CA1209761A

CA1209761A - Tooth cleaning device

Info

Publication number: CA1209761A
Application number: CA000428225A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Avraham Fishman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-05-22
Filing date: 1983-05-16
Publication date: 1986-08-19
Also published as: GB2122482B; NL8301504A; DE3219301C2; SE8302877D0; JPS5954A; SE8302877L; GB2122482A; DE3219301A1; GB8311988D0

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE:
The invention relates to a device for cleaning teeth and massaging gums. The toothbrush used up to now for such purposes has certain disadvantages and, furthermore, caused by its nature and size it is not always on hand when dental hygiene necessitates it. The device as defined in the invention is characterized by a small sheet provided with a multitude of bristles or bristlelike projections whish is suitably dimensioned and is provided on its front side with a dentifrice and on its back side with an adhesive which makes possible the attaching on a finger tip. It creates a kind of "disposable toothbrush" which is hygienic and always ready to use and can always be on hand due to the small dimensions.

Description

9376~

TOOTH CLEANING DEVICE

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION-The invention relates to a device for cleaning teeth and massaging gums. Well~known devices of this kind are toothbrushes in different shapes and sizes with differently arranged bristles.
Toothbrushes have the di advantage, among other things, that because of multiple use they are unhygienic and can cause infections under certain clrcumstances. According .. .
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to the findings of dentology generally known today, the following rules especially have to be observed in oral hygiene.
A. Teeth must be brushed after every meal. How-ever, if one eats out~ this is only rarely possible because normally a toothbxush and toothpaste are not taken along.

B. Teeth are supposed to be brushed from all sides and the toothbrush is supposed to be able to penetrate into all corners of the mouth. This necessitates a special and not quite simple handling of the toothbrush and i8 only conditionally possible.
C. For the preservation of the teeth, gum massage is just as important as the brushing of the teeth. ~his, too, is only conditionally possible with a conventional tooth- -brush because it cannot reach into all corners of the mouth.
It is the object of the invention to develop a device which fully takes into account all requirement mentioned above and eliminates the mentioned deficiencies. A solution is offered especially to the first and most important oflall problems by having available everywhere and always tooth care agents ready to use.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION:
The invention solves this problem by a device which is characterized by a rubber-elastic small sheet provided with a plurality of bristles or bristle-like projections which is suitably dimensioned, is impregnated with a dentifrice and provided with adhesive which makes!possible the fastening on a holder especially on the tip (first joint) of a finger.

`76~
On a preferred type, the means for fastening includes an adhesive layer which is attached on the back side of the sheet and is covered with a peelable foil. Production is especially simple if the ~ristlelike projections form an integral part of the small sheet.
Such a device forms a kind of disposable tooth-cleaning device which is always available. Anything necessary for oral hygiene for several days has room in the "vest pocket". The device is hygienically wrapped. The finyer, on which the device is placed, permits good access to all corners of the mouth, and the teeth cannot only be brushed but the gums can also be massaged thoxoughly. The handling i5 "child's play" so that also small children can work with it and can be induced to clean their teeth each time.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
ThP invention is described in con3unction with the accompanying drawing, in which -- , FIG. 1 includes top and side elevational views of the device first without a release or peel-off foil and second, with such foil;
FIGo 2 is a perspective view of a right hand where the device is glued on the tip of the index finger;
FIG~ 3 is a side elevational view of a device provided with a dentifrice and covered with a wrapping or enclosure:
FIG. 4 includes a top plan view and a side elevational view of a plurality of the devices in enclosures or wrapping;
and FIGS. 5 and 6 are fragmentary top plan views showing alternative wrapping variations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:
__ The device illustrated in FIG. 1 consists of a small oval sheet 10 of rubber-elastic material which is provided on its upper side with a pluxality of bristlelike projections ll of the same material and which has an adhesive layer 12 below. In the right half of FIG. 1, the device is attached on a rectangular portion 13 of a smooth foil or other release sheet by means of its adhesive layer.
For the use of the device, the foil can be peeled off the adhesive layer and the device can then be glued onto the finger tip of the index finger of the right hand, as illus-trated in FIG. 2. It is then ready to be used. The device can naturaliy be attached also on the finger tip o another finger or also on a finger of the left hand. With this finger one can then reach into the mouth, clean the teeth with the glued-on device and/or massage the gums.
The device can also be provided with a dentifrice placed on and/or between the bristlelike projections, as it is illustrated in FIG. 3. There, the device indicated in it~
entirety by 50 corresponds to that shown in FIG. 1. Between the bristlelike projections there is placed the dentifrice 51 indicated by dots which hecomes eff~ctive when it is in contact with water or saliva.
Inst~ad of gluing the devices individually on a ~oil piece as in FIG. 1, several small sheets (such as those designated 10 in FIG. 1) can be glued onto the tape-shaped or rectangular foil as it is indicated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. Here they are additionally covered hygienically by a second foil 41. The two foils are connected with each other along the seam lines so that they form individual 76~

portions separating each device from the other. Perforations or specified tear-off places are placed between the individual compartments. This permits each time the tearing off of an individual, hygienically wrapped cleaning device spaced laterally from the others on the base sheet or foil.
Finally, another variation is illustrated in FIG.
6. The individual devices 60 are hygienically warpped in a manner similar to the wrapping according to F~GS. 4 and 5 but a piece of dental floss is here included in the wrapping each time. One end of the piece of dental floss 61 can be connected advantageously with the cleaning device. Such tapes can be stored, for instance, in vending machines which each time (-possibly after money is put in) dispense such disposable tooth cleaning device. The placing of such vend-ing machines in rest rooms could be consider~d. As a variation the thread can also be arranged in such a way that it serves simultaneously to tear open and/or to separate the individual package.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A device for the cleaning and care of teeth and gums, characterized by a small sheet provided with a multitude of bristles or bristlelike projections which is suitably dimensioned and is provided on its back side with an adhesive that makes possible its detachable fastening on a holder.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, characterized by the fact that the small sheet consists of a flexible, especially rubber-elastic material.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, characterized by the fact that the bristlelike projections are made as an integral component of the small sheet.

4. A device as defined in claim 1, characterized by the fact that the bristles are inserted into the small sheet.

5. A device as defined in claim 1, characterized by the fact that the fastening means include an adhesive layer which is attached on the back side of the sheet and is covered by a peel-off foil.

6. A device as defined in claim 1, characterized by the fact that a dentifrice is put on the side with the bristles or bristlelike projections of the small sheet.

7. A device as defined in claim 6, characterized by the fact that the dentifrice is dry and becomes effective only if it gets in contact with water or saliva.

8. A packaging for devices as defined in claim 5, characterized by the fact that a cover foil is provided over the peel-off foil and individual compartments are formed therein which cover the devices hygienically and separate them from each other.

9. A packaging as defined in claim 8, characterized by the fact that, between the individual compartments, the carrier and the cover foil are provided with perforations and specified tear-off places which each time make possible the tearing off of a hygienically wrapped device.

10. A packaging as defined in claim 9, characterized by the fact that in the individual compartments there is enclosed between carrier and cover foil a piece of dental floss and is arranged in such a way that it serves simultaneously to tear open and/or to separate the individual package.

11. A packaging for devices as defined in claim 1, characterized by the fact that a multitude of like devices is made as a continuous integral system with the connection between the individual devices taking place by way of a lateral widening of the sheet material.