ARTICLE DE NETTOYAGE DENTAIRE

TOOTH CLEANING MEANS

Abrégé français

Article de nettoyage dentaire qui est formé par traitement textile d'un ou plusieurs fils monofilaires ou multifilaires, constitués de plastique ou de latex fortement élastique. Les fils sont transformés par un procédé textile choisi parmi le tressage, le nouage, le retordage, le tissage ou l'étirage en un article qui possède, grâce à sa structure, une surface à action abrasive. Ledit article modifie la surface de sa section transversale en fonction des forces de traction plus ou moins fortes auxquelles il est soumis, si bien qu'il est facile à introduire dans les espaces interdentaires et qu'il peut remplir pratiquement n'importe quel espace interdentaire et y produire un effet abrasif.

Abrégé anglais

A teeth cleaning means is formed by technical textile processing of
monofilament or multifilament threads. The threads are made of
highly elastic synthetic material or latex. The threads are subjected to a
technical textile processing method selected from amongst braiding,
binding, doubling, weaving or drawing with the purpose of forming a shaped
body having an abrasive surface on its structure. Said teeth
cleaning means changes its cross-sectional area depending on the intensity of
the tensile forces being exerted so that the teeth cleaning
means can be easily inserted into the interproximate space of the teeth, can
fill practically any interproximate space and bring about an
abrasive effect therein.

Revendications

8
CLAIMS
1. An endless manufactured tooth cleaning means (1) consisting of monofilament
or
multifilament threads, wherein the threads (4,5) are highly-elastically
stretchable and under the
effect of tensile forces their cross sectional area reduce, characterised in
that the monofilament or
multifilament threads of high-elastic material are formed by way of textile
processing,
specifically by one of the methods from the selection of braiding, weaving or
knitting, into a
formation which has an abrasively acting surface, and that the threads (4, 5)
by way of the textile
processing are connected amongst one another such that a severing is possible
without the
threads coming undone.
2. A tooth cleaning means according to claim 1, characterised in that the
means, (1) consists
of several monofilament or multifilament threads and these at any desired
distance, to one
another are unreleasably connected amongst one another (3) over a short
distance.
3. A tooth cleaning means according to claim 2, characterised in that the
unreleasable
connection (3) is effected by adhesing, pressing of welding.
4. A tooth cleaning means according to claim 2, characterised in that at the
connection
location (2) there is arranged an oblique cut or an oblique cut separating
location.
5. A tooth cleaning means according to claim 1, characterised in that the
monofilament or
multifilament threads (4, 5) are provided at least with one thread in a
colouring differing from the
remaining ones.
6. A tooth cleaning means according to claim 1, characterised in that there
are present at
least one thread (4, 5) with a bright and with a dark colour tone.
7. A tooth cleaning means according to claim 1, characterised in that at least
two
monofilament threads (4, 5) are integrated with cross sectional areas
differing greatly in size and
which consist of the same or different materials.

9
8. A tooth cleaning means according to claim 1, characterised in that at least
one
monofilament or multifilament thread is coated with tooth or gum caring means.
9. A tooth cleaning means according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the
monofilament
or multifilament threads (4,5) are manufactured of latex.

