1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to oral hygiene implements for cleaning the teeth, achieving interproximal access and massaging the gingival tissues in an oral cavity, and more particularly to a more accessible, dispensable, one-time use oral hygiene applicator for this purpose which is adherable to the ball of the fingertip whereby the user's finger then functions as a more tactile-sensitive, articulated handle by which the applicator may be inserted into the oral cavity with a greater sense of touch and applied omnidirectionally to sweep and clean the teeth, massage the gums, and to especially gain access to the interproximal areas.
2. Status of Prior Art
To maintain proper oral hygiene, the teeth, and particularly their interproximal areas, must be cleaned at regular and frequent intervals and preferably after each meal. And to maintain the gums in healthy condition, the gums must be massaged and stimulated. To promote oral hygiene, it is customary to use a toothbrush for this purpose having a long, rigid plastic handle, on one end of which is mounted a set of bristles in a linear array to which dentifrice is applied by the user.
When available, a conventional toothbrush is a satisfactory oral hygiene implement. However, there are many situations in public and private places away from home where a toothbrush and a dentifrice are not available. And while most people find it inconvenient to carry a toothbrush to work, and to a restaurant, and it is a common occurrence for travelers to forget to bring along their own toothbrush and toothpaste, one is advised not to neglect oral hygiene even for a day, particularly after meals.
To make it possible for an individual to carry on his person an accessible, dispensable and highly compact toothbrush and also a dentifrice sufficient for a single application, the prior art discloses various oral hygiene implements suitable for this purpose.
Thus the Jacobs U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,113, discloses a dental health tool in the form of an oval strip that is adherable to the fingertip, nylon bristles being mounted on the strip. Deposited on the oval strip between the bristles is a dry dentifrice. The bristles come in pairs, each pair being formed by a filament that is folded into a loop that extends through the base strip and is held in place by a lock strand at the underside of the strip that goes through the loop.
In the MacDonald U.S. Pat. No. 3,070,102, a disposable toothbrush is disclosed in which the bristles are mounted on a flexible plastic base strip having an adhering coating thereon for attaching the base strip to a finger along its length, the bristles containing toothpaste.
The British patent to Fishman 2,122,482, discloses an applicator of generally rectangular shape, dimensioned to adhere to a corresponding rectangular area of the index finger for the user, the applicator having bristles thereon to function as a brush.
The Micciche U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,507, discloses an applicator having bristles in loop form clustered in a rectangular format, a charge of dentifrice being trapped therein.
The Tunderman U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,509, shows a disposable device in the form of a thimble that slips over a finger, a polishing agent being adhered to the outer surface of the thimble which is rubbed over the surface of the teeth to remove food particles therefrom.
Walker U.S. Pat. No. 2,076,681, shows a dental cleaning and massage device in the form of a rubber cot that slips over the finger and is provided with bristles.
In the McCord U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,867, the disposable applicator is in thimble form that slips over the finger.
In my own Porcelli U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,273, dated Oct. 21, 1997, a circular disposable, dispensable oral hygiene applicator with a pressure sensitive layer at its base is attachable to the ball of the user's fingertip and facilitates omnidirectional cleaning of the teeth and it features an improved crowned surface design for addressing the interproximal areas.
In view of the foregoing, the main object of this invention is to provide an accessible, dispensable, one-time use oral hygiene applicator which is adherable to the ball of the fingertip, whereby the user's finger then functions as a more tactile-sensitive, articulated handle by which the applicator may be inserted in the oral cavity and applied omnidirectionally to the teeth, massage the gums and to especially gain access to the all important interproximal areas and the gingival tissues to effect cleaning and the promoting of oral hygiene.
More particularly, an object of this invention is to provide an oral hygiene applicator adapted to cover the ball of the fingertip, the applicator being formed by a flexible base having anchored thereon a crowned array of soft, flexible, cut, end-rounded bristles.
A significant advantage of the invention is the crowned array of bristles, now cut and end-rounded, having its highest point at the center, which provides access to the interproximal areas of the teeth and serves as a significant improvement over previous designs. Regardless of the direction of the movement of the applicator with the respect to the teeth, interproximal areas and the gums, the applicator presents the same uniform domed surface.
Also an object of the invention is to provide a highly compact package for a daily set of applicators, so that the package may be stored in the pocket, the wallet or in a carrying case and be readily available to be dispensed for use, preferably in a package of three applicators, to better serve as a reminder to the user to brush after each of the three main meals of the day and in fact to record this proper usage.
Briefly stated, these objects are attained in an accessible, dispensable, one-time use oral hygiene applicator attachable to the ball of the user's fingertip for maximum flexibility whose finger then functions as a tactile-sensitive, articulated handle by which the applicator may be inserted into the oral cavity and applied omnidirectionally to clean the teeth, massage the gingival tissues, and through an improved crowned design, better access the interproximal areas.
