US3265078A - Device for handling dentures - Google Patents

Description

FIG. 4

INVENTOR. EVELYN L. GORDON [ATTORNEY E GORDON I DEVICE FOR HANDLING DEN'I'URES r0 .3 a m m w O 8\ 6 3 3 l !|I|l m r m 6 3 4 e\ 1 o 9 G Am F m United States Patent 3,265,078 DEVICE FOR HANDLING DENTURES Evelyn L. Gordon, 4241 SE. 136th Ave., Portland, Oreg. Filed May 26, 1964, Ser. No. 370,156 1 Claim. (Cl. 134-466) The present invention relates to a device for handling dentures.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a device for handling dentures wherein cleaning of said dentures can be accomplished without touching them once they have been removed from the mouth.

Another object is to provide a device of the type described which employs a first holder comprising a pair of denture receiving receptacles connected together in hinged relation .and adapted to be closed by hingedly moving them together for confining dentures therein; and further to provide a lattice or perforate type wall structure for said receptacles wherein a cleaning fluid may be forced therethrough to accomplish an initial cleaning of the dentures; and further yet to provide said receptacles with handle members arranged to be disposed in closely associated, parallel relation when the receptacles are closed whereby the latter are adapted to be held closed when being handled.

A further object is to provide a device for handling dentures having a pair of perforate receptacles as aforesaid and including an imperforate soaking container arranged to receive said receptacles in closed position, said container having va cover provided with an aperture arranged to receive the handles of said receptacles in their closely associated relation to hold the latter closed when disposed in the container.

It is still a further object to provide a device of the type described employing .a pair of denture receiving receptacles which have lattice or perforate type walls of a novel construction such that there is a minimum of back splash of cleaning fluid forcefully projected through the receptacles from their outer surface.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a first holder which comprises a pair of perforate receptacles hingedly connected together and having open ends which are adapted to be closed by pivoting the receptacles together. Dentures are confined in the first holder for initial cleaning which may be accomplished by forcing a cleaning fluid through the perforate receptacles. Each of the receptacles has a handle, and these handles are disposed in closely associated relation when the receptacles are closed. The invention also includes a second holder comprising an imperforate soaking container in which the first holder may be inserted when in closed condition. The second holder has a cover provided with an aperture for receiving both the handles of the receptacles to maintain the latter in closed condition when disposed in the second holder.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects will become apparent from the following specification and claim, considered together with the accompanying drawings, wherein the numerals of reference indicate like parts and wherein, in the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the first holder and showing the two receptacles in open condition;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 and showing in particular the lattice-type structure of the first holder;

FIGURE 3 is a central, vertical, sectional view of the second holder and showing the first holder placed therein; and

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the second holder.

Referring now in particular to the drawings, the numeral designates generally the first holder and the numeral 12 designates generally the second holder. The first holder comprises a pair of receptacles 14 and 16 which are semi- 3,265,078 Patented August 9, 1966 ice spherical in shape and have reinforcing rim portions 18 and 20, respectively, defining an open end of the receptacles.

The wall portions of the receptacles 14 and 16 comprise a lattice-type structure of crossed strips 22, best shown in FIGURE 2. In a preferred construction, the cross strips 22 are secured to each other and in cross section assume a shape which reduces to a minimum the amount of back splash of a cleaning fluid which may be directed forcefully through the receptacles from their outer surfaces. That is, instead of providing a lattice work of flat strips wherein the faces of the strips are disposed in the plane of the surface of the receptacles, there are employed strips which are rectangular in cross section and disposed such that their flat face portions are not in the plane of said surfaces. Instead, the strips are disposde so that a corner thereof is directed outwardly and, as illustrated in FIGURE 2, when a stream of water, designated by the reference character S, is directed through the receptacle there will be little or no back splash. Thus, substan tially all of a washing fluid will pass through the receptacles to provide efiicient washing of dentures in the receptacles. There of course will be a slight amount of side splash from the side surfaces of the strips 22, in the direction of arrows 24, but such side splash produces angular jets of washing fluid to assist in cleaning the dentures.

