Adaptable mouthpiece assembly for teeth cleaning

Abstract

An apparatus and method for applying oral care with an adaptable mouthpiece assembly is provided. The adaptable mouthpiece assembly includes a support plate configured to be inserted into a user's mouth and a chain member configured to accommodate portions of the user's teeth and gums. The chain member includes a plurality of shackles arranged in series on the support plate and hinged to one another. A rear shackle is coupled to the support plate via a first fixed pivot. A front shackle is coupled to the support plate via a movable pivot. The configuration of the plurality of shackles is adjustable by allowing the plurality of shackles to move freely in a horizontal plane along the support plate between the first fixed pivot and the movable pivot.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to mouthpieces used in oral care applications, and more particularly to mouthpiece assemblies that are adaptable to fit the dental arches of different users. [Background technology]

[0002] Mouthpieces that provide partial or complete dental cleaning are becoming more popular. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] To provide effective cleaning, such mouthpieces and their brushing surfaces require adjustment to closely fit the shape of the user's dental arch, which, however, varies greatly for different users due to varying arch sizes, malocclusions, missing teeth, etc.

[0004] A mechanically driven mouthpiece is required to be flexible enough to accommodate the dental arches of different users, and to have an amount of rigidity that allows the force from the driving mechanism to be evenly distributed throughout the mouthpiece and destroy plaque on the tooth surfaces. In some cases, the teeth can be used to deform the mouthpiece to fit the shape of the teeth. However, when bristles are used to clean the teeth, the bristles will also be deformed by the teeth to obtain the "correct" mouthpiece shape and will not function properly. Furthermore, the force applied to obtain the correct mouthpiece shape contributes to high friction of the mouthpiece against the teeth. Many applications require the user to move the mouthpiece to clean all the teeth, which becomes more difficult when high friction is involved.

[0005] What is needed are improved devices and methods for oral care applications that provide an adjustable mouthpiece that can fit the dental arches of many people.

[0006] Therefore, it is an objective of the present disclosure to reduce the force required to adapt the mouthpiece to the anatomy of the dental arch. Better adaptation to the dental anatomy results in better performance for oral care applications, because bristle deformation can be reduced and movement of the appliance within the oral cavity is facilitated. Furthermore, the flexibility provided by one adaptable mouthpiece results in smaller sized mouthpieces to cover a range of human tooth shapes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to implementations and embodiments described herein that address such needs, a mouthpiece assembly for oral care applications is provided. The mouthpiece assembly includes a support plate configured to be inserted into a user's mouth and a chain member configured to accommodate a portion of the user's teeth and gums. The support plate has a distal portion and a proximal portion. The chain member includes a plurality of shackles arranged in succession on the support plate and hinged to one another. A rear shackle of the chain member is coupled to the support plate via a first fixed pivot at a distal portion of the support plate. A front shackle is coupled to the support plate via a movable pivot at a proximal portion of the support plate. By allowing the plurality of shackles to move freely in a horizontal plane along the support plate between the first fixed pivot and the movable pivot, the configuration of the chain member is adjustable. As a result, the configuration of the chain member conforms to the curvature of the dental arch at the portion of the teeth and gums to be treated.

[0008] In some embodiments, the plurality of shackles are movable in an anterior-posterior direction and a lateral-medial direction along the support plate. In some embodiments, the front shackle is hinged to the support plate via a second fixed pivot point. In further embodiments, the movable pivot is disposed on an arm, and the arm is coupled to the support plate via a second fixed pivot. The second fixed pivot can be coupled to the support plate at a proximal portion of the support plate. In some embodiments, an angle formed between the arm and an outer surface of the front shackle is between about 0 degrees and about 45 degrees. In some embodiments, the penultimate shackle of the chain member is coupled to the support plate via a second fixed pivot. In some embodiments, the plurality of shackles comprises a U-shaped vertical cross section. In some embodiments, the plurality of shackles are coupled to one another via a hinge connection element. In some embodiments, the hinge connection element between the plurality of shackles extends along a lingual vertical wall of the U-shaped shackle. In further embodiments, the chain member comprises at least three shackles. In a further embodiment, at least one of the plurality of shackles includes a cleaning material.

