EP1643930A1 - Appareil electrique destine au nettoyage interdentaire et au traitement des dents et gencives - Google Patents

Appareil electrique destine au nettoyage interdentaire et au traitement des dents et gencives

Info

Publication number
EP1643930A1
EP1643930A1 EP04740127A EP04740127A EP1643930A1 EP 1643930 A1 EP1643930 A1 EP 1643930A1 EP 04740127 A EP04740127 A EP 04740127A EP 04740127 A EP04740127 A EP 04740127A EP 1643930 A1 EP1643930 A1 EP 1643930A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
tool
electrical device
holder
coupling
coupling area
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP04740127A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
David Vivian Tyndall
Edward J. Mangan
Christopher Rich
Gordon Jones
Thomas Craig Masterman
Manfred Klawuhn
Wolfgang Müller
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Braun GmbH
Original Assignee
Braun GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Braun GmbH filed Critical Braun GmbH
Publication of EP1643930A1 publication Critical patent/EP1643930A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61C—DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE
    • A61C17/00—Devices for cleaning, polishing, rinsing or drying teeth, teeth cavities or prostheses; Saliva removers; Dental appliances for receiving spittle
    • A61C17/16—Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices
    • A61C17/22—Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like
    • A61C17/32—Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like reciprocating or oscillating
    • A61C17/34—Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like reciprocating or oscillating driven by electric motor
    • A61C17/3409—Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like reciprocating or oscillating driven by electric motor characterized by the movement of the brush body
    • A61C17/3481—Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61C—DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE
    • A61C15/00—Devices for cleaning between the teeth
    • A61C15/02—Toothpicks
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61C—DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE
    • A61C15/00—Devices for cleaning between the teeth
    • A61C15/04—Dental floss; Floss holders
    • A61C15/046—Flossing tools
    • A61C15/047—Flossing tools power-driven
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61C—DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE
    • A61C17/00—Devices for cleaning, polishing, rinsing or drying teeth, teeth cavities or prostheses; Saliva removers; Dental appliances for receiving spittle
    • A61C17/16—Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices
    • A61C17/22—Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like
    • A61C17/222—Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an electrical device for cleaning interdental spaces and for treating teeth or gums according to the preamble of patent claim 1. Further inventions relate to tools that are easily adaptable to the electrical device.
  • An electrically operated device for treating teeth or gums is already known from US 5,839,895.
  • the device has a vibrator and a shaft, the end of the shaft being connected to the vibrator.
  • the vibration movement is transmitted via the shaft to a tip, which is attached to the free end of the shaft.
  • This device is used for vibration massage to better treat the oral tissue.
  • the application of medication for the MunogeweDe uoer ⁇ ie corresponding device is also provided.
  • the use of the device for filling prepared tooth holes, cementing of inlays or onlays and the treatment of other clinical pictures is described by way of example.
  • No. 5,839,895 describes a device used primarily in dental surgeries, but not the use of a cleaning device for personal use.
  • No. 4,880,382 discloses an integrated oral hygiene system which has an electric toothbrush, the brush being able to be replaced by other tools, for example by a massage element, a dental floss holder, an interdental brush, etc.
  • a relatively large and rather unwieldy device is described here that is ergonomically not particularly suitable for the interdental area.
  • oscillating rotary movements are transmitted by an electric motor to a shaft, which transfers this movement to the toothbrushes or to the dental floss holder or the interdental brush.
  • the drive shaft can be coupled by means of a pin with a cruciform recess formed on the tool.
  • the path given by the oscillating rotary movement on the tools is sufficient when used with a toothbrush or a massage element, when used with a dental floss holder or with a toothpick it is much too large and therefore hardly acceptable for an operator.
  • US 3,967,617 discloses a mechanical gum massage device in which the massage element describes an essentially elliptical path during operation, the plane of this path being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the device.
  • the device is operated by an electric motor that drives an eccentric. This causes a massage tool to vibrate.
  • the massage tool is attached to a coupling section lying coaxially to the motor axis and can be angled at an angle of 45 °.
  • This device is also bulky and unwieldy.
  • the tools that can be coupled to the device can be coupled to the housing of the device by means of a thread engagement.
  • US 4,458,702 discloses an electrical dental flosser, that is, an electrical device for cleaning the interdental space by means of dental floss.
  • dental floss is connected between two fixed holder arms of the device, the holder arms being driven together by a vibrating motor so that they move up and down.
  • a vibrating motor so that they move up and down.
  • DE 102 13 629 A1 discloses a device for cleaning the interdental spaces with an elongated cleaning element that can be inserted at least partially between the teeth.
  • the elongated cleaning element has a front part, referred to as a single bristle, an intermediate part and a fastening base for fastening in an electrical interdental cleaning device which carries out an oscillating movement.
  • This device is based on an electric toothbrush, which is described in EP 0850602 A1, i.e. the attachable tools are set in vibration by a rapidly rotating eccentric mass.
  • the coupling of tools is described in DE-299 13406 U1.
  • the tool receiving head can be connected to the electrical motor housing via a long sleeve.
  • An opening is formed in the head, preferably in the form of a polygon or a circular shape, into which pins of accessories designed as tools can be fastened by jamming, pressing in, elastic means, screwing or equivalent fasteners which are adapted to the shape of the opening.
  • the present invention is based on the first object of providing an improved electrical device for cleaning interdental spaces and for treating teeth or gums, which is a compact, particularly handy and easy-to-use device and which is particularly ergonomic.
  • the vibrations are transmitted particularly intensively and in an energy-saving manner to the tool treating the oral cavity.
  • the individual tools should be attachable and detachable to the device in a particularly simple but nevertheless firm and captive manner.
  • tools are to be created for the electrical device that are easily adaptable, yet simple and inexpensive to manufacture
  • the first invention provides an electrical device for cleaning interdental spaces and for treating teeth and gums, on which a tool treating the teeth can be attached in a particularly simple manner to a tool holder formed on the front device. Since such tools are generally no longer used by an operator after they have been used, the tool is removed from the tool holder after use so that a new tool can be used again later.
  • the coupling area on the tool holder must therefore meet the condition that on the one hand many thousands of tools can be attached or detached without any signs of wear and tear on the tool holder and that on the other hand the tools are always held firmly on the tool holder with extremely simple means. According to the first invention, this is achieved in that the coupling region of the tool can be pressed into the coupling region of the tool holder using plastic deformation. This measure has the great advantage that wear occurs on the part, which is thrown away after its use anyway.
