GB2234903A - Tongue cleaning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Tongue cleaning apparatus (2) comprising a tongue scraping device (4) and handle means (6, 8) for inserting the tongue scraping device (4) into a person's mouth, and the tongue scraping device (4) being so constructed that it can simultaneously scrape the entire width of the person's tongue. <IMAGE>

Description

TONGUE CLEANING APPARATUS This invention relates to tongue cleaning apparatus.

It is well known that the human tongue tends to become coated with a thin layer of material. This coating is usually off-white or pinkish in colour and it tends to form most readily overnight when persons are asleep and their tongue is not being used. The coating does however often form on the tongue during the day.

In order to promote good oral hygiene, it is desirable to remove the coating on the tongue. Ideally, the coating should be removed twice a day. Thus the coating should first be removed in the morning prior to the intake of food and drink and preferably before the teeth are brushed in the morning. Secondly the coating should be removed before a person retires at night, again preferably before the teeth are brushed. The removal of the coating helps to freshen the mouth and in doing so is able to help reduce any tendency for bad breath. The removal of the coating is also able to expose or stimulate the taste buds in the mouth.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide tongue cleaning apparatus for removing the coating on the tongue.

Accordingly, -this invention provides tongue cleaning apparatus comprising a tongue scraping device and handle means for inserting the tongue scraping device into a person's mouth, and the tongue scraping device being so constructed that it can simultaneously scrape the entire width of the person's tongue.

The tongue scraping device will usually be a strip of material. The strip of material is preferably flexible but it may be rigid if desired.

Usually, the strip of material will be bent. Preferably the strip of material is bent to form a curve. The curve may be a C-shaped curve. If desired, the strip of material may be bent such that it has straight sides.

The strip of material may be of uniform thickness.

The strip of material may alternatively be of nonuniform thickness. In this case, the strip of material may be thicker over that portion of the strip of material that is to contact the tongue. In one embodiment of the invention, the strip of material is of non-uniform thickness and it is C-shaped, the strip of material being thicker over a central portion of the strip of material than at ends of the strip of material.

The tongue scraping device will usually be rectangular in cross section.

The tongue scraping device will usually have a tongue scraping edge. The tongue scraping edge may be plain or it may be roughened.

The tongue scraping device may be made of a metal.

Examples of metals that may be employed are stainless steel, chromium plated metal, aluminium, gold and silver.

The tongue scraping device may also be made of a plastics material. Various types of plastics materials may be employed such for example as the plastics material used to make tooth brushes.

Preferably, the handle means comprises a pair of handles. The pair of handles enable an even pressure to be applied on the tongue scraping device as it is used to clean the person's tongue. Preferably, the cleaning action is such that the tongue scraping device is inserted into the mouth and is then drawn from the rear of the tongue towards the front of the tongue with a scraping action. This action may be repeated two or more times until the coating on the tongue has been removed. After each scraping action, the tongue cleaning apparatus can be rinsed in water if desired.

The handle means may also comprise a single handle.

The handle means may be formed of the same material as is employed for the tongue scraping device. In this case, the handle means may be formed integrally with the tongue scraping device.

The handle means may be also formed of a different material to that used for the tongue scraping device. In this case, the handle means will usually be separately formed from the tongue scraping device.

Where the handle means is formed of a different material to that used for the tongue scraping device, then the handle means is preferably made of a plastics material. The plastics material may be the same type of plastics material used to produce tooth brushes.

Generally, the materials used for the tongue scraping device and the handle means should be non-toxic and they should also be capable of easily being rinsed clean.

The handle means may have at least one finger grip portion.

The finger grip portion may be an aperture for receiving one or more fingers of the person's hand, or the finger grip portion may be finger recesses for receiving the fingers of the person's hand, or the finger grip portion may be an abutment device for giving grip to the person's hand.

The handle means may enable the tongue cleaning apparatus to be self-standing. In this case, the tongue cleaning apparatus may then stand on a bathroom shelf, at the back of a bathroom sink or wherever else may be required.

The handle means may include decoration means.

The decoration means may be trestles or any other forms of decoration. The decoration means may be employed especially to cause the tongue cleaning apparatus to be attractive to children.

Generally, the tongue cleaning apparatus of the present invention can be used by both children and adults.

The tongue cleaning apparatus can be produced in different sizes, for example with smaller sizes being appropriate for children and larger sizes being appropriate for adults.

The tongue cleaning apparatus can be produced in different colours, for example to suit individual person's aesthetic tastes. When the tongue cleaning apparatus is to be used by children, then the tongue cleaning apparatus may be provided with decoration means such for example as cartoon characters in order to make the tongue cleaning apparatus appeal more to the children.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows first tongue cleaning apparatus; and Figures 2 - 18 show other types of tongue cleaning apparatus.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown tongue cleaning apparatus 2 comprising a tongue scraping device 4 and handle means in the form of a pair of handles 6, 8 for inserting the tongue scraping device 4 into a person's mouth. The tongue scraping device 4 is so constructed that it is sufficiently wide that it can simultaneously scrape the entire width of the person's tongue.

As can be seen from Figure 1, the tongue scraping device is a strip of material which has been bent to form a curve. As shown, the curve is a C-shaped curve. As can also be seen from Figure 1, the strip of material is of uniform thickness. The strip of material is relatively thin so that the tongue scraping device 2 is of rectangular cross section and it has a tongue scraping edge which is plain. The tongue scraping device as shown in Figure 1 is made of mild stainless steel.

