Flossing equipment and method of operation

• US 5,678,578 A
• Filed: 04/22/1996
• Issued: 10/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Michael Kossak
• Original Assignee: Michael Kossak
• Inventors: Kossak, Michael, Lubin, Ted, Daley, Richard, Kotowski, Paul, Fitzmorris, Bernard A., Schultheis, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor, Cary E.
• Application Number:
  US08/635,854
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 132/322, 132/324, 132/325, 132/326, 132/327
• US Class Current: 132/322
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/046 Flossing tools
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/047 power-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/16 Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices

Abstract

A dental flossing device is characterized by a flossing circuit comprising a floss supply spool and a take-up spool mounted to a housing containing a gear train assembly adapted to rotate the take-up spool in a winding direction. The floss feeds from the supply spool along a pair of prongs forming a forked extension of the handle and is stretched across the forked prongs and appropriately tensioned to be inserted into a user'"'"'s mouth for flossing. To maintain hygiene, the take-up spool is mounted outside the housing. In a manually operated embodiment, a manually depressible trigger projecting from the housing is operable to rotate the take-up spool with reverse rotation thereof being prevented with a ratchet mechanism. Release of the manually depressible trigger reversely rotates the supply spool through a short arcuate interval to remove slack and then locks the supply spool against unwinding rotation through gear teeth. In a preferred manually operated embodiment, first and second ratchet mechanisms are utilized to prevent reverse rotation of the supply and take-up spools while sufficiently tensioning the floss circuit. In other embodiments, the housing may be formed for mounting the flossing device as an attachment to a hand-held motorized toothbrush handle equipped with a motor from which projects and output shaft. Depending upon the model, the gear train assembly may be modified to convert longitudinal stroking motion of the shaft or oscillatory motion into uni-directional rotating motion to rotate the take-up spool in one direction only.

Claims

1. A flossing device to facilitate the insertion of floss between teeth, comprising:

a) a housing including a forked extension extending from said housing and having a pair of prongs with grooves for guiding said floss in a circuit which spans a space between said prongs;

b) a floss supply spool rotatably mounted to said housing;

c) a floss take-up spool rotatably mounted to said housing outside thereof;

d) an actuating mechanism for rotating said take-up spool to advance floss within the floss circuit;

e) a first ratchet mechanism connected to the floss take-up spool to tension the floss during periods when the actuating mechanism is de-activated; and

f) a second ratchet mechanism connected to the supply spool to cooperate with the first ratchet mechanism to tension the floss during periods when the actuating mechanism is de-activated.

2. The flossing device of claim 1, wherein said first ratchet mechanism is rotatable to rotate the take-up spool in a winding direction when rotated by operation of said actuating mechanism.

3. The flossing device of claim 2, wherein said actuating mechanism is a trigger projecting from the housing and including a driving pawl engageable with the first ratchet mechanism during actuation of said trigger.

4. The flossing device of claim 3, wherein said first ratchet mechanism includes a ratchet wheel and a stop pawl adapted to lock up and prevent reverse rotation of the ratchet wheel during de-actuation of said trigger.

5. The flossing device of claim 1, wherein said supply spool is located in a separate compartment within the housing.

6. The flossing device of claim 5, further comprising a cover which is movable to selectively cover and uncover the compartment interior in which the supply spool is located.

7. The flossing device of claim 1, wherein said take-up spool is located outside said housing.

8. The flossing device of claim 1, wherein said actuating mechanism is a knob located outside said housing.

9. A flossing device to facilitate the insertion of floss between teeth, comprising:

a) a housing including a forked extension extending from said housing and having a pair of prongs with grooves for guiding said floss in a circuit which spans a space between said prongs;

b) a floss supply spool rotatably mounted to said housing;

c) a floss take-up spool rotatably mounted to said housing;

d) a depressible trigger including an actuating member;

e) a first mechanism connected to the floss take-up spool to tension the floss during periods when the actuating member is de-activated, said first mechanism being contacted by said actuating member to advance said floss in said circuit; and

f) a second mechanism connected to said supply spool and cooperating with the first mechanism to tension the floss.

