AU2006101082B4 - An edible toothpick - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 INNOVATION PATENT SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

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Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Asian Pacific Technologies Pty Ltd Ms Nadine Saad DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, 1 Nicholson Street, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia Innovation Patent specification for the invention entitled: "An edible toothpick" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: Q\OPER\SASUUL-DEC 2006\DEC\12738430 354 DOC 21/12106

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P:%PER1SASU.AiOC 0 n12738340 Inno,.doc3W 1120 I-1- SAn edible toothpick Field of the invention This present invention relates to an edible toothpick.

005 Background to the invention Wooden toothpicks have been used for many years to remove food from between S teeth after eating. Such toothpicks are typically formed by a thin rigid rod having -sharp pointed ends that may be used to prise or dislodge food that has accumulated 0 between a user's teeth.

Wooden toothpicks suffer from several disadvantages. First, the sharp pointed ends, and additionally the sharp fragments or splinters that have been known to form during use, can injure the mouth and throat of a user. The pointed ends also make them particularly unsuitable for use by younger children and dangerous when left around. Further still, an increasing awareness of the environmental effects of global deforestation has led to wooden products becoming less desirable as manufactures and consumers alike seek out products formed from more environmentally friendly materials.

Two alternatives to wooden toothpicks are dental tape and floss. When used incorrectly, however, tape and floss can again easily injure gums, which, in the instance of sensitive gums, can be particularly painful. In some cases the use of dental floss has been found to cause bleeding of the gums. Further, the use of dental tape and floss often requires the use of both hands, which can be awkward and difficult, particularly when used to clean between teeth located at the rear of the mouth.

Summary of the invention One aspect of the present invention provides an edible toothpick including: a first part arranged to be gripped by a user; and 21-08-'07 15:11 FROM- T-544 P04/007 F-527 -oo

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ci 00 0 0 0 0 rcl fl>IAM fl1.7OP I 40 *p-o2alBlaon7 -2a second part extending from the first part and arranged to slip between adjacent teeth of a user to remove material from between the teeth; wherein, the first and second parts are shaped for safe consumption of the toothpick 5 after use; and the first part is formed with an abrasive surface to clean material from surfaces of the teeth and/or tongue.

Preferably, the second part is generally planer, profiles of the first and second parts define a generally round perimeter and the perimeter defines a generally rounded edge.

Preferably, the first part defines a generally flat pad arranged for gripping between a user's thumb and a finger.

Preferably, at least the second part is formed to be flexibly deformable to facilitate use between teeth disposed in different locations within a user's mouth.

Brief description of the drawings The present invention will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I is a plan view of an edible toothpick; Figure 2 is a side view of the toothpick shown in Figure 1, as viewed in direction A; Figure 3 is an end view of the toothpick shown in Figure 1, as viewed in direction B; Figure 4 is a plan view of a first alternative edible toothpick; and Figure 5 is a plan view of a second alternative edible toothpick.

Detailed description COMS ID No: ARCS-157757 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:13 Date 2007-08-21 P:%OPERMASUW4ec 05%1 2154O IrnuvdooW1 1/2006 -3- S An edible toothpick 10, referred to as a "Slippick" by the present inventor, is shown in S Figures 1 to 3. The toothpick 10 includes a first part 12 arranged to be gripped by a user and a second part 14 extending from the first part and arranged to slip between adjacent teeth of a user to remove and clean material, such as food, from and 00oo 5 between the teeth. To facilitate the slipping of the second part 14 between adjacent teeth, the integrally formed toothpick 10 may be about 0.3 mm thick (reference numeral 16 in Figures 2 and for example, although it will be understood that the thickness of the toothpick 10, and more particularly the second part 14, may be suitably varied as desired.

0 With reference to Figure 1, the wider, rounded first part 12 defines a finger pad 18 arranged for easy gripping between a thumb and finger of a user. Advantageously, the surfaces of the finger pad 18 are roughened during manufacture of the toothpick to provide a pair of rough, abrasive surfaces 20, 22 to facilitate the use of the finger pad 18 to rub food from teeth.

The flexibly deformable, elongated, preferably smooth, second part 14, which is substantially longer the first part 12, is advantageously able to be manoeuvred and slipped between teeth at various locations of a user's mouth, including locations where it has previously been found to be difficult to use previously proposed rigid toothpicks, such as at the rear of the mouth.

After cleaning, the edible toothpick 10 is able to be consumed, and preferably is arranged to at least partially dissolve if left in the mouth for a prolonged period of time, similar to many commonly available lozenges. Further, the toothpick 10 may be manufactured from a range of different materials including one or more of organic, vegetable, fruit and gelatine matter. Preferably, the toothpick does not include any starch containing products, such as potato, rice, corn and wheat, or any acidic products, such as tomato.

