Power flossing device

• US 5,921,254 A
• Filed: 04/13/1998
• Issued: 07/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Conair Corporation
• Original Assignee: Conair Corporation
• Inventors: Carlucci, Vito J., Taylor, Harold R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robert, Eduardo C.
• Application Number:
  US09/059,551
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 132/322, 132/325, 132/326, 132/327
• US Class Current: 132/322
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/047 power-driven

Abstract

A power flossing device having only seven parts, namely, a driver element, a driver arm, a flossing head, a retainer, a housing, a seal and a glamour cap. The driver arm is coupled with the driver element and the flossing head. The driver element is responsive to rotary motion provided by a power source to impart to the driver arm both an oscillatory motion along its length dimension and a wobbling motion component transverse to the length dimension. This results in elliptical motion of a length of floss held by the flossing head. The driver element is a unitary structure that has an eccentric hole into which the driver arm is slidably situated to produce the wobbling motion as the driver element revolves and further has a cam follower that coacts with a cam on the driver arm to produce the oscillatory motion. The driver arm and cam is also a unitary structure.

Claims

1. A dental flossing device comprising:

a power source for producing rotary motion;

a flossing head; and

motion translation means having a driver arm and a driver element, said driver arm exhibiting a length dimension and having one end coupled with the flossing head, the driver element being responsive to the rotary motion to impart to the driver arm and the flossing head both an oscillatory motion along said length dimension and a wobbling motion which causes said one end of said driver arm to translate about a closed, nonlinear path that lies in a plane transverse to said length dimension.

2. A dental flossing device in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising a cam driver and a cam follower situated on the driver element and the driver arm, respectively, and arranged to provide said oscillatory motion.

3. A dental flossing device in accordance with claim 2 wherein the driver element contains an off center hole into which the driver arm is slidably situated and the driver element when rotated imparts said wobbling motion to the driver arm.

4. A dental flossing device in accordance with claim 3 wherein the driver element is a unitary structure.

5. A dental flossing device in accordance with claim 4 wherein the flossing head has two spaced apart arms adapted to hold a length of floss orthogonal to the length dimension of the driver arm.

6. A motion translation assembly for a power dental treatment device wherein the assembly responds to rotary motion produced by a power source to impart a reciprocating motion to a dental treatment heads said assembly comprising:

a driver element adapted to rotate in response to the power source; and

a driver arm that exhibits a length dimension and has one end coupled with the dental treatment head, the driver element being responsive to the rotary motion to impart to the driver arm and the dental treatment head both an oscillatory motion along said length dimension and a wobbling motion component which causes said one end of said driver arm to translate about a closed, nonlinear path that lies in a plane transverse to said length dimension.

7. A motion translation assembly in accordance with claim 6 wherein

said driver element is a unitary structure having a

shaft with an off center axial hole;

and

said driver arm is slidably situated in said off center hole in such a manner as to wobble when the driver element rotates.

8. A motion translation assembly in accordance with claim 7 and further comprising a cam driver and a cam follower situated on the driver element and the driver arm, respectively, and arranged to provide said oscillatory motion.

9. A motion translation assembly in accordance with claim 8 wherein the dental treatment head is a flossing head which has two spaced apart arms adapted to hold a length of floss orthogonal to the axial direction of the driver arm.