TW201914546A - Dental cleaning tool with integrated shield - Google Patents

Abstract

A dental cleaning tool includes a body portion defining a longitudinal axis of the dental cleaning tool. The body portion includes a floss assembly including a first arm and a second arm extending substantially perpendicularly relative to the longitudinal axis, a receiving slot formed in the first arm, and a shield formed on the first arm. The shield is configured to cover the receiving slot such that access to the receiving slot is restricted from a first direction. The tool also includes a secondary cleaning tool coupled to the first arm. The secondary cleaning tool is pivotable relative to the first arm in at least two degrees of freedom such that the secondary cleaning tool is insertable into the receiving slot from a second direction different than the first direction.

Description

Teeth cleaning tool with integrally formed protective parts

The field of the invention relates generally to tooth cleaning tools and more specifically, the field of the invention relates to an auxiliary cleaning tool and a partial covering of a receiving groove (which is configured to selectively receive the auxiliary cleaning tool Towards one) a tooth cleaning tool with protective parts.

The tooth cleaning tool is used to remove food residues and / or deposits from the surface of the teeth or between the teeth. Therefore, some known tooth cleaning tools include a brush for cleaning the surface of the teeth, while other known tooth cleaning tools include for removing or loosening food residues (or other residues) from between the user's teeth Dental floss and / or toothpick. Furthermore, at least some known tooth cleaning tools include a cleaning appliance movable between an extended position when in use and a retracted position when stored in the tool. However, many known tooth cleaning tools implement large and complex mechanical components to protect the cleaning appliance in the stowed position. In addition, the cleaning appliance may be a separate component separate from the tooth cleaning tool, so that the cleaning tool may be lost when protruding from the tooth cleaning tool.

Thus, there is a need for a simple and cost-effective tooth cleaning tool having an auxiliary cleaning tool that can be moved between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein the auxiliary cleaning tool is housed in a slot and is part of Protection.

In one aspect, a tooth cleaning tool is provided. The tooth cleaning tool generally includes a body portion defining a longitudinal axis of the tooth cleaning tool. The body portion includes: a dental floss assembly having a first arm and a second arm extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; a receiving slot formed in the first arm; and a guard , Which is formed in the first arm. The guard is configured to cover the receiving slot to restrict access to the receiving slot from a first direction. The tool also includes an auxiliary cleaning tool coupled to the first arm. The auxiliary cleaning tool can pivot with respect to the first arm in at least two degrees of freedom, so that the auxiliary cleaning tool can be inserted into the receiving groove from a second direction different from the first direction.

In another aspect, a tooth cleaning tool is provided. The tool generally includes a body portion defining a longitudinal axis of the tooth cleaning tool. The body portion includes a dental floss assembly having a first arm and a second arm extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. A receiving slot is formed in the first arm, wherein the receiving slot defines a guard from a portion of the first arm. The guard is configured to cover the receiving slot to restrict access to the receiving slot from a first direction. The tool also includes an auxiliary cleaning tool coupled to the first arm. The auxiliary cleaning tool can pivot with respect to the first arm in at least two degrees of freedom, so that the auxiliary cleaning tool can be inserted into the receiving groove from a second direction different from the first direction.

In yet another aspect, a tooth cleaning tool is provided. The tool generally includes a body portion defining a longitudinal axis of the tooth cleaning tool. The body portion includes a dental floss assembly that includes a first arm and a second arm that extend substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a bridge section that extends between the first arm and the second arm. A receiving groove is formed in the first arm and the bridge section, and a guard is formed on the first arm and the bridge section. The guard is configured to cover the receiving slot to at least partially restrict access to the receiving slot from a first direction. An auxiliary cleaning tool is coupled to the first arm, wherein the auxiliary cleaning tool is pivotable with respect to the first arm in at least two degrees of freedom, such that the auxiliary cleaning tool can be free from a second one different from the first direction Insert into the receiving slot.

