Patent ID: 8590546
Filing Date: 2013-11-26
Classification: A61C

Abstract:
1. A flossing system ( 10 ) for cleaning teeth at regions between adjacent teeth of a user and for vibrating regions of the mouth of the user between teeth and gums, the cleaning and vibrating being done in a safe, painless, convenient, efficient and economical manner, the system consisting of: a handle ( 14 ) in a generally cylindrical configuration and having a distal end ( 16 ) and a proximal end ( 18 ) and an exterior surface ( 20 ) between the distal and proximal ends, a vibration generating drive mechanism ( 22 ) and a battery within the handle; operational components on the handle, the operational components including an ON button ( 26 ) and an OFF button ( 28 ) and an IN-USE light ( 30 ) on the exterior surface of the handle adjacent to the distal end, the operational components also including a vibrating coupler( 32 ) adapted to vibrate rapidly during use upon depressing the ON button; a coupling head ( 36 ) in a generally cylindrical configuration and having an enlarged distal end ( 38 ) and an enlarged proximal end ( 40 ) and an exterior surface ( 42 ) between the enlarged distal and enlarged proximal ends, the enlarged proximal end being formed with a coupling recess ( 44 ) for receiving the vibrating coupler ( 32 ), the enlarged distal end being formed with a planar surface forwardly and a hemispherical surface rearwardly, the hemispherical surface being formed with a transversely extending coupling recess ( 46 ) in a retentive configuration to removably receive the central base ( 52 ) of the replaceable holder ( 50 ) existing as its reciprocal in shape; a replaceable holder ( 50 ) having a central base ( 52 ) and two outwardly extending fingers ( 54 ), the fingers having free ends with a piece of floss ( 56 ) secured between the free ends, the central base ( 52 ) having the reciprocal retentive shape of the rearwardly facing transverse recess ( 46 ) to which the holder will be removably received, the head and the holder being fabricated of a plastic material with flexibility and resilience whereby applying pressure to the central base of the holder toward the retentive recess ( 46 ) of the head will couple and secure the holder with respect to the head and whereby applying pressure in an opposite direction to the free ends of the fingers will allow uncoupling of the holder with respect to the head, the fingers being spaced from each other by between 0.50 and 1.00 inches, the floss being spaced from the base of the holder by between 0.40 and 0.75 inches, allowing the teeth to be placed between the fingers, the floss to be positioned between teeth, and thus the focused vibrating energy to effect the floss as its positioned between the teeth; and bristles ( 60 ) parallel with the floss extending from the planar surface of the base between the fingers, the bristles having a length of between 0.125 and 0.250 inches, the bristles are adapted to contact the surface of the teeth being flossed and to thereby function to control the depth of penetration of the floss between the teeth while the ON button has been depressed and the head is vibrating during flossing, the fingers being devoid of bristles except for the planar stop extending from the planar surface of the base between the fingers whereby lateral movement of the floss is limited solely by the fingers and not by bristles.