GB2141935A

GB2141935A - Dental floss holder/applicator

Info

Publication number: GB2141935A
Application number: GB08413615A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roy Carlton Smears
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-05-31
Filing date: 1984-05-29
Publication date: 1985-01-09
Also published as: DE3420300A1; JPS60185548A; AU2853484A; GB2141935B; CA1200408A; AU568559B2; GB8413615D0

Abstract

A dental floss holder and applicator includes a toothbrush- shaped handle (1) with a tubular casing (2) mounted on the bottom front thereof and a pair of fowardly extending arms (5, 6) on the top end thereof for supporting dental floss (4) in a usable position. The floss is on a spool (17) removably mounted in the casing and is dispensed through a hole (24) in the casing to a winding mechanism (3). The winding mechanism includes a shaft extending through a bifurcated plug (28) in the top end of the casing, a drive pulley (25) on one end of the shaft for receiving floss from the casing, a take-up pulley (26) on the other end of the shaft and a drive disc (34) on the shaft beside the drive pulley. A toothed wheel on the shaft in the plug is engaged by a pawl for permitting rotation of the shaft, pulleys and drive wheel, in one direction only. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Dental floss holder/applicator This invention relates to a dental floss holder and applicator.

There are many dental floss holders disclosed by the Patent literature. Examples of such holders are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 2,013,143, 2,467,221, 2,742,047, 3,340,881,3,534,745, 3,734,107,3,745,017 and 3,861,406.

Many of the devices disclosed in the art are somewhat complicated and consequently expensive to manufacture. Thus in spite of the large number of Patents relating to dental floss holders there still exists a need for a simple dental floss holder and applicator. The object of the present invention is to meet such need by providing a relatively simple dental floss holder and applicator, which is easy to produce and use.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a dental floss holder and applicator comprising elongated handle means; tubular casing means on one end of said handle means; said casing means having an open top end and an open bottom end for receiving a spool of dental floss; latch means on said base means for holding the spool in said casing means; applicator means on the other end of said handle means for receiving dental floss from said casing means; said applicator means including a pair of spaced apart arms extending outwardly from said handle means for retaining a strip of floss in a usable position between the free ends of the arms; and winding means for removing dental floss from said casing means and for storing used dental floss, said winding means including plug means closing the top end of said casing means, shaft means extending through the top end of said casing means and through said plug means, said shaft means being rotatable in said casing means and said plug means, toothed wheel means on said shaft means in said plug means for rotation with said shaft means, pawl means extending into engagement with said toothed wheel means for limiting rotation thereof to one direction; first pulley means mounted on one end of said shaft means outside of said casing means for receiving floss from the spool before the floss passes to said applicator means; second pulley means on the other end of said shaft means outside of said casing means for receiving floss from said applicator means; and knob means on said one end of said shaft means for rotating said shaft means, said first pulley means and said second pulley means.

Other features of the invention that may be found in preferred embodiments thereof will be discussed in the following description.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and wherein: FIGURE 1 is a partly sectioned front elevation view of a dental floss holder and applicator in accordance with the present invention; FIGURE 2 is a perspective view from the front and below of the top end of the device of Figure 1; FIGURE 3 is a rear elevation view of the device of Figures 1 and 2; FIGURE 4 is a perspective view from one side and below of a winding mechanism for use in the device of Figures 1 to 3; FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the bottom end of an alternative embodiment of the invention; and FIGURE 6 is an expioded perspective view of a spool and winding device for use in the device of Figures 1 to 4 or 5.

As shown in the drawings, the basic elements of the dental floss holder and applicator of the present invention include a handle generally indicated at 1, a tubular casing 2 mounted on the handle 1 for carrying floss, and a winding mechanism generally indicated at 3 for dispensing dental floss from the casing 2. The handle 1 has the same shape as a conventional toothbrush, except for a generally C-shaped head 4, which defines the applicator portion of the device. The head 4 includes a pair of forwardly extending, slightly inclined, arcuate arms 5 and 6. As best shown in Figures 2 and 3 each arm 5 and 6 includes a small groove 8 extending around the outer periphery thereof for receiving and retaining dental floss 9.At the rear of the head 4 the handle 1 extends upwardly beyond the top of the groove 8 and includes an open-top groove 10 (Figure 2) for the floss 9. A pair of slots 13 are provided in the top rear of the handle for guiding the floss 9 into the arm 5 and out of the arm 6.

