US20120090116A1 - Toothbrush - Google Patents
Toothbrush Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20120090116A1 US20120090116A1 US13/374,208 US201113374208A US2012090116A1 US 20120090116 A1 US20120090116 A1 US 20120090116A1 US 201113374208 A US201113374208 A US 201113374208A US 2012090116 A1 US2012090116 A1 US 2012090116A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- handle
- tube
- toothbrush
- handle portion
- set forth
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46B—BRUSHES
- A46B15/00—Other brushes; Brushes with additional arrangements
- A46B15/0055—Brushes combined with other articles normally separate from the brushing process, e.g. combs, razors, mirrors
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46B—BRUSHES
- A46B11/00—Brushes with reservoir or other means for applying substances, e.g. paints, pastes, water
- A46B11/001—Brushes with reservoir or other means for applying substances, e.g. paints, pastes, water with integral reservoirs
- A46B11/002—Brushes with reservoir or other means for applying substances, e.g. paints, pastes, water with integral reservoirs pressurised at moment of use manually or by powered means
- A46B11/0041—Flexible or deformable reservoirs, e.g. resilient bulbs, compressible tubes
- A46B11/0044—Flexible or deformable reservoirs, e.g. resilient bulbs, compressible tubes where a tube is rolled up transverse to long axis
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46B—BRUSHES
- A46B2200/00—Brushes characterized by their functions, uses or applications
- A46B2200/10—For human or animal care
- A46B2200/1066—Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures
Definitions
- This invention relates to toothbrushes and more particularly to those having one or more added features in support of its primary purpose and is a continuation-in-part of that in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/454,551 filed May 20, 2009.
- the sealed end of a collapsible tube of toothpaste is received by the slot and the tube is then pulled from the sealed end through the slot or the handle is forced along the tube thereby collapsing the tube with the slot and forcing toothpaste toward the dispensing end of the tube.
- the various tubes of toothpaste commercially available can vary in their cross-sectional size when fully collapsed/compacted and the slot in the case where it is closed at both ends and formed in the body of the handle may not be of adequate/proper size to accomplish the desired result.
- a collapsible tube of toothpaste can be inserted either endways or sideways into the slot before pulling on the tube or forcing the handle along the tube to force remaining toothpaste toward the dispensing end of the tube.
- the versatility of an open-ended slot provided in the body of the handle is normally limited because of the manner of the construction of the handle with the addition of the slot and for example, the width of the slot in its normal state may be too small or too large to accomplish the desired collapsing of the tube with the sides of the slot in most effectively forcing toothpaste toward the dispensing end of the tube.
- the present invention also utilizes an open-ended elongated slot formed in the body of the handle of a toothbrush to aid in extracting toothpaste from a commercially available collapsible tube of toothpaste but in a significantly different and more versatile and advantageous manner.
- the slot partially defines the handle with two opposing handle portions and a hinge portion with one of the handle portions directly joined with the rest of the handle in a cantilevered manner and the other handle portion joined with the rest of the handle in an elastically hinged manner via the hinge portion.
- the handle portions have straight oppositely facing tube engaging sides and are structured to maintain their shape in the region of these sides during their operation.
- the hinge portion is located at the closed end of the slot and normally supports the hinged handle portion such that the tube engaging sides define a preset space there between for freely receiving a collapsed portion of a tube of toothpaste provided the collapsed tube portion has a thickness not exceeding the width of the preset space.
- the compliance of the hinge portion allows the hinged handle portion to be swung outwardly of the handle by forced sideways movement there against of this collapsed tube portion to thereby allow its reception between the tube engaging sides.
- the compliance of the hinge portion allows the hinged handle portion to be urged with a manually applied force to swing inwardly as necessary to a position pressing the tube engaging sides against a collapsed tube portion however received there between and then be maintained in this position with the applied force while the handle is forcibly moved along the associated tube in the direction of its dispensing end to thereby progressively collapse the associated tube with the tube engaging sides and force toothpaste toward the dispensing end.
- FIG. 1 is a front view of a toothbrush according to the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a side view taken along the lines 2 - 2 in FIG. 1 when looking in the direction of the arrows,
- FIG. 3 is a backside view taken alone the lines 3 - 3 in FIG. 2 when looking in the direction of the arrows,
- FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the lines 4 - 4 in FIG. 3 when looking in the direction of the arrows and shows the insertion of a partially used collapsible tube of toothpaste in the slot provided in the toothbrush,
- FIG. 5 is a view like FIG. 4 showing another embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 6 is a partial view taken along the lines 6 - 6 in FIG. 5 when looking in the direction of the arrows,
- FIG. 7 is a partial side view of the toothbrush showing another embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 8 is a view like FIG. 7 showing another embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 9 is a view like FIG. 1 showing another embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 10 is a view taken along the lines 10 - 10 in FIG. 9 when looking in the direction of the arrows, and
- FIG. 11 is a view taken along the lines 11 - 11 in FIG. 10 when looking in the direction of the arrows.