  • the plastic deformation also creates a particularly firm shrink or press fit of the tool in the tool holder. This can be achieved particularly easily if the coupling area of the tool holder is formed by a polygonal, preferably rectangular receiving opening, into which a pen-like tool can be inserted, the walls of which are designed such that a plastic deformation on the walls or corners of the insert Tool arises. Any cross-section is conceivable. The cross section of the coupling area of the tool must, however, still be dimensioned such that it can be pressed or inserted under plastic deformation into the coupling area of the tool holder with an acceptable hand force.
  • the coupling area of the tool also has a polygonal, preferably rectangular cross-section, which - with the exception of some areas - is always slightly smaller than the cross-section of the coupling area of the tool holder in order to insert the coupling area into the receiving opening at all to be able to.
  • thickenings are attached to the outer surface of the coupling area of the tool, which can only be pressed into the coupling area of the tool holder with resistance and with the formation of plastic deformation.
  • the cross section of the coupling region of the tool holder is the same or slightly larger than the cross section of the receiving bore of the tool holder.
  • the material protruding from the coupling area of the tool must then be displaced by plastic deformation when it is pressed into the receiving bore.
  • a surface that is not too firm must be present at the coupling area, which can be achieved, for example, by coating with an elastomeric material. This elastomeric coating is then scraped away when pressed in until the coupling area can be pressed into the receiving bore with a precise fit.
  • Plastic deformation can also be realized particularly easily by the features of patent claim 3, in which at least one protrusion protrudes from the outer surface as a thickening, which ensures that when inserted into the coupling region of the tool holder, the cross section of the coupling region of the tool is pressed in with plastic deformation and centered, whereby the tool is non-rotatably and captively attached to the electrical device.
  • the wall opposite the projection is pressed against the wall in the receiving opening with simultaneous plastic deformation.
  • the projection can have any shape.
  • the projection is formed by a longitudinal rib, which extends along an outer surface of the coupling region of the tool.
  • the longitudinal rib is only dimensioned so wide that the tool can be properly pressed into the coupling area of the tool holder with not too much effort during plastic deformation. If there is only one longitudinal rib on an outer surface, it must be dimensioned in such a way that, even in the most unfavorable tolerance range, at least the opposite outer surface on the inner surface of the coupling region of the tool holder comes to bear under pressure in order to guarantee a firm seat of the tool in the tool holder.
  • the other opposite sides are dimensioned so that they allow a slight press or contact with the walls of the coupling area of the tool holder, so that the vibrations emanating from the electrical device can be transmitted to the tool with even less loss.
  • a projection is formed on two opposite sides (claim 5), which are also plastically deformed when the tool is inserted, an even better press fit is obtained in the coupling region of the tool holder even with an acceptable amount of force.
  • the cross-section of the coupling area of the tool could also be dimensioned without the formation of projections so that it can be pressed into the coupling area of the tool holder just under slight pretension, as has already been mentioned before.
  • the tools are made of plastic and their cross sections are subject to certain manufacturing tolerances during manufacture, it can happen that if the cross section is only slightly larger than the cross section of the coupling area of the tool holder due to manufacturing tolerances, the tool is practically no longer in can press the tool holder, or the press-in forces become so high that this is hardly reasonable for an operator.
  • protrusions which are arranged on the outer surfaces in a locally restricted manner, there is just the possibility of plastically deforming relatively little material in order to nevertheless achieve a firm fit of the tool in the coupling area of the tool holder.
  • the longitudinal rib extends according to the features of claim 6 on the outer surface of the coupling area in the longitudinal direction of the tool, this has the advantage that the press-in force increases slowly but steadily during the pressing-in process when the longitudinal rib dips into the coupling area of the tool holder according to the movement and thereby increases is plastically deformed. If the longitudinal rib were to run transversely to the longitudinal direction of the tool, as soon as the longitudinal rib dipped into the coupling area of the tool holder, a relatively high expenditure of force would be necessary, which would be less advantageous. Any course between the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and lying in the longitudinal axis is conceivable, in which case the press-in forces lie between the two extreme values.
  • the longitudinal rib ends in front of the free end of the coupling area, so that before a plastic deformation can take place at all, a small part of the coupling area of the tool is first received and centered in the coupling area of the tool holder, and then to be able to better press or press the tool into the coupling area without any additional centering measures. This considerably simplifies assembly and simplifies handling.
  • the features of claim 9 are provided, wherein in the receiving opening - seen from the free end - a widening step is formed at a certain depth, on which the locking means jumps in when a tool is inserted and these literally snaps or engages behind, so that an operator knows that the tool has now reached its correct position.
  • the locking projection can be formed by any cross-sectional projection or also according to claim 10 of a transverse rib, which has the advantage that when it strikes the step perpendicular to the tool holder and engages behind it, the tool itself centered and stabilized in the receiving opening.
  • the latching means In order to avoid any tilting, it is advantageous to form the latching means on opposite sides of the receiving opening on the outer surface (claim 11). If a square surface is formed on the coupling area of the tool, it is then advantageous if, for example, the fastening means are formed on two opposite sides and the latching means are formed on the other two opposite outer surfaces. However, it is also conceivable to design the fastening and latching means on the same opposite outer surfaces, which would then be more difficult to accomplish purely in terms of injection technology due to the relatively narrow outer surfaces.
  • the features of claim 12 are provided in a further invention.
  • different tools can also be attached to the electrical device, so that the electrical device, for example, with a toothpick and the other times, for example, equipped with a dental floss holder and can be used accordingly in the oral cavity.
  • an operator can once equip the electrical device with a dental floss holder, with a toothpick, with a brush that polishes or otherwise cleans the teeth or with any other tool that is suitable for the oral cavity.
  • the coupling areas on the tool holder are designed in such a way that only one of the tools can be put on at a time, which leads to a clear use of the electrical device with the corresponding tool.
  • the coupling devices on the tools are also designed accordingly. With the help of this measure, it is also possible to have the movements required for a specific tool transmitted to the tool holder only via this coupling area.
  • a coupling device on the electrical device can be realized particularly simply in that the outer surface serves as a fitting surface to be slid on it for a fitting bore formed on the tool, which can be supported on the outer surface without play and in a rotationally fixed manner.
  • a tool can be placed particularly easily on the tool holder and, after the correct installation position, also has a firm fit in all directions. While the fitting bore on the tool serves to center it, an additional protrusion or a recess on the tool is used the recess corresponding to the tool holder or corresponding projection to prevent rotation against rotation of the tool.
  • the second tool in the form of a dental floss holder can be produced and centered or assembled particularly easily if the fitting bore is formed on a tubular coupling sleeve according to the features of claim 14.
