within the archwire slot. The blocking portion may be a limiting member such as a recess or a protrusion, or may be a portion of the protruding portion that contacts the movable member and forms an included angle with the moving direction of the movable member, so as to block the movement of the protruding portion.

In some preferred embodiments, the collapsible portion is collapsible in a mesial-distal direction. The retractable part can be retracted along the near-far direction, namely, the retractable part moves along the direction avoiding the movement of the movable part, when the movable part is moved, force is applied to the movable part, then the movable part extrudes the retractable part, the retractable part retracts along the near-far direction, a movement channel is opened for the movable part, the movable part can move, and after the movable part is moved away, the retracted part expands back to the original position under the resilience force.

In some preferred embodiments, the collapsible portion is any one of "N" -shaped, "M" -shaped, "pi" -shaped, "Contraband" -shaped, "C" -shaped, "S" -shaped, "H" -shaped in a cross-section substantially parallel to the labial-lingual direction or the gingival-gingival direction. When the section of the contractible part in the jaw gum direction is in an N shape, an M shape, a pi shape, an Contraband shape, a C shape, an H shape or an S shape, the contractible part is in an N shape, an M shape, a pi shape, a Contraband shape, a C shape, an S shape or an H shape when viewed from the lip and tongue direction; when the section of the contractible part in the labial and lingual direction is N-shaped, M-shaped, pi-shaped, Contraband-shaped, C-shaped, S-shaped or H-shaped, the contractible part can be pin-shaped or sheet-shaped when viewed from the labial and lingual direction, and the section of the contractible part is N-shaped, M-shaped, pi-shaped, Contraband-shaped, C-shaped, S-shaped or H-shaped; both of the above conditions enable self-locking of the movable part.

In some preferred embodiments, the receiving cavity is provided on a face of the movable member facing the protrusion.

In some preferred embodiments, the movable member is a locking slide.

The utility model also provides another orthodontic appliance, including main part and movable part, the main part has the jut and is used for holding the archwire groove of arch wire, movable part with the main part cooperation and can for the main part moves between open position and closed position, be equipped with on the movable part and hold the chamber, the jut is received hold the intracavity, hold the intracavity and placed locking structure, locking structure contains swingable piece and elastic component, swingable piece contains a movable end, swingable piece can swing and cooperate the jut will movable part fixes at least closed position, the elastic component be used for do swingable piece provides the reset force. The swinging piece can be a single structural piece or a part of the structural piece, and the locking structure can be formed by combining the single swinging piece and an elastic piece for providing the resetting force for the swinging piece, or can be a structural piece formed by connecting a rigid swinging piece and an elastic part for providing the resetting force for the swinging piece. It is within the scope of the present application to include a swingable portion in the lock structure. Because the swinging piece is provided with a movable end capable of swinging, when the movable part needs to be moved, force is applied to the swinging piece, and one end of the swinging piece is movable, on one hand, the movable part can be more easily opened by applying force to enable the movable part to contract, and the movable part can be opened by applying force softly, so that the operation is easy; on the other hand, the locking structure is only needed to be placed into the containing cavity, the locking piece and the movable part do not need to be welded, and manufacturing and installation are easier.

In some preferred embodiments, when the swingable member is subjected to a force, the elastic member is deformed, and then the swingable member swings, and when the swingable member is not subjected to the force, the swingable member returns to its original position by the elastic member. The shape and structure of the elastic piece can be any, as long as the elastic piece can provide the reset force for the swingable piece. Preferably a spring-loaded elastic member, i.e. an elastic member capable of contraction.

In some preferred embodiments, the swingable member defines the protrusion in a limiting region in the initial state and then fixes the movable member in the closed position, and when the swingable member is swung by a force, the protrusion is allowed to leave the limiting region, and when the protrusion returns to the limiting region, the swingable member returns to the initial state.

In some preferred embodiments, the swingable member is a plate-like member or a pin.

