2. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to devices and methods for flossing teeth. More particularly, the present invention relates to flossing devices having a handle and floss spools that dispense and collect floss when the handle is manipulated.

3. BACKGROUND [0003] There are several flossing devices known in the art. Among these, for example, are the well- known fork-like flossing devices which have two prongs between which floss is manually threaded. A person grasps the handle of the fork-like device and proceeds to floss his or her teeth using the portion of the floss that is threaded between the two prongs. When the floss is ready to be discarded, the user manually removes the floss and throws it away. In order to again use the fork-like device for flossing, the user then re-threads the fork-like device with new floss. Such flossing devices require significant manual manipulation and thus are not particularly convenient to use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0004] The present invention can generally be characterized as a flossing device having a double- pronged body, a handle, a piece of floss, a feeding spool, a collecting spool, and a means for advancing the floss. A user flosses using a portion of the floss that is disposed in between the two prongs; the user advances the floss by manipulating the handle. Once the user is finished flossing, the user may close the handle so that the prongs close together. When the prongs are closed together, the flossing device may be conveniently stored in the cavity of, for example, a toothbrush holder by placing the closed prongs inside the cavity.

[0005] In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the body of the flossing device is scissor- shaped, the spools are substantially cylindrical, and the means for advancing the floss involves a ratchet system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0006] Various objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the accompanying drawings when considered in conjunction with the following description and appended claims. Although the drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are thus not to be deemed as limiting the scope of the invention, the accompanying drawings help explain the invention in added detail.

[0007] FIG. 1A is a plan view of one embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] FIG. 1B is an enlarged perspective view of a spool according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] FIG. 2A is a plan view of another embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] FIG. 2B is an enlarged perspective view of a spool according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] FIG. 3A is a plan view of yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] FIG. 3B is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the flossing body according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0013] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings (hereby expressly incorporated as part of this detailed description), sets forth specific numbers, materials, and configurations in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. The following detailed description, in conjunction with the drawings, will enable one skilled in the relevant art to make and use the present invention.

[0014] A purpose of this detailed description being to describe the invention so as to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the present invention, the following description sets forth various specific examples, also referred to as"embodiments, "of the present invention. While the invention is described in conjunction with specific embodiments, it will be understood, because the embodiments are set forth for explanatory purposes only, that this description is not intended to limit the invention to these particular embodiments. Indeed, it is emphasized that the present invention can be embodied or performed in a variety of ways. The drawings and detailed description are merely representative of particular embodiments of the present invention.

[0015] Reference will now be made in detail to several embodiments of the invention. The various embodiments will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like elements are designated by like numeric or alphanumeric characters throughout.

[0016] FIG. IA shows a plan view of a flossing device 10. In this embodiment of the present invention, the flossing device 10 includes a flossing body 12, a piece of floss 14, a feeding spool 16 having one end of the floss 14 coupled to it, a collecting spool 18 having the other end of the floss 14 coupled to it, and a ratchet system 20 that serves to help advance the floss 14.

[0017] The body 12 has a first prong 30, a second prong 32, and a handle 34. The handle 34 has at least two projections 34a and 34b and is designed to be grasped by a single hand of a person or user. The handle 34 can be designed for use by a left-handed person, a right-handed person, or for both. In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the body 12 is scissor-shaped; in other words, the projections 34a and 34b of the handle 34 comprise two loops that accommodate the fingers of the user's hand, the first and second prongs 30 and 32 are elongated, and the prongs 30 and 32 are movable in relation to each other between an open and closed position when the user opens and closes his or her hand as if he or she were using a traditional pair of scissors. In some embodiments, the prongs 30 and 32 may have blunted ends so that the flossing device 10 is appropriate for use by a child.

[0018] The feeding spool 16 and the collecting spool 18 may both be coupled to the body 12 of the flossing device 10 in any type of manner. For example, the spools 16 and 18 may be manufactured so as to snap on top of a rod (not shown) extending from the body 12. A cap 22 (see FIG. 1B for an enlarged view) of any shape may then be placed over the rod to ensure that the spools 16 and 18 remain coupled to the body 12. In some embodiments, either or both of the spools 16 and 18 sit completely exteriorally on top of the body 12; in other embodiments, either or both of the spools 16 and 18 sit partially or completely inside the body 12 (for example, in a cavity in the body 12). The spools 16 and 18 need not be coupled to the same side of the body 12. Moreover, spools 16 and 18 can be of any shape and include any sort of device that can collect the floss 14 into a small amount of space relative to the body 12.

