US3501243A - Fountain toothbrush - Google Patents

Description

Ma rch 17, 1970. sK L ETAL- 3,501,243

FOUNTAIN Too'rHBRusH Filed Nov. ,9. 1966 INVENTORS 164 YMUND A. l/E/SK L'ZL By WILL/AM 4. ANDERSON ATTOKNEVS United States Patent 3,501,243 FOUNTAIN TOOTHBRUSH Raymond H. Heiskell, 30 Laurel Court, San Mateo, Calif. 94402, and William A. Anderson, 1659 29th Ave., San Francisco, Calif. 94122. Filed Nov. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 593,023 Int. Cl. A46b 11/02 US. Cl. 401-131 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved fountain toothbrush having a replaceable dentifrice reservoir in the form of a simple toothpaste tube.

Many attempts have been made in the past to provide acceptable fountain toothbrushes as indicated by the devices shown in the following US. patents: Wallace 1,610,831, Aiken 2,283,781, Bair 2,328,048, Lamonde 2,527,741, Speig 2,621,352, and Rivero 2,900,650. These devices have been so complicated, however, and have operated so inefiiciently that none of the devices has enjoyed any substantial commercial success.

In accordance with this invention, we have now provided a very simple fountain toothbrush which operates much more efiiciently than the devices known heretofore and which can be manufactured as economically as the presently available separate toothbrush and toothpaste tube. These advantages are obtained with our fountain toothbrush because we provide a resiliently deformable dentifrice reservoir with means for introducing air into the end of the reservoir opposite to the toothbrush bristles. Dentifrice may be dispensed from the reservoir simply by compressing the reservoir, and when the reservoir is released, it expands resiliently to draw in air. Since the air drawn into the reservoir is introduced into the upper end of the reservoir, the reservoir may be compressed repeatedly to dispense repeated quantities of dentifrice. During the subsequent uses, the air in the reservoir is positioned away from the discharge end of the reservoir so that the air in the reservoir does not interfere with subsequent dispersing operations, thereby permitting the entire quantity of dentifrice in the reservoir to be used.

In different forms of the invention, the air is introduced into the upper endof the reservoir'in diiferent ways. Direct mechanical introduction may be provided by providing a check valve in the upper end of the reservoir. Preferably, the check valve is formed as an integral blade of the resilient material forming the reservoir where the blade closes to seal the upper end of the reservoir when the reservoir is compressed and then opens to admit air into the reservoir, thus permitting the reservoir to resume its original shape.

In the preferred form of the invention, air is introduced into the upper end of the reservoir by drawing air in through the discharge opening in the bottom and providing a sutficient amount of a liquid diluent in the dentifrice in the reservoir that air bubbles will flow upwardly through the dentifrice'from the discharge opening. In this form of the invention, the quantity of liquid diluent is controlled very carefully so that the dentifrice will have a viscosity low enough to permit this upward flow of air bubbles, but high enough to prevent the flow of the dentifrice out of the discharge opening in the lower end of the reservoir. I

In this preferred form of the invention, the mounting of the fountain toothbrush in a brush-down position between uses is particularly important in providing efiicient operation because the dentifrice always flows toward the 3,501,243 Patented Mar. 17, 1970 discharge opening during periods between uses of the device.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the attached drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of the fountain toothbrush of this invention illustrating in phantom outline the brush portion of the fountain toothbrush within the base of the device;

, FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the fountain toothbrush of FIG. 1, taken along the plane 2-2 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the condition in which the device is sold;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the fountain toothbrush of FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrating the manner in which the device is used, and;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a fragment of an alternative form of the invention illustrating a check valve for mechanically introducing air into the upper end of the dentifrice reservoir. v

