Tooth pick

Abstract: The present invention relates to a tooth pick (1) and a method for the manufacture thereof, whereby the tooth pick (1) has a blade (2) of elastic plastic material, whereby the surface of said blade (2) is provided with bristles (4) which preferably have been brought in contact with the blade (2) through electrostatic attraction, whereby the bristles (4) preferably have been brought to unite with the blade (2) and whereby the blade (2) comprises a brushing portion (5) provided with bristles (4) and furthermore, a cleaning tip (6) without or substantially without bristles. In order to permit cleaning also of very narrow interdental spaces by means of this tooth pick (1) without damaging the gums, the cleaning tip (6) has in its full length or at least substantial parts thereof a rectangular cross section.

Description: The present invention relates to a tooth pick with a blade of elastic plastic material. The surface of said blade is provided with bristles which preferably have been brought in contact with the blade through electrostatic attraction. The bristles have been brought to unite with the blade sulfure of the brushing portion. The blade comprises a cleaning tip without or substantially without bristles. Tooth picks with bristles cleaning tips are previously known by document EP-A-0198007. Document EP-A-0277156 is describing other tooth picks provided with fluorine compound. To provide still other tooth picks with a xylitole agent is previously known from document EP-A-0 836 837. However, there is not previously known a tooth pick with a cleaning tip without or substantially without bristles and with a fluorine compound which is effectively bound to the tooth pick by a xylitole agent. The object of the present invention has also been to provide a tooth pick with a bristleless or substantially bristleless cleaning tip and an effectively bound fluorine compound and this is arrived at by means of the characterizing features of subsequent claim 1. Since the tooth pick according to the invention has the characterizing features of claim 1, it is possible to effectively bond the fluorine compound to a tooth pick without or substantially without bristles or the cleaning tip by using a xylitole agent for said bonding. The invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein fig. 1 is an enlarged side view of a tooth pick according to the invention; fig. 2 is a section along the line II-II through the tooth pick of fig. 1; fig. 3 is a section along the line III-III through the tooth pick of fig. 1; fig. 4 is a section along the line IV-IV through the tooth pick of fig. 1; fig. 5 is a section along the line V-V through the tooth pick of fig. 1; fig. 6 illustrates a front portion of the tooth pick of fig. 1 inserted into a narrow interdental space; fig. 7 is a schematic view of a device for manufacturing the tooth pick of fig. 1; fig. 8 illustrates a number of tooth picks according to the invention secured to a bracket during a manufacturing method thereof; and fig. 9 illustrates a number of tooth picks according to the invention secured to each other and located in a package. In the drawings, a tooth pick 1 having normally a length of 40-60 mm is illustrated in enlargement. The tooth pick 1 may e.g. be about 48 mm long, whereby the blade 2 can be about 32 mm long and the handle member 3 about 16 mm long. The blade 2 and handle member 3 consist is elastic plastic material, e.g. polyamide/glass-fibre material, and the blade 2 is provided with bristles 4 of plastic material, e.g. of the same or similar plastic material as the blade 2 and handle member 3. The blade 2 is divided into a brushing portion 5 with said bristles 4 and a cleaning tip 6 without or substantially without bristles, said tip being located in front of said brushing portion 5. The brushing portion 5 is i.a. adapted to be inserted into an interdental space 9 between teeth 7, 8 for brushing such parts 7a, 8a of said teeth 7, 8 which face or are directed towards said interdental space 9. The cleaning tip 6 is i.a. adapted to be inserted into the interdental space 9 for cleaning thereof, i.e. for removing e.g. remains of food caught therein, e.g. before brushing of the tooth parts 7a, 8a with the brushing portion 5. In its full length or at least substantial parts thereof, the cleaning tip 6 is rectangular in cross section. Hereby, the cleaning tip 6 can be inserted into those interdental spaces which are too narrow for insertion of the brushing portion 5. Preferably, the entire or at least substantial parts of the cleaning tip 6 extends/extend arcuately along a fore arcuate centre line FCL. This line proceeds from a centre line CL along the brushing portion 5 and extends therefrom in forward direction and to one