However, the preferred shape for the spools is a generally cylindrical shape, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 2B. The cylindrical spools are preferably rotatable, relative to the body 12, around their central axis.

[0019] In some embodiments, the feeding spool 16 is a removable spool, and/or the collecting spool 18 is a removable spool that may be disposed of once it has collected an amount of used floss 14. In other embodiments, the feeding spool 16 and/or the collecting spool 18 are fixedly attached to the flossing device 10.

[0020] To use the flossing device 10, a feeding spool 16 with fresh floss 14 is coupled to the body 12.

Floss 14 from the feeding spool 16 is then threaded through each of the prongs 30 and 32 so that a portion of the floss 14 is disposed in between the two prongs 30 and 32. An end of the floss 14 is then coupled to the collecting spool 18. In the preferred embodiments, the fresh floss 14 is wound around the cylindrical wall of the cylindrical feeding spool 16. The feeding spool 16 might be pre-wound with floss 14 or might be designed so that the user fills the feeding spool 16 by manually winding the floss 14 around the feeding spool 16.

[0021] In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the floss 14 is threaded along as well as inside of the prongs 30 and 32. In other embodiments, the floss 14 is threaded so that it is substantially exterior of the prongs 30 and 32. Also, in some embodiments such as that shown in FIG. 1A, the floss 14 extending between the two spools 16 and 18 does not cross itself. In other embodiments such as those shown in FIGS. 2A and 3A, the floss 14 extending between the two spools 16 and 18 crosses itself.

[0022] Once the flossing device 10 is threaded with floss 14, the user grasps the handle 34 and flosses using the portion of the floss 14 that is disposed in between the two prongs 30 and 32. With respect to some embodiments such as that shown in FIG. 1, when the user is done with that portion of the floss 14 and while still grasping the handle 34, the user closes his or her hand, causing the projections 34a and 34b of the handle 34 to close towards each other and the prongs 30 and 32 to close towards each other as well (in the preferred embodiments, the handle 34 is scissor-shaped, and the user closes the handle 34 and prongs 30 and 32 in the same manner as he or she would a typical pair of scissors). This closing motion, in turn, creates slack in the portion of the floss 14 that is located between the two spools 16 and 18. The user then uses his or her finger or thumb to cause the collecting spool 18 to take up the slack in the floss 14 (in the preferred embodiments, the collecting spool 18 is substantially cylindrical, and the user uses his or her thumb to rotate the collecting spool 18, thereby causing the collecting spool 18 to collect additional floss 14 and thereby remove the slack).

[0023] Once the slack is removed (or at least reduced), the user opens his or her hand, causing the projections 34a and 34b of the handle 34 to open or draw away from each other; the prongs 30 and 32 likewise open away from each other. This opening motion, in turn, causes the collecting spool 18 to draw out fresh floss 14 from the feeding spool 16 because the collecting spool 18 is designed so that it will not move in such a way as to dispense floss 14 from itself : as is true to its namesake, the collecting spool 18 will only collect floss. In the preferred embodiments, the spools 16 and 18 are substantially cylindrical, and the collecting spool 18 is prevented from rotating in the wrong direction (that is, in a direction that causes the collecting spool 18 to dispense floss 14) via ratchet system 20.

[0024] The ratchet system 20 comprises at least one rotatable device having teeth that mate with a corresponding projection so that the ratchet system 20 effectively prevents the collecting spool 18 from rotating in the wrong direction. The ratchet system 20 can be coupled to the body 12 or to one or more of the spools 16 and 18 in any way; part or all of it can also be integrally molded with any of the parts of the flossing device 10. Moreover, part or all of the ratchet system 20 can be located exteriorally, interiorally, or partially interiorally of the body 12. The ratchet system 20 shown in FIG. 1A comprises two mating teethed discs 24 and 26 wherein the teeth are angled so that each disc 24 and 26 can rotate in only one direction.

[0025] In sum, the combination of the ratchet system 20 and the user's operation of the handle 34 causes the floss 14 to advance. Other means for advancing the floss 14 may also be used, including those to be discussed further herein.

[0026] Once the user is finished flossing, the user may close the handle 34 so that the prongs 30 and 32 are situated close to each other. In this configuration, the flossing device 10 may be conveniently stored in the cavity of, for example, a toothbrush holder by placing the closed prongs 30 and 32 inside the cavity. In some embodiments, the user may tear off used floss 14 against a part on the body 12. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the user can tear off used floss 14 by forcing it against sharp edges on the ratchet system 20.

