AU709331B2

AU709331B2 - Teething gel applicator and massager for gums

Info

Publication number: AU709331B2
Application number: AU28440/95A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Rondha May Taylor
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-10-31
Filing date: 1995-08-08
Publication date: 1999-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 2015-08-08
Also published as: AU2844095A

Description

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00 0 0*S 0 0000 0 @0 0 00 5 00 0* 00 00 0* S OS 0 *c 0 9. *0 THIS INVENTION relates to a gum massage device also available for use as an oral gel applicator suitable for but not limited to the application of an oral anaesthetic gel to the exposed gums for relief of an oral condition.

Anaesthetic gels have been used to relieve the symptoms of teething in infants. Other gum conditions in adults are also receptive to anaesthetic gels for temporary relief, these include soreness arising from the use of dentures. At present, these gels are applied by applying a small amount of the gel to the fingers and then rubbing the gel in the mouth of the person seeking the relief.

This is unhygienic and quite often the gel is incorrectly applied or applied to the 10 wrong site.

It is an object of the present invention to alleviate at least to some degree the aforementioned problems of the prior art by providing in one aspect a gum massage device also available for use as an oral gel applicator comprising an elongated handle and an applicator head at one end thereof, the applicator head 15 having a longitudinally extending massage surface for receiving and holding gel when in an inverted gel receiving orientation, the applicator head being so sized and arranged that it can pass into the mouth of a user and the massage surface being sized and arranged approximately to the shape and size of exposed gums and the handle being arranged for manipulation of the head inside the mouth to apply the gel to the gums. The applicator can be used with gel or can be used without gel solely for massage purposes.

The handle is preferably configured with a distal portion remote from the head, a proximal portion adjacent the head and an intermediate portion between Sthe remote and proximal portions, the distal portion being laterally offset from the hQx~ 7

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proximal portion so that the head can be manoeuvred to the region of the back teeth of a user so that in use the distal portion is set at a slight inclination and laterally offset away from the face of the user.

The intermediate portion preferably includes a finger locating means opposite the massage surface and disposed for location of and manipulation by a human finger of a hand holding the handle to aid massaging gums by applying the gel to the massage surface and thereby to the gums.

While the handle can be made from rigid or semi rigid plastics the o applicator head is preferably made from a softer flexible plastics so that it feels 0 o° 10 gentle upon application. Preferably the handle is moulded as an integral unit 0000 having projections, recesses and holes or other similar holding means so that the head can be moulded in place about the holding means, the plastics from the head forming a matrix about the holding means so that the head is retained in place on the handle. Alternatively, the handle and the head can be made 15 separately having clip together connectors so that they can be simply connected together although the moulded structure is to be preferred by reason of extra *0r hygiene.

The massage surface is typically an arcuate surface conforming to the general ridge shape of the toothless gum region and preferably is formed as a longitudinally extending channel inclined slightly to the axial line of the applicator.

In one form the applicator has gel applied to the surface while in another form the applicator handle includes a deformable reservoir or other means for holding gel that can be manipulated to deliver gel onto the surface. In another 7/ I 21 U similar embodiment the surface includes holes through which gel is forced from the reservoir onto the surface.

In order that the present invention can be more readily understood and be put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings and wherein:- Figure 1 is a plan view of an applicator according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the applicator of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through 3-3 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an end view of the applicator of Figure 1; 10 Figures 5 to 7 are respective plan, side and longitudinal sectional views through the handle prior to the head being attached; Figures 8, 9 and 10 are respective sections through the handle at A-A, B-B •,and D-D; Figures 1 1 to 13 are respective plan, side and longitudinal sections through 15 the head; Figure 14 is an end view through the head; and SFigure 15 is a section through F-F of the head of Figures 11 and 12.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figures 1 to 4 there is illustrated an oral gel applicator 10 shown to actual size, the applicator 10 having an elongated handle 11 and a generally rounded head 12 at one end of the handle, the head having a longitudinally extending massage surface in the form of an arcuate channel 13 for receiving an anaesthetic gel when the surface 13 is facing upwards and the handle in its inverted position. It will be appreciated that once the surface 13 has been loaded with gel the applicator can then be moved and placed inside the mouth of a person whilst still in its inverted position and then rotated into position and the arcuate surface 13 will automatically locate over the region of the gums that need relief either in the top jaw or the bottom jaw of the person concerned.

As the handle includes a remote portion 14 biased out of the general line of the applicator when the surface 13 is in contact with the gums then the handle portion 14 will be biased away from the cheeks and lips of the person to whom the gel is being applied.

