WO1997013427A1

WO1997013427A1 - Dental cleaning device of the disposable type

Info

Publication number: WO1997013427A1
Application number: PCT/EP1996/004322
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vittorio Quattrocolo
Original assignee: Vittorio Quattrocolo
Priority date: 1995-10-12
Filing date: 1996-10-05
Publication date: 1997-04-17
Also published as: AU7285396A; ITMI952073A0; ITMI952073A1

Abstract

A dental cleaning device (10) comprises a strip of spongy material (12), the upper face of which has fixed to it a plurality of bristles (16) arranged individually or in groups, said strip being pre-impregnated with toothpaste or a tooth-cleaning substance which may be dehydrated.

Description

DENTAL CLEANING DEVICE OF THE DISPOSABLE TYPE

The present invention relates to a dental cleaning device of the disposable type.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a device as defined above designed to ensure basic oral hygiene in situations where it is not possible for a person to clean his/her teeth thoroughly in the usual manner after meals or in other circumstances where this operation is desirable.

It is known that correct oral hygiene represents the basis for avoiding gum infections and problems with one's teeth. Manual brush, electric brush with a rotating head, interdental floss and pulsating j et irrigators are all instruments which, especially if used in sequence, allow one to achieve optimum cleaning of the oral cavity, which must be performed with the utmost regularity. However, it is not always possible to clean one's teeth and gums at the critical times, i.e. after each meal, especially since it is becoming increasingly frequent, and m some cases unavoidable, for contingent reasons, to consume food in places other than at one's home. The failure to perform these simple operations, which take a few minutes, may be the cause of major problems in the long run; more immediately, not being able to clean one's teeth after each meal, since it involves a change m one's habits, may create difficulties for certain individuals. The object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above.

More particularly, the object of the present invention is to provide a dental cleaning device of the disposable type, which can be used in a simple and effective manner at any time. A further object of the present invention is to make available to users a dental cleaning device which has small dimensions and a very low cost.

These and other objects are achieved by the dental cleaning device according to the present invention which is fundamentally characterized in that it comprises a strip of spongy material, the upper face of which has fixed to it a plurality of bristles arranged individually or in groups, said strip being pre¬ impregnated with toothpaste or a tooth-cleaning substance which may be dehydrated.

The constructional and functional features of the dental cleaning device according to the present invention may be understood more clearly from the description which follows, with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings which show a preferred and non-limiting embodiment thereof and some variants, in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic front view of the device according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows a perspective schematic view of a multiple packaging containing said device; Figure 3 shows a schematic view, from the bottom side, of a variation of embodiment of the device; Figure 4 shows a schematic side view of the device according to the preceding figure;

Figure 5 shows a schematic view, from the bottom side, of a further embodiment of the device;

Figure 6 shows a schematic side view of the device according to the preceding figure.

With reference initially to Figures 1 and 2, the dental cleaning device forming the subject of the invention, wholly indicated by the numeral 10, basically consists of a strip of spongy material 12, the bottom face of which is fixed to a rigid or semi-rigid support layer, preferably made of plastic material; the opposite upper face of the spongy strip 12 is provided with a plurality of bristles 16 which, by way of example but not exclusively, extend along the entire surface of the strip itself. Overall, the dental cleaning device 10, according to a preferred, but not exclusive embodiment, is in the form of a small parallelepiped bar, the overall dimensions of which are substantially comprised between 30 and 50 mm in the longitudinal direction and between 10-20 mm as regards the width and depth or height.

Said bristles 16, made for example of nylon, are embedded in the spongy strip during moulding thereof and advantageously have a limited and constant height, for example comprised between 3 and 8 mm. The strip of spongy material 12, for example spongy synthetic material such as polyurethane, is advantageously impregnated with toothpaste or a tooth-cleaning substance which may be dehydrated.

The dental cleaning device 10 is provided with a sealed wrapping 18 which protects the strip 12 and the bristles 16 from possible contamination and at the same time prevents deterioration of the toothpaste or tooth¬ cleaning substance present on the strip itself. Said wrapping preferably consists of a semi-rigid sheet of transparent plastic material which delimits laterally the strip 12 and at the top the bristles 16, remaining distant from the latter by a small amount: the sheet forming the wrapping 18 is attached to the support 14 of the device 10 for example by means of heat sealing. According to a preferred embodiment, schematically shown in Figures 2, the device 10 is made in the form of multiple units which can be separated from one another by means of tearing and forms overall, together with the wrapping 18, a packaging of the so-called blister type. Said wrapping delimits perimetrally each of the devices 10 which are independently sealed. Advantageously each dental cleaning device 10 has wound around it, for example in the longitudinal direction, a thread of interdental floss 20 which can be removed by means of tearing after removal of the respective wrapping 18.