  • a resilient locking element is provided on the tubular coupling sleeve, which can be snapped into a locking receptacle formed on the tool holder and thus fixes the tool absolutely firmly but releasably on the tool holder.
  • a particularly simple injection mold results for the tool if, according to the features of claim 16, the locking element is formed on a locking tongue which is connected in one piece to the coupling sleeve. In this way, the latching tongue with the latching element can be formed during the injection molding process of the entire tool.
  • a guide bead is arranged on the inside of the coupling sleeve opposite the latching tongue and engages in a groove formed on the outer surface.
  • the features of claim 18 are provided.
  • the area of the tool engaging in the oral cavity must be inclined in relation to the coupling sleeve in order to obtain different positions of the tool on the device.
  • he can mount the tool on the electrical device either in one position or in the other.
  • the coupling sleeve is provided with two fork arms which guide a dental floss holder, i.e. the second tool is a dental floss holder.
  • the features of claim 20 ensure that when using a dental floss holder, the outer geometry of the housing of the electrical device extends to the curved dental floss holder that one can optimally penetrate into the oral cavity with the dental floss holder, the housing of the electrical device being the actual handle for is the dental floss holder. While the geometry of the electrical device with the mounted dental floss holder according to the features of claim 20 is best suitable for the lower tooth area, the device according to the features of claim 21 is best suited for the upper tooth area, but it has also been found here that the latter embodiment can also be used well in the lower tooth area.
  • the second invention is now concerned with a tool in the form of a toothpick which can be coupled to the electrical device according to the features of claims 1 to 21 and also has a polygonal, preferably rectangular cross section in its coupling region, on the at least one outer surface of which a projection protrudes.
  • the cross section of the toothpick is - with the exception of the area of the projection - slightly smaller than the cross section of the receiving bore.
  • the projection can be easily molded onto the outer surface of the coupling area when the toothpick made of plastic is molded, without additional manufacturing costs being incurred.
  • the projection consists of a longitudinal rib (claim 23), which is plastically deformed when the toothpick is inserted into the coupling area of the tool holder in such a way that after using the electrical device with the toothpick and removing the toothpick, the toothpick no longer has a firm hold when inserted again the receiving opening, as was the case when it was first inserted.
  • An operator also recognizes from the signs of wear on the projections that the toothpick has already been inserted in the device and therefore may have already been used. He will definitely dispose of this toothpick and use a new toothpick.
  • Such a display is easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
  • the surface of the longitudinal rib were colored compared to the other plastic cross-section, when inserting a tool into the receiving opening of the tool holder, the surface on the longitudinal ribs would be scraped off and the differently colored plastic would clearly stand out, which could represent an even better wear indicator.
  • the longitudinal ribs protrude from their outer surface about 0.2 mm and are about 0.2 mm wide. Their length is 3.5 mm. These dimensions are such that - when a toothpick with a rectangular cross section formed in the coupling area is inserted into the corresponding receiving bore of the tool holder and, in the worst case, there is no more play between the outer surfaces of the tool and the inner surfaces of the receiving bore - the longitudinal ribs are practically completely plastic be pushed away or pressed flat and onto this How a quite precisely definable displacement force is caused, which is still easily applied by an operator.
  • the other extreme tolerance range is that there is a maximum play of 0.15 mm between the outer surfaces of the tool and the inner surfaces of the locating bore, so that the longitudinal or transverse ribs are still plastically deformed when they are pressed in.
  • the toothpick can be threaded into the receiving bore of the tool holder without effort until the longitudinal rib is reached. Only then does the press-in force increase, in that the longitudinal rib is partially or completely pressed as a result of plastic deformation - depending on the tolerance state. Because the longitudinal rib ends before the end of the coupling area end, sharp edges can be avoided which would arise if the rib actually ran to the edge.
  • the coupling area on the toothpick also has latching means (claim 28) which, according to claim 29, can be formed by transverse ribs which preferably extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the tool.
  • latching means claim 28
  • transverse ribs are formed on opposite sides of the outer surfaces in accordance with the features of patent claim 30. According to the features of patent claim 31, they have a height of approximately 0.15 mm and become practical when the toothpick is inserted if the dimension of the opposite outer surfaces on the coupling region of the toothpick is equal to the dimension of the inner surfaces of the receiving bore against which the transverse ribs rest , completely plastically deformed.
  • the transverse ribs do not extend to the end of the side surfaces (claim 32).
  • the features of claim 33 describe a toothpick that is still firmly seated in the tool holder with particularly small dimensions and with which the spaces between the teeth can still be cleaned well.
  • the toothpicks are preferably made of polypropylene, which leads to an inexpensive product. This is the material Dow Plastics PP H710-05. With this material and the dimensions given above on a toothpick can be easily inserted into a tool holder and fastened there with the aid of plastic deformation under acceptable hand forces. This material is tasteless and can be used in the mouth area.
  • the cleaning area of the toothpick is provided with a structured surface which is formed by flat transverse ribs which extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the tool and are rounded outwards.
  • the high-frequency vibrations on the cleaning surface of the toothpick and the transverse ribs running transversely to the longitudinal direction of the toothpick, which form a structured surface ensure that when they come into contact with food, they are easily detached from the mouth or tooth surface and transported by them to the cleaning surface.
  • Particularly good values have resulted in the dimensions according to the features of claim 37.
  • the cleaning area is provided with a coating according to the features of claim 40, which preferably consists of flavors embedded in wax.
  • the structured surface also additionally ensures that the coating material adheres particularly well to the structured surface during a coating process, which is usually carried out in the dipping process.
  • toothpicks are mass-produced and are thrown away after each use, the features of claim 42 are provided for easy manufacture. seen. In this way, many toothpicks can be produced next to each other on a sprue in one injection process together with the sprue.
  • the transition from the toothpick to the sprue is made by thin connecting pins that form bottlenecks and therefore represent a predetermined breaking point. To separate a toothpick from the sprue, the toothpick is therefore moved back and forth slightly relative to the sprue or, if the predetermined breaking point is narrow enough, torn off directly from the sprue.
  • the connecting pin is so thin that the toothpick does not fall off the sprue bar in the stored state, but that with little effort between the toothpick and the sprue bar it detaches from the sprue bar.
  • the features of claim 43 are provided so that no sharp edges are obtained when a toothpick is separated from the sprue.
  • the sprue bar has the advantage, on the one hand, that the individual toothpicks are kept at a distance from one another and do not touch, in order not to damage their surfaces, and, on the other hand, the toothpicks can be easily held by one hand.
  • the spacing-t-centering elements protruding from the sprue bars are arranged in such a way that the toothpicks, which are arranged individually in rows, do not come into contact with one another when they are tacked together.
