US2206542A - Denture brush - Google Patents

Description

E. F. ARNOLD July 2, 1940..

DENTURE BRUSH Filed July 5, 1938 E. FAT-n 07 a.

Patented Jul 2, 1940 PATENT OFFICE 'DENTURE BRUSH Ernest Franklin Arnold, Toronto, Ontario, Oanada Application July 5, 1938, Serial No. 217,474

2 Claims.

This invention relates to denture brushes such as are used for cleaning artificial dentures or plates and the object of the invention is to devise a brush which will not only brush all smooth surfaces, including the teeth, but also 'all concave surfaces that an ordinary brush would not reach and the inside of all sizes of clamps. A further object is to devise a brush which may be readily grasped and held close to the bristle part of the brush so that it may be more accurately manipulated with less likelihood of dislodging the denture plate from the grasp than if the brush were held by a handle, and which is of such a size and shape that the palatal surface of the plate may be thoroughly cleaned by a rotating motion.

Other objects of this invention will hereinafter appear and the invention is more particularly described and is illustrated in the annexed drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view;

Fig. 2 a rear end view;

Fig. 3 a front end view; and

Fig. 4 a bottom plan view.

In the drawing corresponding numbers in the different figures refer to corresponding parts.

The brush comprises a brush-block I having concave sides and a plurality of depressions l in said sides to enable the user to firmly grasp the brush.

The length of the brush is such that it is substantially equal to the diameter of an average full denture plate, about 50 mm. It is comparatively narrow for convenience in handling and for a better cleansing of curved surfaces, the width being preferably about 16 mm. The depth of the brush-block l is suflicient to enable it to be firmly grasped by the hand and is preferably about 22 mm.

Extending from the under surface of the brushblock at substantially right angles thereto are a plurality of closely spaced bristles 2 of suiiicient length for effective cleaning, say, about 10 mm., from the under surface of the block to the end of the bristles.

One end of the block I is provided with a bristlereceiving surface which extends upwardly and forwardly from the under surface of the block at an angle of 45 or a little less and mounted in the bristle receiving surface is a tuft 3 of bristles which extends in a direction forwardly and downwardly from the front end of the block and at substantially right angles to the aforesaid bristle receiving surface. The bristles increase gradually in length from the upper and lower sides of the tuft to the middle thereof so that the end of the tuft is rounded when viewed in side elevation. The longest bristles in this tuft are approximately 18 mm. in length and the tuft extends below the plane of the ends of the bristles 2.

Although the ends of the bristles in the tuft 3 will extend slightly beyond the end of the brush-: block the cleaning surface of the bristles, formed by the bristle ends will be of a length substantially not exceeding the diameter of an average sized full denture.

Mounted on the upper surface of the block I is what may be called a clasp cleaning brush which consists of a supporting member 4 of wire or other suitable material which extends upwardly from the upper surface of the block I adjacent the end thereof in which the tuft 3 is located, and then extends at right angles and parallel to the said upper surface of the block. A plurality of closely spaced bristles are secured to the parallel portion of the supporting member 4 in any suitable manner, such as by twisting strands of Wire to clamp the bristles between them, said bristles gradually increasing in length from the free end of the parallel portion of the supporting member 4 to form a conical shaped brushing surface adapted to clean the inside of all different sizes of denture clasps. The said conical denture clasp brush is approximately 16 mm. in width at its widest point.

The brush described will conform to the shape of the palatal surface of a denture plate mesiodistally, the bristles 2 being adapted to brush the smooth surfaces of the plate and between the teeth and the tuft of bristles 3 being adapted to enter and clean the concaved surfaces required for the alveolar ridge. The cleaning may be readily effected by a rotating movement. Owing to the size of the brush and the fact that it is not held by means of a handle but directly by the block, the hand which is operating the brush is in close proximity with the hand holding the denture, which gives the user greater control over the brush and minimizes the danger of dropping and breaking the denture. For cleaning clasps, particularly the inside thereof in partial dentures the end of the conical bristles 5 of the denture clasp brush may be inserted therein, the distance required depending on the size of the clasp, thus making it possible to thoroughly clean clasps of all sizes.

It will be seen from the above description that I have achieved the object of my invention as set forth in the preamble hereof.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A handleless denture brush, comprising a substantially rectangular brush-block, said block being comparatively narrow and of sufficient depth to be grasped by the fingers, and having a plurality of closely spaced bristles extending from the under surface of the block at substantially right angles thereto'for cleaning the palatal surface of a denture and a tuft of bristles extending in a direction forwardly and downwardly from one end of the bristle-block to a point below the plane of the ends of the first mentioned bristles, for brushing the concaved surfaces required for the alveolar ridge, the cleaning surface of the bristles being of a length not substantially exceeding the diameter of the average sized full denture, and the sides and ends of the brush-block extending only slightly beyond the base of the bristles, whereby the palatal surface of such denture may be cleaned by holding the denture in one hand and applying the brush to the denture with the other hand and rotating said brush.

2. A handleless denture brush, comprising a substantially rectangular brush-block, said block being comparatively narrow and of suflicient depth to be grasped by the fingers, and having a plurality of closely spaced bristles extending from the under surface of the block at substantially right angles thereto for cleaning the palatal surface of a denture and a tuft of bristles extending in a direction forwardly and downwardly from one end of the bristle-block to a point below the plane of the ends of the first mentioned bristles, for brushing the concaved surfaces required for the alveolar ridge, the cleaning surface of the bristles being of a length not substantially exceeding the diameter of the average sized full denture, and the sides and ends of the brush-block extending only slightly beyond the base of the bristles, whereby the palatal surface of such denture may be cleaned by holding the denture in one hand and applying the brush to the denture with the other hand and rotating said brush; and a bristle supporting member mounted on the upper surface of the brushblock at the same end as the bristle tuft and extending toward the other end of the block parallel to but spaced from the upper surface thereof, said bristle supporting member having a plurality of closely-spaced bristles extending therefrom at substantially right angles thereto for cleaning the inner surface of denture clasps.

ERNEST F. ARNOLD.

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