US20030014826A1

US20030014826A1 - Two headed toothbrush

Info

Publication number: US20030014826A1
Application number: US09/909,096
Authority: US
Inventors: William Touzani
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-07-20
Filing date: 2001-07-20
Publication date: 2003-01-23

Abstract

A toothbrush comprising one u-shaped handle and two head members with several rows of bristles. The head members are able to spread and contract for greater brushing efficiency.

In another embodiment, A toothbrush having two head brushes and two arms connected at the opposite end, characterized in that brush head members are normally side by side in the relaxed state, and able to spread apart to cover a wider teeth surface area when finger pressure is applied to a section of the arms.

Description

The invention relates to toothbrushes in general, and to manual toothbrushes in particular with an ergonomic advantage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Toothbrushes are generally made of one brush head extended by a single handle. The brushing of the teeth is done primarily by longitudinal back and forth movements of the brush following the longitudinal direction of the brush.

The problem with the traditional toothbrush is its inability to reach the top and bottom rows of the teeth simultaneously. Even when the user has his teeth clinched, the brush section is not wide enough to reach the root areas at the top and bottom sections of the teeth, in a single stroke.

During brushing, the build-up of liquid and foam inside the mouth forces the user to open his jaws, making it even mandatory to brush single row individually.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an improved toothbrush composed of two brush heads that are substantially rectangular in shape, and include several rows of bristles aligned in the direction of the length of the brush body. Each body of the brush is extended by an arm member. The arms are joined at the opposite end in the form of a U-shaped, or V-shaped loop.

The toothbrush of the invention acts like a tong, and features two brush heads and two arms or handles in a single unit.

The two arms, when pinched together, will join the two heads, making them look and act as a conventional one headed brush.

The joined heads have a combined width substantially equal to existing toothbrushes. Except for a continuous hand pressure, the user can choose to use the toothbrush in the same conventional way.

However, should the user want to release his hand pressure, the two heads will spread apart to reach the relaxed state of the toothbrush. The brush heads can now reach simultaneously far up and down areas of the teeth in one stoke. This situation arises often during brushing, when fluid and foam build-up occurs.

The toothbrush of the invention alternates between relaxed and compressed states during brushing, in order to cover the entire surface of the teeth in a minimum amount of effort

The invention may also include one flexible member between each brush head and its corresponding arm, in order to force the longitudinal axis of the brush heads to constantly line-up along the direction of the strokes during the relaxed and the compressed state of the arms.

In another embodiment, the toothbrush of the invention includes two brush heads and two arms lined up side by side, substantially joined along the longitudinal axis, while the toothbrush is in the relaxed position. The arms of the toothbrush can be spread with the user's thumb while brushing.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description of the preferred embodiment and from the claims.

BREIF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a two head and two arm toothbrush in the relaxed position. [0014]
FIG. 2 is a top view of a two head and two arm toothbrush in the relaxed position. [0015]
FIG. 3 is a top view of a two head and two arm toothbrush in a gradually pressed position. [0016]
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a two head and two arm toothbrush in the compressed position. [0017]
FIG. 5 is a top view of a two head and two arm toothbrush joined while in the relaxed position. [0018]
FIG. 6 is a top view of a two head and two arm toothbrush spread by applied pressure from the thumb finger. [0019]
FIG. 7 is a top view of a two head and two arm toothbrush spread by applied pressure. [0020]
FIG. 8 shows a cross section of the toothbrush along the thumb pressure section.[0021]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in greater detail to several preferred embodiments of the invention. This description will clearly enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention. [0022]
The toothbrush of the invention can be made from plastic, metallic materials, or a combination of both. [0023]
In FIG. 1, the toothbrush is in the relaxed state, without any force been applied to the [0024] handle arms 3 and 4. The toothbrush is composed of two heads 1 and 2. Each head include several rows of bristles 10 and 11 attached to head members 1 and 2.
Brush heads and corresponding [0025] arms 3 and 4 are joined by flexible members 7 and 8. Flexible members 7 and 8 can be made of lower density plastic material or rubber, and allow brush heads 1 and 2 to stay parallel to each other while the toothbrush is in its relaxed state. Section 6 represents the inside extremity of the U shaped handle, while 5 represents the outside contour of the handle.
FIG.[0026] 2 represents the same toothbrush in the relaxed state described in FIG. 1, but viewed from the top. Locking ring 20 is out of its sockets 21 and 22.
FIG.[0027] 3 is the top view of the toothbrush when hand pressure is first applied. Head extremities 12 and 13 are joined first. Flexible members 7 and 8 have not been distorted.
FIG. 4 shows the toothbrush in its streamlined position after additional pressure is applied, and locked in position by [0028] ring 20. At this point, the toothbrush looks and act substantially as a conventional toothbrush.
In FIG. 5, the toothbrush is in the relaxed state. Each [0029] head 1 and 2 with their corresponding arms 3 and 4 are lined up along the same longitudinal axis. The brush heads 1 and 2 are preferably tight together and act as a single unit, simulating conventional brushing situations.
The arms include a depression or [0030] socket 30, where thumb pressure can be applied. Socket 30 is composed of two symmetrical halves with raised areas on the outside 24, and depressed areas or valley 25 in the middle. Handle contour 5 is more prolonged to prevent the arms from easily spreading.
FIGS. 6 and 7 shows the same toothbrush of FIG. 5 with [0031] thumb 31 pressure been applied in socket 30. Thumb 31 and nail 32 can be replaced by other fingers.
[0032] Socket 30 can be located in either side, or both sides of the handle. Line A represents a cross section of the socket as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.
FIG. 8 shows [0033] arms 3 and 4 in their relaxed state before thumb pressure is applied.
FIG. 9 shows [0034] arms 3 and 4 spread apart as a result of thumb pressure

Claims

What is claimed is:

1- A toothbrush comprising two arms and corresponding substantially parallel head members with several rows of bristles, characterized in that head members are able to spread or contract for greater brushing efficiency.

2- A toothbrush according to claim 1, in which the two arms are spread apart when the toothbrush is in the relaxed position.

3- A toothbrush according to claim 1, in which the two arms are in the form of a substantially U-shaped handle.

4- A toothbrush according to claim 1, in which the two brush head members can lock in a side by side position by way of a locking mean.

5- A toothbrush according to claim 1, in which at least one arm and one head are joined by an integral flexible member to allow rotation of the head.

6- A toothbrush according to claim 1, in which the arms include a deformed area, sloped towards the inside in order to accommodate the user's finger while pressure is applied.

7- A toothbrush according to claim 4, in which applied finger pressure on a section of the arms results in spreading the two heads apart.

8- A toothbrush having two head brushes and two arms connected at the opposite end, characterized in that head members are normally side by side in the relaxed state, and able to spread apart to cover a wider teeth surface area when finger pressure is applied to a section of the arms.

9- A toothbrush according to claim 6, in which at least one arm member includes a deformed surface designed to accommodate the user's thumb when pinching the two arms apart.

10- A toothbrush having two head brushes and two arms connected at the opposite end, characterized in that head members are normally side by side in the relaxed state, and able to spread apart to cover a wider teeth surface area when finger pressure is applied to a middle section between the arms.