The rectangular cross sectional configuration of the strips 22 is only illustrative herein, and it is to be understood that other constructions may be used. For example, the use of round or elliptical strips may be employed since such strip constructions would also produce a minimum of back splash.

The receptacles 14 and 16 are interconnected by a hinge 26 and are adapted to be rotated together in a closed condition wherein the rims 18 and 20 are in abutment. These receptacles have handles 28 and 30, respectively, leading integrally from the rims which in the closed condition of the receptacles are in closely associated, parallel relation.

The second holder 12 comprises an imperforate container 32 adapted to hold a soaking solution. This container has an open upper end arranged to be closed by a cover 34. Cover 34 has a downwardly depending peripheral flange 36 engageable with the upper end of the container when the cover is installed thereon. The cover is not fixedly connected to the container 32.

Cover 34 has a central aperture 38 of a size slightly larger than the combined dimension of the two handles 28 and 30 whereby when the holder 10 is closed and inserted in the holder 12 the cover 34 may be inserted in place with the handles 28 and 30 projecting through the aperture 38. This serves to maintain the holder 10 in a closed condition when disposed in the holder 12. Container 32 has an integral handle 40 by means of which it may be carried.

In the use of the present invention the dentures are first inserted in one of the receptacles 14 and 16 and the other receptacle closed over the first receptacle. With the dentures confined therein, and with the operator grasping the holder by the handles 28 and 30, said holder may be held under a faucet to provide a preliminary cleaning of the dentures, or if desired the holder may be reciprocated in a body of liquid to accomplish the same purpose.

After this initial cleaning step the holder 10 is inserted in the container 32 while still in a closed condition and then the cover 34 inserted on said container with the handles 28 and 30 projecting through the aperture 38. The holder 10 is thus maintained in a closed condition and the dentures are permitted to remain in a soaking liquid in the container. After the soaking step has been completed, the cover 34 is removed and the holder 10 removed from the container 32 for removal of the dentures. The dentures may again be rinsed in clear Water While still in holder to remove all cleaning fluid.

By means of the present invention there is provided efiicient means for handling dentures for cleaning and soaking and in addition reduces to a minimum the physical handling of the dentures either by the patient or by an attendant.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A device for handling and cleaning dentures comprising a first holder including a pair of receptacles each having an open end, hinge means connecting said receptacles together adjacent said open ends whereby said receptacles are arranged to be pivoted away from each other to provide an open position of said first holder to receive dentures to be cleaned and arranged to be pivoted together with their open ends in registry to provide a closed position of said first holder to confine dentures therein, each of said receptacles having a plurality of apertures therein for admitting a cleaning fluid, a handle on each of said receptacles of substantially equal length and of substantially uniform cross sectional dimension throughout their length, said handles in the closed position of said first holder being disposed in abutting relation, a second holder having an open upper end and comprising an irnperforate container of a size to freely receive said first holder in closed condition with the handles of the latter projecting upwardly, and a cover arranged for removable mounting on the upper end of said second holder, said cover having a central aperture, the handles on said receptacles being of a suflicient length to project above the upper end of said second holder, the combined cross sectional dimension of said handles being less than the diameter of said cover aperture for reception therein whereby said cover is arranged to be slidably moved down over the projecting ends of said handles for mounting on the second holder and for holding the said handles in abutting relation to maintain the first holder in closed position when the receptacles thereof are disposed in said second holder.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 551,377 12/1895 Haggard 134-162 X 903,634 11/1908 Troemel 220-4 X 1,926,728 9/ 1933 Lamb 15-605 2,609,828 9/1952 Ward 134-166 X 2,643,661 6/1953 Shanahan 134-166 X 2,721,567 10/1955 Tierney 134-158 FOREIGN PATENTS 142,041 8/ 1949 Australia.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. ROBERT L. BLEUTGE, Assistant Examiner.

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