Crystal gels useful as dental floss with improved high tear, high tensile, and resistance to high stress rupture properties

• US 6,161,555 A
• Filed: 02/03/1999
• Issued: 12/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Elastomerics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Elastomerics Incorporated
• Inventors: Chen, John Young-Fu
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Philogene, Pedro
• Application Number:
  US09/230,940
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 132/321, 132/323, 132/329, 524/474, 524/476, 524/490, 524/505, 525/95, 525/89
• US Class Current: 132/321
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/00 Devices for cleaning between the teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/041 Dental floss chemical aspects A61Q11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/185 Aerial toy rotating automatically when descending under gravity
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/24 Graft or block copolymers according to groups C08L51/00, C08L53/00 or C08L55/02; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 51/00 Compositions of graft polymers in which the grafted component is obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds for ABS polymers C08L55/02; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/00 Compositions of block copolymers containing at least one sequence of a polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/02 of vinyl-aromatic monomers and conjugated dienes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/025 modified

Abstract

A novel dental floss and gum massager made in the form of a strand, a tape or a sheet of polymeric material, said sheet having selectively positioned multiple sized holes for inserting though and holding by the fingers of the hands. The floss provides substantially very little constriction of blood flow surrounding the fingers as the floss is held taught and the peripheral edge of the floss is being manipulated and worked by the gripping, pulling, pushing, deforming, and guilding back and forth actions of the fingers during massaging of the gums and flossing of the teeth.

Claims

1. An improved dental floss comprising:

a soft, flexible, high strength, high tear resistant, and high stress rupture resistant crystal gel, in the shape of a strand, a thread, a strip, a band, a yarn, a tape, or a sheet of film for flossing teeth, said sheet having a selected shaped peripheral edge of selective thickness and at least two holes positioned at a selected distance apart through said film and at a selective distance away from said edge, each of said holes being a size suitable for insertion therethrough by one or more fingers of one or both hands for positioning said fingers through said film without substantial constriction of blood flow in said fingers;

said holes with said fingers therethrough by allowing said fingers to manipulate said film and said shaped peripheral edge for;

a) providing opposing inserted fingers of each hand to extend substantially taught a major lengths of said shaped peripheral edge by opposing inserted fingers pulling in opposite direction;

b) providing freedom of one or more fingers including thumbs and forefingers of one or both of said hands to grip, pull, push, deform, guide, fold or otherwise manipulate a length of said shaped peripheral edge between said teeth during flossing;

c) said sheet about said shaped peripheral edge suitable of being;

extended taught for flossing) said teeth having a tight teeth gap, or folded into a thicker extended film layer for flossing said teeth having a wide or loose teeth gap;

said crystal gel comprising;

(I) 100 parts by weight of one or more linear, branched, radial, star-shaped, multi-arm or branched block copolymers or mixtures of two or more said block copolymers, said copolymers having at least one substantially crystalline polyethylene midblocks,

(II) selected amounts of a plasticizing oil sufficient to achieve a gel rigidity of about 2 gram Bloom to about 1,800 gram Bloom, said (I) copolymers in combination with or without a selected amount of

(III) one or more of a selected polymer, copolymer or resin, and

when said (I) copolymers comprises one midblock, said (I) copolymer is of the formula comprising (i);

poly(styrene-ethylene-styrene) or poly(styrene-ethylene)_n, or

when said (I) copolymer comprises two or more midblocks, said (I) copolymer is of the formula comprising (ii);

poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-popylene-ethylene-butylene-styrene-poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene-ethylene-proplene-ethylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-butylene)_n, poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene)_n, poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene)_n, poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene).sub.n, or poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene)_n, wherein n is a number greater than two;

said crystalline polyethylene midblocks being formed from hydrogenation of sufficient amounts of 1,4 poly(butadiene) midblocks which is capable of exhibiting a melting endotherm in differential scanning calorimeter curves of about 20°

C. to about 75°

C.;

with the proviso that when said gel comprises one or more (i) copolymers, said gel is a mixture of (i) copolymers in combination with one or more (ii) copolymers or with one or more substantially amorphous midblock block copolymers;

said (III) polymer, copolymer, or resin being poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene), poly(styrene-butadienel, poly(styrene-isoprene-styrene), poly-styrene-isoprene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), low viscosity poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene)n, poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene)n, polystyrene, polybutylene, poly(ethylene-propylene), poly(ethylene-butylene), polypropylene, polyethylene, polymerized mixed olefins, polyterpene, glycerol ester of rosin, pentaerythritol ester of rosin, saturated alicyclic hydrocarbon, coumarone indene, hydrocarbon, mixed olefin, alkylated aromatic hydrocarbon polyalphamethylstyrene/vinyl toluene copolymer, or a low viscosity polystyrene;

wherein said selected copolymer is a linear, branched or star-shaped, or multiarm copolymer.

