WO2006117553A1 - Support et distributeur de fil dentaire - Google Patents

Support et distributeur de fil dentaire Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2006117553A1
WO2006117553A1 PCT/GB2006/001613 GB2006001613W WO2006117553A1 WO 2006117553 A1 WO2006117553 A1 WO 2006117553A1 GB 2006001613 W GB2006001613 W GB 2006001613W WO 2006117553 A1 WO2006117553 A1 WO 2006117553A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
dental
floss
plugs
holder
cartridge
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2006/001613
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Hatib Donald Taylor
Original Assignee
Hatib Donald Taylor
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 Hatib Donald Taylor filed Critical Hatib Donald Taylor
Publication of WO2006117553A1 publication Critical patent/WO2006117553A1/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
    • A61C15/041—Dental floss
    • 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
    • A61C15/043—Containers, dispensers, or the like, e.g. with cutting means
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61C—DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE
    • A61C2202/00—Packaging for dental appliances

Definitions

  • This invention relates to dental-floss holders and dispensers .
  • a dental-floss holder wherein an element of dental floss extends between two spaced arms of the holder, the element of dental floss being attached at its two ends to respective plugs that are for entry into individual sockets of the two arms respectively, and wherein the sockets have resilience for releasable retention of the plugs entered therein.
  • Each of the plugs may be of a generally-cylindrical form and may have one or more part-circumferential shoulders for engagement within one or more recesses of the respective socket for establishing the releasable retention of the plug within the socket.
  • the dental-floss holder of the invention may be combined with a dispenser for dispensing onto the holder a dental- floss cartridge that comprises an element of dental floss that is attached at its two ends to two plugs respectively.
  • operation of the dispenser may dispense the cartridge onto the holder by forcing the two plugs of the cartridge into the two sockets respectively.
  • a method of re-loading a dental-floss holder wherein a first element of dental floss that is attached at its two ends to respective first plugs entered in releasable retention in individual spaced sockets of the holder, is replaced by a second element of dental-floss, the second element being attached at its two ends to respective second plugs that are adapted for releasable retention in the sockets respectively, and wherein replacement is carried out by pressing the second plugs onto the first plugs to force the first plugs from the sockets and enter the second plugs therein in their place for resilient retention therein.
  • a dental-floss dispenser for loading a dental-floss holder with one of a reserve of cartridges, each cartridge comprising an element of dental floss that is attached at its two ends to two plugs respectively for releasable retention within spaced sockets of the holder, and wherein the dispenser has a mouth for receiving entry into that mouth of the dental- floss holder, and is selectively operable to force the two plugs of said one cartridge into respective sockets of the entered holder for releasable retention therein.
  • Figure 1 shows the dental-floss holder according to the invention
  • Figure 2 is illustrative to an enlarged scale, of a dental-floss cartridge for use in the dental-floss holder of Figure 1;
  • Figure 3 is illustrative to enlarged scale of part of the holder of Figure 1 as loaded with the dental-floss cartridge of Figure 2;
  • Figure 4 is an enlarged view of one of two plug- retention sockets that form part of the dental-floss holder of Figure 1;
  • Figure 5 is sectional detail of the loaded, dental- floss holder of Figure 3, to which reference is made by way of explanation;
  • Figure 6 is a partially exploded perspective view of a dental-floss dispenser according to the invention for use in loading the dental-floss holder of Figure 1 with the dental-floss cartridge of Figure 2;
  • Figure 7 is a plan view from below of the dental- floss dispenser of Figure 6 with a bottom cover removed;
  • Figures 8 and 9 are perspective views of the dental- floss dispenser of Figure 6 during successive stages of loading the dental-floss holder of Figure 1 with the dental-floss cartridge of Figure 2;
  • Figure 10 is a sectional elevation of the dental- floss dispenser of Figure 6 during loading of the dental- floss holder of Figure 1 with the dental-floss cartridge of Figure 2;
  • Figures 11 and 12 are sectional representations of detail of the loaded, dental-floss holder of Figure 3, during successive stages of replacing a used dental-floss cartridge, in the dental-floss dispenser of Figure 6.
  • Figure 13 is a partially exploded perspective view of an alternative form of dental-floss dispenser according to the invention
  • Figure 14 is a perspective view of the alternative form of dental-floss dispenser of Figure 13 with a dental-floss holder in accordance with the invention
  • Figures 15 (a) and 15 (b) are illustrative of successive stages of loading the alternative dental-floss dispenser of Figure 13 with dental-floss cartridges;
  • Figure 16 is a perspective view of the alternative dental-floss dispenser of Figure 13 during loading of the dental-floss holder of Figure 14 with a dental-floss cartridge; and Figures 17 (a) and 17 (b) are illustrative of successive stages in loading the dental-floss holder with a dental-floss cartridge within the alternative dental- floss dispenser of Figure 13.
  • the dental floss holder 1 to be described is a plastics-moulding of Y-configuration that incorporates an elongate handle-portion 2 for the user to grip when flossing.
  • the handle-portion 2 splays out into two arms 3 which are topped by respective sockets 4 that are used for loading the holder 1 with floss.
  • each cartridge 5, as illustrated in Figure 2 comprises two generally-cylindrical plugs 6 with a floss-strand element 7 attached at either end to them, and is loaded into the holder 1 as illustrated in Figure 3, with the two plugs 6 plugged into the two sockets 4 respectively and the element 7 taut between them.
  • the degree of stretch to which the element 7 is subjected is determined fundamentally by the length of the element 7 in relation to the spacing between the sockets 4, but also by the overall resilience within the holder 1 between its arms 3, and the local resilience between each arm 3 and its socket 4.
  • Each socket 4, as illustrated more clearly in Figure 4 is of a generally-cylindrical form of C-shape cross- section with the gap between the opposed "jaws" 9 of the section facing inwardly so as to allow the floss element 7 to extend freely from the plug 6 in its respective socket 4, to the other plug 6.
  • the gap between the jaws 9, however, also introduces resilience in the socket 4 to enable it to receive and retain the plug 6 within it.
  • each plug 6 has two diametrically-opposed shoulders 10 located midway along its length for resilient retention within conformal, central recesses 11 of the receiving socket 4.
