WO1992006648A1

WO1992006648A1 - Dental floss

Info

Publication number: WO1992006648A1
Application number: PCT/AU1991/000260
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stafford John Watts
Original assignee: Stafford John Watts
Priority date: 1990-10-15
Filing date: 1991-06-19
Publication date: 1992-04-30

Abstract

According to one aspect the invention consists in means for promoting dental hygiene comprising an endless loop of dental floss having a substantially uniform cross-section. In preferred embodiments the loop is from 200 mm to 300 mm in circumference and may be individually packaged or a plurality of floss loops may be packaged with each loop attached to an adjacent loop by one or more threads which are preferably frangible.

Description

Title: "DENTAL FLOSS"

Technical field

This invention relates to dental hygiene and more particularly to dental floss.

Background art

Dental floss is a thread used for cleaning between the teeth and consists of a length of lightly waxed yarn comprising about 50 silk or silk-like filaments. it is supplied to consumers in a dispenser enclosing from about 25 metres to 50 metres in length of spooled thread, the dispenser having a blade adapted to cut off an end portion of the dental floss.

in use a 20cm to 45cm end portion of floss is drawn from the dispenser and cut off from the spooled

remainder. One end of the cut off portion to be used is then wound around a finger (usually the middle finger) of one hand, the opposite end is wound around a finger of the other hand, the dental floss is stretched taut and is inserted between adjacent teeth, usually by use of the index finger and thumb. The floss is then drawn backwards and forwards between the teeth to remove interdental debris (if any) plaque etc. and to promote dental hygiene.

Both floss and flossing procedures are well known and require no further detailed description.

The procedure suffers from a number of

disadvantages including the fact that a degree of skill and digital dexterity is required to perform flossing efficiently, the procedure is often painful to the fingers about which the floss is wound, and the

procedure tends to be wasteful of floss since a major portion of the floss is never used between teeth but is merely used to facilitate holding and manipulation.

Routine users of dental floss become proficient with practice and often fail to realize, or forget, that efficient use of floss requires development of a number of skills. Skill is required to judge accurately the length of floss to be drawn from the spool. Too long a cut-off portion requires excessive winding onto fingers and is wasteful of dental floss. Too short a cut-off portion renders interdental manipulation difficult and does not permit adjustment as the used section becomes frayed. The tension with which the floss is wound onto the fingers must be judged so as to be neither too tight nor too loose. As one portion of the floss becomes frayed it is necessary to transfer a portion of floss from one finger to the other to expose a fresh length and this movement requires a degree of digital dexterity as well as judgement of the correct length of floss to be wound on each digit. The difficulty experienced by novice users in acquiring these skills deters many from desirable routine use of floss.

Another form of dental floss available is a bow shaped device having a length of floss stretched between the arms and which is then inserted between the teeth. However, this device is pre-tensioned and so taut that it is hard to use, especially by the novice.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means for flossing which avoid or at least ameliorate some of the above discussed disadvantages of prior art. Disclosure of the Invention

According to one aspect the invention consists in means for promoting dental hygiene comprising an endless loop of dental floss having a substantially uniform cross section.

In preferred embodiments the loop is from 200mm to 300mm in circumference.

In one embodiment a floss loop is individually packaged while in a second embodiment a plurality of floss loops are formed with each loop attached to an adjacent loop by one or more threads, which are preferably frangible.

According to a second aspect the invention consists in a method of promoting dental hygiene comprising the steps of:

1. selecting an endless loop of dental floss wherein any length of floss of the loop is of substantially uniform cross section;

2. inserting inwardly turned fingers of each hand through the loop and drawing at least the upper portion of the loop taut;

3. flossing by use of the uppermost taut portion.

4. circulating the loop between the hands so as to bring another loop portion uppermost, and repeating steps (2) and (3).

In preferred embodiments of the method three fingers of each hand are inserted in the loop and the loop is tensioned during flossing by means of one or both of the first finger and thumb.

Brief Description of Drawings

The invention will now be more particularly

described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention in side elevation.

Figure 2 shows the first embodiment in end

elevation.