2. A floss according to claim 1, wherein said crystal gel is capable of exhibiting a melting endotherm in differential scanning calorimeter, DSC, curves of about 25°

C. to about 80°

C.

3. A floss comprising:

a soft, flexible, high strength, high tear resistant, and high stress rupture resistant crystal gel in the shape of a strand, a thread, a strip, a band, a yarn, a tape, or a sheet of film for flossing teeth and massaging gums which is non-lacerating to the gums and having a softness as determined by gel rigidity substantially matching the rigidity of said gums, said crystal gel made from one or more block copolymers having one or more crystalline polyethylene midblocks which copolymer is capable of exhibiting a melting endotherm as determined by differential scanning calorimeter curves of about 20°

C. to about 75°

C.

4. A floss comprising:

a soft, flexible, high strength, high tear resistant, and high stress rupture resistant crystal gel in the shape of a strand, a tape, or a sheet of film for flossing teeth and massaging gums which is non-lacerating to the gums and having a softness as determined by gel rigidity less than the rigidity of said gums, said crystal gel made from one or more block copolymers having one or more crystalline polyethylene midblocks which copolymer is capable of exhibiting a melting endotherm as determined by differential scanning calorimeter curves of about 20°

C. to about 75°

C.

5. A floss comprising:

a soft, flexible, high strength, high tear resistant, and high stress rupture resistant crystal gel in the shape of a strand, a tape, or a sheet of film for flossing teeth and massaging gums which is non-lacerating to the gums and having a softness as determined by gel rigidity not substantially greater than the rigidity of said gums, said crystal gel made from one or more block copolymers having one or more crystalline polyethylene midblocks which copolymer is capable of exhibiting a melting endotherm as determined by differential scanning calorimeter curves of about 20°

C. to about 75°

C.

6. A floss comprising:

a soft and flexible crystal gel in the shape of a strand, a tape, or a sheet of film for flossing teeth and massaging gums which exhibits higher tensile strength, higher tear resistance, or higher stress rupture resistance than gels made from amorphous styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene or styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene block copolymers, said crystal gel made from one or more block copolymers having one or more crystalline polyethylene midblocks which copolymer is capable of exhibiting a melting endotherm as determined by differential scanning calorimeter curves of about 20°

C. to about 75°

C.

7. A floss comprising:

a soft and flexible crystal gel in the shape of a strand, a thread, a strip, a band, a yarn, a tape, or a sheet of film for flossing teeth and massaging gums which exhibits higher tear resistance as determined by a higher flossing cycles to break than gels made from amorphous styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene or styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene block copolymers, said crystal gel made from one or more block copolymers having one or more crystalline polyethylene midblocks which copolymer is capable of exhibiting a melting endotherm as determined by differential scanning calorimeter curves of about 20°

C. to about 75°

C.

8. A floss comprising:

a soft and flexible crystal gel in the shape of a strand, a thread, a strip, a band, a yarn, a tape, or a sheet of film for flossing teeth and massaging gums which exhibits higher stress rupture resistance as determined by a higher flossing cycles to break than gels made from amorphous styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene or styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene block copolymers, said crystal gel made from one or more block copolymers having one or more crystalline polyethylene midblocks which copolymer is capable of exhibiting a melting endotherm as determined by differential scanning calorimeter curves of about 20°

C. to about 75°

C.