- a toothbrush 10 comprising a handle 12 and a brush 14 and for firm gripping is provided with spaced textured areas 15 and 16 on the brush side and a single textured area 18 on the opposite side. And wherein the toothbrush 10 following conventional practice is made of a suitable thermal setting plastic in an injection molding machine. With the brush 14 inserted in a mold cavity defining the handle 12 and the plastic material then injected in molten form into the mold cavity to form the handle with the brush firmly retained in place.
- an open-ended elongated slot 20 is provided in the body of the handle 12 enabling the toothbrush to aid in extracting as much toothpaste as possible from a commercially available collapsible tube of toothpaste during repeated use.
- the slot 20 extends from an open end 22 located near the butt end 24 in a brush-less side of the handle to a closed end 26 that is located at an intermediate point between the butt end of the handle and the brush.
- the slot 20 has a length substantially greater than the width of a typical commercially available tube of toothpaste and divides the handle into two opposing handle portions 28 and 30 having oppositely facing coextensive straight sides 31 for engaging a tube of toothpaste from opposite sides and at its closed end 26 angles outward a substantial distance toward the brush side of the toothbrush to form a hinge portion 32 in the handle that is defined at its interior side by a concave surface that forms the termination of the closed end of the slot.
- the handle portion 30 is directly joined with the rest of the handle in a cantilevered manner and the other handle portion 28 is joined with the rest of the handle in an elastically hinged manner by the hinge portion 32 that normally supports the hinged handle portion 28 such that the tube engaging sides 31 extend parallel to each other and normally define a preset space 33 there between of uniform width as shown in FIG. 2 .
- the rest of the handle comprises the un-slotted portion 34 and the arrangement and sizing of the cross-sectional area of the hinge portion 32 given the material used to form the handle is determined so that the hinge portion has a compliance that allows the hinge portion to flex/bend without deformation in allowing the handle portion 28 to be swung as indicated by the directional arrows in FIG.
- both handle portions 28 and 30 in the immediate region of the tube engaging sides 31 are determined to have sufficient structural strength so as to maintain their shape (not bend/flex/deform) in forcing the progressive collapse of a tube of toothpaste and thereby forcing toothpaste toward the dispensing end of the tube as described in more detail later.
- the handle portions 28 and 30 and the hinge portion 32 as integrally incorporated in the toothbrush handle in the manner described above are intended to operate on a commercially available collapsible tube 36 of toothpaste as shown in FIG. 4 .
- the tube has a sealed end 37 and a dispensing end 38 that is normally closed when not in use by a cap 40 that may for example be a screw-on type as shown or some other type such as a flip type cap that remains attached to the tube.
- a cap 40 may for example be a screw-on type as shown or some other type such as a flip type cap that remains attached to the tube.
- the thickness of a fully collapsed/compacted portion of the tube can vary depending on the manufacturer.
- the handle portions 28 and 30 and hinge portion 32 are adapted to initiate operation on a previously fully collapsed portion 42 of the tube as shown that results from prior dispensing of toothpaste from the tube and where the thickness of the collapsed portion may vary considerably from what is considered a typical fully compacted thickness of the tube wall.
- the tube is typically squeezed by a hand of the user and this may occur at any location along the length thereof depending on the user and as a result the remaining toothpaste may be concentrated toward the dispensing end that is preferable for subsequent use.
- the toothpaste may be concentrated at a remote location from the dispensing end or concentrated at spaced locations along the length thereof as depicted in FIG. 4 .
- further hand squeezing of the tube along its length is normally necessary to force the remaining toothpaste at such remote location(s) to the dispensing end of the tube for its use.
- the preset space 33 is provided with a uniform width between the oppositely facing straight sides 31 of the handle portions for closely receiving the fully collapsed portion 42 of a typical commercially available tube of toothpaste as depicted in FIG. 4 and when entered into the preset space either endways or sideways through the open end 22 of the slot.
- the hinge portion 32 allows the handle portion 28 to swing outwardly of the handle from its normally maintained position in the case of a larger thickness and inwardly of the handle from its normally maintained position in the case of a smaller thickness to accommodate the difference.
- the hinge portion 32 With the outward swinging of the handle portion 28 being allowed by the hinge portion 32 in reaction to forced sideways insertion against the hinged handle portion 28 of a collapsed tube portion having such a larger thickness entering the slot sideways via the open end 22 of the slot and thereby allow this collapsed tube portion of larger thickness to be fully received between the tube engaging sides 31 .
- the hinge portion 32 allows inward swinging and reorienting movement of the hinged handle portion with manual squeezing on the handle portions to a position inward of its normal position in forcing the tube engaging sides fully against the opposite sides of this collapsed tube portion to thereby restore the tube engaging sides 31 to parallel but now with a smaller uniform width there between corresponding to that of this collapsed tube portion.
- the hinge portion 32 allows continually applied force on the hinged handle portion to maintain this condition to progressively and efficiently collapse the associated tube in forcing remaining toothpaste toward its dispensing end.
- the amount of force manually applied to the elastically hinged handle portion 28 determines the actual extent of the collapsing of the tube in forcing toothpaste toward its dispensing end. And for this reason, the textured area 16 on the brush side of the handle is located at an intermediate site on the outer side of the hinged handle portion 28 intermediate the lengthwise extent of the tube engaging sides 31 and in addition is formed at this site on a recessed surface 44 provided on the outer side of the hinged handle portion.
