Toothsticks "Toostix"

• US 4,576,190 A
• Filed: 12/21/1982
• Issued: 03/18/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kamal A. Youssef
• Original Assignee: Kamal A. Youssef
• Inventors: Youssef, Kamal A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harrison, Carolyn A.
• Application Number:
  US06/451,978
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 132/84 R, 132/84 A, 132/84 B, 132/84 C, 132/84 D, 132/85, 132/89, 132/90, 132/91, 132/92 R, 132/92 A, 132/93, 446/374
• US Class Current: 132/322
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/02 Toothpicks

Abstract

A sanitary, hygienic dental/oral appliance synergistically combining six functions in one device to conveniently and even disposably provide for complete dental/oral hygiene in a portable package. A complete dental/oral hygiene device comprising a hypotraumatic (non-abrasive), large working/brushing-surface headpiece mounted upon a shaft. The shaft proximal end is adapted for scraping and stain removing. A flexible toothpick mounted upon the shaft as well as a measure of dental floss with a cover to hold the floss in place. Also described as a fibro-cellular (spongy), bristle-free, first absorbent toothbrush, preimpregnated with fluoride gel/toothpaste, combined with a novel "winged toothpick", dental floss, stain scraper & gum/teeth stimulator/vibrator tips, for easy-to-use, economically very pleasant, pain-free, comprehensive & complete dental/oral hygiene program.

Claims

1. A complete, disposable, dental hygienic instrument, comprising:

an elongate handle means;

a resilient, open-cell foam scrubbing and brushing means fastened to a first end of said elongate handle means;

scraping and stain removing means provided by a generally wedge shaped second end of said elongate handle means;

dental floss having one end thereof permanently attached to said elongate handle means at a point intermediate the ends of said elongate handle means, the balance of said dental floss is wrapped around said elongate handle means for storage, the other end of said dental floss being unrestrained and free for grasping;

toothpick means removably and conformably wound about said elongate handle means, said toothpick means comprising an elongate malleable wire core completely covered by flexible plastic coating means further projecting laterally into a pair of diametrically opposed thin plastic ribs, said ribs being substantially in the same plane as said wire core and thinner at their distal edge than the coated wire and extending more than a millimeter laterally.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said foam brushing and scrubbing means contains dentifrice.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the second end of said elongate handle means includes connecting means for connection to powered motion means for mechanically assisted tooth cleaning.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said elongate handle means is bent at an angle from the straight to facilitate access to certain regions of the mouth.

5. A toothpick comprising:

a central, longitudinal, malleable wire core;

a flexible plastic coating means covering said wire core completely along its length and at its ends;

two coplanar, diametrically opposed thin, flexible plastic wings coextensive with said plastic coating means, and extending laterally a plurality of millimeters from said wire core along a generally mid-section area of said wire core.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein:

the leading and trailing edges of said wings taper to the central wire coating.