side. Longitudinal edges of the cleaning tip 6 are softly rounded and the cleaning tip or at least substantial parts thereof tapers//taper successively in forward direction towards a softly rounded outer end portion 13. Preferably, the entire or at least substantial parts of the brushing portion 5 extends/extend in a straight forward direction along a straight centre line CL, whereby the brushing portion 5 or at least substantial parts thereof preferably tapers/taper successively in a forward direction towards the cleaning tip 6. The cleaning tip 6 preferably has a smoother surface 10 than the brushing portion 5, i.a. because it has no bristles 4, in order to ensure that the friction between the cleaning tip 6 and the tooth parts 7a, 8a is less than the friction between the brushing portion 5 and said tooth parts 7a, 8a when the tooth pick is inserted into the interdental space 9. The cleaning tip 6 is preferably completely or at least partially more flexible than the brushing portion 5 or than substantial parts of the brushing portion 5, so that the cleaning tip 6, by bending, can adapt or adjust to narrow and/or bent interdental spaces 9. The brushing portion 5 has such rigidity that it permits insertion of the cleaning tip 6 in said interdental spaces 9 without bending. The cleaning tip 6 is preferably substantially shorter than the brushing portion 5. Thus, the cleaning tip 6 can be at least 1 mm long and preferably 2-8 mm (the length of the cleaning tip 6 is designated A in fig. 1), while the brushing portion 5 can be at least 18 mm long (the length of the brushing portion 5 is designated B in fig. 1). The brushing portion 5 preferably has a triangular cross section, whereby the base 11 of the triangle defines a blade side or blade surface while the apex of the triangle defines an opposite blade side or surface. The size of the base 11 of the triangle decreases preferably successively in direction towards the cleaning tip and is least at the blade 2 closest thereto. The base 11 of the triangle is, at the parts of the blade 2 located closest to the handle member 3, substantially larger than the thickness of the cleaning tip 6. The cleaning tip 6 or at least parts thereof extends//extend, seen in a plan view from the front, along a vertical line H from the base 11 of the triangle to the apex 12 thereof and/or along an extension of said vertical line H beyond the apex 12 of the triangle. The cleaning tip 6 is preferably of uniform thickness and has preferably a thickness T falling below 20% of the thickest parts of the blade 2. The thickness T is preferably within the range of 0,2 - 0,4 mm. The handle member 3 is preferably at least as thick or substantially at least as thick as the part or portion of the blade 2 connected therewith, and the handle member 3 is preferably of uniform thickness or substantially of uniform thickness along its full length. Furthermore, the handle member 3 preferably has a thickness of 1,5 - - 2,5 mm and it is preferably wider than the part of the blade 2 connected therewith. The handle member 3 is suitably at least 14 mm long, preferably 16 - 24 mm long. The blade 2 is widest at the handle member 3 and its width decreases successively in the direction towards the outer end portion 13. The bristles 4 on such a part of the brushing portion 5 which is situated closest to the cleaning tip 6, may be more sparsely located than on other parts of the brushing member 5, whereby the bristles 4 on said part may be increasingly more sparsely located in the direction towards the cleaning tip 6. During treatment of the tooth pick 1, a plurality of tooth picks can be provided on a bracket 1a and/or can the handle members 3 thereof be attached to each other along break portions 1b. Tooth picks 1 are suitably placed in packages 1d attached to each other along said break portions 1b or in any other suitable way so that the bristles 4 do not come in contact with each other and so that said tooth picks are easily separated from each other. Bristles 4 are brought to adhere to the surface of the blade 2 by being attracted thereto by means of electrostatic attraction, i.e. so called flocking, after the surface has been dissolved by such an agent 17 which permits that contact portions of the bristles 4, brought in contact with the dissolved surface, are also dissolved so that the surface and bristles 4 take shape with each other when the dissolved material regains or returns to its original consistency or about its original consistency. This method can be defined as a confounding or fusion between the surface material of the blade and the contact portions of the bristles 4. Hereby, the surface 10 of the cleaning tip 6 is not or not to the same degree dissolved as the surface of the brushing