The present disclosure relates to devices for oral care, including manual care in conjunction with orthodontia. The devices of the present disclosure may also find use for a user without orthodontia.
Orthodontic treatments, such as braces, retainers, and the like, may be difficult for a user (e.g., wearer of the treatment) to clean and maintain, and may make it difficult for a user to clean his or her teeth. Even in the absence of orthodontia, existing tools for spot cleaning a user's teeth (e.g., tools other than toothbrushes) may not be sufficiently reusable or of sufficient quality to fulfill a user's needs.
The instant disclosure provides a double-ended dental tool for oral care, including for cleaning a user's teeth and orthodontic treatments. The tool may include opposed ends, with one or both of the ends having removable and replaceable tool attachments, including one or more scrapers, mirrors, scalers, brushes, and the like. The tool attachments may be interchangeable, such that a user may arrange the attachment configuration that the user prefers (e.g., a scraper and a scaler, or a scaler and a mirror, or a mirror and a brush, etc.). The tool attachments may also be durable, such that each attachment may be used by a user numerous times before requiring replacement. In addition, the tool may include a light source at one or both ends for illuminating attached tools.
The main body portion 12 may include an outer cylindrical portion 18 and an inner cylindrical portion 20 (shown in
Although the switch portions 22 are illustrated and described herein as including buttons 24, other switch types may find use in the tool 10. For example, slider switches, twist-style switches, or any other appropriate type of switches may be included in the tool 10 for actuation by the user to operate light sources of the tool 10.
Each end 141, 142 of the main body portion 12 may include a respective reduced-diameter portion 281, 282. In an embodiment, the reduced-diameter portion is a portion of the outer cylindrical portion 18, as illustrated in
The attachments 16 may couple with the reduced-diameter portions 28 so as to couple the attachments with the main body portion 12. In an embodiment, each reduced diameter portion 281, 282 may include a mating formation 301, 302 which may mate with a counterpart formation on an attachment 16 (as will be described below). In an embodiment, each mating formation 30 may be a protrusion on the reduced-diameter portion 28.
The double-ended tool 10 may include one or more light sources 321, 322 (shown in
The light sources 321, 322 may be electrically coupled with respective electrical switches 341, 342 which may be in physical contact with the buttons 241, 242 and which may further be electrically coupled with a power source such that, when a user actuates a button 24, the electrical switch 34 electrically couples a respective light source 32 to, or electrically decouples a respective light source from, the power source (e.g., via one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs), electrical contacts, and/or other appropriate electrical coupling devices). The power source may be a battery 36 (shown in
The double-ended tool 10 may further include a respective light housing 381, 382 associated with each light source 321, 322. Each light housing 38 may be disposed radially about its respective light source 32. Each light housing 38 may be disposed within the main body portion 12, radially-inward from the outer body portion 18. The light housing 38 may be waterproof when properly disposed within the main body portion 12. Accordingly, each light housing 38 may be coupled with a gasket or other sealing device around the periphery of the light housing 38 so as to prevent ingress of fluid into the main body portion 12. The main body portion 12 may be fluid-tight, in embodiments, to prevent exposure of electrical components within the main body portion 12 to liquid. Fluid tight construction may be provided by, for example, tightness of fit between and among cylindrical portions 18, 20 of the main body portion, battery housings, and light covers (described below), as well as by one or more gaskets or other sealing devices as described herein.
