The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 15, 2017
Filed:
Mar. 04, 2013
3m Innovative Properties Company, St. Paul, MN (US);
Lee C. Yick, Placentia, CA (US);
Ming-Lai Lai, Arcadia, CA (US);
3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES CO., St. Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
Appliances and related methods use a resilient retention member that is retained in a recess within a body that is optionally made from a suitably translucent ceramic material. The retention member, optionally in combination with one or more side walls of the recess, provides two or more regions for accommodating a protrusion. The protrusion, in turn, is part of a sliding door which can be opened or closed depending on the equilibrium position of the protrusion with respect to the two or more regions. Based on the engagement between the protrusion and the retention member, these appliances can provide discrete opened and closed door positions to facilitate archwire ligation.