Dental flosser

• US 4,458,702 A
• Filed: 06/07/1982
• Issued: 07/10/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Everett C. Grollimund
• Original Assignee: Everett C. Grollimund
• Inventors: Grollimund, Everett C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, John J.
• Application Number:
  US06/385,808
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 132/91, 132/92 R, 132/92 A, 132/79 E, 132/DIG. 2, 128/62 A, 15/22 R, 15/22 A, 15/22 C, 15/167 R, 433/118, 433/142, 433/114, 433/29, 433/122, 433/123
• US Class Current: 132/322
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/047 power-driven

Abstract

Powered apparatus for cleaning teeth with dental floss, including arms extending from one end of the apparatus and mounted to rock about an axis transverse to the length of the apparatus, and a floss supply system including clamps operable to permit pulling floss through the arms and to tighten it in preparation for use, and to secure the tightened floss between the arms so that it may be used in cleaning between teeth.

Claims

1. Powered apparatus for cleaning interproximal tooth surfaces with dental floss, comprising an elongated hollow body having a rear end and a front end, a motor mounted adjacent the rear end of the body, a pair of spaced arms, means within the body pivotally mounting said arms on the body to rock about an axis extending transversely of the length of the body, said arms having rear portions extending from said axis toward the motor and longer forward portions extending from said axis to project beyond the front end of the body, means connecting said arms so that they move together as a unit, drive means connecting the motor to rock the arms about the said pivotable axis to a limited extent, said drive means comprising means having a slot therein elongated generally parallel to said pivotal axis, means connecting said slotted means to the rear portion of the arms, an element extending slideably into said slot, means rotatable by the motor about an axis of rotation extending in the same direction as the elongation of said body, said rotatable means mounting said element to extend parallel to, but eccentrically offset, relative to said access of rotation, means to suspend the length of floss between the projecting ends of the forward portion of the arms, said suspended floss being carried by the arms without endwise movement, and the distance between the suspended floss and the pivotal access being very much longer than the amplitude of limited movement of the arm ends where the floss is suspended, whereby the suspended floss is caused to reciprocate laterally in a substantially flat plane, and resilient means in said connection between the slotted means and the rear portions of the arms, said resilient means being connected to transmit rocking motion to the arms, whereby the arm drive can yield when the suspended floss encounters more than a predetermined resistence.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the predetermined resistance is such as to provide periodontal structure protection.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a light source mounted within the front end of the body and between the forward portions of the arms, and means directing light from the light source toward the suspended floss, whereby light may be directed toward the area where the floss is to be used.

4. Powered apparatus for cleaning interproximal tooth surfaces with dental floss, comprising an elongated hollow body having a rear end and a front end, a motor mounted adjacent the rear end of the body, a pair of spaced arms, means within the body pivotally mounting said arms on the body to rock about an axis extending transversely of the length of the body, said arms having rear portions extending from said axis toward the motor and longer forward portions extending from said axis to project beyond the front end of the body, means connecting said arms so that they move together as a unit, drive means connecting the motor to rock the arms about the said pivotable axis to a limited extent, said drive means comprising means having a slot therein elongated generally parallel to said pivotal axis, means connecting said slotted means to the rear portion of the arms, an element extending slideably into said slot, means rotatable by the motor about an axis of rotation extending in the same direction as the elongation of said body, said rotatable means mounting said element to extend parallel to, but eccentrically offset, relative to said access of rotation, means to suspend the length of floss between the projecting ends of the forward portion of the arms, said suspended floss being carried by the arms without endwise movement, and the distance between the suspended floss and the pivotal access being very much longer than the amplitude of limited movement of the arm ends where the floss is suspended, whereby the suspended floss is caused to reciprocate laterally in a substantially flat plane, and stationary members fixedly mounted on the body and extending next to the outside of the projecting ends of the arms, to guard against contact of the cheeks, tongue and teeth with the moving arms.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said guard members have flanges overlapping the projecting ends of the arms.

6. Powered apparatus for cleaning interproximal tooth surfaces with dental floss, comprising an elongated body, a pair of spaced arms having ends projecting beyond one end of the body, means mounting said arms on the body for pivotal movement about end axis extending transversely of the length of said body, means connecting said arms so that they move together as a unit, a motor, means connecting the motor to rock the arms about the said pivotal axis to a limited extent, and means to suspend a length of floss between the projecting ends of the arms, the distance between the suspended floss of the pivotal axis being very much longer than the amplitude of limited movement of the arm ends where the floss is suspended, whereby the suspended floss in caused to recriprocate laterally in a substantially flat plane, said arms having rear extensions beyond the pivotal mounting means, and said motor connecting means comprising means mounted for independent movement, slotted means carried by said independently movable means, rotatable eccentric means engaging said slotted means, and spring means between said arm rear extensions and said independently movable means, whereby the arm drive can yield when the suspended floss encounters more than a predetermined resistence.

7. Powered apparatus for cleaning interproximal tooth surfaces with dental floss, comprising an elongated body, a pair of spaced arms having ends projecting beyond one end of the body, means mounting said arms on the body for pivotal movement about an axis extending transversely of the length of said body, means connecting said arms so that they move together as a unit, a motor, means connecting the motor to rock the arms about the said pivotal axis to a limited extent, and means to suspend a length of floss between the projecting ends of the arms, the distance between the suspended floss of the pivotal axis being very much longer than the amplitude of limited movement of the arm ends where the floss is suspended, whereby the suspended floss in caused to recriprocate laterally in a substantially flat plane, including a light source in the end of the body from which the arms project, a lens over the light source, and means sealing the lens to the body against the entry of water during washing of used floss.