WO1994022391A1 - Dispositif pour fil dentaire - Google Patents

Dispositif pour fil dentaire Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1994022391A1
WO1994022391A1 PCT/IE1994/000019 IE9400019W WO9422391A1 WO 1994022391 A1 WO1994022391 A1 WO 1994022391A1 IE 9400019 W IE9400019 W IE 9400019W WO 9422391 A1 WO9422391 A1 WO 9422391A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
housing
handle
reel
floss
bifurcated part
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IE1994/000019
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
John Dunne
Jermiah Ring
Original Assignee
3H Ltd.
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 3H Ltd. filed Critical 3H Ltd.
Priority to AU64366/94A priority Critical patent/AU6436694A/en
Publication of WO1994022391A1 publication Critical patent/WO1994022391A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • 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
    • 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
    • A61C15/048—Flossing tools with heads removable from handle, e.g. interchangeable heads

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a dental floss device.
  • Dental floss is a soft and flexible material which is usually manually inserted between teeth and worked toward the gum by a back and forth motion. It helps remove plaque and other debris and thus helps in cleaning the teeth.
  • Dental floss is usually dispensed manually from a container, the container usually having means for enabling a length of floss to be cut for use. Having cut a length of floss, the user then winds the ends of the length of the floss around, usually, the index fingers of the hands so as to provide a taut shorter length of floss which is used to clean the teeth.
  • a difficulty with this technique, which is difficult to use, is the tightness of the floss as it is wrapped around the fingers which can be painful.
  • a disposable device having a handle one end of which terminates in a u-shape the ends of which are connected by a length of floss.
  • a difficulty with such device is that, apart from being relatively high in cost due to its disposability, the tautness of the floss is usually insufficient or is quickly lost.
  • Another device comprises a handle having a bifurcation.
  • the handle includes a button around which one end of a previously cut length of floss is wrapped. The floss is passed over respective slots in each furcation of the bifurcated end, the furcations are gently moved towards each other against a bias which tends to move the furcations apart and the ends of the floss are wrapped around the button.
  • a further development of the device referred to above is the provision of a housing in the handle of the device having a means for storing a supply of floss.
  • the floss exits the housing, passes over the furcations and may be collected in a means also housed in the handle for storing the used floss or, as in the previous example, is wrapped around a button on the handle.
  • a difficulty with all of these devices is their inability to provide a means for enabling sufficient tension or tautness of the floss between the furcations.
  • the invention therefore, provides a dental floss device comprising two parts rotatable one relative to the other one of the parts comprising a handle and the other part ("the bifurcated part") having an external bifurcation and a hollow region defining a housing, the device further including dispensing means in the housing from which a continuous length of dental floss may be drawn, passed across the bifurcation and the leading end thereof returned to the housing, and means for effecting that upon rotation of the handle relative to the bifurcated part the leading end of the floss becomes trapped in the housing and the trailing end of the floss is withdrawn back into the housing to tension the floss across the bifurcation.
  • FIGURE 1 is as perspective view of a floss device according to the invention
  • FIGURE 2 is a first side elevation of the device of Figure 1 of the drawings;
  • FIGURE 3 is a second side elevation of the device of Figure 1 of the drawings.
  • FIGURE 4 is an exploded view of the device of" Figure 1 of the drawings.
  • FIGURE 5 is an enlarged view of part of the device of Figure 2 of the drawings; and FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of a second embodiment of a device according to the invention.
  • a floss device 10 according to the invention of two-part construction, and a bobbin or reel 12 for storing a supply of floss 13.
  • One part of the construction comprises a cylindrical handle 21 and the other part is a bifurcated part 31.
  • the handle 21 has a shaft 22 extending coaxially therefrom which is threaded for at least a portion of the free end 23 thereof.
  • the bifurcated part 31 At its forward end the bifurcated part 31 has an external bifurcation defined by arms 40, 41 and at its rear end the bifurcated part 31 has a hollow region forming a cylindrical housing 32 for the reel 12.
  • the housing 32 has one end wall formed by an internal surface 33 of the bifurcated part 31 , and a cylindrical sidewall 34.
  • the surface 33 is shown in dashed lines and is substantially normal to the axis of the housing 32.
  • the bifurcated part 31 further has a screw-threaded bore (not shown) extending forwardly from the centre of the surface 33, the bore being substantially coaxial with the axis of the housing 32.
  • the bore is in screw-threaded engagement with the screw-threaded end 23 of the shaft 22 such that the shaft 22 extends substantially co-axially through the housing 32 and the annular surface 71 of the handle 21 extends slightly into and hence closes the open end 72 of the housing 32.
  • the surface 71 is substantially parallel to the surface 33. Accordingly, the surface 71 of the handle forms an end wall of the housing 32 opposite to the end wall formed by the surface 33, and the distance apart of these surfaces 33 and 71 depends upon the degree of screw-threaded engagement of the handle 21 and bifurcated part 31.
