Dispensing means
US5649659A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 2, 1996 |
| Grant date | Jul 22, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 2, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T225/257
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A credit card size dispenser (10) is provided which is particularly suited for dispensing dental floss. The dispenser (10) includes a thin rectangular housing (11) which supports a spool of floss (12) wound in an oval form to provide an elongated open centre portion (13) into which floss may be drawn from the inner end of the spool (12). One major face of the housing contains an elongate recess (14) which extends into the elongated open centre portion (13). This recess (14) contains, at a level below the major face, a floss lead-out guide (16) at one end and at the other end a severing device (18). The exposed lead-out portion (21) of the floss which extends between the lead-out guide (16) and the severing device (18) is also held below the major face whereby the dispenser (10) has no external protuberances to snag adjacent items.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.