WO1996032863A1

WO1996032863A1 - Improved self-contained toothbrush

Info

Publication number: WO1996032863A1
Application number: PCT/FR1996/000598
Authority: WO
Inventors: André Blanc-Rosset
Original assignee: Blanc Rosset Andre
Priority date: 1995-04-21
Filing date: 1996-04-19
Publication date: 1996-10-24
Also published as: FR2733131A1; FR2733131B1; AU5696396A

Abstract

The present invention concerns a self-contained toothbrush comprising a hollow handle (1) forming an internal reservoir (3) for toothpaste. The hollow handle (1) is extended at a first end (16) by a brush comprising a perforated base (7) in which bristles (8) are implanted. The toothbrush also comprises a screw-with-nut type system (4, 2) for injecting the toothpaste at the base of the bristles (8), the rotation of the screw (4) being effected by a wheel (11, 11') located at a second end (19) of the handle (1), the screw (4) controlling the movement of a piston (2) in the internal reservoir (3). According to the invention, the toothbrush comprises means for limiting the rotation of the wheel (11, 11') and the translation of the piston (2) in the reservoir (3) such that only a predetermined amount of toothpaste is injected into the bristles (8).

Description

IMPROVED SELF-CONTAINED TOOTHBRUSH

The present invention relates to toothbrushes, intended to ensure the oral hygiene of a user. Such brushes have been well known for a long time, and are traditionally constituted by a handle of elongated shape, of average length of about 18 centimeters, of width and thickness which are small compared to the length, and intended for gripping the toothbrush.

One end, straight or slightly curved, of the handle is provided with bristles implanted substantially perpendicular to one of the faces of the handle, and intended to receive a toothpaste for brushing teeth and / or gums.

There are already known toothbrushes in which the handle forms a reservoir for the toothpaste, either directly or via a tip adapting the brush itself on the toothpaste tube itself, which thus acts as a handle .

For example, documents US-A-2908925, US-A-4013370, DE-A-3 630 151 or US-A-5 066 155 describe toothbrushes having hollow handles constituting reservoirs of toothpaste. A threaded rod extends into the tank, and it is integral with a knurl located at the end of the handle distant from the bristles. The rotation of the wheel advances a piston along

^FIRE ' ^EU the threaded rod, this piston then pushing the toothpaste into a chamber located directly above the bristles and provided with openings to allow the paste to pass towards these bristles. The toothbrush is then ready for use.

Also known from document DE-U-91 03380 is a toothbrush of the second type mentioned above, in which the part carrying the bristles is attached by screwing to a reservoir of cylindrical pulp, and also provided with a controlled threaded rod. by an external wheel and advancing a piston.

The major drawback of such devices lies in the fact that, when drying, the toothpaste risks blocking the evacuation orifice (s) in the direction of the bristles, rendering the toothbrush prematurely unusable.

On the other hand, the quantity of toothpaste contained in the reservoir formed in the handle is limited by the necessarily limited volume of this reservoir. From which it results a generally voluminous toothbrush and, therefore, of difficult grip. Furthermore, the toothbrush becomes unusable after a few brushings due to insufficient toothpaste in the tank, while the bristles currently used allow approximately three hundred to four hundred brushings.

In addition, the toothbrushes with known reservoir do not make it possible to measure with a minimum of precision the amount of toothpaste used, which results in a shortened lifespan of the toothbrush, the user always having a tendency to inject more toothpaste than necessary, especially since he cannot see or sees the amount of toothpaste badly brought by the operation of the wheel between the bristles of the toothbrush.

The present invention is placed in this context and its object is to provide an autonomous toothbrush delivering only a predetermined dose of toothpaste, allowing a number of brushings compatible with the lifespan of the bristles, and the orifice of which feeding toothpaste at the level of the bristles is not likely to become blocked between two uses.

To this end, the present invention provides an autonomous toothbrush, comprising a hollow handle forming an internal reservoir for a toothpaste, extended at one end by a brush consisting of a perforated base on which bristles are implanted, and a system for injecting the toothpaste at the base of the screw-nut type bristles, the rotation of the screw being controlled by a control wheel located at a second end of the handle, the screw controlling the movement of a dividing piston the inner tank into a main chamber containing the toothpaste and an empty chamber.

According to the invention, the toothbrush comprises means for limiting the rotation of the knurl and the translation of the piston in the reservoir, so as to inject only a predetermined quantity of toothpaste into the bristles.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the means for limiting the rotation of the wheel comprise a leaf spring secured to the wheel, a swollen end of the leaf spring remaining in contact with an internal face of the handle having at least one ramp and a notch determining an end of travel of the wheel. According to another embodiment, the means for limiting the rotation of the wheel comprise at least one stud formed on a transverse face of an element secured to the handle cooperating with at least one imprint formed on a face opposite the wheel.