Figure 3 shows a cross section of a portion of the embodiment of figure 1.

Figure 4 shows diagrammatically an enlargement of figure 3.

Figure 5 shows the embodiment of figure 1 in

preparation for use.

Figure 6 shows a second embodiment of the invention. Best mode for carrying out invention

With reference to Figures 1 to 4 there is shown a means for promoting dental hygiene indicated generally at 1 and composed of dental floss 2 in the form of an endless loop.

Floss 2 is a waxed floss or yarn which may be composed of one strand or a number of strands 3. Thus the yarn may be formed from a number of strands twisted together, a number of fibres laid together with little or no twist, or a mono filament with or without twist.

Each strand may in turn consist of spun fibres or one or more filaments with or without twist.

For preference floss 2 comprises a number of from 30 to 60 strands, and more preferably of from 45 to 55 strands 3 of a silky filamentous matter lightly twisted together and wax impregnated.

In addition to being waxed the floss may optionally be impregnated with a flavour or aroma and or with a bacteriostat and or other functional agents.

The fibres may be silk, cotton, or other suitable natural fibres or artificial fibres or filaments or a combination of these such as is known in the art for use in flossing.

Some, or all of the strands may additionally include brush like fibres which, when rubbed against the teeth, expand randomly, creating a thicker diameter sponge like strand to more effectively remove debris.

It will be understood that natural wax need not be employed and synthetic wax substitutes may be used to impregnate the floss (or less desirably) the floss may be wax free.

Dental floss for use in the invention may be an impregnated dental floss such as described in U.S.

3,771,536 or a floss or tape such as described in U.S. 3,699,979, or U.S. 3,247,857.

Loop 1 is illustrated in a generally circular configuration in figure 1 but may of course, being flexible, adopt an infinite number of other

configurations.

In its circular configuration loop 1 may vary from for example 50mm to 120mm in diameter but is desirably of from 75mm to 90mm in diameter, that is to say

preferably of from 235mm to 282mm in loop circumference when in a planar circular configuration. When the floss of the loop is viewed in cross section, as for example in figure 3, the cross sectional area is substantially constant over any length of floss of the loop. It will be understood that the cross sectional area of the floss of the loop will normally vary noticeably with the thickness of the yarns, the degree of twist and the degree of waxing and other factors. By "substantially uniform" is herein meant that the cross section is not substantially enlarged by knots or joints beyond the normal variation in thickness of the thread.

The purpose of maintaining a substantially uniform cross section is that when a portion of the loop is inserted between the teeth, the loop can be circulated or reciprocated without a joint or knot engaging the teeth.

With reference to figure 5 there is illustrated the first stage in preparation for use of the loop of figure 1.

As viewed by the user hands 7 are held palm facing the user and with second, third and little fingers (8, 9, 10 respectively) crooked inwardly towards the user.

Fingers 8, 9, 10 are inserted through the loop and the hands separated to draw the loop taut.

The uppermost taut portion 11 is inserted between adjacent teeth and manipulated in reciprocation

uppermost portion 11 using the thumb 12 or first finger 13 or both of each hand to tension the floss. It will be understood that the loop can be held with fewer fingers inserted if preferred. No judgement is required to estimate floss length as that is predetermined by the loop circumference. Nor is there any need to wind onto the fingers as tension in loop uppermost portion is counter balanced by tension elsewhere in the loop.

Moreover the tension bearing area extends over more than one finger of each hand. Consequently the loop is comfortable to hold. As successive lengths of the floss become frayed or otherwise unusable, the loop is merely circulated between the hands. It is not necessary to rewind from one finger onto another as with prior art. In addition, no additional dental floss is required merely to hold the loop. All the floss of the loop is available for flossing between the teeth. Indeed, the loop can be circulated while between the teeth in a manner difficult if not impossible with a cut-off length of prior art floss.

in the case in which the strands include brush-like fibres which expand on rubbing, the user can readily determine which portions of the loop have been used and which remain unused which further assists in avoiding cross infection.

Another advantage of this method is that

circulation of the loop helps to avoid cross-infection.

