Patent Document

BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Dental hygiene has long been seen as an area requisite to a healthy life. More recently the growing recognition of its broader importance to overall health has produced a wider array of dental prevention and treatment practices. Dental flossing is one beneficial habit people can take advantage of easily. But current flossing techniques concentrate on food particle removal from the teeth. Other preventive treatments tend to be left in the dentist&#39;s office. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0002]      FIG. 1  shows a block diagram of an overview of an antibacterial dental floss device of one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0003]      FIG. 2  shows a block diagram of an overview flow chart of an antibacterial dental floss device of one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0004]      FIG. 3  shows for illustrative purposes only an example of an antibacterial dental floss device in a prospective view of one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0005]      FIG. 4  shows for illustrative purposes only an example of an antibacterial dental floss device floss fraying process of one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0006]      FIG. 5  shows for illustrative purposes only an example of an antibacterial dental floss device floss fiber thermal bonding process of one embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    In a following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration a specific example in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
       General Overview: 
       [0008]    It should be noted that the descriptions that follow, for example, in terms of an antibacterial dental floss device is described for illustrative purposes and the underlying method can apply to any number and multiple types of antibacterial dental floss devices. In one embodiment of the present invention, the antibacterial dental floss device is configured to coat the floss with an oral antibacterial compound. In another embodiment the antibacterial dental floss device is configured to provide ultraviolet violet light as an antibacterial treatment powered by batteries and antibacterial dental floss devices can be configured using other forms of treatment coatings and types of light source treatments to provide multiple types of treatment for oral fungal infections, plaque removal and gingivitis and fabricated using various plastics and components or created in other forms, colors, shapes, sizes and depictions using the present invention. 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  shows a block diagram of an overview of an antibacterial dental floss device of one embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 1  shows an antibacterial dental floss device  100  that can be assembled in a compact case  110 . The antibacterial dental floss device  100  can be configured with a bobbin  120  which is used to hold a length of a dental floss  125 . When a user pulls out a short length of the dental floss  125  from the bobbin  120  it passes over a series of curved guide pins and pulleys. The dental floss  125  is routed through a dental floss fraying processor  130  which cuts and frays short sections of a portion of the fibers from which the dental floss  125  is manufactured of one embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0010]    The dental floss fraying processor  130  uses electrical power supplied from a battery pack  180  to heat thermal devices to fuse the fibers being cut at a short distance on both sides of the point where the cut is made. Dental floss threads are manufactured in various thicknesses from materials such as polyester, nylon, PTFE and Polymer. These materials can be heated to allow thermal bonding of the fibers to one another. This prevents the cut fibers from being pulled from the floss thread while flossing. The dental floss fraying processor  130  then brushes the cut fibers to create bristles of one embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0011]    The bristled dental floss  125  is passed through a oral antibacterial compound reservoir  140  and coated with an oral antibacterial compound, for example antibacterial tooth paste, an all natural ingredient oral antibacterial compound, plaque inhibiting antibacterial compound and antibacterial compounds that contain vitamins. The oral antibacterial compound reservoir  140  can be filled or refilled using a fill tube  145 . The user can use a cut off  160  to cut the desired length of bristled dental floss coated with an oral antibacterial compound pulled from the antibacterial dental floss device  100 . The user can then apply the antibacterial compound to the teeth and gums while using the bristled floss to remove food particles and brush the tooth surfaces between the narrow spaces that would be difficult to reach with a toothbrush. This will facilitate the removal of plaque and other build up of one embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0012]    Once completed with flossing the user can switch on an ultraviolet light lamp  170  built into the antibacterial dental floss device  100  and powered by a battery pack  180 . The user will direct the ultraviolet light radiating through the exterior lens  175  of the antibacterial dental floss device  100  to areas inside the mouth including the gums and palate. The germicidal benefits of ultraviolet light will further reduce oral infections. Gum disease can result from bacterial plaque building up between teeth, under the gum line and around dental appliances. The antibacterial dental floss device  100  provides enhanced bristled flossing to better clean the space between teeth, applies an antibacterial compound to the area between teeth, under the gum line and around dental appliances combined with ultraviolet light as an additional germicidal treatment. The antibacterial dental floss device  100  helps fight gum diseases, helps reduce plaque buildup and provides the user with access to advanced oral hygiene treatments in a compact portable device of one embodiment of the present invention. 