  • the spacer / centering elements are preferably pin / bore elements molded onto the sprue, which engage in one another during assembly and thus form a stackable package when assembling several sprue bars with toothpicks. This package is then also suitable for being coated in the cleaning area before the stack is packaged in quantities acceptable to a consumer.
  • the gate also serves as a holding element when breaking off the individual toothpicks, it must also be easy to handle.
  • the features of claim 45 are provided.
  • the spacer / centering elements are formed on the corner opposite the toothpicks.
  • a holder with an interdental cleaning device such as dental floss or interdental brushes, is now claimed in a further invention for the electrical device according to claim 1, which has a fitting bore on a tubular coupling sleeve, which is centered on a tool holder designed as a dowel pin of the electrical device.
  • Such a fitting bore can be produced in a particularly simple manner in the injection molding process, without there being higher manufacturing costs.
  • the fitting bore as the outer surface of the tool holder designed as a dowel pin have a relatively large centering surface, which leads to a particularly good, stable and firm fit of the coupling unit.
  • the holder can be a dental floss holder with an integrated silk thread or a holder in general, on the other free end area of which there is a receiving and fastening device for an interdental brush, for example.
  • the interdental brush has bristles projecting radially from a shaft.
  • a resilient locking element is designed on the coupling sleeve of the dental floss holder (claim 48), which protrudes into the fitting bore and which, when placed on the tool holder, is moved elastically resiliently outward from its outer surface until the correct position is reached and thereby into one the opening formed on the tool holder jumps in or engages.
  • the features of claim 50 are required, although either a groove or a guide bead is also formed on the outer surface of the tool holder, but in which the guide bead or the groove of the tool is rotationally fixed engages axially displaceable.
  • the tubular coupling sleeve can be provided with two resilient latching elements and two latching tongues in order to fasten the dental floss holder to the tool holder in a position rotated by 180 °.
  • the coupling sleeve is connected to two fork arms (claim 53), between which the dental floss thread is clamped and thus forms the dental floss holder, and on the other hand if the two fork arms are inclined in one direction to the central axis of the fitting bore of the coupling sleeve run.
  • different courses of the dental floss holder in relation to the housing of the electrical device can thus be achieved if it can be mounted on the tool holder in different directions of rotation.
  • the dental floss holder With the dental floss holder according to the invention, food residues can be removed from an oral cavity if the dental floss is designed as a flat band (claim 54). It makes sense that the flat side is substantially perpendicular to the two fork arms, so that you can easily get into the interdental spaces with the flat side.
  • the material according to the features of claim 55 has proven to be a good dental floss material.
  • the features of claim 56 are provided so that fragrances and flavors are released to the saliva during the floating.
  • the features of claim 57 meet the health regulations.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic enlarged view of an advantageous embodiment of the electrical device according to the invention, the tool holder, the support structure and the hood are partially pulled out of the housing part for better assembly and disassembly description.
  • FIG. 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of the support structure according to the invention with tool holder and electrical add-on parts, but without an inserted battery;
  • FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section through the now assembled electrical device according to FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 4 shows a perspective detailed view of the tool holder, which is fastened to the upper section of the supporting structure by means of locking lugs; 5 shows a longitudinal section through the electrical device according to FIG. 3, but with a toothpick inserted into the tool holder;
  • FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal section through the electrical device according to FIG. 3, but with a dental floss holder placed on the tool holder;
  • FIG. 7 shows a central section through the tube section of the tool holder with inserted toothpick at the height of the latching holder according to FIG. 5, but on an enlarged scale;
  • FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the tool holder with toothpick in the direction V according to FIG. 7;
  • FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a toothpick as shown in FIG. 5, but rotated by about 180 ° about its longitudinal axis and on an enlarged scale;
  • FIG. 11 shows a view in the direction O of the toothpick according to FIG. 10;
  • FIG. 12 shows a side view in the direction P of the toothpick according to FIG. 11;
  • FIG. 13 is a top view of the toothpick according to FIG. 11, but rotated through 180 °;
  • Fig. 14 is a bottom view of the toothpick of Fig. 11;
  • FIG. 15 shows a detailed side view X according to FIG. 10, but on an enlarged scale compared to FIG. 10;
  • 16 shows a detail side view Y according to FIG. 12, but on an enlarged scale compared to FIG. 12; 17 shows five toothpicks molded onto a runner in front view;
  • FIG. 18 shows a perspective view from behind of the sprue bar according to FIG. 17 connected with five toothpicks
  • FIG. 19 shows a detailed view T of the edge of the surface in the cleaning area of the toothpick according to FIG. 17, although here the surface has been shown greatly enlarged;
  • FIG. 20 shows a front view of a dental floss holder designed as a further tool on an enlarged scale
  • Fig. 21 is a right side view of the dental floss holder of Fig. 19;
  • FIG. 22 is a bottom view of the dental floss holder according to FIG. 19, but rotated through 190 ° in the plane;
  • Fig. 23 shows a section along the line Z-Z of FIG. 19 through the locking tongue, but shown on an enlarged scale
  • 24 is a perspective view of a holder on which an interdental brush or other tool is attached.
  • the electrical device 1 has a tubular housing part 45 made of thermoplastic material. whose longitudinal axis 49 extends substantially perpendicular to the horizontal when the device 1 is set up, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 5 and 6.
  • the housing part 45 has an upper opening 46 and a lower opening 60.
  • the upper opening 46 can be closed by a scoop 4 and the lower opening 60 by a housing base 6.
  • the lower section 51 of a support structure 3 is received, which in the illustration according to FIG. 1 is partially pulled out of the housing part 45.
  • the lower section 51 extends in the longitudinal direction of the housing part 45 and goes approximately at the exit of the upper housing edge 10 into an upper one angled with respect to the longitudinal axis 49 Section 52 about.
  • a tool holder 5 is fastened to the upper section 52 of the support structure 3 and is partially closed by a hood 4 as the upper cover part.
  • the housing base 6 serves, among other things, as a standing surface for the electrical device 1.
  • the support structure 3 is fastened and centered in the housing part 2 above the housing base 6.
  • the electrical device 1 due to its compact modular construction, the electrical device 1 only has a total height of 7 cm to 9 cm without a cleaning attachment.
  • AAA batteries are used as the battery 13 here, which can be used in a receptacle 54 of the lower section 51 of the support structure 3. Due to the compact design, the device can be used comfortably when traveling, after a business lunch and even when going out in the evening and differs from known devices which essentially rely on electric toothbrushes and use in the bathroom. Due to the battery operation, the device according to the invention is network-independent. Elaborate adapters for using interdental cleaning kits on electric toothbrushes are not required here.
