US2668973A - Toothbrush having a removable head - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 16, 1954 V. J. GLAZA ET AL TOOTHBRUSWHAVING A REMOVABLE HEAD Filed Dec. 18, 1947 Patented Feb. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TQQTHBRUSHZZfiA REMOVABLE Vincent JaGlazai and William-.0. Glaze...

Detroit, Mich..-

'Appllcationnecember 1s, r947;jseriainmaeznso' ..3'..Gl'aims-. (Cl.15.-+176;)1

Gur'i'nvention rel'atesto a new and useful improvement in a tooth brush and has for its object, the provision. of a... tooth brush. so. arranged andconstructed' that the bristle bearing portion may be easilyand quickly removed from the handle omwhich mounted andreplaced with'another one; thus providing a sanitary arrangement whereby the repeated use ofv used tooth, brushes may be avoided. This sanitary feature of the invention is: important in that it.makes it;possible for a. person having some disease of: the mouth or gums to prevent infection or spreading; of the. disease and also eliminate the possibility of retarding the elimination. or cure of the disease:

Another objectof the. invention is the provision in a toothbrush of" this-class of a handle having; a resilient gripping; portion adapted. for gripping the bristle bearings; portion and holding; it? rigid and. firmain. position: while, at the same time, so constructed and arranged that a bristle bearing portion may be slid out of position and replaced with another.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tooth brush of this class having a removable bristle bearing portion and provided with yieldable means for normally retaining the bristle bearin portion in operative position.

Another object of the invention is the provision in a tooth brush of this class of a bristle bearing portion having a back or body provided with a recess at one end and a tapered portion at the other adapted for sealing in a similar recess so that one of the members may be replaced by pressing thereagainst with the member which is intended to replace.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

It is recognized that various modifications and changes may be made in the detail of structure illustrated without departing from the invention and it is intended that such shall be embraced within the scope of the claims which form a part hereof.

Forming a. part of this specification are drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view in fragment of the handle with parts broken away,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bristle hearing portion showing it in inverted position,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bristle bearing portion illustrating one end,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the bristle bearing portion illustrating the opposite end,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken on line 6--6 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 7 is a slightly enlarged sectionalview-taken on'line-l -l ofFig: 6.

As shown in thedrawing, the invention com prises a handle II which is preferably formed from: resilient material such as plastic or metal. This handle is provided with alongitudinallyxexitending channel l2 adjacent the forwarctor: outer end of the handle. Said. channelincludesat. its open end: an: inwardly-longitudinally.for a distance; of, approximately one: half the: lengthrof the: channel 512: the: oppositelyxdisposedz. side: wall portions. I35 andv M which. projeca'beyond; the planeof the handle. It. will, be. noted that: the side portions; I3; and-I14 cooperate at; the open end 0f; said ,ch-anneltoprovide; a..passage .of;:,great-:.- er depth than the inner portion: of; the channel. This feature: provides; for: more. eliicient,v in:-

sertion of: a. replacement; brushw body as. will be,- hereinafter; described. Extending. inwardly from; the; wall: |:3; is a: g'r-ippingjflange: |3.ai. and'sa similar: gripping: flange Ma: extends inwardly from the wall M, the channel l2 also being provided with a bottom l5.

Formed in this bottom I5 is a longitudinally directed slot l 6, extending over which is one end of a leaf spring I! which is attached at its opposite end to the bottom l5 and which is provided intermediate its end with a transverse rib The brush comprises a back or body l9 projecting outwardly from the front face of which are the bristles 20. Formed in the back face I9 is a transversely extended groove 2| adapted for receiving the rib l8. One end of this body [9 is formed tapered, as at 22, and the opposite end is provided with a recess or pocket 23 in which the tapered end 22 is adapted to seat snugly.

It will be noted that the groove 2| is V-shaped in cross section and that the rib I8 is also V- shaped in cross section. In inserting the brush body l9 into position, it is slid into position from the inner end of the channel with the in-turned flanges I30. and Ma bearing snugly against the front face of the body l9 and the walls l3 and I4 being slightly sprung apart so that there is frictional engagement between the body l9 and this channel portion in which it i seated. When the groove 2| comes into registration with the rib l 8, this rib l8 will snap into the groove 2| and serve to assist in holding the bristle bearing portion in position and in fixed relation to the handle I The leaf spring I! serves to maintain the face of the body l9 in close engagement with the faces of the inturned flanges |3a and Ma so that should there be any play, this frictional engagement will still take place.

When it is desired to replace the bristle bearing portion, the replaceable body is placed in the inner portion of the channel [2 with its tapered end 22 in engagement with the recess or pocket 23 of the worn body. By pressing outwardly on this new body, the old unit is dislodged and slides longitudinally out of the channel I2, the rib l8 riding out of the groove 2|, and when the used body clears the channel it will fall out and the new body will be in position, the rib l8 snapping into the groove 2! of the new body. The inner portion of the channel serves to guide the new body into the outer portion of the channel and direct the ejecting force in a straight line along the longitudinal axis of the worn body. It will also be noted that the relatively shallow depth of the inner portion of th channel enables the user of the device to more easily engage the replacement unit with the fingers during the ejecting operation.

In this way, there is provided an economical tooth brush in which a sanitary condition, both of the tooth brush and the mouth, may be facilitated and maintained, at all times, with the additional advantages of a comparatively new brush being accessible for use.

What we claim as new is:

1. A tooth brush of the class described comprising a handle having a channel formed in one end thereof extending longitudinally of said handie and open at its outer end, a replaceable bristle bearing insert snugly slidable in said channel, said channel having a length of at least twice the length of said insert, the portion of said channel adjacent said open end and inwardly longitudinally for a distance equal to or less than the length of said insert having relatively short, inwardly directed projecting portions adapted to extend over the longitudinal edges of said insert and prevent its moving out of said channel in a A 4 direction transversely of said handle, and resilient friction means associated with said handle and said insert to normally hold said insert in position for use adjacent the open end of said channel under said projecting portions.

2. A tooth brush as set forth in claim 1, wherein the side walls of said channel adjacent the open end and inwardly longitudinally of said handle for a distance equal to or less than the length of said insert project beyond the plane of the face of said handle in which said channel is formed, the inner portion of said channel thereby being of less depth than said insert holding portion.

3. A tooth brush as set forth in claim 1, Wherein said replaceable bristle insert is rounded at one end and has a socket formed in the opposite end thereof.

VINCENT J. GLAZA. WILLIAM C. GLAZA.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 730,040 McKinley June 2, 1903 959,574 Moore May 31, 1910 1,199,268 Haller Sept. 26, 1916 1,497,214 Osborn Feb. 21, 1922 1,731,751 Neissl Oct. 15, 1929 1,744,271 Kingman Jan. 21, 1930 1,947,720 Laub Feb. 20, 1934 2,017,660 Jahn Oct. 15, 1935 2, .i86fl62 Fticlner Oct. 25, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2 15978 Great Britain 1909 339,485 Great Britain Dec. 11, 1930

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