GB2376631A

GB2376631A - A device for cleaning teeth

Info

Publication number: GB2376631A
Application number: GB0106945A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Enda Keaveney
Original assignee: INTELLECT HIGHWAY Ltd
Current assignee: INTELLECT HIGHWAY Ltd
Priority date: 2001-03-20
Filing date: 2001-03-20
Publication date: 2002-12-24
Also published as: GB0106945D0

Abstract

A tooth-cleaning device 1 comprising two opposed support elements 11, 15, 16, 17 which each define a trough or valley formed to receive therein a tooth to be cleaned. The core is compressible so that when a tooth bites down into the trough the two opposed support elements move toward one another and bring respective surfaces thereof into contact with the tooth. Repeated biting effects a cleaning action of the tooth. The device is provided with support element 11 disposed on the core which are formed and arranged to support and retain a length of dental floss 23 so that the floss extends between the opposed cleaning elements. The floss may be retained within slots 14 located in the cleaning elements. The opposed cleaning surfaces of the device may also be provided with an abrasive material inserts 20, 21 or bristles (43, Figs 3-5). The inserts 20, 21 may be impregnated with toothpaste or other equivalent material.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO A DEVICE FOR CLEANING TEETH" THE PRESENT INVENTION relates to a device for cleaning teeth.

It is important that teeth are cleaned frequently and thoroughly to prevent the build up of plaque and tartar. It is believed that plaque and tartar are breeding grounds for bacteria which can cause not only inflammation of the gums, but also more serious diseases.

Often a build up of plaque and tartar can begin in the spaces between the adjacent teeth, which can be very difficult to clean using a conventional toothbrush.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved the device for cleaning teeth.

According to this invention there is provided a device for cleaning teeth, the device comprising a compressible core, the compressible core carrying at least one cleaning element which defines at least one trough or valley to receive two adjacent teeth to be cleaned, the core being compressible so that

said cleaning element or elements each come into contact with the teeth to effect cleaning of the teeth, the base of the valley or trough moving towards the centre of the compressible core, the core being provided with support means to support at least a length of dental floss to extend across the valley or trough with the dental floss being located adjacent the base or floor of the valley or trough when the core is in the initial uncompressed condition and being at a position elevated above the base or floor of the valley or trough when the compressible core has been compressed.

In one embodiment the or each trough or valley is defined by a plurality of bristles.

Advantageously the core carries supports which are located at the sides of the troughs or valleys and which remain substantially in position when the core is compressed.

In an alternative embodiment the or each trough or valley is defined by supports on the core, the supports supporting the dental floss.

Advantageously each support defines a slot that receives the floss.

Preferably etc. on each cleaning element is received within a valley or trough defined between two of said supports on one side of the core.

In order that the invention maybe more readily understood, and so that further features thereof maybe appreciated, the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the body of a device in accordance with the invention, FIGURE 2 is a part sectional view illustrating a device in accordance with the invention when in use, FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of part of a second embodiment of the invention, FIGURE 4 is a notional sectional view taken through the embodiment of Figure 3 showing one set of bristles, showing the device in an initial condition, and FIGURE 5 is a view corresponding to Figure 4 showing the device of Figure 3 in use.

Referring initially to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings the body 1 of a device in accordance with the invention is illustrated. The body 1 comprises a hollow octagonal tube 2 which can be considered to be formed of eight elongate rectangular plates 3,4, 5,6, 7,8 and 9,10 with each plate being connected to each of the adjacent plates by means of a flexible resilient hingeline. The plates may be moulded plastics material or some other convenient material. Each plate may be rigid.

Two plates, namely of the plates 3 and 7 are shown to be horizontal and two plates, namely the plates 5 and 9 are shown to be vertical and the remaining plates are all inclined at 45 degrees to the vertical. Each of the two upper inclined plates, namely of the plates 6 and 8, carry, on their upper surfaces, a wedge-like support element, such as the support element 11. The

support element maybe formed of plastics material. The support element 11 defines a plane face 12 which is co-aligned with the vertical plate 9 and has a curved upper face 13 which is directed towards the space located above the top horizontal plates 7. A slot 14 is formed in the element 11. The slot 14 is located half way along the length of the element 11 and extending from the upper edge of the element 11 to a level just above that of the top of the planar horizontal plate 7.

An equivalent, mirror image, support element 15 is provided on the inclined plate 6 and similar, but inverted, mirror image support elements 16,17 are provided on the inclined plates 4 and 10.