  • the housing part 45 is produced as an injection molded part using the two-component injection molding process.
  • the areas 7 are partially made of hard plastic, preferably ASA (styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer acrylic ester rubber) in the present exemplary embodiment because of the higher strength compared to polypropylene, and the areas 8 are made of soft plastic, in the present exemplary embodiment made of TPE.
  • ASA styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer acrylic ester rubber
  • the areas 8 are made of soft plastic, in the present exemplary embodiment made of TPE.
  • the areas 8 made of soft plastic serve primarily as a finger and thumb rest for a user's hand.
  • the resilient actuating button 9 serves as a touch surface for the on / off switch 14 located behind it.
  • the soft plastic can be sprayed onto the hard plastic or injected into openings in the form of a membrane. The latter occurs in particular on the operating button 9 in order to be able to operate the internal electrical switch 14.
  • the housing part 45 which is essentially designed as a slightly waisted cylinder tube, has a slightly curved upper housing edge 10 which runs obliquely to the horizontal, which encloses the upper opening 46 and which is bordered by a circumferential sealing lip 11 made of TPE.
  • the housing part 2 has a horizontally running, circular lower housing edge 12.
  • the housing base 6 has a circumferential annular groove 55 on its inner circumference, which, when closed, simplifies assembly. days and centering in a tapering towards the free end of the housing part 2 edge 70 of the housing part 2 captively but still rotatably engages.
  • the housing base 6 has an internal thread 18 for engagement in an external thread 20 of the support structure 3 (see FIGS. 3, 5, 6).
  • a vent hole (not shown) is also provided on the bottom of the housing bottom 19, which is used to avoid excess pressure in the interior 59 of the housing, which occurs, for example, when a battery is outgassed.
  • the underside of the housing bottom 19 is curved slightly inward in the form of a lens.
  • the support structure 3 is provided in the illustration in FIGS. 1 and 3 with the battery 13 for the power supply of an electric motor 22.
  • 2 shows the support structure 3 without a battery.
  • 1, 3, 5, 6 of the electrical on / off switch 14 is fastened to the elongated support structure 3 made as a one-piece injection-molded part made of thermoplastic plastic, while the battery compartment 21 is arranged on the longitudinal side opposite the switch 14.
  • the support structure 3 contains all the necessary cables and contact points, but these are not shown in the drawing.
  • a latching receptacle 56 is arranged laterally in the upper section 52 of the supporting structure 3, into which the corresponding latching hook 15 of the hood 4 hooks when the hood 4 is attached to the supporting structure 3 (see FIG. 1).
  • the slightly frustoconical tool holder 5 is attached to the angled upper section 52 of the support structure 3 so that it cannot rotate.
  • the tool holder 5 forms a tube section 48, on the inner wall 47 of which the upper half of the housing 71 of the electric motor 22 is firmly pressed.
  • the lower half of the housing 71 of the electric motor 22 is pressed into a bore 116 formed in the upper section 52 of the support structure 3, so that the electric motor 22 firmly connects the tool holder 5 to the support structure 3 (FIG. 3).
  • a drive shaft 57 protrudes from the electric motor 22, to which an eccentric mass 23 is fastened, which is also enclosed in the inner wall 47.
  • the electric motor 22 has a very small diameter, in the present exemplary embodiment approximately 6 mm.
  • the power consumption of the motor is only about 0.1 watts. This low output is also brought about by the particularly advantageous placement of the eccentric mass 23 in the tool holder 5, since that for operating the tools 31, 37 (FIGS. 5 and 6) required vibration is generated directly on the tool holder 5 and transmitted directly to the tool.
  • a sealing seat 29 is provided above the circumferential, radially projecting annular collar 30, on which the O-ring seal 24 is supported when the hood 4 is fastened to the supporting structure 3.
  • the substantially slightly conically tapering outer surface 53 of the tool holder 5 has, according to FIGS. 4, 7, 8 and 9, a chamfer 28 on its upper edge.
  • tools 37 which, for example, have a cylindrical or conical coupling sleeve 38 comprising the tool holder 5, can be centered more easily and thus placed more easily.
  • the coupling sleeve 38 of the tool 37 (FIGS. 6 and 20 to 23) has an open tubular cross section as a tube section 48 which is fitted onto the outer surface 53 in a suitable manner.
  • a snap-in receptacle 27 is provided on the outer surface 53 of the tool holder 5, which is used for axially and non-rotatably fixing tools 37 which are equipped with the coupling sleeve 38, which surrounds the tool holder 5 without play, and a snap-in element 39 arranged thereon , as can be seen from FIG. 6 in connection with FIG. 3.
  • the latching receptacle 27 is in direct connection with the square receptacle 26 and thereby simultaneously serves as a drainage channel for liquid that could collect in the square receptacle 26 during operation.
  • FIG. 6 shows an enlarged schematic illustration of the electrical device 1 with a fork-shaped dental floss holder 37, as is also shown in detail in FIGS. 20 to 23.
  • the dental floss holder 37 has the essentially cylindrical coupling sleeve 38 with a latching tongue 40 arranged in the cylinder wall with latching element 39 and a guide bead 41 opposite the latching tongue 40.
  • the guide bead 41 protruding from the inner wall 66 of the coupling sleeve 38 is used for non-rotatable mounting on the tool holder 5.
  • a flattening 44 (see also FIG. 2) on the tool holder 5 running in the longitudinal axis 50 on the outer surface 53 is provided as a counterpart to the guide bead 41 ,
  • the dental floss holder 37 is placed on the essentially conical tool holder 5 of the electrical interdental cleaning device 1 and the latching element 39 is latched into the latch holder 27 provided for this purpose.
  • the tool holder 5 is tightly and flush enclosed by the coupling sleeve 38 and the dental floss holder 37 is absolutely firm, but nevertheless detachable by hand, connected to the tool holder 5.
  • the outer surface 53 of the holder 5 and the diameter of the inner wall 66 of the coupling sleeve 38 are designed as cooperating fitting bores.
  • the outer surface 53 of the tool holder can widen slightly conically towards the device 1, so that the largest diameter in the region of the upper edge 17 on the tool holder is larger than the diameter of the inner wall 66 of the Coupling sleeve 38. This ensures that when the dental floss holder 37 is pushed onto the outer surface 53 of the tool holder 5, the dental floss holder 37 forms an interference fit with the outer surface 53, and thus the dental floss holder 37 is also secured against rotation and firmly on the tool holder 5.
  • the locking element 39 then also snaps into the locking receptacle 27 of the tool holder 5.