As a variant, provision may be made for the means for limiting the rotation of the wheel to include at least one imprint formed on a transverse face of an element secured to the handle cooperating with at least one stud formed on a face opposite the wheel.

Preferably, the wheel is received in a housing with a small longitudinal play, and the element integral with the handle and / or the wheel are made of a material having a low elasticity, but not zero.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the toothpaste is a concentrated liquid toothpaste.

Advantageously, the toothbrush comprises on at least one of the faces of the handle a gauge for measuring the quantity of toothpaste remaining in the internal reservoir of the handle of the toothbrush.

Other objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the following description of an exemplary embodiment given by way of illustration, with reference to the appended drawings in which: - Figure 1 shows a view in longitudinal section of 'a toothbrush made in accordance with the present invention; - Figure 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view, in a section plane perpendicular to that of Figure 1, of the toothbrush shown in Figure 1;

- Figure 3 is a side view of the toothbrush of Figure 1;

- Figure 4 is a top view of the toothbrush of Figure 1;

- Figure 5 is a bottom view of the toothbrush of Figure 1; - Figures 6a, 6b and 6c are cross-sectional views, along line A-A of Figure 1, of alternative embodiments of the handle of the toothbrush of Figure 1;

- Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view, on a larger scale, of the control mechanism of the push piston at the end of the handle of the toothbrush of Figure 1;

- Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view, along line B-B of Figure 1, of the push piston of the toothbrush of Figure 1;

- Figure 9 is a longitudinal sectional view, on a larger scale, of the push piston of the toothbrush of Figure 1;

- Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view, along line C-C of Figure 1, of the control mechanism of the push piston of the toothbrush of Figure 1;

- Figure 11 is a longitudinal sectional view, similar to that of Figure 1, of an alternative embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention;

- Figure 12 is a longitudinal sectional view, similar to that of Figure 2, of the toothbrush of Figure 11;

FIGS. 13a, 13b and 13c are views in longitudinal section, similar to that of FIG. 7, of the control mechanism of the push piston of the toothbrush of FIG. 11, and FIG. 14 is a view in longitudinal section, on a larger scale, of the end carrying the bristles of the toothbrush of FIG. 11.

In the various Figures, identical or analogous elements are designated by the same reference signs, possibly assigned a "premium".

It can be seen in the Figures that the toothbrush according to the present invention is formed of a hollow handle 1, of rectangular, ovoid section, or with flat side faces 20 and with convex upper 17 and lower 18 faces, as well as 'shown in Figures 6a to 6c. The internal volume of the hollow handle defines a reservoir 3 for a toothpaste, preferably a concentrated or highly concentrated toothpaste. The reservoir 3 comprises a main chamber 32, of variable volume, and communicating with a supply chamber 15.

A first end 16 of the handle 1 is provided with bristles 8 implanted individually or by bundles on a base 7, which comprises at least one channel 21 communicating the chamber 15 of the reservoir 3 with the base of the bristles 8.

The upper 17 and lower 18 faces have, in their part close to the second end 19 of the handle 1, rectangular openings 14 between the outside of the toothbrush and a housing 31, separated from the reservoir 3 by a wall 12, integral faces of the toothbrush and perpendicular to its longitudinal axis. The housing 31 receives a cylindrical wheel 11 so that it can be manipulated from the outside through the openings 14. The wheel 11 may advantageously have its external cylindrical face 25 axially grooved, so as to facilitate its handling. The knob 11 is integral with a threaded rod 4 by means of a head 10, polygonal or star-shaped, located at its end 9. It is for example possible to provide that the knob 11 has in the center of its face 26 facing towards the reservoir 3 a hollow imprint 30 in which a collar 22 is crimped fixing the head 10 formed at the end 9 of the threaded rod 4.

The threaded rod 4 passes through an opening 23 in the wall 12, and freely rotates at its end 5 in the base 7 for supporting the bristles 8 at the other end of the toothbrush, or in a socket 6 integral with the base 7. It is also possible to provide that the end 9 of the threaded rod 4 is received in rotation in a ring 29 defining the opening 23 in the wall 12.

The threaded rod 4 cooperates with a piston 2, separating the reservoir 3 into the main chamber 32, containing the toothpaste, and an empty chamber of toothpaste 13, but open to the air through an orifice 48 (Figure 11), so as to avoid any depression in this chamber 13 during the movement of the piston. The piston 2 is tapped in its center, this tapping having threads of the same pitch and the same diameter as those of the threads of the threaded rod 4. The piston 2 can also be formed with a threaded insert 37, for example a nut which can be screw on the threaded rod 4.

