EP1776051A1

EP1776051A1 - Lay-out in tongue cleaner

Info

Publication number: EP1776051A1
Application number: EP05734235A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Maurício Duarte da Conçeicão
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-05-20
Filing date: 2005-05-04
Publication date: 2007-04-25
Also published as: WO2005112794A1; BRMU8400954Y8; BRMU8400954U; BRMU8400954Y1

Abstract

This abstract refers to a patent of a utility model for tongue cleaner, belonging to the field of mouth hygiene devices, which received disposition to provide a better use and efficiency when compared to the others, and foresees body (1) equipped with tongue cleaning device, comprised essentially of: one scraping edge (3) incorporated in the extreme curve sector of stretch (2) and designed in relation to one of the faces of this stretch (2); and of a brush (4), which acts on the tongue and is opposite to the edge (3).

Description

"LAY-OUT IN TONGUE CLEANER"

This descriptive report refers to a utility model patent for a tongue cleaner, belonging to the field of mouth hygiene devices and which has received a lay-out in order to provide a better utilization and efficiency compared to the usual ones.

For a number of reasons, mouth health is the object of great attention. To take care of this, there are innumerable resources that range from the most diverse treatments to mouth hygiene products and devices.

In this respect, the tongue is known to be the structure which accumulates the greatest quantity of bacteria in the entire oral cavity, harming both, itself and the organism as a whole, being also responsible for bad breath (halitosis). To fight this, purpose-built tongue cleaning devices are already known, comprised generally of: a stretch with geometry adequate to be used inside the mouth; an edge, incorporated in such stretch, for scraping the tongue; and a means of handle, for the user to hold the device. This kind of device, in spite of its large utilization, is not fully efficient in the removal of the severest tongue coating formations (a bacterial plaque which forms on the tongue).

In order to handle the cleaning of such severe formations, devices, which are equipped with a scraping edge and/or bristles, are already known. As it happens, devices equipped with edge e bristles have these active elements disposed in a sequence one to the other, on a same face of the device, like, e.g., the edge situated on the free tip and the bristles on a stretch next to the tip. Thus, when the user intends to use the bristles on the tongue's rear portion, the edge is more advanced and causes sickness, nausea and cough, hindering a better performance of the operation.

Another kind of device comprehends only bristles, but both this and the kind above have respectively one and two alignments of bristles, which are insufficient for adequate coating removal. Another inconvenient of this second device is to have its stretch that is introduced in the mouth, generally, with a geometry that causes sickness, nausea and cough.

Thus, the objective of the lay-out, which is the object of this utility model patent, is to provide a device that acts efficiently in cleaning the tongue and overcomes the usual ones' inconveniences and limitations.

Another objective is to provide a device that is easy to use and does not cause, or at least decreases appreciably, sickness or nausea or cough when used.

Another objective is to provide a device that, despite providing the advantages above, is not, for this reason, of such complex construction and manufacturing as to make it uninteresting compared to the usual ones.

Another objective is to provide a device of adequate cost. Considering, therefore, the problems above referred to, and with the purpose of overcoming them and aiming to meet the related objectives, a lay-out in tongue cleaner was developed, object of this utility model patent, which is comprised essentially of: an elliptical stretch that is introduced into the mouth, one tip having a scraping edge disposed on one of the stretch's faces, and a brush area disposed on the stretch's face opposite that having an edge; and a handle that is elongated from the opposite tip of such elliptical stretch and coplanar to it.

This way of the tongue cleaner's construction provides a more efficient action, as the bristles' area, brush, enables the brushing and releasing of the bacterial plaque formed on the tongue, and the opposite edge enables the removal of it.

This way, this tongue cleaner is efficiently applied in severer cases of tongue coating formation, thus providing an advantage over the usual scrapers.

Another advantage provided by this tongue cleaner is to have a geometry developed to outstandingly prevent or decrease sickness or nausea or cough. With this purpose, the edge and the brush area are located in the free tip of the device's tip that is introduced into the mouth. This way, when such active elements are used for cleaning the tongue's rear portions, no stretch of the device is beyond these elements, preventing sickness, nausea or cough. Another characteristic of this device is to have its stretch, which is introduced into the mouth, equipped with a geometry developed taking into consideration ergonomic and elliptical aspects, in order to also prevent sickness, nausea or cough. The handle is adequate to make it easier for the user to hold the device during utilization. Further, the geometry was developed aiming also to make transport and storage easier.