It is to be appreciated that the two upper support elements 14 and 15, together with the upper surface of the upper most horizontal plates 7 define a trough or valley, and similarly the support elements 16 and 17 together with the lower face of the lower horizontal plate 3 define an inverted trough or valley.

Each trough or valley may be provided with substantially vertical bristles provided on the plate defining the valley and on the inner surfaces of the support elements, with tips of the bristles themselves defining trough or valley.

However, in the presently described embodiment, each trough is provided with an insert of a material such as an abrasive material. The abrasive material may be a foam material incorporating abrasive particles or maybe formed of woven or non-woven abrasive fibres, such as poly-amide fibres or the like. The abrasive material is provided in a form of an insert 20 in the trough defined at top of the body 1 and a further insert 21 in the trough provided at the bottom of the body 1, as shown Figure 2 each insert may be adhered in position. Each insert may be impregnated with a toothpaste or dentifrice or some equivalent material. The exposed face of each insert is of trough or valley form.

Each insert is provided with a slot aligned with and equivalent to equivalent to the slot 14 provided in the support element 11.

A band of dental-floss 23 is provided which surrounds the body and which is engaged within the slots such as the slot 14. The dental-floss maybe elasticated so that the dental floss is of variable length. In the initial position the floss 23 lies adjacent to the plates 3 and 7, thus being near the base or floor of each trough or valley.

It is to be appreciated that, in use of the device as described, the entire device maybe located within the mouth of a person who wishes to clean their teeth. The device would be located, either manually or with use of the tongue, so that the device is located between two adjacent upper teeth and the coaligned two adjacent lower teeth, with parts of the dental-floss 23 which is extended across each trough being aligned with the space between the two adjacent upper teeth and two adjacent lower teeth respectively. If the person using the device then closes their jaw with a biting action the upper teeth and lower teeth will respectively engage the insert 20 adjacent the upper horizontal plate 7 and the insert 21 adjacent the lower horizontal plate 3, and the biting action of the teeth will force the plate 7 towards the plate 3 with a consequent deformation of the hinge lines interconnecting the plates which define the hollow octagonal core. The octagonal core would deform so that the inclined plates 6,8, 4,10 each alter their angle of inclination, to adopt the condition as shown in Figure 2 in which the spacing between the horizontal plates 7 and 3 is less than the vertical height of the side plates 5 and 9.

As a consequence of the change of inclination of the inclined plates 6,8, 4,10, the support elements 11,15, 16,17 have effected a virtual pivoting motion so that the curved surfaces of the support elements, such as the

surface 13 of the support element 11 are moved inwardly so as to press the inserts 20,21 of the abrasive material firmly into contact with the teeth.

As the teeth have moved downwardly so the parts of the dental-floss that initially extended across the troughs are moved into the spaces between two adjacent upper teeth and two adjacent lower teeth, thus effecting a flossing action, as the level of the base or floor of the respective valley has moved relative to the position of the floss as determined by the location of the ends of the slots, such as the slot 14.

It is to be appreciated that in use of the device, as described, a very effective cleaning of the teeth maybe accomplished without the use of a conventional toothbrush. Because the device, as described, is inserted completely into the mouth, teeth cleaning can be effected at almost any place and at almost any time. The describe device will effect cleaning of the biting parts of the teeth and of the side edges of the teeth and will also effect, most importantly, a thorough cleaning in the region of the gum-line. It is to be appreciated that the inserts 20, 21, are brought into engagement with the side edges of the teeth and the adjacent gums as the teeth are still moving towards a final position, such as that shown in Figure 2, in which the originally octagonal core of the body 1 is substantially completely compressed.

Whilst, in this described embodiment the core is of octagonal form, it is to be appreciated that in alternative embodiments of the invention the core may take other forms and may, for example, be a diamond shape.

Figures 3 to 5 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3 illustrates the central body or core of the embodiment, the core 30, again being of octagonal form, and thus being formed of eight rectangular plates 31,32, 33,34, 35,36, 37,38. Each plate is connected to each of the adjacent plates by mean of flexible resilient hinge line. The plates may be moulded of plastics material or some other convenient material. The plates may be rigid.

Two plates, namely of the plates 33 and 37 are shown to be horizontal and two plates, namely the plates 31 and 35 are shown to be vertical and the remaining plates are all inclined at 45 degrees to the vertical. Each of the two vertical plates 31 and 35 is provided with a respective centrally located upstanding support 39,40 and depending support 41,42.