[0009] In some implementations, the oral care device includes an upper mouthpiece assembly for receiving portions of the teeth and gums located on a user's upper jaw, a lower mouthpiece assembly for receiving portions of the teeth and gums located on a user's lower jaw, and a drive mechanism that provides relative vertical movement of the upper and lower mouthpiece assemblies. The upper and / or lower mouthpiece assemblies can include a mouthpiece assembly as described herein.

[0010] The subject matter described herein further includes a method of applying oral care, the method including the steps of obtaining an oral care device including an adaptable mouthpiece assembly described herein; inserting the mouthpiece assembly into a user's mouth, the chain member being in an undefined shape prior to insertion; allowing the rear shackle to contact the teeth and gum portions; fitting the mouthpiece assembly to the user's mouth, the chain member conforming to the dental arch of the teeth and gum portions to be treated; and applying an oral care procedure to the teeth and gum portions.

[0011] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a simplified top view of one embodiment of an adaptable mouthpiece assembly in accordance with the present inventive subject matter. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the adaptive mouthpiece assembly of FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a simplified isometric view of the mouthpiece assembly of FIG. 1 as applied to the upper teeth and gums. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a simplified isometric view showing details of a shackle with bristles according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of the adaptable mouthpiece assembly of FIG. 3 when positioned against the upper dental arch, illustrating the movement force from the front shackle handle. [Figure 6] 1 is a high level flow chart of an exemplary method for applying oral care with an adaptable mouthpiece assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] In the drawings, like reference numerals generally refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings and the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the inventive subject matter.

[0014] The disclosed subject matter will be better understood upon consideration of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings. The detailed description and the drawings provide exemplary embodiments of the invention described herein. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosed examples can be modified, altered, and altered without departing from the scope of the invention described herein. The invention can take form in various elements and arrangements of elements, as well as in various techniques, methods, or arrangements of procedures and steps. The referenced drawings are for illustrative embodiments and should not be construed as limiting the invention. Various inventive features are described below that can be used independently of each other or in combination with other features.

[0015] 1-5 show an exemplary embodiment of an adaptable mouthpiece assembly 10 used for cleaning teeth. The mouthpiece assembly 10 can be incorporated into an oral care device, such as a power toothbrush, in which the mouthpiece assembly 10 is part of a brush head. The brush head can be J-shaped to simultaneously clean multiple teeth on one dental arch. If one or more teeth are missing, the gums at these locations can be cleaned.

[0016] The mouthpiece assembly 10 is described herein as an assembly for an upper mouthpiece. However, the disclosed structures can be applied to a lower mouthpiece as well. In some implementations, the toothbrush can include a single mouthpiece assembly for cleaning the upper or lower dental arch. In other implementations, a mouthpiece assembly can be present in both the upper and lower mouthpieces to simultaneously clean the teeth and gums of the upper and lower dental arches. For J-shaped toothbrushes, the toothbrush can be rotated for use on the opposite side of the mouth, thereby reversing the upper and lower mouthpieces. Each mouthpiece assembly can be adapted to clean a partial set of teeth, a complete set of teeth, or even a single tooth.

[0017] Mouthpiece assembly 10 includes a support plate 12 and a chain member 14, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5. In Figures 1 and 2, mouthpiece assembly 10 is shown in an unused state in which chain member 14 has an undefined shape. In other embodiments, chain member 14 can change its configuration when inserted into a user's mouth to conform to the teeth and gums of upper dental arch 34, as shown in Figures 3 and 5. Chain member 14 can similarly conform to the lower dental arch and variations in dental arches between individual users.

[0018] 1 illustrates three mutually orthogonal axes, namely, x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis, which define an xy-plane, referred to herein as the horizontal plane, that is substantially parallel to the support plate 12 and substantially perpendicular to the lingual and facial surfaces of the teeth in the user's dental arch.

[0019] In one implementation, the oral care device includes an upper mouthpiece assembly, a lower mouthpiece assembly, and a drive mechanism that provides relative vertical movement of the upper and lower mouthpiece assemblies. Such an oral care device can have two mouthpiece assemblies that are mirror-positioned in the z-direction with a predetermined distance between two support plates. A drive mechanism can be positioned between the support plates of the upper and lower mouthpiece assemblies. In some implementations, the drive mechanism can be a bladder that can be inflated / deflated at a predetermined frequency that results in relative vertical movement of the upper mouthpiece assembly with respect to the lower mouthpiece assembly. In other implementations, there can be alternative means of forcing the vertical movement.

