1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to products for oral hygiene and especially products for cleaning the teeth and more particularly to a combination dental cloth and dispensing package.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Billgren, U.S. Pat. No. D287,197 provides the ornamental design for an embossed cloth.
Lutz, U.S. Pat. No. 3,124,824 describes a tooth cleaning instrumentality formed of two layers of thin plastic film heat sealed along their longitudinal edges to form a cot, one layer being substantially longer than the other so as to project at the bottom of the cot to form a tab which may be grasped by the fingers of one hand for pulling the cot onto a finger of the other hand, the shorter layer of film having secured thereto a layer of plastic foam of substantially the same shape as said film layer, said shorter film layer and foam layer having a lobe-like formation at the bottom thereof of smaller size than the extension tab on the longer plastic layer so as to leave a part of the extension tab exposed for grasping while still forming an area which may be overlapped by the thumb adjacent to the finger on which the cot is applied.
Register, U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,299 describes a device adapted to be worn on the finger for cleaning the teeth, wherein the device has an outer surface provided with a fabric texture with the fabric being impregnated with a dentifrice material. The device has a tab at the open end thereof for facilitating the placement of the device on a finger.
Berg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,247 describes a disposable tooth cleaning and polishing product for manually cleaning teeth comprising a sheet of thin, flexible material such as paper, cloth or synthetic foam material which may also be formed and contoured. The material is substantially insoluble in water and oral cavity juices and has at least one surface with sufficient surface texture to remove plaque, food residue and film, and oral cavity acids from teeth surfaces by manually rubbing the material with finger pressure against the teeth while also being sufficiently soft and pliable so as to avoid injuring or abraiding the gums. The formed, flexible material may have various embodiments each adapted to fit over the end of the user""s finger for enhanced retention for rubbing against the teeth. The flexible sheet may also include releasable adhesion means on one surface for attachment to the fingertip and may also be retained in place against the fingertip by a ring over the finger and sheet fitted to the finger""s first knuckle. A flexible sheet may be provided individually, packaged for dispensing, or in roll form perforated for convenient separation.
Hansen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,201 describes an oral wipe comprising a sleeve, the sleeve being comprised of interwoven material, the sleeve having a closed end extending to at least one comer at the closed end, a pick element comprised of a heat sealable component, and a piece of dental floss, the piece of floss having one floss end embedded and retainingly secured in the heat sealable component.
Mittiga, WO95/31154 describes a glove of fine natural or synthetic rubber for one finger of the hand having one or more operational areas prepared on the surface in a longitudinal direction to correspond especially with the position of the finger tip, to enable the teeth, gums and other parts of the oral cavity to be rubbed and massaged also with the aid of various products for cleaning the teeth such as dentifrice or others for health-giving treatment, massage and beneficial action generally.
The prior art teaches the use of oral wipes for the teeth but does not teach the present combination which provides an improved material, size and package.
The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
The present invention is a dental wiper providing a package having a front panel, a rear panel and a circumferential side panel joining the front and rear panels as an integral unit defining an interior space. The front panel provides an open slot extending substantially across the package. The open slot has a central access portion with clearance for finger tip entry into the interior space of the package. A plurality of dental sheets are arranged in a stack within the package. The dental sheets each have a width approximately equal to the slot width where the dental sheets position one edge of the sheets, adjacent to the access portion of the slot for being manually engaged for withdrawal. The sheets are made of a dental floss material and are useful for manually cleaning the surfaces of the teeth.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method of use of such apparatus that provides advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to provide such an invention capable of being carried in pocket or purse for convenient use.
A further objective is to provide such an invention capable of providing an improved surface wipe for cleaning the teeth.
A still further objective is to provide such an invention capable of easy storage of surface wipes and convenient dispensing of the wipes one after the other as needed.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.