GB1592513A - Multipurpose tooth cleaner - Google Patents

Description

(54) MULTIPURPOSE TOOTH CLEANER (71) I, YOSHITOMI OKIDO, a citizen of Japan, of 9-14, Higashiyamacho, Koyoen, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to a dental cleaning device.

Toothbrushes and toothpicks are often employed for tooth cleaning. A toothbrush is usually suitable for washing a row of teeth all together superficially, whereas a toothpick is usually suitable for removing substances locally present between the teeth. A toothbrush is not so handy as a toothpick, and thus the use of a toothbrush is much more restricted than the use of a toothpick. It is quite difficult for either of them to provide fine and complete cleaning of the teeth; they usually provide rough and partial cleaning. Moreover they are liable to injure the gum. In addition, they cannot easily provide medication, massage, deodourising and flavouring as well as tooth cleaning in the human mouth.

An object of the invention is to provide a dental cleaning device which can readily effect fine and complete cleaning of teeth.

According to the invention there is provided a dental cleaning device comprising a stick and a fibrous bulb member at one end of the stick, the fibrous bulb member being soft, resilient and stable when used for tooth cleaning and gum massaging in the human mouth, said bulb member being made of a thermoplastic synthetic fibre which is substantially crimped and has substantially no water-absorbing capacity, said bulb member being formed around said end of the stick in a fixed relation thereto by initially affixing staples of the thermoplastic synthetic fibre to said end of the stick, then winding said staples round said end of the stick loosely, shaping them into an elongate cornerless configuration, and causing the outer windings thereof to bond to themselves by heat treatment to an extent sufficient to provide said bulb member with a skin, the bulb member including at least one material which is favourably effective in the human mouth.

The cleaning device may be used to provide medication, massage, deodouring and flavouring as well as tooth cleaning in the human mouth.

There is a little possibility of the cleaning device injuring the gum while it is cleaning the teeth.

Figure 1 is a view partly in plan and partly in section of a tooth cleaner according to the invention; Figure 2 is a similar view of another embody ment; Figure 3 is a similar view of still another embodiment; Figure 4 shows a part of the embodiment in Figure 1, when it is used to clean between teeth; Figure 5 shows the embodiment in Figure 1, when it is used to clean a row of teeth all together; and Figure 6 is a view partly in plan and partly in section of another embodiment.

Figure 1 shows a tooth cleaner 10 which comprises a stick 1 and a bulb 5 at one end 3 of the stick 1. The end 3 has a pointed tip 3a.

The other end 2 of stick 1 is not pointed.

The bulb 5 is of a soft, resilient, fibrous material which is stable when used for tooth cleaning in the human mouth. It is formed around the end 3 of stick 1 in a fixed relation.

The bulb 5 is formed by initially affixing staple fibres to the end 3 of the stick 1 by application of adhesive 4, then wound round the end 3 not tightly but loosely, and shaped into an elongate cornerless configuration. The outer windings of the fibres are then bonded to themselves mutually by heat treatment. The loose winding provides the bulb 5 with softness The outer binding provides the bulb 5 with a skin which gives the bulb stability.

It may be advantageous to affix the staples to the end 3 of stick 1 by a heat treatment or a cut provided for this purpose at the end 3, instead of the above-described application of adhesives 4.

The staples are substantially thermoplastic synthetic fibres of substantially no waterabsorbing capacity. The substantial crimp provides the bulb 5 with good elasticity, and this'increases the softness of the bulb 5. Moreover, such crimp causes the staples to entangle with each other when wound round the end 3 of the stick 1, and thus increases the stability of the bulb 5. The substantial absence of waterabsorbing capacity prevents the bulb 5 from swelling and melting due to saliva in the human mouth, and thus also increases the stability of the bulb 5.

The bulb 5 includes various materials which are favourably effective in the human mouth Such materials may indicate a washing agent such as contained in dentifrices, drugs such as for prevention of tooth decay and alveolar pyorrhea, a deodouring agent such as chlorophyll, and a flavouring agent such as peppermint.