[0020] The support plate 12 comprises a thin elongated structure sized to fit in the mouth of a user. The embodiment shown in Figures 1-3 and 5 shows a basic form of the support plate 12. The support plate 12 has a distal portion 16 and a proximal portion 18. In a top view, the distal portion 16 has a generally rectangular shape. The proximal portion 18 can function as a handle or be coupled to a handle extension that allows the user to insert and remove the mouthpiece assembly 10 into and from the mouth. The lingual side of the proximal portion 18 is formed as a straight extension of the lingual side of the distal portion 16. The facial side of the proximal portion 18 has a sloped profile with a narrow portion at the proximal end of the support plate 12, sloping toward the facial side and joining the distal portion 16 approximately midway through the width of the support plate 12. The support plate 12 further has a top surface 36 for supporting the chain member 14 and configured to face the upper dental arch 34. The bottom surface faces the lower dental arch 38. The bottom surface can be configured to be operatively coupled with a drive mechanism.

[0021] In other embodiments, the contour of the support plate 12 can be adapted to make the mouthpiece assembly 10 more ergonomic and user-friendly. For example, the contour of the lingual side of the support plate 12 can be adjusted to provide space for the tongue, while the contour of the outer facial side of the support plate 12 can be configured to follow the curvature of the dental arch and avoid interference with inner cheek tissue.

[0022] The support plate 12 can be made from a relatively rigid material, such as moldable glass filled plastic, overmolded steel sheet, or any other suitable material.

[0023] The chain member 14 consists of five shackles 20a-20e arranged in succession on the support plate 12. The chain member 14 can move along the support plate in a horizontal plane in both anterior-posterior and lateral-medial directions. When inserted into the oral cavity, the chain member 14 moves from an undefined configuration to a configuration in which the chain member 14 is aligned with a portion of the teeth in the user's dental arch.

[0024] The number of shackles may be limited to maintain stiffness of the chain members 14 in the z-direction and allow for up and down movement of the chain members 14. In some embodiments, the number of shackles may be limited to three.

[0025] The front shackle 20a is the first shackle at the front end of the chain member 14 and is located at the proximal portion 18 of the support plate 12 corresponding to the location of the incisors. The front shackle 20a is coupled to the support plate 12 via a movable pivot 24. The rear shackle 20e is the last shackle at the rear end of the chain member 14 and is located at the distal portion 16 of the support plate 12. The rear shackle 20e is coupled to the support plate 12 via a first fixed pivot 22.

[0026] In the exemplary embodiment, the shackles 20a-20e are separate elements with a U-shaped vertical cross section. The legs of the U-shaped structure of each shackle 20a-20e are formed by a lingual vertical wall 26a-26e and an opposing facial vertical wall 28a-28e. The central portion 30a-30e interconnects the lingual vertical wall 26a-26e and the facial vertical wall 28a-28e and forms the bottom of the U-shaped structure. When placed on the support plate 12, the lingual vertical wall 26a-26e is configured to extend upwardly away from the support plate 12 and extend along the lingual surface of the tooth. The facial vertical wall 28a-28e is also configured to extend upwardly away from the support plate 12 and extend along the facial surface of the tooth. The central portion 30a-30e has an upper surface 32a-32e that fits against the horizontal surface of the tooth. As used herein, a horizontal surface of a tooth refers to the occlusal or chewing surface of the tooth, particularly the incisal surfaces of the incisors or canines and the occlusal surfaces of the premolars or molars. Each central portion 30a-30e also has a bottom surface (not shown) that faces the support plate 12.

[0027] The dimensions of each individual shackle 20a-20e are determined by the tooth they are intended to accommodate. For example, because the front shackle 20a is intended to accommodate one of the incisors or canines, its length and width can be smaller than the length and width of the rear shackle 20e, which is intended to accommodate a molar. In other embodiments, the distal shackles, such as rear shackle 20e, can be longer because there is less curvature in the corresponding location of the dental arch.