portion 5, in order to, during bristle application, prevent or at least obstruct bristles 4 from adhering to the cleaning tip 6 or at least prevent the bristle coating from becoming as close on said cleaning tip 6 as on the brushing portion 5. A device for carrying through the bristle application is schematically illustrated in fig. 7. At this device, each tooth pick 1, which preferably is provided on the bracket 1a along with other tooth picks, is dipped in water 15 in a station 14 for soaking it and thus, allow for making the surface thereof conductive. Thereafter, the tooth picks 1 are moved to station 16 and here dipped in a suitable agent 17, e.g. an organic acid such as formic acid. In this station 16, the blade 2 is dipped in the acid 17, but not the handle member 3. In station 16, the acid 17 brings the surface of the tooth pick 1 to "dissolve", whereby the dissolution of the surface of the brushing portion 5 is utilized for subsequent bristle application, while the dissolution of the surface 10 of the cleaning tip 6 is utilized for cleaning thereof and//or for dissolving eventual projections, burrs or other irregularities therefrom and/or level out or smoothen porosities therein so that the surface 10 becomes smooth and free from sharp edges or similar. In a subsequent station 18 the cleaning tip 6 of the tooth picks 1 but not their brushing portion 5 is thereafter dipped in a rinsing agent 19, e.g. water, for washing off the agent 17 from the cleaning tip 6 so that said tip gets such a consistency that the bristles 4 can not "fuse" therewith. In the following station 20, the bristles 4 are attracted to the tooth pick 1 by means of electrostatic attraction. This is achieved e.g. by holding the tooth pick 1 with the surface of the brushing portion 5 in "dissolved" condition above a container 21 with an electrode 22 at the bottom. In the container 21 there is a large number of bristles 4 and at the top it has a grate or net 23 with such a mesh size that said bristles 4 can pass therethrough. The bristles 4 consist of preferably the same or similar plastic material as the tooth pick 1 and they lie completely loose in the container 1. The electrode 22 is connected to a source of current 24 and the tooth pick 1 is located above the container 21 at a suitable distance from the electrode 22. When the tooth picks reach this position, their conducting surface is earthed through a bracket 25 which holds the tooth picks 1 in position, and a ground wire 26 extending from said bracket. When current flows to the electrode 22 from the source of current 24, an electric field is generated between the electrode 22 and the conducting surface of the tooth picks 1, whereby bristles 4 are attracted to the tooth picks 1 while said bristles at the same time repel each other and thereby preferably are uniformly distributed over the surface of the brushing portion and preferably directed straight outwards from the tooth picks 1. With the bristles 4 brought in contact with the dissolved surface of the brushing portion 5, the bristles 4 "fuse" together with said surface when the dissolved material regains or returns to its original consistency or substantially original consistency. Through this so called flocking method, the bristles 4 will be integrated with the surface of the brushing portion 5, so that they can not loosen therefrom. Finally, the tooth picks 1 provided with bristles 4 can be brought to station 27 for treatment of the tooth picks 1 with an agent 28 containing xylitole and a water soluble fluorine compound. The treatment is suitably carried through by dipping the tooth picks 1 in the agent 28. Hereby, xylitole will effectively bond the fluorine compound at least to particularly the bristles 4, but also to other parts of the tooth pick 1 so that a long-term release of fluorine is obtained during use of the tooth pick 1. Since xylitole bonds the fluorine compound to the surfaces of the tooth pick 1 and particularly to the bristles 4 with good bonding strength, the tooth pick 1 becomes a tooth cleaning tool as well as a tool for supplying fluorine compound to the teeth when said teeth are cleaned. There may be a further station (not shown) for washing the tooth picks 1 with a suitable liquid. In the station, such bristles 4 which have adhered to the cleaning tip 6 without being supposed to do so, can be removed e.g. by being flushed away. Instead of exposing the brushing portion 5 as well as the cleaning tip 6 of the tooth pick 1 to said agent 17, the cleaning tip 6 can be provided with a protective agent, e.g. glycerine and/or vaseline, which prevents the agent 17 from coming in contact with the cleaning tip 6 or at least substantial parts thereof when said agent 17 is applied to the tooth pick 1. The