  • the plug 6 is entered in the socket 4 by pushing it lengthwise into the socket 4 to splay the jaws 9 open initially to admit the plug 6, and then with further pushing to allow them to return as the shoulders 10 snaps resiliently home into the recesses 11. With the shoulders 10 nested within the recesses 11, the plug 6 is retained resiliently within the holder 1 to an extent that it is not disturbed from its socket 6 during use of the holder 1 for dental flossing.
  • the dispenser 20 in this case has a loading-head 21 with an elongate body 22 extending rearwardly from it.
  • the body 22, as illustrated in Figure 6, has two mutually-spaced runners 23 that extend the length of the body 22 and into the head 21 through respective, interconnected apertures 24.
  • a pack of reserve cartridges 25 each having the form of the cartridge 5 described with reference to Figure 2, is loaded into the dispenser 20, each with its two plugs 6 either side of the runners 23 and the floss element 7 taut between them across the intervening space.
  • the cartridges 25, which are loaded onto the runners 23 in abutment with one another, are covered by a lid 26 (shown In Figure 6 as transparent) of the body 22, and are retained together in the pack by stops 27.
  • the stops 27, which are interconnected via a bar 28 shown in Figure 7, are moveable together along the runners 23 under selective operation of a ratchet mechanism.
  • the ratchet mechanism involves outwardly-sprung finger-tabs 29 that are engaged with respective saw-tooth tracks 30 running lengthwise of the body 22. This engagement allows the bar 28 together with the stops 27 interconnected by it, to be moved stepwise in the direction towards the head 21, but precludes them from movement in the reverse direction until the tabs 29 are depressed towards one another.
  • the stops 27 can be advanced to press onto a pack of cartridges 25 already loaded in the dispenser 20, they can only be withdrawn to enable a pack to be loaded, while the tabs 29 are held depressed.
  • the user When a pack of reserve cartridges 25 has been loaded in the dispenser 20, the user exerts finger pressure on the bar 28 to urge the stops 27 into abutment with the rear of the pack. The stops 27 are pressed onto the pack in this way to step the leading cartridge 25 of the pack into the head 21 through the apertures 24, ready for loading into the user's holder 1.
  • the user's holder 1 is brought to the dispenser 20 for entry of the arms 3 into a mouth 31 of the head 21.
  • the arms 3 are entered in the mouth 31, as illustrated in Figure 9, to engage dimples 32 ( Figures 1, 3 and 4) located behind the sockets 4 of the holder 1, with sprung detent-catches (not shown) within the mouth 31.
  • This engagement serves to locate the holder 1 correctly with its sockets 4 in register beneath the plugs 6 of the leading, reserve cartridge 25 ready for loading.
  • Loading is carried out by the user depressing a push-button 33 of the head 21 against a spring bias. This presses down on the plugs 6 of the leading, reserve cartridge 25 to force them fully home within the sockets 4 of the holder 1.
  • the plugs ⁇ r of the cartridge 25r bear on the plugs ⁇ u of the used cartridge 25u (as illustrated by Figure 11) and push the plugs ⁇ u down out of the sockets 4 of the holder 1 as the plugs 6r are pushed home in loading the holder 1 with the replacement cartridge 25r (as illustrated by Figure 12) .
  • the used cartridge 25u falls through the bottom of the head 21 for disposal, and the holder 1 loaded with the replacement cartridge 25r can then be withdrawn from the mouth 31 and put to use.
  • the body 25 of the dispenser 20 extends generally horizontally and whereas this may be found convenient for some in holding it in the hand while loading the holder 1 with a replacement cartridge 25, there are circumstances in which it would be advantageous and more convenient for the dispenser to have a vertical orientation for holding or mounting and during loading.
  • An example of an alternative form of dispenser adapted for use in a vertical orientation is illustrated in Figures 13 to 17 and will now be described.
  • the alternative dispenser 40 has a body 41 which is designed to stand and be operated vertically.
  • a plunger 42 extends down through a top opening 43 of the body 41 and is coupled to the body 41 via a ratchet mechanism (not shown) .
  • the ratchet mechanism allows the plunger 42 to be pushed down stepwise into an internal cavity 44 of the body 41, but to be drawn slidingly upwards out of it.
  • the cavity 44 is accessible through an opening 45 in the front wall 46 of the body 41, and it is through this opening 45, that a cartridge cassette 47 is entered into the cavity 44 to clip resiliently to the body 41 and close the opening 45 as shown in Figure 14.
  • the cartridge cassette 47 holds a reserve-pack of cartridges 48 (each identical to cartridge 5 of Figure 2) stacked one upon the other for dispensing one at a time from the bottom 49 of the cassette 47.
  • the plugs (corresponding to plugs 6 of Figure 2) of each cartridge 48 of the stack are loaded in respective vertical channels 50 (see Figure 13) of the cassette 47, with their interconnecting floss-strand element (corresponding to the element 7 of Figure 2) horizontal between them across an intervening channel 51.
  • the plunger 42 is withdrawn upwardly to its fullest extent as shown in Figure 15 (a), to enable the cartridge cassette 47 loaded with the stacked cartridges 48, to be entered laterally into the cavity 44 for clipped engagement therein with its bottom 49 standing on a cross-wall 53.
  • the wall 53 divides the cavity 44 from a lateral, dispensing mouth 54 of the body 41, and the channels 50 and 51 of the engaged cassette 47 align with an aperture 55 through the wall 53 that is configured appropriately to permit cartridges 48 discharged from the cassette 47 to pass into the dispensing mouth 54, without obstruction.
  • a tray 56 located in the mouth 54 is spring-biased to block the aperture 55 and thereby preclude dispensing of cartridges 48 from the cassette 47.
  • this cartridge 48u will be pushed out of the holder 57 into an underlying chamber 60 of the body 41, as illustrated in Figure 17 (b) , by the action of loading the holder 57 with the replacement cartridge 48.
  • the used cartridge 48u can be discharged from the chamber 60 via an aperture 61, by tipping the body 41, but until then it blocks the possibility of more than one cartridge 48 being dispensed in the one operation.
  • holder 57 is returned to the mouth 54. Each time the holder 57 is re-engaged in the mouth 54, it is necessary only to push the plunger 42 down one step of its ratchet mechanism to carry out the combined step of loading the holder 57 with a fresh cartridge 48 from the bottom 52 of the cassette 47, and discharging the used cartridge.
  • the plunger 42 When all the cartridges 48 in the cassette 47 have been dispensed, the plunger 42 will have been pushed down in successive ratchet-steps to the bottom 52 of the cassette 47 as the cartridges are in turn dispensed. The plunger 42 will need to be lifted up to withdraw it from the cassette 47 so that it can be withdrawn, once the cassette 48 has been undipped from the body 41, for replacement by the same or other cassette loaded with replacement cartridges 48.