The inclusion of these materials is such that they are initially dissolved to give an aqueous solution with or without dissolving agents, then impregnated into the bulb 5 by dipping, and dried by heat at a temperature low enough to avoid evaporating the flavour.

Alternatively, these materials can be impregnated into the bulb 5 by superficial brushing or spraying of the aqueous solution thereof.

It may be advantageous to include these materials into the bulb 5 as a mixed powder as the staples are wound round the end 3 of the stick 1 to form the bulb 5, instead of the abovedescribed impregnation with solution.

The stick 1 may be made of wood, bamboo, hardened paper, synthetic resin, metal and other materials.

When the tooth cleaner 10 is used to clean between teeth as shown in Figure 4, the top portion of the bulb 5 is initially put between the adjacent side peripheries of teeth and then moved along the same peripheries towards the edges of teeth. In this case, the tooth cleaner 10 is manipulated in a manner similar to that usually used with a toothpick. All the while the bulb 5 is in contact with the side peripheries of teeth in a closely fitted relation by virtue of its own resilience. The pointed end 3 of stick 1 and the relatively acute streamlined part around the top of the bulb 5 make it possible for the bulb 5 to fit deeply between the side peripheries of teeth. The tooth cleaner 10 thus cleans between the teeth not roughly but finely even though the teeth are irregularly adjacent each other.

When the tooth cleaner 10 is used to clean a row of teeth all together as shown in Figure 5, the middle portion of bulb 5 is initially put on the front surfaces of the teeth and then moved to and fro along the row of teeth. In this case, the tooth cleaner 10 is manipulated in a manner similar to that usually used with a toothbrush. AU the while the bulb 5 is in contact with the front surfaces of teeth in a closely fitting relation by virtue of its own resilience.

The relatively moderate stream-lined part around the middle of bulb 5 makes it possible for the bulb 5 to fit widely on the front surfaces of teeth. The tooth cleaner 10 thus cleans the row of teeth all together not roughly but finely even though the teeth are irregularly aligned with respect to each other.

Any other part of teeth exposed in the mouth can be finely cleaned with the tooth cleaner 10 in a manner similar to either of the above-described two cases. It is to be noted that the tooth cleaner 10 can clean finely those parts of teeth liable to decay, for instance, boundary areas of teeth and gum, clearances between teeth, and chewing areas of molar teeth. This helps to prevent tooth decay.

Moreover the tooth cleaning can be done easily because the tooth cleaner 10 is manipulated in a manner just similar to that usually used with toothbrushes and toothpicks. Since the bulb 5 is soft, the tooth cleaner 10 has little possibility of injuring the gum while it is cleaning the teeth.

The soft and resilient bulb 5 is quite suitable for massaging the gum. For this purpose the tooth cleaner 10 may be applied to the gum with ease in the manner shown in Figure 5.

Such massage with its low attendant risk of injuring the gum can be quite effective in preventions alveolar pyorrhea.

While the tooth cleaner 10 is being used in the human mouth, the bulb 5 is moistened by saliva and the various materials included therefore dissolve and leak out of the bulb 5 gradually. A washing agent will improve the cleaning effect of the tooth cleaner 10. Drugs will improve the preventive action of the tooth cleaner 10 against tooth decay and alveolar pyorrhea. A deodorant will counteract any unpleasant mouth odour. A flavouring agent will refresh the oral cavity. The gradual leakingout of these materials will prolong their effective duration in the mouth.

Moreover, the tooth cleaner 10 is as handy as a conventional kind of toothpick, and thus the use of the tooth cleaner 10 is not so restricted as the usual kind of toothbrush.

