Patents Examined by Ralf A. Lewis
  • Patent number: 6358045
    Abstract: A self-ligating orthodontic bracket comprised of a ligating member containing a coil spring segment for extending the ligating member over an archwire or retainer wire and over one or more tie wings to secure the archwire or retainer wire in the bottom of a slot in the bracket. The ligating member containing the coil spring may have ends that are engaged in opposing mesially-distally extending bores in one side of the bracket body, with the ligating member being engaged with one or more tie wings on an opposite side of the bracket body. Alternatively, the ligating member may form a closed loop with the ligating member engaged under both occlusally-projecting and gingivally-projecting tie wings or engaged under one or more tie wings on one side of the bracket body and passing through a mesially-distally extending bore on the opposite side of the bracket body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Ormco Corporation
    Inventors: Farrokh Farzin-Nia, Rohit C. L. Sachdeva, Thomas V. Selkee