In some preferred embodiments, the initial state of the swingable member forms an angle with the direction in which the movable member moves, and then the swingable member limits the protrusion to the limiting region to limit the movement thereof, and when the swingable member is swung by a force, the movement path of the movable member is released, and then the movable member can move. In other embodiments, protrusions or recesses may be provided on the swingable member to define the protrusions to the stopper regions.

The utility model also provides another orthodontic appliance, including main part and movable part, the main part has the jut and is used for holding the archwire groove of arch wire, movable part with the main part cooperation and can for the main part moves between open position and closed position, be equipped with on the movable part and hold the chamber, the jut is received hold the intracavity, it is equipped with the locking piece to hold the intracavity, the locking piece is the round pin, the locking piece contains a expansion end, the locking piece can be crooked and in coordination the jut will movable part fixes at least closed position, the locking piece drives when crooked the expansion end activity.

In some preferred embodiments, the locking member defines the protrusion in a limiting region in an initial state, and then fixes the movable member in the closed position, and the locking member allows the protrusion to leave the limiting region when the locking member is forced to bend.

In some preferred embodiments, the initial state of the locking member is at an angle to the direction of movement of the movable member, and then the locking member limits the protrusion to the limiting region to limit the movement, and the locking member is forced to bend to release the movement path of the movable member, and then the movable member can move. In other embodiments, a protrusion or a recess may be formed on the locking member to limit the protrusion to the limiting region.

The present invention will be further explained with reference to the drawings and examples.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a front view of an orthodontic appliance of embodiment 1.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the orthodontic appliance of example 1.

Fig. 3 is a right side view of the orthodontic appliance of example 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view a-a of fig. 3 with the orthodontic appliance closed.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view a-a of fig. 3 with the orthodontic appliance in an open position.

Fig. 6 is a perspective structural view of a movable member of embodiment 1.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the orthodontic appliance of example 2 in a closed state.

Fig. 8 is an exploded view of the orthodontic appliance of example 3.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the orthodontic appliance of example 3.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the orthodontic appliance of example 4 in a closed state.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view of the orthodontic appliance of embodiment 4 in an opened state.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the orthodontic appliance of example 5 in a closed state.

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the orthodontic appliance of example 6 in a closed state.

Fig. 14 is a sectional view of the orthodontic appliance of example 6 in an open state.

FIG. 15 is a schematic view of a dental reference frame.

Detailed Description

Unless otherwise indicated, in the following structural description, reference to the reference frame to the teeth is required to describe the orthodontic bracket, and with particular reference to fig. 15, as used herein, terms such as labial, lingual, mesial, distal, occlusal, and gingival are used to describe the orthodontic bracket as the reference frame to the corresponding teeth. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the chosen frame of reference and the terms described, as orthodontic brackets may be used on other teeth and other orientations within the oral cavity. For example, orthodontic brackets may also be used bonded to the lingual surfaces of teeth and are within the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that when there are variations in the reference frame, the descriptive terms used herein may not be directly applicable. However, embodiments of the invention are intended to be independent of position and orientation within the oral cavity and the relative terms used to describe the embodiments are merely intended to provide an unambiguous explanation of the embodiments in the drawings. Likewise, the relative terms labial, lingual, mesial, distal, occlusal and gingival are in no way intended to limit the present invention to a particular position or orientation.

It is to be noted that the relative terms labial, lingual, mesial, distal, jaw plane and jaw-gum are the terms of art for orthodontic treatment. Taking the mandibular teeth as an example, the surface of the orthodontic bracket may be roughly divided into six planes. The face facing the lip is the labial side face of the orthodontic bracket, the face facing the tongue is the lingual side face of the orthodontic bracket, the labial side face is opposite to the lingual side face, and the direction formed by the labial side face and the lingual side face is also called the labial-lingual direction. The surface facing the occlusion of the upper jaw teeth is the occlusal surface of an orthodontic bracket, and can also be called as a jaw plane and a jaw end surface; the surface of the gum tissue facing the bonded teeth is the gum end surface of the orthodontic bracket; the direction in which the occlusal surface and the gingival surface form is also called the gingival jaw direction. The face of the tooth facing the midline of the tooth is the mesial face, the face opposite the mesial face is called the distal face, and the direction in which the mesial and distal faces are formed is called the mesial-distal direction.