Description

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1
Tc~c-lh cleaning rnean3
The present invention relates to a tooth cleaning nieans con,sisting of at
l,east one inonorilanicnt or znultifilaincnt thread.
'I'ooth cleaning means of the above mentioned type arc kiiown in many
emboiliment
examples. In ccirilmun leuit;cuage these zure often known : as acental floss.
Most:ly these t.ontli
cleaning rneans+ consist of multi(.ilament. yarii:; in a waxcd or unwaxed
form. 1'here. are atso ..
known mu.ltifilament yarns t,s tooth cleaning means which have a strorig
textur.ing fuid are
ac.cordingly greatly chai-igcabl¾ in length.
'li,e above mentioned tooth cleitning means serrves for clcaning tooth
intenned'tate, spaces
fron) the remains of food or dental plaque. As is known t}ie tooth
intrrmediate spaces in the
region of the chewing sucfa,ces au=c mostly nuich smaller than in the region:
directly above the
gunt. '1'hc tooth, cJcaning nmeans are accord'tngly fortrtcd.sueh that they
may .just be led through
the narrow tooth intermot:liale space in order then in the wider region to be
ablc to -unfol.d their
cleaning ef.f'ec;t. Since however the toeith clea.nin.g ymean5 has a cross
section wlrich is
wnsi.dera.bly smaller tha ,n the tooth intermediate space present in this
re&4on, the cleanirig effeGt
is essentially dependent on the user guiding. the tooth cfcaninb. tncans along
th.e sur.taces to be
cleaned. '1'his is however neither particularly sicnple nor coiitrollable.
Added, to. this is the fact
that an ab.ra.sivic e11'cct dernands a certain sj~acial, ytructure of the
tooth cle<itning mearns, and this
structure is again aci qbst'acle cm intmducing the tOoth.cleaning meatiti into
the regibtl ofthe tooth
inte.rrnetliate spaces to be cleaned.
This problem unril now has hc:er countercuted -in that onc has citYcteci tooth
cleaizing,
mcsans, in particular dental cleaning floss of a vatyitig thickness. A
fu3'ther hint. crl' solving this
problem was seen in oflering tcolh clemiit.g means which - cons.ist. of
multifilamernt. yarns; :. :
wherein thc tlueads :of the yariis au=e textured by: way of a suitabia
inethod_ By way of this these
yarns in tlic unloadcd cotidition liave a considerably more vol umi.nc,us,
cross scction. Such tooth
cleaning means are in particular used for clcanint; bclow rigidly arran.ged
tooth prostheses: With
tllis thc toutlc c1i:m.utul; tticatis is puslted from the ona side below a
(x)r.responding bridge and is
pulled.out at clte other side. In lamtrast to other widcspiead dental tloss
thus a cleaning is not
effected by a m.ovcme.nt to and fro but by a rnne-o l'f Pulling-throuf;li of
the tooth.uleaning mt:ans.
The abrasive effect at the same time is small: it' one were to pdsp th.i5
e14mctlt oti troth.sides aud

CA 02370578 2001-10-16
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move it to and fro under tension, then in prineiple: the tcxiuring would. fall
away or be ex.tencied
smooth by which i.tiez-uis the vohmic is. roilucW arid the abrasi.ve effect
wliich is 'in any case small
is reduced aven further.
It is thzrefoir the objcct ot'.ltx,pres.ent invention to provide a tonth
ckopiatf, means which
lar.geJy alleviates the previOtL.Sly mentioned disadvantages.
'lliis uliject iy achieved by a tootli cleattir-g i.rieans of the abovE
mentioried type with the. -
features ol'the characterising part ol'patent claim 1.
The effect is based on the fact that'the monotilament or mult.ifilainent
t1Y:ad or threads
with volurnetric oquality may bi; streched to a muJtiple ol.' its length,
wherein the cross section is
correspoiidingly reduced- On intrtiducing the tooth eieaning means suitahle
fiorce cnust be
mustcred in the forni of tensile furce and oii the other hand the. flanks, of
the tceth exert
corresponding cotupres.sion I.brc;es ento the tooth cleaning means to be
introduced_ The high-. .
elas(k monofilamont or multifiilainent threads accordingly deform, wherein the
cross sectional
shape a.s wcll as the~eross sectional area change, As soop as these ti)r.ces
reduce, which is.
autotitatically the case when the wider region of:thc tooth intermediate
spaces has becn.rcaehed, then smaller forces axe required and the cross
section chunges u,.id the cioss scctional sorface- is'
Ciilarged. By way of tlrc t.extile processing oI'th.e thr.ead or threads, the
tooth clean.ing n7eans has
a, structure which praztically accordittg to the choice, of.t.kc textile
proc:essing may effect a greater
or lesser abrasive efftect. '1'he abrasive effect niay furthcrmotc bc
itTucra.c:ed by the sliaping of
the cross Sectional surtacc at least of one monofilatnent thread.ll'such a
moiiofrlanient thread 1'or
cxamrle has a polygortal uross scctional surface 'lhus this shaping together
with the changes =of
runuing- direction rmulting -from the tcactilc pruccssin.g effects a.
structure which has a-part.icularly
favourable abiusive effect.
Further advantataeous embod.inient forins of ltu; suliject-mwier uf .thir
.invention we to be
deduced lrorn the depondont claims ad their. significance and maruicr of
acting is ex.plain.ed in
the subsequent description with. ref erence to the, accompanying drawings.
'There are showrr ia: Figure 1 the introduction of the ttic?tb cleaning -means
ac;s;wrding to the invention into a
tiuol:h intennediut.e space and .