In yet another aspect, a tooth cleaning tool generally includes a body portion defining a longitudinal axis of the tooth cleaning tool. The body portion includes a dental floss assembly having a first arm and a second arm extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. A receiving groove is formed in the first arm. The receiving groove is partially covered by a guard extending from a portion of the first arm. An auxiliary cleaning tool is coupled to the first arm via a living hinge. The auxiliary cleaning tool can pivot about the living hinge in at least two degrees of freedom relative to the first arm, so that the auxiliary cleaning tool can be moved by moving the auxiliary cleaning tool around the living hinge in at least two directions The tool is inserted into the receiving slot.

1 to 4 illustrate a suitable embodiment of a tooth cleaning tool (generally indicated as 100) of the present invention. As depicted herein, the tooth cleaning tool 100 includes a body portion (generally indicated as 102) that defines a longitudinal axis 104 of the tooth cleaning tool. The body portion 102 includes a floss assembly (generally indicated as 106) having a first arm 108 and a second arm 110 extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 104 of the tooth cleaning tool 100. The dental floss assembly 106 further includes a bridging section 111 of the body portion 102 oriented to extend substantially coaxially with the longitudinal axis 104. The first arm 108 and the second arm 110 are separated from each other by a distance to define a gap between them (generally indicated as 112). In one embodiment, the tooth cleaning tool 100 includes a length of floss 114 that spans the gap 112 and is coupled between the first arm 108 and the second arm 110. In a suitable embodiment, the dental floss 114 remains tensioned across the gap 112 to facilitate the removal or release of food residues or other debris when inserted between the teeth of a user.

The body portion 102 further includes a receiving groove (generally indicated as 116) formed in the first arm 108, and a guard (generally indicated) formed on the first arm 108 and the bridge section 111 of the body portion 102 For 118). The receiving groove 116 extends along the first arm 108 and the bridge section 111 of the body portion 102, and the guard 118 is positioned to at least partially cover the receiving groove 116. Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment, the receiving slot 116 is oriented obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis 104. The guard 118 is oriented to restrict entry into the receiving slot 116 from a first direction 120, as explained in further detail below. In addition, in an embodiment, the first arm 108 and the guard 118 are formed as a unitary integrated structure.

The body portion 102 further includes a handle 122 extending from the dental floss assembly 106 and a toothpick member 124 extending from the handle 122. The dental floss assembly 106 is defined at a first end of the body portion 102 (generally indicated as 126), and the toothpick member 124 is defined at a second end of the body portion 102 (generally indicated as 128). The body portion 102 is tapered so that the toothpick component 124 includes a tip 130 at the second end 128 of the body portion 102.

In the exemplary embodiment, body portion 102 includes a first side (generally indicated as 132), and a second side (generally indicated as 134) opposite first side 132. As shown in the figure, the receiving groove 116 is formed in the first arm 108 on the first side 132 of the body portion 102. Furthermore, the first arm 108 includes a front surface 136 extending between the first side 132 and the second side 134 of the body portion 102. The receiving groove 116 extends along the body portion 102 such that a finger-shaped opening 138 is defined in the front surface 136 of the first arm 108. The finger opening 138 is also at least partially defined by a bottom edge 139 of the guard 118. The finger opening 138 accesses the receiving slot 116 to facilitate a cleaning appliance extending from the receiving slot 116, as will be explained in further detail below.

The tooth cleaning tool 100 also includes an auxiliary cleaning tool 140 coupled to the first arm 108. The auxiliary cleaning tool 140 may be any suitable cleaning appliance that enables the tooth cleaning tool 100 to function as described herein. Exemplary auxiliary cleaning tools include, but are not limited to, a bristle cleaning component and a toothpick component. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 is a bristle cleaning component. In a suitable embodiment, the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 can pivot relative to the first arm 108 in at least two degrees of freedom so that the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 can be inserted into the receiving from a second direction 142 different from the first direction 120 Groove 116.

