AU710848B2 - Toothpick - Google Patents

Description

2 This invention relates to a toothpick and has been devised particularly though not solely for cleaning the face of a tooth as well as the gaps between teeth.

Many different types of toothpick have been provided in the past made from different materials, typically either wood or moulded plastics material and generally of an elongate nature having at least one pointed end or tip. Such toothpicks are commonly used to clean food particles from between the teeth of a user by inserting the tip between the teeth to engage and remove food particles.

Other prior published proposals include a tapered or pointed tooth pick having double helix ribbing to facilitate cleaning purposes (GB 2228871A), a strip-like tapered toothpick optionally having slightly serrated edges (European application 0012228), a toothpick of strip-like form having a serrated edge (Swiss 671331) and a rod like tooth pick having bristles, stubs or short filaments extending radially outward from the surface of the rod-like product (US 3,698,405).

However, the present inventors believe that new and useful alternatives to these prior proposals would be desirable to provide alternative and distinct operational performance which from many points of view would be 25 advantageous.

According to the present invention there is provided a toothpick having a gripping end portion and an operating tip portion of elongate form with a major face and an opposite side which taper towards one another in a *9.

30 direction extending towards a free end of the tip 9 portion, the tip portion being characterised by a o 9 plurality of protrusions spaced from one another along the major face and each protrusion being elongate in a transverse direction of the major face and being upstanding therefrom.

Preferably the tip portion extends over a substantial length of the toothpick and with advantage the toothpick can be of overall rectangular cross R//RA\ section.

S:23409E/419 3 Preferably a substantial number of spaced protrusions are provided e.g. six in number spaced by a distance substantially greater than the height of each protrusions. With advantage each protrusion can have one facet which is substantially flat and the opposite facet being convex and preferably the convex form is such that the protrusion is part ellipsoid in form to provide a smooth and rounded profile. Preferably this convex profile is on the side of the rib remote from the gripping portion and facing the tip.

Preferably the toothpick is moulded from a pliable plastics material.

Preferably the face of the toothpick opposite to the serrations is substantially flat.

Particularly preferred embodiments of the invention can offer an advantageous structure which lends itself to reliable high volume manufacture in a simple manner with the provision of a tip portion which offers an effective strip-like form which can firmly but gently act as a cleaning aid between the teeth.

Notwithstanding any other forms that may fall within its scope, one preferred form of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- 25 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a toothpick according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the toothpick shown in Fig.

1; and Fig. 3 is a side view of the toothpick shown in 30 Figs. 1 and 2.

o o In the preferred form of the invention a toothpick 1 is formed, typically by moulding from a suitable plastics material to a configuration having a tip 2 and a blunt end 3. The toothpick is typically, although not necessarily, rectangular in cross-section having a broad upper face 4 and side faces 5. The plastics material is preferably pliable so as to avoid damage to the teeth or gums.

4A plurality of serrations in the form of ribs 6 are

R

provided along at least one edge or face of the toothpick S:23409E/419 -4and preferably along the face 4 over part of the length of the toothpick adjacent the tip 2.

The serrations extend from a position adjacent the tip over at least one fifth the length of the toothpick and preferably over approximately over one third the length of the toothpick as shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the preferred form of the invention each serration comprises a rib 6 upstanding from the face 4 of the toothpick and having a flat facet 7 extending substantially perpendicularly out of the face 4 (Fig. 3) to a peak 8 and an opposed convex facet 9 between the face 4 and the peak 8.

It is preferred that the flat facets 7 face towards the blunt end 3 of the toothpick although other forms of rib could be provided with different orientations of facets in order to achieve the same desired result.

The face 10 of the toothpick opposite to the serrations 6 is substantially flat as can be seen in Fig.

3.

In use, the tip of the toothpick 2 may be used to dislodge food particles from between the teeth of the user Poe: Sin the well known manner for prior art toothpicks but the ribbed serrations 6 may then be used in the manner of a 25 toothbrush in a to and fro motion to clean the faces of the teeth of the user. The toothpick has a flat base and can be twirled around to clean the teeth and massage the gums and, being pliable, will not hurt or damage the teeth or gums.

30 In this manner a toothpick is provided which not only enables the gaps between the teeth of the user to be cleaned but also the entire tooth surface.

~The toothpicks as described above can be manufactured individually and sold loosely packed or alternatively moulded to a header bar, typically by a frangible link at each blunt end 3 so that a small "book" made up of a number of such toothpicks may be packaged in a similar _manner to a "book" of matchsticks.

S:23409E/419 5 THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:- 1. A toothpick having a gripping end portion and an operating tip portion of elongate form with a major face and an opposite side which taper towards one another in a direction extending towards a free end of the tip portion, the tip portion being characterised by a plurality of protrusions spaced from one another along the major face and each protrusion being elongate in a transverse direction of the major face and being upstanding therefrom.

2. A toothpick as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tip portion extends over at least one fifth the length of the toothpick.

3. A toothpick as claimed in claim 2 wherein the tip portion extend over one third the length of the toothpick.

4. A toothpick a claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the toothpick is substantially rectangular in cross-section.

5. A toothpick as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein each protrusion has one facet extending substantially perpendicularly out of the major face to a peak, and an opposed convex facet extending between the face and the peak.

6. A toothpick as claimed in claim 5 wherein the protrusions are orientated with said facet extending substantially perpendicularly out of said face facing the gripping portion.

7. A toothpick as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the opposite side of the major face of the toothpick is substantially flat.

8. A toothpick as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the toothpick is moulded from a pliable plastics material.

9. A toothpick as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the major face of the tip portion is substantially flat and in plan view tapers towards the free end.

s:23409E

Claims (1)

11. A toothpick substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 29 th day of July 1999 FRESH GREEN (CHEMICALS) PTY LTD By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK s:23409E ABSTRACT "TOOTHPICK" A toothpick is adapted to clean the face of a tooth (as well as between teeth) by the provision of a series of serrations in the form of ribs across one face (4) over a portion of the toothpick adjacent the tip Figure 1 S:23409E/419