The present invention relates to an interdental cleaner means contained in a package.

The cheapest interdental cleaner device is the interdental floss and is presently prepared and distributed in packages, as small boxes, which contain some metres thereof.

The user separates (i.e., cuts) a piece from said interdental floss, with that length which she/he will regard as being the most suitable for the intended use.

In such a way it is necessary that the user is always provided with such a package containing the interdental floss from which, at any time, she/he can cut the useful, single-dose, disposable floss piece. Of course, a consequence of such an operating way is, e.g., the unreliability of the hygienic conditions of the residual interdental floss contained inside the package which, to some extent, may loose its initial packaging aseptic condition.

Furthermore, the user is anyway obliged to perform an action in order to separate the necessary interdental floss length. Oftentimes, such an operation is not easy for all users, may lead to an unravelment of the interdental floss, with the consequence that a by far larger than necessary amount of floss is used.

It may furthermore happen that the user cannot have an immediate perception of the fact that the floss may be finished inside the package, and she/he

can consequently remain short of it, with consequent discomfort.

A not least drawback is that the need may arise of supplying another person with a piece of interdental floss from a previously opened and used package. Above all nowadays, when nearly incurable and particularly dangerous diseases due to contact with infect blood are more and more diffused, such a behaviour is not recommendable. Summing up, all the above renders this type of package a not particularly practical one.

Also packages are available on the market in which a plurality of already cut floss pieces are contained, which anyway display the drawback that they must be extracted by the user from the package. In such a way, a contact is created with the floss pieces contained in said package, with said floss getting possibly contaminated.

Furthermore, for a first emergency cleaning of teeth, a customary practice consists in using the so said "toothpicks" which, besides being not as easy to use as the interdental floss, may also cause damages to users gingiva, with bleeding.

Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is of providing a device which overcomes the drawbacks and contraindications of both interdental floss in fractionatable-into-doses package, and of toothpicks.

Such a purpose is achieved by providing an interdental cleaner means of thread-like or ribbon-

like type arranged inside a certain package which can be brought by the user in a ready-for-use condition and that, once used, can be disposed off, as a normal disposable article. In such a way, the guarantee is reached that the interdental cleaner means will always be in perfect hygienic condition; that the proper length of interdental floss, or similar element, will be consumed with no wastes; that the whole floss bobbin, or the like, cannot be contaminated. Such .a package can be handed to another person with absolute safety, without any risks.

Characteristics, features and further advantages of an interdental cleaner means in disposable package according to the present invention will be more evident from the following disclosure taken into consideration together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

• Figures la and lb show a front and, respectively, side view of an intact package of interdental cleaner means, e.g., in thread form, according to the present invention;

• Figure 2 illustrates, on a smaller scale, the package of Figure 1 once opened and ready for use;

• Figure 3 illustrates the package in a user's hands, for example at use beginning;

• Figure 4 illustrates a further exemplifying embodiment of package according to the present invention.

An interdental cleaner means in package according to the present invention essentially comprises a piece of floss (1) inside an envelope or package (2) . Figure 4 shows an extremely simplified embodiment according to which the floss (1), preliminarily cut to the use length, is freely inserted inside the envelope (2) . Said envelope (2) is made, according to the present example, from a food grade paper material capable of securing a good protection from environmental agents, so as to keep the contents thereof under absolutely aseptic conditions. Alternatively, the envelope can be made, however without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention, from another material, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and the like.

Also the floss (1) can be a similar element to it, as a ribbon-like element or a thin stripe of a synthetic, artificial, natural material or a well- known plastics filaments which anyway does not cause problems as regards the user's gingiva.

The thread-like or similar element and/or the envelope can also be made from a flavoured, coloured, medicated material, provided with slightly abrasive portions, or with some or all of these characteristics. This can facilitate the selection of the type of flavour preferred by the user, or of the type of filament contained inside the package, or the interdental cleaning operation.

The envelope (2) can be constituted by mutually superimposed sheet material pieces peripherally constrained to each other, by means of a glue, or the like. It can be furthermore provided, in an intermediate region thereof, with a breakage- promoting line, or weak line (3) which facilitates the operation of opening of the package and of use of the interdental floss contained inside it.

Figures la, lb, 2 e 3 display an example of a more advanced embodiment of the present invention.

According to this second exemplifying embodiment, besides having an envelope (2) containing the interdental floss, or the like, (1), during the packaging step, a constraint (6) of the free ends (4) of the floss (1) to end zones (5) of the envelope (2) is realized.

In an easier and more advantageous way, such a constraint can be directly accomplished at opposite peripheral zones (6) provided with the same food grade or pharmaceutical grade glue as used to seal the envelope ends.

Also according to this exemplifying embodiment, a breakage-promoting or weak line (3) is provided, arranged in an intermediate region of envelope (2) . In this case, the latter arrangement facilitates the use of the interdental floss, or similar cleaning means.

In fact, after breaking said weak line (3), the user causes the floss (1) to exit from both envelope portions (2') and (2"), as illustrated in Figure 2.

By crumpling the envelope, two end grasping elements (7) are generated which are bound to the floss ends and facilitate the grasping, and consequently the use, thereof, as shown in Figure 3. In both cases, once used, the interdental floss and its envelope can be disposed of.

Even, above all when the interdental floss is made from a brittler material, a plurality of floss pieces can be provided inside the interior of the disposable package, even with different lengths which, should one of them get broken, will anyway secure that the user can perform the desired cleaning procedure.

Furthermore, the presence of a plurality of floss pieces or similar elements can be advantageously used to enter the most suitable cleaner means into more or less large interdental hollows in order to improve or optimize the cleaning operation. Furthermore, the thread-like element contained inside the package can be directly provided with grasping elements which may facilitate the use thereof.

Inasmuch as no plastics components are provided in order to contain the interdental floss, the present package is absolutely compatible with (i.e., respectful of) the surrounding environment.