For example, as described above, the guard 118 is oriented to restrict entry into the receiving slot 116 from the first direction 120. More specifically, the guard 118 includes a first portion 144 oriented to restrict access to the receiving slot 116 from the first direction 120 and a second portion oriented to partially restrict access to the receiving slot 116 from a second direction 142 (generally The upper instruction is 146). The first portion 144 of the guard 118 is formed on the first arm 108 of the body portion 102 and the bridge section 111 and extends between the first arm 108 of the body portion 102 and the bridge section 111. In an exemplary embodiment, the first portion 144 extends arcuately between the first arm 108 and the bridge section 111 so that a rounded edge is formed on the body portion 102. The first portion 144 also has a width relative to a thickness of the body portion 102, such that the second portion 146 is positioned at a distance from the first side 132 of the body portion 102, which requires the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 to be in at least two degrees of freedom The upper pivots relative to the first arm 108 and is inserted into the receiving groove 116.

The second portion 146 of the guard 118 is generally vertically oriented relative to the first portion 144 so that the guard 118 extends above the receiving slot 116. For example, in an embodiment, the second portion 146 includes a rounded edge 147 positioned close to one of the first portions 144. The rounded edge 147 provides a contour to the guard 118 so that the second portion 146 is vertically oriented relative to the first portion 144. The second portion 146 extends a distance from the first portion 144 and is oriented so that the receiving groove 116 is partially exposed when viewed from the first side 132 of the body portion 102. More specifically, the second portion 146 includes a side edge 145 oriented obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis 104 of the body portion 102. In one embodiment, the second portion 146 extends a distance from the first portion 144 such that when viewed from the first side 132 of the body portion 102, the side edge 145 extends from the first arm portion 108 to the bridge section 111 across the receiving slot 116 . Thus, the guard 118 promotes the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 in the extended position to restrict entry into the receiving groove 116 and the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 in the retracted position to remain in the receiving groove 116. The guard 118 also facilitates the protection of the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 in the stowed position.

In a suitable embodiment, a flexible piece 148 (eg, a living hinge) extends between the body portion 102 and the auxiliary cleaning tool 140. The flexible sheet 148 is dimensioned such that when a first force is applied to the auxiliary cleaning tool 140, the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 can pivot in a first degree of freedom 149 (as shown in FIG. 3), and allows the When a second force greater than one of the first forces is applied to the auxiliary cleaning tool 140, the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 may pivot in a second degree of freedom 151 (as shown in FIG. 2). For example, the flexible sheet 148 has a width W (as shown in FIG. 1) and a thickness T (as shown in FIG. 4), and the width W is greater than the thickness T. Thus, the flexible sheet 148 is dimensioned so that the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 can be stowed in or protruded from the receiving groove 116 in an intentional manner. That is, the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 can be manually moved around the flexible sheet 148 by a user to selectively move the auxiliary cleaning tool between the stowed position and the extended position.

Referring to FIG. 2, the dental floss assembly 106 further includes a side opening 153 defined on the second side 134 of the body portion 102. The side opening 153 provides a window for viewing the interior of the receiving slot 116 from the second side 134, so that a user of one of the tooth cleaning tools 100 can see whether the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 is retracted in the receiving slot 116, thereby increasing the tooth cleaning tool 100 The aesthetic sense also encourages users to be interested in the tooth cleaning tool 100.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 can be selectively pivoted manually relative to the first arm 108 to position the auxiliary cleaning tool in the stowed position (as shown in FIG. 3) or the extended position (as shown in FIG. 4) Displayed in). In operation, the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 is extended from the retracted position by accessing the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 through the finger opening 138 to release the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 from below the guard 118. More specifically, a user can grasp and pivot the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 by hand in a first rotation direction 150, the pivoting auxiliary cleaning tool 140 is away from the first side 132 of the body portion 102, and then The auxiliary cleaning tool 140 is pivoted in the two rotation directions 152 to extend the auxiliary cleaning tool 140. To retract the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 from the extended position, a user can grasp and pivot the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 by hand in the first rotation direction 150, the pivoting auxiliary cleaning tool 140 is away from the first side 132 of the body portion 102 The auxiliary cleaning tool 140 is removed while rotating in the first rotation direction 150, and then the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 is pivoted toward the first side 132 of the body portion 102 so that the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 is inserted into the receiving groove 116.

