Toilet – Toothpick – Having thread holder
Patent
1993-12-20
1995-02-28
O'Connor, Cary E.
Toilet
Toothpick
Having thread holder
132321, A61C 1500
Patent
active
053927958
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention concerns a dental hygiene device for interstitial cleaning.
It has been common practice for many years to use a material called dental floss for cleaning between teeth, apart from the use of a toothbrush for brushing them. Dental floss, as its name implies, is a filamentary material, like a fine thread, which is usually provided in a small dispenser which includes a cutter device. A user extracts a short length of floss, cuts it off, and then manipulates it using fingers to hold it taut to clean the interstitial spaces. Sometimes, a small tool can be used, having spaced arms, across which a length of floss can be tensioned.
Such a method of cleaning the interstitial spaces is generally awkward and less than satisfactory. The individual filaments of the floss tend to fray, and the floss traps material removed from between the teeth in among the fibres. Consequently, the floss can be used only once. The procedure also requires considerable time because of the need to cut a fresh length each time, and a manipulation of the thread by the fingers or the tool is generally inconvenient.
The invention aims to improve dental hygiene by facilitating interstitial cleaning in a number of ways, meeting some or all the above disadvantages.
Accordingly, the invention proposes a dental hygiene device for interstitial cleaning comprising a handle portion attached to spaced arm portions, and a filament stretched between said arm portions, characterised in that the filament is a hollow monofilament with continuous walls and capable of re-use.
A hygiene device as just described may be provided in a number of ways. At its simplest, the filament may be provided in a dispenser with a cutter, and a holder device for gripping a length of filament which, however, can be re-used so that it can be left ready for use whenever required without cutting fresh lengths. In an alternative, the device may be manufactured with a short length of filament fixed in place between the arm portions. Since the device can be moulded very cheaply, it can be used for a period of time and then thrown away.
In a preferred form, the device is integrated with a toothbrush. The handle of the toothbrush can be divided to form the arms of the device and a length of filament fixed in place. In a more sophisticated version, the handle portion and spaced arm portions can be formed by a sleeve member longitudinally slidable on the toothbrush handle between a retracted storage position and a projected use position. Relative movement of the sleeve member and the toothbrush handle into the projected position may cause spreading of the arm portions and tensioning of the filament.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, various exemplary embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates in cross section the use of a conventional dental floss;
FIG. 2 illustrates the use of a solid monofilament;
FIG. 3 illustrates the use of a hollow monofilament;
FIG. 4 illustrates a simple form of dental hygiene device according to the invention;
FIG. 5 illustrates an adapted toothbrush which incorporates the dental hygiene device according to the invention;
FIG. 6 illustrates to an enlarged scale the device of FIG. 4;
FIG. 7 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention combined with a toothbrush;
FIGS. 8 and 9 show respectively a plan view and side view of the device in FIG. 7;
FIG. 10 illustrates a slightly modified version of the device in FIG. 7; and
FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate another embodiment of the invention combined with a toothbrush.
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of two teeth 10,11 with an interstitial space 12. This is crudely shown as a V. Conventional dental floss 13 is illustrated in cross section, as it would be if inserted into the space for cleaning. Although individual strands of the floss 13 reach the very bottom of the space, it is clear that any undesired materials adhering to the sides of the teeth can become entrapped among the threads of the floss, renderi
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patent: 4304245 (1981-12-01), Lichfield
patent: 4776358 (1988-10-01), Lorch
patent: 4832063 (1989-05-01), Smole
patent: 4836226 (1989-06-01), Wolak
patent: 5125834 (1992-06-01), Swan
O'Connor Cary E.
Pelton William E.
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