The handle includes a proximal portion 15 and an intermediate portion 16 10 which includes a shoulder and projection at 17 so that the handle portion 14 can 990 be lightly gripped and an index finger placed on the projection at 17 to assist in gentle manipulation of the applicator when the gel is being applied.

As will be described below and as can be seen in Figures 1 to 3 the head 13 is made from different material to the handle. Typically the handle is made foe. 0 15 from polypropylene while the head is made from a flexible plastic such as Ssantoprene.

As can be seen in Figures 5 to 7 the handle 11 is moulded in a form including a head connector piece 18 having a transverse recess or through hole 19 and a longitudinal recess or through hole 20, the purpose of these holes 19 and 20 being that as the head is moulded onto the handle the santoprene will form a matrix flowing through the openings 19 and 20 so that the head is secured permanently to the handle.

Referring now to Figures 11 to 15 the head 12 is illustrated in more detail and as can be seen the surface 13 is inclined to the general line of the head and

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4* extends for substantially the whole length of the head, the surface 13 being formed as a channel having a relatively wide section at 21 and a relatively narrow section at 22 so that the surface 13 tapers from the end of the head in the direction towards the handle 11.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the present invention many variations and modifications thereto will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the broad ambit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

For example, the handle could be moulded to be hollow and include means enabling a tube of gel to be fixed to the handle and communicating with the hollow interior of the handle, the hollow interior of the handle communicating with a hollow head having holes communicating with the surface 13 so that upon pressure being applied to the tube, gel would be forced out through the holes in the surface 13 and in like manner the applicator can be used as described previously described to apply the gel.

1. An oral massager/gel applicator comprising a two part assembly including an elongated handle and a generally rounded applicator head at one end thereof, the applicator head having a longitudinally extending massage surface comprising a channel for receiving and holding gel when in an inverted gel receiving orientation, the applicator head being so sized and arranged that it can pass into the mouth of a user and the massage surface being sized and arranged for application to exposed gums and the handle being arranged for manipulation of the head inside the mouth to apply the gel to the gums, the applicator head being

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10 made wholly from soft flexible plastics.

2. An oral massager/gel applicator according to claim 1 wherein the handle has a distal portion remote from the head, a proximal portion adjacent the head and an intermediate portion between the distal and proximal portions, the distal portion being laterally offset from the proximal portion so that the head can be manoeuvred to the region of the back teeth so that in use the remote portion is set at a slight inclination and laterally offset away from the face.

S3. An oral massager/gel applicator according to claim 2 wherein the intermediate portion includes a finger locating means opposite the application surface and disposed for location of and manipulation by a human finger of a hand holding the handle to aid massaging gums by applying the gel to the massage surface and thereby to the gums.

4. An oral massager/gel applicator according to claim 1 wherein the handle is made from rigid or semi rigid plastics and the applicator head is made from a softer flexible plastics so that it feels gentle upon application.

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Claims

6. An oral massager/gel applicator according to claim 1 wherein the head and handle are made as separate parts secured together.
7. An oral massager/gel applicator according to claim 1 wherein the massage *5 surface is an arcuate surface conforming to the general ridge shape of the 10 toothless gum region. *5@e o* PS
8. An oral massager/gel applicator according to claim 1 wherein the massage surface is formed as a longitudinally extending channel inclined to the axial line of the applicator. P.
9. An oral massager/gel applicator according to claim 1 wherein the massage S. S 15 surface is inclined to the line of the applicator and includes a wide section t t tapering to a narrower section adjacent the handle. P ABSTRACT Oral gel applicator 10 having an elongated handle 11 and a generally rounded head 12 at one end of the handle, the head having a longitudinally extending massage surface in the form of an arcuate channel 13 for receiving an anaesthetic gel when the surface 13 is facing upwards and the handle in its inverted position. Once the surface 13 has been loaded with gel the applicator can then be moved S.and placed inside the mouth of a person whilst still in its inverted position and then rotated into position and the arcuate surface 13 will automatically locate over the region of the gums that need relief either in the top jaw or the bottom Oo 10 jaw of the person concerned. The handle includes a proximal portion 15 and an 106 0 intermediate portion 16 which includes a shoulder and projection at 17 so that the handle portion 14 can be lightly gripped and an index finger placed on the 0Oe projection at 17 to assist in gentle manipulation of the applicator when the gel is being applied. The handle is made from polypropylene while the head is made S 15 from a flexible plastic such as santoprene. oo °j