protective agent can be applied to the cleaning tip 6 by dipping said tip in said protective agent, and when the bristle application on to the brushing portion 5 is finished, said agent can be removed from the cleaning tip 6 in a suitable manner, e.g. by dipping said tip in a removing agent. The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the tooth pick described above and illustrated in the drawings, but said tooth pick may vary within the scope of the following claims, and this is true also for the method for manufacturing the tooth pick 1. As alternatives it should be mentioned that the tooth pick 1 may have other shapes and dimensions than the described and the blade 2 and handle member 3 thereof are preferably manufactured as a unit of the same plastic material, e.g. polyamide material, but also of another plastic material. The bristles 4 may be of the same or similar plastic material as the blade 2, e.g. polyamide material, but they can also consist of another plastic material. Other agents than organic acids can be used as agent 17 for "dissolving" the surface of the blade 2, and this agent can be sprayed on to the tooth picks 1 instead of dipping said tooth picks therein.

Claims: Tooth pick (1) with a blade (2) of elastic plastic material, wherein the blade (2) comprises a brushing portion (5), the surface of which is provided with bristles (4) which have been brought in contact with the surface through electrostatic attraction, wherein the bristles (4) have been brought to unite with the surface of the brushing portion (5), and wherein the blade (2) comprises a cleaning tip (6) without or substantially without bristles, characterized in that the tooth pick (1) includes an agent (28) containing xylitole and a fluorine compound, whereby the xylitole is adapted to effectively bond the fluorine compound to the tooth pick (1) and particularly to the bristles (4) of the tooth pick (1). Tooth pick according to claim 1, characterized in that the tooth pick (1) is usable for application of the fluorine on the teeth. Tooth pick according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that xylitole and the fluorine compound is provided on the brushing portion (5), the bristles (4) of said brushing portion (5) and the cleaning tip (6). Tooth pick according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the bristle free cleaning tip (6) is substantially shorter than the brushing portion (5). Tooth pick according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the entire or at least substantial parts of the cleaning tip (6) extends/extend arcuately along a fore arcuate centre line (FLC), which proceeds from a centre line (CL) along the brushing portion (5) and extends therefrom in forward direction and to one side, that longitudinal edges of the cleaning tip (6) are softly rounded and that the cleaning tip (6) or at least substantial parts thereof tapers/taper successively in forward direction towards a softly rounded outer end portion (13). Tooth pick according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the entire or at least substantial parts of the brushing portion (5) extends//extend in a straight forward direction along a straight centre line (CL), and that the brushing portion (5) or at least substantial parts thereof tapers/taper successively in a forward direction towards the cleaning tip (6). Tooth pick according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the entire or at least substantial parts of the brushing portion (5) has a triangular cross section and that the cleaning tip (6) has a rectangular cross section and is thinner than the base of the triangle on a brushing portion (5) having a triangular cross section. Tooth pick according to claim 7, characterized in that the cleaning tip (6) or at least parts thereof extends/extend, seen in a plan view from the front, along a vertical line (H) from the base (11) of the triangle to the apex (12) thereof and/or along an extension line of said vertical line (H) beyond the apex (12) of the triangle. Tooth pick according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the cleaning tip (6) has a smoother surface (10) than the brushing portion (5) in order to see to that the friction between the cleaning tip (6) and the tooth parts (7a, 8a) is less than the friction between the brushing portion (5) and said tooth parts (7a, 8a) when the tooth pick (1) is inserted into interdental spaces (9). Tooth pick according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the cleaning tip (6) is completely or at least partially more flexible than the brushing portion (5) or than substantial parts of the brushing portion (5), so that the cleaning tip (6), by bending, can adapt or adjust to narrow and/or bent interdental