[0028] The shackles 20a-20e can be coupled to one another via hinge connection elements 40a-40d. In particular, the hinge connection elements 40a-40d couple adjacent shackles 20a and 20b, 20b and 20c, 20c and 20d, and 20d and 20e, respectively, on the lingual side of the chain member 14. The facial vertical walls 28a-28e and the central portions 30a-30e are not interconnected, which allows each shackle 20a-20e to rotate about its respective hinge connection element 40a-40d.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4, the hinge connection element 40c can include a knuckle 56 and a pin 58. The pin 58 extends along an edge of the lingual vertical wall 26c. The knuckle 56 extends along an opposite edge of the lingual vertical wall 26c. The pin 58 is paired with the knuckle of the adjacent shackle 20b, and the knuckle 56 is paired with the pin of the adjacent shackle 20d. In some embodiments, the ends of the adjacent lingual vertical walls 26a-26e can be connected to each other via clickable pivot points. In other embodiments, the hinge connection element 40a-40d can be a film hinge. In such an embodiment, the shackles 20a-20e can be constructed as a single piece with flexible film hinges between the individual shackles 20a-20e. In further embodiments, other suitable hinge systems can be used.

[0030] The chain members 14 can move in a horizontal plane, i.e. linearly in the xy directions and rotationally about the z axis. The individual shackles 26a-26e can rotate relative to one another about the hinge connection elements 40a-40d and slide on the support plate 12 in the fore-aft and outward-inward directions. The movement of the entire chain member 14 is limited by the first fixed pivot 22 and the second fixed pivot 64. Movement of the shackles 26a-26e in the z direction is provided by a drive mechanism, which in some embodiments may also provide movement in the x and y directions.

[0031] In Figures 1 and 5, the top views of the shackles 20a-20e are shown as rectangular blocks. Because the length of the inner curve of the chain member 14 is shorter than the length of the outer curve, there are gaps along the length of the outer curve. These gaps appear along the outside of the shackles 20a-20e, especially between the shackles that correspond to the teeth at the front of the mouth where the curvature of the dental arch is more pronounced. The user must move the mouthpiece back and forth to provide cleaning action on all of the tooth surfaces.

[0032] In other embodiments, shackles 20a-20e can have arc-shaped facial and / or lingual walls (not shown) to compensate for gaps along the outer curve of the chain members. The degree of curvature of the lingual and / or facial walls of the shackle can be balanced with the freedom of movement desired for the shackle and the size range the mouthpiece is intended to cover.

[0033] The shackles 20a-20e may be made of a sufficiently rigid material to have functioning hinges between them, so that all of the shackles 20a-20e follow the downward movement of the support plate 12 in the downward direction, since only the shackles 20a and 20e are connected to the support plate 12 at a pivot point. In some embodiments, the shape of the shackles may be conical, tapered, or any other functional shape. In further embodiments, the shackles may be formed in any other shape that allows for easy insertion of the mouthpiece assembly around the user's dental arch. The size and shape of the individual shackles, the length and pattern of the chain members may be optimized for a particular application.

[0034] Additionally, the shackles 20a-20e may comprise a dental cleaning material suitable for removing food debris and plaque from the teeth. As seen in Figs. 3-4, the shackle 20c of the mouthpiece assembly 10 comprises bristles 42. The bristles 42 may be attached to an inner surface 44 of the lingual vertical wall 26c and an inner surface 46 of the facial vertical wall 28c. The bristles 42 extend substantially perpendicularly from the inner surface 44 of the lingual vertical wall 26c and the inner surface 46 of the facial vertical wall 28c. In use, the bristles 42 are directed toward the lingual and facial surfaces of the teeth, or toward the gingival areas adjacent to the tooth surfaces. The length of the bristles 42 may be determined by the shape of the corresponding teeth and the sensitivity of the gingiva. The stiffness of the bristles may also be varied to accommodate the anatomy of a particular dental arch and / or application. The bristles 42 may be attached to a pad 48 that is adhered to the inner surface 44. In some embodiments, the bristles may extend at an angle. In other embodiments, the bristles may be configured in various tuft configurations. In further embodiments, instead of using bristles, other tooth cleaning structures including pads or other cleaning elements can be used.