       Detailed Operation: 
       [0013]    The foregoing has described the principles, embodiments and modes of operation of the present invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed. The above described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive, and it should be appreciated that variations may be made in those embodiments by workers skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. 
         [0014]      FIG. 2  shows a block diagram of an overview flow chart of an antibacterial dental floss device of one embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  shows the antibacterial dental floss device  100  in the case  110  that can be manufactured from materials for example plastic. The bobbin  120  is installed on a spindle  210  to allow spooled dental floss  200  to play off the bobbin  120  when pulled by the user. The unwinding dental floss  125  enters the dental floss fraying processor  130 . The dental floss fraying processor  130  can be configured with one or more fraying cutter module  230  to cut the outer layers of fibers of the floss thread. The cutting blades of the fraying cutter module  230  can be configured to be attached in the inner curved area of a pulley channel as a crescent shaped blade to allow radial cuts of one embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0015]    The dental floss fraying processor  130  can be configured with one or more thermal bonding module  240  to fuse fibers a short distance on both sides of the cut. The thermal bonding module  240  is heated by a thermal bonding electrical circuit  250  passing through the thermal bonding module  240  components that are sized to produce resistance to the electrical current and heat sufficiently to fuse the fiber material. The heated-elements of the thermal bonding module can be configured to be attached in the inner curved area of a pulley channel in a crescent shape to allow radial fusing. The thermal bonding electrical circuit  250  draws electricity from one or more battery  260  installed in the battery pack  180  of one embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0016]    The fused cuts produce a frayed dental floss  270  that is routed through a bristle brush module  272 . The bristle brush module  272  combs the cut fibers away for the main floss thread to produce a bristled dental floss  274 . The bristled dental floss  274  enters the oral antibacterial compound reservoir  140  and bathes the bristled dental floss  274  in an antibacterial compound  275  of one embodiment of the present invention. The antibacterial compound  275  is placed in the oral antibacterial compound reservoir  140  using the fill tube  145 . The antibacterial compound  275  can be configured for example as a liquid, gel or paste and can be an over the counter product or prescription medication. The bristled dental floss  274  becomes coated or soaked in the antibacterial compound  275  before being separated using the cut off  160 . The antibacterial coated bristled dental floss  280  is now available for the user to floss their teeth using the bristled dental floss  274  to brush in between teeth and reach the area of the teeth and gums not accessible with a tooth brush. This allows the user to remove plaque and other build up not just food particles while flossing. The antibacterial compound  275  will be applied to those same hard to reach areas where bacteria and other materials or organisms generally start gum diseases and plaque buildup of one embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0017]    The user can treat the oral cavity in its entirety using the ultraviolet light lamp  170  built into the antibacterial dental floss device  100 . The user can push a switch button to open an ultraviolet light switched electrical circuit  248  to conduct electricity from one or more battery  260  in the battery pack  180 . The electricity through the ultraviolet light switched electrical circuit  248  will power up the ultraviolet light lamp  170 . The ultraviolet light lamp  170  will radiate ultraviolet light through the lens  175  into the oral cavity as directed by the user. The benefits of the germicidal ultraviolet light illumination will aid in combating bacteria and other organisms in areas not normally contacted in brushing or flossing for example the roof of the mouth, rear inner cheek tissues and under the tongue. The antibacterial dental floss device  100  can be configured to include an AC current adapter plug-in to allow rechargeable batteries to be installed in the battery pack  180  of one embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0018]    The ability of the antibacterial dental floss device  100  to fill prescribed medication into the oral antibacterial compound reservoir  140  provides dentist and other oral specialist the opportunity to effectively treat patients in an outpatient mode. The outpatient can effectively administer those prescribed medications using the same familiar techniques of flossing and save expensive treatment visits to the dental office. The compact portable antibacterial dental floss device  100  can enable a user to easily enhance their preventative oral hygiene to reduce gum disease and bacterial plaque build-up of one embodiment of the present invention. 