The aqueous solution of materials to be included in the bulb 5 may have a high viscosity and be applied as the adhesive to affix the fibre staples to the end 3 of the stick 1 when the bulb 5 is formed around the end 3 of stick 1. In this case, the included materials dissolve and leak out of the bulb 5 with much more delay than in case of the above-described impregnation or inclusion as a powder, as the bulb 5 is moistened due to the saliva when the tooth cleaner 10 is applied in the human mouth.

Such delayed leaking will be preferable in some cases, because the included materials mostly leak out of the bulb 5 after tooth cleaning is largely completed in the mouth.

The embodiments shown in Figures 2, 3 & BR< 6 are modifications of the one shown in Figure 1. In Figure 2 the end 3 of stick 1 is pointed at 3b less sharply than in Figure 1. In this case the stick 1 is tapered from the end 2 down to the end 3. In Figure 3 the end 3 of the stick 1 is pointed at 3c less sharply than in Figure 1. In Figure 6 the end 3 of stick 1 is not pointed at all and the other end of stick is pointed at 2a to serve as a toothpick.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A dental cleaning device comprising a stick and a fibrous bulb member at one end of the stick, the fibrous bulb member being soft, resilient and stable when used for tooth cleaning and gum massaging in the human mouth, said bulb member being made of a thermoplastic synthetic fibre which is substantially crimped and has substantially no water-absorbing capacity, said bulb member being formed around said end of the stick in a fixed relation thereto by initially affixing staples of the thermoplastic synthetic fibre to said end of the stick, then winding said staples round said end of the stick loosely, shaping them into an elongate cornerless configuration, and causing the outer windings thereof to bond themselves by heat treatment to an extent sufficient to provide said bulb member with a skin, the bulb member including at least one material which is favourably effective in the human mouth.

2. A device in accordance with Claim 1, wherein the said end of stick is pointed whereas the other end of stick is not pointed.

3. A device in accordance with Claim 1, wherein the said end of stick is not pointed whereas the other end of stick is pointed.

4. A device in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the said staples are affixed to the said end of stick by application of adhesive.

5. A device in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the said material is a washing agent and/or a drug for prevention tooth decay and alveolar pyorrhea and/or deodorant and/or a flavouring agent.

6. A device in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the said material or materials is or are introduced by dipping the bulb member into an aqueous solution of the material or materials and then drying it.

7. A device in accordance with any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the said material or materials is or are introduced by applying an aqueous solution thereof with a high viscosity as an adhesive to affix the said staples to the said end of stick in the formation of the bulb member.

8. A dental cleaning device substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. to serve as a toothpick. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A dental cleaning device comprising a stick and a fibrous bulb member at one end of the stick, the fibrous bulb member being soft, resilient and stable when used for tooth cleaning and gum massaging in the human mouth, said bulb member being made of a thermoplastic synthetic fibre which is substantially crimped and has substantially no water-absorbing capacity, said bulb member being formed around said end of the stick in a fixed relation thereto by initially affixing staples of the thermoplastic synthetic fibre to said end of the stick, then winding said staples round said end of the stick loosely, shaping them into an elongate cornerless configuration, and causing the outer windings thereof to bond themselves by heat treatment to an extent sufficient to provide said bulb member with a skin, the bulb member including at least one material which is favourably effective in the human mouth.

2. A device in accordance with Claim 1, wherein the said end of stick is pointed whereas the other end of stick is not pointed.

3. A device in accordance with Claim 1, wherein the said end of stick is not pointed whereas the other end of stick is pointed.

4. A device in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the said staples are affixed to the said end of stick by application of adhesive.

5. A device in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the said material is a washing agent and/or a drug for prevention tooth decay and alveolar pyorrhea and/or deodorant and/or a flavouring agent.

6. A device in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the said material or materials is or are introduced by dipping the bulb member into an aqueous solution of the material or materials and then drying it.

7. A device in accordance with any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the said material or materials is or are introduced by applying an aqueous solution thereof with a high viscosity as an adhesive to affix the said staples to the said end of stick in the formation of the bulb member.

8. A dental cleaning device substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.