US2956749A - Tooth brush - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 18, 1960 H. o. PERRY 'roowa BRUSH Filed Jan. 22, 1958 n m mm M U ME T v P o D i u l 0/ Mm m 2 6 l M F 6 l pv 'I'l'fl'l V A imH J Unite This invention relates to a novel portable fountaintooth brush combination for washing ones mouth after brushing the teeth, and more particularly to a portable fountain device designed to cooperate with a water faucet of any conventional size or style to provide an upward ly directed stream, said fountain device forming an integral part of the tooth brush handle facilitating manipulation of the brush, and providing a supporting means for the brush when not in use.

It has been suggested to form such a fountain device in the form of a semi-circular conduit to be attached to or associated with the discharge end of a faucet, or in the form of a semi-circular open trough. These devices merely extend one leg of the device into the flow of water from the faucet so that part of the water is diverted and its direction reversed to spout generally vertically from the other leg of the conduit or trough to form a drinking bubble. In order to be effective, these devices require a high velocity flow of water from the faucet, and require that the radius of curvature of the conduit or trough be very small. It has further been suggested that such devices be mounted on a tooth brush handle but where this is done the conduit or trough must be so arranged as not to provide a surface that will extend into the stream of water in a manner to cause splashing.

The prior suggested devices having proven to be impractical, I have developed a new portable fountain device which is not dependent on a high velocity flow of water from a faucet, so that it is not only possible to arrange the device on a tooth brush handle but splashing will not occur and a very high percentage of the flow of water will be deflected into the fountain stream to efiect a more economical use of the water, increase the ease of operation, and provide a much more eflicient and desirable device.

A primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a full flow, non-splashing portable fountain device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable fountain device dependent more on pressure than on velocity of flow of water from the faucet.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a portable fountain device such that it may be incorporated in a tooth brush handle, for use as an adjunct to the brush, in cleaning the teeth, and in such a manner that the device forms an integral and desirable part of the tooth brush handle facilitating manipulation of the brush and providing means by which the brush is held in elevated position when placed in a tooth brush support so that contained water may drain from the bristles of the brush and away from said bristles in a more sanitary manner than in the present day conventional structures.

Other and further objects and advantages will appear from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts in the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the device in use.

States Patent "ice Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modifica tion of the device.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a different modification of the device.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the device of Figsal and 2 supported in a conventional tooth brush holder; I

In the drawings 10 designates the shaft of a tooth brush handle. A brush portion 11 including a plurality of tufts of bristles or other tooth scrubbing means is mounted at one end of the handle. The handle shaft 10 is formed with an enlargement 12 spaced from the opposite end of the handle shaft and the end of the handle may, of course, be provided with an aperture 13.

The enlargement 12 may be made either a decorative or fanciful shape or preferably of a somewhat flattened hourglass shape that fits generally the shape of the hand grasping the handle for use in brushing the teeth, and it also adapts itself to any type of faucet in a manner to be hereinafter described. 1

As is clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2 the enlargement 12 is provided with a curved water passage 14, one end of which is preferably larger than the other. Surrounding the large end of passage 14 is an upstanding ridge 15 and a broad, generally dome-shaped surface 16. This ridge 15 is of a size to fit easily into the open end-of a faucet used in a wash stand, and the dome-shaped surface '16..is of a width, surrounding ridge 15, so that, when the-ridge 15 is placed in the open end of a faucet, the edge of the faucet overlies and contacts the dome-shaped portion. It is well to note that the shape of the openings in the faucets used in wash stands is not uniform so the shape of the domed surface will adapt itself to any type of faucet at different angles and will not necessarily seal off flow of water between it and the faucet but will fit closely enough to substantially reduce the flow so that a proper pressure Will buildup in the faucet to force a stream of water through passage 14. It will thus be seen that the use of the device is not dependent on velocity of water, which would require the faucet to be used at full capacity, but uses the pressure head caused by sufiiciently blocking the flow of water from the faucet. It is seen then that with a flow of substantially less than full flow of the faucet an adequate stream or fountain may be established and maintained to form a drinking bubble.

