Dental floss dispenser
A dental floss dispenser. The dispenser includes a dispenser housing enclosing an interior portion and a dispensing portion. The dispensing portion is slidably positioned inside the interior portion of the dispenser housing. The dispensing portion has a stored position and a dispensing position. In the stored position, the dispensing portion is entirely disposed in the interior portion. In the dispensing position, the dispensing portion is partially disposed outside of the interior portion. The dispensing portion further includes a storage chamber for storing a wound string of dental floss and a floss dispensing cavity for holding at least a portion of the wound string of dental floss extracted from the storage chamber.
1 . A dental floss dispenser, comprising:
a dispenser housing enclosing an interior portion;
a dispensing portion slidably positioned inside the interior portion of the dispenser housing, the dispensing portion having a stored position and a dispensing position, wherein, in the stored position, the dispensing portion is entirely disposed in the interior portion, and, in the dispensing position, the dispensing portion is partially disposed outside of the interior portion;
the dispensing portion including a storage chamber for storing a wound string of dental floss, a cutting mechanism, and a floss dispensing cavity for holding at least a portion of the wound string of dental floss extracted from the storage chamber;
a top portion of the dispensing portion that is exposed when the dispensing portion is in the stored position and in the dispensing position;
wherein the cutting mechanism includes an opening that extends from the floss dispensing cavity through the entirety of the top portion of the dispensing portion; and
a locking mechanism configured to retain the dispensing portion in the stored position and the dispensing position, wherein the locking mechanism includes a spring component and a latching component, wherein the spring component of the locking mechanism is configured to pop-out the dispensing portion from the stored position to the dispensing position when the latching component is unlocked by pressing the dispensing portion towards the interior portion and subsequently releasing the dispensing portion.
2 . The dental floss dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the latching component is configured to retain the dispensing portion in the stored position when locked by pressing the dispensing portion towards the interior portion until the dispensing portion is locked inside the interior portion.
3 . The dental floss dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the dispensing portion is configured to be entirely removable from the interior portion of the dispenser housing.
4 . The dental floss dispenser according to claim 3 , wherein the wound string of dental floss is configured to be removable from the storage chamber upon entire removal of the dispensing portion from the interior portion of the dispenser housing.
5 . The dental floss dispenser according to claim 4 , wherein the wound string of dental floss is configured to be wound in a coreless manner.
6 . The dental floss dispenser according to claim 5 , further comprising a support structure configured to wrap the wound string of dental floss.
7 . The dental floss dispenser according to claim 6 , wherein the support structure is configured to adhesively wrap the wound string of dental floss.
8 . The dental floss dispenser according to claim 5 , wherein the wound string of dental floss is configured to unwind from an interior of the wound string of dental floss.
9 . The dental floss dispenser according to claim 5 , wherein the wound string of dental floss is configured to have one or more exterior dimensions smaller than one or more interior dimensions of the storage chamber.
10 . The dental floss dispenser according to claim 5 , wherein the wound string of dental floss includes a laminated end.
11 . The dental floss dispenser according to claim 5 , wherein the wound string of dental floss is configured to be wound in at least one of the following shapes: a cylinder, a tube, a roll, a torus, a sphere, a cone, a prism, an ellipsoid, a helix, and any combination thereof.
12 . The dental floss dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the dispensing portion includes
a concave open cavity having a top and a bottom;
a first opening disposed in the bottom and configured for protruding the portion of the wound string of dental floss from the storage chamber; and
a second opening disposed in the top and configured for holding the protruded portion of the wound string of dental floss.
13 . The dental floss dispenser according to claim 12 , wherein the second opening of the concave open cavity includes the cutting mechanism.
14 . The dental floss dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the dispenser housing includes a stopping mechanism disposed in the interior portion proximate to a top of the dispenser housing and the dispensing portion includes one or more protrusions disposed on an exterior surface of the dispensing portion, the stopping mechanism is configured to interact with the one or more protrusions to temporarily prevent removal of the dispensing portion from the interior portion of the dispenser housing.
