US3472493A - Denture cleaning agitator - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 14, 1969 RJ. BLANK ET AL 3,472,493

DENTURE CLEANING AGITATOR v Filed Jan. 5. 1968 noun BLANK Ames M. 4 FRoMAN Aun ewes mmm United States Patent O 3,472,493 DENTURE CLEANING AGITATOR Robert J. Blank, 4002 Buchanan St., and lCharles M.

Friedman, 4303 Pierce St., both of Hollywood, Fla.

33021, and Bruce Richman, 501 NE. 180th Drive,

Miami, Fla. 33162 Filed Jan. 5, 1968, Ser. No. 695,964 Int. Cl. B01f 11/00 U.S. CL 259--72 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A denture cleaner device including a tank for denture cleaner solution and a vibratory member energized by a household power source for vibrating the tank and solution therein.

BACKGROND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention An apparatus for the cleaning of` dentures.

Description of the prior art There have been numerous proposed devices and arrangements for the cleaning of dentures. The typical arrangement for the home typically involves a fixed tank or container which holds a denture solution into which the denture plates are placed overnight. This type of arrangement is analogous to the placing of soiled clothing in 'a washing tub overnight without subjecting it to agitation. The result of such denture cleaner arrangement is the dentures are not effectively cleaned and to clean overnight, soaking has been required wherein the patient must leave dentures out overnight. This causes jaw tiring and muscle spasms. There have been other more ultrasonic cleaning devices, acid and bleaches but few, if any, are simple or safe enough for household use and provide the desired results.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the generalized structure of the invention comprises a plastic container having a tank formed by a continuous thin inner wall and bottom and having a housing formed by a continuous thin outer wall joined to said inner wall and surrounding said inner wall; a base plate having a surface, resilient members having a limited contact area and extending beneath said surface for supporting said apparatus; a core member coupled to said bottom of said tank and to said base plate; and a magnetic vibratory means for vibrating at least a portion of said core member whereby said tank and denture cleaner solution are vibrated and `dentures placed in said tank are cleaned. This structure provides a vibration and agitation of the denture cleaner solution such that the false teeth prosthetic or orthodontic appliances are maintained substantially spotless and unsoiled. The invented denture cleaner apparatus is exceedingly simple, low cost and completely consistent with trouble-free home use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the denture cleaner apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional front view taken along the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side view taken along the line 3 3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a partial bottom section taken along the line 4 4 of FIGURE 3.

3,472,493 Patented Oct. 14, 1969 Referring to the figures, the denture apparatus comprises a plastic container 10 having a cover 12, a base plate 14 and a core member 16 (FIGURES 1 and 2). The container 10 includes a tank 18 formed by a continuous thin inner wall 20 and a bottom 22. A housing 24 is formed by a continuous thin outer wall 26 which completely surrounds the tank 18 and which is joined thereto. Preferably, the housing 24 is connected to the tank 18 by a reinforced portion 28 which is integral with inner wall 20 and outer wall 26 thereby forming a continuous one-piece unit. Such a construction may typically be formed by injection molding a plastic such as a polypropylene. The reinforced portion 28 'is formed by ribs in the mold which enables plastic to flow therein creating a solid or reinforced portion. The cover 12 is formed of the same material as the tank 18 and the housing 24 and has an inner lip 28 which may be snugly fit into the opening of tank 18 so that the unit in essence is splash proof.

The base plate 14 includes a llat surface which may take the form of a separate bottom housing member 32 which is made from the same type of plastic as container 10 and cover 12. The bottom housing member 32 extends to the boundary of container 10 and `conforms in shape with the container. An inner circumferential lip 35 extends a sulicient height to close the container while the bottom housing member 32 does not abut or contact the outer wall 26 or any other part of container 10. Resilient support members 34 which typically may take the form of conical rubber members spaced about the bottom housing member in a triangular configuration and having their apex extending downward away from said flat surface to support said apparatus with a resilient point-like contact. This tends to facilitate vibration of the tank. The conical member 34 may be press fit into apertures in bottom housing member 32 and a heat sink 36. Heat sink 36 may be a flat thermally conductive plate within said circumferential lip 35 having a substantial area for the dissipation of heat that is transferred thereto from core member 16. The heat sink may be joined to the bottom housing member 32 by a fastening means such as screws 38 which extend through said heat sink 36 and said housing member 32 as well as extending through a plateau bracket 40 to secure it thereto. The plateau bracket 40 has a pair of planar legs 42 and a plateau 44 substantially midway between said legs 42. The center portion of bracket 40 is in the vicinity of center line 46 of container 10. The plateau portion 44 has :a fastener 46 located therein for securing the core member 16 to the base plate 14. The plateau portion along with the fastener 46 and legs 42 ser-ves as the heat path from core member 16 to heat sink 36.