The loop circumferential length is desirably selected so that a desired taut length is provided when the fingers are inserted in the loop while maintaining the loop as a whole in tension.

Loops according to the invention may be packaged individually for example in a sealed paper straw in a manner similar to that in which individual tooth picks are sometimes supplied. In that case the sealed package including content may be sterilized, for example by irradiation and may be marketed in sterilized packages.

In another embodiment a plurality of floss loops of the invention are provided in a form in which one loop is connected to an adjacent loop by a frangible

connection. One loop can then be torn or severed from its neighbour or neighbours for use as previously described.

For example with reference to Figure 6 there is shown schematically a plurality of loops 4 joined one to another by means of a frangible link 5, for example a thread.

A single end loop may be removed from the plurality by tearing or severing the adjacent thread link 5.

Desirably link 5 corresponds in diameter to one or two strands of the 50 or so strands of loop 4 and so has no substantial effect on the cross-sectional area of the floss of the loop.

The chain of loops shown in Figure 6 may be

manufactured for example by winding a pair of filaments 3 from a bobbin into a loop by moving the bobbin about a suitable core or spindle. For example the pair of filaments may be wound into 25 turns about the core to provide a first loop 1 composed of 50 filamentory yarns 3. The bobbin next feeds a short length 5 of filament pair before winding a second loop 4, and so on, to provide a chain of indeterminate length of loops each joined to a proceeding loop by a connecting bridge 5.

The loops may be prevented from unravelling by waxing, or by use of an adhesive or by inclusion of one or more thermoplastic filaments which may be melted by use of hot air, microwave energy hot plates, laser or other means to seal with other filaments, so as to prevent the loops from unravelling and to maintain the endless loop shapes. If necessary, the connecting links may be partly severed or weakened adjacent the loops.

It will be understood that the bobbin need not be moved around the former but instead the former may be moved around the bobbins or both may move relatively to wind the loops. Two bobbins each with a single yarn may be used in place of a single bobbin wound with a pair of yarns although in the example a yarn pair is used. More or less than two yarns may be employed to form the embodiment. Other known apparatus may also be used to form successive connected loops.

The loops may be severed one from another by a blade or thermal means if individual loops are required or the chain may be wound onto bobbins and packaged so that consumers can tear off or cut off a single end loop as desired.

In another embodiment a plurality of loops 4 may be wound in successive "figure of eight" configuration and after stabilization by waxing may be partly die-cut at the intersection of adjacent loops.

Two parallel strands may be joined at intervals to create loops of the desired diameter by heat sealing, etc.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teaching hereof the invention may be embodied in other forms, made by other means or used in other ways without departing from the scope of the concept herein disclosed.

Claims

CLAIMS : -

1. Means for promoting dental hygiene comprising an endless loop of dental floss having a substantially uniform cross-section.

2. Means according to claim 1 wherein said floss

comprises one or more strands of spun fibre being is impregnated with wax.

3. Means according to claim 1 or 2 including means to provide a visual indication of used dental floss.

4. Means according to claim 3 wherein the dental floss includes a plurality of brush fibres capable of randomly expanding to define a slightly thicker cross-sectional diameter.

5. Means according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said floss is additionally impregnated with an aroma or flavour.

6. Means according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said loop has a diameter between 50 - 120 mm.

7. Means according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a plurality of loops are formed with each loop attached to an adjacent loop.

8. Means according to claim 7 wherein a loop is attached to an adjacent loop by one or more frangible threads.

9. A method of promoting dental hygiene comprising the steps of:

(1) selecting an endless loop of dental floss wherein any length of floss of the loop is of substantially uniform cross section;

(2) inserting inwardly turned fingers of each hand

through the loop and drawing at least the upper portion of the loop taut;

(3) flossing by use of the uppermost taut portion;

(4) circulating the loop between the hands so as to bring another loop portion uppermost, and repeating steps (2) and (3).

10. The method according to claim 7 wherein three fingers of each hand are inserted in the loop and the loop is tensioned during flossing by means of one or both of the first finger and thumb.

11. Means for promoting dental hygiene substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of promoting dental hygiene substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.