Figures 3 and 4 show in schematic form a variation of embodiment of the device 10, the support 14 of which has fixed to it a small gripping and handling frame 22. The said frame has a substantially semi-circular configuration and defines, together with the base of the support 14, a seat dimensioned such as to allow the user to introduce a finger; this allows the device 10 to be moved adequately during its use, such that the said device is made to pass over the teeth in the horizontal and vertical direction in a similar manner to the movement performed by conventional manual brushes. The frame 22 is preferably formed integrally with the support 14 during moulding thereof; alternatively, the said frame may be attached by any known means directly to the spongy strip 12, in the case where the latter is not rigidly connected to said support and the latter has the sole function of forming the base of the wrapping 18.

Figures 5 and 6 show schematically a further embodiment of the device 10 which, instead of the shaped gripping and handling frame, has two opposite flexible lugs 24 which perform the same function. The lugs 24, which by way of example are quadrangular and of limited thickness, are advantageously made from semi-rigid plastic material and extend from the opposite larger sides of the device 10; the aforementioned lugs are preferably fixed to the support 14, being formed integrally therewith, and are folded downwards, i.e. into a position opposite that of the upper face of the device 10 which incorporates the bristles 16, so as to form as many points for gripping and handling the device itself during use. Alternatively, in the case where the support 14 is detached from the device 10, the lugs 24 are directly connected and fixed via means known per se to the strip of spongy material 12. The said lugs may, in any case, be made of natural or synthetic fibre w th overlapping portions which can be fixed to one another by any means.

The use of the device 10 according to the present invention may be extremely simple and practical and allows dental cleaning to be performed at any time. Once the wrapping 18 has been removed, said device 10 in fact needs merely to be moistened with water along the spongy strip 12, already impregnated with tooth¬ cleaning substance, and is thus immediately ready for use. The slight pressure exerted on the bristles 16 resulting from contact with the teeth, in fact, is transmitted to the underlying layer formed by the spongy strip which gradually releases the tooth¬ cleaning substance. Where provided with a grip in the form of a small shaped frame 22 or opposite lugs 24, according to the alternative embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 6, said device may be handled easily and efficiently so as to perform the teeth cleaning function. The possible association of interdental floss contained in the same individual wrapping allows the user to remove any remnants of food remaining trapped m the interstices between the teeth. The multiple packaging, which contains a plurality of dental cleaning devices 10, ensures on the one hand a suitable supply of such instruments, which do not occupy a large amount of space and hence may be kept withm immediate reach, and on the other hand guarantees the hygienic storage thereof, preventing moreover deterioration or accidental leakage of the tooth-cleaning substance with which the strip of spongy material 12 is impregnated.

The embodiment, as described above and claimed below, has nevertheless been proposed merely by way of example, it being understood that the said invention may be subject to numerous modifications and variations, all of which falling within the scope of the inventive idea.

For example, the device according to the present invention may have a configuration and/or design different from that described and illustrated by way of example; the bristles, moreover, may be arranged with any configuration and size along the strip of spongy material, to which they may also be attached in groups, with the possible addition of microcapsules embedded or incorporated by known means in the strip itself. Although it is expected that the tooth-cleaning substance must be incorporated in the spongy support, said substance or part thereof may be arranged between and/or on the bristles for a more immediate use. Finally, it is understood that it is possible for there to be any reversal in the structures or alternative arrangements of the components or parts which overall form the dental cleaning device according to the present invention.

Claims

1. Dental cleaning device (10) of the disposable type, characterized in that it comprises a strip of spongy material (12), the upper face of which has fixed to it a plurality of bristles (16) arranged individually or in groups, said strip being pre-impregnated with toothpaste or a tooth-cleaning substance which may be dehydrated.

2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that said strip of spongy material (12) consists of spongy synthetic material.

3. Device according to the preceding claims, characterized m that the bottom face of the strip of spongy material (12) has fixed to it a support or layer made of rigid or semi-rigid plastic (14) .

4. Device according to the preceding claims, characterized m that said strip (12) and support (14) have a substantially parallelepiped configuration.

5. Device according to the preceding claims, characterized m that said strip (12) or support (14) has attached to it a small shaped frame (22) for gripping and handling the device itself.

6. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the frame (22) has a substantially semi-circular configuration and defines, together with the base of said support (14), a seat for receiving at least one finger of the user.

7. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized m that the rigid or semi-rigid support (14) or the strip of spongy material (12) has fixed to it opposite lugs (24), of quadrangular shape, which can be oriented angularly with respect to the device itself.

8. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is delimited and sealed by a wrapping (18) attached to the support (14) by means of heat-sealing or equivalent systems.

9. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized m that said wrapping (18) delimits and seals independently a plurality of said devices (10) .

10. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bristles (16) are embedded in the strip of spongy material (12) during moulding thereof.