Dental floss dispenser

A floss dispenser includes a housing that includes an exit, and a floss carrier disposed in the housing, where the floss carrier includes an arm extending across the exit, and a strand of dental floss on the floss carrier and extending through the exit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 The invention relates to dental floss dispensers.
 The advantages of flossing on a regular basis have been well documented and
 dental floss has been widely sold and widely used. Dental floss is
 available in the form of a spool of dental floss housed in a dispenser.
 The dispensers permit a user to dispense a desired length of floss while
 storing the remainder of the unused floss.
 Dental floss is dispensed from some dispensers by pulling a free end of the
 floss. As the user pulls on the floss, the spool rotates and the floss
 unwinds from the spool. During this process, the strand of floss can slip
 out of the exit hole of the dispenser and become stuck in the housing of
 the dispenser (e.g., between the walls of the dispenser), and fray or
 snag. The force with which the floss is pulled from the dispenser can also
 cause the spool of floss within the housing to unwind so rapidly that the
 floss becomes snagged and entangled inside of the dispenser housing.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 In one aspect, the invention features a floss dispenser that includes a) a
 housing that includes an exit for floss, b) a floss carrier disposed in
 the housing, the floss carrier including an arm extending across the exit,
 and c) a strand of dental floss on the floss carrier, the strand extending
 through the exit. In one embodiment, the arm is positioned to maintain a
 strand of floss in the exit. In another embodiment, the arm defines a
 portion of the exit. In other embodiments, the arm includes an elbow.
 In some embodiments, the housing further includes a finger extending from
 the housing toward the arm. In other embodiments, the dispenser further
 includes a nonreturn loading mechanism. In one embodiment, the nonreturn
 loading mechanism includes the arm and a finger extending from the housing
 toward the arm.
 In other embodiments, the arm includes an elbow and the finger extends
 toward the elbow. In another embodiment, the arm and the finger are
 positioned to facilitate the loading of a strand of floss in the exit and
 to inhibit the strand of floss from leaving the exit. In some embodiments,
 the finger includes a tapered surface. The finger can be triangular in
 shape.
 In one embodiment, the housing includes a unitary housing. In other
 embodiments, the housing includes a spindle and the floss carrier is
 disposed on the spindle. In another embodiment, the housing further
 includes a cutter and an opening disposed between the exit and the cutter,
 and a portion of the floss carrier is positioned in the opening. In some
 embodiments, the portion of the carrier positioned in the opening is
 transparent.
 In other embodiments, the carrier includes a back wall and an arcuate side
 wall extending from the back wall. In one embodiment, the arcuate side
 wall includes an opening. In another embodiment, the back wall is
 substantially smooth. In another embodiment, the housing includes an
 undulating surface.
 In some embodiments, the dispenser further includes a spool, the dental
 floss being on the spool.
 In another aspect, the invention features a floss dispenser that includes
 a) a housing that includes an exit for floss, b) a floss carrier disposed
 in the housing, the floss carrier including a member extending from the
 floss carrier to inhibit the movement of a strand of floss to a point
 outside of the exit, and c) a strand of dental floss on the floss carrier,
 the strand of floss extending through the exit. In one embodiment, the
 housing includes a first wall joined to a second wall, and the member
 inhibits the floss from moving between the first wall and the second wall.
 In some embodiments, the member inhibits movement of the floss from
 between the housing and the carrier.
 In other aspects, the invention features a method of loading an
 above-described floss dispenser. The method includes passing the strand of
 floss around the arm to the exit. In one embodiment, the floss includes a
 powder coating.
 In another aspect, the invention features a method of dispensing dental
 floss from a floss dispenser that includes a) a housing that includes an
 exit for floss, b) a floss carrier disposed in the housing, the floss
 carrier including an arm extending across the exit, and c) a strand of
 dental floss on the floss carrier, the strand of dental floss extending
 through the exit. The method includes pulling a strand of dental floss
 through the exit. In one embodiment, the floss exhibits smooth unwind. In
 other embodiments, the floss includes a powder coating. In another
 embodiment, the housing is substantially free of entangled floss after
 dispensing a portion of the floss.
 The retaining arm of the floss dispenser provides a mechanism by which a
 strand of dental floss is maintained in the exit hole of the dispenser.