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Viburc 2 the tooth cleaning means in the introduced cnnditicMn;
I- i6ure 3 a tooth cleaning means with cut connection loeatiohs in the unused
condition:
Figt1rc 4 a tcioth i:leaninb meaus of at least two threads and
rigure. 5 such a tocith clraning means of a single thrcad;
Figure 6 shows the section of a tnulti-coli;uted, bi-aided tooth, cleaaaint;
rneans and.
Figures 7
to 10 show one to four moiiotilantctzt. or multitilarnent .threaii.s in
various textile
proces:;ing v~iriants. .
As already tucntioncd the tocilh clewuilg means indicated in its cntircty ai 1
wrrsist_ti ol'
ope or more threadswhicii eaeh.per .,~4nray in-tuni k?G tnonofilanicttt or
rnultifilftnteiil atcd cx-nsist
of high-clastic material. With respect to the higli.ly :elastie tn.aterials
teinb: considered here onc is
to mention LYCRA (a tiudetnark of the company Du.1'ont). or l:?E)RLAS'1'AN (a
trademark. tsl',
the coinpany 1.3ayer AG). Apart from the ahove mentioned plastic thiccads also
in patticular
moncahlarnent thrcads of ruhher.-lik.e plastic or of natural latex are to be
uansidered. In all vaiiants
one would usaally pruf:brahly employ products whic:h have been, authorised,
with regar,4 to
foodstuffcornpalihility and medical tcchnnlogy...
On introducing.thc tooth cleaning incEU.is 1,iuto :lhc ialenrcotliate.ap;ue
between t.wu toeth
2 the tooth clean.in6. means 1 is held undet'. tension iL~ this is evident in
rigurc 1. By way of the .
prcvailing tensile lcxd the t.cx.,tb cleaning means for example as a braiding,
of highly elastic
tlit-cacls bn the.cme .hand lei~,~thens and on the other hattd with respect'w-
its cross se.etional, area
considerably red.uced. Avcordi.ngly it rnay. bc iutroduu;cd into tlie
relatively. ndrr()w toolh
intc:rmuliate space without getting caught. When the tensil:e loading is,
relieved th.en the highly
ela.,tic threads wntra.ct and their etvss sectional. -area ctirre;cpcmdi.ngly
iricrea..5es. With this they
cornpletcly tiU out the tooth intermedittte space also when this.is larger
thxn the,introduction.
region. This situation is rcpresetited in Figure 2.

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.With regard to, manufacluring t:eehnology the tooth cleaning rnean~. mkty be
manufactured
piactically endlessly. At rcgular dititia.nces the forrnation.of one or more
threads which is
manuttu;t.urod by textile prucessinl; niay be forrned at: relatively short
distanc:et itito conneetion
or stparat.ion locations. These coruiec,tiori or separation locations 3 may he
-manufactured by
adbe5ing, liressitig or welding.. 'I'.he m,ain object of these connection or
scparation Iocatimas lies in
defining regions iti which the encllcss product.may be severc:d. withotd at
tlte. same.time t.he textilc
forniation coming trPart: On the rnarket at the sarinc tiine, the
endlessptndtict rnay be 011ered with
the cotuie;etion loc:titions at rrgular disuinces or also part pieces which
are already sepstz`iited at
this region as this is rerresented in Figure 3. Wi.th the separation one would
pieferably apply an
ohliquc cui which si.ni.plifics a leadint; through of the tuotli cleaning
mcins for extmr.pl.e under.A
tooth bridge. At the same time of coursc with the ondlessly manufactured
product the part
sections may be prede.fined by way of suitaliie - pc;rt'ora;tion cuts or other
t'ortned. brealc-off
1coaciun,s, and inspite ot'this off.er.an ondless pmduct, for exainple in lhe
wou.nd up condition.
Figure 4 is to be undert>~i:ood purcly Symbolically. With, this it is.10, be
merely showti that
for example a tooth clcaning nieans I is manul;acturable by.connection in the
end regions.3,
whcr4in the one thread 4 may be manufactixred 0' a.nother product than the
s.econd tlur-a.d 5, The
difi4rt: .c;e betwccn thee two threads4 and S may lie in thc 'matetial
selection or with the sai-ne
material sclcetioii in the eolourin,g. Such a coloured indi"tion may for
example as c'ustcm3er
informatian fLtllFill an objcct. 'Chus according tci cci:lour wde various
thicknesses znay be offercd
or the colout code may indicate also various,applicaticin purposes, such as.
thc cl:earFUit, o(' ruoth
irtter.mediate spac;es cm the one hand. or for the cleaning of intermediate
spaces.bctwevn the gurp:;
Etnd, the tooth bridge. The thrcads ttYay however also bc di I:Xbrent in tlie
stilicturc. Vklhi.lst the one
l:ht'ead 4 fot- exainple rnay have a smooth surfac e, the uther thrcad 5 may
have a st.naotttred ..
surluce, . ..
"I'here also.exists thc possibility that the otie. tluead has a~rcyund cniss
sectional shape
whilst the other i.lireaJ has a polygonal shapc. :These structure differences
aiui -cross sectiottal
shapc differenc;es serve in particular fiv increasiitl; or,redueing thc
abra.yive etFei;t, the wnnection
of the two ihre" with regard ta textile Prncessi.ng is not taken ihto ae.cuunt
here. Tliis is ol'
course to be effected bcfc,rehzui.d. Ir.i a similar representatlon in pi.gutc
5 there is showti a tooth cleaning means 1 which rnay bc manulactaeti of a
single thread 5 in a looped:fonn. Hete too
then the two counter-running cord sections of.the tlucad 4 ma.ybc.connected
to. ane another'witli regarci to textile processing.