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)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un support de fil dentaire (1 ; 57) ayant des bras en patte d’oie (3 ; 58) sur lesquels attacher un élément de fil (7) qui s’étend entre des prises cylindriques (6) s’ajustant par pression de façon axiale dans les fiches cylindriques (4 ; 59) respectives de section transversale en C aux extrémités des bras (3 ; 58). Chaque fiche (4 ; 59) est élastique pour permettre une retenue détachable de la prise (6) respective à l’aide des épaulements (10) partiellement circonférentiels de la prise (6) entrant en prise dans les renforts internes (11) de la fiche (4 ; 59). L’élément de fil (7) fixé à ses prises terminales (6) forme une cartouche jetable (5 ; 25 ; 48) individuelle et est remplacé après utilisation (25u ; 48u) à partir d’une réserve de cartouches (25 ; 48) contenue à l’intérieur d’un distributeur (20 ; 40) en faisant entrer les bras (3 ; 58) du support (1 ; 57) dans une embouchure (31 ; 54) du distributeur (20 ; 40). L’opération d’un piston (33, 42) amène de force (directement ou via la réserve) les prises (6) de la cartouche (25r ; 48) neuve de la réserve à descendre sur les prises (6) de la cartouche utilisée (25u ; 48u) pour les sortir de leurs fiches (4 ; 59) et les remplacer par celles des cartouches (25r ; 48) neuves. Le distributeur peut prendre une forme horizontale (20) ou verticale (40) et la réserve de cartouches (48) peut être contenue à l’intérieur d’une cassette (47) amovible.
PCT/GB2006/001613 2005-05-03 2006-05-03 Support et distributeur de fil dentaire WO2006117553A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0509018A GB0509018D0 (en) 2005-05-03 2005-05-03 Dental-floss holders and dispensers
GB0509018.8 2005-05-03

