Patent ID: 6582634
Filing Date: 2003-06-24
Classification: A61C,D01D,D01F,D02J,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of converting a plastics material into a dental floss, the plastics material comprising one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of nylon, polyesters, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyphenylene sulphide, and polystyrene, the method comprising heating the material to melt it, pumping the melted material through an extruder to form an extruded filament, cooling the extruded filament, passing the extruded filament through a first drawer roller assembly while elevating the temperature of the filament, heating the filament in a heating zone as it exits from the first drawer assembly and, thereafter, passing the filament through a second drawer assembly operating at a different linear speed to the first drawer assembly and spooling the filament exiting the second drawer assembly, wherein the dental floss constitutes the filament and the filament has a width in the range of 0.5 to 4 mm.