The free ends of the tongue scraping device 4 are inserted into the handles 6, 8. The handles 6, 8 are of circular cross section as shown and flanges 10, 12 are provided at the intersection of the tongue scraping device 4 with the handles 6, 8. The handles 6, 8 are made of a plastics material.

The handles 6, 8 are provided with decoration means in the form of plastics strips or strings 14.

Referring now to Figures 2 - 18, there are shown various different types of tongue cleaning apparatus 2.

In Figure 2, the tongue scraping device 4 is of nonuniform thickness and a central portion 16 is thicker than end portions 18, 20. The handles 6, 8 are smaller and thicker than shown in Figure 1.

In Figure 3, the handles 6, 8 are provided with finger grip recesses 22 as shown.

In Figure 4, the handles 6, 8 terminate in legs 24.

The legs 24 are rigid so that the tongue cleaning apparatus 2 can then be stood in an upright position, for example on a bathroom shelf or at the back of a bathroom sink.

In Figure 5, the handles 6, 8 have finger grip portions in the form of abutment devices 26. During use of the tongue cleaning apparatus 2, a person's thumbs can be placed on the abutment devices 26.

Figure 6 shows tongue cleaning apparatus 2 in which the handle means has finger grip portions in the form of rings 28 having apertures 30 for receiving one or more fingers or thumbs.

In Figure 7, the handles 6, 8 are shaped as shown.

In Figure 8, the handles 6, 8 extend outwardly as shown and they are then flexed towards each other during use of the tongue cleaning apparatus 2.

In Figure 9, there are two tongue scraping devices 4 and handles 34, 36. One tongue scraping device 4 may be for use by a husband, and the other tongue scraping device 4 may be for use by a wife.

Figures 10-17 show self-explanatory alternative designs in which the various different parts have been given the same reference numbers as used in previous Figures.

Figure 18 shows tongue cleaning apparatus 2 with a tongue scraping device 4 which is elliptical. The tongue scraping device 4 is connected to handles 6, 8 which are shaped as shown.

The various types of tongue cleaning apparatus 2 can all be used with a forwards scraping motion from the back of a person's tongue to the front of a person's tongue.

A single scraping action may be effective to remove the coating from the tongue or two or three scraping actions may be required. After each scraping action, the tongue cleaning apparatus 2 can be rinsed clean, for example using running water from a tap in a bathroom sink. Thus the tongue cleaning apparatus of the present invention enables the tongue coating very easily and simply to be removed, thereby promoting oral hygiene, facilitating good operation of the taste buds, and reducing on the likelihood of bad breath.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the tongue scraping device 4 shown in Figure 1 has been made of mild stainless steel strip material. Other metals may however be employed. Plastics materials may also be employed. The handles 6, 8 shown in Figure 1 have been shown as being made of a plastics material but other materials including wood and metal may be employed. The handles 6, 8 may be provided with various decoration and/or advertising material as may be required.

The tongue cleaning apparatus of the present invention may be sold in a variety of shops such for example as health food shops, drug stores and chemist shops. The tongue cleaning apparatus of the present invention may thus be purchased in the same manner that persons currently purchase tooth brushes. Doctors and dentists may also recommend the use of the tongue cleaning apparatus for promoting oral hygiene. The tongue cleaning apparatus may be sold in any desired and suitable type of package, for example in a plastics bubble pack.

Claims (23)

1. Tongue cleaning apparatus comprising a tongue scraping device and handle means for inserting the tongue scraping device into a person's mouth, and the tongue scraping device being so constructed that it can simultaneously scrape the entire width of the person's tongue.

2. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 in which the tongue scraping device is a strip of material.

3. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to claim 2 in which the strip of material is flexible.

4. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3 in which the strip of material is bent.

5. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to claim 4 in which the strip of material is bent to form a curve.

6. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to claim 5 in which the curve is a C-shaped curve.

7. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6 in which the strip of material is of uniform thickness.

8. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6 in which the strip of material is of non-uniform thickness, the strip of material being thickest over that portion of the strip of material that is to contact the tongue.

9. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the tongue scraping device is rectangular in cross section.

10. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the tongue scraping device has a tongue scraping edge.

11. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to claim 10 in which the tongue scraping edge is plain or roughened.

12. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the tongue scraping apparatus is made of a metal or a plastics material.

13. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to any one of the precending claims in which the handle means comprises a pair of handles.

14. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12 in which the handle means comprises a single handle.

15. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the handle means is formed integrally with the tongue scraping device, the handle means then being formed of the same material as is employed for the tongue scraping device.

16. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14 in which the handle means is separately formed from the tongue scraping device, the handle means being formed from a different material to that used for the tongue scraping device.

17. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the handle means has at least one finger grip portion.

18. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to claim 17 in which the finger grip portion is an aperture for receiving one or more fingers of the person's hand.

19. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to claim 17 in which the finger grip portion is formed by finger recesses for receiving the fingers of the person's hand.

20. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to claim 17 in which the finger grip portion is an abutment device for giving grip to the person's hand.

21. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the handle means enables the tongue cleaning apparatus to be self-standing.

22. Tongue cleaning apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the handle means includes decoration means.

23. Tongue cleaning apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.