Sanitary portable single-use dental floss device

Abstract

A Sanitary Portable Single-Use Floss Device (SPSFD), designed to enable a user to carry a single-use portion of dental floss in a manner that protects the dental floss from contamination during storage or transportation, such as in a pocket or a purse, is disclosed; the device comprising a spool, a length of dental floss wound about the shaft of the spool, the dental floss being protected from contamination by the spool, and a grab ball or ring functioning as a means to hold the length of dental floss in the stowed condition, and as a means of holding the deployed length of dental floss for use. A method of using said SPSFD is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A dental floss dispensing apparatus for maintaining dental floss in a sanitary condition when the apparatus is in its stowed condition, and for flossing a user's teeth when the apparatus is in its deployed condition, consisting of: a. a protective spool, said protective spool having i. a shaft, ii. a first flange affixed to one end of said shaft, and iii. a second flange affixed to the other end of said shaft, iv. said first flange and said second flange defining a cavity about said shaft; b. a torus-shaped ring press-fitted over either one of said first flange or said second flange such that said ring fully encircles, fully encloses, and seals said cavity when the apparatus is in its stowed condition; and c. a length of dental floss stowed within said cavity by wrapping said length of dental floss about said shaft, a first end of said length of dental floss attached to said spool, and a second end of said length of dental floss attached to said ring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The nature of this invention, as well as all its objects, aspects and advantages, will become readily apparent and understood upon reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof, and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 presents a perspective view of a SPSFD in its stowed condition, according to one exemplary embodiment of the device;

(3) FIG. 2 presents a top view of the SPSFD of FIG. 1 in its deployed condition;

(4) FIG. 3 presents a side view of the SPSFD of FIG. 1 in its deployed condition.

(5) FIG. 4 presents a perspective view of the SPSFD of FIG. 1 in its deployed condition;

(6) FIG. 5 presents a perspective view of a SPDFD in its deployed condition, according to one exemplary embodiment of the device;

(7) FIG. 6 presents a side view of the SPSFD of FIG. 5 in its stowed condition; and

(8) FIG. 7 presents a perspective view of the SPSFD of FIG. 5 in its stowed condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) The following description is provided to enable a person skilled in the relevant art to make and use the invention, and sets forth the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The present invention shall not be limited to the examples disclosed. Rather, the scope of the invention shall be as broad as the claims will allow.

(10) Various inventive features are described below that may each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features. However, any single inventive feature may not address any of the disadvantages or objects discussed above, or might address only one of the disadvantages or objects discussed above. Further, one or more of the disadvantages or objects discussed above may not be fully addressed by any of the features described below.

NOMENCLATURE AND LISTING OF ELEMENTS

(11) 100 Sanitary Portable Single-use Floss Device (SPSFD) 102 protective spool 104 ring 106 dental floss 108 flange 110 shaft 112 cavity 200 Sanitary Portable Single-use Floss Device (SPSFD) 202 protective spool 204 grab ball 206 dental floss 208 pinch point 210 shaft 212 annular channel 214 flange 216 cavity

(12) Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 through 4 illustrate a SPSFD 100 according to one exemplary embodiment of the device. FIG. 1 presents the device in its stowed condition. FIGS. 2 through 4 present the device in its deployed condition. A protective spool 102 may comprise two flanges 108 and a shaft 110, said shaft 110 structurally connecting the two flanges 108. A ring 104 may be press fitted onto a protective spool 102, thereby creating a sealed cavity 112 that may keep contaminants away from dental floss 106 that may be stowed within the cavity 112. The dental floss 106 may be attached at one end to the ring 104, and at the other end to the protective spool 102.

(13) Referring to FIG. 1, a user may deploy the device 100 by holding the ring 104 in the user's fingers, then pressing on the top of the protective spool 102, thereby causing the ring 104 to pop off of the protective spool 102. The ring 104 may then be grasped in one of the user's hands and pulled away from the protective spool 102 as the protective spool 102 may be held in the user's other hand, thereby deploying the dental floss 106 for use, as illustrated in FIG. 2 through FIG. 4.

(14) FIGS. 5 through 7 illustrate a SPFD 200 according to another exemplary embodiment of the device. FIGS. 6 and 7 show the device in its stowed condition. An annular channel 212 may be disposed about the internal perimeter of each flange 214 of a protective spool 202, said annular channels 212 being designed to accept and secure a grab ball 204 within the annular channels 212. A length of dental floss 206 may be attached at one end to the grab ball 204, and at the other end to a shaft 210 that structurally connects the two flanges 214 of the protective spool 202. The dental floss 206 may be wound around the shaft 210 of the protective spool 202 while the device is in its stowed condition, thereby protecting the dental floss 206 from contamination.

(15) In an alternative embodiment of the device, there may be a single annular channel disposed about the internal perimeter of only one of the flanges of the protective spool.

(16) To deploy the device for use, a user may grasp and pinch the protective spool 202 at a pinch point 208, which is a location on the perimeter of the flanges 214 of the protective spool 202 approximately 180 degrees away from the location of the stowed grab ball 204. As the user pinches the protective spool 202 at the pinch point 208, the lips of the two flanges 214 of the protective spool 202 at the pinch point 208 may deflect toward one another, causing the two flanges 214 of the protective spool 202 in the proximity of the grab ball 204 to separate, thereby releasing the grab ball 204 from the annular channels 212.

(17) The grab ball 204 may then be grasped in one of the user's hands and pulled away from the protective spool 202 as the protective spool 202 may be held in the user's other hand, thereby deploying the dental floss 206 for use, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

(18) In alternative embodiments of the present invention, the spherical grab ball may be replaced by a grasping device of another shape.

(19) It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention, and that alternative embodiment and/or modifications to the disclosed exemplary embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.