5 to 8 illustrate another suitable embodiment of a tooth cleaning tool 154 of the present invention. The tooth cleaning tool 154 is substantially similar to the tooth cleaning tool 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, and therefore, the same element symbol is used to refer to the same element of both the tooth cleaning tools 100 and 154.

In the exemplary embodiment, body portion 102 includes a receiving slot (generally indicated as 156) formed in first arm 108. The receiving groove 156 is at least partially covered by a guard 158 extending from a portion of the first arm 108. The guard 158 is oriented to restrict entry into the receiving slot 156 from the first direction 120. More specifically, the guard 158 is oriented obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis 104 of the body portion 102. In addition, the receiving groove 156 defines a side opening 160 on the first side 132 of the body portion 102. The side opening 160 allows unobstructed access to the receiving groove 156 from the second direction 142.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the receiving groove 156 extends along the first arm 108 and the bridge section 111 of the body portion 102, and the guard 158 is positioned to at least partially cover the receiving groove 156. Similar to the guard 118 (as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4), the guard 158 is formed on the first arm 108 and the bridge section 111 of the body portion 102 and extends from the first arm 108 of the body portion 102 to the bridge Between paragraph 111. In a suitable embodiment, the guard 158 extends linearly between the first arm 108 and the bridge section 111. The guard 158 also has a width greater than one of the thickness of the body portion 102, which requires the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 to pivot relative to the first arm 108 in at least two degrees of freedom to be inserted into the receiving groove 116.

In addition, referring now to FIG. 6, the body portion 102 includes a protruding sidewall 161 formed on the second side 134 thereof. The protruding side wall 161 extends between the first arm 108 and the bridge section 111 of the body portion 102 and extends outward from the second side 134 of the body portion 102 to increase the volume of the receiving groove 156.

7 and 8 again, the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 can be selectively pivoted relative to the first arm 108 to be positioned in the stowed position (as shown in FIG. 7) or the extended position (as shown in FIG. 8) Show). In operation, the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 is manually extended from the stowed position by accessing the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 through the finger opening 138. More specifically, a user grasps and pivots the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 by hand away from the first side 132 of the body portion 102 to remove the guard 158, and then pivots the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 in the second rotation direction 152 to The auxiliary cleaning tool 140 is extended. To retract the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 from the extended position, a user grasps and pivots the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 by hand in the first direction of rotation 150, and pivots the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 away from the first side 132 of the body portion 102, The auxiliary cleaning tool 140 is removed while the guard 158 is rotated in the first rotation direction 150, and then the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 is pivoted toward the first side 132 of the body portion 102 so that the auxiliary cleaning tool 140 is inserted into the receiving groove 156.

In suitable embodiments, the tooth cleaning tool 100 of FIGS. 1-4 and / or the tooth cleaning tool 154 of FIGS. 5-8 can be formed in any suitable manner and from any suitable material. For example, the tooth cleaning tools 100, 154 may be formed of metal, wood, plastic, and / or combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the tooth cleaning tools 100 and 154 are molded or otherwise formed from a single piece of elastic synthetic material such as (but not limited to) plastic or metal.

The tooth cleaning tool described herein includes a guard formed on a first arm of a dental floss assembly and a receiving slot and coupled to the first arm and selectively retractable from or from the receiving slot An auxiliary cleaning tool protruding from the receiving groove. The guard promotes the auxiliary cleaning tool in the stowed position to be held in the receiving slot and restricts the auxiliary cleaning tool in the extended position from entering the receiving slot. Thus, the auxiliary cleaning tool is restricted from unintentionally extending from the retracted position or unintentionally retracting from the extended position. Furthermore, when in the stowed position, the auxiliary cleaning tool is integrated with the first arm to use the dental floss assembly without hindrance.