It is further to be noted that there is no spray developed by the flow that occurs between the faucet edge and the domed surface because as pressure tends to build up in the faucet the velocity of flow through passage 14 increases so that the pressure will not become excessive. Moreover any flow of water between the faucet and the outside of the device is a divergent and not a jet flow and the pressure forcing the water out is dissipated and this outside flow passes downwardly into the basin whereas the pressure in passage 14 forms the desired stream as a jet of water, easily directed into ones mouth to perform the necessary function as a mouth and tooth washing device.

It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the ridge 15 is small enough, and the dome-shaped surface 16 is broad enough so that the device has a ball-and-socket action and can be rocked, pivoted and tilted to adjust the location and direction of the stream of water. The previously suggested devices needed to be accurately positioned in a high velocity stream of water from the faucet. The present device may be casually held merely against the end of the faucet with a low volume or velocity of flow and the fountain of water may be varied as to direction by rocking of the device against the faucet end. The dotted line showing in Fig. 2 compared to the full line showing indicates how the device may be swung from one position to another to change the direction of flow of the fountain stream.

Figs. 3 and 4 show modifications of the portion of the device that is applied to the faucet end. By provision of an upstanding cage-like structure or guide as seen at 17 inFigs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the device may be made to extend a considerable distance up into the faucet end. This gives a surer support against inadvertent lateral displacement which is one of the greatest problems especially of the velocity flow fountain devices, and. may be especially a problem when this device is used by small children who have difficulty reaching the faucet at all. The requirements of this cage-like structure, or guide element, are that it be small enough in diameter to permit as full arocking movement as may be desired of the device against the faucet end, and to provide the necessary area of opening into passage 14 so that pressure will build up to form the fountain.

In Fig. 5 the device of the present invention is seen supported by a conventional tooth brush holder. A conventional tooth brush is shown in dot dash lines also supported by the tooth brush holder and it will be seen that the brush portion contacts the holder in an unsanitary manner and that contained water will not drain from the brush. The device of the present invention, however, is supported in a sanitary manner by insertion of the end of the handle into the support, since the enlargement 12 will preclude the device from sliding down in the support. It will be seen then that due to the structure of enlargement 12 the brush portion 11 is held in an elevated position so that water may drain away from the bristles, and so that the bristles will not contact the support.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

l1. A mouth rinsing device comprising a handle, an enlargement on said handle of substantially rigid material spaced from one end thereof, a dome-shaped portion on said enlargement to be pressed within and substantially close off a faucet outlet, said dome-shaped surface being broad enough to give a ball and socket action, said enlargement being provided with a generally U-shaped passage leading from said dome-shaped portion to an outlet point therebeyond, whereby water from said faucet entering said U-shaped passage at said dome-shaped portion will issue from said outlet point in the form of a drinking bubble.

2. The mouth rinsing device of claim 1 in which said U-shaped passage is provided with an annular ridge extending from said dome-shaped portion whereby ball and socket movement of said U-shaped passage within said faucet outlet may be limited by said ridge.

3. The mouth rinsing device of claim 1 in which said dome-shaped surface curves smoothly downwardly to merge with the under surface of said enlargement whereby water escaping from between said faucet and said domed surface will follow the curvature of said enlargement to flow downwardly therefrom.

4. A month rinsing device comprising a handle, an enlargement on said handle spaced from one end thereof, a dome-shaped surface on said enlargement to be pressed against a faucet, said enlargement being provided with a generally U-shaped passage leading from said domeshaped surface to a point there-beyond, and a cage-like structure formed on said dome-shaped surface over said U-shaped passage to form a guide means to be placed within a faucet to limit lateral movement of said domeshaped surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,021,677 Howell Mar. 26, 1912 1,062,695 Cornelius May 27, 1913 1,469,771 Allen Oct. 9, 1923 1,704,408 Rosay Mar. 5, 1929 2,154,209 Kohn Apr. 11, 1939 2,443,355 Manning Jan. 15, 1948 2,543,025 Hunneman Feb. 27, 1951

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