The casing is defined by a clear plastic tube with an open bottom end 1 5 and an inclined open top end 1 6. A spool 1 7 carrying the dental floss 9 is inserted into the bottom end 1 5 of the casing 2.

The spool 1 7 is defined by a shaft 1 8 in the form of a rod, with a disc 1 9 on the top end and second disc 20 near the bottom end. There is sufficient clearance between the discs 19 and 20 and the casing 2 that the spool 1 7 is readily slidable in the casing 2. The disc 20 closes the bottom end of the casing 2 when the spool 1 7 is inserted into the casing. The bottom end of the shaft 1 8 extends downwardly beyond the disc 20 for facilitating manual insertion and removal of the spool 1 7. The spool 1 7 is held in the casing 2 by a small wire clip 22. The wire clip 22 is defined by a short length of spring wire, which extends outwardly from between the casing 2 and the handle 1.The clip 22 is merely pushed to one side when a spool 1 7 is being inserted into the casing 2. Once a spool 1 7 has been inserted, the clip bears against the bottom ends of the casing 2 and the spool 17.

During dispensing of floss, the spool 1 7 rotates in the casing 2.

Dental floss 9 is dispensed through an opening 24 in one side of the casing 2 near the top end 16 thereof. The floss 9 passes through the opening 24, three or four turns around a drive pulley 25, upwardly to the top rear of the handle 1 through one slot 13 nearest the arm 5 into the groove 8 in the arm 5, around the arm 5, across the gap between the arms 5 and 6, into the groove 8 in the arm 6, around such arm 6, and through the other slot 13 to a take-up pulley 26.

Referring to Figure 4, the winding mechanism 3 includes a plug 28 which closes the top end of the casing 2. The bottom end of the plug 28 is bifurcated. A toothed wheel 29 is mounted on a shaft 30 extending through the top end of the casing 2. The wheel 29 rotates with the shaft 30 between the arms 31 of the plug 28. A metal pawl 33 extends upwardly from beneath the casing 2 through an opening (not shown) in the rear of the casing into engagement with the toothed wheel 29. Thus the wheel 29 can be rotated in one direction only i.e. the wheel 29 can be rotated in the direction required to dispense dental floss and not in the opposite direction. The drive pulley 25 is mounted on one end of the shaft 30 beside a drive disc 34. The disc 34 includes transversely extending grooves 35, which facilitate gripping and turning of the disc.The take-up pulley 26 is fixedly mounted on the other end of the shaft 30.

Thus, when the disc 34 is rotated, the drive pulley 25, the toothed wheel 29 and the take-up pulley 26 rotate in the same direction.

In order to use the holder and applicator of Figures 1 to 4, the first step is to load the casing 1 with a spool 17 of floss. Several centimeters of dental floss 9 are unwound from the spool 17, and the free end of the floss is tied to one end of a flexible wire threader (not shown) inserted through the opening 24 from outside to inside the casing 2. The floss is pulled through the opening 24 and at the same time the spool 1 7 is inserted into the casing 2 to prevent accumulation of the floss in front of the spool. The floss is threaded around the arms 5 and 6 in the manner described hereinbefore, and wound around the take-up pulley 26 in the direction of rotation of the pulleys.

By providing 3 small pin (not shown) in the groove of the pulley 26 it is easy to attach the floss to the pulley. The floss is looped around the pin and relatively few turns around the pulley secure the floss to such pulley.

The floss holder and applicator can then be used. In order to replace the floss 9 between the arms 5 and 6, the disc 34 is rotated, which advances the floss. When the take-up pulley 26 is full, the floss is cut between the arm 6 and the pulley 26, the used floss is removed from the pulley and the free end of the unused floss is again connected to the pulley 26.

In an alternative (not shown) embodiment of the invention, longitudinally extending ridges are provided on the sides of the arms 31 for sliding in open ended slots in the top end 1 6 of the casing 2.

Thus, the winding mechanism 3 can be readily removed from the casing 2 for servicing.