The piston 2 is, moreover, covered, at least on its sides, with a layer of rubber 38, ensuring the seal between the chambers 32 and 13. The piston 2 has a shape complementary to that of the interior volume of the hollow handle 1, so as to be immobilized in rotation around the threaded rod 4 when the latter is rotated during the operation of the knurled wheel 11. Provision may be made for one of the faces of the handle 1 to be formed with a transparent longitudinal part 39, so as to be able to see through this part 39 the piston 2, and thus providing a gauge for measuring the quantity of toothpaste remaining in the handle 1 of the toothbrush. This transparent part 39 can advantageously be graduated, for example in number of remaining brushings, in quantity of toothpaste used, or in fractions of the total volume of toothpaste of the new brush.

According to the present invention, the face 26 of the wheel 11 has curved and inclined ramps 24 on which slide, along their internal face 36, a free and swollen transverse end 34 of a semi-rigid leaf spring 33 secured to the collar 22. The swollen end 34 of the spring leaf 33 cooperates with notches 27 formed at the base of the radial wall 28 of the ramp 24, and opening onto the front edge 35 of the knurl 11.

The wheel 11 thus serves, on the one hand, to rotate the threaded rod 4 to advance the piston 2 and, on the other hand, to advance this piston 2 only by a predetermined distance corresponding to a ramp 24 , and finally to prohibit the rotation of the threaded rod 4 which would determine the movement of the piston 2 away from the bristles 8.

There is shown in Figures 11 to 14 a variant of the embodiment which has just been described. According to this variant, the bristles (not shown) are installed on a base 7 (Figure 14) attached to the upper face 17 of the handle 1, for example by screwing using screws 46 with countersunk head cooperating with the socket 6 in which the threaded rod 4 is received in rotation. Such a variant can of course be used with the first embodiment described above.

The piston 2 used according to this variant is substantially identical to that which has been described above, and will therefore not be explained in more detail. On the other hand, the mechanism for rotating the threaded rod 4 is significantly different from the previous mechanism.

According to this variant, the wall 12 'separating the housing 31 for the knob 11 from the empty chamber 13 consists of a plug 12', on which a radial shoulder 40 defines two sections of different diameters. The larger diameter section 41 is intended to be received without play inside the hollow handle 1, and therefore has the same shape as the piston 2.

The section of smaller diameter 42 of the plug 12 'is cylindrical, and it is intended to be received without play in a cylindrical housing of a capsule 43 which is fixed in the extension of the handle 1 at its end 19, and of substantially diameter equal to that of section 42 of plug 12 '. The handle 1, the plug 12 ′ and the capsule 43 are secured, for example, by crimping, or as has been shown by at least one radial screw 54.

Thus secured, the plug 12 'and the capsule 43 define a housing 31' where the wheel 1T is received with a small longitudinal play. The plug 12 ′ is formed, on its face facing the knurl 1T, with a stud 44, for example of hemispherical shape. At the same time, the wheel 11 ′ is formed, on its face facing the plug 12 ′, with an imprint 45 of shape complementary to that of the stud 44. On reading the above, it will be understood how this alternative embodiment can be implemented. When the user actuates the knob 1T through the openings 14, it firstly has a certain resistance to rotation, due to the engagement of the stud 44 in the imprint 45.

The plug 12 'and / or the knob 11' are made of a plastic material, for example a thermoplastic, having a low elasticity, but not zero. Therefore, when the user intensifies the force with which he operates the wheel 1T, the relative elasticity of the engagement of the pad 44 in the cavity 45, combined with the small longitudinal play of the wheel 11 'in its housing 31 ', cause the engagement of the pad 44 in the imprint 45 to yield beyond a predetermined stress, then allowing a rotation of the wheel 11' in its housing 31 '.

If the stopper 12 'has only one pad 44 and the knurl 11' a single imprint 45, after a complete rotation of the knurl 11 ', the imprint 45 returns to be placed in front of the stud 44 which then engages in the imprint 45, so that the rotation of the knob 1T is stopped. If the knurl 11 'has two diametrically opposite indentations 45, and the plug 12' a single stud 44 or two diametrically opposed studs 44, the coincidence between the indentations 45 and the stud (s) 44 will occur after only a half turn of the knurl 11 '.

In each case, the pitch of the threaded rod threads will be chosen so that the quantity of toothpaste expelled through the channel 21 by the movement of the piston 2, caused by a complete rotation of the knob 1T or only half a rotation of this soft, corresponds to a predetermined amount of toothpaste. The resistance to rotation of the wheel 11 ′, felt by the user after a turn or a half-turn thereof, will dissuade the latter from carrying out an additional rotation. For this variant embodiment, provision could be made for a device intended to prevent rotation of the knurl 11 'imparting to the piston 2 a movement away from the bristles. We can, for example, provide a leaf spring in the housing 31 ', acting like the ratchet of a ratchet wheel by cooperating with the axial grooves formed on the external surface of the wheel 11'.