10. The flossing device of claim 9, wherein said take-up spool is located outside said housing.

11. A method of flossing, comprising:

a) depressing a trigger of a flossing device to automatically advance floss in a flossing circuit of the device by an incremental amount without further manual manipulation of the floss;

b) releasing said trigger;

c) flossing with said trigger released by inserting a portion of said device into the user'"'"'s mouth, said portion including exposed floss in a tensioned circuit; and

d) repeating steps a) through c);

wherein step c) occurs with said trigger released throughout the entire flossing operation regardless of space between the teeth.

12. A flossing device to facilitate the insertion of floss between teeth, comprising:

a) a housing including a forked extension extending from said housing and having a pair of prongs with grooves for guiding said floss in a circuit which spans a space between said prongs;

b) a floss supply spool rotatably mounted to said housing;

c) a floss take-up spool rotatably mounted to said housing outside thereof;

d) an actuating mechanism for rotating said take-up spool to advance floss within the floss circuit;

e) a first mechanism connected to the floss take-up spool to tension the floss during periods when the actuating mechanism is de-activated, said first mechanism being contacted by said actuating mechanism to advance said floss in said circuit; and

f) a second mechanism connected to and operable only on said supply spool and cooperating with the first mechanism to tension the floss during periods when the actuating mechanism is de-activated;

wherein said first and second mechanisms operate to maintain tension in the floss circuit without manual intervention.

13. A flossing device to facilitate the insertion of floss between teeth, comprising:

a) a housing including a forked extension extending from said housing and having a pair of prongs with grooves for guiding said floss in a circuit which spans a space between said prongs;

b) a floss supply spool rotatably mounted to said housing;

c) a floss take-up spool rotatably mounted to said housing thereof;

d) an actuating mechanism for rotating said take-up spool to advance floss within the floss circuit;

e) a first mechanism connected to the floss take-up spool to tension the floss during periods when the actuating mechanism is de-activated, said first mechanism being contacted by said actuating mechanism to advance said floss in said circuit; and

f) a second mechanism connected to and operable only on said supply spool and cooperating with the first mechanism to tension the floss during periods when the actuating mechanism is de-activated;

wherein said take-up and supply spools respectively have axes of rotation which are parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the floss in the floss circuit.

14. A flossing device to facilitate the insertion of floss between teeth, comprising:

a housing including a forked extension extending from said housing and having a pair of prongs with grooves for guiding said floss in a circuit which spans a space between said prongs;

a floss supply spool rotatably mounted to said housing;

a floss take-up spool rotatably mounted to said housing and outside thereof;

a gear train assembly within said housing for rotating said take-up spool in a winding direction to receive used floss from said space;

a actuating mechanism for actuating said gear train assembly to rotate said take-up spool;

wherein said gear train assembly is arranged to lock up and prevent reverse rotation of at least one of the take-up spool or supply spool;

a ratchet mechanism connected to at least one of the other of said take-up or supply spools to cooperate with the locked gear train assembly to tension the floss during periods when the actuating mechanism is deactivated,

wherein the flossing device is in the form of an attachment to a hand-held motorized toothbrush handle equipped with a motor from which projects an output shaft, which functions as said actuating mechanism, said housing being formed with a rear open end to receive a forward end of the toothbrush handle in connecting engagement with said output shaft thereby extending into the housing; and

means in said housing for connecting said output shaft to the gear train assembly,

wherein said gear train assembly further includes a first speed reduction gear assembly meshing with a worm mounted for co-rotation with the output shaft and a take-up spool drive gear meshing with the first speed reduction gear assembly, said drive gear being mounted on a support shaft projecting through the housing to the exterior thereof to support the floss take-up spool co-rotatably mounted thereon, wherein said take-up spool is locked against rotation by the gear train assembly during non-rotation of said output shaft.

