DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to the field of the sanitizing systems in general and more in particular it refers to a sanitizing container for dental floss and teeth pipe cleaner.

It is now established that, in addition to the regular and thorough cleaning of the teeth with the toothbrush, for optimal sanitation and prevention of disorders and more or less severe diseases of the teeth and gums, it is essential to use other cleaning devices, such as for example, pipe cleaner and floss, in order to ensure the removal of food debris from interdental spaces and also from the areas of the mouth that a normal toothbrush cannot reach.

The use of such hygienic devices is therefore becoming increasingly widespread, although such use is not always carried out under appropriate conditions. Both the pipe cleaner and the containers for dental floss, in fact, are subject to be infected by germs and bacteria, which thrive in moist environments, and that a simple rinsing with water of the pipe cleaner or a simple drying of the container for dental floss cannot remove. If not properly eliminated by the use of such devices, bacteria and pathogens can be transmitted to the teeth and gums, making the use of hygienic devices not only ineffective, but actually counterproductive. This is particularly true in the case the pipe cleaner used is not replaced frequently with a new one, and always the same packaging of dental floss is used for a long time.

For the correct hygiene and health of teeth, and more in general of the oral cavity, the sanitation of interdental brushes or pipe cleaners and of dental floss containers is therefore of fundamental importance and, as far as the Applicant is aware, there is today no practical and effective system, which can ensure such sanitation in a simple way also feasible by the user, at home or when traveling.

A scope of the present invention is therefore to provide a container for dental floss, which can contain possibly also a pipe cleaner for the teeth, and ensures the sanitisation both of the dental floss and of the pipe cleaner, as well as of the container itself, thanks to the presence inside the container of an antibacterial agent, so that these devices for the teeth cleaning are really useful for the teeth cleaning and do not contribute on the contrary to the germs and bacteria transmission, as instead it happens for the containers known in the art.

A further scope of the present invention is to provide a container of the above said type that is rechargeable with a new dental floss, as soon as the previous one is finished, and possibly with a new pipe cleaner when the previous one is worn.

It is still a further scope of this invention to provide a container of the above said type that is moreover practical and easy to use, compact, suitable for use both at home and also when traveling.

These and further scopes of the present invention are achieved with a container for the sanitisation of dental floss and possibly of a pipe cleaner for teeth, whose essential characteristics are defined in the first of the appended claims; and with a kit comprising the above said container and one or more spare parts selected from dental floss, pipe cleaner for teeth and antibacterial agent, whose essential characteristics are defined in the seventh of the appended claims.

Further important characteristics are included in the dependent claims.

Brief description of the figures

Further features and advantages of the container and of the kit according to the present invention will be evident from the following description of an exemplary, non- limiting embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

- the figure 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a container according to the invention in an opening position of a container's lid;

the figure 2 shows a view of the container of figure 1 with some of the components exploded;

the figure 3 is a top view of the container of figure 1 ;

- the figure 4 is a longitudinal section (along the line A-A of figure 3) of the container of figure 1.

With particular reference to the figures from 1 to 4, it is illustrated an embodiment of the present container 11 , comprising housing body 12 of substantially oval shape, and a lid 13 to which the body is upperly connected by means of a pin 14 to be placed in a special seat 15 on an edge of the above said body 12; the above said lid 13 is substantially flat, so as to be free to slide over the housing 12 by rotation around the pin 14.

Inside the housing body 12, walls 121 and 122 form two housings of substantially circular shape intended respectively for housing a reel B of dental floss F, which can rotate around a cylinder 124 in the middle of the housing 121 , and an anti-bacterial agent; in this second housing can be immersed a pipe cleaner S, or possibly other objects for the oral cleaning such as rechargeable brush heads or similar. A wall 123 of separation between the two zones of the body 12 may be possibly present. The antibacterial agent, preferably in the form of a gel, contained in the second housing, it will therefore be useful not only to sanitize the dental floss but also any other objects present, for example a pipe cleaner, and more in general the interior of the container

Advantageously, the walls of the second housing compartment can be provided with level indicators in the form of signs or reliefs, which indicate the optimal level of antibacterial agent to be poured in the container and to be maintained in order to accomplish an efficacious sanitization without causing spills.