- the forced collapsing of the tube by the handle portions 28 and 30 is facilitated by the oppositely facing tube engaging sides 31 of the handle portions having a convex surface as shown in FIG. 4 that extends along their tube engaging length, define the closest space there between at a midpoint of these convex surfaces, and operate to collapse the tube in the same manner regardless of which direction the un-collapsed portion of the tube is entering the compressing space.
- the collapsing operation can be facilitated in a more gradual manner by the oppositely facing tube engaging sides 31 having a more gradual (larger radiused) convex surface as shown in FIG.
- the collapsed portion of the tube extends beyond the handle portions and when of sufficient length can then, if desired, be coiled about the handle and left in that configuration on the handle or removed in such coiled configuration though the open slot end 22 .
- the brush-containing end of the toothbrush can be a detachable and replaceable part that can be of the same design as shown or a different design and is made separate from the handle portion and then joined with the latter with a suitable fastening joint.
- FIG. 7 there is shown another embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention wherein the toothbrush and its attendant features are identified with the same references numbers used previously but with the suffix “A” added.
- the open end 22 A of the slot 20 A in the toothbrush 10 A is now located in the brush side of the toothbrush at an intermediate location along the length of the handle 12 A and the closed end 26 A of the slot is located near the butt end 24 A of the handle and that the hinge portion 32 A instead of directly joining the handle portion 28 A with the rest of the handle like in the FIG. 1-6 embodiments now joins the handle portion 28 A with the terminal end of the other handle portion 30 A and thereby with the rest of the handle.
- the hinged handle portion 28 A is provided with a recessed surface 44 A on its outer side that is located midway along its length to aid in controlling the degree of hinged movement, if any, desired of the hinged handle portion.
- the embodiment in FIG. 7 with the relocation of the hinge portion 32 A provides for the same operation on a tube of toothpaste in facilitating the use of the available toothpaste as the embodiments in FIGS. 1-6 .
- side entry of a collapsed portion of a tube of toothpastes into the slot 22 A is now provided for at an intermediate location along the length of and in the brush side of the handle rather than at the brushless side as provided in the FIG. 1-6 embodiments.
- FIG. 8 there is shown another embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention wherein the toothbrush with its attendant features are identified with the same reference numbers used previously but with the suffix “B” added.
- the open end 22 B of the slot 20 B in the toothbrush 10 B is now located in the butt end 24 B of the handle and the closed end 26 B like the embodiments in FIGS. 1-6 is located at an intermediate location along the length of the handle with the hinge portion 32 B joining the handle portion 28 B with the rest of the handle 12 B like in the FIG. 1-6 embodiments but now having a larger rounded shape in defining the interior side of the hinge portion 32 B.
- the recessed surface 44 B on the outer side of the elastically hinged handle portion 28 B provides aid in controlling the degree of hinged movement, if any, desired of the handle portion 28 B.
- FIG. 8 provides for the same operation on a tube of toothpaste in maximizing the use of the remaining toothpaste in the tube following usage as the FIG. 1-7 embodiments.
- sideways entry of a collapsed portion of a tube of toothpaste into the space between the handle portions 28 B and 30 B is now provided for in a straight forward manner at the butt end 24 B of the handle by allowing straight or inline sideways entry of a collapsed portion of a tube of toothpaste via the open slot end 22 B as compared with angled sideways entry of a collapsed portion of a tube of toothpaste at a side of the handle as provided in the previous embodiments.
- FIGS. 9-11 there is shown another embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention wherein the toothbrush with its attendant features are identified with the same reference numbers used previously but with the suffix “C” added and added features are identified with new reference numbers.
- the open end 22 C of the slot 20 C in the toothbrush 10 C is located in the butt end 24 C of the handle like in the FIG. 8 embodiment and the closed end 26 C like in the FIG. 1-8 embodiments is located at an intermediate location along the length of the handle with the hinge portion 32 C joining the handle portion 28 C with the rest of the handle 12 C at that location but with the hinged handle portion 28 C now located on a brushless side of the handle and the cantilevered handle portion 30 C now located on the brush containing side.
- the elastically hinged handle portion 28 C has the recessed surface 44 C with the textured area 16 C located on its outer side to provide aid in controlling the degree of hinged movement, if any, desired of the handle portion 28 C.
- the hinge portion 32 C in this embodiment has a sinusoidal profile as shown in FIG. 10 that is oriented at right angles to the swinging movement of the hinged handle portion 28 C in providing for the compliance to a greater degree in the hinge portion 32 C that allows the operation of the hinged handle portion 28 C like that of the hinged handle portion in the other embodiments but to a greater extent.
- this form of the hinge portion that thus expands the range of collapsed tube thickness that can be accommodated can also be applied to the other embodiments.
- a recessed surface 48 with a textured area 50 is now provided on the outer side of the cantilevered handle portion 30 C directly across from the recessed surface 44 C on the hinged handle portion 28 C.