And in the description of directions, such as the labial and lingual directions, it is generally referred to as bi-directional. For example, the lip-tongue direction refers to a single direction, i.e., a direction from the labial side to the lingual side, and whether or not a dash line is added is used as a distinction.

The axis inclination marking line refers to an inclined line which is arranged on the orthodontic bracket and has the same angle with the bracket axis inclination angle, and is used for more accurate positioning when a doctor uses the bracket to be bonded to a tooth surface.

Furthermore, the components and spaces described below are also described with reference to the reference system of the mandibular teeth, such as the gingival direction, jaw face, etc. of a component, but without limitation to the component and space.

Example 1:

referring to fig. 1 to 3, fig. 1 is a front view of an orthodontic appliance of embodiment 1, fig. 2 is an exploded view of the orthodontic appliance of embodiment 1, fig. 3 is a right side view of the orthodontic appliance of embodiment 1, which provides an orthodontic appliance, including a main body 100 and a movable member 200, the body 100 has a protrusion 110 and an archwire slot 120 for receiving an archwire, the movable member 200 is mated with the body 100 and is movable between an open position and a closed position relative to the body 100, the movable member 200 is provided with a receiving cavity 210, the protrusion 110 is received in the receiving cavity 210, a locking member 300 is disposed in the accommodating cavity 210, the locking member 300 includes a contractible portion 310, the collapsible portion 310 is capable of expanding and collapsing and cooperates with the protrusion 110 to secure the moveable member 200 in at least a closed position. The orthodontic appliance can be a bracket or a buccal tube.

The locking member 300 includes a retractable portion 310, and the whole locking member 300 may be a retractable member, or only a portion of the locking member 300 may be retractable, and all of the locking member 300 can achieve self-locking control over the movable component.

Unlike most self-ligating brackets on the market at present, the locking member 300 is disposed in the receiving cavity 210 of the movable member 200 without providing a recess on the main body 100, so that the structure of the orthodontic appliance is simplified and the production cost is reduced; the locking member 300 is disposed in the receiving cavity 210 of the movable member 200, and the locking member 300 is confined in a smaller space, which can improve the stability thereof, so that the opening and closing of the movable member 200 are more stable with more times. Compared with the scheme of controlling the movement of the cover body and limiting self-locking by simply depending on the elastic shaft or the bending deformation of the elastic body, the scheme of determining the elasticity by simply depending on the elastic performance of the material of the elastic body, the control force of the position locking switch of the cover body is difficult to adjust, but the scheme of the embodiment utilizes the contractible portion 310 of the locking piece 300 to be matched with the rigid protrusion portion 110 to realize the self-locking of the movable component, the contractible portion 310 is contracted and deformed to provide elasticity, the elasticity is more formed by a spring type structure, and the control force value of the position locking of the movable component 200 can be finely adjusted and controlled by adjusting the specific row shape, the size, the thickness and the like of the contractible portion 310.

Referring to fig. 1, it can be seen that the movable member 200 is a locking slider, referring to fig. 4 to 5, fig. 4 is a sectional view a-a of fig. 3 in a closed state of the orthodontic appliance, and fig. 5 is a sectional view a-a of fig. 3 in an open state of the orthodontic appliance, and the movable member 200 is locked by means of a locking piece 300 engaged with the protrusion 110. The contractible portion 310 can expand and contract in the proximal-distal direction, and can contract to release the movement path of the movable member 200. When it is desired to move the movable member 200, a force is applied to the movable member 200, and then the movable member 200 presses the contractible portion 310, and the contractible portion 310 contracts in the proximal-distal direction to open a movement passage to the movable member 200, so that the movable member 200 can move, and after the movable member 200 is moved, the contracted portion expands back to its original position by a resilient force. It can be seen that the collapsible portion 310 is "N" shaped in cross-section in the gingival direction, and other collapsible shapes, such as "M", "pi", "Contraband", "C", "S", etc., can be similarly implemented in cross-section. Similarly, the contractible portion 310 may be N-shaped, M-shaped, pi-shaped, Contraband-shaped, C-shaped, S-shaped, etc. in cross section in the labial-lingual direction, as long as the contractible portion 310 can expand and contract in the mesial-distal direction.

