Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080248440 | Orthodontic Bracket - An orthodontic bracket includes a base, an archwire slot extending through the base, and archwire slot extensions extending substantially in the mesiodistal direction from opposite sides of the base. | 10-09-2008 |
20080274435 | Crimping Pliers, Especially for Orthodontic Applications - Orthodontic crimping pliers include a first member having a first handle at a first end and a first jaw at a second end, the first jaw having a first flat edge, a second member having a second handle at a first end and a second jaw at a second end having a second flat edge and a pivot connecting the first and second members and allowing the first and second members to pivot with respect to one another so that pivoting the first handle towards the second handle causes the first jaw and the second jaw to move from an open position with the first and second jaws spaced apart toward a closed position with the first flat edge of the first jaw and second flat edge of the second jaw adjacent one another. In the closed position, the first flat edge of the first jaw and second flat edge of the second jaw are parallel and adjacent one another over a width of 0.005 to 0.015 inches. | 11-06-2008 |
20090017412 | Crimp Stop and Method of Making the Same - A crimp stop is made of a U-shaped cross-section member made of a metal material, the member being annealed to soften the metal material. The crimp stop can be made by a process for including forming a metal material into a member having a U-shaped cross-section, annealing the member by heating, and cooling the annealed member to soften the metal material. | 01-15-2009 |
20090061376 | Self-Locking Orthodontic Bracket - An orthodontic bracket includes a bracket body having a mesial-distally extending archwire slot opening to the labial surface portion, and a mesial-distally extending groove provided adjacent the archwire slot in a portion of the bracket body labially and occlusally of the archwire slot, the groove opening in a gingival direction. A spring clip of resilient material has labial and lingual portions in embracing sliding engagement with corresponding labial and lingual surface portions of the body, the spring clip being movable on the bracket body between an open position in which the archwire slot is open to the labial surface portion and a closed position in which the archwire slot is closed by the spring clip to the labial surface portion. The labial portion of the spring clip terminates in a free end that, in the closed position, is retained in the groove in the bracket body. The groove substantially prevents movement of the spring clip in the labial direction when in the closed position and is provided in relation to the archwire slot such that, when an archwire is provided in the archwire slot and is in contact with a lingual surface of the archwire slot, the spring clip is not in contact with the archwire. | 03-05-2009 |
20100055633 | Crimping Machine, Method for Crimping a Tube on an Archwire Using Same and Method for Joining a Plurality of Archwire Segments Using Same - A crimping machine includes a platform having a substantially flat upper working surface and a first crimping jaw fixed on the platform. An arm is slidably attached to the platform, the arm having a second crimping jaw provided thereon, the arm being slidable at least between a first, crimping position in which the first and second jaws are opposed and adjacent one another and spaced apart by a first distance sufficient to crimp a workpiece between the first and second jaws, and a second, open position in which the first and second jaws are opposed and spaced apart by a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance and sufficient to insert an uncrimped workpiece therebetween. A resilient biasing element is provided for biasing the second jaw towards the first jaw. An actuator is provided for forcing the arm into the first, crimping position. | 03-04-2010 |
20100190128 | ORTHODONTIC ARCH WIRE AND METHOD FOR USING THE SAME - A reverse curve archwire includes a generally smoothly curved U-shaped metal wire having a curved central anterior segment including a mesial center line of the U-shaped metal wire and a pair of posterior segments extending from ends of the anterior segment. Each posterior segment has a reverse Curve of Spee of a predetermined radius when relaxed. A pair of connecting members is attached to the archwire, each connecting member being provided on a respective side of the mesial center line. | 07-29-2010 |
20110033814 | Trisectional Arch Wire - An orthodontic arch wire has a generally parabolic shape and includes a curved anterior segment and a pair of posterior segments connected to and extending from respective ends of the curved anterior segment. The curved anterior segment has a circular cross-section and does not have substantially the same flexural rigidity as the pair of posterior segments, at least one of which has a non-circular cross-section. The three pieces are joined together to form the generally parabolic shape. | 02-10-2011 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090007933 | Methods for stripping and modifying surfaces with laser-induced ablation - A coating removal apparatus removes a coating from a surface. The apparatus has a movable scanning head and scanning optics. The scanning head is movable in one dimension, and the scanning optics adjust in two dimensions to compensate for movement of the scanning head to implement long range scanning with a uniform scanning pattern. Further, a surface roughness is determined by measuring specular and scattered reflections at various angles. For composite surfaces, the apparatus utilizes UV laser radiation and a controlled atmosphere to remove coating and alter the chemical characteristics at the surface. | 01-08-2009 |