The core member 16 preferably takes the form of a U-shaped member having a rst leg 50, a second leg 52 and a curved portion 54. A substantial portion of the legs 50 and 52 are located on one side of center line 46 while the curved portion 54 is located on the other side of center line 46. The second leg 52 is secured to the plateau portion 44 while the first leg 50 is connected to the bottom 22 of tank 18 by a fastening means (e.g., a screw) 56. Located between first leg 50 and second leg 5-2 is a magnetic vibrating means 60. Means 60 may take the form of a magnetic vibratory spool which may include an electromagnet operated by household current via conductors 58 connected to the usual household socket by a plug (not shown). The magnetic spool 60 is secured adjacent to or in the proximity of the end of second leg 52 and is spaced from the end of rst leg 50 which is free to be vibrated by the magnetic spool which tends to attract arm 50.

It should be noted that the entire tank and housing is supported indirectly by the resilient means 24 via plateau bracket 40, core member 1-6 and fastening means 46 and 56. This relationship of parts with the tank in essence freely floating facilitates vibration.

In operation, the tank 18 is filled with a suitable denture cleaner (H3PO`.,k is not a conventional denture cleaner) and the denture plate is placed in the cleaner and the cover 12 positioned to enclose tank 18. The plug (not shown) is placed in the household socket and magnetic spool 60 is thereby energized. The energization of spool 60 causes free arm 50 to vibrate which in turn vibrates tank 18 and the denture cleaner solution 8 therein. This serves to effectively clean the denture. The heat developed -by the magnetic spool 60 is passed to heat sink 36 Where it is dissipated. The bottom housing member 32 may contain apertures to further facilitate this heat dissipation. Other apertures may be included in the housing to facilitate cooling.

The single piece plastic construction along with the U-shaped core member which straddles the magnetic spool is centrally mounted forms the basis for an extremely simple and effective apparatus for cleaning dentures. It is easy to fabricate, relatively low in cost and is virtually trouble-free in operation. It has been found to effectively clean dentures in the manner heretofore only accomplished by more exotic apparatus such as ultrasonic devices.

Although this invention has been disclosed and illustrated with reference to particular applications, the principles involved are susceptible of numerous other applications which will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. The invention is, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A denture cleaner apparatus comprising:

a plastic container having a tank formed by a continuous thin inner wall and bottom and having a housing formed by a continuous thin outer wall joined to said inner wall and surrounding said inner wall;

a base plate having a surface;

resilient members having a limited contact area and extending beneath Isaid surface for supporting said apparatus;

a core member coupled to said bottom of said tank and to said base plate;

a magnetic vibratory means for vibrating at least a portion of said core member whereby said tank and denture cleaner are vibrated and dentures placed in said tank are cleaned; said core member having a U-shaped configuration with a first and second leg joined by a curved section, said rst leg coupled to said base plate and said second leg coupled to the bottom of said tank; said magnetic vibratory means xed to said rst leg adjacent the end thereof and spaced from said second leg, said magnetic vibratory means including a coil connectable to a household outlet and providing a magnetic eld which attracts said second leg whereby said second leg is vibrated which in turn vibrates said tank and denture cleaner solution therein; and,

a plateau bracket having a pair of legs and a plateau therebetween, said plateau coupled t-o said iirst leg of said U-shaped core member and said pair of legs coupled to said base plate, said U-shaped member positioned on said plateau so that said first leg and said magnetic vibratory means at least in part are unsupported thereby.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein said plastic container has a center line and said U-shaped member is located so that a substantial portion of said leg is located on one side of said center line and a substantial portion of said curved section is located on the other side of said centerline.

3. The structure recited in claim 2 wherein said second leg is joined to said bottom of said tank in the vicinity of said center line.

4. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein said base plate comprises a plastic bottom housing member and a heat sink connected to said U-shaped member for dissipating the heat generated by said magnetic means.

5. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein said resilient support members have `a conical shape with an apex extending away from said base plate.

6. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein said inner Wall and said outer wall are an integral molded plastic with a reinforced portion joining said walls.

7. The structure recited in claim 1 including a cover to cover said tank.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,113,761 12/1963 Platzman 259-72 3,151,846 10/1964 George 259-91 3,352,311 11/1967 Murphy 259-72 X ROBERT W. JENKINS, Primary Examiner l i

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