Referring now in detail to the drawing and particularly to FIG. 1, the preferred form of our invention illustrated therein includes a rigid base 10 having an interior chamber 12 provided with vent ports 14. The base .10' has four integrally formed feet 16 by which the device is supported in upright position on any horizontal surface. The upper end of the base 10 has a mouth 18 in which the remainder of the components may be mounted.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fountain toothbrush includes a dentifrice reservoir 20 which is removably mounted in mouth 18 of the base 10. The dentifrice reservoir 20 is formed of a vapor impervious plastic rna terial which is resiliently deformable so that the reservoir may be compressed as illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 3, but will return to its original shape under the influence of its own resiliency as illustrated in phantom outline in FIG. 3. Suitable plastic materials from which the reservoir may be made include relatively thick layers of polyvinyl chloride or isotactic polypropylene 22 preferably covered on the inside by a layer 24 of a barrier material such as the plastics sold by the Dow Chemical Company under the trademark Saran. A body of dentifrice 26 explained in greater detail hereinafter is provided in the reservoir 20 and dispensed from the reservoir during use of the device.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the lower end of the reservoir the neck 28 in place of the closure cap 32 when the device is to be used. The toothbrush 32 has two rowsof bristles 36 converging toward each other with a passage way 38 extending from between the bristles 36 to the threaded portion 34 of the toothbrush in communication with the interior of the reservoir 20 as illustrated in FIG. 3;

As indicated above, the body of toothpaste 26 is blended with a sufiicient quantity of liquid diluent so that air bubbles in the body of dentifrice 26 will flow upwardly in the cavity 20 while the dentifrice 26 will not flow downwardly through the passageway 38 under the influence of gravity alone. The liquid diluent which is employed is preferably water, and the quantity of diluent used should be selected carefully to give a viscosity for the dentifrice which is within the limits indicated above. Since dentifrices used in devices of this type are non-Newtonian fluids, it is difiicult to define the precise viscosity of the dentifrice in a way which is reproduceable experimentally. However, the desired viscosity of the dentifrice has been determined employing a Brookfield viscosimeter using spindle #7 rotating at six revolutions per minute. Under these conditions, four samples of dentifrice were tested for viscosity as follows:

Example No.: Viscosity (centipoises) 1 287,000 2 224,000 3 140,000 4 30,000

Example #1 is the viscosity of a commercially available toothpaste sold under the trademark Colgate, and this dentifrice is much too viscous for any practical use in the fountain toothbrush of FIGS. l-3. The dentifrice of Example #2 is the same dentifrice tested in Example #1 but diluted with water to provide a moderately heavy flowable paste. The viscosity of the dentifrice forming Example #2. is SllfilClCIltlY high that the dentifrice is too viscous for use in a device where the diameter of the passageway 38 is one-sixteenth of an inch, but the dentifrice tested in Example #2 is sufliciently fluid to be used where the diameter of the passageway 38 is one-eighth of an inch. The dentifrice tested in Example #3 is the same dentifrice further diluted with water, and the Viscosity of this dentifrice is usable in the fountain toothbrush of FIG. 3 where the diameter of the passageway 38 is either one-sixteenth or one-eighth of an inch. The dentifrice tested in Example #4 is the same dentifrice further diluted with water to a very low viscosity. This dentifrice is too fluid for use with a passageway 38 of one-eighth inch diameter, and the viscosity of the dentifrice forming Example #4 approaches the lower limit of viscosity which is usable in the device of FIG. 3.

The fountain toothbrush of FIG. 3 is used as follows: the base portion is removed from the reservoir 20, thereby exposing the brush 36 for use. The reservoir is resiliently compressed to expel the dentifrice 26 through the passageway 38 into the brush 36 responsive to the internal pressure in the reservoir. When the desired quantity of dentifrice has been dispensed, the pressure on the reservoir 20 is released to permit the reservoir to expand resiliently and thereby draw air through the passageway 38 up into the reservoir 20. This compression and release of the reservoir may be accom lished prior to or during use of the device, and when use of the device has been completed, the brush 36 and the neck 28 of the reservoir 20 are inserted again into the neck 18 of the base member 10 to support the device in brush-down condition until its next period of use. In this condition, the bristles 36 are ventilated by air passing through the ports 14, and air bubbles which were introduced into the a reservoir 20 when it was decompressed flow upwardly under the influence of the viscosity conditions mentioned above.

