MOUTH CARE DEVICE

Abstract

There is provided a mouth care device comprising a unitary integrally moulded elongate shaft forming an elongate handle having a proximal end, and a distal end of circular cross-section; and a unitary integrally moulded head comprising a body portion encircling and fused to the distal end. The integrally moulded head also comprises a plurality of rows of integral flexible filaments, each such row extending longitudinally of the shaft and comprising at least five of the flexible filaments. The rows of flexible filaments are distributed around the head, and each of the flexible filaments is of non-absorbent material and of uniform diameter, extending transversely relative to the integrally moulded head. The mouth care device also comprises a continuous internal channel running from a proximal opening in the proximal end of the device to a distal opening located at the distal end of the device.

Claims

1. An oral hygiene device comprising: a unitary integrally moulded elongate shaft forming an elongate handle having a proximal end, and a distal end of circular cross-section; wherein the shaft comprises an internal shaft channel having a proximal opening located at the proximal end of the device, and a distal opening located at the distal end of the device; and a unitary integrally moulded head comprising: a body portion encircling and fused to the distal end of the shaft; a plurality of rows of integral flexible filaments, each said row extending longitudinally of the shaft and comprising at least five of the filaments, the rows of filaments being distributed around the head, and each of the filaments being of non-absorbent material and of uniform diameter, extending transversely relative to the integrally moulded head; and an internal head channel extending from a distal end of the head to an external surface of the head, the head channel being aligned with the body channel so as to form a continuous channel.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the head channel comprises a first opening and a second opening.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the first opening is located on a distal end of the head, and the second opening is located on a surface of the head.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the opening on the surface of the head has been created by the omission of one or more filaments.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the handle is malleable or flexible enough to enable it to be bent in the mouth of a patient.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the proximal end of the handle is shaped to enhance grip, or is provided with at least one grip formation.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the distal end of the elongate handle has a circular cross-section.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the moulded head tapers towards the distal end of the head.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the moulded head is of frustoconical shape, tapering inwardly towards a face at the free end.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the face at the free end is smooth and either flat or convex.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the handle comprises curved portion separating the distal end from the proximal end.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and together with the detailed description herein, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. It is emphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure.

[0039] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary oral hygiene device, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0040] FIG. 2 is an end view of the head region of the device of FIG. 1, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; and

[0041] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the head region of the device of FIG. 1 along the axis A-A in FIG. 1 with the filaments not shown, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0042] Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are denoted throughout by like reference numerals, there is shown a disposable oral hygiene device 101 comprising a handle portion 102 and a head portion 103.

[0043] The handle portion 102 as shown has a unitary, integrally moulded, elongate shaft having a curved section 104, a hand grip end 105 and an opposed end 106, longitudinally separated from hand grip end 105, to which is moulded the head portion 103, which is to be inserted into a patient's mouth. The curved section 104 has an angle of 45°. The handle portion 102 is mainly of circular cross-section, but in the illustrated embodiment, it further includes a cut-out generally flat portion 107 to aid gripping. The handle portion 102 also comprises an internal shaft channel running from a proximal opening at the proximal end of the handle portion 102 to the head channel.

[0044] The head portion 103 is itself a unitary integral moulding; it comprises a body portion 108 encircling (surrounding), and fused to, the opposed end 106 of handle portion 102, and also (as shown—see especially FIG. 2) twelve rows 109a, 109b, 109c, 109d, 109e, 109f, 109g, 109h, 109i, 109j, 109k, 1091 of integral flexible filaments each of which is generally cylindrical shape. The head portion 103 further has a flat disc shaped end 110, so shaped in order to avoid damage to a patient's mouth during use of the illustrated exemplary device.

[0045] The head portion 103 also comprises an internal head channel (see FIG. 3). There is a first opening 111 on the surface of the head portion 108, a second opening 112 on the surface of the head portion 108 and a third opening 113 on the distal end of the head portion 108.

[0046] Each such row of flexible filaments in the illustrated embodiment extends longitudinally and parallel to the distal end 106 of the handle portion 102. As shown in the illustrated embodiment (again see FIG. 2) ten of the twelve rows contain eleven such filaments of uniform diameter, extending transversely relative to the head portion 108 and the distal end 106 of the handle portion 102. Some of the illustrated rows are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the distal end 106 of the handle portion 102. Two of the rows 109b and 109h have ten filaments with the middle filament omitted to allow for the first opening 111 on the surface of the head portion 103 and the second opening 112 on the surface of the head portion 103.

[0047] The rows of flexible filaments are distributed around the head portion 108; in the illustrated embodiment (see FIG. 2) there are two opposed sets of three generally parallel rows 9a, 9b, 9c; and 9g, 9h, 9i, respectively; and two opposed sets 9d, 9e, 9f; and 9j, 9k, 91, respectively, which are at successively increased angles (with approximately 60° separation between adjacent such rows).

[0048] Each row of flexible filaments is substantially co-planar with a corresponding row of flexible filaments on the opposite side of the head portion 108; thus row 9a is coplanar with row 9i; row 9b is coplanar with row 9h; and row 9c is coplanar with row 9g. Furthermore, row 9d is coplanar with row 9j; row 9e is coplanar with row 9k; and row 9f is coplanar with row 9l.

[0049] The ends 123 of each of the flexible filaments are, as illustrated flat; also as illustrated, some of the flexible filaments are perpendicular to the distal end 106 of the handle portion 102.