As can be seen more clearly from Figure 4, the core 30, as shown in Figure 3, is provided with a plurality of bristles, such as the bristles 43. For the sake of the clarity of illustration in Figure 4 the bristles 43 as shown the extending from only the plates 32, 33. 34 are provided at the upper part of the body 30, in the orientation as shown, but is to be understood that there are a corresponding set of bristles which depend downwardly from the plates 36,37, 38 provided that the lower part of the body 30 and the orientation as shown.

The bristles 43 have lengths such that the tips of the bristles define a trough or valley 44, the base of the trough or valley being located just above the horizontal upper plate 33. Similarly the bristles provided at the lower part of the body will define an inverted trough or valley, again with the base of the valley being located only a short distance from the horizontal plate 37.

It can be seen that the supports 39 and 40, which are provided at the mid-point of the vertical plates, 31 and 35 extend upwardly to a height which is just above the level of the horizontal upper plate 33. A length of dental floss 45

is provided which extends between the supports 39 and 40, thus passing just above the level of the upper horizontal plates 33, substantially in alignment with the base of the valley or trough 44 defined by the tips of me bristles 43. The dental floss 45 similarly extends between the ends of the depending supports 41 and 42 to pass adjacent the lower face of the horizontal plate 37.

It is to be noted that a single loop of dental floss, which may be elasticated, may be passed around the support, engaging with the notches or recesses provided at the ends of the support's 39,40, 41,42 so that the dental floss is positioned as shown in Figure 4.

When the tooth cleaning device of Figures 3 to 5 is to be used, the device is completely inserted into the mouth of a person who is to clean their teeth, and is then manipulated, within the mouth, by the tongue of that person.

The device may be located between two adjacent upper teeth and two adjacent lower teeth with the dental floss 45 aligned with the gaps between the two adjacent upper teeth and the two adjacent lower teeth. If the person cleaning their teeth then effects a biting action, their teeth, as exemplified by the tooth 46 shown in phantom in Figure 5 will initially engage the base of each trough or valley 44 as defined by the bristles and will then apply pressure to the two horizontal plates 33,37 of the octagonal core of the body 30. As described above, with reference to the Figure 2, the octagonal body 30 will be deformed to occupy an alternate condition, as shown in Figure 5, in which the horizontal plates 33 and 37 are brought to be very close to each other. The angle of inclination of the inclined plates will change and the tips of the bristles mounted on the inclined plates will be brought into engagement with the sides of the teeth. However, the supports 39,40, 41,42 remain substantially in their initial positions as the core is deformed.

It can be seen that the upper ends of the supports 39,40 are now located at a substantial distance above the base of the valley defined by the tips of the bristles, and thus the dental floss 45 which extends between the upper ends of the support arms 39,40, passes into the gap between two adjacent teeth. A similar effect is achieved with the bristles and the dental floss provided at the lower part of the body (not shown in Figure 5).

Again, whilst this described embodiment incorporates a core of octagonal form, it is to be appreciated that in further alternative embodiments of the invention, the core may take other forms.

In the present Specification"comprise"means"includes or consists of and"comprising"means"including or consisting of.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following Claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A device for cleaning teeth, the device comprising a compressible core, the compressible core carrying at least one cleaning elements which defines at least one trough or valley to receive two adjacent teeth to be cleaned, the core being compressible so that said cleaning element or elements each come into contact with the teeth to effect cleaning of the teeth, the base of the valley or trough moving towards the centre of the compressible core, the core being provided with support means to support at least a length of dental floss to extend across the valley or trough with the dental floss being located adjacent the base or floor of the valley or trough when the core is in the initial uncompressed condition and being at a position elevated above the base or floor of valley or trough when the compressible core has been compressed.
2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the or each trough or valley is defined by a plurality of bristles.
3. A device according to claim 2 wherein the core carries supports which are located at the sides of the troughs or valleys and which remain substantially in position when the core is compressed.
4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the or each trough or valley is defined by supports on the core, the supports supporting the dental floss.
5. A device according to Claim 4 wherein each support defines a slot that receives the floss.

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6. A device according to claim 4 or 5 wherein the or each cleaning element is received within a valley or trough defined between two of said supports on one side of the core.
7. A tooth cleaning device substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in figure 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
8. A tooth cleaning device substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in figures 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.
9. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.