  • the reel 12 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 22 and, accordingly, its axis of rotation is substantially coaxial with the axis of the shaft.
  • the surfaces 33 and 71 may be adjusted from being sufficiently far apart to permit the reel 12 to rotate freely on the shaft 22 to being sufficiently close together to come to bear on the opposite ends of the reel 12.
  • the handle 21 is rotated clockwise relative to the bifurcated part 31 as viewed in the direction of the arrow 70 in Figure 4 to reduce the distance apart of the surfaces 33 and 71.
  • the side wall 34 has a first slot 35 running from the mouth or open end 71 of the housing 32 to the surface 33.
  • the first opening 35 provides communication between the outside of the housing 32 and internally thereof and is substantially parallel to the axis of the shaft 22.
  • a second slot 36 is provided in the side wall 34.
  • the second slot 36 which also provides communication between the outside of the housing 32 and internally thereof, is not contiguous with or in direct communication with the first slot 35. Rather, the second slot 36 is located on the opposite side of the side wall 34 to the slot 35 and extends around approximately one-half the circumference of the side wall 34. In addition, one of the edges of the second slot 36 is aligned with the surface 33.
  • the second slot 36 has diametrically opposite ends 37 and 38.
  • An integral guide member in the form of a pip 60 is provided on the outside of the bifurcated part 31 adjacent the trailing end 37 of the slot 36.
  • each bifurcation arm 40, 41 itself has a respective bifurcation 42, 43 and 44, 45.
  • Each of the bifurcations 42, 43 and 44, 45 provides a respective opening 46, 47 which enables a length of floss to bridge the gap between the bifurcation arms 40, 41.
  • a groove 48 which is contiguous with the first slot 35 and is also contiguous with the opening 47 generated by the bifurcation 44, 45.
  • a floss cutting device 50 is provided on the external wall of the bifurcated part 31 adjacent the leading end 38.
  • the reel 12 comprises a hub 15 terminated at opposite ends by a respective first flange 16 and a second flange 17.
  • the outer rim 19 of the second flange 17 is sloped towards the axis of the housing 32 in the direction towards the surface 33, i.e. in the direction from left to right as viewed in Figure 5 of the drawings.
  • the hub 15 has a relatively long continuous length of floss 13 wound therearound.
  • the reel 12 with the floss 13 thereon is mounted on the shaft 22 so that upon dispensation of the floss 13 from the reel 12, the reel 12 rotates in an anti-clockwise direction when viewed in the direction of the arrow 70, i.e. opposite to the direction of rotation of the shaft 22 when engaging with the bifurcated part 31.
  • a washer or O-ring 18 is provided on the shaft 22 between the first flange 16 and the surface 71 of the handle 21.
  • a length of floss 72 is pulled from the reel 12 via the first slot 35.
  • the length is passed along the groove 48, threaded across the arms 40, 41 between the openings 47, 46, engaged with the pip 60, and the leading end thereof is then threaded through the second slot 36 so as to enter the housing 32 at the end 37 of the slot 36, pass between the surface 33 and the flange 17 of the reel 12, and exit the housing at the end 38 of the slot 36.
  • the slope of the rim 19 assists in guiding the floss 72 between the surface 33 and the flange 17.
  • the reel 12 While the floss 13 is being pulled, the reel 12 is free to rotate about the shaft 22.
  • the handle 21 is now screwed further into the bifurcated part 31 so that the surface 33 comes to bear against the flange 17 to sandwich or trap the leading end of the floss 72 between them.
  • the surface 71 of the handle 21 comes to bear upon the flange 16 via the o-ring 18 therebetween.
  • the o-ring 18 is made of a substance which provides a higher coefficient of friction between the surface 71 and the flange 16 than the coefficient of friction between the flange 17 and the surface 33 with the floss 72 therebetween. This results in the reel 12 being constrained to rotate in unison with the handle 21 relative to the bifurcated portion 31.
  • the handle 21 and the bifurcated part 31 are unscrewed slightly so as to enable the reel 12 to once again rotate freely in the housing 32 thereby allowing floss 72 to be further released by pulling at the leading end thereof and when sufficient floss 72 has been dispensed, the handle 21 and the bifurcated part 31 are re- ightened as before. Excess floss 72 may be cut by the floss cutting device 50.
  • the handle 21 and the reel 12 are constrained to rotate in unison. This is achieved by ensuring that the coefficient of friction between the flange 16 and the handle 21 is greater than the coefficient of friction between the flange 17 and the housing 32. In the present embodiment, this effect is achieved by the provision of the O-ring 18 which could be made of a suitable material such as rubber, neoprene or the like. In essence, the relationship between the flange 16 and the handle 21 is that of friction clutch engaging surfaces.
  • the first slot 35 extends the height of the housing 32 terminating at the surface 33 where it is contiguous with the groove 48.
  • the first slot 35 stops short of the surface 33 so that the floss 72 must exit the housing 32 within the confines of the flanges 16, 17.
  • the part of the housing 32 delineated by the lines 101 and 102 has a groove 148 which is contiguous with the slot 35 and the groove 48. Otherwise, the device 100 functions in a manner similar to the device 10.
  • a device with such a configuration would be disposed of when the contents of floss have been used up.

