US20120222228A1

US20120222228A1 - Tongue scraper adapted for engagement with a toothbrush

Info

Publication number: US20120222228A1
Application number: US13/412,577
Authority: US
Inventors: Ventura Natividad
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-03-04
Filing date: 2012-03-05
Publication date: 2012-09-06

Abstract

A dental hygiene device formed of a toothbrush component having an elongated handle and bristles extending from a first surface and a scraper component with a scraping edge positioned on a first side a body portion. The scraper component is employable in an as-used position to scrape the tongue surface of a user and engageable in a cavity in the toothbrush handle to a stored position. In the stored position, the scraping edge is positioned away from possible contact with the user's hand or storage surfaces which the device may occupy to prevent contamination by germs and bacteria.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/449,409 filed Mar. 4, 2011 which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. The present invention relates to oral hygiene implements. More particularly the disclosed device relates to a toothbrush and tongue scraper combination allowing the user to carry a single instrument for multiple oral hygiene modes of use.
2. Prior Art
The importance of oral hygiene is conveyed to most people at a very young age with brushing and flossing being the means to provide proper oral care. Maintaining oral hygiene can save money by reducing dental office visits as well providing self confidence in knowing that your teeth are clean and your breath is fresh. Further, such care will tend to minimize tooth decay and physical problems and concurrently maintain reasonably fresh breath.
A common misconception, however, is that bad breath comes from dirty teeth. Modernly, it has been generally established that bacteria which live on the surface of the tongue are the primary culprits which cause of bad breath. Bad breath for individuals as such, is a product of the odors and waste material deposited on the surface of the tongue which are produced by bacteria which live on the surface of the tongue.
Thus, bad breath is best remedied by proper and regular cleaning of the tongue surface, which is best accomplished by scraping the top surface of the tongue. Such scraping is best performed with a dental instrument adapted to the task.
Conventional tongue scrapers take the form similar to that of a common tooth brush but instead employ a rigid scraping means at the distal end opposed to brushing bristles. Such scrapers are sold widely in drug stores and the like and are generally hand employed by the user. This however doubles the number of dental instruments users must store and use.
To rectify the need to posses both a tongue scraper and tooth brush, efforts have been made in the past, to combine the two instruments in a manner that is convenient and easy to use. Often, a toothbrush with brushing bristles at a distal end will position a tongue scraping means at the other proximal end. However, this requires the user to palm both the bristles of the brush, and the tongue scraping component during use of the other, which is less than appealing and sanitary. Other attempts exist in prior art which have been proposed as to the construction and design of the tooth brushing means while concurrently accomplishing the task of scraping bacteria and deposits from the surface of a tongue.
Although providing a convenient scraping means, the positioning of a scraping component at one exterior end of a toothbrush for daily employment, is generally unsanitary due to the user using their hands to use it, as well as its placement on bathroom surfaces. It is less than an appealing task, to insert the exposed end of a toothbrush having a scraping component, which has been stored in a toothbrush holder, or laying on a bathroom counter. Consequently devices with exposed scrapers have been less than successful. Furthermore, there is the constant problem of cross-contamination because the user employs their hands over the scraping end when handling the device as a toothbrush. Subsequently, they hold the brush end in their hand, to employ the end of the device having the scraping means. As a result, bacteria and germs can be transferred to the brushing bristles from the tongue scraper side of the instrument, which is again unsanitary and unappealing. Further, when employed subsequent to brushing, the user must grip the brush end of the instrument which is then wet and undesireable, in addition to the cross-contamination that is certain to occur.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0248668A1 to Rosenblood et. al. teaches a toothbrush and tongue scrapper combination. Rosenblood discloses a toothbrush housing with a proximal and distal end with brushing bristles at the proximal end. A flexible tongue scraper is engaged to the distal end inside or outside of the housing and can be rolled up for storage within the housing. However, the flexible nature of the tongue scraper permitting a rolled up storage position does not seem to provide as effective of a scraping means as would a rigid counterpart. Furthermore, the addition of a roll up mechanism seems to add unnecessary complexity to a conventionally simple toothbrush design. It also seems that cleaning and maintaining cleanliness of such a tongue scraper would be more difficult then just having a separate tongue scraper on its own. Rosenblood also teaches a disposable embodiment where the used portion of the tongue scraper can be removed after use, yet further adding to the waste produced in our society. Other prior art in the field, teaches similarly flawed combination dental insturements.