15. A flossing device to facilitate the insertion of floss between teeth, comprising:

a housing including a forked extension extending from said housing and having a pair of prongs with grooves for guiding said floss in a circuit which spans a space between said prongs;

a floss supply spool rotatably mounted to said housing;

a floss take-up spool rotatably mounted to said housing and outside thereof;

at least one gear within said housing for rotating said take-up spool in a winding direction to receive used floss from said space;

an actuating mechanism for actuating said at least one gear to rotate said take-up spool;

wherein said at least one gear is arranged to lock up and prevent reverse rotation of at least one of the take-up spool or supply spool;

a ratchet mechanism connected to at least one of the other of said take-up or supply spools to cooperate with the locked at least one gear to tension the floss during periods when the actuating mechanism is deactivated.

16. A flossing device, comprising a floss circuit including a take-up spool and a supply spool between which floss extends;

an actuating mechanism, including a trigger having a depressible trigger portion projecting from an interior of said device, for rotating the take-up spool to wind used floss thereon and simultaneously advance fresh floss into a flossing location of the circuit;

means for locking and preventing reverse rotation of at least one of the take-up and supply spools; and

a mechanism connected only to the other of said take-up or supply spools to cooperate with the locking means to tension the floss during periods of deactivation of the actuating mechanism.

17. A flossing device to facilitate the insertion of floss between teeth, comprising:

a housing including a forked extension extending from said housing and having a pair of prongs with grooves for guiding said floss in a circuit which spans a space between said prongs;

a floss supply spool rotatably mounted to said housing;

a floss take-up spool rotatably mounted to said housing and outside thereof;

a gear train assembly within said housing for rotating said take-up spool in a winding direction to receive used floss from said space;

an actuating mechanism for actuating said gear train assembly to rotate said take-up spool;

wherein said gear train assembly is arranged to lock up and prevent reverse rotation of at least one of the take-up spool or supply spool;

a ratchet mechanism connected to at least one of the other of said take-up or supply spools to cooperate with the locked gear train assembly to tension the floss during periods when the actuating mechanism is deactivated.

18. The flossing device of claim 17, wherein the floss circuit is located exclusively outside the housing.

19. The flossing device of claim 17, wherein the flossing device is in the form of an attachment to a hand-held motorized toothbrush handle equipped with a motor from which projects an output shaft, which functions as said actuating mechanism, said housing being formed with a rear open end to receive a forward end of the toothbrush handle in connecting engagement with said output shaft thereby extending into the housing;

and means in said housing for connecting said output shaft to the gear train assembly.

20. The flossing device of claim 19, wherein said output shaft oscillates in opposite rotational directions through predetermined arcuate intervals, said connecting means including:

a connector engageable at one end thereof with the output shaft, the other end of said connector including at least a pair of axially extending fingers projecting forward from the connector;

a lost motion transmission disk containing plural spaced circumferential slots in axial alignment with said fingers, whereby rotational movement of the connector in one of said oscillatory directions is operable to cause driving contact of the fingers within a selected pair of slots to rotate said disk in one rotational direction, and rotational movement of the fingers in the opposite direction causes said fingers to rotate out of said slots into a pair of circumferentially adjacent slots without rotating said lost motion transmission disk and with renewed motion of said disk in said one rotational direction occurring upon a change in movement of said connector through said shaft in said one rotational direction;

wherein said gear train includes an input gear connected to the disk for rotary motion only in said one rotational direction.

21. The flossing device of claim 20, further including a ratchet tooth fixed to the housing, and wherein a series of projections are formed on a portion co-rotatable with the disk, said ratchet tooth including a first surface contactable with said projections to permit said projections to slide therepast in said one rotational direction, said tooth including a second surface lockable against one of the projections moving in the opposite rotational direction as a result of frictional contact between the fingers with the disk to thereby prevent reverse rotation of the input gear.

22. The flossing device of claim 21, wherein said input gear is a worm gear.

23. The flossing device of claim 22, wherein the worm gear has an axis of rotation in coaxial alignment with the output shaft rotational axis.

