Abstract:
A pocket carried dental floss dispensing and cleaning device is provided to permit a user to open the device for use and close the device to secure the tool in a sanitary environment. A spool of dental floss is contained within a pivoting floss support arm removeably mounted a storage compartment. A knob is used to open the device and secure a line of floss during use.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    The present application is related to U.S. Provisional application Serial No. 60/352,289 filed Jan. 1, 2002.  
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a portable tooth and gum cleaning device including a dental floss dispenser, and in particular to a modular tooth and gum cleaning device having nesting top and bottom portions which pivot into an open position for use.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Dentists professionally insist now that their patients floss their teeth at least three times a day or after every meal. The most popular of dental floss dispensers provides a reel of dental floss in a rectangular package and a cutter for cutting a line of dental floss. The top of the package and the cutting blade are protected by a hinged lid. Unfortunately, this form of dispensing does not provide a user with a tool for reaching into the back of the mouth. The user is forced to wash up and use their fingers to find the hidden areas in the teeth.  
           [0004]    Although prior art flossing dispensers have addressed many of the problems in reaching to the rear teeth, most designs are awkward and fail to fit comfortable in the user&#39;s pocket. The elongated designs which are constructed to reach the rear of the user&#39;s mouth often break in the user&#39;s pocket. The flossing dispenser designs with flossing bridges break off posts which make the flossing action impossible.  
           [0005]    Hundreds of patents have issued over the years on dental floss tools designed to overcome these problems. Dental floss dispensers are illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,375,615, 5,860,435, 6,006,762, 6,131,586, 6,363,949. Unfortunately, these concepts have failed to provide the public with a successful tool for reaching far into the mouth because the floss becomes lodged into the dispensing feed of the dispenser. Although most people today still use the old plastic floss dispenser, there is still a need for a portable dental floss cleaning and dispensing tool that can be carried in a pocket of a shirt or pants.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    In accordance with the present invention, a pocket carried dental floss dispensing and cleaning device is provided to permit a user to open the device for use and close the device to secure the tool in a sanitary environment.  
           [0007]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a tooth and gum cleaning device containing a spool of dental floss for dispensing dental floss to a pivoting floss support.  
           [0008]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a flossing device containing a spool of dental floss and an arm connected to a pivoting floss support, the arm further providing means for opening the device and securing a line of dental floss.  
           [0009]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a flossing device having pivoting guide operable to guide said line of dental floss in a channel on the arm and onto flossing support posts.  
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a teeth and gum cleaning device of the present invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the teeth and gum cleaning device of the present invention with a top portion and guide in the open position.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the teeth and gum cleaning device of the present invention with a top portion and guide in the closed position.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of a teeth and gum and cleaning device of the present invention with the top portion in the open position and guide in the closed position.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of a teeth and gum cleaning device of the present invention with a top portion and guide in the closed position.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of a teeth and gum cleaning device of the present invention with a top portion and guide in the open position.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a teeth and gum cleaning device of the present invention with a top portion and guide in the closed position.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is an explosive perspective view of floss support and cleaning device of the present invention with the guide in the open position.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]    Although the details of the present invention are shown in the drawings and described in the application, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structure and functional details described herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for the claims. Likewise, some parts of the invention as described in detail are engineered in precise design to form a unique structure which is the invention as claimed.  
         [0019]    With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS.  1 - 8  thereof, a new and improved pocket carried dental floss dispenser or dental floss dispensing and cleaning device embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference number  10  will be described. The device is made of plastic material which may be opaque or translucent or transparent. The plastic may also be a colored material such as blue or green or yellow. Embedded or coated on the plastic material may be an antimicrobial material such that the floss may disinfect the gum area by the antimicrobial material which is added to the floss as the floss travels through the dispenser. The antimicrobial material may be coated onto only the parts of the device which contact the floss. Well known antimicrobial material for use in plastics includes silver sulfates or biguanides.  