  • a holder (not shown) can be fastened to the outer surface 53, with the same design of the receptacle 5 and the inner wall 66 of the coupling sleeve 38, and an interdental brush can be exchangeably plugged onto its other end in a receiving bore (not shown).
  • the device 1 and the dental floss holder 37 form an S-shaped course and thus the dental floss holder can be inserted better into the oral cavity on both sides.
  • the catch receptacle 27 should be arranged offset by 180 ° on the outer surface 53 of the tool holder 5.
  • the locking element 39 and the locking tongue 40 must then also be arranged offset by 180 ° on the coupling sleeve 38.
  • a square receptacle 26 is provided as a coupling section B for receiving a coupling region 34 of a tool 31 with a rectangular cross section and rounded corners 109, as can be seen, for example, from FIG. 4.
  • rectangular should also be understood to mean a corresponding cross section with chamfered or rounded edges.
  • oval, triangular or square cross section is also conceivable.
  • a transition region 35 in which the cross section of the tooth pick 31 changes from a rectangular cross section to a triangular cross section.
  • the transition area 35 is followed by the cleaning area 36, which has a triangular cross section with a relatively sharp edge 68, the height of the toothpick 31 in the longitudinal axis 50 progressively decreasing from the edge 68 to the toothpick tip 33 from the edge 68 to achieve easier penetration into the interdental spaces.
  • the side surfaces 65 of the cleaning area 36 are corrugated or structured transversely to the longitudinal axis 50 in order to enhance the cleaning effect. According to FIGS.
  • the tool holder 5 is formed by a tube section 48, which in the present example is essentially divided into two sections, namely the upper 63 and lower 69 areas, which are waterproof by means of a false ceiling 42 are separated from each other.
  • the eccentric mass 23 and the electric motor 22 are fastened to the inner wall 47, preferably by pressing. This causes the tool holder 5 and thus also the corresponding tool 31, 37 to vibrate when the electrical device 1 is switched on. These vibrations cause an oscillating movement of the dental floss or toothpick 31 stretched between the fork arms 43, which leads to the desired removal of food residues, inter alia, from an interdental space.
  • the flavors and care substances applied to the dental floss or to the surface in the cleaning area 36 of the toothpick 31 are evenly distributed over the interdental space.
  • the assembly of the device 1 according to the invention has the following steps:
  • the electric motor 22 is pressed into the space 69 of the tubular tool holder with the eccentric mass 23 attached to its drive shaft 57, the eccentric shaft 23 first being immersed in the space 69.
  • the housing 71 of the electric motor 22 is pressed into the space 69 until its upper end edge 72 strikes the step 73 in the inner wall 47. In this position, the free end of the eccentric mass 23 is only so small a distance from the false ceiling 42 that the eccentric mass 23 can still rotate freely in the space 69.
  • the other end of the electric motor 22 is now pressed according to FIG. 3 into the bore 116 of the upper section 52 of the support structure 3 until the end face 117 formed on the annular collar 30 strikes the end face 118 of the upper section 52.
  • Tool holder 5, electric motor 22, eccentric mass 23 are now firmly connected to the support structure 3.
  • the cables (not shown) already attached to the electric motor 22 are connected to the switch 14, which is now attached to the support structure 3.
  • An O-ring 24 is then pushed over the outer surface 53 onto the tool holder 5 until it comes into contact with the sealing seat 29 of the collar 30 of the tool holder 5. In Figure 4, however, the O-ring 24 has not yet been pushed on.
  • the hood 4 is pressed against the supporting body 3 with a preload so that the locking hooks 15 formed on the hood 4 come into engagement with the locking receptacles 56 of the supporting structure 3 (FIGS. 1 and 2).
  • the pretension is achieved in that, on the one hand, the latching hooks 15 are designed to be slightly elastic and, on the other hand, the O-ring 24 is prestressed by the hood 4 after the latching hooks 15 have engaged in such a way that the hood 4 rests against the support structure 3 without play and in a rotationally fixed manner.
  • the lower section 51 of the support structure 3 protrudes downward from the lower opening 77 of the scoop 4.
  • the electrical conductor tracks (not shown), the electrical switch 14 and the cables coming from the electric motor 22 are now connected to the contact tabs of a battery 13 (FIG. 3) formed in the receptacle 54. If the switch 14 is now switched on, the motor 22 is connected to electrical energy by the battery 13 (FIG. 3) and is thus set in rotation. In this way, the pre-assembled support structure 3 can already be tested for its function in this state, when a battery 13 is inserted into the battery receptacle 54, since in this assembled state all corresponding electrical parts can already be supplied with voltage. If the device 1 runs properly, the fully assembled support structure 3 can be inserted into the housing part 45 according to FIG.
  • the lower free end of the lower section 51 of the support structure 3 is first inserted through the upper opening 74 of the housing part 45.
  • this is only possible if the support structure 3 is in the correct position relative to the housing part 45, which is made possible by guide ribs (not shown in the drawing) which only insert the support structure 3 when the correct orientation of the support structure 3 to the housing part 45 has been made allows in the housing part 3.
  • the supporting structure is pushed into the housing part 45 until the lower edge 16 of the scoop 4 comes to rest just before or on the upper housing edge 10.
  • the housing base 6 is inserted into the lower opening 60 of the housing part 45 and rotated until the internal thread 18 of the housing base 6 into the External thread 20 of the support structure 3 engages.
  • the support structure 3 is now slowly pulled towards the housing base 6 - because this is supported on the lower opening 60 of the housing part 45 - that the lower edge 16 of the hood 4 is pressed against the upper housing edge 10 of the housing part 45 , In this position, the support structure 3 is completely mounted in the housing 2 and is also resistant to water and dirt inside the housing 59.
  • the housing base 6 can also be captively but rotatably attached to the lower opening 60 of the housing part 45.
  • the operation of the electrical device 1 is as follows:
  • the electrical device 1 is switched on by moving the actuating button 9 on the outside of the housing part 45 towards the electrical switch 14 and holding it in this position by hand.
  • the actuating button 9 designed as a resilient membrane moves towards the electrical switch 14 and switches it on as long as the actuating button 9 is pressed by hand.
  • Such a switch 14 is called a moment switch.
  • the battery 13 leads current via the lines (not shown) to the electric motor 22 and the eccentric mass 23 connected to the drive shaft 57 is set in rotation. Due to the very fast (approx. 8000 ⁇ 1500 revolutions per minute) eccentric mass 23, high-frequency vibrations are transmitted via the drive shaft 57 to the electric motor 22 and from there via the inner wall 47 to the tool holder 5, which are also excited to high vibrations. These vibrations are now transmitted to the tool 31, 37 which is firmly connected to the tool holder 5.
