Dental flossing tool

• US 4,655,233 A
• Filed: 11/04/1985
• Issued: 04/07/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Patrick E. Laughlin
• Original Assignee: Patrick E. Laughlin
• Inventors: Laughlin, Patrick E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peshock, Robert
• Application Number:
  US06/794,774
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 433/141, 132/91, 132/92 R
• US Class Current: 132/323
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/046 Flossing tools

Abstract

This invention is related to a tool for the dental flossing of teeth and a precut length of dental floss having gripping attachments secured to the ends of the length of floss. The precut length(s) of floss are configured so as to facilitate the gripping of the attachments by the flossing tool. The tool is fully operable by the use of one hand.

Claims

1. A tool for the dental flossing of teeth comprising;

an elongate tool having a bifurcated floss gripping end and a handle end and the floss gripping end is configured so as to receive and securely hold a precut length of floss, the precut length of floss having secured to its ends gripping attachments which permit the precut length of floss to be securely gripped by the floss gripping end of the tool and the tool is provided with opening and closing means for grippers on the floss gripping end of the tool and the tool and the opening and closing means is operable by the use of one hand, and wherein the grippers are provided with hemispherical cavities in each gripping jaw of the two pairs of gripping jaws and the hemispherical cavities are positioned so that the hemispherical cavities open towards each other when the opening and closing means for the grippers is in the open position permitting the positioning between each of the pairs of gripping jaws a spherical gripping attachment and the hemispherical cavities are closed upon the spherical gripping attachment when the opening and closing means is in the closed position so as to permit the jaws to be employed to pick up and securely grasp a precut length of dental floss having spherical gripping attachments secured at each end of the length of dental floss.

2. A tool for the dental flossing of teeth comprising;

an elongate tool having a bifurcated floss gripping end and a handle end and the floss gripping end is configured so as to receive and securely hold a precut length of floss, the precut length of floss having secured to its ends gripping attachments which permit the precut length of floss to be securely gripped by the floss gripping end of the tool and the tool is provided with opening and closing means for grippers on the floss gripping end of the tool and the tool and the opening and closing means is operable by the use of one hand, and wherein the grippers are provided with a pin and pin seat means for gripping a precut length of dental floss and the precut length of floss has had gripping attachments secured at each end of the length of floss the gripping attachments define holes which will pass over the pins provided to the grippers.

3. A tool for the dental flossing of teeth comprising;

an elongate tool having a bifurcated floss gripping end and a handle end and the floss gripping end is configured so as to receive and securely hold a precut length of floss, the precut length of floss having secured to its ends gripping attachments which permit the precut length of floss to be securely gripped by the floss gripping end of the tool and the tool is provided with opening and closing means for grippers on the floss gripping end of the tool and the tool and the opening and closing means is operable by the use of one hand, and wherein the tool comprises a two ended sleeve member having a tubular sleeve forming one end and a bifurcated support means forming the other end and each of the bifurcations has projecting from its end a jaw and the jaw is provided with a first gripping means which cooperates with a second gripping means associated with mating jaws on sliding member to form a means for gripping the gripping attachments of a precut length of dental floss and the sliding member is a two ended sliding member having one end formed as a slide which is movable within the tubular sleeve of the sleeve member and the other end is formed as a bifurcated support means and each of the bifurcations has projecting from its ends a jaw and the jaw is provided with the second gripping means which cooperates with the first gripping means in gripping and releasing the gripping attachments of a precut length of dental floss and the sleeve member and sliding member are provided with a releasable detent means for locking the sliding member to the tubular member when the jaws of the tool are closed.

4. A tool for the dental flossing of teeth comprising;

an elongate tool having a bifurcated floss gripping end and a handle end and the floss gripping end is configured so as to receive and securely hold a precut length of floss, the precut length of floss having secured to its ends gripping attachments which permit the precut length of floss to be securely gripped by the floss gripping end of the tool and the tool is provided with opening and closing means for grippers on the floss gripping end of the tool and the opening and closing means is operable by the use of one hand and wherein the tool comprises;

a plier assembly having two elongate members pivoted to each other in their midspan and the ends to one side of the pivot form opening and closing handles and the ends to the other side of the pivot form bifurcated support means having formed at the ends of the bifurcations jaws configured to grip the gripping attachments at the end of the precut length of dental floss.

5. A tool for the dental flossing of teeth comprising;

an elongate tool having a bifurcated floss gripping end and a handle end and the floss gripping end is configured so as to receive and securely hold a precut length of floss, the precut length of floss having secured to its ends gripping attachments which permit the precut length of floss to be securely gripped by the floss gripping end of the tool and the tool is provided with opening and closing means for grippers on the floss gripping end of the tool and the opening and closing means is operable by the use of one hand and wherein the tool comprises a one piece elongate construction which is symetrical about a longitudinal handle axis and a transverse hinge axis and the one piece tool has a widened portion about the intersection of the longitudinal handle axis and the transverse hinge axis and the widened portion defines a hole centered on the intersection and the widened section has projecting therefrom and along the longitudinal handle axis, handle segments and the widened section has gripping means in the portion of the widened section to either side of the hole in the direction of the hinge axis and positioned a short distance lateral to the hinge axis and gripping means is configured so as to receive the gripping attachment of the precut length of dental floss and when the portion of the tool to one side of the hinge axis is pivoted about the hinge axis so as to bring it into contact with the portion of the tool to the other side of the hinge axis the gripping attachments of precut length of dental floss is securely gripped in the tool.