20090008827 | Aperture adapters for laser-based coating removal end-effector - A coating removal device, comprising a head component and a body component, removes a coating from a surface. The head component has a means for detachably engaging a removable aperture adapter and for enabling an operator to change and use another aperture adapter for a different application of the device. Aperture adapters are configured for specified deflections of laser beams. In some embodiments, the device is coupled to a waste collection shroud, which achieves 100% collection of waste products without surface contact by establishing a suction flow normal to and in a direction toward a centerline of the device, despite presence of a purge flow that is ejected along with laser beams from the aperture adapter. In other embodiments, the device has a camera for enabling the operator to view an ablation processing region on a display when the device is in operation within a confined space. | 01-08-2009 |
20100044357 | COLOR SENSING FOR LASER DECOATING - A coating removal apparatus utilizing a common optics path to provide laser pulses to a coated surface and to direct a light illumination reflected from the coated surface to a photosensitive detector and analyzer. The apparatus is an integrated device including a laser source, a beam splitter, scanning optics, a waste removal apparatus, one or more light illuminators, a photosensitive detector, a comparator, and a control logic circuit. Alternatively, the laser source is external to the integrated device and a fiber optic cable is used to connect the laser source to the integrated device. | 02-25-2010 |
20120006806 | COLOR SENSING FOR LASER DECOATING - A coating removal apparatus utilizing a common optics path to provide laser pulses to a coated surface and to direct a light illumination reflected from the coated surface to a photosensitive detector and analyzer. The apparatus is an integrated device including a laser source, a beam splitter, scanning optics, a waste removal apparatus, one or more light illuminators, a photosensitive detector, a comparator, and a control logic circuit. Alternatively, the laser source is external to the integrated device and a fiber optic cable is used to connect the laser source to the integrated device. | 01-12-2012 |
20120321735 | COLOR SENSING FOR LASER DECOATING - A coating removal apparatus utilizing a common optics path to provide laser pulses to a coated surface and to direct a light illumination reflected from the coated surface to a photosensitive detector and analyzer. The apparatus is an integrated device including a laser source, a beam splitter, scanning optics, a waste removal apparatus, one or more light illuminators, a photosensitive detector, a comparator, and a control logic circuit. Alternatively, the laser source is external to the integrated device and a fiber optic cable is used to connect the laser source to the integrated device. | 12-20-2012 |
20130220982 | LASER ABLATION FOR THE ENVIRONMENTALLY BENEFICIAL REMOVAL OF SURFACE COATINGS - A laser-based method of removing a coating from a surface comprises directing a laser pulse to a first position on the surface, removing the coating from the first position by rapidly elevating a surface temperature of the first position using the laser pulse and thereby disassociating the coating from the surface and collecting the disassociated coating. In some embodiments, the coating comprises an environmentally harmful substance such as Hexavalent Chromium. In some embodiments, the coating comprises Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC), Vitrified Contaminant Material (CMAS). The disassociated coating is collected by a waste collector. | 08-29-2013 |
20130270234 | METHODS FOR STRIPPING AND MODIFYING SURFACES WITH LASER-INDUCED ABLATION - A coating removal apparatus removes a coating from a surface. The apparatus has a movable scanning head and scanning optics. The scanning head is movable in one dimension, and the scanning optics adjust in two dimensions to compensate for movement of the scanning head to implement long range scanning with a uniform scanning pattern. Further, a surface roughness is determined by measuring specular and scattered reflections at various angles. For composite surfaces, the apparatus utilizes UV laser radiation and a controlled atmosphere to remove coating and alter the chemical characteristics at the surface. | 10-17-2013 |
20140069897 | COLOR SENSING FOR LASER DECOATING - A coating removal apparatus utilizing a common optics path to provide laser pulses to a coated surface and to direct a light illumination reflected from the coated surface to a photosensitive detector and analyzer. The apparatus is an integrated device including a laser source, a beam splitter, scanning optics, a waste removal apparatus, one or more light illuminators, a photosensitive detector, a comparator, and a control logic circuit. Alternatively, the laser source is external to the integrated device and a fiber optic cable is used to connect the laser source to the integrated device. | 03-13-2014 |