Each light housing 381, 382 may include a respective light-transmissive cover 401, 402 that permits light from a respective light source 32, such that the light source 32 emits light through the light-transmissive cover 40 to illuminate an attachment 16. A light-transmissive cover may comprise, for example, acrylic material, in embodiments. Each light-transmissive cover 40 may be disposed at a longitudinal end of the main body portion 12, such that light is emitted from a longitudinal end of the main body portion 12 when a light source 32 is coupled with the power source. Further, each light-transmissive cover 40 may be provided within a reduced-diameter portion 28 of the main body portion 12, such that a light source 32 projects light from the reduced-diameter portions of the main body portion 12. Each light cover 401, 402 and light source 321, 322 may be oriented so that an attachment is illuminated by the light source 32. For example, the light cover 40 may be angled at between 30 and 60 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis A, in some embodiments. The light cover 40 may be angled at between 35 and 55 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis A, in some embodiments. The light cover 40 may be angled at between 40 and 50 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis A, in some embodiments. The light cover 40 may be angled at approximately 45 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis A, in some embodiments. The light covers 401, 402 may be angled in opposite directions from the axis A, with the same absolute value of the angle, as illustrated in
Each light housing 38 may include, at its longitudinal end, a reduced-diameter portion that is radially separated from a reduced-diameter portion of the outer cylindrical portion 18 so as to define an annular space therebetween. As will be described below, an attachment 16 may interact with the annular space between the reduced-diameter portion of the light housing 38 and the reduced-diameter portion 28 of the outer cylindrical portion 18 so as to secure the attachment 16 to the main body portion 12.
The outer cylindrical portion 18 may comprise a thermoplastic polymer, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, for example only, in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the outer cylindrical portion 18 may comprise metal or another rigid material.
The switch portions 22 may comprise a thermoplastic elastomer, thermoplastic polyurethane, and/or other material. The switch portions 22 may comprise a material that is softer and/or tackier than the materials comprising the outer cylindrical portion 18, in some embodiments.
Any of the attachments 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 84, 90, or other appropriate attachment (such as flosser attachments 100, 200 described below), may find use as an attachment 141, 142 with the main body portion 12. The attachments 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 84, 90, 100, 200 may be interchangeably used on either end 141, 142 of the main body portion 12, in embodiments.
Each attachment 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 84, 90, 100, 200 may include a base portion 74, a working portion 76, and a neck 78 that extends from the base portion 74 to the working portion 76. The respective working portion 76 of each attachment 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 84, 90, 100, 200 may include one or more components for observing or treating a user's oral cavity. For example, the working portion 76 of the bristle brush tool attachment 60 comprises a plurality of soft bristles for brushing, the working portion 76 of the orthodontic brush tool attachment 62 includes two sets of stiff bristles separated and shaped so as to clean orthodontia, the working portion 76 of the scaler tool attachment 64 includes a stiff, pointed working tip for cleaning between teeth and at the interface of teeth and gums, and so on.
The base portion 74 may define a longitudinal aperture 80. As shown in
In addition to providing a coupling means and a means by which a light source 32 may project light onto a working portion 76 of the attachments 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 84, 90, 100, 200 the aperture 80 may additionally serve as a safety precaution. Although the attachments 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 84, 90, 100, 200 include robust features for ensuring a secure connection between the attachments 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 84, 90, 100, 200 and the main body portion, in the unlikely event that an attachment 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 84, 90, 100, 200 becomes inadvertently dislodged from the main body portion 12 and is partially swallowed by a user, the aperture 80 will allow the passage of air so as to prevent choking by the user.
When an attachment 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 84, 90, 100, 200 is coupled with the main body portion 12, the attachment 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 84, 90, 100, 200 may be substantially radially flush with the main body portion 12, in some embodiments. That is, an outer diameter of the base portion 74 may be substantially the same as an outer diameter of the main body portion that is immediately longitudinally adjacent to the base portion 74, such that the base portion 74 of the attachment 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 84, 90, 100200 may maintain the outer profile of the main body portion 12, as illustrated in
When an attachment 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 84, 90, 100, 200 is coupled with the main body portion 12, the distal surface of the base portion 74 may be substantially flush with the light-transmissive cover 40, in some embodiments. That is, the base portion 74 and the light-transmissive cover 40 may appear to collectively define a substantially flat surface, as illustrated in
The base portion 74, neck portion 78, and one or more portions of the working portion 76 may comprise a monolithic body of material, in embodiments. That material may be, for example, a polypropylene material or other polymer.
