Automatic dental flossing device

• US 5,579,786 A
• Filed: 02/13/1995
• Issued: 12/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roger S. Wolk
• Original Assignee: Roger S. Wolk, Tapocik, Claudette
• Inventors: Tapocik, Claudette, Wolk, Roger S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirsch, Paul J.
• Application Number:
  US08/387,486
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 433/118, 132/322, 132/323
• US Class Current: 132/322
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/047 power-driven

Abstract

An electrically driven dental flossing device which is used for flossing teeth. A flossing assembly is adapted to be mounted to the electrically driven dental flossing device. The dental flossing assembly includes a disposable floss holder which comprises a bow with a stem which in turn is replaceably mounted to a unitary driving shaft adaptor which in turn is mounted to the upper end of the electrically driven dental flossing device. The dental flossing device is gripped in the hand and the thumb is placed over the normally open spring urged thumb switch means. The flossing device works such that the dental floss material on the floss bow moves reciprocally between the teeth when the switch means is activated to energize a motor means within the handle to operate a gearing means which in turn moves the driving shaft adaptor in a reciprocating straight line in a back and forth motion to move the floss bow relative to the interproximal surfaces of the teeth.

Claims

1. A dental flossing device for removing debris from between and around a user'"'"'s teeth, comprising:

a. a generally elongated hollow cylindrical housing having a handle portion with an upper end and a lower end, a cap portion removably attached to and covering said lower end of said hollow cylindrical housing, and a hollow cone shaped nose portion removably attached to said upper end of said hollow cylindrical housing, the nose portion having a wide end, a narrow end, a wide opening at the wide end extending to a narrow opening at the narrow end, and an inner annular recess located adjacent to the narrow end;

b. an elongated driving shaft adaptor having a distal section with a distal end, a middle section, and a proximal section with a proximal end, the distal end having a square shaped opening, the proximal end having a non-circular ring located within said hollow cone shaped nose portion such that the distal section of the driving shaft adaptor extends through said narrow opening of said cone shaped nose;

c. a disposable dental floss bow having a C-shaped support and an elongated stem integrally attached to the support, the C-shaped support having a pair of spaced apart parallel prongs for holding a dental floss material therebetween, the elongated stem press-fitted within said square shaped opening at said distal end of said driving shaft adaptor;

d. motor means mounted within said hollow cylindrical housing and adjacent to said upper end of said hollow cylindrical housing;

e. battery means placed coaxially inside said hollow cylindrical housing for providing electrical power to said motor means;

f. gearing means mounted within said hollow cone shaped nose portion and coupling said motor means and said non-circular ring at said proximal end of said driving shaft adaptor, where the gearing means moves said driving shaft adaptor in a reciprocating motion, which in turn causes said disposable dental floss bow to move in short back and forth motion;

g. switch means mounted on said hollow cylindrical housing for activating said motor means; and

h. a flexible O-ring placed within said inner annular recess of said hollow cone shaped nose portion and aligned with and sealably between said annular groove of said driving shaft adaptor for preventing flow of water inside said hollow cylindrical housing;

i. whereby when said dental floss material of said dental floss bow is positioned between the teeth, the user can activate said switch means to energize said motor means, which causes said gearing means to move through said reciprocating motion of said driving shaft adaptor which in turn moves said floss material in said back and forth motion between the teeth to remove debris from between and around the teeth.

2. The dental flossing device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said housing, said nose and cap portions and said driving shaft adaptor are made of ABS plastic material.

3. The dental flossing device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said battery means are two alkaline `AA` batteries.

4. A dental flossing device for removing debris from between and around a user'"'"'s teeth, comprising:

a. a hollow cylindrical housing having a handle portion with a first end and a second end, a cap portion removably attached to and covering said second end of said hollow cylindrical housing, and a hollow cone shaped nose portion removably attached to said first end of said hollow cylindrical housing, the nose portion having a first end, a second end, and a first opening at the first end extending to a second opening at the second end;

b. a driving shaft adaptor having a distal section with a distal end and a proximal section with a proximal end, the distal end having an opening, the proximal end located within said hollow cone shaped nose portion such that the distal section of the driving shaft adaptor extends through said second opening of said cone shaped nose portion;

c. a dental floss bow having a pair of parallel prongs for holding a dental floss material therebetween and an integral stem press-fitted within said opening at said distal end of said driving shaft adaptor;

d. motor means mounted within said hollow cylindrical housing and adjacent to said first end of said hollow cylindrical housing;

e. power source means placed coaxially inside said hollow cylindrical housing for providing electrical power to said motor means;

f. gearing means mounted within said hollow cone shaped nose portion and coupling said motor means and said proximal end of said driving shaft adaptor, where the gearing means moves said driving shaft adaptor in a reciprocating motion, which in turn causes said dental floss bow to move in short back and forth motion;

g. switch means mounted on said hollow cylindrical housing for activating said motor means; and

h. a sealing means for preventing flow of water inside said hollow cylindrical housing;

i. whereby when said dental floss material of said dental floss bow is positioned between the teeth, the user can activate said switch means to energize said motor means, which causes said gearing means to move through said reciprocating motion of said driving shaft adaptor which in turn moves said floss material in said back and forth motion between the teeth to remove debris from between and around the teeth.

5. The dental flossing device in accordance with claim 4 wherein said housing, said nose and cap portions and said driving shaft adaptor are made of ABS plastic material.

6. The dental flossing device in accordance with claim 4 wherein said power source means includes at least two 1.5 volts batteries.

7. The dental flossing device in accordance with claim 4 wherein said sealing means is a flexible O-ring.

8. The dental flossing device in accordance with claim 4 wherein said dental floss bow is disposable.

9. A dental flossing device for removing debris from between and around a user'"'"'s teeth, comprising:

a. a housing;

b. a nose attached to an open end of said housing and having an opening;

c. a driving shaft adaptor having a distal end and a proximal end and placed within said nose such that the distal end extends through said opening of said nose;

d. a floss bow having two prongs for holding a floss material therebetween and an integral stem detachably attachable to said distal end of said driving shaft adaptor;

e. motor means placed within said housing;

f. power source means placed within said housing for providing electrical power to said motor means;

g. gearing means placed within said housing and coupled to said motor means and said proximal end of said driving shaft adaptor, where the gearing means moves said driving shaft adaptor in a reciprocating motion, which in turn moves said floss bow in a back and forth motion; and

h. switch means for activating said motor means;

i. whereby when said floss material of said floss bow is positioned between the teeth, the user can activate said switch means to energize said motor means, which causes said gearing means to move through said reciprocating motion of said driving shaft adaptor which in turn moves said floss material in said back and forth motion between the teeth to remove debris from between and around the teeth.

10. The dental flossing device in accordance with claim 9 wherein said housing, said nose and said driving shaft adaptor are made of plastic material.

11. The dental flossing device in accordance with claim 9 wherein said power source means includes at least two 1.5 volts batteries.

12. The dental flossing device in accordance with claim 9 wherein said floss bow is disposable.

13. The dental flossing device in accordance with claim 9 further comprising a sealing means for preventing flow of water inside said housing.

14. The dental flossing device in accordance with claim 13 wherein said sealing means comprises a flexible O-ring.