24. The flossing device of claim 22, wherein said gear train assembly further includes:

a speed reduction gear meshing with the worm gear;

a take-up spool drive gear meshing with the speed reduction gear, said drive gear being mounted on a support shaft projecting through the housing to the exterior thereof to support the floss take-up spool co-rotatably mounted thereon;

whereby said take-up spool is locked against rotation by the gear train assembly during non-rotation of said output shaft.

25. The flossing device of claim 24, wherein said take-up spool support shaft projects upward from the bottom wall of the housing substantially parallel to a second shaft supporting the speed reduction gear, said shafts defining axes of rotation for their respective gears which are perpendicular to and offset from the worm axis of rotation.

26. The flossing device of claim 19, wherein said output shaft rotates in one direction only, said gear train including:

a worm having an axis of rotation in coaxial alignment with said output shaft which is received directly in a rear portion of the worm, the rear portion being said connecting means;

a speed reduction gear meshing with said worm, said speed reduction gear being mounted within the housing for co-rotation on a shaft projecting upwardly through the housing top wall to directly support the take-up spool to rotate the same.

27. The flossing device of claim 26, wherein said ratchet mechanism is connected to the supply spool and comprises:

a first set of upward facing fixed teeth formed on one of the housing walls;

a second set of downward facing teeth contacting the first set, a hub projecting upward from said second set for co-rotation therewith;

a compression spring mounted to said hub for urging said second set against the first set;

said floss supply spool being mounted to the hub for co-rotation therewith;

whereby rotation of the supply spool in the unwinding direction occurs against the resistance of the spring biased first and second tooth sets, said resistance being yieldable against rotation of the take-up spool during actuation of the device but cooperating with the locked take-up spool during periods of deactivation to thereby tension the floss circuit to a predetermined extent.

28. The flossing device of claim 27, wherein said take-up spool is formed with a smaller diameter portion projecting downwardly towards the housing from a larger diameter cylindrical portion, said larger diameter portion being formed with an annular groove adapted to capture a free end of the floss to define one end of the flossing circuit.

29. The flossing device of claim 19, wherein said output shaft reciprocates within said housing in longitudinal strokes of predetermined length, said connecting means including:

a rack gear formed with rack teeth extending in coaxial alignment with said output shaft, and a plurality of flexible fingers projecting rearwardly from the rack gear and being operable to receive and wrap around the forward end of the output shaft, and slidable clip means longitudinally moveable to slide over the flexible fingers and press them against the output shaft forward end in clamping contact therewith.

30. The flossing device of claim 29, wherein said gear train assembly includes:

said rack gear;

a pinion mounted in said housing in meshing contact with the rack gear teeth for oscillatory rotation thereby;

a second gear mounted in said housing and having an axis of rotation parallel to the pinion gear in meshing contact therewith, said second gear thereby also oscillating in opposite rotational directions;

at least a pair of fingers projecting upwardly from said second gear;

a lost motion transmission disk coaxially mounted about the second gear and being formed with circumferentially spaced slots adapted to receive said fingers which engage end walls of associated of said slots to drive said lost motion transmission disk in one direction only corresponding to movement of the rack gear in one of its strokes, whereby movement of the rack gear in its opposite stroke causes the fingers to rotate relatively to said slots and out of said slots to engage circumferentially adjacent slots to thereby rotate said lost motion transmission disk upon renewed movement of said rack gear in said desired longitudinal stroke.

31. The flossing device of claim 30, further including a ratchet tooth fixed to the housing, and wherein a series of projections are formed on a portion co-rotatable with the disk, said ratchet tooth including a first surface contactable with said projections to permit said projections to slide therepast in said one rotational direction, said tooth including a second surface lockable against one of the projections moving in the opposite rotational direction as a result of frictional contact between the fingers with the disk to thereby prevent reverse rotation of the input gear.

32. The flossing device of claim 31, wherein said lost motion transmission disk includes a gear co-rotatable therewith thereby in one direction only which is in meshing contact with a take-up spool drive gear co-rotatable to rotate the take-up spool in the winding direction.