In some embodiments, a flosser attachment 100, 200 may be provided for the tool 10, which may serve as an attachment 14. A first example flosser attachment 100, and components thereof, are illustrated in
The flosser attachment 100 may include a movable flosser member 102 (best shown in
The flosser member 102 may further include one or more protrusions 120A, 120B or recesses, formed on or in the transverse shoulder portion 106, that enable removable coupling of the head portion to the body of the flosser attachment. The example flosser member 102 of
The flosser attachment 100 may further include an adjustment body 112 (shown best in
The flosser member 102 may be removably coupled with the adjustment body 112, in some embodiments, and may be intended for a single use or a small number of uses before disposal and replacement.
The flosser attachment 100 may further include a housing 122 that includes a head portion 124 and a neck portion 126. The housing 122 may be sized and shaped so that the light source of the dental tool illuminates the flosser member (and the piece of floss 108 secured by the flosser member 102) when the flosser attachment 100 is coupled with the tool. The head portion 124 may define a pivot 128 in which the hinge 110 of the flosser member is disposed and about which the hinge 110 of the flosser member articulates. The pivot 128 may be or may include, in some embodiments, a slot.
The neck portion 126 may define an enclosure in which the adjustment body 112, or at least a portion of the adjustment body 112, is disposed. The neck portion 126 may further define an aperture 132 through which a portion of the adjustment body 112, such as the button 130, protrudes.
The button 130 may be actuated by the user to move the flosser member 102 between two or more positions. For example, the flosser member 102 may be linearly movable between a neutral position (shown in
The housing 122 and adjustment body 112 may have complementary features for securing the flosser member 102 in a desired one of the above-noted positions. For example, as shown in
The flosser attachment 200 may include a flosser member 102, an adjustment body 204, and a housing 222. The adjustment body 204 may define three detents 2341, 2342, 2343 in an edge 238 of the adjustment body 204 and an aperture 240 adjacent to the detents 234 to permit the edge 238, or a think piece of material defining the edge 238, to flex and enable a protrusion 236 to move between the detents 234.
The housing 222 may include a protrusion 236 that mates with the detents 234. As the adjustment body 204 is slid distal or proximal within the housing 222, the protrusion 236 is moved between detents 234 (or, more specifically, the detents 234 are moved over the protrusion 236).
The tool 10 and attachments 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 84, 90, 100, 200 may provide many functional advantages. First, each of the attachments 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 84, 90, 100, 200 may effectively clean a user's teeth, a portion thereof, or an orthodontic treatment, and/or allow the user to view the user's oral cavity. Second, the attachments 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 84, 90, 100, 200 may be selectively couplable with the main body portion 12, thus allowing a user to customize a personal tool 10 and to use many different attachments with a single main body portion 12. Third, a wide variety of attachments may be available, in embodiments, further enhancing the customizability of the tool 10. Fourth, the tools that may be available for the tool 10 may be sufficiently durable that a user can use each tool numerous times before the tool requires replacement. Fifth, the ends of the main body portion may be curved in opposite directions, such that the tools extends in opposite directions from the main body portion, thereby enabling the user to quickly and easily flip the tool 10 in his or her hand to use the opposite end of the tool 10.
It should be noted that various changes and modifications to the present embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. Further, references throughout the specification to “the invention” are nonlimiting, and it should be noted that claim limitations presented herein are not meant to describe the invention as a whole. Moreover, the invention illustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element which is not specifically disclosed herein.
While this disclosure has described certain embodiments, it will be understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to these embodiments except as explicitly recited in the claims. On the contrary, the instant disclosure is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, in the detailed description of the present disclosure, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, it will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that systems and methods consistent with this disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure various aspects of the present disclosure.
This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application No. 62/991,224, filed Mar. 18, 2020, and hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2021/022775 | 3/17/2021 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62991224 | Mar 2020 | US |