When introducing elements of the present invention or preferred embodiment (s) thereof, the articles "a" and "the" are intended to mean that there are one or more elements. The terms "comprising", "including" and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

Since various changes can be made to the above configuration without departing from the scope of the present invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the above description and shown in the drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting.

The invention uses examples to describe the disclosure (which includes implementations) and also enables those skilled in the art to practice the invention (which includes making and using any device or system and performing any incorporation methods). The scope of patent protection of the present invention is defined by the scope of patent application, and may include other examples conceivable by those skilled in the art. These other examples are intended to be within the scope of the patent application as long as they have structural elements that are not different from the language of the patent application or equivalent structural elements that contain no substantial differences from the language of the patent application.

100‧‧‧Tooth cleaning tools

102‧‧‧Body part

104‧‧‧longitudinal axis

106‧‧‧Dental floss assembly

108‧‧‧ First arm

110‧‧‧Second arm

111‧‧‧Bridge section

112‧‧‧Gap

114‧‧‧Dental floss

116‧‧‧Receiving slot

118‧‧‧Protection parts

120‧‧‧First direction

122‧‧‧handle

124‧‧‧ toothpick parts

126‧‧‧ first end

128‧‧‧second end

130‧‧‧tip

132‧‧‧First side

134‧‧‧Second side

136‧‧‧Front surface

138‧‧‧ Finger opening

139‧‧‧Bottom edge

140‧‧‧Auxiliary cleaning tool

142‧‧‧Second direction

144‧‧‧Part One

145‧‧‧Side edge

146‧‧‧Part Two

147‧‧‧Round edge

148‧‧‧Flexible sheet

149‧‧‧First degree of freedom

150‧‧‧First rotation direction

151‧‧‧ second degree of freedom

152‧‧‧Second rotation direction

153‧‧‧side opening

154‧‧‧Tooth cleaning tool

156‧‧‧ Accepting slot

158‧‧‧Protective parts

160‧‧‧side opening

161‧‧‧ protruding side wall

T‧‧‧thickness

W‧‧‧Width

1 is a perspective view of a suitable embodiment of one of the tooth cleaning tools of the present invention, the tooth cleaning tool has an auxiliary cleaning tool shown in an extended position;

2 is another perspective view of the tooth cleaning tool seen in FIG. 1;

3 is a side view of the tooth cleaning tool seen in FIG. 1, the auxiliary cleaning tool is shown in a stowed position;

4 is a side view of a tooth cleaning tool, which is similar to FIG. 3 but shows an auxiliary cleaning tool in an extended position;

5 is a perspective view of another suitable embodiment of a tooth cleaning tool of the present invention, the tooth cleaning tool having an auxiliary cleaning tool shown in an extended position;

6 is another perspective view of the tooth cleaning tool seen in FIG. 5;

7 is a side view of the tooth cleaning tool seen in FIG. 5, the auxiliary cleaning tool is shown in a stowed position; and

Fig. 8 is a side view of a tooth cleaning tool similar to Fig. 7 but showing the auxiliary cleaning tool in an extended position.

Claims (20)

