1. A downhole optic fiber wet-connect system, comprising:
first and second matable portions of a tool body;
first and second matable portions of a connector body, including:
a first magnet associated with one of the first and second matable portions and a second magnet associated with the other of the first and second matable portions, the first and second magnets being oriented to attract one another;
a first opening in one of the first and second matable portions of the tool body;
a second opening in the other of the first and second matable portions of the tool body; and
at least one of the first and second openings in the first and second matable portions of the tool body being configured and dimensioned to loosely receive one of the first and second matable portions of the connector body therein.
2. A downhole optic fiber wet-connect system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a flex-support in operable communication with the matable portion of the connector body received in the loosely configured and dimensioned opening, the flex-support having sufficient stiffness to support the portion of the connector body suspended loosely in the opening and insufficient stiffness to resist mechanical load associated with mating of the first and second matable portions of the tool body.
3. A downhole optic fiber wet-connect system as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of the first and second matable portions of the connector body is configured as a male portion while the other of the first and second matable portions of the connector body is configured as a female portion.
4. The downhole optic fiber wet-connect system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the female portion includes a volume of clean fluid maintained therein by an openable containment member.
5. The downhole optic fiber wet-connect system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the openable containment member is openable by rupture by the male portion of the connector body.
6. The downhole optic fiber wet-connect system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the clean fluid is hydraulic fluid or index matching gel.
7. The downhole optic fiber wet-connect system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the flex-support is disposed annularly around a fiber optic conduit disposed for optic transmission through the connector body when mated.
8. The downhole optic fiber wet-connect system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the flex-support buckles subsequent to mating of the connector body and prior to the fully mating of the tool body to decouple mechanical load of the tool body from the connector body.
9. The downhole optic fiber wet-connect system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the male portion of the connector body promotes alignment of the first and second portions of the connector body while the first and second magnets assist in alignment and pull the first and second portions of the connector body together into mating engagement.
10. The downhole optic fiber wet-connect system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the first and second magnets assist in retention the first and second portions of the connector body after mating engagement.
11. The downhole optic fiber wet-connect system as claimed in claim 2 wherein both the first and second portions of the connector body are supported by individual flex-supports and disposed in loosely configured and dimensioned openings in the tool body.
12. A method for wet-connecting an optic fiber in a downhole environment comprising:
supporting one of a first and second portion of a connector body with a flex-support within an opening of a first portion of a tool body, the opening loosely receiving the connector body portion;
moving the other of the first and second portions of the connector, the other portion being located within a second portion of the tool body, into mating contact with the one of the first and second portions;
buckling the flex-support to decouple a mechanical load on the connector from the mating of the first and second portions of the tool body.
13. The method for wet-connecting an optic fiber in a downhole environment as claimed in claim 12 wherein the moving includes aligning the first and second portions of the connector body.
14. The method for wet-connecting an optic fiber in a downhole environment as claimed in claim 12 wherein the mating includes opening of a clean fluid volume thereby flushing a connection area of the connector body.
15. The method for wet-connecting an optic fiber in a downhole environment as claimed in claim 14 wherein the opening is rupturing of a containment member.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A ceramic orthodontic bracket comprising:
a mesial section;
a distal section, wherein the mesial section and the distal section each include an external surface, and wherein the external surface of the mesial section and the distal section together present a base for bonding the bracket to a tooth;
an archwire slot extending across the mesial section and the distal section in a generally mesial-distal direction;
an elongated channel extending in a generally occlusal-gingival direction between the mesial section and the distal section, the channel having a depth in a lingual direction that is greater than the lingual depth of the archwire slot;
a line of weakness extending between the mesial section and the distal section lingually of the channel and extending along the length of the channel, the line of weakness enabling the bracket to be debonded from a tooth by pivoting the mesial section and the distal section about a reference axis extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the channel; and
a recess extending between the external surface of the mesial section and the distal section in a direction generally parallel to the channel, the recess having a bottom surface that is spaced in a facial direction from adjacent regions of the external surface of the mesial section and the distal section,
wherein the base has an overall width in a mesial-distal direction and an overall height in an occlusal-gingival direction, and wherein the ratio of the overall width to the overall height is less than about 0.95.
2. A ceramic orthodontic bracket according to claim 1 wherein the ratio of the overall width to the overall height is less than about 0.90.
3. A ceramic orthodontic bracket according to claim 1 wherein the ratio of the overall width to the overall height is less than about 0.85.
4. A ceramic orthodontic bracket according to claim 1 wherein the base has an area in the range of about 7.5 mm2 to about 11.5 mm2.
5. A ceramic orthodontic bracket according to claim 1 wherein the overall width is less than about 3.6 mm.
6. A ceramic orthodontic bracket according to claim 1 wherein the mesial section and the distal section each include a pair of tiewings having an overall height in an occlusal-gingival direction that is no greater than the overall height of the base in an occlusal-gingival direction.
7. A ceramic orthodontic bracket according to claim 1 wherein the channel has a generally \u201cV\u201d-shaped cross-sectional configurations in reference planes perpendicular to its longitudinal axis.
8. A ceramic orthodontic bracket according to claim 7 wherein the channel includes a bottom surface having a radius of curvature in the range of about 0.1 mm to about 0.15 mm.
9. A ceramic orthodontic bracket according to claim 1 wherein the recess has a longitudinal axis and a generally semi-circular cross-sectional configuration in reference planes perpendicular to its longitudinal axis.
10. A ceramic orthodontic bracket according to claim 1 wherein the bracket further includes a mesial clip connected to the mesial section and a distal clip connected to the distal section, wherein the mesial clip and the distal clip are operable to releasably retain an archwire in the archwire slot.
11. A ceramic orthodontic bracket according to claim 1 wherein the bracket further includes a mesial post extending outwardly from the mesial section in a generally mesial direction, a distal post extending outwardly from the distal section in a generally distal direction, a mesial clip connected to the mesial post and a distal clip connected to the distal post, wherein the mesial clip and the distal clip releasably retain an archwire in the archwire slot.
12. A ceramic orthodontic bracket according to claim 1 wherein the external surface of the mesial section and the distal section each include at least one corner having a radius of curvature in the plane of the base of about 1.0 mm.
13. A ceramic orthodontic bracket according to claim 1 wherein the base includes a number of particles.
14. A ceramic orthodontic bracket according to claim 13 wherein the particles comprise shards of a ceramic material.
15. A ceramic orthodontic bracket according to claim 1 wherein the line of weakness comprises a frangible web.
16. A ceramic orthodontic bracket according to claim 15 wherein the frangible web includes a portion having a thickness in a facial direction that is in the range of about 0.36 mm to about 0.66 mm.
17. A ceramic orthodontic bracket according to claim 15 wherein the frangible web has a thickness in a facial direction that is less than about 0.66 mm.
18. A ceramic orthodontic bracket according to claim 1 wherein the bracket comprises polycrystalline translucent aluminum oxide having an average grain size of no greater than about 1.0 micron.