- this facilitates the efficient concentrating of the squeezing action on the handle portions wherein the hinged handle portion 28 C for example is pressed at the recessed surface 44 C by the thumb of a person while the associated forefinger engages the recessed surface 48 on the other handle portion 30 C.
- this additional useful feature may also be added to the cantilevered handle portions 30 , 30 A and 30 B in the other embodiments.
- the tube engaging sides can be angled to a significant degree with respect to each other and thereby define the preset space with a width that increases in the direction of the open end of the slot to help facilitate sideways entry of a collapsed tube portion of significantly large thickness. And with the compliance of the hinge portion following forced entry of such a collapsed tube portion then allowing a manually applied force on the hinged handle portion to swingingly position and orient the hinged handle portion with respect to the cantilevered handle portion as necessary to bring the tube engaging sides into full engagement with the collapsed tube portion and thus become parallel for progressively collapsing the associated tube and efficiently forcing toothpaste toward the dispensing end of the tube.
Abstract
A toothbrush has a handle with an open-ended elongated slot in the body of the handle that partially defines the handle with two opposing handle portions and a hinge portion. Wherein one of the handle portions is directly joined with the rest of the handle in a cantilevered manner and the other handle portion is joined with the rest of the handle in an elastically hinged manner via the hinge portion. The handle portions have oppositely facing straight sides for engaging opposite sides of a tube of toothpaste and the hinge portion allows for swinging and positioning of the hinged handle portion with respect to the cantilevered handle portion with a manually applied force on the hinged handle portion to effect the progressive collapse of a tube of toothpaste with forced movement between the handle and the tube to thereby force the toothpaste toward the dispensing end of the tube.
Description
- This invention relates to toothbrushes and more particularly to those having one or more added features in support of its primary purpose and is a continuation-in-part of that in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/454,551 filed May 20, 2009.
- Apart from the intended use of a toothbrush, there have been various proposals directed to adding features to the toothbrush in support of its primary purpose. For example, it has been proposed to adapt the toothbrush in a way that facilitates its storage as disclosed in US Patent Application Publication Number 2008/0178406. Wherein the body of the handle of the toothbrush is provided with an open-ended elongated slot that allows the toothbrush to be stored upright in a suspended manner on the lip of a toothbrush holder/glass.
- On the other hand, it has been proposed to incorporate an elongated slot in the handle of a toothbrush for the purpose of extracting the toothpaste from a collapsible tube of toothpaste in an efficient manner. Instead of requiring the user to manually squeeze the tube so as to advance remaining toothpaste toward the dispensing end of the tube to facilitate extracting as much toothpaste as possible during repeated use. And in incorporating such a slot for this purpose, the slot is either closed at both ends as disclosed in UK Patent Application Publication Number 2,250,184 or the slot is open at one end as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,749,088, International Application Publication Number WO 1998/037789 and CA Patent 2,237,733.
- In the case where the slot is formed in the body of the toothbrush handle and closed at both ends, the sealed end of a collapsible tube of toothpaste is received by the slot and the tube is then pulled from the sealed end through the slot or the handle is forced along the tube thereby collapsing the tube with the slot and forcing toothpaste toward the dispensing end of the tube. However, the various tubes of toothpaste commercially available can vary in their cross-sectional size when fully collapsed/compacted and the slot in the case where it is closed at both ends and formed in the body of the handle may not be of adequate/proper size to accomplish the desired result.
- On the other hand and in the case of an open-ended slot formed in the body of the handle, a collapsible tube of toothpaste can be inserted either endways or sideways into the slot before pulling on the tube or forcing the handle along the tube to force remaining toothpaste toward the dispensing end of the tube. But again the versatility of an open-ended slot provided in the body of the handle is normally limited because of the manner of the construction of the handle with the addition of the slot and for example, the width of the slot in its normal state may be too small or too large to accomplish the desired collapsing of the tube with the sides of the slot in most effectively forcing toothpaste toward the dispensing end of the tube.
- The present invention also utilizes an open-ended elongated slot formed in the body of the handle of a toothbrush to aid in extracting toothpaste from a commercially available collapsible tube of toothpaste but in a significantly different and more versatile and advantageous manner. Wherein the slot partially defines the handle with two opposing handle portions and a hinge portion with one of the handle portions directly joined with the rest of the handle in a cantilevered manner and the other handle portion joined with the rest of the handle in an elastically hinged manner via the hinge portion.
- The handle portions have straight oppositely facing tube engaging sides and are structured to maintain their shape in the region of these sides during their operation. And the hinge portion is located at the closed end of the slot and normally supports the hinged handle portion such that the tube engaging sides define a preset space there between for freely receiving a collapsed portion of a tube of toothpaste provided the collapsed tube portion has a thickness not exceeding the width of the preset space. And for the possibility that a collapsed tube portion has a thickness larger than the width of the preset space, the compliance of the hinge portion allows the hinged handle portion to be swung outwardly of the handle by forced sideways movement there against of this collapsed tube portion to thereby allow its reception between the tube engaging sides. Moreover, the compliance of the hinge portion allows the hinged handle portion to be urged with a manually applied force to swing inwardly as necessary to a position pressing the tube engaging sides against a collapsed tube portion however received there between and then be maintained in this position with the applied force while the handle is forcibly moved along the associated tube in the direction of its dispensing end to thereby progressively collapse the associated tube with the tube engaging sides and force toothpaste toward the dispensing end.