During use of the container, the dental floss F comes out from the top of the housing 121 and, after passing through the space above the second housing compartment where is the antibacterial agent, it is expected to come out from the body 12 substantially on the opposite side with respect to the pin 14, wherein it can be present an indentation 16 on the edge of the body 12, for placing a blade 161 for cutting the dental floss.

In the present container 11 , between the lid 13 and the housing body 12, is placed an intermediate cover 17 provided with at least an opening 171 intended for the passage of the pin 14 so as to associate also the intermediate cover by one of its ends to the lid 13 and to the housing body 12. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, which ensures even more security of hygiene and greater convenience of use, the above said intermediate cover 17 is provided with at least three openings 171 , 172, 173 respectively intended for the passage of the pin 14 so as to associate also the intermediate cover by one of its ends to the lid 13 and to the housing body 12, for the insertion of the pipe cleaner in the housing 122 and for the passage of the dental floss that has to come out from the container. The opening 172 for the passage of the pipe cleaner will be coincident for position, shape and dimensions with the opening 132 on the lid 13. The blade 161 is preferably positioned on an indentation 16 present on the edge of the cover 17, in a substantially opposite position with respect to the opening 171.

With particular reference to the Figure 1 , the lid 13 can be moreover provided with a relief 131 or an ergonomic hollow or another handle on which the user may grip to help the rotation of the lid on the underlying body; and/or it can be provided with an opening 132 to allow the passage of the pipe cleaner S, or of a container of substantially cylindrical shape containing it, and that can be useful as a protective sheath and for the grip by a user.

In the present container the dimensions of the inner housings are such as to accommodate inside them the common reels of dental floss on the market, and the pipe cleaners of the usual dimensions. The materials with which the present container is produced are various plastic materials, with possible single components that can be made of metal, glass or plexiglass if useful to their function. More in general, the materials that can be used for the present container can be those used in the field of the bathroom furniture, such as for example, plastics, metal, glass, etc.

Thanks to the particular inner structure of the present container, it is evident how the sanitisation of the dental floss is guaranteed in the most complete way during the storage of the reel inside the container, while the dental floss is not used, as well as at the time of use, when it is necessary to take out the floss from the container. However at the same time, thanks to the rotating lid 13, the access to the inside of the container by a user is practical and easy for the addition of the antibacterial agent and for the possible replacement of the reel of dental floss.

Advantageously, the container according to the present invention may be marketed as such, preferably already containing a reel of dental floss, possibly a pipe cleaner, and a dose of antibacterial agent; or it can be presented in the form of a kit with at least a spare part selected from a reel of dental floss, pipe cleaner and antibacterial agent.

The antibacterial agent that can be used in the present container, as previously mentioned, is preferably in the form of a gel, even if liquid forms could anyway be used; it can be an antibacterial or antiseptic agent. The dental floss and pipe cleaner are provided with the present container imbibed with an antibacterial agent that will be so transferred directly on the teeth and gums, for a disinfection of the parts of the oral cavity, with which the two objects will come into contact. In particular the interdental space and the gums area cleaned with the two objects will benefit of the presence of the antibacterial agent. It is therefore evident how the present container, not only ensures the maximum hygiene of the objects while they are not used, but it also allows to sanitise areas of the oral cavity generally not reached by the normal toothbrushes where germs and bacteria can lurk, thus preventing appearance of disorders and various diseases, such as plaque, caries and other more or less serious oral diseases of the oral cavity.

The container of the present invention achieves therefore a complete sanitisation of the hygienic devices contained therein, but also an efficacious disinfection of certain areas of the oral cavity where the devices are used, it is moreover practical and easy to use for any kinds of users, it is compact, suitable to be transported easily and therefore to be used also when traveling.

The present container allows moreover to save materials thanks to the possibility to recharge both the dental floss and the teeth pipe cleaner, without throwing away the container, as on the contrary usually happens to dental floss containers that, once the floss is used up, are thrown away.

And more, the present container can be made of different shapes from those illustrated in the figures attached and previously described, for example it may have a parallelepiped or polygonal shape. More in general, The present invention has been described up to here with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof. It should be understood that there can be other embodiments that derive from the same inventive core, all of which are covered by the scope of protection of the claims given hereafter.