Toilet – Toothpick – Having thread holder
Patent
1994-03-11
1996-01-16
O'Connor, Cary E.
Toilet
Toothpick
Having thread holder
A61C 1500
Patent
active
054839823
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a dental floss device of the type comprising a handle having a head piece, a disposable dental floss holder and releasable engagement means between the head piece and holder for fitting and disposal of the holder.
A dental floss device of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,249. The device described in this prior specification comprises a handle having a curved head piece with in-turned Jaws which have formations which interengage with complementary formations on a dental floss holder. The holder is of flexible material and is bowed for fitting to the Jaws of the head piece and thumb pressure applied.
One of the problems with known dental floss devices of this type is that the dental floss holder may be difficult to engage and disengage with the head piece. There is also a substantial risk of the dental floss holder becoming detached from the head piece in use in the mouth.
This invention is directed towards providing a dental floss device which will overcome at least some of the problems with known devices.
This invention is characterised in that the releasable engagement means on the head piece and holder is arranged to retain the holder securely in position on the head piece during movement of the holder in use in the mesio-distal, bucco-lingual and gingivo-incisal directions.
The advantage of this arrangement is in ensuring that the device may be effectively and safely used in all directions of operation in use. The distal-medial direction refers to the direction across the face of a tooth in a substantially horizontal plane. The bucco-lingual direction refers to the movement interproximally in a substantially horizontal plane. The gingivo-incisal motion refers to the flossing motion in a vertical plane.
In one embodiment of the invention the holder comprises a base portion and a pair of spaced-apart Jaws extending from the base portion to accommodate a length of dental floss therebetween and the releasable engagement means includes engagement means between the base of the head piece and the holder. This arrangement facilitates the flossing action in use and ease of manufacture.
The length of floss may be integral with the Jaws or may be attached thereto by any suitable means such as adhesives or the like.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the releasable engagement means includes a transversely extending groove on the holder or head piece and a complementary tongue portion on the other of the holder or head piece which interengage an assembly.
The provision of a transverse groove and tongue affords particular advantages of strength in use and ease .of attachment and disconnection of the holder.
Preferably the releasable engagement means includes snap-fitting means between the holder and head piece. Snap-fitting engagement in addition to the tongue and groove arrangement provides for ease of attachment and disconnection while adding to the ability of the connection to resist the forces generated in use.
In one case the snap-fitting means comprises snap-fit projection(s) on one of the holder or head piece which engage with corresponding recess(es) on the other of the head piece or holder. Preferably for ease of fitting and construction the snap-fit projections and corresponding recesses are provided on the Jaws of the holder and adjacent to the groove of the head piece. Typically the projections extend inwardly from the jaws of the holder to engage with corresponding recesses provided adjacent to the groove of the head piece.
In a particularly preferred embodiment which is preferred for ease of fitting and strength in use the groove is of arcuate shape in longitudinal cross section for interengagement with a correspondingly shaped tongue portion.
In another embodiment of the invention the snap-fit projections extend from one of the holder or head piece to engage a complementary recess in the other of the holder or head piece. Typically there are two spaced-apart and oppositely directed snap-fit projections for engagement with a recess provided by a slot. In one
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Bennett Clayton
Sullivan Alan
Sullivan Paul
Forfas
O'Connor Cary E.
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