As such, there is a continuing and unmet need for a toothbrush and tongue scraper combination which is easily manufactured and thereafter employed by a user in a sanitary and appealing manner. Such a device should provide a tongue scraper which is easily engageable as a component of an dental instrument such as conventional elongated toothbrushes, but shields both the scraper, and the user from the need to grip the brush end, or the scraper during use of the other respective component. In this combination, such a device should provide the convenience of using a conventional toothbrush with the additional convenience of an engageable tooth scraper. In the combination, such a device carried and stored as a single instrument should provide a convenient and sanitary means to use, clean, and store a tongue scraper, and the toothbrush portion. Furthermore, the tongue scraper or toothbrush combination should be simple in construction as well as be inexpensive to produce to thereby insure easy and inexpensive manufacture and encourage widespread use through low cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The device herein disclosed and described provides a tongue scraper that achieves the above noted goals through the combination thereof with a toothbrush in a single hygienic instrument. A conventional toothbrush head and body are employed and adapted to engage and house the tongue scraper portion.
The tongue scraper portion of the instrument generally consists of an elongated member having a proximal end and a distal end. At the proximal end is situated a scraping means such as a protruding body portion from the member forming the handle communicating between the proximal and distal ends. The handle portion is generally of a cross section configured for cooperative engagement with the toothbrush handle and of a flexible in nature so as to serve as a means to limit the amount of pressure the user may impart to their tongue to prevent injury thereto.
In one particularly preferred mode, the tongue scraper is removably and slidably engaged within an internally formed cavity along the longitudinal direction of the handle portion of a conventional style toothbrush. The cavity is formed between the distal end of the toothbrush handle, opposite the brushing bristles, and the proximal end engaged by the user's hand during brushing.
The cavity is configured to be cooperative with, and engage, the distal end and handle portion of the tongue scraper portion of the combined instrument while the protruding body defining the scraping means remains exposed. The tongue scraper is thus formed for a cooperative removable engagement with the handle of the toothbrush by removable engagement means such as a tongue and groove, snap fit, sliding, or other means to position the tongue scraper portion in a stored position, out of contact with the user's hand while brushing, and bathroom surfaces while being stored. The combined convenience of a dental instrument having both a tongue scraper portion with toothbrush portion is achieved without sacrificing sanitation or functionality issues as previously described.
In another particularly preferred mode of the current combination dental hygiene invention the tongue scraping component may be rotatably engaged at the distal end of its handle, to a position at or near the distal end of a conventional style toothbrush. This rotational engagement allows the scraping component to rotate out to an as-used position to be employed for tongue scraping, and back into a cooperative removable engagement with the toothbrush handle, covered from contact with the user's hand or bathroom or other surfaces during storage. Rotatable engagement is provided by a rotatable engagement means such as a swivel, hinge, flexible substrate, or a living hinge formed between the toothbrush and tongue scraper handle, or the like.
When the scraper is rotated and thereby deployed to the as-used position, the user can grasp the handle portion of the scraper as opposed to handling it at or near the brushing bristles of the toothbrush body itself as mentioned in prior art toothbrush/tongue scraper combinations. Alternatively, the tongue scraper portion can rotate to an engaged position on the back surface of the toothbrush handle, enabling use of either.
The scraping component body defining the scraping means on the proximal end of the tongue scraper portion, employs a flat surface to scrape the tongue, and is positioned on the side adjacent to the back of the toothbrush body to cooperatively engage therewith, to ensure flush engagement when in the stored position. A means to removably engage the scraper component, for temporary engagement when in the stored position is achieved by a removable engagement means such as a snap fit, tongue and groove, or the like. This also allows for replacement of the scraper over time with new scraper components.
In yet another particularly preferred mode of the invention a flexible sheath made of polymeric material such as plastic such as polyethylene is used to house the tongue scraping component. The sheath employs an internal cavity constructed to adaptively and slidably engage the distal end and handle portion of the tongue scraping component. The sheath has at least one flat exterior surface that has an adhesive strip or other means to engage to a users existing toothbrush. This mode provides similar attributes of use for the tongue scraping component to that of the first particularly mode described previously without having a user sacrifice their existing toothbrush.