         [0020]    A tooth and gum cleaning device  10  is shown in detail in FIGS.  1 - 8  and will be described with respect to all of the drawings. In FIG. 1, the tooth and gum cleaning device  10  includes a dispenser  10   a  having a housing  11  which utilizes a pivoting top cover portion  12  which pivots into an open position for use from a bottom base portion  13 . The base portion  13  has an undercut  13   a  which conforms to a user&#39;s hand. The dispenser is about five inches in length and designed so the user can carry the device in the pants or shirt pocket. When it is necessary to use the dispenser, the user can quickly remove it from the pocket and return it. Moreover, the top portion  12  provides a flip open extension dispenser that permits the user to reach far into the mouth to clean the gums and teeth and eliminates the problems that occur when someone attempts to floss with both hands. As further shown in FIG. 1, the device is modular in design to ergonomically conform to a user&#39;s hand for easier use. The modular shape further permits the dispenser to be carried in the pocket comfortably without breaking.  
         [0021]    As shown in FIG. 4, the base portion  13  has an inner wall  20  and an outer wall  21 . The inner wall  20  and floor portion  20   a  define a trough or storage compartment  22 . The storage compartment  22  houses the top cover portion  12  during nonuse in a nesting fit. The top portion  12  pivots back and into the storage chamber. The base portion  13  further includes a rear outer wall end  23  which houses a cutter  24 . The cutter  24  is inserted into a slot  25  formed integrally with the base portion  13 .  
         [0022]    The top cover portion  12  includes an arm  30  and a pivoting floss support  31 . The arm has a channel  32 , a flossing bridge  33 , a first floss support post  34  and a second floss support post  35 . Each support post  34 ,  35  have a v-shaped groove  36 ,  37  for receiving a line of dental floss  38 . The flossing bridge is pivotally mounted on the arm  30  by a stem  39  which extends though an aperture  39   a  in the arm  30 . The stem  39  is pivotally mounted in the aperture by an interference fit or may be riveted into the aperture by any well known method. The top cover portion  12  is pivotally mounted inside the base portion  13  so that the top cover portion  12  may rotate to fit inside the base portion  13  during nonuse. The top portion  12  nests inside the base portion  13  to present a flush surface design.  
         [0023]    The pivoting floss support  31  houses a reel of dental floss  40 . The pivoting floss support  31  and the spool of dental floss  40  are removable and pivotally mounted on an axle  41  in the storage compartment. The axle  41  is loosely mounted in slots  42 ,  43  of the storage compartment so that the spool of dental floss may be removed at any time. The axle  41  also permits the arm  30  to pivot open for use.  
         [0024]    Also mounted on the arm  31  is a pivoting guide means  50  for guiding the floss line  38  in the arm  30  through channel  32 . The pivoting guide means includes a flap  50   a  which is connected to the arm  30  by a living hinge  51  which may be opened to position the line of floss  38  in channel  32  and closed to secure the line of floss in the channel. The flap  50  has a series of connecting extensions  53 ,  54 ,  55 , and  56  which snap into channel  32  to secure the flap  50   a  in closed position and ready for use. The extensions  53 - 56  by extending into the channel  32  further serve the purpose of securing the line of floss inside the channel  32  while making contact with the floss to treat the floss with the antimicrobial material embedded in the plastic material.  
         [0025]    In order to operate the pocket dispenser, the user removes the dispenser from the pocket and pivots open the arm  30 . The guide  50  is pivoted thorough the hinge  51  to the open position and the line of floss is placed into the channel  32 . The guide is then closed to lock the floss into the channel  32 . As the line of floss  38  is further pulled out of the reel, the line is then positioned into the v-shaped grooves on each post and extended back to cutter where any extra line is cut. Any remaining extra floss is wrapped around stem  39  and the pocket floss is ready for use. After flossing, the used portion of the line is cut and the top cover portion is pivoted into the base portion.