When the movable member 200 is located at the open position, since the protrusion 110 is received in the receiving cavity 210, the side wall of the receiving cavity 210 blocks the protrusion 110 from sliding out during the sliding of the movable member 200, so that the movable member 200 cannot slide down from the main body 100. In the present embodiment, the protrusion 110 is a cylindrical protrusion, and in other embodiments, the protrusion 110 may be a protrusion having any shape.

Referring to fig. 2, the locking member 300 includes a blocking portion 320, and the blocking portion 320 blocks the protrusion 110 from moving when the movable member 200 is in the closed position. The orthodontic appliance needs to stably secure the archwire in the archwire slot 120 during use, and the movable member 200 in the closed position is the position in which the archwire slot 120 is closed. The stop 320 provided on the lock 300 stably maintains the movable member 200 in the closed position, i.e., the orthodontic appliance can stably secure the archwire within the archwire slot 120. The blocking portion 320 is a recess or a protrusion, and may be other structures capable of blocking the movement of the movable component. In this embodiment, the shrinkable part 310 is partially bent to form a protrusion.

Referring to fig. 6, fig. 6 is a perspective view of the movable member of embodiment 1, in which a broken line indicates the protrusion 110, the movable member 200 indicates a lock slider, and the accommodation chamber 210 is provided on a surface of the movable member 200 facing the protrusion 110.

Example 2:

referring to fig. 7, fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the orthodontic appliance of embodiment 2 in a closed state, and this embodiment provides an orthodontic appliance having substantially the same structure as that of embodiment 1 except that: the blocking portion 321 of the locking member 301 is a concave structure, when the movable member 201 is located at the closed position, the protrusion 111 is limited at the concave position, and applies force to the movable member 201, the protrusion 111 presses the contractible portion 311 of the locking member 301, and then the contractible portion 311 contracts, releasing the moving passage of the protrusion 111. Other structures of this embodiment are substantially the same as those of embodiment 1, and will not be described repeatedly.

Example 3:

referring to fig. 8 to 9, fig. 8 is an exploded view of an orthodontic appliance of embodiment 3, and fig. 9 is a sectional view of the orthodontic appliance of embodiment 3, and this embodiment provides an orthodontic appliance having substantially the same structure as that of embodiment 2 except that: the locking member 302 includes a shrinkable portion 312, in this embodiment, the whole locking member 302 is the shrinkable portion 312, and it can be seen that the shrinkable portion 312 has a "C" shape in cross section in the lip-tongue direction, and other shrinkable shapes can be realized as well, such as an "M" shape, a "pi" shape, an "Contraband" shape, an "N" shape, an "S" shape, and the like, that is, the shrinkable portion 312 in this application is a tubular pin having an opening extending in the axial direction, so that the tubular pin can be shrunk when being pressed by force. Other structures of this embodiment are substantially the same as those of embodiment 2, and will not be described repeatedly. The stop 322 on the locking member 302 is a recessed structure.

