Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a kit for dental cleaning. Background of the Invention It is known that for the care and hygiene of one's teeth and more generally of the entire mouth it is advisable to brush one's teeth several times a day and at least after each meal.

This habit is sometimes rendered difficult by the need to have a toothbrush and toothpaste available in the most disparate places, such as schools, offices, restaurants, while traveling, etc.

A first solution for meeting this need is to be equipped with a container, such as a case or small beauty case, which contains a conventional toothbrush and a package of toothpaste.

However, this solution entails drawbacks particularly in practical terms.

The size of the toothbrush and of the package of toothpaste in fact do not allow to carry the corresponding container in small spaces.

If, for example, the user wishes to brush his/her teeth after a meal at the office or restaurant, it would be in fact appreciable to be able to carry the toothbrush and toothpaste discreetly, perhaps in a handbag or in the pockets of clothes.

Further, the use of a toothbrush and toothpaste away from home, for example in toilets which are public and sometimes rather confined, is penalized by the fact that the user must handle several components, removing the cap that closes the toothpaste package, spread said toothpaste on the bristly head of the toothbrush, after removing its protective shell, and avoid dropping these elements, which might be lost (particularly the cap and the shell) and be contaminated for example by falling on the floor.

Moreover, the shell for protecting the head of the toothbrush, which is required in order to ensure its hygiene, entails during production

manufacturing costs which are not negligible, since it requires the use of appropriately provided molds.

In order to reduce the overall dimensions of the dental cleaning set, travel kits are also known which are constituted by packages which contain a small number of doses of toothpaste and by toothbrushes in which the handle is provided in two parts which can be mutually connected, one part being hollow and acting as a protective shell for the other part, which ends with a bristly head.

Although these kits are more practical to carry than the traditional toothbrush and package of toothpaste, and therefore are easier to use away from home, they do not allow to obviate all the drawbacks listed above.

In particular, these travel kits also are constituted by a plurality of elements, which must be handled with care during use in order to avoid losing or contaminating them. Disclosure of the Invention

The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks noted above of the background art, by providing a kit for dental cleaning which is practical to use even away from home, so as to facilitate its use, and therefore favor the preservation of correct oral hygiene in users. Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a kit for dental cleaning that is small and has a compact structure, so that it can be carried easily in limited spaces.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a kit which is simple, relatively easy to provide in practice, safe and effective in use, and has a relatively low cost.

This aim and these objects are achieved by the present kit for dental cleaning, characterized in that it comprises a toothpaste dispenser, provided with at least one opening for dispensing toothpaste and with at least one hollow receptacle arranged proximate to said opening, and at least one toothbrush provided with a handle for supporting a bristly head, the

toothbrush being suitable to be arranged so that the head is protected at said receptacle and so that a portion of the handle faces said opening in order to close it.

Brief description of the drawings Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a kit for dental cleaning, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic transverse sectional view of the kit according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the kit according to the invention;

Figure 3 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the kit according to the invention.

Ways of carrying out the Invention

With reference to the figures, the reference numeral 1 generally designates a kit for dental cleaning.

The kit 1 comprises a toothpaste dispenser 2, which is provided with at least one opening 3 for dispensing toothpaste and with at least one hollow receptacle 4 located proximate to the opening 3, and at least one toothbrush

5, provided with a handle 6 for supporting a bristly head 7, which is arranged at one end of said handle.

According to the invention, the brush 5 is adapted to be arranged so that the head 7 is protected at the receptacle 4 and so that a portion of the handle 6 faces the opening 3 in order to close it.

Advantageously, while the dispenser 2 acts as a protective shell for the head 7, the handle 6 acts as a plug for said device, minimizing the number of components of the kit according to the invention and the corresponding space occupation.

The head 7 can be associated detachably with the handle 5, for example by interposing interlocking coupling means, so that it is replaceable in case of wear or other conditions.

The dispenser 2 comprises at least one slot 8 aligned with the receptacle 4 for positioning the handle 6 which preferably is at least as long as said handle, so that the brush 5 is comprised substantially within the external contour of the dispenser 2 and does not protrude from it.

Advantageously, the slot 8 is deeper at the free end of the handle 5, so as to form a guiding region 9 for the grip of said handle on the part of the user.

The kit 1 further has means 10 for temporarily anchoring the brush 5 to the dispenser 2.

The anchoring means 10 comprise one or, more preferably, a plurality of profiled regions 11 in relief, which are associated with the slot 8 or the handle 6 and can be accommodated temporarily in one or, more preferably, a plurality of recesses 12 associated respectively with the handle 6 and the slot 8; the anchoring means 10, therefore, can be coupled and uncoupled with a snap action.

In the figures, the profiled regions 11 are formed monolithically with the sides of the handle 6 and the recesses 12 are formed along the slot 8.

The dispenser 2 is provided with a collar 13, which delimits the opening 3 and protrudes outside said device; the handle 6 is provided with a recess 14 for accommodating the collar 13, so as to close said opening and cooperate with the positioning of the brush 5 with respect to the dispenser 2. The dispenser 2 comprises a body 15 for supporting a cartridge 16 of toothpaste, which may be optionally replaceable; the opening 3 and the receptacle 4 are formed in the supporting body 15.

The supporting body 15 and the cartridge 16 are mutually associated hermetically, so as to avoid leaks of toothpaste; for this purpose, it is possible to provide interposed sealing elements, which are not shown in the

figures.

The cartridge 16 is made of a material which can be compressed in a substantially elastic manner and is preferably transparent, such as silicone or the like, so as to allow the user to view the amount of toothpaste contained therein.

The supporting body 15 comprises a footing 17, in which the receptacle 4 is formed and which is provided with a seat 18 for the engagement of the cartridge 16, at which the opening 3 is provided, and a rib 19 for stiffening said cartridge, which protrudes from the footing 17 and is crossed by the slot 8.

The seat 18 acts as a tray for collecting any excessive outflow of toothpaste.

The footing 17 has a resting surface 17a on the face arranged opposite the one at which the seat 18 is formed. The opening 3 leads out directly above the receptacle 4.

The cartridge 16 comprises a tang 20, which can be inserted in the seat 18, and at least one hole, not shown in the figures, which is arranged at said tang for the outflow of the toothpaste within the seat 18.

If the cartridge 16 is replaceable, said hole is associated with a removable or pierceable film.

The cartridge 16 is shaped so as to form an impression 21 which substantially duplicates the shape of the rib 19 and in which said rib fits in order to position said cartridge with respect to the supporting body 15.

In use, the user must disengage the toothbrush 5 from the dispenser 2, so as to clear the opening 3, and squeeze the walls of the cartridge 16 in order to produce the outflow of toothpaste from said opening.

In removing the brush 5, the head 7 must be kept proximate to the opening 3, so as to distribute a layer of toothpaste thereon.

After use, the toothbrush 5 must be repositioned so that it is anchored to the dispenser 2, so as to block the opening 3 and keep the head 7

protected.

In practice it has been found that the described invention achieves the intended aim and objects, and in particular achieves the aim of providing a kit for dental cleaning which is compact, small and is practical to use even away from home or while traveling.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent ones.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the shapes and the dimensions, may be any according to requirements without thereby abandoning the scope of the protection of the appended claims.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MO2004A000301, from which this application claims priority, are incorporated herein by reference.