 The retaining arm thus prevents the strand of dental floss from slipping
 between the various parts of the dispenser (e.g., between the floss
 carrier and one or more walls of the dispenser). The retaining arm also
 prevents the strand of floss from becoming snagged on the housing. The
 nonreturn loading mechanism facilitates the process of loading (i.e.,
 positioning) the floss in the exit, yet inhibits the floss from leaving
 the exit. The dispenser also features a breaking mechanism that prevents
 the strand of floss from unwinding so rapidly that unwound floss
 accumulates or becomes entangled in the housing of the dispenser.
 The dispenser also enables smooth unwind of the floss in dispensers in
 which the housing has a non-smooth interior surface. The dispenser is
 particularly well suited to the smooth, tangle free unwind of
 powder-coated dental floss.
 Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the
 following description of the preferred embodiments thereof and from the
 claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
 Referring to the Figures, the dental floss dispenser 10 includes a housing
 12, a floss carrier 14 disposed in the housing 12, and a spool 74 of
 dental floss 17 on the carrier 14.
 The housing 12 includes a front section 18, a back section 20, and a cover
 22. The interior and exterior surfaces of the front 18 and back sections
 20 can be planar or nonplanar, and preferably have an undulating (i.e.,
 wavelike) appearance. Preferably a spindle 24 extends from the interior
 surface 28 of the front section 18 of the housing 12. The interior surface
 28 of the front section 18, and the interior surface 40 of the back
 section 20 include guiding lock mechanisms 46 that guide the alignment of
 the front 18 and back sections 20 and lock the two sections together to
 form the housing 12 of the dispenser 10.
 The housing 12 is preferably a unitary plastic housing such that the front
 section 18, back section 20 and cover 22 are one article. Unitary plastic
 housings can be formed by a molding process, preferably an injection
 molding process where a molten thermoplastic polymer is injected into a
 cavity of a mold thereby forming the molded unitary plastic housing. The
 thermoplastic polymer can be any plastic polymer and preferably is a
 plastic capable of producing a "living hinge." A "living hinge" is an area
 in a molded plastic part that enables the molded plastic part to fold
 along a crease line thereby forming a hinge. Preferably the thermoplastic
 polymer is polypropylene.
 The unitary housing 10 includes a first hinge 26 interposed between the
 front section 18 and back section 20. When the front section 18 is folded
 along the first hinge 26 toward the back section 20 an enclosure for
 holding a spool 74 of floss is formed. Preferably the first hinge 26 is a
 "living hinge." A second hinge 30, preferably a living hinge, is
 interposed between the cover 22 and the back section 20 such that the
 cover 22 can fold along the second hinge 30 toward the floss dispensing
 surface 32 formed by the union of the back section 20 and the front
 section 18. The interior surface of the cover 22 includes a recess (not
 shown) for receiving catch 36 provided on the exterior surface of front
 section 18. The cover 22 mates with the catch 36 such that the cover 22 is
 secured in a closed position until a user releases the cover 22 from the
 catch 36 and opens the dispenser 10.
 The floss dispensing surface 32 includes a floss exit 42 through which a
 strand of floss 17 passes from the interior of the housing 12 to the
 exterior of the housing 12. The floss exit 42 is defined by the union of
 two halves 34a, 34b of the top wall 34. A finger 50 extends from one half
 34a of the top wall 34 at a level that is lower that second half 34b of
 the top wall 34 such that when the housing 12 is closed, i.e., the two
 halves 18, 20 of the housing 12 come together to define the exit 42, the
 finger 42 extends under the second half 34a of the top wall 42. The tip of
 the finger 50 is tapered to facilitate loading of the strand of floss 17
 in the exit 42. The finger 50 is preferably triangular in shape and
 includes a swooping edge 52, which guides the strand of floss 17 when
 loading the floss 17 in the exit 42.
 The floss dispensing surface 32 also includes a cutter 38 for severing the
 strand of floss 17 after the desired amount of floss 17 has been
 dispensed. The cutter 38 can also catch the strand of floss 17 after it
 has been cut such that the strand of floss 17 remains lodged in the cutter
 38 until subsequent use. An opening 54 for receiving a portion of the
 floss carrier 14 is disposed between the floss exit 42 and the cutter 38.