Example 4:

referring to fig. 10 to 11, fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the orthodontic appliance of embodiment 4 in a closed state, fig. 11 is a sectional view of the orthodontic appliance of embodiment 4 in an opened state, and this embodiment provides an orthodontic appliance comprising a main body 103 and a movable member 203, the body 103 having a protrusion 113 and an archwire slot 123 for receiving an archwire, the movable member 203 being engaged with the body 103 and movable between an open position and a closed position relative to the body 103, the movable member 203 is provided with a receiving cavity 213, the protrusion 113 is received in the receiving cavity 213, a locking structure is arranged in the accommodating cavity 213, the locking structure comprises a swinging piece 403 and an elastic piece 503, the swingable member 403 is swingable and cooperates with the protrusion 113 to fix the movable member 203 in at least the closed position, and the elastic member 503 is used to provide a restoring force to the swingable member 403. The swingable member 403 may be a single structural member or may be a part of a structural member, and the locking structure may be formed by combining the single swingable member 403 with the elastic member 503 for providing the reset force thereto, or may be a structural member formed by connecting the swingable member 403 with the elastic member 503 for providing the reset force thereto. It is within the scope of the present application to include a swingable portion in the lock structure. In this embodiment, the swingable member 403 and the elastic member 503 are welded to form a structural member.

When the swingable member 403 is subjected to a force, the elastic member 503 contracts or bends, and then the swingable member 403 swings, and when the swingable member 403 is not subjected to a force, the swingable member 403 returns to its original position by the elastic member 503. The shape and structure of the elastic member 503 may be any shape and structure as long as the elastic member can provide the returning force to the swingable member 403. In this embodiment, the elastic member 503 is a retractable elastic member, and is illustrated as a plate spring.

Referring to fig. 10, it can be seen that in the initial state of the swingable member, the swingable member 403 limits the protrusion 113 to a limiting region, and then fixes the movable member 203 in the closed position, i.e. achieves self-locking of the movable member 203, referring to fig. 11, when the swingable member 403 is swung under force, the protrusion 113 is allowed to leave the limiting region, so that the movable member 203 can move relative to the main body 103, and during the movement of the movable member 203, the side wall of the accommodating cavity 213 will block the protrusion 113 from sliding out, so that the movable member 203 will not slide down from the main body 103. When the protrusion 113 returns to the stopper region, the swingable member 403 returns to the original state, and the movable member 203 is fixed in the closed position again.

As a preferred embodiment, the swingable member 403 may be a plate-shaped member or a pin, the plate-shaped member and the pin are simple in structure and low in production cost, the initial state of the swingable member 403 forms an angle with the moving direction of the movable member 203 to limit the protrusion 113 to a limit region, i.e., to achieve self-locking of the movable member 203, and if the swingable member 403 is made into other shapes and still meets the requirement, the swingable member 403 may be provided with a limit protrusion or recess on the swingable member 403 if the swingable member 403 is parallel to the moving direction of the movable member 203. Are also within the scope of the present application.

Example 5:

referring to fig. 12, fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the orthodontic appliance of embodiment 5 in a closed state, and this embodiment provides an orthodontic appliance having substantially the same structure as embodiment 4 except that: the elastic member 504 is a common compression spring, and one end of the compression spring is connected to one end of the swingable member 404. Other structures of this embodiment are substantially the same as those of embodiment 4, and will not be described repeatedly.

Example 6:

referring to fig. 13-14, fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the orthodontic appliance of example 6 in a closed state, fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the orthodontic appliance of example 6 in an open state, and this embodiment provides another orthodontic appliance including a body 105 and a movable member 205, the body 105 having a protrusion 115 and an archwire slot 125 for receiving an archwire, the movable member 205 being engaged with the body 105 and movable between an open position and a closed position with respect to the body 105, the movable member 205 being provided with a receiving cavity 215, the protrusion 115 being received in the receiving cavity 215, a locking member 305 being provided in the receiving cavity 215, the locking member 305 being a pin, the locking member 305 being capable of bending and cooperating with the protrusion 115 to fix the movable member 205 in at least the closed position. The locking member 305 is a resilient member that, when in the form of a pin, is inexpensive to manufacture and can effectively control the cost of the orthodontic appliance, making the appliance more commercially acceptable.

