Device for storing dental floss and for forming three separately-usable strips of floss for use with tensioning means

Claim 1

A dental flossing device for storing a spool of floss and allowing the use thereof in a ready and continually adjustable manner, comprising: a main body portion having a hollow interior thereof for storing a spool of dental floss for paying out the dental floss; elongated floss guide means having a first end toward said main body portion, and a second end remote therefrom and projecting away from said main body portion so as to define a length by which the dental floss may be extended, said second end of said guide means comprising a first threading and retaining means for a portion of the dental floss, and a second threading and retaining means for another portion of the dental floss, whereby dental floss from the spool may be extended from said main body portion along said guide means and through said first and second threading and retaining means; means for continually tensioning the dental floss, said means for tensioning comprising a rotatably mounted wheel means, housing means for said wheels means for mounting said wheel means to said main body portion, and a shaft mounted for rotation with said wheel means, said shaft passing through the center of said wheel means such that said wheel means is rotatable in a plane perpendicular to the length of said shaft; said shaft having a first end projecting outwardly of a side surface of said housing having a first groove formed therein, and a second end projecting from another side surface of said housing having a second groove formed therein; means for conjointly connecting said wheel means and said shaft so that when said wheel means is rotated, said shaft is rotated in unison therewith; means formed in said side surfaces of said housing for allowing disassembly of said wheel means and said shaft from said housing for cleaning and replacement of parts and for rotatably mounting said first and second ends of said shaft; means for limiting the rotation of said wheel means and said shaft to only one direction and preventing the rotation thereof in the other direction; and said housing having a receptacle thereof for mounting therein said wheel means, said wheel means having a circumferential portion of said wheel means projecting beyond said housing to allow access thereto of a finger for rotating said wheel means; wherein the detal floss from the spool may be inserted through said first groove before threading in said first and second threading and retaining means, and inserted through said second groove after threading in said first and second threading and retaining means, said plane of rotation of said wheel means being parallel to the direction from said first end of said guide means toward said second end of said guide means.