Dental flosser
OwnerLori Bixbyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment, a dental flosser includes a handle and a housing coupled to the handle. The housing includes a chamber for rotatably receiving a spool having first top and bottom surfaces and a side surface and having a supply of floss wound about the side surface, the supply of floss having second top and bottom surfaces. The housing further includes a floss orifice for directing at least a portion of the supply of floss therethrough. The dental flosser also includes an actuator including at least one contact surface configured to frictionally engage at least one of the first top surface, the first bottom surface, the second top surface, or the second bottom surface. The actuator further includes a biasing member for biasing the at least one contact surface relative to the spool.
Claims20
A dental flosser, comprising:
- (a) a handle;
- (b) a housing coupled to the handle, the housing including a chamber configured to rotatably receive a spool having an inner bore, an uppermost first top surface, a lowermost first bottom surface, a side surface and a supply of floss wound about the side surface, the supply of floss defining an uppermost second top surface, and a lowermost second bottom surface, the housing further including a floss orifice for directing at least a portion of the supply of floss therethrough;
- and
- (c) an actuator including at least one contact surface configured to confront and frictionally engage at least one of the uppermost first top surface, the lowermost first bottom surface, the uppermost second top surface, or the lowermost second bottom surface, the actuator further including a biasing member for biasing the at least one contact surface relative to the spool,
- wherein the biasing member is configured to extend into and be movable within the inner bore of the spool.
A dental flosser, comprising:
- (a) a handle;
- (b) a housing coupled to the handle, the housing including a chamber and a floss orifice;
- (c) a spool rotatably received in the chamber, the spool having an inner bore, an uppermost first top surface, a lowermost first bottom surface, a side surface and a supply of floss wound about the side surface, the supply of floss defining an uppermost second top surface and a lowermost second bottom surface, wherein at least a portion of the supply of floss is configured to be directed through the floss orifice of the housing;
- and
- (d) an actuator including at least one contact surface configured to confront and frictionally engage at least one of the uppermost first top surface, the lowermost first bottom surface, the uppermost second top surface, or the lowermost second bottom surface, the actuator further including a biasing member for biasing the at least one contact surface relative to the spool,
- wherein the biasing member extends into and is movable within the inner bore of the spool.
A dental flosser, comprising:
- (a) a handle;
- (b) a housing coupled to the handle, the housing including:
- (i) a top wall,
- (ii) a bottom wall,
- (iii) a chamber defined between the top and bottom walls,
- (iv) a guide pin extending upwardly from the bottom wall into the chamber,
- (v) an aperture extending through the top wall and vertically aligned with the guide pin, and
- (vi) a floss orifice;
- (c) a spool rotatably received in the chamber of the housing, the spool having:
- (i) a cylindrical outer side surface,
- (ii) a cylindrical inner bore,
- (iii) an annular uppermost top surface extending from the cylindrical inner bore to the cylindrical outer side surface, wherein the annular uppermost top surface is planar, and
- (iv) a supply of floss wound about the cylindrical outer side surface, wherein at least a portion of the supply of floss extends through the floss orifice of the housing;
- and
- (d) an actuator including:
- (i) a button extending through the aperture,
- (ii) a circular flange extending radially outwardly from the button, the circular flange having:
- (A) an annular top surface configured to abut the top wall of the housing radially outwardly of the aperture, and
- (B) an annular bottom surface confronting the annular uppermost top surface of the spool and configured to frictionally engage the annular uppermost top surface of the spool, and
- (iii) a helical spring positioned between the button and the bottom wall of the housing, wherein the helical spring extends through and is movable within the cylindrical inner bore of the spool, wherein the helical spring is positioned over the guide pin of the housing, wherein the helical spring is configured to bias the annular bottom surface of the circular flange upwardly away from the annular uppermost top surface of the spool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.