 The floss carrier 14 includes a back wall 78, a spindle 86, a side wall 82,
 a saddle 58, and a retaining arm 62 extending from the saddle 58. The back
 wall 78 is preferably substantially smooth and the spindle 86 extends at a
 right angle to the back wall 78. The spindle 86 has an interior diameter
 of sufficient dimension such that the spindle 86 can sit on the spindle 24
 of the housing 12. The side wall 82 extends at a right angle to the
 circumferential edge of the back wall 78. The side wall 82 helps maintain
 the floss 17 in the area defined by the spool 16 and the side wall 82. The
 side wall 82 also inhibits over-unwind and prevents excess floss 17 from
 accumulating or becoming entangled within the housing 12. The side wall 82
 includes an opening 70 through which the strand of floss 17 exits the
 floss carrier 14.
 The spindle 86 of the carrier 14 includes two slits 88a and 88b defining a
 central region 90 and a breaking mechanism 92 positioned toward the spool
 receiving end of the spindle 86. The breaking mechanism 92 slows the
 rotation of the spool of floss 16 during unwind. When the floss carrier 14
 is in position in the housing 12, the spindle 86 of the floss carrier 14
 preferably rests on the spindle 24 of the housing 12. The mating of the
 two spindles 24, 86 assists in further stabilizing the carrier 14 in the
 housing 12.
 The floss carrier 14 is positioned in the housing by sliding the saddle 58
 portion of the floss carrier 14 into opening 54. Two guides 94a, 94b
 extend from the saddle 58 and help guide the floss carrier 14 into
 position in the opening 54 and maintain the floss carrier 14 in position
 in the housing 12.
 A floss retaining arm 62 extends from the saddle 58 past the floss exit 42.
 The floss retaining arm 62 forms an end wall of the exit 42 and maintains
 the strand of floss 17 within the exit 42. The floss retaining arm 62 is
 positioned in the housing 12 such that it prevents the floss 17 from
 slipping out of the exit 42 or from being pulled outside of the exit 42
 (e.g., between the front 18 and back sections 20, or between the floss
 carrier 14 (e.g., the saddle 58) and the front section 18 or the back
 section 20 of the housing) when the strand of floss 17 is pulled by a user
 and unwound from the spool of floss 16.
 The retaining arm 62 preferably includes an elbow 66. The elbow 66 and
 finger 50 of the housing 12 combine to form a nonreturn loading mechanism
 96. The nonreturn loading mechanism 96 facilitates loading of the strand
 of floss 17 in the exit 42, yet inhibits the floss 17 from slipping out of
 the exit 42 and becoming lodged between the walls 18, 20 and 34a-b of the
 housing 12. Preferably a portion of the retaining arm 62 is relatively
 closer to finger 50 near exit 42 side of finger 50 and relatively farther
 from finger 50 at the swooping surface 52 of finger 50.
 It is preferable that the floss carrier 14 and, in particular, the saddle
 58, be made from a transparent material, e.g., glass or plastic, so that
 the amount of floss 17 remaining on the spool 74 of floss can be observed
 through the saddle 58. Preferably the saddle 58 exhibits a color (e.g.,
 blue, green or pink) that is different from the color (e.g., white) of the
 housing 12.
 A spool of floss 16 is placed on spindle 86 of the floss carrier 14 and a
 strand of the floss is fed through opening 70, around retaining arm 62 and
 along the swooping surface 52 of finger 50, between the tapered end of
 finger 50 and elbow 66, and into exit 42. The housing 12 is then closed
 (e.g., by snapping the components together) to form the dispenser 10. A
 user can then pull on the strand of floss 17, which causes the spool 74 to
 rotate and the floss 17 to dispense. The spool 74 of floss preferably
 exhibits smooth unwind (i.e., it is substantially free from jerking, e.g.,
 intervals of slower and faster unwind) as it rotates around the spindle 86
 during dispensing.
 A variety of dental flosses can be dispensed from the floss dispenser
 including, e.g., multifilament dental floss, monofilament dental floss,
 dental floss that includes a coating, e.g., wax, powder, flavor, scent and
 combinations thereof, dental tape, bulked dental floss, woven dental floss
 and combinations thereof.
 Other embodiments are within the claims.