33. The flossing device of claim 32, wherein said lost motion transmission disk and said first and second gears are mounted on a common shaft extending vertically between top and bottom walls of the housing, opposite ends of said shaft being respectively received in said top and bottom walls.

34. The flossing device of claim 33, wherein said floss supply spool is driven in an unwinding rotational direction via rotation of the take-up spool only.

35. The flossing device of claim 34, wherein said ratchet mechanism is connected to the supply spool and comprises:

a first set of upward facing fixed teeth formed on one of the housing walls;

a second set of downward facing teeth contacting the first set, a hub projecting upward from said second set for co-rotation therewith;

a compression spring mounted to said hub for urging said second set against the first set;

said floss supply spool being mounted to the hub for co-rotation therewith;

whereby rotation of the supply spool in the unwinding direction occurs against the resistance of the spring biased first and second tooth sets, said resistance being yieldable against rotation of the take-up spool during actuation of the device but cooperating with the locked take-up spool during periods of deactivation to thereby tension the floss circuit to a predetermined extent.

36. The flossing device of claim 35, wherein the first tooth set is formed in a circular pattern about a post projecting upward from the housing wall at the center of the array, said post projecting upward through the hub through a bottom annular wall therein, a lower end of said spring being seated on said annular wall and extending upwardly around the post, and means engageable with the upper end of the post to define an upper spring seat for compressing the spring.

37. The flossing device of claim 36, wherein said second tooth set is arranged in a circular pattern in the lower surface of a disk from which the hub projects upwardly.

38. The flossing device of claim 37, further including key means between the hub and supply spool for detachably mounting the spool to the hub.

39. The flossing device of claim 17, wherein said floss supply spool is driven in an unwinding rotational direction via rotation of the take-up spool only.

40. The flossing device of claim 39, wherein said ratchet mechanism is connected to the supply spool and comprises:

a first set of upward facing fixed teeth formed on one of the housing walls;

a second set of downward facing teeth contacting the first set, a hub projecting upward from said second set for co-rotation therewith;

a compression spring mounted to said hub for urging said second set against the first set;

said floss supply spool being mounted to the hub for co-rotation therewith;

whereby rotation of the supply spool in the unwinding direction occurs against the resistance of the spring biased first and second tooth sets, said resistance being yieldable against rotation of the take-up spool during actuation of the device but cooperating with the locked take-up spool during periods of deactivation to thereby tension the floss circuit to a predetermined extent.

41. The flossing device of claim 40, wherein the first tooth set is formed in a circular pattern about a post projecting upward from the housing wall at the center of the array, said post projecting upward through the hub through a bottom annular wall therein, a lower end of said spring being seated on said annular wall and extending upwardly around the post, and means engageable with the upper end of the post to define an upper spring seat for compressing the spring.

42. The flossing device of claim 41, wherein said second tooth set is arranged in a circular pattern in the lower surface of a disk from which the hub projects upwardly.

43. The flossing device of claim 42, further including key means between the hub and supply spool for detachably mounting the spool to the hub.

44. The flossing device of claim 17, wherein said take-up spool is formed with a smaller diameter portion projecting downwardly towards the housing from a larger diameter cylindrical portion, said larger diameter portion being formed with an annular groove adapted to capture a free end of the floss to define one end of the flossing circuit.

45. The flossing device of claim 17, wherein said actuating mechanism includes a manually depressible trigger, said gear train assembly including:

an input gear rotated by said trigger;

a take-up spool drive gear mounted for co-rotation with said take-up spool;

a transfer gear meshing with said input gear and being operable to rotate said drive gear during depressing of said trigger; and

a supply spool drive gear driven by said input gear and mounted for co-rotation with said supply spool to thereby rotate said supply spool in an unwinding direction during trigger actuation.

46. The flossing device of claim 45, wherein said supply gear is permanently meshed with the input gear and is thereby locked against rotational movement by the input gear when the trigger is not being depressed, said ratchet mechanism being connected to the take-up spool.

47. The flossing device of claim 46, wherein, during release of the depressed trigger, said input gear is operable to reversely rotate the supply gear through a predetermined arcuate interval, to remove slack from the floss circuit in cooperation with the take-up spool which is locked against reverse rotation by the ratchet mechanism.