In spite of the advantages provided by this tongue cleaner compared to the usual ones, it doesn't have a construction or a manufacturing or a cost that may make it uninteresting compared to the later. The attached drawings show the tongue cleaner layout, object of this patent, in which: figure 1 shows it from the face having the tongue scraping edge; figure 2 shows it from the face having the bristles area, brush, to brush the tongue; figure 3 shows the device in a plan from the face having the bristles area; figure 4 shows the device in a plan from the face having the scraping edge; figure 5 shows the device from the tip having the bristles and the scraping edge; figure 6 shows it with a partial cut on the tip having the scraping edge and brush area. It is shown on a side view for better comprehension; figure 7 shows another cleaner realization possibility for a better comprehension. It is shown sideways, with a partial cut on the tip having two opposite scraping edges; and figure 8 shows a use scheme for the tongue cleaner.

In accordance with what is illustrated by the figures related above, the tongue cleaner, object of this utility model patent, aims to brush and scrap the tongue for bacterial plaque removal and is comprised, essentially, of one body 1 , composed of: stretch 2, which is introduced into the mouth; device for tongue cleaning, disposed in one tip of stretch 2 and comprehended of scraping edge 3; and bristles 4; such tongue cleaner is comprised, still, of handle 5 disposed at the opposite tip of stretch 2, and coplanar to this stretch 2. In this lay-out, instead of edge scraper 3 and bristles

4 being situated on the device's same face, one in a sequence to the other, as the usual solution, such scraping edge 3 and bristles 4 are disposed on opposite faces of the free curve tip of stretch 2, which is introduced into the mouth. Bristles 4, instead of being formed of some bristle alignments, comprehend a bristles area forming substantially a brush. Further, stretch 2, which is introduced into the mouth, has been developed taking into consideration ergonomic aspects, due to its application, aiming to prevent sickness, nausea or cough and, with this purpose, has the shape of an elliptical ring, on whose free tip scraping edge 3 and bristles area 4 are incorporated, on opposite faces, and handle 5 is incorporated on the opposite tip. The bristles area 4 is comprised of a number of bristle tufts 6, implanted on a semi-elliptical base 7 incorporated on the tip of stretch 2. The tongue cleaner has body 1 obtained from polystyrene and non-toxic pigment and nylon bristles. Thus, the cleaner works in the following manner: The user holds it through handle 5, introduces elliptical stretch 2 into the mouth and slides first brush 4 and then edge 3 along the tongue, for bacteria formations removal. The tongue cleaner's innovative shape, with brush and cleaning edge allows a better adaptation to lingual "V", i.e., as its tip is not very wide, it can clean in the middle of the caliciform or circumvallates papillae

20, which are located on the bottom of the tongue in a "V" shape, according to attached figure 8, besides causing less sickness.

This portion of the tongue is where tongue coating (which is the bacterial plaque responsible for halitosis origin in a huge percentage of cases) is mostly formed. This way, the active tip of the device adapts to this portion, making its cleaning easier. Within the basic construction described above, the tongue cleaner, object of this utility model patent, may present modifications related to materials, dimensions, constructive details and/or functional and/or ornamental configuration, without escaping the scope of the solicited protection.

Hereunder, instead of foreseeing a tongue cleaning edge 3 and a bristles area 4, the cleaner device, as described above, has two opposite edges 3, on the respective faces of the elliptical tip of stretch 2 (figure

7).

Claims

1)- "LAY-OUT IN TONGUE CLEANER," comprised, essentially, of a body (1), comprised: of stretch (2); of tongue cleaning device disposed on one tip of stretch (2); and of handle (5) disposed on the opposite tip of stretch (2), and coplanar to this stretch, characterized by the fact that the tongue cleaning device is comprised, essentially: of a scraping edge (3), which acts on the tongue, incorporated in the tip of stretch (2) and designed in relation to one of the faces of stretch (2); and of an area of bristles, brush, (4), which acts on the tongue and is opposite to the scraping edge (3).

2)- "LAY-OUT IN TONGUE CLEANER," according to claimed 1 , it s characterized by the fact that stretch (2) is elliptical; scraping edge (3) is incorporated in the extreme curve sector of stretch (2).

3)- "LAY-OUT IN TONGUE CLEANER," according to claim 1 , it is characterized by the fact that the area of the bristles, brush, (4) is comprised of a number of bristle tufts (6), implanted on a semi-elliptical base (7) incorporated in the tip of stretch (2).

4)- "LAY-OUT IN TONGUE CLEANER," according to claimed 1 , it is characterized by the fact that, optionally, a scraping edge (3) is foreseen on one of the faces of the tip of stretch (2) that is introduced into the mouth, and another scraping edge (3) is foreseen, which replaces the brush.