CA1120665A

CA1120665A - Toothbrush

Info

Publication number: CA1120665A
Application number: CA000328620A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Manuel Del Rosario
Original assignee: ROSARIO M DEL
Current assignee: ROSARIO M DEL
Priority date: 1979-02-21
Filing date: 1979-05-29
Publication date: 1982-03-30
Also published as: BR7904511A; JPS55113413A; DE2928449A1

Abstract

FOR4K/4.82 IMPROVED TOOTHBRUSH

Abstract of the Disclosure An improved toothbrush which includes an elongate handle and a brush with a base and a mounting in the form of a coil spring interconnecting the brush base to the distal end of the toothbrush for swinging, rotatable, tilting movement of the brush relative to the handle in use.

Description

FOR4K/4 . 82 ~lZ066S

S P E C I F I C A T I O N

IMPROVED TOOTHBRUSH

This invention relates to toothbrushes and, more particularly, to a toothbrush wherein the brush is mounted resiliently and yieldably for flexing action to the distal end of the handle.
In the past there have been numerous types of mount-ings for brushes in toothbrush combinations. This inven-tion is of an improved type of mounting in combination with a brush and toothbrush handle wherein the brush is adapted for rotatable and tilting movement.
It is an object of this invention to provide an im-proved mounting for toothbrushes and, more particularly, for mounting the toothbrush to the brush handle wherein a coiled spring is utilized and a clearance recess for a relatively large range of tilting and rotating action of the brush in use.
In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevation view of a toothbrush in accordance with this invention;
Figure 2 is an enlarged view partly in cross section of the right-hand portion of Figure l;
Figure 3 is an end view of the device shown in Figure l; and FOR4K/4.82 ~1 Zv 6 6 S

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the device shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts through-out the several views and referring particularly to Figure 1, the toothbrush is generally designated by the numeral 12. It is seen that it has an elongate handle 14 with a proximal end zone 16 and a distal end zone 18. On the distal end zone a brush 20 is mounted spaced slightly inward, that is, adjacent the terminal end. The brush includes a base 24 of predetermined length and with an upper surface 26 from which an array of bristles 28 extend being secured to the base in upstanding relation.
The brush base has a second surface 30 which faces toward the handle, that is oppositely from the surface from which the brushes extend. The brush base has a central recess 31 extending toward the surface from which the brushes extend. With respect to the handle, the distal end zone is provided with a recess 50 in the face 40.
coil spring 44 which has an upper end 46 and a lower end 48 is utilized to connect the brush to the handle in the manner shown. It is seen that the upper end is nested in the recess of the brush and fixed therein while the lower end of the spring is nested in the recess 42 of the distal end zone of the handle and secured therein.
Additionally, the coil spring includes a portion which extends tangentially with respect to the coils of the springs longitudinally of and in an embedded relation in the distal end zone of the handle, this portion of the spring being designated by the numeral 50. The upper FOR4K/4.82 ~12~665 surface of the distal end zone is, additionally, provided with a recess 51 which is spaced from the spring mounting a distance about one-half of the clistance from the spring mounting to the terminal end zone of the handle, that is, about one-half the longitudinal length of the brush.
This is so that the base with the brushes is adapted for rotation about the axis of the spring and for tilting and rocking motion as is indicated in the drawings by the arrowed lines.
In use, it is seen that one brushing his teeth with the device will find that it will conform generally to the shape of the mouth and the teeth location of a user.
It will be seen that the longitudinally extending portion of the spring which is embedded in the handle rigidifies the distal end of the handle which would otherwise be substantially weakened by reason of the removal of the material to provide the clearance recess 51, so that a strong durable toothbrush is provided with the moving, tilting, rotating action described by the arrowed lines in the drawings.
While the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be a practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention which is, therefore, not to be limited except as set forth by the following claims within the doctrine of equivalents.

Claims

FOR4M/4.82 The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A toothbrush having an elongate handle with a proximal end zone and a distal end zone and including a brush mounted adjacent the distal end zone, said brush including a base of predetermined length and a first sur-face and an array of bristles 28 secured in upstanding relation on the first surface, the brush base having a second surface oppositely facing in relation to the first face having a central recess extending toward the surface from which the brushes extend, said distal end of said handle having a first face with a recess in said first face confronting the second surface of the brush base, a coil spring having an upper end and a lower end, said upper end being nested in the recess of said brush and fixed therein to connect the brush to the handle and the lower end of said spring being nested in the recess of said bristle end zone and being secured thereto and said coil spring includ-ing a tangentially extending elongate portion 50, said portion being embedded in the distal end zone and extending toward said proximal end, said upper surface of said distal end zone having a recess in the first face spaced from the recess in said distal end zone a distance one-half of said predetermined length of said base, whereby, said base with said brushes is adapted for rotation about the axis of said spring and for tilting and rocking motion, with said base being adapted to move in and out of said recess in the first face of the distal end zone of the handle in said rocking motion.

FOR4M/4.82

2. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said handle is of plastic material.