CA 02370578 2001-10-16
't'he selection of the colours however hats 4on;siderable advalitages for the
user. If otye
used thretids with a bright colour then cme rnay reuagzuse very quickly with
these whcther a.
bleeding of thc gtuns is presertt, l.l' one used threads with a dark colouring
then on the~,%e one mny
easily rocot;nise impurities. Tt is theirfore, advantageous I'ot- llac user to
uye a luuth 4leaitint;
rrtcatts whicli consists of a combiiiat:ion of in cat;tr. ci.u at least rnie
bri,ght. and at least one dark
colour lotie.
If the tootlt cleaninl; rneans is ma.nufactttrcd of a single thread th.e.n,
above all one
considers as a tcxtile f-tYrcetisi.ng, the manufact.urc: in thcforlri of
knotting and knitting us this is
fot' exatnple rcPretienlecl in I~'igtire 7 with which asingle thivad is
ter.resetited in an cons'iderably
cnlarged ticale. With the usc of two rnnnolilttntent.or ntultifi:lariteiit
threads as a textilc proce-ssitig
methcxi in particitlttr dcitth].inl; is to be considered. Tbis is shown here
iri Figure 8. In Figitre 9.i1 1
wntiust thcrc is terrersented a manufacturing mcthod for three threads,
wherein as a textile
processing there is shuwn a braiding method here Tlus also is the case with
the mcthod khown in
Pigure 10, wherein h.ere the tooth cleatii.ng means is f.ormed of fouc
threads..
Of course also tooth cleaning means. are to he con,fii.de:rt;d which a.re
nranufaCtured of
evcn more variou,ti.or simila.[ thi'cads. It is. howevrr inot meaningful to
usc too m,any threads in a: .
very thin quality since tlien by way of this there fin.ally auises a
tormatioii with regard tc, textile
processing wliich .practically has no slruc;lure which could still cffect. a
rnea,ning'fol .alir,sive
operation.
lrt particular for cleatiinb below teeth tiridges also more voluminous
eletnents are to he-
e:vnsidered. '1'hus tooth cleaning means for this purpose. may also consist of
a knitted fabric
whicli not as. with the fonns represented here `does not have a cord-like
structure btit- has a wick-
or tubing shape. Finally it is of course also pcissibie to coat.Ahc wholc
tciot7i cleaning rt-eatts irr
alu) only ii,dividual t.hm-ids with tooth or gum carc nu,nrm Such meaixs are
knciwn.on the market.
in large amaunts aiid witli the nia.nufacture of the threads may be applied
without problert;-.
Finally it. is yet to be pointed out that:.,aPart from the alreody
aiientiotied possibilitiey t;r# tht
rna.nufacttiue of the c:onrlee,;t:ion locations by adhesing, pre.ssinl; or
melting there yet algo eisists the
possibility of creftting such conncctions by third tnatcrials which may be
deposited iA this ret;ion.

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Purely by way of cxatnple t:he application uf .shr.unk, tubing sections or
sleeve-like plastic
elements which lnay tw suitabiy clattlpcd on wit11 welding technology are also
referrecf to.

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Lisl of refea=ence ntutteraJN
I tooth clcanirig mesins,
? teeth
3 connection sepRr.afiing 1ucations
4 a first thrcad
S a seeotid thread

Dessin représentatif