With reference to FIG. 4, an alternative form of the device is illustrated in which the reservoir 20 is provided with a port 40 in the upper end thereof communicating with a pocket of air 42 above the body of dentifrice 26. A blade of plastic material 44 is integrally formed with the reservoir 20 at one edge of the opening 40 and extends across the opening 40 to act as a check valve. The blade 44 moves resiliently to the dotted line position illustrated at 44' to admit air directly into the upper end of the reservoir 20 when the walls of the reservoir are released after compression, and when the reservoir 20 is compressed to expel dentifrice therefrom, the blade 44 seats against the interior surfaces of the reservoir around the port 40. Preferably, the reservoir 20 and blade 40 are integrally molded at the same time and are connected during the molding operation by a thin frangible skin of plastic which renders the reservoir 20 air-tight during the shelf life when it is stored prior to sale.

With respect to the FIG. 4 embodiment of the invention, it will be appreciated that a conventional toothpaste having conventional fluidity or viscosity characteristics 4 may be employed inasmuch as it is not required that air get into reservoir 20 through the body 26 of the dentifrice.

While certain specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail herein, it is obvious that many modifications thereof may be .made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A fountain toothbrush comprising:

(A) a first body having a base adapted to engage a support surface and stably support said first body in an upright position between uses of said toothbrush, said first body having;

(1) an internal chamber having an inner end;

and,

(2) an upwardly extending mouth communicating with said chamber;

(B) a second body removably mounted in said mouth and having;

(1) a neck portion;

(2) an elongated handle portion having an interior cavity communicating with said neck portion, said handle portion being formed of a resiliently deformable material; and,

(3) a toothbrush connected to said neck portion against endwise movement relative to said neck portion and positioned in said chamber, said toothbrush having;

(a) a group of bristles mounted thereon remote from said neck portion, said bristles being disposed adjacent the inner end of said internal chamber of said first body; and,

(b) a passageway extending from said group of bristles into said cavity through said neck portion, said passageway having a cross-sectional area less than the cross-sectional area of said cavity;

(C) a body of fluid dentifrice in said cavity; and,

(D) means, operable when said second body is mounted in said mouth and when the base of said first body is engaging a support surface and stably supporting said first body in an upright position, to introduce air into said cavity above said body of dentifrice.

2. The fountain toothbrush of claim 1 in which said means for introducing air into said cavity above said body of dentifrice comprises a check valve in said handle portion of said second body, said valve being located at that side of said body of dentifrice which is opposite to said neck portion and being adapted to prevent the flow of fluid dentifrice out of said cavity through said valve while permitting the flow of air into said cavity through said valve.

3. The fountain toothbrush of claim 1 in which said means for introducing air into said cavity above said body of dentifrice comprises a liquid diluent in said dentifrce which imparts to said dentifrice a viscosity which is sufficiently high that said dentifrice will not How downwardly through said passageway due to gravity alone but sufficiently low that air bubbles will flow upwardly through said dentifrice from said passageway.

4. The fountain toothbrush of claim 1 in which said threaded neck portion and said elongated handle portion with said body of fluid dentifrice therein constitute a removable and replaceable toothpaste tube mounted on said toothbrush.

5. A dentifrice reservoir comprising a container with first and second ends and fluid impervious resiliently deformable side walls extending between said ends, a body of dentifrice in said container, and a discharge opening in one of said ends of said container having a cross-sectional area substantially smaller than the cross-sectional area of said container, said dentifrice containing a liquid diluent in a sufficient quantity to impart to said dentrifrice a viscosity which is sufficiently high that said dentifrice will not flow downwardly through said discharge open- 2,321,265 6/1943 Ulvick 401-131 ing due to gravity alone but sufliciently low that air bub- 3, 84,779 5/1965 Lloyd 401183 bles in said dentifrice will flow upwardly through said dentifrice from said passaggway LAWRENCE CHARLES, Prlmary Examiner 5 US. 01. X.R. References Cited 4O1 184 UNITED STATES PATENTS 886,984 5/1908 Jopling 401-483 3,353,898 11/1967 Lam-berti 401-291 10

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