- Several embodiments of the invention are disclosed with each possessing the same basic advantages as well as providing one or more additional beneficial features associated therewith. These embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings and together with other aspects of the invention are described in detail in the accompanying description.
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FIG. 1 is a front view of a toothbrush according to the present invention, -
FIG. 2 is a side view taken along the lines 2-2 inFIG. 1 when looking in the direction of the arrows, -
FIG. 3 is a backside view taken alone the lines 3-3 inFIG. 2 when looking in the direction of the arrows, -
FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 inFIG. 3 when looking in the direction of the arrows and shows the insertion of a partially used collapsible tube of toothpaste in the slot provided in the toothbrush, -
FIG. 5 is a view likeFIG. 4 showing another embodiment of the invention, -
FIG. 6 is a partial view taken along the lines 6-6 inFIG. 5 when looking in the direction of the arrows, -
FIG. 7 is a partial side view of the toothbrush showing another embodiment of the invention, -
FIG. 8 is a view likeFIG. 7 showing another embodiment of the invention, -
FIG. 9 is a view likeFIG. 1 showing another embodiment of the invention, -
FIG. 10 is a view taken along the lines 10-10 inFIG. 9 when looking in the direction of the arrows, and -
FIG. 11 is a view taken along the lines 11-11 inFIG. 10 when looking in the direction of the arrows. - Referring to
FIGS. 1-4 , there is shown atoothbrush 10 comprising ahandle 12 and abrush 14 and for firm gripping is provided with spacedtextured areas textured area 18 on the opposite side. And wherein thetoothbrush 10 following conventional practice is made of a suitable thermal setting plastic in an injection molding machine. With thebrush 14 inserted in a mold cavity defining thehandle 12 and the plastic material then injected in molten form into the mold cavity to form the handle with the brush firmly retained in place. - In accordance with the present invention, an open-ended
elongated slot 20 is provided in the body of thehandle 12 enabling the toothbrush to aid in extracting as much toothpaste as possible from a commercially available collapsible tube of toothpaste during repeated use. Theslot 20 extends from anopen end 22 located near thebutt end 24 in a brush-less side of the handle to a closedend 26 that is located at an intermediate point between the butt end of the handle and the brush. Theslot 20 has a length substantially greater than the width of a typical commercially available tube of toothpaste and divides the handle into twoopposing handle portions straight sides 31 for engaging a tube of toothpaste from opposite sides and at its closedend 26 angles outward a substantial distance toward the brush side of the toothbrush to form ahinge portion 32 in the handle that is defined at its interior side by a concave surface that forms the termination of the closed end of the slot. - As configured, the
handle portion 30 is directly joined with the rest of the handle in a cantilevered manner and theother handle portion 28 is joined with the rest of the handle in an elastically hinged manner by thehinge portion 32 that normally supports thehinged handle portion 28 such that thetube engaging sides 31 extend parallel to each other and normally define apreset space 33 there between of uniform width as shown inFIG. 2 . And wherein the rest of the handle comprises theun-slotted portion 34 and the arrangement and sizing of the cross-sectional area of thehinge portion 32 given the material used to form the handle is determined so that the hinge portion has a compliance that allows the hinge portion to flex/bend without deformation in allowing thehandle portion 28 to be swung as indicated by the directional arrows inFIG. 2 and as necessary to accommodate the operations described later. In addition, both handleportions tube engaging sides 31 are determined to have sufficient structural strength so as to maintain their shape (not bend/flex/deform) in forcing the progressive collapse of a tube of toothpaste and thereby forcing toothpaste toward the dispensing end of the tube as described in more detail later. - Referring to
FIG. 4 , thehandle portions hinge portion 32 as integrally incorporated in the toothbrush handle in the manner described above are intended to operate on a commercially availablecollapsible tube 36 of toothpaste as shown inFIG. 4 . Wherein the tube has a sealedend 37 and a dispensingend 38 that is normally closed when not in use by acap 40 that may for example be a screw-on type as shown or some other type such as a flip type cap that remains attached to the tube. And wherein the thickness of a fully collapsed/compacted portion of the tube can vary depending on the manufacturer. - With the latter in mind, the
handle portions hinge portion 32 are adapted to initiate operation on a previously fully collapsedportion 42 of the tube as shown that results from prior dispensing of toothpaste from the tube and where the thickness of the collapsed portion may vary considerably from what is considered a typical fully compacted thickness of the tube wall. And it will be appreciated that in the dispensing of the toothpaste onto a toothbrush, the tube is typically squeezed by a hand of the user and this may occur at any location along the length thereof depending on the user and as a result the remaining toothpaste may be concentrated toward the dispensing end that is preferable for subsequent use. Or the toothpaste may be concentrated at a remote location from the dispensing end or concentrated at spaced locations along the length thereof as depicted inFIG. 4 . And as a result, further hand squeezing of the tube along its length is normally necessary to force the remaining toothpaste at such remote location(s) to the dispensing end of the tube for its use. - In the normal or as-molded condition of the handle and with the possibility of variable compacted tube thickness in mind with differently made tubes of toothpaste, the