With respect to the above description, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the herein disclosed invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention herein described is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed device. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is an object of the invention to provide a single dental hygiene instrument having a combination toothbrush and tongue scraper in a variety of modes that is altogether easily used, sanitary, and convenient.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a receiving cavity in a conventional style toothbrush that is constructed to slidably, rotatably, or otherwise removably engage the tongue scraping component in a protected position with the toothbrush handle.
Another object of the invention is provide a sheath configured to attach to a toothbrush handle for a tongue scrapping component that can be engaged to an existing toothbrush.
Still an object of the invention is the provision of rotatable engagement of the tongue scraping component to a toothbrush.
These as well as other objects will become apparent in the following detailed explanation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES
FIG. 1 shows a side view of one particularly preferred mode of the device with the tongue scraping component slidably engaged within a recess cavity in the handle portion of a toothbrush.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of the mode of the device in FIG. 1 with the tongue scraping component in the stored position.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the mode of FIG. 1 with the tongue scraping component partially removed from the recess cavity of the toothbrush.
FIG. 4 shows a side view of another particularly preferred mode of the device with the tongue scraping component rotatable engaged to the distal end of a toothbrush and rotatable to a deployed position and engageable to the rear surface of the toothbrush handle.
FIG. 5 is a view of yet another particularly preferred mode of the device that employs a sheath with a receiving cavity for the tongue scraping component, also engageable to an existed toothbrush or other flat surface.
FIG. 6 is an cross sectional view of the device of sheath of FIG. 5 along line BB.
FIG. 7 is an end view of the sheath component.
FIG. 8 depicts another preferred mode of the device where the tongue scraper component is removably engageable into an elongated recess formed in the toothbrush handle and may be rotatably engaged as in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Now referring to drawings in FIGS. 1-8, wherein similar components are identified by like reference numerals, there is seen in FIG. 1, a side view of one mode of the device 10 and in figures FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 individual sectional side views of this preferred mode of the device 10. As depicted, the device 10 remedies the problems of conventional toothbrush and tongue scraper combinations which leave the tongue scraper component exposed to the environment, and/or the user's hands, wherein germs and other bacteria may accumulate and be transmitted such that a user may be deterred from any tongue cleaning regime.
The depicted tongue scraping component 12 of the present invention is comprised of a tongue scraper portion 14 configured to scrape and clean the tongue surface, and shaft or body portion 16, which communicates with a formed cavity 22, or in the case of the device of FIG. 8, a slot 35 formed in a cooperative fashion in the toothbrush handle 18. The cavity 22 in this mode of the device 10 is configured for a removable slidable engagement with the tongue scraping component 12 positioned therein. An aperture 20 at the distal end of the handle of the toothbrush 13, opposite the bristle end 19, communicates with the formed cavity 22 for operatively receiving the body portion 16 of the tongue scraping component 12 in a stored mode as depicted in FIG. 2.
As can be seen in FIG. 2, showing the cross sectional view along line AA from FIG. 1, the body portion 16 of the tongue scraping component 12 is engaged within the formed cavity 22 of the toothbrush handle 18 in the stored position cooperatively engaged therein in removable fashion. The scraper portion 14 is positioned adjacent the distal end of the toothbrush handle 18 and is shaped to seamlessly form with the handle or body of the toothbrush 13. However in other modes the scrapper portion 14 may be recessed further into the handle 18 of the toothbrush 13.
A frictional means to maintain the stored engagement of the tongue scraping component 12 within the cavity 22 is achieved by a snap fit or similar means of removably engagement as seen in the figures. For instance, on such snap fit is provided by a recess 26 at or near the opening 20 of the formed cavity 22 is constructed to cooperatively engage with a similarly formed protrusion 24 on the tongue scraping component 12. Further, the exterior surfaces of the protrusion 24 provides a means for opposed finger engagement with the scraper component 12 wherein a user may simply grasp the protrusion 24 to remove the scraper 12 from the cavity 22 or to reinsert it for storage therein.