15 . The dental floss dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the storage chamber is configured to be interlocked with the floss dispensing cavity for holding the wound string of dental floss.
16 . The dental floss dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the dispensing portion further comprises:
a concave open cavity having first opening for protruding the portion of the wound string of dental floss from the storage chamber, and a second opening that extends from the concave open cavity and through the top portion of the dispensing portion.
17 . The dental floss dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a top portion that is exposed when the dispensing portion is in the stored position and in the dispensing position, wherein the top portion is dimensioned to fully fit within the interior portion of the dispenser housing.
18 . The dental floss dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the dispenser housing has an opening in communication with the interior portion, and wherein the spring component is configured to pop-out the dispensing portion from the stored position to the dispensing position by pressing the top surface of the dispensing portion towards the interior portion past the opening of the dispenser housing and subsequently releasing the dispensing portion to the dispensing position.
19 . A method, comprising:
providing a dental floss dispenser comprising:
a dispenser housing enclosing an interior portion;
a dispensing portion slidably positioned inside the interior portion of the dispenser housing, the dispensing portion having a stored position and a dispensing position, wherein, in the stored position, the dispensing portion is entirely disposed in the interior portion, and, in the dispensing position, the dispensing portion is partially disposed outside of the interior portion; and
a locking mechanism configured to retain the dispensing portion in the stored position and the dispensing position, wherein the locking mechanism includes an ejection spring and a latching component, wherein the ejection spring of the locking mechanism is configured to pop-out the dispensing portion from the stored position to the dispensing position when the latching component is unlocked by pressing the dispensing portion towards the interior portion and subsequently releasing the dispensing portion,
the dispensing portion including a storage chamber for storing a wound string of dental floss, a cutting mechanism, and a floss dispensing cavity for holding at least a portion of the wound string of dental floss extracted from the storage chamber;
a top portion of the dispensing portion that is exposed when the dispensing portion is in the stored position and in the dispensing position,
wherein the cutting mechanism includes an opening that extends from the floss dispensing cavity through the entirety of the top portion of the dispensing portion;
removing the dispensing portion from the interior portion of the dispenser housing;
inserting the wound string of dental floss into the storage chamber;
extracting at least a portion of the wound string of dental floss from the storage chamber and positioning the extracted portion of the wound string of dental floss across the floss dispensing cavity; and
placing the dispensing portion into the interior portion of the dispenser housing.
20 . A method, comprising:
providing a dental floss dispenser comprising:
a dispenser housing enclosing an interior portion;
a dispensing portion slidably positioned inside the interior portion of the dispenser housing, the dispensing portion having a stored position and a dispensing position, wherein, in the stored position, the dispensing portion is entirely disposed in the interior portion, and, in the dispensing position, the dispensing portion is partially disposed outside of the interior portion; and
a locking mechanism configured to retain the dispensing portion in the stored position and the dispensing position, wherein the locking mechanism includes an ejection spring and a latching component, wherein the ejection spring of the locking mechanism is configured to pop-out the dispensing portion from the stored position to the dispensing position when the latching component is unlocked,
the dispensing portion including a storage chamber for storing a wound string of dental floss, a cutting mechanism, and a floss dispensing cavity for holding at least a portion of the wound string of dental floss extracted from the storage chamber;
a top portion of the dispensing portion that is exposed when the dispensing portion is in the stored position and in the dispensing position,
wherein the cutting mechanism includes an opening that extends from the floss dispensing cavity through the entirety of the top portion of the dispensing portion;
pressing the dispensing portion towards the interior portion and subsequently releasing the dispensing portion to unlock the latching component and move the dispensing portion to the dispensing position;
extracting at least a portion of dental floss from the storage chamber and securing the extracted portion to the floss dispensing cavity;
using the at least a portion of dental floss for flossing; and
pressing the dispensing portion into the interior portion of the dispenser housing to engage the latching component so the dispensing portion is retained in the stored position.