[0035] The rear shackle 20e has a first fixed pivot 22 fixed to the support plate 12 at a location P1 on the lingual side of the support plate 12. The lingual vertical wall 26e of the rear shackle 20e can have a hollow cylindrical element 50 extending vertically along a distal end 52 of the lingual vertical wall 26e. The hollow cylindrical element 50 receives a pin 54, which allows the cylindrical element 50 to rotate about the pin 54. The pin 54 is fixed to the support plate 12 and extends upwardly from the support plate 12 to form the first fixed pivot 22. Thus, the rear shackle 20e and the chain member 14 can rotate about the fixed pivot 22. In other embodiments, other types of hinge systems can be used to achieve rotation about the first fixed pivot 22. In some embodiments, a different shackle can function as the first fixed pivot point.

[0036] The front shackle 20a is hinged to the support plate 12 via the moving pivot 24 at a position P3. An arm 60 interconnects the moving pivot 24 and a second fixed pivot 64. The arm 60 includes a rectangular plate 62, which can rotate with its short side about the second fixed pivot 64. The rectangular plate 62 is disposed substantially perpendicular to the support plate 12 and has a height corresponding to the height of the shackle 20a. The arm 60 has a moving end 66 and a fixed end 68.

[0037] The mobile pivot 24 is formed by a C-shaped coupling element 72 and a connecting element 74. The C-shaped coupling element 72 is disposed at the vertical end 70 of the mobile end 66 of the arm 60. The connecting element 74 protrudes from an outer surface 76 of the facial vertical wall 28a of the shackle 20a. The connecting element 74 comprises a vertically elongated knob shape about which the C-shaped coupling element 72 can partially rotate. The shape and configuration of the coupling element 72 complements the shape and configuration of the connecting element 74 such that a pivotal connection is achieved. Rotation of the mobile pivot 24 is limited by the outer surface 76 of the front shackle 20a.

[0038] The second fixed pivot 64 is formed by a barrel 78 and a pin 80. The pin 80 is fixed to the support plate 12 of the proximal portion 18 at a location P2 toward the side / facial edge of the support plate 12. The pin 80 extends upwardly from the support plate 12. The barrel 78 is coupled to the fixed end 68 of the arm 60 by extending along a vertical edge of the elongated plate 62 and pivotally receives the pin 80 to form a hinge that allows rotation of the arm 60 about the pin 80. The location of the second fixed pivot 64 and the length of the arm 60 are determined by the amount of travel desired for the chain member 14.

[0039] When the mouthpiece assembly 10 is moved back and forth in the mouth, the moving force from the handle portion, e.g., the proximal portion 18, of the support plate 12 on the front shackle 20a is in the direction of rotation of the arm 60 between positions P2 and P3. FIG. 5 shows the angle α between the outer surface 76 of the front shackle 20a and the arm 60, which determines the degree of rotation allowed between the outer surface 76 of the front shackle 20a and the arm 60. In use, the angle α is also determined by the force exerted on the hair by the front shackle 20a. The angle α may change while the chain member 14 moves. However, in the embodiment described herein, the angle α should be between about 0 degrees and about 45 degrees to avoid blocking the brushing action.

[0040] In some positions, a portion of the front shackle 20a or the entire shackle 20a moves beyond the lingual edge of the support plate 12, which allows the mouthpiece assembly to clean half of the dental arch. However, if the dental arch is small, the chain member 14 can cover more than half of the dental arch. Depending on the shape and configuration of the user's mouth, the chain member 14 can be in many positions / orientations.

[0041] In other embodiments, the arm 60 can be coupled to a different shackle of the chain member 14 via a structural arrangement similar to that described above. For example, the arm 60 can be hinged to the penultimate shackle 20b instead of the front shackle 20a to increase the vertical stiffness of the chain member 14.

[0042] When not in use, the chain members 14 rest in an undefined configuration on the support plate 12. When the user inserts the mouthpiece assembly 10 into the mouth, initial contact may be made with the distal portion 16 of the mouthpiece assembly 10. The user may align the rear shackle 20e and / or other shackles on the distal portion 16 of the support plate 12 to engage the back molars in the x-direction. By closing the mouth, more shackles may be aligned with the teeth. The front shackle 20a and / or other shackles towards the proximal portion 18 may be aligned in the y-direction, so that the configuration of the entire chain members 14 is adapted to the dental arch. The configuration of the chain members 14 may be adjusted by sufficient movement of the shackles 20a-20e in the horizontal plane along the support plate between the first fixed pivot 22 and the movable pivot 24, so that the chain members are adapted to the curvature of the dental arch.