As is shown in FIG. 3 the scraper portion 14 of the scraper component 12, includes a recess 15 such as to form a scraping edge 17 providing the scraping means for abrasive dragging across the tongue. The edge 17 providing an abrasive scraping means may be larger or smaller as needed to accommodate the protrusion 24 near the aperture 20 on the toothbrush handle 18. Further, during use, the recess 15 will accumulate the scraped particles from the tongue until washed in running water thereby preventing bacteria from reaching contact with the users hands.
It must be noted that the form of the body portion 16 and scraper 14 of the tongue scraping component 12 and consequently the cavity 22, may take on other shapes and dimensions other than that depicted in the figures and achieve the cooperative engagement between the two which stores the scraper 14 away from the users hands. Those skilled in the art will appreciate the simple nature of the depictions set forth in this application as a simple means to portray the cooperative engagement between the two components forming the recessed storage of the scraping component 12, and should not be considered limiting in that fact.
Another particularly preferred mode of the device 10 is shown in FIG. 4. The distal end 31 of the tongue scraping component 12 is rotatably engaged to the distal end 21 of the toothbrush handle 18 opposite the bristled end 19 by a rotatable engagement component 28 such as a hinge, swivel, or rotatable engagement means of the like. A slot 35 as in FIG. 8 would provide the recessed cooperative engagement of the tongue scraping component 12 in the handle of the toothbrush 13. This rotatable engagement can also be employed with the device as shown in FIG. 8 if reconfigured to place the scraper. The body portion 16 of the tongue scraping component 12 is shown in dotted line at “A” in FIG. 4, in one mode of the as-used position substantially inline with the toothbrush 13. In this mode of the device 10, the tongue scraper portion 14 has the scrapping edge 17 and employs at least one flat surface 32 for an engagement to the backside of the toothbrush handle near the bristle end 19 for a second as-used position opposite the bristles should the user wish to employ the device 10 with the scraping edge 17 in this position and allow use by a simple rotation in the mouth.
A means for removable engagement between the tongue scraper portion 14 and the toothbrush handle 13 may be employed such as a pin 31 which frictionally engages in an opening 33 in the handle 13 which may also be employed with the device in FIG. 8 if it has a rotatable engagement of the tongue scraper portion 14 to the handle of the toothbrush 13. However, it must be noted that the toothbrush 13 as depicted in FIGS. 1-3 may similarly employ the rotatable engagement mode as shown in the present figure and as such the flat surface 32 may alternatively be curved to contour the toothbrush 13 as shown in those figures.
The user may then rotate the scraping component 12 through the intermediate position B to the stored position C adjacently parallel with the toothbrush 13. The scraping component 12 is then held in place by a removable engagement means such as a snap fit, flange and slot, or the like.
Yet another particularly preferred mode of the device 10 is shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7. This mode employs a plastic sheath 40 component formed of a polymeric material such as a polyethylene plastic or the like. The sheath 40 is formed with a receiving cavity 42 to slidably communicate and removably engage the body portion 16 of the tongue scraping component 12. A removably engagement means such as recess 26 like that seen previously in FIGS. 1-3 may also be employed as a removably engagement means to maintains the tongue scraper 12 within the cavity 42 of the sheath 40.
The sheath 40 is comprised of at least one flat surface 48 for engagement to a users existing toothbrush 13 or other flat surface such as a mirror or counter top (not shown). As seen in FIG. 6 the flat surface 48 may employ an adhesive strip 50 for engagement to the backside of a users toothbrush or other flat surface such as a mirror or table top. Further utility is found with this mode in that a user does not need to replace and discard an existing toothbrush.
FIG. 8, depicts another mode of the device 10 wherein the body portion 16 of the tongue scraping component 12 is configured for cooperative engagement in the slot 35 formed in the handle of the toothbrush 13. The tongue scraper portion 14 has an edge 17 formed on the protrusion 24 which is configured to be drawn across the user's tongue. When in the stored position, with the body portion 16 engaged within the slot 35, the edge 17 is protected from contact with the user's hands or bathroom surfaces by abutment near or against the mating surface 41. Placing the protrusion 24 between the user's fingers allows for easy removal and replacement in the slot 35 without coming into contact with the edge 17 which is employed for tongue contact. Thus in the stored position the edge 17 is protected from contact and cross contamination, and removal and replacement to the stored position do not necessitate user contact with the edge 17.
While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the invention have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A dental hygiene apparatus, comprising:

a toothbrush component having an elongated handle extending between distal and proximal ends;

bristles extending from a first surface of said handle at said distal end, said first surface opposite a second surface of said handle;

a scraper component, said scraper component having an elongated body extending between a first end and second end;

a scraping edge positioned on a first side of said body, at or adjacent to said first end of said body;

a cavity formed in said handle, said cavity configured for removable engagement of said scraper component therein to a stored position;

said scraping edge in said stored position positioned adjacent to, or in contact with, a mating surface formed on said handle; and

said scraping edge in said stored position prevented from a contact with a hand of a user gripping said elongated handle while operatively employing said toothbrush to clean teeth, whereby germs or bacteria on one of said hand or said scraping edge are not communicable to the other of said hand or said scraping edge by a said contact.

2. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising:

said cavity being an axial passage formed in said handle communicating with an aperture at said proximal end;

said scraper body positionable to said stored position by an insertion of said second end of said scraper body through said aperture and a sliding of said scraper body into said axial passage to said stored position.

3. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising:

said cavity being an a recess formed into said first surface of said handle; and

said scraper body positionable to said stored position by an insertion of said first side of said body into said recess.

4. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 3 additionally comprising:

a rotational engagement between said proximal end of said handle and said second end of said scraper body; and

said scraper body positionable between said stored position, and an as-used position for scraping said tongue by a rotation of said scraper body in a direction away from said first surface of said handle.

5. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 4 additionally comprising:

said scraper body having a second side, opposite said first side;

means for removable engagement of said second side of said scraper body to said second surface of said handle; and

said scraper body held in said as-used position, by said removable engagement, whereby said scraper body is rotatable between said stored position and said as used position where it may be held in a contact with said handle by said removable engagement.

6. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 2 additionally comprising:

opposing side surface areas of said scraper body in said stored position being contactable by opposing fingers of a user's hand for a compressive engagement; and

said scraper body removable from and positionable to said stored engagement while in said compressive engagement.

7. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 6 additionally comprising:

said opposing side surface areas located proximate to said first end of said scraper body.

8. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising:

a recess formed in said scraper body immediately adjacent to said scraping edge, said recess providing a reservoir for storage of material scraped from said tongue of a user.

9. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 2 additionally comprising:

10. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 3 additionally comprising:

11. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 4 additionally comprising:

12. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 5 additionally comprising:

13. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 6 additionally comprising:

14. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 7 additionally comprising:

15. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising:

said scraper body formed of a flexible polymeric material; and

flexation of said body providing means to prevent an injury from excess pressure of said scraper on said tongue of a user.

16. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 2 additionally comprising:

said scraper body formed of a flexible polymeric material; and

17. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 4 additionally comprising:

said scraper body formed of a flexible polymeric material; and

18. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 12 additionally comprising:

said scraper body formed of a flexible polymeric material; and

19. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 13 additionally comprising:

said scraper body formed of a flexible polymeric material; and

20. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 14 additionally comprising:

said scraper body formed of a flexible polymeric material; and