preset space 33 is provided with a uniform width between the oppositely facingstraight sides 31 of the handle portions for closely receiving the fully collapsedportion 42 of a typical commercially available tube of toothpaste as depicted inFIG. 4 and when entered into the preset space either endways or sideways through theopen end 22 of the slot. Where after progressive collapsing of the tube and the accompanying forcing of the toothpaste toward the dispensing end is accomplished by thehandle 12 being manually held and squeezed at thehandle portions hinged handle portion 28 to maintain it in its normal position while the tube is manually held and the handle is manually forcibly moved along the tube in the direction of the dispensing end. - On the other hand and in the event a fully collapsed portion of a particular tube of toothpaste is larger or smaller in thickness than the width of the normally provided
preset space 33, thehinge portion 32 allows thehandle portion 28 to swing outwardly of the handle from its normally maintained position in the case of a larger thickness and inwardly of the handle from its normally maintained position in the case of a smaller thickness to accommodate the difference. With the outward swinging of thehandle portion 28 being allowed by thehinge portion 32 in reaction to forced sideways insertion against thehinged handle portion 28 of a collapsed tube portion having such a larger thickness entering the slot sideways via theopen end 22 of the slot and thereby allow this collapsed tube portion of larger thickness to be fully received between thetube engaging sides 31. And with thehinge portion 32 then allowing inward swinging and reorienting movement of the hinged handle portion with squeezing on the handle portions to a position forcing thetube engaging sides 31 fully against the opposite sides of this collapsed tube portion to thereby restore thetube engaging sides 31 to parallel but now with a larger uniform width there between corresponding to that of this collapsed tube portion. Where after thehinge portion 32 allows continuing manually applied force on thehinged handle portion 28 to maintain this condition to progressively and efficiently collapse the associated tube with thesides 31 in forcing remaining toothpaste toward the dispensing end of the associated tube. - On the other hand, with a collapsed tube portion having a thickness less than the width of the
preset space 33 and thus received with clearance in this space, thehinge portion 32 allows inward swinging and reorienting movement of the hinged handle portion with manual squeezing on the handle portions to a position inward of its normal position in forcing the tube engaging sides fully against the opposite sides of this collapsed tube portion to thereby restore thetube engaging sides 31 to parallel but now with a smaller uniform width there between corresponding to that of this collapsed tube portion. Where after thehinge portion 32 allows continually applied force on the hinged handle portion to maintain this condition to progressively and efficiently collapse the associated tube in forcing remaining toothpaste toward its dispensing end. - In all instances, the amount of force manually applied to the elastically hinged
handle portion 28 determines the actual extent of the collapsing of the tube in forcing toothpaste toward its dispensing end. And for this reason, thetextured area 16 on the brush side of the handle is located at an intermediate site on the outer side of thehinged handle portion 28 intermediate the lengthwise extent of thetube engaging sides 31 and in addition is formed at this site on arecessed surface 44 provided on the outer side of the hinged handle portion. As it was found that applying a force in this recessed area such as with a thumb of a person's hand can substantially aid in controlling the forced swinging movement of thehandle portion 28 with the hand squeezing action on the handle portions and thereby aid in controlling the degree to which the tube is collapsed in forcing the toothpaste toward the dispensing end. - Having described the fundamentals of operation provided with the elastically hinged
handle portion 28, it will be appreciated that the forced collapsing of the tube by thehandle portions tube engaging sides 31 of the handle portions having a convex surface as shown inFIG. 4 that extends along their tube engaging length, define the closest space there between at a midpoint of these convex surfaces, and operate to collapse the tube in the same manner regardless of which direction the un-collapsed portion of the tube is entering the compressing space. And it will also be appreciated that the collapsing operation can be facilitated in a more gradual manner by the oppositely facingtube engaging sides 31 having a more gradual (larger radiused) convex surface as shown inFIG. 5 wherein they converge and cooperate to form a continuously converging or funnel shaped throat providing for more gradual progressive collapsing of a tube with the closest space between thesides 31 then at corresponding ends of these surfaces. And in this case the un-collapsed portion of the tube is intended to feed into the funnel shaped throat in the direction indicated by adirectional arrow 46 provided on the outer side of the handle portions as shown on thehandle portion 30 inFIG. 6 and wherein it will be understood that a like directional arrow pointing in the same direction is located on the outer side of theother handle portion 28. - It will also be appreciated that the collapsed portion of the tube extends beyond the handle portions and when of sufficient length can then, if desired, be coiled about the handle and left in that configuration on the handle or removed in such coiled configuration though the
open slot end 22. And it will also be appreciated that the brush-containing end of the toothbrush can be a detachable and replaceable part that can be of the same design as shown or a different design and is made separate from the handle portion and then joined with the latter with a suitable fastening joint. - Referring now to