spaces (9) and that the brushing portion (5) has such rigidity that it permits insertion of the cleaning tip (6) in narrow and/or bent interdental spaces (9) without bending. Tooth pick according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the cleaning tip (6) is at least 1 mm long and preferably 2-8 mm long and that the brushing portion (5) is at least 12 mm long (the length of the brushing portion 5 is designated B in fig. 1). Tooth pick according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the brushing portion (5) has such a triangular cross section, that the base (11) of the triangle defines a blade side or blade surface and the apex (12) of the triangle an opposite blade side or surface, and that the size of the base (11) of the triangle decreases successively in direction towards the cleaning tip (6) and is least at the parts of the blade (2) closest thereto, whereby the base (11) of the triangle at the parts of the blade (2) located farthest away from the cleaning tip (6), is substantially larger than the thickness (T) of the cleaning tip (6). Tooth pick according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the cleaning tip (6) or at least substantial parts thereof is/are at least substantially of uniform thickness and has a thickness (T) falling below 20% of the thickest parts of the blade (2). Tooth pick according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the cleaning tip (6) or substantial parts thereof has a thickness (T) of 0,2 - 0,4 mm. Tooth pick according to any preceding claim, wherein the blade (2) protrudes from a handle member (3), characterized in that the handle member (3) is at least as thick or substantially at least as thick as the part or portion of the blade (2) connected wherewith and has a thickness of 1,5 - 2,5 mm, that the handle member (3) is of uniform thickness or substantially of uniform thickness along its full length, that the handle member (3) is wider than the part of the blade (2) connected therewith and that the handle member (3) is at least 14 mm long, preferably 16 - 24 mm long. Tooth pick according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the bristles (4) on such a part of the brushing portion (5) which is situated closest to the cleaning tip (6), are more sparsely located than on other parts of the brushing member (5), and that the bristles (4) on said part are increasingly more sparsely located in the direction towards the cleaning tip (6). Tooth pick according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the bristles (4) of the brushing member (5) are provided thereon by being located on the blade (2) by means of electrostatic attraction after the surface of the brushing portion (5) has been dissolved by such an agent (17) that contact portions of the bristles (4), brought in contact with the dissolved surface, are also dissolved so that the surface of the blade (2) and the bristles (4) have been united or combined with each other when the dissolved material has regained or returned to its original consistency while the cleaning tip (6) is free from or substantially free from bristles (4) because the surface (10) thereof is not dissolved when the bristles (4) are attracted to the blade (2). Tooth pick according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the brushing portion (5) and cleaning tip (6) of the blade (2) are manufactured as a unit in the same working operation and that the blade (2) and bristles (4) consist of the same or similar plastic material, e.g. polyamide material. Tooth pick according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the tooth pick (1) is packed integral with other tooth picks (1) of the same type so that the bristles (4) of the packed tooth picks do not come in contact with each other. Tooth pick according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the bristles (4) of the brushing portion (5) are provided thereon by being located on the blade (2) by means of electrostatic attraction after the surface of the brushing portion (5) has been dissolved by such an agent (17) that contact portions of the bristles, brought in contact with the dissolved surface, are also dissolved so that the surface of the blade (2) and the bristles (4) have been united or combined with each other when the dissolved material has regained or returned to its original consistency, while the cleaning tip (6) is free from or substantially free from bristles (4) since the surface (10) thereof is not dissolved when the bristles (4) are attracted to the blade (2).

Inventors: DRENNOW STEN GUNNAR, STERN LEIF EINAR, DRENNOW, STEN GUNNAR, STERN, LEIF EINAR
Applicants: ASEPT INT AB, ASEPT INTERNATIONAL AB
Application year: 1995
Main classification: A61C15
IPC codes: A61C15, A46D9, A46B3