Patent ID: 7082950

Claim:
A flossing device, comprising: a housing including a fork extension extending from said housing and having a pair of prongs with grooves for guiding said floss in a circuit which spans a space between said prongs; a floss supply spool rotatably mounted to said housing; a floss take-up spool rotatably mounted to said housing; an actuating mechanism for rotating said take-up spool to advance floss within the floss circuit; a first tensioning mechanism connected to the floss take-up spool to tension the floss during periods when the actuating mechanism is deactivated, said first tensioning mechanism including at least one ratchet pawl engaging a ratchet co-rotatably mounted with the take-un spool; and a second tensioning mechanism connected to the sunply spool to cooperate with the first tensioning mechanism to tension the floss during periods when the actuating mechanism is deactivated; wherein the actuating mechanism further includes a brake engageable with the second tensioning mechanism to positively lock the supply spool by engaging the tensioning mechanism during periods when the actuating mechanism is deactivated.