FIG. 7 , there is shown another embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention wherein the toothbrush and its attendant features are identified with the same references numbers used previously but with the suffix “A” added. In this embodiment, theopen end 22A of theslot 20A in thetoothbrush 10A is now located in the brush side of the toothbrush at an intermediate location along the length of thehandle 12A and theclosed end 26A of the slot is located near thebutt end 24A of the handle and that thehinge portion 32A instead of directly joining thehandle portion 28A with the rest of the handle like in theFIG. 1-6 embodiments now joins thehandle portion 28A with the terminal end of theother handle portion 30A and thereby with the rest of the handle. And like in the previous embodiments, the hingedhandle portion 28A is provided with a recessedsurface 44A on its outer side that is located midway along its length to aid in controlling the degree of hinged movement, if any, desired of the hinged handle portion. And it will also be understood that the embodiment inFIG. 7 with the relocation of thehinge portion 32A provides for the same operation on a tube of toothpaste in facilitating the use of the available toothpaste as the embodiments inFIGS. 1-6 . And wherein side entry of a collapsed portion of a tube of toothpastes into theslot 22A is now provided for at an intermediate location along the length of and in the brush side of the handle rather than at the brushless side as provided in theFIG. 1-6 embodiments. - Referring now to
FIG. 8 , there is shown another embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention wherein the toothbrush with its attendant features are identified with the same reference numbers used previously but with the suffix “B” added. In this embodiment, theopen end 22B of theslot 20B in thetoothbrush 10B is now located in thebutt end 24B of the handle and theclosed end 26B like the embodiments inFIGS. 1-6 is located at an intermediate location along the length of the handle with thehinge portion 32B joining thehandle portion 28B with the rest of thehandle 12B like in theFIG. 1-6 embodiments but now having a larger rounded shape in defining the interior side of thehinge portion 32B. And like in theFIG. 1-7 embodiments, the recessedsurface 44B on the outer side of the elastically hingedhandle portion 28B provides aid in controlling the degree of hinged movement, if any, desired of thehandle portion 28B. - It will also be understood that the embodiment in
FIG. 8 with the above-described features provides for the same operation on a tube of toothpaste in maximizing the use of the remaining toothpaste in the tube following usage as theFIG. 1-7 embodiments. And wherein sideways entry of a collapsed portion of a tube of toothpaste into the space between thehandle portions butt end 24B of the handle by allowing straight or inline sideways entry of a collapsed portion of a tube of toothpaste via theopen slot end 22B as compared with angled sideways entry of a collapsed portion of a tube of toothpaste at a side of the handle as provided in the previous embodiments. - Referring now to
FIGS. 9-11 , there is shown another embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention wherein the toothbrush with its attendant features are identified with the same reference numbers used previously but with the suffix “C” added and added features are identified with new reference numbers. In this embodiment, theopen end 22C of theslot 20C in thetoothbrush 10C is located in thebutt end 24C of the handle like in theFIG. 8 embodiment and theclosed end 26C like in theFIG. 1-8 embodiments is located at an intermediate location along the length of the handle with thehinge portion 32C joining thehandle portion 28C with the rest of the handle 12C at that location but with the hingedhandle portion 28C now located on a brushless side of the handle and the cantileveredhandle portion 30C now located on the brush containing side. And like in theFIG. 1-8 embodiments, the elastically hingedhandle portion 28C has the recessedsurface 44C with thetextured area 16C located on its outer side to provide aid in controlling the degree of hinged movement, if any, desired of thehandle portion 28C. - But unlike that in the previously described embodiments, the
hinge portion 32C in this embodiment has a sinusoidal profile as shown inFIG. 10 that is oriented at right angles to the swinging movement of the hingedhandle portion 28C in providing for the compliance to a greater degree in thehinge portion 32C that allows the operation of the hingedhandle portion 28C like that of the hinged handle portion in the other embodiments but to a greater extent. And it will be understood that this form of the hinge portion that thus expands the range of collapsed tube thickness that can be accommodated can also be applied to the other embodiments. - In addition, a recessed
surface 48 with atextured area 50 is now provided on the outer side of the cantileveredhandle portion 30C directly across from the recessedsurface 44C on the hingedhandle portion 28C. As it was found that this facilitates the efficient concentrating of the squeezing action on the handle portions wherein the hingedhandle portion 28C for example is pressed at the recessedsurface 44C by the thumb of a person while the associated forefinger engages the recessedsurface 48 on theother handle portion 30C. And it will be understood that this additional useful feature may also be added to the cantileveredhandle portions - It will also be understood that in all the embodiments and instead of the tube engaging sides being parallel in defining the preset space there between, the tube engaging sides can be angled to a significant degree with respect to each other and thereby define the preset space with a width that increases in the direction of the open end of the slot to help facilitate sideways entry of a collapsed tube portion of significantly large thickness. And with the compliance of the hinge portion following forced entry of such a collapsed tube portion then allowing a manually applied force on the hinged handle portion to swingingly position and orient the hinged handle portion with respect to the cantilevered handle portion as necessary to bring the tube engaging sides into full engagement with the collapsed tube portion and thus become parallel for progressively collapsing the associated tube and efficiently forcing toothpaste toward the dispensing end of the tube.