Referring to Figure 5, in another embodiment of the invention the handle 1 and the casing 2 of the embodiment of Figures 1 to 4 are replaced by a tubular casing 35, which defines both the bottom end of the handle and a tubular casing on one end thereof. The top end of the handle carrying the spaced apart arms (not shown) for retaining a strip of floss is integral with the casing 35 and is essentially the same as in the device of Figures 1 to 4. The clip 22 for holding the spool in the casing 35 is replaced by a lever 36. The bottom end 37 of the casing 35 is inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the casing. When fully inserted the enlarged bottom end 39 of the spool 40 extends out of the casing 35 so that the spool can be moved manually.The -lever 36 is integral with the casing 35, and is defined by a strip of material separated at its sides from the remainder of the casing 35 by slits 41.

The outer free end 43 of the lever 36 extends outwardly slightly beyond the end 39 of the casing 35 for manual release. A shoulder 44 on the lever 36 in the casing 35 normally engages a disc 45 near the bottom end of the spool 40 for retaining the spool in the casing. In order to remove the spool 40 the lever 36 is pivoted outwardly to release the disc 45.

As shown in Figure 6 the spool 40 includes a shaft 47 on which dental floss 9 is wound. The plug 28 is replaced by a cylindrical plug 48 which includes a transversely extending rectangular aperture 49 for the toothed wheel 29. The drive disc 34 is replaced by another form of knob, namely a flat handle 50 which is mounted on the shaft 30 as are the pulleys 26 and 52.

The pulley 52 is defined by the inner surface of the handle 50 and a disc connected thereto. A rectangular lug 53 extends downwardly from the bottom end 54 of the plug 48 for engaging the generally cruciform top end 56 of the spool 40.

The lug 53 and the end 56 of the spool 40 define a lock. When the spool is pushed upwardly against the plug 48 the lug slides between two arms of the end 56 of the spool, so that the latter cannot be rotated i.e. the spool 40 is locked. By pulling the spool 40 a short distance out of the casing 35 the spool is released from the lug 53 and is free to rotate.

Claims

1. A dental floss holder and applicator comprising elongated handle means; tubular casing means on one end of said handle means; said casing means having an open top end and an open bottom end for receiving a spool of dental floss; latch means on said base means for holding the spool in said casing means; applicator means on the other end of said handle means for receiving dental floss from said casing means; said applicator means including a pair of spaced apart arms extending outwardly from said handle means for retaining a strip of floss in a usable position between the free ends of the arms; and winding means for removing dental floss from said casing means and for storing used dental floss, said winding means including plug means closing the top end of said casing means, shaft means extending through the top end of said casing means and through said plug means, said shaft means being rotatable in said casing means and said plug means, toothed wheel means on said shaft means in said plug means for rotation with said shaft means, pawl means extending into engagement with said toothed wheel means for limiting rotation thereof to one direction; first pulley means mounted on one end of said shaft means outside of said casing means for receiving floss from the spool before the floss passes to said applicator means; second pulley means on the other end of said shaft means outside of said casing means for receiving floss from said applicator means; and knob means on said one end of said shaft means for rotating said shaft means, said first pulley means and said second pulley means.

2. A holder and applicator according to claim 1, wherein said latch means includes lever means on the bottom end of said casing means for normally engaging said spool to hold the spool in the casing means, said lever means being pivotal with respect to said casing means for releasing the spool, whereby the spool can be removed from said casing means.

3. A holder and applicator according to claim 2, wherein said lever means is integral with said casing means.

4. A holder and applicator according to claim 1, including lock means for preventing rotation of the spool in said casing means.

5. A holder and applicator according to claim 4, wherein said lock means includes a lug extending downwardly from said plug means for engaging to the top end of the spool, the spool being slidable between a locked lug engaging position and an unlocked position out of engagement with the lug.

6. A holder and applicator according to claim 1, wherein said latch means includes resilient clip means on said base means for releasably engaging the bottom end of said spool.

7. A holder according to claim 1 , wherein said knob means includes disc means on said one end of said shaft means for rotating the shaft means.

8. A holder and applicator according to claim 7, wherein said first pulley means is integral with said disc means.

9. A holder and applicator according to claim 7, wherein said winding means is removably mounted in the top end of said casing means.

10. A holder and applicator according fo claim 8 wherein said winding means is removably mounted in the top end of said casing means.

11. A dental floss holder and applicator substantially as described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A dental floss holder and applicator substantially as described with reference to and as shown in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

13. Every novel feature and every novel combination of features disclosed herein.