US3759273A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Dental floss holder
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1972-03-31
•
Granted: 1973-09-18
•
Expires: 1992-03-31
Abstract
Abstract A dental floss holder comprising a unit including a container for a spool of dental floss and a fork having tines across which the floss is stretched by manipulating a lock, the construction being such that the soiled floss never contacts the clean floss.
Inventors
- 👤 H Knaus
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 19:53
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61C; A61C15/00; A61C15/04; A61C15/046
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
284 words
A dental floss holder, comprising in combination: A. means forming: 1. a hollow casing for receiving a spool of dental floss, said casing having: a. an end wall having: i. a passage through which dental floss is threadable, ii. a passage extending transversely of and through and intersecting the first mentioned passage, b. a fork connected with the end wall, said fork having: i. a pair of tines, each of said tines having a groove in the ends thereof for receiving a section of the dental floss, ii. a notch adjacent the junction of the tines and forming a guide for the floss; B. a shiftable lock in the second mentioned passage in the end wall, said lock having: 1. a passage alignable with the first mentioned passage in the end wall for receiving a section of the dental floss, 2. a second passage disposed parallelly of the first mentioned passage in the lock for receiving another section of the dental floss, said lock being shiftable from a position in which the second passage thereof lies outside said transverse passage in the end wall, to a position in which the first mentioned passage in the lock is in nonaligned position with the passage in the end wall and in which the second mentioned passage in the lock extends into the transverse passage in the end wall, the width of the lock and the width of the walls forming the transverse passage in the end wall being such so as to lock both sections of the floss between the walls of the lock and the walls of the transverse passage in the end wall when the lock has been moved to the second mentioned position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
284 words
A dental floss holder, comprising in combination: A. means forming: 1. a hollow casing for receiving a spool of dental floss, said casing having: a. an end wall having: i. a passage through which dental floss is threadable, ii. a passage extending transversely of and through and intersecting the first mentioned passage, b. a fork connected with the end wall, said fork having: i. a pair of tines, each of said tines having a groove in the ends thereof for receiving a section of the dental floss, ii. a notch adjacent the junction of the tines and forming a guide for the floss; B. a shiftable lock in the second mentioned passage in the end wall, said lock having: 1. a passage alignable with the first mentioned passage in the end wall for receiving a section of the dental floss, 2. a second passage disposed parallelly of the first mentioned passage in the lock for receiving another section of the dental floss, said lock being shiftable from a position in which the second passage thereof lies outside said transverse passage in the end wall, to a position in which the first mentioned passage in the lock is in nonaligned position with the passage in the end wall and in which the second mentioned passage in the lock extends into the transverse passage in the end wall, the width of the lock and the width of the walls forming the transverse passage in the end wall being such so as to lock both sections of the floss between the walls of the lock and the walls of the transverse passage in the end wall when the lock has been moved to the second mentioned position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
a cutter blade fixed to the base; and further characterized in that a wall of the casing includes: holes that receive said extensions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
a cutter blade fixed to the base; and further characterized in that a wall of the casing includes: holes that receive said extensions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
A dental floss holder as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the transverse passage in the end wall extends through the container and further characterized in that the lock is extendable through the transverse passage.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
143 words
a second passage disposed parallelly of the first mentioned passage in the lock for receiving another section of the dental floss, said lock being shiftable from a position in which the second passage thereof lies outside said transverse passage in the end wall, to a position in which the first mentioned passage in the lock is in nonaligned position with the passage in the end wall and in which the second mentioned passage in the lock extends into the transverse passage in the end wall, the width of the lock and the width of the walls forming the transverse passage in the end wall being such so as to lock both sections of the floss between the walls of the lock and the walls of the transverse passage in the end wall when the lock has been moved to the second mentioned position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
143 words
a second passage disposed parallelly of the first mentioned passage in the lock for receiving another section of the dental floss, said lock being shiftable from a position in which the second passage thereof lies outside said transverse passage in the end wall, to a position in which the first mentioned passage in the lock is in nonaligned position with the passage in the end wall and in which the second mentioned passage in the lock extends into the transverse passage in the end wall, the width of the lock and the width of the walls forming the transverse passage in the end wall being such so as to lock both sections of the floss between the walls of the lock and the walls of the transverse passage in the end wall when the lock has been moved to the second mentioned position.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
73 words
A dental floss holder as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the width of the transverse passage adjacent the first mentioned passage in the lock is narrower than at the second mentioned passage in the lock, and that the width of a section of the lock adjacent the first mentioned passage in the end wall is narrower than that section of the lock lying adjacent the second mentioned passage in the lock.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
A dental floss holder as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the sections of the lock that extend in the transverse passaGe in the end wall have a width that is greater than the width of the said transverse passage and are formed of flexible and resilient material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
A dental floss holder as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the lock is elongate and is formed of resilient and flexible material and further characterized in that the lock is provided with longitudinally extending passages that span the passages.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
A dental floss holder as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the transverse passage in the end wall is non-circular and further characterized in that the outer surface of the lock at least partly complements the inner surface of the said transverse passage.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
A dental floss holder as defined in claim 1, characterized to include: C. a thread cutter assembly comprising:
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-09-17 | 1977-03-19 | 1977-09-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-09-17 | 1981-03-19 | 1981-09-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-09-17 | 1985-03-19 | 1985-09-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |