CA2254550A1

CA2254550A1 - Disposable tooth brush

Info

Publication number: CA2254550A1
Application number: CA 2254550
Authority: CA
Inventors: John Edisbury
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-11-20
Filing date: 1998-11-20
Publication date: 2000-05-20

Abstract

The handle of the tooth brush is hollow for receipt of tooth paste. A brush head is connected to an end of the handle and has a number of bristles arranged in bunches. The brush head further has a passage for tooth paste which terminates at outlets located between the bunches. A cap is connected to the opposite end of the handle and is connected to a piston located within the hollow handle. Rotation of the cap causes the piston to move toward and away from the brush head. When the piston moves toward the brush head it pushes tooth paste in front of it into the passage and outwardly through the outlets.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to tooth brushes and more part-icularly to a tooth brush which has a receptacle in its handle for a supply of tooth paste and which is disposable after the supply is exhausted.
Tooth brushes having receptacles for tooth paste in their handles are known and are described in a number of patents of the Unites States. Examples of such patents are no. 1,317,437 to Drury; no. 1,236,878 to Salvas; no. 1,905,960 to De Phil-ipps; no. 642, 1 1 4 to Hall; no. 1 , 1 1 4, 646 to Pap; no. 1 , 988, 557 to Decker; no. 1,944,067 to Collins; and no. 3,868,188 to Velardi.
Known tooth brushes, such as those described in the above mentioned patents, have a number of shortcomings. All have provision for refilling their receptacles with fresh tooth paste after the existing supply is exhausted. The components required for this purpose add significantly to the cost of the tooth brush. As well, some of such tooth brushes require that the tooth paste be in a cartridge. Tooth paste cannot be simply squeezed into the receptacle. Cartridges add to the cost of use of such brushes since each time they are refilled an old cartridge is expended.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The tooth brush of the present invention is intended to be discarded after use and is principally intended for use by busy travellers who appreciate the convenience of such a tooth brush. The traveller will not have to replace a tube of tooth paste when it used up nor will he have to replace a brush whose bristles are damaged by careless packing or overuse. It is envisaged that such a traveller will have a supply of tooth brushes of the subject invention and will pack as many as he anticipates he needs during his trip.
The tooth brush of the invention includes a handle having a longitudinal axis and a receptacle for tooth paste formed therein. The receptacle is defined by a cylindrical inner wall having a plurality of circumferentially spaced inwardly ex-tending ridges formed thereon. The ridges are parallel to one another and to the longitudinal axis of the handle. The handle has an end defined by an annular inwardly extending lip. A
brush head is connected integrally with an opposite end of the handle and has a plurality of bristles arranged in bunches.
The brush head further has a passage for tooth paste which extends from the receptacle and terminates at a plurality of outlets located between the bunches. A threaded stud is disposed within the receptacle. A piston has a threaded central opening in which the stud is threadably received and a circular outer wall which is spaced slightly apart from the cylindrical inner wall. The piston has a plurality of notches

2 formed in the outer wall, each of which receiving a separate ridge. A cap is connected to the stud and has an annular groove within which the lip is accommodated. Rotation of the cap relative to the handle causes a corresponding rotation of the stud with resulting linear non-rotary movement of the piston along the stud toward and away from the brush head.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The disposable tooth brush of the invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the disposable tooth-brush in which a cap is removed to expose a head of the brush;
Figure 2 is an other perspective view of the tooth brush in which the cap is attached to the body of the tooth brush;
Figure 3 is a section of the tooth brush showing a receptacle for tooth paste and a piston in position to begin pushing the tooth paste toward the brush;
Figure 4 is another section in which the piston has reached the position where it has pushed a substantial portion of the tooth paste toward the brush; and Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the piston in conjunction with the means for causing it to move within the tooth brush.
Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description of the drawings.

3 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the tooth brush of the invention, generally 10, is made up of a handle 12, a brush head 14 and a cap 16. The outside diameter of the upper port-ion of the handle at 18 is slightly larger than the inside diameter of the cap. The cap is formed of resilient material which deforms slightly when it is attached to the handle as illustrated in Figure 2. The cap is thus fictionally held to the handle when so attached.
With reference to Figures 3 and 4, the handle has a hollow interior 20 which is defined by a cylindrical inner wall 22 and which serves as a receptacle for tooth paste.
There is a diametrically inwardly extending lip 24 at the lower end of the handle.
A threaded elongated stud 26 is disposed within the interior and its longitudinal axis coincides with the long-itudinal axis 28-28 of the handle. The lower end of the stud is attached to a knurled knob 30. The knob has an annular groove 32 adjacent to its upper end within which lip 24 is loosely received. The knob may accordingly be rotated rel-ative to the handle and such rotation causes a like rotation of the stud.
A piston 36 is accommodated within the interior of the handle. The piston has a circular outer wall 38 of the same

4 shape as the cylindrical inner wall 22 but of slightly smaller diameter so that the piston is free to move up and down within the interior. The piston has a threaded central opening or bore 40 in which the stud is threadably received. Rotation of the stud by means of the knob causes the piston to move up-wardly or downwardly depending on which way the knob is turn-ed.
With reference to Figure 5, a number of circumferentially spaced inwardly extending ridges 50 are formed on the interior wall 22 of the handle. The ridges are parallel to one another and to the longitudinal axis of the handle. Notches 52 are formed on the outer wall 38 of the piston. The notches are spaced such that each notch is received in a separate ridge and the notches are shaped such that there is only a slight gap between the notches and the ridges. The ridges are pro-vided to ensure that the piston does not rotate with the stud and that the piston does not rotate as it moves up and down in the receptacle.
The brush head 14 is connected integrally with the upper end of the handle. The head has a number of bristles which are arranged in bunches 60. Preferably there are at least four such bunches.
There is an outlet 62 between adjacent bunches and the outlets communicate with a passage 64 within the head. The passage also communicates with the receptacle within the hand-le.
Prior to use the tooth brush will be as illustrated in Figure 3 where the receptacle is filled with tooth paste and the piston is adjacent to the knurled knob. In operation, the knob is rotated in the direction that will cause the piston to move toward the brush head. As the piston moves, it pushes the tooth paste into the passage 64 within the head and out through outlets 62.
When the piston reaches the level illustrated in Figure 4, it is close to its uppermost extent. When the piston reaches shoulder 70, it can rise no further and can cause no more paste to discharge through outlets 62. The tooth brush is then ready to be discarded.
It will be understood of course that modifications can be made in the preferred embodiments illustrated and des-cribed herein without departing from the scope and purview of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A disposable tooth brush including: a handle having a longitudinal axis and a receptacle for tooth paste formed therein, said receptacle being defined by a cylindrical inner wall having a plurality of circumferentially spaced inwardly extending ridges formed thereon, said ridges being parallel to one another and to the longitudinal axis of said handle, said handle having an end defined by an annular inwardly extending lip; a brush head connected integrally with an opposite end of said handle and having a plurality of bristles arranged in bunches, said brush head further having a passage for tooth paste which extends from said receptacle and terminates at a plurality of outlets located between said bunches; a threaded stud disposed within said receptacle; a piston having a threaded central opening in which said stud is threadably received and a circular outer wall which is spaced slightly apart from said cylindrical inner wall, said piston having a plurality of notches formed in said outer wall, each said notch receiving a separate said ridge; and a cap connected to said stud and having an annular groove within which said lip is accommodated, rotation of said cap relative to said handle causing a corresponding rotation of said stud with resulting linear non-rotary movement of said piston along said stud toward and away from said brush head.

2. The disposable tooth brush as claimed in claim 1 wherein said brush head has at least four bunches of bristles, one said outlet being between each pair of adjacent said bunches.