US2795000A - Fountain toothbrush - Google Patents

Description

June 11, 1957 D. e. LOMHOLDT 2,795,900

FOUNTAIN TOOTHBRUSH Filed Sept. 24. 1953 I Ill/Ill],

Dona/0' 6. Lamha/dt INVENTOR.

United States Pater-rt 2,795,000 FOUNTAIN TOOTHBRUSH':

Doiiald G. Lornhol'dt, ModestofCalif.

Application September 24,1953, Serial No. 382,049

2 craima cris issy The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in fountain toothbrushes and more particularly to a hollow handle adapted to hold a replaceable cartridge for supplying a dentifrice to the bristles of the brush.

An important object of the invention is to provide a rigid hollow handle having a depressible plate in the back thereof for subjecting a collapsible cartridge placed in the handle to a squeezing action to force liquid from the cartridge into the bristles of the brush.

Another object of the invention is to form the toothbrush with a metering chamber to receive a measured volume of liquid from the cartridge and admit it to the head of the toothbrush by a squeezing action which also operates a valve mechanism to cut off the flow.

A further object is to provide a novel cartridge construction equipped with a spring retracted cut-01f valve.

A still further object is to construct the cartridge with a back flow check chamber to prevent water used in cleaning the toothbrush from being sucked rearwardly into the cartridge by suction when the collapsible cartridge is released, and wherein the chamber also serves to prevent escape of liquid from the cartridge when the brush is tilted downwardly.

An additional object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the metering chamber in the brush and the back flow check chamber in the cartridge;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the brush showing the distributing passages therein; and

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a preferred cartridge construction.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates a hollow toothbrush handle having a threaded cap 6 closing its rear end. A metering chamber 7 is formed at the front portion of the handle defined by a shoulder 8 and rearwardly of which the handle is internally threaded, as at 9, to receive the threaded front end 10 of a collaps Y ible cartridge 11 constructed of plastic or other suitable material wherein the cartridge inherently returns to its original shape after being collapsed or deformed. The i cartridgeis filledhwithzawliquid dentifrice/to be discharged intoithe-chamb'er--7rand then supplied to the bristles 12 back. flowcheck. chamber; 16 therebetween.

Hollow handle 5 isformed at its back: with an -ovalshapedaopening.171-having-a depressible. plate- 18 fitted therein and-formed withlbeveledges 19 to prevent movemerit of the plate outwardly through :the opening. -;A

leaf spring 20 is attached at one end internally-of the handle and underlies an adjacent end of the plate 18 to subject the plate to outward closing pressure.

In the operation of the device, the plate 18 is depressed to subject the collapsible cartridge 11 to a squeezing or collapsing action and which forces liquid therefrom outwardly through the passages 14 and 15'into chamber 7 and from which the liquid flows through the passages 13 to the bristles of the brush. Upon release of pressure on plate 18, the spring 20 swings the plate outwardly into the opening 17 and the inherent resiliency of the cartridge restores the latter to its original shape. Any water from the head of the brush which might enter the front passage 14 by suction created by the expansion of the cartridge will be collected in chamber 16 and not pass into the cartridge.

In Figure 6, l have illustrated a preferred cartridge construction wherein the cartridge 21 is formed at its front end with a passage 22 in which a wire or other suitable spring 23 is slidable and with a round headed valve 24 at the front end of the wire to close the passage. The wire spring extends longitudinally of the interior of the cartridge and is bowed with its rear end abutting the rear end of the cartridge to aid in the expanding action thereof. The wire passes through an eye 25 inside the cartridge and directly under the pressure plate 26 of hollow handle 27.

The metering chamber 28 at the front portion of the handle is formed with valve seat 29 which is engaged by valve 24 when the latter is moved forwardly into open position to thus close the passages 30 leading to the bristles 31 of the brush.

Accordingly, when plate 26 is depressed to collapse the cartridge, the valve 24 is moved forward to open passage 22 and admit liquid into the metering chamber 28 around the valve and from the chamber to flow through the passages to the bristles until valve 24 engages valve seat 29, thus cutting off further flow to the bristles. When plate 26 is released, the wire spring 23 will close passage 22.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explana tion is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a fountain toothbrush having a hollow handle, a metering chamber at the front end of the handle and having a passage leading therefrom to the bristles of the brush, a valve seat at the junction of the passage with the chamber, a collapsible cartridge in the handle and having a discharge end connected to the metering chamber, and a slidable valve internally of the cartridge and closing the discharge end of the cartridge and admitting liquid from the cartridge into the metering chamber upon Patented June 11, 1957 an initial opening movement of the valve and to engage the valve seat to cut ofi? flow from the metering chamber to the bristles upon a continued opening movement of the valve. J I t 2. A fountain toothbrush comprising in combination, a rigid hollow handle,-a replaceable collapsible cartridge in the handle having an outlet port forming a valve seat, a chamber in the handle at the outletport, said chamber having a passage leading to the bristles of the toothbrush and said passage having a valve seat, a double acting valve slidably mounted in the chamber for alternately engaging the first and second valve seats, means carried by the handle and engaging the cartridge to compress the latter for extruding contents thereof, and means connecting the valve to a compressible part of the cartridge to actuate the valve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cooper May 12, Venard Sept. 21, Gunn Oct. 5, Ijams Sept. 19, Parker May 13, Lawson Aug. 19, Banks Oct. 7,

FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland Aug. 16,

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