  • the toothpick tip 33 according to FIG. 5 is inserted into an interdental space of an operator (not shown), then due to the high vibrations on the tooth tip 33 as well as on the side surfaces 65 of the cleaning area 36, it removes food residues and other deposits in the interdental space when the cleaning area 36 comes into contact with tooth parts.
  • the dental floss holder 37 according to FIG. 6 however here the silk thread 78 clamped between two fork arms 43 (only the clamped end is visible from the outside) is led into an interdental space, where this is due to its high vibrations also removes material from the teeth and transports them laterally to the fork arms 43.
  • the tools 31, 37 are also coated with a special wax provided with aromas, such as peppermint, this results in better processing with a better smell and taste and results in a long-lasting feeling of freshness in the mouth.
  • the battery on the electrical device is replaced as described below:
  • the housing base 6 is loosened until the internal thread 18 is disengaged from the external thread 20. If the housing base 6 is rotatably but fixedly connected to the housing part 45, the support structure 3 is transported upwards when the threaded device 18, 20 is released, the scraper 4 being detached from the housing part 45. Now the complete support structure 3 with the hood 4 can be removed from the housing part 45 and the old battery 13 can be replaced with a new one. The assembly takes place in the opposite direction, as has already been described above when assembling the electrical device 1.
  • FIGS. 7 to 22 In order to avoid repetitions, the same reference numerals have been chosen in FIGS. 7 to 22 for corresponding components from FIGS. 1 to 6. Therefore, only the differences that are not recognizable in FIGS. 1 to 6 are mainly dealt with.
  • FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 clearly show a longitudinal rib 80 formed on the narrow side 75, which runs centrally on the narrow side 75 and is raised in relation to the narrow side 75.
  • the longitudinal rib 80 has a V-shaped cross section tapering towards the outside, as can be clearly seen from FIG. 16.
  • the longitudinal rib 80 begins at a distance a (FIG. 9) from the end surface 81 designed as a free end on the coupling region 34 of the toothpick.
  • FIGS. 7 and 9 only the area of the longitudinal rib 80 that has not penetrated into the receiving opening 26 and into the space area 64 is not plastically deformed, so it still has the original state after the spraying process. The rest was squeezed away plastically by the narrow inner wall 82 formed in the receiving opening 26 so that the coupling region 34 can be inserted into the receiving opening 26 at all.
  • the longitudinal rib 80 is formed on the narrow side 75 opposite the narrow side 76, which is also referred to as the narrower outer surface, while on the two wider outer surfaces 84 (FIGS 5 and 10 to 15), preferably three spaced-apart transverse ribs 32 are formed, which preferably have a semicircular cross section with the radius R, as shown in particular in FIG. 15.
  • the transverse ribs 32 run at the same distance from one another in the coupling region 34 of the toothpick 31. From FIG.
  • FIGS. 9, 10, 12 and 14 a recess 85 with a rectangular cross section is formed on the end surface 81, via which a more detailed explanation of FIGS. 17 and 18 will be given later.
  • the snap-in receptacle 27 which is designed as a square bore, opens directly into the receiving opening 26 and extends perpendicularly to the latter. This has the advantage that if dirt accumulates in the receiving opening 26, this can be cleaned by means of a through-flow flushing which takes place via the receiving opening 26 and the latching receptacle 27. At the beginning of the receiving opening 26, this has a chamfer 86 which enables the toothpick 31 to be introduced more easily into the receiving opening 26.
  • the toothpick 31 has an essentially rectangular cross section in its coupling region 34, although the corners 110 are rounded for better insertion and to avoid sharp outer edges.
  • the side surfaces 65 run together in a V-shape and end at an edge 68, which is referred to as the edge that first penetrates into the interdental spaces.
  • the side surfaces 65 also run together in a V-shape in the direction of the toothpick tip 33, so that the toothpick 31 tapers more and more towards the toothpick tip 33 until it has an almost needle-shaped or pen-like character.
  • the edge 68 tapers towards the toothpick tip 33 and follows the course of a radius R1 according to FIG. 10.
  • the transverse ribs 32 have a semicircular cross section. This is particularly so that, during the latching process, noticeable and noticeable latching forces arise for an operator, which provide an operator with the correct seating of the toothpick 31 in the tool holder 5.
  • the preformed transverse ribs 32 do not provide such a high resistance when inserted into the receiving opening 26, so that the press-in forces remain within acceptable limits. Due to the semicircular cross-section of the transverse ribs, they are not deformed to such an extent that a snap is no longer clearly noticeable.
  • the longitudinal rib 18 shown in Fig. 16 is substantially V-shaped towards the outside, i.e. it tapers towards the free end.
  • the result of this is that the cross section increases progressively towards the narrow side 75, which means that when the toothpick 31 is inserted into the receiving opening 26, the more the resistance required for the plastic deformation increases, the more it is worn away or laterally pushed away by the longitudinal rib 80 becomes.
  • the side flanks 112 are formed by the radii R2, i.e. they are slightly curved outwards.
  • transverse ribs 87 extending transversely to the longitudinal axis 50 (FIG. 5) are arranged in the wider outer surfaces 84 and run at a very small distance (0.1 mm) from one another and which are slightly curved towards the outside (Fig. 19).
  • These transverse ribs 87 form a roughened surface so that, on the one hand, a wax layer to be applied even later in the dipping process adheres better to these transverse ribs 87 and, on the other hand, the transverse ribs 87 serve better for the removal of food residues to be removed in the mouth during operation.
  • the transverse ribs 87 therefore have a very low height H of 0.01 mm.
  • the width C (Fig.
  • a rib 19) of a rib is 0.1 mm.
  • transverse ribs 87 there are about ten transverse ribs 87 over a length of 1 mm.
  • Each outer surface 88 of a transverse rib 87 is rounded outward with a radius R3 of 0.15 mm.
  • the surface 88 formed by the transverse ribs 87 thus extends in the somewhat coarser surface roughness range of surfaces and is thinly coated with a wax layer 114, in which aromas and flavors are embedded and protrude from the surface 88.
  • a sprue 90 (FIG. 17) is molded onto the bottom 89 of the recess 85 and is narrowed in the vicinity of the bottom 89 via a constriction 91 in such a way that the toothpick 31 passes through easy rotation, pivoting or pulling can easily be separated from the sprue pin 90.
  • the other side of the sprue pin 90 is broadly connected to a narrow side 115, to which a strip 92 is connected in a form-fitting manner, which is part of a sprue web 93 which is triangular in plan view.
