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US 4,052,994 AGranted
Dental floss applicator
OwnerFloyd A. Thuninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dental floss applicator has a receptacle for receiving a spool of dental floss therein and rewind and tension means associated with the receptacle and receptacle closure top for maintaining the dental floss under a certain degree of tension. A projecting holder from the receptacle top has two spaced tines extending therefrom for stretching a piece of clean dental floss therebetween. The structure is so designed that additional tension may be applied to the stretched piece of dental floss by the user's index finger while holding the applicator in one hand in an easy and comfortable manner.
Claims5
A dental floss applicator comprising;
- a floss holding receptacle for receiving a spool of dental floss, a removable cover for the receptacle, means between the cover and the spool of floss contained within the receptacle for applying tension friction thereto, an U-shaped structure mounted on the top of the removable cover for holding a length of floss between the tips of the U-shaped structure, further means for permitting additional tension to be applied to the length of floss between the tips of the U-shaped structure as the applicator is being used for teeth cleaning purposes, the means between the cover and the spool of dental floss for applying friction thereto including a washer of resilient material between the inside of the receptacle cover and the spool of floss, the further means including a recessed outer edge of the dental floss supporting U-shaped structure which is designed for reception and engagement by a user's index finger with a portion of the floss therebetween, the U-shaped supporting structure including an upright extending member with a notch at the outer tip thereof, another extending member projecting outwardly and upwardly from the first member and parallel thereto at the outer portion thereof, the second outwardly extending member also having a notch on the outer tip thereof, the washer of resilient material being made of sponge rubber, with rewind mechanism associated with the spool of dental floss, the rewind mechanism including a flanged serrated disk at one end of the spool of dental floss, and an access slot appropriately provided in the receptacle so as to be opposite said serrated flange for access to the serrations thereon for the purpose of applying rewind movement to the spool of dental floss.
A dental floss applicator comprising;
- a floss holding receptacle for receiving a spool of dental floss, a removable cover for the receptacle, means between the cover and the spool of floss contained within the receptacle for applying tension friction thereto, an U-shaped structure mounted on the top of the removable cover for holding a length of floss between the tips of the U-shaped structure, further means for permitting additional tension to be applied to the length of floss between the tips of the U-shaped structure as the applicator is being used for teeth cleaning purposes, the means between the cover and the spool of dental floss for retaining friction therein including a washer of resilient material between the inside of the receptacle cover and the spool of floss, the receptacle having at least three projections extending along the upper outer edge thereof and the removable cover has complementary thread-like notches along the inside edge thereof for reception of the projections in order to quickly and removably fasten the two structures together, a spool flange serrated dish member arranged for use as a dental floss spool rewind structure, and an appropriate access slot provided in the receptacle for permitting access to said serrated spool flange.
A dental floss applicator comprising;
- a floss holding receptacle for receiving a spool of dental floss, a removable cover for the receptacle, means between the cover and the spool of floss contained within the receptacle for applying tension friction thereto, an U-shaped structure mounted on the top of the removable cover for holding a length of floss between the tips of the U-shaped structure, further means for permitting additional tension to be applied to the length of floss between the tips of the U-shaped structure as the applicator is being used for teeth cleaning purposes, a spool flange serrated disk member arranged for use as a dental floss spool rewind structure, and an appropriate access slot provided in the receptacle for permitting access to said serrated spool flange.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.