DENTAL INSTRUMENT

• US 3,759,274 A
• Filed: 03/12/1973
• Issued: 09/18/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Warner C. Edward
• Original Assignee: Warner C. Edward
• Inventors: Warner, C. Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Peshock, Robert
• Application Number:
  US05/340,597
• Time in Patent Office: 190 Days
• Field of Search: 132/92R,91,93 32/4R
• US Class Current: 132/322
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/047 power-driven

Abstract

The device uses a strand of dental floss for removing particles entrapped between teeth or around the bases of teeth. The strand of dental floss is mounted on an extended fork used for supporting the strand and to allow oscillating movement when used in a cleaning operation. A drive means is included for imparting the oscillating movement to the strand. There is also included a device cooperating with the spool for carrying the strand and supporting the strand for registering a new, unused strand of dental floss for operation subsequent to each cleaning cycle.

Claims

1. An instrument for cleaning between teeth comprising a holder, a guide means mounted on and extending from said holder, a spool rotatively mounted on said holder, a strand of dental floss mounted on said spool and aligned through said guide means, a drive means operatively coupled to said spool for providing a reciprocating movement to said strand in said guide means, and means operably connected to said spool for rotating it and registering a different length of said strand in said guide means subsequent to each cleaning operation.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises a fork fixed to said holder, said strand mounted through a pair of guide eyes at opposed ends of said fork.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for providing a reciprocating movement of said strand comprises a ring gear and an electrically powered motive means operably connected to said ring gear for rotating it.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein a drive sector is mounted on the inner periphery of said ring gear for providing a drive motion to said spool through an intermediate gear train.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein said drive sector includes a plurality of teeth extending over an arcuate distance of less than 180* of said ring gear and wherein a pair of pinion gears are separately engageable with said toothed sector of said ring gear to provide said reciprocating drive.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein said sector comprises a V-drive portion of said ring gear.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said intermediate gear train comprises a pair of pinion gears and a pair of idler gears, said idler gears mutually meshed and coupled to said spool, each of said idler gears cooperable with a different one of said pinion gears for providing a different direction rotation of said spool.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said registering means comprises a manipulatively adjustable knob connected to and extending outwardly from said spool and said holder.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein said motive means includes an electrical motor and a DC power source mounted in said holder.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 9 wherein said motive means includes an electrical motor and an externally connected AC power source.

11. An instrument for cleaning teeth including a holder, a fork portion fixed to said holder and linearly offset relative to said holder, a strand of dental cleaning material slidably mounted between the opposed ends of said fork portion, a spool for mounting said strand fixed to said holder, a drive means for providing a limited reciprocating movement of said strand while in contact with the teeth during the cleaning operation of said instrument, and means further operably connected to said spool for providing an incremental movement thereof to fix a different length of said strand in operative position relative to said fork portion.

12. The combination as set forth in claim 11 wherein said fork portion includes a pair of opposed relatively flexible arms, each having a loop portion at its free end.

13. The combination as set forth in claim 11 wherein said holder comprises two separable portions, one including said drive means and the other including said fork portion and said associated spool and strand.

14. The combination as set forth in claim 11 wherein said strand is connected to said spool in an endless loop to provide a feed in one direction and a corresponding take-up in the other direction.

15. The combination as set forth in claim 11 wherein said spool is driven by said drive means and said spool includes an intermediate connecting portion capable of ready removal from driven engagement with said drive means to allow replacement of said spool.