[0043] In the upward direction, the shackles 20a-20e are supported by the support plate 12 and are able to move upward as a whole. In the downward direction, the shackles 20a-20e are able to move downward due to the rigidity in the interconnections between the shackles 20a-20e and due to the rigidity between the shackles 20a-20e, the first fixed pivot 22 and the second fixed pivot 64.

[0044] In embodiments where the upper and lower mouthpieces are inserted simultaneously, the chain members of the upper and lower mouthpieces can be aligned with both the upper and lower dental arches. The mouthpieces with the assemblies described herein can be designed to accommodate a range of variations in the anatomy of the dental arches. However, in cases of malocclusions such as deep bites or underbites, the user may need to move the jaw slightly in two alignment directions to find the proper fit and align the upper and lower mouthpiece assemblies with the dental arches.

[0045] In some embodiments, the drive mechanism can include one or more inflatable bladders disposed between the upper and lower mouthpieces. The inflatable bladders can be in fluid communication with a pneumatic device that provides pressure to inflate the bladders and suction to deflate the bladders. The alternating inflation / deflation can result in vertical up and down movement of the support plates of the upper and lower mouthpieces.

[0046] The subject method further contemplates a method of applying oral care using an adaptable mouthpiece assembly. Figure 6 is a high level flow chart of a method 100 of applying oral care. Method 100 can include obtaining an oral care device including an adaptable mouthpiece assembly as disclosed herein, inserting the mouthpiece assembly into a user's mouth, allowing the rear shackle to contact the teeth and gum area, fitting the mouthpiece assembly to the user's mouth, where the chain members conform to the dental arch of the teeth and gum area to be treated, and applying an oral care procedure to the teeth and gum area.

[0047] An adaptable mouthpiece assembly, such as the embodiment described above, is configured to be inserted into a user's mouth and includes a support plate having a distal portion and a proximal portion, and a chain member configured to accommodate the teeth and gum portion. The adaptable mouthpiece further includes a plurality of shackles hinged to each other and arranged in series on the support plate. The rear shackle is coupled to the support plate via a first fixed pivot at the distal portion of the support plate, and the front shackle is coupled to the support plate via a movable pivot at the proximal portion of the support plate. By allowing the plurality of shackles to move freely in a horizontal plane along the support plate between the first fixed pivot and the movable pivot, the configuration of the chain member is adjustable. As a result, the chain member conforms to the curvature of the dental arch at the teeth and gum portion to be treated. The chain member is in an undefined configuration before insertion, but conforms to the dental arch at the teeth and gum portion to be treated in use.

[0048] While the present invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration based on what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it should be understood that such detail is for this purpose only and that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, it should be understood that the present invention contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment can be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment.

[0049] All definitions and definitions used herein should be understood to supersede any dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and / or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

[0050] The indefinite articles "a" and "an," as used in the specification and claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean "at least one." Further, singular references do not exclude a plural, thus the use of "a", "an", "first", "second", etc. does not exclude a plural.

[0051] Reference signs in the claims are provided merely as a clarifying example and shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims in any way.

[0052] The term "and / or" as used in the specification and claims should be understood to mean "either or both" of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctive in some cases and disjunctive in other cases. Multiple elements listed with "and / or" should be construed in the same manner, i.e., to mean "one or more" of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specified in the "and / or" clause, whether or not related to the specified elements.

[0053] "Or" as used in the specification and claims should be understood to have the same meaning as "and / or" as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, "or" or "and / or" should be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., including at least one of the elements of the plurality or list, but also including one or more, and optionally including additional items not in the list. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as "only" or "exactly one," or "consisting of" as used in the claims, mean that exactly one element of the plurality or list elements is included. In general, the term "or" as used herein should be interpreted to indicate exclusive alternatives (i.e., "either or the other but not both") only when preceded by an exclusive term, such as "either," "one," "only," or "exactly one."

