Package for an orthodontic bracket

Abstract

A package for an orthodontic bracket or other dental product is formed by a container having a bottom and a plurality of sidewalls, creating a cavity within the container. One of the sidewalls is disposed at an angle greater than 90 degrees from the bottom so that it slants up and away from the bottom. This way, the opening in the top of the package is larger than the surface area of the bottom of the package. There is a removable top configured for covering the cavity. There is a quantity of pliable material attached to the bottom or to the slanted sidewall. The pliable material is configured to be able to hold a small object such as an orthodontic bracket in place when the object is pressed into the pliable material. The bracket is placed on the pliable material in such a way that adhesive disposed on the rear side of the bracket does not touch the pliable material or any other part of the bracket.

Claims

1. A package for an orthodontic bracket, comprising: at least one container having a bottom and a plurality of sidewalls, creating a cavity within the container, one of said sidewalls being disposed at an angle of between 45 and 180 degrees from the bottom, a removable lid configured for covering the cavity, and a quantity of pliable material attached to said one sidewall disposed at an angle between 45 and 180 degrees from the bottom, wherein the quantity of pliable material is configured to support a dental or orthodontic product when the product is pressed into the pliable material, and wherein said one sidewall disposed at an angle between 45 and 180 degrees from the bottom has an indentation for accommodating the quantity of pliable material such that the quantity of pliable material lies flush with the sidewall.

2. The package according to claim 1, wherein the quantity of pliable material is wax.

3. The package according to claim 1, further comprising a top surface extending around the cavity, wherein the removable lid covers the top surface and wherein the removable cover is permanently attached at one end to an edge of the top surface.

4. The package according to claim 1, wherein the removable lid is connected to the container via adhesive.

5. The package according to claim 3, further comprising a support wall extending from the top surface and facing said one sidewall disposed at an angle between 45 and 180 degrees from the bottom.

6. The package according to claim 1, further comprising at least one orthodontic bracket embedded in said quantity of pliable material.

7. The package according to claim 6, wherein the at least one bracket has one side covered with applied adhesive.

8. The package according to claim 7, wherein the adhesive is curable with actinic radiation.

9. The package according to claim 7, wherein the bracket is pressed into the quantity of pliable material so that the side carrying the adhesive is disposed facing away from the pliable material.

10. The package according to claim 7, wherein the bracket is pressed into the quantity of pliable material so the side carrying the adhesive is disposed at a right angle to said quantity of pliable material.

11. The package according to claim 1, wherein the package contains at least two containers.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description con-sidered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

(2) In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

(3) FIG. 1 shows the package according to the invention in a sealed configuration;

(4) FIG. 2 shows the package with the cover open and a bracket mounted therein;

(5) FIG. 3 shows a side cross-sectional view along lines III-III of FIG. 1

(6) FIG. 4 shows a side cross-sectional view of an alternative arrangement of the bracket as shown in FIG. 3; and

(7) FIG. 5 shows a side cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(8) Referring now in detail to the drawings, a package 10 is shown, which comprises a container 11 having a front wall 13, side walls 14, a rear wall 15 and a bottom 18. Rear wall 15 is configured to extend up from bottom 18 at an angle greater than 90 degrees, in this case approximately 135 degrees, so that the opening created in the top of container 11 is greater in surface area than the surface area of bottom 18. Other angles of either greater or smaller than 90 degrees could also be used. A removable lid 12 is placed over the top of container 11 to seal the cavity created by the sidewalls. Lid 12 is preferably configured of a flexible material, such as plastic or metal such as aluminum, on which identification printing can be applied via printing or lamination. Lid 12 is secured with adhesive around the perimeter of the cavity, and permanently connected to container 11 at one edge, so that it can be peeled back to gain access to the interior of container 11. A top surface 16 extends out from the top edges of the side, front and rear walls. A support wall 17 extends down from an edge of top surface 16 to add stability to container 11. In addition, a lip 19 extends out in an opposite direction from top surface 16 to provide an additional surface for contact of lid 12.

(9) As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, rear wall 15 has an indentation 21 for accommodating an amount of a pliable material 20. Pliable material 20 can be wax or any other suitable material. Material 20 is placed in indentation 21 so that its top surface is flush with rear wall 15. Alternatively, rear wall 15 can have no indentation and pliable material 20 can be placed directly on flat wall 15. Pliable material 20 is held in place via an additional adhesive or by its own adhesive properties. A sufficient amount of pliable material is used so that when the object to be secured is pressed into the pliable material, the pliable material molds around portions of the object and holds it in place. Thus, the pliable material is more than a simple adhesive, but holds the object in place via physical force as well.

(10) An orthodontic bracket 30 can then be positioned within container 11 by pressing bracket 30 into pliable material 20 until bracket 30 stays in place. As shown in FIG. 3, bracket 30 can be positioned so that front surface 32 is pressed into pliable material 20 and the rear surface, which contains a quantity of adhesive 31, faces away from pliable material 20.

(11) Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, a side surface 34 of bracket 30 can be pressed into pliable material 20, so that the rear of the bracket with adhesive 31 is positioned at a right angle to the rear wall 15. As another alternative (not shown), pliable material 20 can be placed on the bottom surface 18 of package 11.

(12) FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention. Here, package 100 contains two integrally molded containers 110, each having side walls 120 and a bottom 122. An amount of pliable material 123 is secured onto bottom 122 with the help of ridges 124. A jig 200 for holding an orthodontic bracket 30 is then secured into pliable material 123 for storage and shipping. In use, the technician merely has to lift jig 200 off of pliable material 123 and place bracket 30 onto the desired tooth. Bracket 30 can be prepasted or can be shipped without adhesive.

(13) The present invention provides a novel, convenient and inexpensive way to package small items, including prepasted orthodontic brackets. It does not require jigs, support systems or any type of multi-piece configuration, as the pliable material is sufficient to keep the bracket in place during transport.

(14) Accordingly, while only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.