In the initial state of the locking member 305, the locking member 305 limits the protrusion 115 to a limiting region, and then fixes the movable component 205 in the closed position, i.e. achieves self-locking of the movable component 205, and when the locking member 305 is forced to bend, the protrusion 115 is allowed to leave the limiting region.

The initial state of the locking member 305 forms an angle with the moving direction of the movable member 205, then the locking member 305 limits the protrusion 115 in the limiting region to limit the movement, the locking member 305 is forced to bend, the moving channel of the movable member 205 is released, and then the movable member 205 can move, and the opening of the archwire slot is realized. In other embodiments, the locking member 305 may be provided with a protrusion or a recess to limit the protrusion 115 to the limiting region, and the same is within the scope of the present application.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications and variations of the present invention are also intended to be included within the scope of the claims and the equivalent technical scope of the present invention if they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims (14)

1. An orthodontic appliance comprising a body having a protrusion and an archwire slot for receiving an archwire and a movable component engaged with said body and movable relative to said body between an open position and a closed position, said movable component having a receiving cavity in which said protrusion is received, said receiving cavity having a locking member disposed therein, said locking member including a retractable portion, said locking member including a movable end, said retractable portion being capable of retracting and expanding and cooperating with said protrusion to secure said movable component in at least the closed position, said retractable portion upon retraction moving said movable end.

2. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 wherein said lock includes a blocking portion that abuts against said protrusion when said movable member is in the closed position, thereby blocking movement of said movable member.

3. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1 wherein said collapsible portion is collapsible in a mesial-distal direction.

4. The orthodontic appliance of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the contractible portion is any one of "N", "M", "pi", "Contraband", "C", "S" and "H" in cross-section generally parallel to the labial-lingual or gingival directions.

5. Orthodontic appliance according to any of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said housing cavity is provided on the face of said movable part facing said protrusion.

6. The orthodontic appliance of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said movable member is a locking slide.

7. An orthodontic appliance comprising a body having a protrusion and an archwire slot for receiving an archwire and a movable member engaged with said body and movable relative to said body between an open position and a closed position, said movable member having a receiving cavity therein, said protrusion being received in said receiving cavity, a locking structure disposed in said receiving cavity, said locking structure comprising a swingable member having a movable end, said swingable member being capable of swinging and cooperating with said protrusion to secure said movable member in at least the closed position, and an elastic member for providing a return force to said swingable member.

8. The orthodontic appliance of claim 7 wherein said resilient member deforms when said swingable member is subjected to a force, which in turn swings said swingable member, and said swingable member returns to its original position by said resilient member when said swingable member is not subjected to a force.

9. The orthodontic appliance of claim 7 wherein said swingable member in an initial state defines said protrusion in a limit zone and in turn secures said movable member in a closed position, said swingable member being forced to swing to allow said protrusion to move away from said limit zone, said swingable member returning to the initial state when said protrusion returns to said limit zone.

10. The orthodontic appliance of claim 7 wherein said swingable member is a plate or a pin.

11. The orthodontic appliance of claim 7 wherein said initial condition of said swingable member is at an angle to the direction of movement of said movable member.

12. An orthodontic appliance comprising a body having a protrusion and an archwire slot for receiving an archwire, and a movable component engaged with said body and movable relative to said body between an open position and a closed position, said movable component having a receiving cavity in which said protrusion is received, said receiving cavity having a locking member disposed therein, said locking member being a pin, said locking member having a movable end, said locking member being capable of flexing and cooperating with said protrusion to secure said movable component in at least the closed position, said locking member flexing to move said movable end.

13. The orthodontic appliance of claim 12 wherein said locking member in an initial state, said locking member confines said protrusion to a spacing region and subsequently secures said movable member in a closed position, said locking member being forced to flex to allow said protrusion to exit said spacing region.

14. The orthodontic appliance of claim 12 wherein said initial condition of said locking element is at an angle to the direction of movement of said movable member.

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