A tooth cleaning tool comprising: a body portion defining a longitudinal axis of the tooth cleaning tool, wherein the body portion comprises: a dental floss assembly including a first substantially extending perpendicularly relative to the longitudinal axis An arm and a second arm; a receiving groove formed in the first arm; and a guard formed on the first arm, wherein the guard is configured to cover the receiving groove, to Restricting access to the receiving slot from a first direction; and an auxiliary cleaning tool coupled to the first arm, wherein the auxiliary cleaning tool can pivot relative to the first arm in at least two degrees of freedom so that the The auxiliary cleaning tool may be inserted into the receiving groove from a second direction different from the first direction. The tooth cleaning tool of claim 1, further comprising a bendable sheet extending between the body portion and the auxiliary cleaning tool. The tooth cleaning tool of claim 2, wherein the flexible sheet is sized so that when a first force is applied to the auxiliary cleaning tool, the auxiliary cleaning tool can pivot in a first degree of freedom, and such that When a second force greater than the first force is applied to the auxiliary cleaning tool, the auxiliary cleaning tool can pivot in a second degree of freedom. The tooth cleaning tool of claim 1, wherein the guard includes a first portion oriented to restrict access to the receiving slot from the first direction, and an oriented portion to restrict access to a receiving portion of the receiving slot from the second direction Two parts. The tooth cleaning tool of claim 4, wherein the first portion of the guard extends along the arc of the first arm, and the second portion of the guard is vertically oriented relative to the first portion. The tooth cleaning tool of claim 1, wherein the first arm and the guard are formed as a unitary integrated structure. The tooth cleaning tool of claim 1, wherein the body portion includes a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, and the receiving groove extends along the first side of the body portion. The tooth cleaning tool of claim 7, wherein the first arm includes a front surface extending between the first side and the second side of the body portion, and the receiving groove extends along the body portion such that a finger shape The sheet opening is defined in the front surface. The tooth cleaning tool of claim 1, wherein the body portion further includes a handle extending from the dental floss assembly, and a toothpick member extending from the handle. The tooth cleaning tool of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary cleaning tool includes a bristle cleaning component. A tooth cleaning tool comprising: a body portion defining a longitudinal axis of the tooth cleaning tool, wherein the body portion comprises: a dental floss assembly including a first substantially extending perpendicularly relative to the longitudinal axis An arm and a second arm; and a receiving groove formed in the first arm, the receiving groove is partially covered by a guard extending from a portion of the first arm, and the guard is configured to Covering the receiving slot to restrict access to the receiving slot from a first direction; and an auxiliary cleaning tool coupled to the first arm, wherein the auxiliary cleaning tool can be relative to the first in at least two degrees of freedom The arm pivots so that the auxiliary cleaning tool can be inserted into the receiving groove from a second direction different from the first direction. The tooth cleaning tool of claim 11, further comprising a bendable sheet extending between the body portion and the auxiliary cleaning tool. The tooth cleaning tool of claim 12, wherein the flexible sheet is dimensioned such that when a first force is applied to the auxiliary cleaning tool, the auxiliary cleaning tool can pivot in a first degree of freedom, and such that When a second force greater than the first force is applied to the auxiliary cleaning tool, the auxiliary cleaning tool can pivot in a second degree of freedom. The tooth cleaning tool of claim 11, wherein the guard is oriented obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body portion. The tooth cleaning tool of claim 11, wherein the first arm and the guard are formed as a unitary integrated structure. The tooth cleaning tool of claim 11, wherein the body portion includes a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, and the receiving groove extends along the first side of the body portion. The tooth cleaning tool of claim 16, wherein the receiving groove defines a side opening on the first side of the body portion, the side opening allowing access to the receiving groove from the second direction. The tooth cleaning tool of claim 16, wherein the first arm includes a front surface extending between the first side and the second side of the body portion, and the receiving groove extends along the body portion such that a finger shape The sheet opening is defined in the front surface. The tooth cleaning tool of claim 11, wherein the body portion further includes a handle extending from the dental floss assembly, and a toothpick member extending from the handle. A tooth cleaning tool comprising: a body portion defining a longitudinal axis of the tooth cleaning tool, wherein the body portion comprises: a dental floss assembly having a first substantially extending perpendicularly relative to the longitudinal axis An arm and a second arm; and a receiving groove formed in the first arm, the receiving groove is partially covered by a guard extending from a part of the first arm; and an auxiliary cleaning tool, which is Coupled to the first arm via a living hinge, the auxiliary cleaning tool can pivot relative to the first arm around the living hinge in at least two degrees of freedom, so that by having the auxiliary cleaning tool in at least two Move around the living hinge in the direction to insert the auxiliary cleaning tool into the receiving groove.