A self-contained toothbrush has therefore been produced, delivering only a predetermined dose of toothpaste, thanks to the ramp system 24 cooperating with the spring leaf 33, or to the stud 44 cooperating with the imprint 45, the toothpaste stored in the reservoir. 3 being a concentrated liquid, it allows, on the one hand, a large number of brushings, substantially equal to the number of brushings recommended for optimal use of the bristles and, on the other hand, it avoids clogging by drying the orifice supply of toothpaste in the bristles.

The storage volume of the toothpaste is a function of the length of the interior reservoir 3 of the handle 1. In general, it is of the order of 9 to 10 ml approximately so as to allow of the order of 300 to 400 brushings depending concentration of toothpaste, which corresponds to the normal lifespan of the bristles.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments which have been described here, but it is on the contrary liable to receive numerous modifications which will appear to those skilled in the art. Thus, for example, in the second mode embodiment, the stud may be formed on the IT wheel, to cooperate with an imprint formed in the plug 12 '.

Furthermore, if a less concentrated toothpaste is used, it is advantageous to provide that the internal reservoir 3 and the brush itself are removable and replaceable, and can be embedded in the hollow handle 1.

It is also possible to make an orifice 50 (FIG. 11) in the wall of the main chamber 32 of the reservoir 3, in the immediate vicinity of the bristles. This orifice 50 then serves as a seat for a valve, so as to constitute a valve normally closed in leaktight manner when using the toothbrush, and which can only be opened to refill this main chamber with toothpaste 32 after use (if the bristles are not worn), by simple injection or by aspiration by returning the piston 2 to its initial position (on the right in the Figures). Such a valve may, for example, be constituted by a suitably arranged lip seal, or else by a simple screw provided with an appropriate O-ring.

Furthermore, to avoid any risk of clogging of the toothpaste supply orifice at the level of the bristles, in particular when the toothpaste is of a more or less pasty type, it is desirable to have a simple non-return valve at the supply chamber level 15.

Those skilled in the art may still make various changes and modifications without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined below.

Claims

1 - Self-contained toothbrush, with a hollow handle

(1) forming an internal reservoir (3) of a toothpaste, extending at a first end (16) by a brush constituted by a perforated base (7) on which are set bristles (8), and a system of injection of the toothpaste at the base of the bristles (8) of the screw-nut type (4, 2), the rotation of the screw (4) being controlled by a control wheel (11, IT) located at a second end (19) of the handle (1), the screw (4) controlling the movement of a piston (2) dividing said reservoir (3) into a main chamber (32) containing the toothpaste and an empty chamber (13), characterized in that it comprises means for limiting the rotation of the wheel (11, IT) and the translation of the piston (2) in the tank (3), in order to inject only one bristle (8) predetermined amount of toothpaste.

2 - Toothbrush according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for limiting the rotation of the wheel (11) comprise a leaf spring (33) integral with the wheel (11), a bulged end (34) of the leaf spring (33) remaining in contact with an internal face (36) of the handle (1) having at least one ramp (34) and a notch (27) determining an end of travel of the wheel (11).

3 - Toothbrush according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for limiting the rotation of the wheel (IT) comprise at least one stud (44) formed on a transverse face of an element (12 ') integral with the handle (1) cooperating with at least one imprint (45) formed on a face opposite the knurl (IT). 4 - Toothbrush according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for limiting the rotation of the wheel (IT) comprise at least one imprint formed on a transverse face of an element (12 ') integral with the handle (1 ) cooperating with at least one stud formed on a face opposite the knob (IT).

5 - Toothbrush according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the wheel (IT) is received in a housing (3T) with a small longitudinal play, and in that element (12 ') integral with the handle (1 ) and / or the knurl (IT) are made of a material having a low elasticity, but not zero.

6 - Toothbrush according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the toothpaste is a concentrated liquid toothpaste.

7 - Toothbrush according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises on at least one of the faces of the handle (1) a gauge (39) for measuring the amount of toothpaste remaining in the inner reservoir of the handle ( 1) the toothbrush.

8 - Toothbrush according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the storage volume of said toothpaste is a function of the length of the internal reservoir (3) of said handle (1).

9 - Toothbrush according to claim 8, characterized in that the storage volume of said toothpaste is of the order of 9 to 10 ml approximately. 10 - Toothbrush according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said empty chamber (13) is open to the open air through an orifice (48), so as to avoid any depression during movement of the piston (2).

11 - Toothbrush according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said inner reservoir (3) and said brush itself are removable and replaceable, and fit into said hollow handle (1).

12 - Toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that an orifice (50) is formed in the wall of said main chamber (32) of the reservoir (3), near the bristles (8) , to serve as a seat for a valve, so as to constitute a valve normally closed in a leaktight manner, and which can only be opened to refill with said toothpaste said main chamber (32) after use.