[0027] FIG. 2A shows another embodiment of a flossing device 10. In this embodiment, both the feeding spool 16 and the collecting spool 18 of this ratchet system 20 have spokelike teeth instead of the triangular teeth shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Moreover, unlike the teeth in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the teeth here are located on the circumferences of the spools 16 and 18 instead of on top of the spools 16 and 18.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the teeth on the spool can be located at the bottom end of the spool.

[0028] The ratchet system 20 in FIG. 2A further includes a spool locking rod 40 and a spool locking pivot rod or lever 42. One end of the spool locking rod 40 is fixed to the body 12, and the other end of the spool locking rod 40 is disposed between the teeth on the collecting spool 18 so as to allow the collecting spool 18 to rotate in only one direction (that is, the direction that causes the collecting spool 18 to collect floss 14). As for the spool locking pivot lever 42, the latter is similarly disposed between the teeth of the feeding spool 16. However, the pivot lever 42 can pivot about a pivot point 44 so that the pivot lever 42 is no longer disposed between the teeth of the feeding spool 16.

[0029] To operate the embodiment shown in FIG. 2A, the user releases the feeding spool 16 by actuating the pivot lever 42 so that the pivot lever 42 does not mate with the teeth of the feeding spool 16. The user then manipulates the handle 34 so that the prongs 30 and 32 open away from each other, thereby causing the collecting spool 18 (which is prevented from rotating in the wrong direction via the locking rod 40) to draw fresh floss 14 out of the feeding spool 16. In some embodiments of the present invention, a handle locking rod 46 is coupled to the body 12 so that the user may floss without having to worry about accidentally moving the handle 34 in such a way that causes the prongs 30 and 32 to close towards each other. The handle locking rod 46 may be any sort of locking device. For example, the handle locking rod 46 may be like those that are sometimes found on a pair of regular cutting scissors.

Such a handle locking rod 46 might comprise a first end 46a that is fixedly attached to one part of the body 12 and a second end 46b that is inserted into a hole 47 in another part of the body 12. The second end 46b might have ridges 46c extending from it to provide friction against the hole 47 when the handle 34 is open. To close the handle 34, the user quickly slightly further opens the handle 34, thereby bypassing the friction from the ridges 46c and allowing the handle 34 to be closed.

[0030] Once the prongs 30 and 32 are in open position, the user may release the pivot lever 42 so that the pivot lever 42 again engages the teeth on the feeding spool 16. The user may then proceed to floss.

When the user desires to advance the floss 14 to use fresh floss, the user can use his or her finger or thumb to rotate the collecting spool 18 (as shown in FIG. 2A, the teeth on the collecting spool 18 preferably extend outside the body 12 so that the user may conveniently access the teeth with his or her thumb) and thereby advance floss 14 from the feeding spool 16. Once the user is finished flossing, the user may manipulate the handle 34 to close together the prongs 30 and 32. Thereafter, the user may desire to further rotate the collecting spool 18 to tighten up any slack in the floss that may have resulted from closing together the prongs 30 and 32.

[0031] FIG. 3A shows an embodiment of a flossing device 10 that is designed to be"fully automatic." Besides two floss spools 56 and 58, the ratchet system 20 of this embodiment includes a ratio gear 50, teethed rods 52a (shown best in FIG. 3B) and 52b, and a rotatable disc 54 coupled to spool 58 to create a centrifugal clutch system. When a user opens the handle 34, the teeth on rod 52a mate with the teeth on spool 56, thereby causing floss 14 to be advanced from spool 56. The opening of the handle 34 also causes rod 52b to actuate rotatable disc 54 via rod 52b and the ratio gear 50. However, spool 58 remains fixed because a rod 56 prevents spool 58 from rotating.

[0032] Once the handle 34 is opened, the ratchet system 20 becomes locked up so that floss 14 is prevented from advancing from either of the spools 56 or 58. The user may now floss using the flossing device 10.

[0033] After the user finishes flossing, the user then closes the handle 34. This causes rods 52a and 52b to rotate spool 56 and gear 50, respectively. Gear 50 then actuates the centrifugal clutch system of disc 54 and spool 58 so that the floss 14 from spool 58 is advanced.

[0034] It is underscored that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments herein should be deemed only as illustrative. Indeed, the appended claims indicate the scope of the invention; the description, being used for illustrative purposes, does not limit the scope of the invention. All variations that come witin the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

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