WO2002071894A1

WO2002071894A1 - Disposeable toothbrush with inbuilt toothpaste reservoir

Info

Publication number: WO2002071894A1
Application number: PCT/AU2001/000282
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tania Louise Watton
Original assignee: Thompbell Holdings Pty. Ltd.
Priority date: 2000-02-28
Filing date: 2001-03-12
Publication date: 2002-09-19
Also published as: AU735646B1

Abstract

A toothbrush assembly, comprising a tubular handle portion (3) to comprise a reservoir for the containment of toothpaste (4), an outwardly extending plunger (2), a brush head portion (5) housing a central conduit (6) and smaller outlet conduits (7), such that depressing the plunger (2) conveys toothpaste (4) through the central conduit (6) and outlet conduits (7) at the base of the bristles. A removable cap (1) slidably mounted on the handle portion (3), prevents unintentional depression of the plunger (2).

Description

Disposable Toothbrush with In-built Toothpaste Reservoir

Presently available toothbrush designs with in-built toothpaste reservoirs, have been based upon a host of ways to activate a piston inside the toothbrush handle, to extrude the contained toothpaste at the brush head.

Little effort has been concentrated upon how evenly, the extruded toothpaste is presented within the bristle area, prior to use.

The present invention, addresses this problem through the utilisation of a common conduit within the brush head, which branches into three shorter conduits, which serve as separate points of emergence to assist in more even dispersion of the extruded toothpaste, throughout the bristle area.

Further to this, the present invention relates to a toothbrush that has toothpaste, stored in an in-built reservoir, (formed by a hollowed section within the handle of the toothbrush) and a means of transferring that stored toothpaste, where it may be used at the head of the toothbrush.

The transferral of toothpaste from this reservoir within the handle, is conducted by means of a plunger assembly, mounted within this handle/reservoir and behind the stored area of toothpaste. By depressing the plunger inwardly towards the ^Λhead' of the toothbrush, toothpaste is conveyed from the reservoir through a network of conduits, to exit points, located within the head of the toothbrush, adjacent to the base of the cleaning bristles. Moistening of this area, with water now makes the toothbrush ready for use. The present invention will be better understood with reference to the attached drawing, "Drawing 1 of 1", where Figure 1 is a Plan View of the present invention, with hidden outlines depicted and Figure 2 is a Sectional Front Elevation of the present invention.

With reference to figure 1 and/or Figure 2 of Drawing 1 of 1, cap 1 is fitted to handle/reservoir 3 to protect plunger 2 from unintentional depression.

Handle/reservoir 3 is snap fitted' into head and bristle assembly 5.

Toothpaste 4 is contained ahead of plunger 2, in handle/reservoir 3, ready to be transferred to head and bristle assembly 5, (via conduits 6) through depression of plunger 2.

Upon such depression of plunger 2, toothpaste conveyed through channel 6, emerges at three exit points 7 at the base of the bristle components of head and bristle assembly 5.

Wetting of the emerged toothpaste and the bristle components of head and bristle assembly 5, renders the present invention, ready for use.

In the present invention, head and bristle assembly 5, is comprised of two matching components, so that the system of conduits may be produced, as described above. These matching components are 'snap-fitted' together by virtue of special projections and corresponding indentations (not visible in Fig. 1 or Fig. 2) that are moulded into each of these matching components. However, in some circumstances, particularly with contained toothpaste of very high viscosity it may become evident that stronger joining methods for these components of head and bristle assembly 5, will need to be employed. In such a circumstance, these two components of head and bristle assembly 5 may be joined by virtue of automated welding methods (such as high frequency (and ultra high frequency) welding) as commonly used, to join moulded plastic components.

Similarly, should these two components of head and bristle assembly 5 be moulded in plastic types that are conducive to joining by adhesive methods, then such methods may also be employed for joining.

Claims

The claims, defining the invention are as follows :-

1. A toothbrush assembly, comprising a tubular handle portion to comprise a reservoir for the containment of toothpaste.

2. A toothbrush assembly, as in claim 1, comprising an outwardly extending plunger and ahead of this, an amount of toothpaste, thus enabling the plunger when depressed, to convey the toothpaste into the forwardly located brush head.

3. A toothbrush assembly, as in claims 1 and 2, comprising a brush head portion, housing a central common conduit, ending in three smaller conduits, to comprise three exit points for the toothpaste at the base of the brush head bristles.

4. A toothbrush assembly as in claims 1, 2 and 3, comprising a brush head, where a two piece construction permits precise manufacturing of the network of conduits, upon the joining of the two brush head pieces, through adhesion or welding techniques.

5. A toothbrush assembly as in claims 1, 2, 3 and 4 where a removeable cap portion, is slideably mounted to the plunger end of the handle, to prevent unintentional depression of the plunger.

Modifications and variations, as would be obvious to a skilled addressee, are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.