9. A crystal gel comprising:

(I) 100 parts by weight of one or more linear, branched, radial, star-shaped, multi-arm or branched block copolymers or mixtures of two or more said copolymers, said copolymers having at least one substantially crystalline polyethylene midblocks,

(II) a selected amounts of a plasticizing oil sufficient to achieve a gel rigidity of about 2 gram Bloom to about 1,800 gram Bloom, said (I) copolymers in combination with or without a selected amount of

(III) one or more of a selected polymer, copolymer or resin, and

when said (I) copolymers comprises one midblock, said copolymer is of the formula comprising (i);

poly(styrene-ethylene-styrene) or poly(styrene-ethylene)_n, or

when said (I) copolymer comprises two or more midblocks, said copolymer is of the formula comprising (ii);

poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-popylene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-butylene)_n, poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene)_n, poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene)_n, poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene).sub.n, or poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene)_n, wherein n is a number greater than two;

said crystalline polyethylene midblocks being formed from hydrogenation of sufficient amounts of 1,4 poly(butadiene) midblocks which is capable of exhibiting a melting endotherm in differential scanning calorimeter curves of about 20°

C. to about 75°

C.;

with the proviso that when said gel comprises one or more (i) copolymers, said gel is a mixture of (i) copolymers in combination with one or more (ii) copolymers or with one or more substantially amorphous midblock block copolymers;

said (III) polymer, copolymer, or resin being poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene), poly(styrene-butadiene), poly(styrene-isoprene-styrene), poly(styrene-isoprene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), low viscosity poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene)n, poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene)n, polystyrene, polybutylene, poly(ethylene-propylene), poly(ethylene-butylene), polypropylene, polyethylene, polymerized mixed olefins, polyterpene, glycerol ester of rosin, pentaerythritol ester of rosin, saturated alicyclic hydrocarbon, coumarone indene, hydrocarbon, mixed olefin, alkylated aromatic hydrocarbon, polyalphamethylstyrene/vinyl toluene copolymer, or a low viscosity polystyrene;

wherein said selected copolymer is a linear, branched or star-shaped, or multiarm copolymer.

10. A crystal gel of claim 9 in the form of a thread, a tape, a band, a yarn, or a sheet of film.

11. A crystal gel of claim 9 in the form of a thread, a tape, a band, a yarn, or a sheet of film;

wherein said gel having a gel rigidity of greater than 1,800 gram Bloom.

12. A crystal gel comprising:

(I) 100 parts by weight of one or more linear, branched, radial, star-shaped, multi-arm or branched block copolymers or mixtures of two or more said copolymers, said copolymers having at least one substantially crystalline polyethylene midblocks,

(II) a selected amounts of a plasticizing oil sufficient to achieve a gel rigidity of about 2 gram Bloom to about 1,800 gram Bloom;

said (I) copolymers in combination with or without a selected amount of

(III) one or more of a selected polymer, copolymer or resin, and

when said (I) copolymers comprises one midblock, said copolymer is of the formula comprising (i);

poly(styrene-ethylene-styrene) or poly(styrene-ethylene)_n, or

when said (I) copolymer comprises two or more midblocks, said copolymer is of the formula comprising (ii);

poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-popylene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-butylene)_n, poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene)_n, poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene)_n, poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene).sub.n, or poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-ethylene)_n, wherein n is a number greater than two;

said crystalline polyethylene midblocks being formed from hydrogenation of sufficient amounts of 1,4 poly(butadiene) midblocks which is capable of exhibiting a melting endotherm in differential scanning calorimeter curves of about 20°

C. to about 75°

C.;

with the proviso that when said gel comprises one or more (i) copolymers, said gel is a mixture of (i) copolymers in combination with one or more (ii) copolymers or with one or more substantially amorphous midblock block copolymers;

said (III) polymer, copolymer, or resin being poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene), poly(styrene-butadiene), poly(styrene-isoprene-styrene), poly(styrene-isoprene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), low viscosity poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene)n, poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene)n, polystyrene, polybutylene, poly(ethylene-propylene), poly(ethylene-butylene), polypropylene, polyethylene, polymerized mixed olefins, polyterpene, glycerol ester of rosin, pentaerytritol ester of rosin, saturated alicyclic hydrocarbon, coumarone indene, hydrocarbon, mixed olefin, alkylated aromatic hydrocarbon, polyalphamethylstyrene/vinyl toluene copolymer, or a low viscosity polystyrene;

wherein said selected copolymer is a linear, branched or star-shaped, or multiarm copolymer.

13. A crystal gel of claim 12 in the form of a thread, a tape, a band, a yarn, or a sheet of film.

14. A crystal gel of claim 12 in the form of a thread, a tape, a band, a yarn, or a sheet of film;

wherein said gel having a gel rigidity of greater than 1,800 gram Bloom.