Dispenser for dental floss and the like
US5415188A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 15, 1993 |
| Grant date | May 16, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 15, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61C15/046
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A dispenser for dental floss and other flexible elongated materials (e.g., tape, strip, wire, etc.) capable of delivering material to the point of use under substantially constant tension. The dispenser comprises a delivery reel and a draw-in reel mechanically connected by driving means through a tension accumulator. The tension accumulator is a device comprising some means for storing energy of rotational movement (e.g. torsion spring, clock spring, etc.). Each of the reels is attached to one of the two one-way clutches so that the delivery reel can only rotate in the direction of unwinding the floss and the draw-in reel can only rotate in the direction of winding the floss on. A supply of dental floss is stored on the delivery reel and is extended under tension between the delivery reel and the draw-in reel by means of guides. Any forceful nonelastic elongation of the extended part of floss leads to unwinding a new portion of floss from the delivery reel and adding some energy to the tension accumulator; consequent release of the elongating force causes a portion of used floss of the same length to be wound on the draw-in reel by the energy freed from the tension accumulator. Suc…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.