The applicator includes a circular flexible base dimensioned to cover, and conform to, the round ball of the fingertip which then gives an even more pronounced arcuate form to the already crowned bristle array to better address interproximal areas. Anchored on the base and projecting upward therefrom is a dense array of soft, flexible, cut, end-rounded bristles arranged either individually or in tufts and a charge of dentifrice being entrapped on the bristles. In one embodiment of the applicator adhered to the underside of the base is a carrier disc whose diameter exceeds that of the base and is permanently adhered to the aluminum foil of the supply package to facilitate removal of the applicator which is then able to be attached to the user's fingertip.
For a better understanding of the invention, and the features thereof, reference is made to the detailed description thereof to be read in connection with the annexed drawings wherein:
Referring now to
Oral hygiene applicator 10 is constituted by a flexible circular base 11 fabricated of woven nylon or other synthetic plastic or natural fibers on which is anchored a dense array of upward-projecting bristles 12. Each bristle 12 as seen in
In practice, the dentifrice 13 may include plaque control, tooth whitener, fluoride, medication and other ingredients promoting oral hygiene. Because each applicator is stored in a sealed cell the dentifrice embedded in the applicator is maintained in a sterile and usable state for a prolonged period.
Coated on the underside of base 11 of the applicator is a layer 11A of a pressure-sensitive adhesive whose composition is such that it is insoluble in water and non-reactive with saliva so that the applicator remains attached to the finger when in the mouth.
The applicator 10, as shown in
As shown in
Applicator 10, as shown in
Also, since the applicator is attached to a finger that functions more effectively as a tactile sensory device and with more articulation, as contrasted to the stiff, unarticulated handle of a conventional toothbrush, the applicator may be applied to regions of the teeth and interproximal areas with a greater sense of thoroughness and with a more gentle touch to the gums. A finger has as its very nature a more immediate tactile sensitivity, hence, when the applicator is attached to the ball of the fingertip, the finger can apply more or less pressure as is necessary to effectively scrub the engaged dental surface and less pressure when applied to the more sensitive gingival tissues.
A finger ball is “the padded rounded underside of a human finger . . . near the tip” (Webster's Third New International Dictionary).
The dimensions of the circular base of an applicator in accordance with the invention are such as to cover this round ball and not the rest of the finger. In practice, an applicator having a diameter of approximately ⅝ of an inch (15.8 mm) to ¾ of an inch (19.0 mm) will cover the typical rounded ball of a user's fingertip for the greatest percentile of the public. The fingertip, being the most sensitive part of the finger, can manipulate easily the symmetry of the dental applicator attached to its ball to sweep over all the front, rear and top and bottom surfaces of the teeth in any direction better than the standard rectangular toothbrush or with an applicator having a non-circular shape and therefore lacking in omnidirectional characteristics.
The usefulness of an applicator in accordance with the invention is not limited to those situations where the user lacks access to a regular toothbrush. Indeed, the applicator, by reason of its omnidirectional characteristics, its crowned top surface and the fact that the articulated, tactile-sensitive finger of the user serves as its handle, has distinct advantages, not the least of which is the convenience of being easily carried in pocket, purse, case and lunch box, the latter item of particular interest in promoting good oral hygiene for school age children.
On a conventional toothbrush a recommended motion for brushing the teeth takes into account the orientation of the bristles, so that for an effective scrubbing action, the brush should be manipulated to sweep over the surfaces of the teeth in both a straight path and a circular orbit. This is not difficult for an adult to carry out, but children have to be carefully taught how to manipulate a toothbrush. With an omnidirectional applicator without a cumbersome handle in accordance with the invention, a child may willingly adopt a proper approach to oral hygiene with this novel device, for there is no need to first apply toothpaste to the brush (another problem) since the proper amount of dentifrice is already applied and the child has no difficulty in putting a finger in his mouth, and in fact may enjoy doing so, for this is an action the child has practiced since infancy. And since children, and some adults, are known to apply excessive amounts of toothpaste to conventional toothbrushes, the applicator with its pre-applied toothpaste will result in a more economical and uniform use of toothpaste.
After the teeth have been cleaned and the gums massaged, there is no need, as with a conventional toothbrush, to rinse the brush and put it back in the holder, sometimes the source of another problem, for all that needs to be done is to detach the applicator from the finger and to properly discard it. With a conventional toothbrush, it is important that the brush be maintained in a sterile condition but applicator 10 is a one time use and a fresh sterile applicator is used each time.
The labeling on the applicator supply package is marked with the three meals of the day, as shown in
As shown in
To remove a selected applicator 10 from its storage cell, the user turns the package over to face the foil side as seen in
This novel innovative supply package 15 in a stick-of-gum format as shown in
This application claims priority from Provisional Application U.S. 60/930,506 dated May 17, 2007.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60930506 | May 2007 | US |