Advantageously, the toothpick 10 includes one or more flavourings for influencing, P V)PERGMA-Oec O=127835O WmO.doc-MWU1I2 -4preferably by improving or freshening, the breath of a user either by partially dissolving during use or after consumption. Such flavourings may include lemon, S orange or mint flavourings, for example.

00oo 5 Further, to facilitate consumption, the profiles of both the first and second parts 12, 0 14 (as can be seen in Figure 1) are both generally rounded to define a rounded perimeter 24 having no sharp corners, and preferably an associated edge 26 of the perimeter 24 (seen edge-on in Figures 2 and 3) that is also preferably generally rounded. As such, the. toothpick 10 has no sharp points or edges that could pierce 0 or cut into a user's gums, or other parts of the mouth or throat, such that the toothpick 10 can be safely both used to clean and then subsequently consumed by adults and children alike.

As will be evident from the above, to use the toothpick 10, a user grips the finger pad 18 between a thumb and finger of one hand, and manoeuvres the second part 12 about different locations of the mouth to clean and remove food from between adjacent teeth, the flexible deformable nature and length of the second part 12 advantageously allowing food to be removed from between substantially all of a user's teeth. After cleaning, the rough, abrasive surfaces of the finger pad 18 may also be used to rub food from and clean the surfaces of teeth and/or the tongue.

After cleaning, the edible nature of the toothpick 10 allows it to be eaten by the user.

As discussed above, the rounded nature of the perimeter 24 and associated rounded edge 26 obviate injury to the gums and other parts of the mouth and the throat both during cleaning and when consuming, while the consumption of the toothpick obviates the need for it to be otherwise disposed of. Further, as discussed the above, the toothpick preferably freshens the breath, either during cleaning, or during or after consumption.

As such, the edible toothpick 10 is able to be used by both adults and children after the consumption of food to safely clean teeth. Further, the rounded corners of the perimeter 24 and associated edge 26 eliminate many of the safety issues inherent to PiOPER\ASVW4Os o=1l2738LO hum oo.W11/ the use of wooden toothpicks, dental tape and floss, while the edible nature of the toothpick 10 eliminates the need to clean up or dispose of it after use.

A first alternative toothpick 28, similar in shape to the toothpick 10, is shown in 00oo 5 Figure 4. The toothpick 28 is again formed of an edible material, and includes first 0 S and second parts 12, 14 defining a rounded perimeter 24 and associated edge 26 S promoting both safe cleaning and subsequent consumption of the toothpick 28. Like the toothpick 10, the second part 14 of the toothpick 28 is again of a substantially -constant width. In 'a particularly preferred form of the toothpick 28, the width of the 0 first part may be about 12mm (reference numeral 30), the width of the second part maybe about 5mm (reference numeral 32) and the length of the toothpick 28 may be about 35 mm (reference numeral 34), for example.

A second alternative toothpick 36 is shown in Figure 5. The toothpick 36 is again formed of an edible material, and includes first and second parts 12, 14 defining a rounded perimeter 24 and associated edge 26 promoting both safe cleaning and subsequent consumption of the toothpick 36. The toothpick 36 differs to the toothpicks 10, 28, however, in that the second part substantially tapers in width away from the first part 12. In a particularly preferred form of the toothpick 36, the width of the first part may be about 14mm (reference numeral 38), the width of the first part may taper from a width of about 10mm (reference numeral 40) to a width of about (reference numeral 42) and the length of the toothpick 36 may again be about (reference numeral 44), for example.

The toothpick of the present invention has been described by way of example only and modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described. For example, it will be understood that the dimensions detailed above have been given by way of non-limiting example only and may be varied as desired. Further, it will be understood that the toothpick may be formed from any suitable edible material and it may be any suitable shape.

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The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

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Claims (5)

1. An edible toothpick including: a first part arranged to be gripped by a user; and 'o 5 a second part extending from the first part and arranged to slip between Sadjacent teeth of a user to remove material from between the teeth; O wherein, I the first and second parts are shaped for safe consumption of the toothpick 0 o after use; and the first part is formed with an abrasive surface to clean material from surfaces of the teeth and/or tongue.

2. A toothpick as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second part is generally planer, profiles of the first and second parts define a generally round perimeter and the perimeter defines a generally rounded edge.

3. An edible toothpick as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first part defines a generally flat pad arranged for gripping between a thumb and a finger of a user.

4. An edible toothpick as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least the second part is formed to be flexibly deformable to facilitate use between teeth disposed in different locations within a user's mouth.

5. An edible toothpick, substantially as hereinbefore defined with reference to the accompanying drawings. COMS ID No: ARCS-157757 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:13 Date 2007-08-21