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2006117553A1 true WO2006117553A1 (fr) 2006-11-09

Family

ID=34674264

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB2006/001613 WO2006117553A1 (fr) 2005-05-03 2006-05-03 Support et distributeur de fil dentaire

Country Status (2)

Country Link
GB (2) GB0509018D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO2006117553A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102020121792A1 (de) 2020-08-19 2022-02-24 Tobias Krauß Vorrichtung zur Reinigung eines Zahnzwischenraums
US11446126B2 (en) * 2016-12-14 2022-09-20 Bong Kyun Oh Dental floss member and dental floss holder

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4827952A (en) * 1987-10-27 1989-05-09 Peter Kos Dental flosser and dental floss
US5067503A (en) * 1990-03-21 1991-11-26 Stile Thomas W Dental apparatus for flossing teeth
DE9406237U1 (de) * 1994-04-14 1994-09-22 Scharle Bertold Hygienischer Halter für Zahnseide
WO2004084759A2 (fr) * 2003-03-24 2004-10-07 Hatib Donald Taylor Dispositif de nettoyage dentaire

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4162687A (en) * 1978-06-06 1979-07-31 Lorch Leonard G Dental flossing device
US4655233A (en) * 1985-11-04 1987-04-07 Laughlin Patrick E Dental flossing tool
AT386947B (de) * 1987-04-17 1988-11-10 Rochus Marxer Spannbarer faden, behaelter fuer diesen faden und halter zur zahnpflege, insbesondere zur reinigung von zahnzwischenraeumen

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4827952A (en) * 1987-10-27 1989-05-09 Peter Kos Dental flosser and dental floss
US5067503A (en) * 1990-03-21 1991-11-26 Stile Thomas W Dental apparatus for flossing teeth
DE9406237U1 (de) * 1994-04-14 1994-09-22 Scharle Bertold Hygienischer Halter für Zahnseide
WO2004084759A2 (fr) * 2003-03-24 2004-10-07 Hatib Donald Taylor Dispositif de nettoyage dentaire

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11446126B2 (en) * 2016-12-14 2022-09-20 Bong Kyun Oh Dental floss member and dental floss holder
DE102020121792A1 (de) 2020-08-19 2022-02-24 Tobias Krauß Vorrichtung zur Reinigung eines Zahnzwischenraums
DE102020121792B4 (de) 2020-08-19 2022-07-07 Tobias Krauß Vorrichtung zur Reinigung eines Zahnzwischenraums

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2426003B (en) 2008-03-12
GB0509018D0 (en) 2005-06-08
GB0608748D0 (en) 2006-06-14
GB2426003A (en) 2006-11-15

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