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US 10,376,346 B2Granted
Dental cleaning tool with integrated shield
AssigneeWorld Wide Daily Holdings Company Limited
InventorChun Yuen To
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dental cleaning tool includes a body portion defining a longitudinal axis of the dental cleaning tool. The body portion includes a floss assembly including a first arm and a second arm extending substantially perpendicularly relative to the longitudinal axis, a receiving slot formed in the first arm, and a shield formed on the first arm. The shield is configured to cover the receiving slot such that access to the receiving slot is restricted from a first direction. The tool also includes a secondary cleaning tool coupled to the first arm. The secondary cleaning tool is pivotable relative to the first arm in at least two degrees of freedom such that the secondary cleaning tool is insertable into the receiving slot from a second direction different than the first direction.
Claims20
A dental cleaning tool comprising:
- a body portion defining a longitudinal axis of the dental cleaning tool, wherein the body portion comprises:
- a handle for gripping the dental cleaning tool,
- a floss assembly having a bridge segment coupled to the handle, the floss assembly comprising a first arm and a second arm extending from the bridge segment and substantially perpendicularly relative to the longitudinal axis, each arm having opposing upper and lower surfaces and first and second lateral surfaces extending between the upper and lower surfaces, wherein the first lateral surfaces of the first and second arms face one another and a floss extends between the first lateral surfaces of the first and second arms;
- a receiving slot extending through the upper surface of the first arm, a portion of the second lateral surface of the first arm, and a portion of the bridge segment such that the second lateral surface of the first arm is open at a distal end of the slot and the slot is closed at a proximal end opposite the open distal end, the slot defining two interior side surfaces disposed between the open distal end and the closed proximal end;
- and
- a shield extending a length of the slot between the distal and proximal ends thereof, where the shield extends upwardly and laterally inward to cover at least a portion of the slot;
- and
- an elongate secondary cleaning tool coupled to the second lateral surface of the first arm, wherein the secondary cleaning tool is pivotable relative to the first arm in at least two degrees of freedom,
- wherein the secondary cleaning tool is configured to be rotated and inserted into the receiving slot to define a non-use position where the secondary cleaning tool is retained by the slot and the shield, and is configured to be rotated out of the slot into a use position where the secondary cleaning tool extends outwardly from the floss assembly.
6 more elements
A dental cleaning tool comprising:
- a body portion defining a longitudinal axis of the dental cleaning tool, wherein the body portion comprises:
- a floss assembly having a bridge segment, the floss assembly further comprising a first arm and a second arm extending from the bridge segment and substantially perpendicularly relative to the longitudinal axis, each arm having opposing upper and lower surfaces and first and second lateral surfaces extending between the upper and lower surfaces wherein the first lateral surfaces of the first and second arms face one another and a floss extends between the first lateral surfaces of the first and second arms;
- and
- a receiving slot extending through at least one of the upper surface of the first arm, a portion of the second lateral surface of the first arm, and a portion of the bridge segment, the receiving slot defining two interior side surfaces disposed between distal and proximal ends of the receiving slot, the receiving slot at least partially covered by a shield extending a length of the receiving slot between the distal and proximal ends thereof and extending upwardly and laterally inward;
- and
- an elongate secondary cleaning tool coupled to the second lateral surface of the first arm, wherein the secondary cleaning tool is pivotable relative to the first arm in at least two degrees of freedom,
- wherein the secondary cleaning tool is configured to be rotated and inserted into the receiving slot to define a non-use position where the secondary cleaning tool is retained by the receiving slot and the shield, and is configured to be rotated out of the receiving slot into a use position where the secondary cleaning tool extends outwardly from the floss assembly.
4 more elements
A dental cleaning tool comprising:
- a body portion defining a longitudinal axis of the dental cleaning tool, wherein the body portion comprises:
- a floss assembly having a bridge segment, the floss assembly further comprising a first arm and a second arm extending from the bridge segment and substantially perpendicularly relative to the longitudinal axis, each arm having opposing upper and lower surfaces and first and second lateral surfaces extending between the upper and lower surfaces, wherein the first lateral surfaces of the first and second arms face one another and a floss extends between the first lateral surfaces of the first and second arms;
- and
- a receiving slot extending through the upper surface of the first arm, a portion of the second lateral surface of the first arm, and a portion of the bridge segment such that the second lateral surface of the first arm is open at a distal end of the receiving slot and the receiving slot is closed at a proximal end opposite the open distal end, the receiving slot defining two interior side surfaces disposed between the open distal end and the closed proximal end, the receiving slot being covered, at least in part, by a shield extending a length of the receiving slot between the distal and proximal ends thereof and extending upwardly and laterally inward to cover at least a portion of the receiving slot;
- and
- an elongate secondary cleaning tool coupled to the second lateral surface of the first arm via a living hinge, the secondary cleaning tool being pivotable relative to the first arm about the living hinge in at least two degrees of freedom,
- wherein the secondary cleaning tool is configured to be rotated and inserted into the receiving slot to define a non-use position where the secondary cleaning tool is retained by the receiving slot and the shield, and is configured to be rotated out of the receiving slot into a use position where the secondary cleaning tool extends outwardly from the floss assembly.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.