Automatic dental flossing device

• US 5,606,984 A
• Filed: 12/08/1994
• Issued: 03/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yong Gao
• Original Assignee: Yong Gao
• Inventors: Gao, Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Philogene, Pedro
• Application Number:
  US08/351,345
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 132/325, 132/322, 132/323, 132/327, 132/328
• US Class Current: 132/325
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/047 power-driven

Abstract

A power-driven dental flossing device has an elongate housing of three casings with an extending housing arm forked at its front, which contains dental floss reels, a dividing gear system, dental floss operating and winding switches, and a powered motor with batteries and/or a transformer. Dental floss across two tines of the forked arm is wound on the two reels, one of which supplies fresh dental floss, the other takes up used floss. The dental floss can be automatically reciprocated between the tines and teeth by pulling an operating switch backward, and also can be manipulated manually by pushing the same operating switch forward. The floss can also be automatically wound in one direction at time to provide a fresh length of the floss, or to rewind it back at any time. The floss reels are driven by the gear system which comprises pinions installed on reel shafts, and a main dividing gear with partially geared circumference to drive each one of pinions alternately, therefore the dental floss can automatically complete reciprocating motion to accomplish teeth cleaning. The main gear can also be slid to an upper or lower position on its shaft where only one pinion could be driven by the main gear, therefore the dental floss will be continually wound only in one direction at a time.

Claims

1. A power-driven fully automatic dental flossing device, wherein a dental floss is automatically reciprocated or continually run in one direction, and said device comprising:

(a) housing means containing an apparatus for automatically manipulating the dental floss, and formed with a frame comprising an openable and replaceable upper casing, a bottom casing, and a rear casing, and two tines attached to a forked arm extending from the upper casing;

(b) guide means formed on said upper casing for guiding the dental floss through a proper path to accomplish desired functions;

(c) reel means mounted in said upper casing of said housing means for supplying fresh dental floss and taking up used floss, for winding the dental floss in one direction at a time, and for reciprocating the floss back and forth;

(d) transmission means installed in the bottom casing for transmitting power and driving said reel means to accomplish automatic manipulation of the dental floss;

(e) operating switch means for switching on and off said device to reciprocate the dental floss, and for holding said dental floss;

(f) winding switch means for switching on and off said device to continually wind the dental floss in one direction at a time back and forth;

(g) power means installed in said rear casing to provide power for automatically manipulating the dental floss; and

(h) slotted tube conducting means on said tines of said forked arm for conducting the dental floss across said tines and integrating tips of said tines against cracking and wearing.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1, wherein said upper casing of said housing means can be openable and replaceable for installing and replacing said reel means.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 1, wherein said guide means comprises a group of contoured guiding knobs, grooved slots on said forked arm, and a contoured inner wall of said frame of said upper casing for accommodating and guiding the dental floss from said reel means to the tines of said forked arm of said upper casing.

4. The invention in accordance with claim 1, wherein said reel means comprises a set of removable reels, carrying a dental floss and accommodated on separate shaft mechanisms of said transmission means, one of which supplies fresh dental floss, and another of which takes up used dental floss, and is able to reciprocate the dental floss between teeth and supply a fresh length of the dental floss at any time even while the dental floss is still in between the teeth.

5. The invention in accordance with claim 1, wherein said transmission means comprises a set of driving belts with flexible mounting force for preventing said device from any overloads, a set of separated shaft mechanisms extended into said upper casing for driving said reel means and a set of gears including speed-adjusting gears, and a primary gear slidable on its shaft driven by said power means through said belts and having partially geared circumference for dividing its every whole cyclic rotation into several sections to drive following gears, either alternately in the case where more than one of said gears are engaged, or continually in the case where a single gear is engaged, according to the different positions engaged by said slidable primary gear.

6. The invention in accordance with claim 1, wherein said operating switch means, comprising an operating button, a contoured frame, springs and knobs, said switch means adapted to press the dental floss against inner walls of said upper casing of said device for holding the dental floss tightly, and to switch on/off said device for automatically reciprocating the dental floss which tension is controllable.

7. The invention in accordance with claim 1, wherein said winding switch means comprises a manipulating mechanism to move said primary gear up or down into three different positions with a middle position allowing said primary gear to alternately drive all the engaged following gears, and upper and lower positions allowing for said primary gear to engage only one of said following gears and simultaneously switch on said device for continually winding the dental floss in one direction at a time.

8. The invention in accordance with claim 1, wherein said slotted tube means is coupled to fit onto each one of said two tines of said forked arm, having slots positioned at outside higher sections of said tines of said forked arm, for conducting the dental floss smoothly across the tips of said tines and integrating said tines of said arm against cracking and wearing.