       Antibacterial Dental Floss Device: 
       [0019]      FIG. 3  shows for illustrative purposes only an example of an antibacterial dental floss device in a prospective view of one embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 3  shows the antibacterial dental floss device  100  which is a compact advanced dental hygiene device. The portable case  110  of  FIG. 1  contains the spooled dental floss  200  of  FIG. 2 , dental floss fraying processor  130  of  FIG. 1 , oral antibacterial compound reservoir  140  of  FIG. 1  and antibacterial compound  275  of  FIG. 2  used to supply the user with antibacterial coated bristled dental floss  280 . The user can close a case cover  300  to maintain a clean supply after pulling out and cutting the desired length of the antibacterial coated bristled dental floss  280  using the cut off  160 . The fill tube  145  can be configured to include a removable plug or a permanent sealed cap after filling of one embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0020]    The antibacterial dental floss device  100  can be configured to include a switch  310  for example on the side or top to open the ultraviolet light switched electrical circuit  248  of  FIG. 2  to operate the ultraviolet light lamp  170  of  FIG. 1  which radiates ultraviolet light through the lens  175 . The antibacterial dental floss device  100  illustrated in  FIG. 3  shows an unobtrusive compact and portable configuration of one embodiment of the present invention. 
       Floss Fraying Process: 
       [0021]      FIG. 4A  shows for illustrative purposes only an example of an antibacterial dental floss device floss fraying process of one embodiment of the present invention. The antibacterial dental floss device  100  of  FIG. 1  includes the dental floss fraying processor  130  of  FIG. 1  to produce the bristled dental floss  274  of  FIG. 2 . This process starts with the dental floss  125  of  FIG. 1  entering the dental floss fraying processor  130  of  FIG. 1  from the bobbin  120  of  FIG. 1 . The floss thread is made up of dental floss fibers  400 . The fraying process uses a thermal bonding module  240  of  FIG. 2  configured with a thermal bonder  430  which is the heated element to fuse the dental floss fibers  400  creating a section of bonded fibers  440 . The fraying cutter module  230  of  FIG. 2  is configured with a fraying cutter  410  to cut fibers  420  between two sections of bonded fibers  440  to produce the frayed dental floss  270  of  FIG. 2 . The frayed dental floss  270  of  FIG. 2  then travels to the bristle brush module  272  of  FIG. 2  of one embodiment of the present invention. 
       Bristled Dental Floss: 
       [0022]      FIG. 4B  shows for illustrative purposes only an example of an antibacterial dental floss device bristled dental floss of one embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0023]      FIG. 4B  shows the frayed dental floss  270  of  FIG. 2  after it travels through the bristle brush module  272  of  FIG. 2 . The dental floss fraying processor  130  of  FIG. 1  uses the bristle brush module  272  of  FIG. 2  to further process the frayed dental floss  270  of  FIG. 2  made of dental floss fibers  400 . The cut fibers  420  of  FIG. 4A  between the two sections of bonded fibers  440  are brushed back against the section of bonded fibers  440  to which they are still connected. The bristle brush module  272  of  FIG. 2  is configured for example to exert sufficient force to bend the cut fibers  420  of  FIG. 4A . The bent cut fibers  420  of  FIG. 4A  form brushed cut fibers  450  to maintain an outward pointing position to form a bristle. The brushed cut fibers  450  positioned along the floss thread create the bristled dental floss  274  of  FIG. 2  of one embodiment of the present invention. 
       Thermal Bonding Process: 
       [0024]      FIG. 5  shows for illustrative purposes only an example of an antibacterial dental floss device floss fiber thermal bonding process of one embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 5  shows a section of the dental floss fibers  400 . The dental floss fibers  400  of the dental floss  125  of  FIG. 1  are traveling through the thermal bonding module  240  of  FIG. 2  of the dental floss fraying processor  130  of  FIG. 1 . The thermal bonder  430  of the thermal bonding module  240  of  FIG. 2  has been heated by the resistance to the battery  260  of  FIG. 2  current flow in the thermal bonding electrical circuit  250  of  FIG. 2 . The dental floss fibers  400  in contact with the thermal bonder  430  and those dental floss fibers  400  in close proximity are heated sufficiently to cause the fiber materials to soften and fuse to one another to form bonded fibers  440 . The thermal bonder  430  can be configured of conductive materials for example stainless steel, aluminum or copper coated with a non-stick material such as Teflon to prevent the dental floss fibers  400  from adhering during the fusing process. The thermal bonder  430  conductive materials can be configured of a size and shape to create an electrically resistive capacity to produce the desired heating temperature to cause the desired fusing of the dental floss fibers  400  materials of one embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0025]    The foregoing has described the principles, embodiments and modes of operation of the present invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed. The above described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive, and it should be appreciated that variations may be made in those embodiments by workers skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.

Technology Category: 1