  • a centering pin 97 is formed on the upper side 95 of the corner 94 opposite the bar 92 (FIG.
  • the sprue pins 90 are molded onto the strip 92 over a wide area, so that if you want to remove a toothpick 31 from the sprue 93, only the toothpick 31 swings away to the side and this already separates at the constriction point 91, the slightly rounded outer surface 99 of the sprue pin 90 ensures that the horizontal edge 100 of the recess 85 is supported on the outer surface 99 of the sprue 90 when pivoting and thereby tears the constriction 91 similar to a lever movement.
  • the constriction 91 is formed in the recess 85 and therefore does not protrude from the outer surface in front of the edge 100 of the toothpick 31 ,
  • FIGS. 20 to 23 show a dental floss holder 37 as a further tool, as is also shown in dashed form in FIG. 6 on the electrical device 1.
  • the dental floss holder 37 consists of a tubular coupling sleeve 38, the Inner surface 66 forms a fitting bore which can be pushed onto the outer surface 53 of the tool holder (FIGS. 4 and 6) with a precise fit.
  • the coupling sleeve 38 is adjoined by a shaft-shaped taper 101, from which two fork arms 43 extend symmetrically along the axis of symmetry 102. According to FIG. 20, the free ends of the fork arms 43 are connected to one another via a silk thread 78, which is preferably designed in the form of a flat ribbon, as shown in FIG. 22.
  • the wide surfaces 113 of the flat ribbon thread 78 (silk thread) run parallel to the longitudinal axis 103.
  • the two fork arms 43 are inclined to the longitudinal axis 103 of the coupling sleeve 38 at an angle f of approximately 30 °. The inclination runs counterclockwise.
  • a U-shaped slot 104 is formed on the coupling sleeve 38 and breaks through the tubular wall of the coupling sleeve 38. This creates a resilient latching tongue 40, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 23.
  • a projecting latching element 39 is formed at its free end, which protrudes into the fitting bore 66 according to FIGS. 22 and 23.
  • the latching element 39 is essentially V-shaped in cross section, so that the dental floss holder 37 can be easily placed on the tool holder 5 and easily removed therefrom.
  • the design of the coupling sleeve 38 can also be formed on a holder 119, as shown in FIG. 24, to which an interdental brush 121 can be fastened in a receiving bore.
  • This holder 119 can then be attached to the tool holder 5 in exactly the same way as for the dental floss holder 37. Therefore, the identical training in the coupling area is no longer discussed here in order to avoid repetitions.
  • a toothpick 31 is placed on the tool holder 5 as follows:
  • the electrical device 1 can be inserted with its free end of the toothpick into an interdental space and after it has been switched on it can be guided in such a way that optimal cleaning is carried out in the interdental spaces.
  • the toothpick 31 can be easily removed from the device 1 again by pulling it out of the receiving bore 26 with little effort.
  • a dental floss holder 37 according to FIGS. 6 and 20 to 23 and the holder 119 according to FIG. 24 are assembled as follows:
  • the dental floss holder 37 or holder 119 is held in such a way that the guide bead 41 formed on the inner wall 66 of the coupling sleeve 38 is aligned with the flattened portion 44 formed on the tool holder 5 according to FIG. 2.
  • the dental floss holder 37 or holder 119 can now be pushed onto the outer surface 53 of the tool holder 5 according to FIG. 6 until the inclined surface 105 (FIG. 23) formed on the locking element 39 strikes the chamfer 28.
  • the dental floss holder 37 or holder 119 is already well centered on the outer surface 53.
  • the locking element 39 now slides along the chamfer 28 and is pressed radially outward until its radially lowest surface 106 engages with the locking receptacle 27.
  • the dental floss holder 37 or holder 119 is now also non-rotatably fastened to the tool holder 5 and, if the dental floss holder 37 is selected, the flat silk thread 78 with its flat outer surfaces 113 can be inserted into a tooth space (not shown) parallel to two adjacent tooth surfaces after the electrical Device 1 has switched on via switch 14. Due to the high-frequency vibrations on the silk thread 78, this removes food residues or other impurities from the tooth surfaces or from the interdental space, some of which also adhere to the surface 113 or fall into the oral cavity and can be removed.
  • the fitting connection consists of a cylindrical plastic plug 122 molded onto the interdental brush. After use, one only needs to separate the interdental brush from the holder 119 and a new tool 121 can be put on.
  • the holder 119 When changing to a dental floss holder 37, the holder 119 must be removed from the receptacle 5, which is done in exactly the same way as was previously described for the mounting or dismounting of the dental floss holder.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Dentistry (AREA)
  • Epidemiology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Dental Tools And Instruments Or Auxiliary Dental Instruments (AREA)
  • Brushes (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un appareil électrique (1) destiné au nettoyage interdentaire et au traitement des dents et gencives. Cet appareil comprend un boîtier (2) abritant une masse excentrique (23) qui est entraînée par un moteur électrique (22) et dont les vibrations peuvent être transmises à un logement d'instrument (5). La zone de couplage (A, B) du logement d'instrument (5) peut être couplée à la zone de couplage (34, 38) d'un instrument traitant la cavité buccale, tel qu'un dispositif de nettoyage interdentaire (31), un porte-fil dentaire (37), des disques de friction et de polissage etc. à l'aide de moyens de fixation. Selon l'invention, le logement d'instrument (5) est constitué d'une section (48) en forme de pivot, la zone de couplage (B) étant formée sur l'extrémité face frontale libre (61) de cette section. La zone de couplage (B) a la forme d'un orifice logement (26) polygone, de préférence, rectangulaire dans lequel la zone de couplage (34) d'un instrument (31) peut être enfoncée par déformation plastique. L'invention concerne également un cure-dent (31), un porte fil-dentaire (37). Cette invention permet un nettoyage interdentaire particulièrement simple et doux.
EP04740127A 2003-07-15 2004-06-21 Appareil electrique destine au nettoyage interdentaire et au traitement des dents et gencives Withdrawn EP1643930A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US48747003P 2003-07-15 2003-07-15
PCT/EP2004/006691 WO2005007014A1 (fr) 2003-07-15 2004-06-21 Appareil electrique destine au nettoyage interdentaire et au traitement des dents et gencives

Publications (1)

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EP1643930A1 true EP1643930A1 (fr) 2006-04-12

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EP (1) EP1643930A1 (fr)
CN (1) CN1822800B (fr)
WO (1) WO2005007014A1 (fr)

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CN105997284A (zh) * 2016-06-28 2016-10-12 南宁市微牙机电科技有限公司 一种牙齿清洁方法

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CN1822800A (zh) 2006-08-23
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