Dental Flossing Ring with Grooved Fastener
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dental flossing devices are cumbersome, messy, and inefficient, leading to excessive waste and difficulty in maintaining proper flossing techniques, as they require specially formed dental floss and involve significant manual dexterity and discomfort, especially when wet.
Innovation Solution
A dental flossing device with a ring-like structure that securely attaches dental floss using a fastener system with a depression, crown, and pedestal, allowing minimal floss usage for attachment while keeping the rest available for flossing, and includes a second body for storing used floss, reducing waste and mess.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional dental flossing methods are used, then flossing can be performed, but the process becomes cumbersome and requires significant manual dexterity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a ring device as an intermediary tool between the user's fingers and the dental floss. The ring provides a structured interface with grooves that guide the floss and fingers that grip the ring, eliminating the need for direct manual manipulation of the floss itself. This mediator simplifies the operation by providing a stable, easy-to-grip structure while maintaining effective flossing function.
2Ease of operation
If dental floss is wound around fingers for gripping, then control is achieved, but discomfort and mess increase especially when wet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the gripping function from the fingers directly and transfers it to a dedicated ring structure. The ring is designed with a void for finger insertion and an outward-facing surface for floss attachment, separating the gripping task from the floss manipulation task. This extraction prevents saliva and bacteria from contaminating the user's fingers while maintaining secure grip and control.
3Productivity
If conventional flossing devices are used, then flossing can occur, but excessive waste of dental floss results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by providing a supply of pre-wound dental floss on the ring device. The floss is initially attached and wound on the ring in a ready-to-use configuration, eliminating the need to handle, measure, and attach floss during each flossing session. This preliminary preparation reduces waste by ensuring precise floss usage and preventing unnecessary disposal of excess floss.
4Reliability
If dental floss is attached using conventional methods, then flossing is possible, but significant amounts of floss are consumed for attachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the nesting principle by winding the dental floss multiple times within grooves on the ring's surface. The floss is nested within the grooves and secured by the ring's structure, creating a compact, space-efficient attachment method. This nested configuration provides secure attachment while minimizing the amount of floss consumed, as the grooves contain and organize the floss efficiently.
Data Source
AI summary
A dental flossing device comprising a first body circumscribing a void adapted to receive one or more fingers of a user, an outward-facing surface, opposite from the void, having a first segment comprising at least one pair of cleats arranged to define a circumferential groove for receiving and carrying one or more revolutions of the dental floss formed by wrapping the dental floss along the circumferential groove. A second segment of the outward-facing surface includes a fastener comprising a depression, a crown with a base wall and a niche in the base wall, and a pedestal that connects the base wall of the crown to a floor of the depression. The base wall, niche and the pedestal are configured to provide a space located between the floor of the depression and the base wall to receive and secure a free end of the dental floss. The device permits users to easily hold and manipulate the dental floss into position for flossing, eliminating the problems associated with gripping dental floss directly with the hands.