[0054] As used in the specification and claims, the phrase "at least one" in connection with a list of one or more elements should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more elements in the list of elements, but does not necessarily include at least one of each and every element specifically listed in the list of elements, and does not exclude any combination of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows for the optional presence of elements other than those specifically identified in the list of elements to which the term "at least one" refers, whether or not related to the specifically identified element.

[0055] Unless expressly indicated to the contrary, in any method described herein that includes multiple steps or acts, it will be understood that the order of the method steps or acts is not necessarily limited to the order in which the method steps or acts are described.

[0056] In the claims and the specification, all transitional terms such as "have," "including," "carry," "have," "comprise," "involve," "hold," "made," and the like, are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to imply inclusion and not limitation.

[0057] While several inventive embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those skilled in the art can readily envision various other means and / or structures for performing the functions and / or obtaining the results and / or obtaining one or more advantages described herein, and each such variation and / or modification is deemed to be within the scope of the inventive embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are intended to be exemplary, and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and / or configurations will depend on the particular use or application in which the teachings of the present invention are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain with no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific inventive embodiments described herein. Thus, the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only, and it will be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, the inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the present application are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and / or method described herein. Furthermore, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods is within the scope of the present application, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods are not mutually inconsistent.

Claims

1. An oral care mouthpiece assembly, comprising: a support plate for insertion into the user's mouth and having a distal portion and a proximal portion; a chain member for receiving portions of the teeth and gums of the user, the chain member including a plurality of shackles arranged in series on the support plate and hingedly connected to one another; a rear shackle coupled to the support plate via a first fixed pivot at a distal portion of the support plate, and a front shackle coupled to the support plate via a movable pivot at a proximal portion of the support plate; A mouthpiece assembly, wherein the configuration of the chain members is adjustable by allowing the plurality of shackles to move freely in a horizontal plane along the support plate between the first fixed pivot and the movable pivot, and the configuration of the chain members conforms to the curvature of the dental arch at the portion of the teeth and gums to be treated.

2. The mouthpiece assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shackles are movable along the support plate in the anterior-posterior and lateral-medial directions.

3. The mouthpiece assembly of claim 1 , wherein the front shackle is hinged to the support plate via a second fixed pivot point.

4. The mouthpiece assembly of claim 1 , wherein the movable pivot is disposed on an arm, the arm being coupled to the support plate via a second fixed pivot.

5. The mouthpiece assembly of claim 4 , wherein the second fixed pivot is coupled to the support plate at a proximal portion of the support plate.

6. 5. The mouthpiece assembly of claim 4, wherein the angle formed between the arm and the outer surface of the front shackle is between about 0 degrees and about 45 degrees.

7. The mouthpiece assembly of claim 1 , wherein the penultimate shackle of the chain member is coupled to the support plate via a second fixed pivot.

8. The mouthpiece assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shackles comprises a U-shaped vertical cross section.

9. The mouthpiece assembly of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of shackles are coupled to one another via a hinge connection element.

10. 10. The mouthpiece assembly of claim 9, wherein the hinge connection elements between the plurality of shackles extend along lingual vertical walls of the plurality of shackles.

11. The mouthpiece assembly of claim 1 , wherein the chain member includes at least three shackles.

12. The mouthpiece assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of shackles includes a cleaning material.

13. An oral care device comprising: an upper mouthpiece assembly that receives the teeth and gums of a user positioned on the upper jaw; a lower mouthpiece assembly that receives a portion of the teeth and gums located on the user's lower jaw; a drive mechanism that provides relative vertical movement of the upper mouthpiece assembly and the lower mouthpiece assembly; An oral care device, wherein the upper mouthpiece assembly and / or the lower mouthpiece assembly comprises the mouthpiece assembly of claim 1 .

14. The oral care device of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of shackles are movable along the support plate in an anterior-posterior direction and a lateral-medial direction.

15. The oral care device of claim 13 , wherein the front shackle is hinged to the support plate via a second fixed pivot point.

16. The oral care device of claim 13 , wherein the movable pivot is disposed on an arm, the arm being coupled to the support plate via a second fixed pivot.

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