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)
  • Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)

Abstract

Dispositif pour fil dentaire, comportant un manche (21) et une pièce bifurquée (31) montés rotatifs l'un par rapport à l'autre. La pièce bifurquée (31) possède un fond creux délimitant un évidement apte à accueillir un rouleau de fil dentaire. Lorsque le rouleau est monté libre dans l'évidement, on peut extraire une longueur continue de fil dentaire (72) de l'évidement, la faire passer sur les branches (40, 41) de la pièce bifurquée et réintroduire son extrémité antérieure dans l'évidement à travers une fente (36). Lorsqu'on fait tourner le manche (21) par rapport à la pièce bifurquée (31), l'extrémité antérieure du fil dentaire (72) se fixe dans l'évidement et son extrémité postérieure recule dans celui-ci de manière à tendre le fil dentaire entre les branches (40, 41) de la pièce bifurquée.
PCT/IE1994/000019 1993-04-06 1994-04-06 Dispositif pour fil dentaire WO1994022391A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU64366/94A AU6436694A (en) 1993-04-06 1994-04-06 A dental floss device

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IE930272 1993-04-06
IE930272 1993-04-06

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1994022391A1 true WO1994022391A1 (fr) 1994-10-13

Family

ID=11039934

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/IE1994/000019 WO1994022391A1 (fr) 1993-04-06 1994-04-06 Dispositif pour fil dentaire

Country Status (2)

Country Link
AU (1) AU6436694A (fr)
WO (1) WO1994022391A1 (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2016009313A1 (fr) 2014-07-16 2016-01-21 Mgt Industries S.R.L. Outil de soins bucco-dentaires pour fil dentaire tendu
WO2016074517A1 (fr) * 2014-11-14 2016-05-19 艾历有限公司 Dispositif de fil dentaire
KR200490379Y1 (ko) * 2019-08-01 2019-11-05 송남호 치실걸이기구

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0128253A1 (fr) * 1981-09-04 1984-12-19 Philippus Jacobus Fourie Instrument de nettoyage des dents
GB2160106A (en) * 1984-06-15 1985-12-18 Phillipus Jacobus Fourie A device for cleaning teeth
US4788990A (en) * 1987-04-09 1988-12-06 Wisegerber Lester R Flosser locking mechanism

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0128253A1 (fr) * 1981-09-04 1984-12-19 Philippus Jacobus Fourie Instrument de nettoyage des dents
GB2160106A (en) * 1984-06-15 1985-12-18 Phillipus Jacobus Fourie A device for cleaning teeth
US4788990A (en) * 1987-04-09 1988-12-06 Wisegerber Lester R Flosser locking mechanism

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2016009313A1 (fr) 2014-07-16 2016-01-21 Mgt Industries S.R.L. Outil de soins bucco-dentaires pour fil dentaire tendu
WO2016074517A1 (fr) * 2014-11-14 2016-05-19 艾历有限公司 Dispositif de fil dentaire
US10039624B2 (en) 2014-11-14 2018-08-07 Id Infinity Limited Dental floss device
KR200490379Y1 (ko) * 2019-08-01 2019-11-05 송남호 치실걸이기구
WO2021020697A1 (fr) * 2019-08-01 2021-02-04 송남호 Support de fil dentaire

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU6436694A (en) 1994-10-24

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