48. The flossing device of claim 47, wherein said transfer gear is mounted on a tiltable shaft moveable between first and second positions as a result of meshing contact with the input gear, whereby when the trigger is in its deactivated position, said transfer gear is out of meshing contact with said take-up supply spool gear, depressing of said trigger causing the rotating input gear meshing with said transfer gear to rotate said transfer gear and index same into meshing contact with said take-up spool drive gear as said transfer gear support shaft is moved from its first position into a second tilted position, and wherein return movement of said trigger during release thereof is operable to reversely rotate said input gear which releases the transfer gear from the take-up spool drive gear and causes said transfer gear support shaft to tilt back into its first position.

49. The flossing device of claim 47, wherein said trigger is spring biased with a spring to project outwardly from the housing, whereby depressing of said trigger occurs against spring bias.

50. The flossing device of claim 49, wherein said trigger mechanism is in the form of a substantially flat plate extending generally parallel to the bottom wall of the housing, said trigger plate including a center or pivot portion through which a trigger pin extends in a substantially vertical direction.

51. The flossing device of claim 50, wherein the depressible portion of the trigger plate is a distal portion adapted to protrude through a slot in a housing side wall, said spring contacting another distal portion of the plate which projects rearwardly from the trigger pin so as to urge the depressible trigger portion outwardly through the slotted wall.

52. The flossing device of claim 50, wherein a slot is formed in the trigger plate between said first and second distal portions to receive the supply spool support shaft and thereby provide clearance between said trigger plate with said shaft as the trigger is manually depressed.

53. The flossing device of claim 50, wherein said trigger plate includes a third distal portion located forwardly of the trigger pin which has a profiled cam surface adapted to engage a cam follower mounted on the transfer gear support shaft to spring bias the transfer gear and its shaft into the first position during periods of deactivation of the trigger.

54. The flossing device of claim 47, wherein said ratchet mechanism includes a first ratchet member mounted on the take up spool supply shaft for co-rotation therewith in the winding direction, and a second ratchet member provided with a set of annular inwardly extending teeth fixedly mounted to the housing about the take-up spool shaft, said first ratchet member extending within the second member and being operable to lockingly engage the annular teeth during reverse rotation of the take-up spool to prevent the occurrence of said reverse rotation.

55. The flossing device of claim 45, wherein all of the gears in said gear train assembly are mounted on vertical axes of rotation.

56. A flossing device, comprising:

a floss circuit including a take-up spool and a supply spool between which floss extends;

an actuating mechanism for rotating the take-up spool to wind used floss thereon and simultaneously advance fresh floss into a flossing location of the circuit;

means for locking the take-up and supply spools during periods of deactivation of the actuating mechanism;

wherein, prior to deactuating movement of said actuating mechanism, said actuating mechanism is operable to reversely rotate the supply spool when the take up spool is already locked to thereby remove slack from the floss circuit and provide tension therein.

57. The flossing device of claim 56, further comprising a housing to which the take-up spool and supply spool are mounted, said take-up spool being located outside of the housing.

58. A method of flossing with a flossing device which is attachable to a hand-held motorized toothbrush handle equipped with a motor from which projects an output shaft, said flossing device comprising a housing provided with a take-up spool and a supply spool between which floss extends in a floss circuit, comprising the steps of attaching the housing to the toothbrush handle so that the output shaft thereof extends into the housing in driving contact with an actuating mechanism which rotates the take-up spool during periods of actuation;

flossing between a pair of teeth by inserting a flossing location of the flossing circuit into the mouth without operating the motor so that the floss in the flossing mechanism is stationary relative thereto;

removing the flossing location from between said pair of teeth;

activating the motor to actuate the actuating mechanism to rotate the take-up spool and advance the spend floss from the flossing location which allows fresh floss to move into the flossing location;

deactivating the motor and reinserting the flossing location to clean another pair of teeth; and

repeating the above steps until flossing is complete.