- It will also be appreciated that having disclosed several exemplary embodiments of the invention, persons skilled in the art may arrive at various versions or modified forms of the invention constituting other embodiments. And therefore the scope of the invention is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
Claims (16)
1. A toothbrush comprising a handle having a brush at one end, a slot in the body of said handle having an open end and a closed end and partially defining said handle with two opposing handle portions and a hinge portion wherein one of said handle portions is directly joined with the rest of said handle in a cantilevered manner, the other handle portion is joined with the rest of said handle in an elastically hinged manner via said hinge portion, said handle portions have oppositely facing straight sides and are structured to maintain their shape during their operation, said hinge portion normally supports said other handle portion such that said sides define a preset space there between for freely receiving a collapsed portion of a collapsible tube of toothpaste provided the collapsed tube portion has a thickness not exceeding the width of said preset space, said hinge portion has a compliance allowing said other handle portion to be swung outwardly of said handle by forced sideways movement there against of a collapsed tube portion having a thickness larger than the width of said preset space to thereby allow reception of this collapsed tube portion between said sides, and the compliance of said hinge portion allows said other handle portion to be urged to swing inwardly of said handle as necessary with a force manually applied to said other handle portion to a position pressing said sides fully against a collapsed tube portion however received there between and then be maintained in this condition with the applied force while said handle is moved along the associated tube in the direction of its dispensing end to thereby progressively collapse the associated tube with said sides and force toothpaste toward the dispensing end.
2. A toothbrush as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hinge portion handle joins said other handle portion with the rest of the handle independent of said one handle portion.
3. A toothbrush as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hinge portion joins said other handle portion to said one handle portion and thereby with the rest of the handle.
4. A toothbrush as set forth in claim 1 wherein said open end of said slot is located in a longitudinally extending side of said handle.
5. A toothbrush as set forth in claim 1 wherein said open end of said slot is located in a longitudinally extending brushless side of said handle.
6. A toothbrush as set forth in claim 1 wherein said open end of said slot is located in a longitudinally extending brush containing side of said handle.
7. A toothbrush as set forth in claim 1 wherein said open end of said slot is located in a butt end of said handle.
8. A toothbrush as set forth in claim 1 wherein said other handle portion has an outer side with a recessed surface adapted to be engaged by the thumb of a person's hand in applying force on said other handle portion.
9. A toothbrush as set forth in claim 1 wherein said other handle portion has an outer side with a recessed surface adapted to be engaged by a thumb of a person's hand, and said one handle portion has an outer side with a recessed surface adapted to be engaged by a forefinger of a person's hand to provide resistance with said one handle portion against the force applied on said other handle by the thumb when pressing on the recessed surface of said other handle portion.
10. A toothbrush as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hinge portion is defined at an inner side by a rounded surface.
11. A toothbrush as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hinge portion has a sinusoidal profile oriented at right angles to the swinging movement of said other handle portion.
12. A toothbrush as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hinge portion has a varying cross-sectional area.
13. A toothbrush as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sides are parallel in defining said preset space with a uniforms width, and the compliance of said hinge portion allows the force applied to said other handle portion to swingingly position and orient said other handle portion with respect to said one handle portion so that said sides remain parallel in pressing on a collapsible tube of toothpaste and progressively collapsing the tube.
14. A toothbrush as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sides are angled with respect to each other in defining said preset space with a width that increases in the direction of said open end of said slot, and the compliance of said hinge portion allows the force applied to said other handle portion to swingingly position and orient said other handle portion with respect to said one handle portion so that said sides become parallel in pressing on a collapsible tube of toothpaste and progressively collapsing the tube.
15. A toothbrush as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sides have oppositely facing convex surfaces adapted to define the closest space there between at a midpoint of said convex surfaces.
16. A toothbrush as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sides have converging oppositely facing convex surfaces adapted to define the closest space there between at corresponding ends of said convex surfaces.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/374,208 US20120090116A1 (en) | 2009-05-20 | 2011-12-16 | Toothbrush |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/454,551 US20100293733A1 (en) | 2009-05-20 | 2009-05-20 | Toothbrush |
US13/374,208 US20120090116A1 (en) | 2009-05-20 | 2011-12-16 | Toothbrush |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/454,551 Continuation-In-Part US20100293733A1 (en) | 2009-05-20 | 2009-05-20 | Toothbrush |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20120090116A1 true US20120090116A1 (en) | 2012-04-19 |
Family
ID=45932812
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/374,208 Abandoned US20120090116A1 (en) | 2009-05-20 | 2011-12-16 | Toothbrush |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20120090116A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20120000025A1 (en) * | 2010-03-05 | 2012-01-05 | Didar Almabekov | Toothbrush |
US11589671B2 (en) | 2019-12-19 | 2023-02-28 | 1350746 B.C. Ltd. | Toothbrush with integral toothpaste dispenser |
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US11589671B2 (en) | 2019-12-19 | 2023-02-28 | 1350746 B.C. Ltd. | Toothbrush with integral toothpaste dispenser |
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Legal Events
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STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |