Dental floss holder

• US 4,253,477 A
• Filed: 08/02/1979
• Issued: 03/03/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John J. Eichman
• Original Assignee: John J. Eichman
• Inventors: Eichman, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): McNeill, G. E.
• Application Number:
  US06/063,079
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 132/91-92
• US Class Current: 132/323
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/046 Flossing tools

Abstract

Described herein is a dental floss holder including a head for entry into a person'"'"'s mouth and carrying an extended length of dental floss for entry between the user'"'"'s teeth, the head being provided opposite to the dental floss with a bite member for engagement by the user'"'"'s teeth to forcibly effect dental floss entry, and a lever having one end swingable into engagement with the user'"'"'s teeth to withdraw dental floss from between the teeth.

Claims

1. A holder for dental floss, said holder comprising a handle for manual gripping, a head extending generally longitudinally from said handle for entry into a user'"'"'s mouth, a pair of spaced legs extending from one side of said head transversely of said handle for respective location on opposite sides of one row of the user'"'"'s teeth, floss holding means on said legs for holding a length of floss in bridging relation across the space between said legs, a bit member on the other side of said head located to be bitten by a user'"'"'s teeth of the other row to engage the floss between adjacent teeth of said one row, a lever pivoted to said handle for swinging movement actuated by a user'"'"'s hand, and a bearing member extending from said lever on one side of said head and swingable with said lever toward and away from said head, said bearing member being engageable with teeth of said one row and movable away from said head to disengage floss from between the teeth of said one row.

2. A holder according to claim 1, said bearing member having its extremity terminating short of a length of floss in said bridging relation, to prevent dislodging of the floss by said bearing member.

3. A holder according to claim 2, said lever being pivoted about an axis generally transverse of said handle and legs for swinging said bearing member generally longitudinally of said legs.

4. A holder according to claim 3, in combination with resilient means urging said bearing member toward said head for ease of floss engagement between teeth.

5. A holder according to claim 4, said bearing member in its rest position abutting said head for limiting engagement with teeth of said one row.

6. A holder for dental floss, said holder comprising a handle for manual gripping, a head extending generally longitudinally from said handle for entry into a user'"'"'s mouth, a pair of spaced legs extending from one side of said head transversely of said handle for respective location on opposite sides of one row of the user'"'"'s teeth, floss holding means on said legs for holding a length of floss in bridging relation across the space between said legs for engagement between adjacent teeth of said one row, a lever pivoted to said handle for swinging movement actuated by a user'"'"'s hand, and a bearing member extending from said lever on said one side of said head and swingable with said lever toward and away from said head, said bearing member being engageable with teeth of said one row and movable away from said head to disengage floss from between the teeth of said one row.

7. A holder according to claim 6, said bearing member having its extremity short of a length of floss in said bridging relation to prevent dislodging of the floss by said bearing member, and said lever being pivoted about an axis generally transverse of said handle and legs for swinging said bearing member generally longitudinally of said legs.