TOOTH BRUSH ASSEMBLY

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of toothbrush devices and more specifically relates to a tooth brush assembly comprising a reservoir disposed within the handle of the toothbrush structured and arranged for retaining up to a 3-month supply of toothpaste therein having a sliding actuator in mechanical communication with a plunger which enables a user to push a desired amount of toothpaste through a plurality of apertures disposed around the bristles of the toothbrush head.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

[0002] A toothbrush is an oral hygiene instrument used to clean the teeth, gums, and tongue. It consists of a head of tightly clustered bristles mounted upon a handle which facilitates the cleaning of hard to reach areas of the mouth. Toothbrushes are available with different bristle textures, sizes, and forms. Most dentists recommend using a soft toothbrush since hard bristled toothbrushes can damage tooth enamel and irritate the gums.

[0003] Toothpaste is a past or gel dentifrice used with a toothbrush as an accessory to clean and maintain the aesthetics and health of teeth.

Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene: it serves as an abrasive that aids in removing dental plaque and food from the teeth, assists in suppressing halitosis, and delivers active ingredients (mostly common fluoride) to help prevent tooth decay (dental carries) and gum disease (gingivitis). Salt and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) are among materials that can be

substituted for commercial toothpaste. Toothpaste is not intended to be swallowed due to the fluoride content, but is generally not very harmful if accidentally swallowed in small amounts; however, one should seek medical attention after swallowing abnormally large amounts.

[0004] Currently there are a number of solutions for a toothpaste dispensing toothbrush. Some of these solutions attempt to combine the two products into one, but these solutions fail to meet the needs of the industry because in one example, it is inefficient to unscrew the toothbrush head to dispense toothpaste onto the toothbrush and then screw the toothbrush head back onto the device to clean one’s teeth. Other solutions attempt to dispense toothpaste through the bristles of the toothbrush, but these solutions are similarly unable to meet the needs of the industry because there is no level of control present to prevent an excess of toothpaste from being dispensed. Still other solutions seek to contain a replaceable toothpaste dispensing canister that is inserted into the bottom of the toothbrush, but these solutions also fail to meet industry needs because of the expense and need for replacing the toothpaste canister.

[0005] Ideally, a tooth brush assembly should be user-friendly and safe in use, and yet would operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a tooth brush assembly comprising a reservoir disposed within the handle of the toothbrush, and structured and arranged for retaining up to a 3-month supply of toothpaste therein having a sliding actuator in mechanical communication with a plunger which enables a user to push a desired amount of toothpaste through a plurality of apertures disposed around the bristles of the toothbrush head so as to avoid the above- mentioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known toothbrush device art, the present invention provides a novel tooth brush assembly. The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a tooth brush assembly comprising a reservoir disposed within the handle of the toothbrush, and structured and arranged for retaining up to a 3-month supply of toothpaste therein, and having a sliding actuator in mechanical communication with a plunger so as to enable a user to push a desired amount of toothpaste through a plurality of apertures disposed around the bristles of the toothbrush head.

[0007] A tooth brush assembly comprising: an elongated main body; a toothpaste container; a slider member; and a brush head. The elongated main body includes: a proximal end; a distal end having an aperture therethrough, and a slot therethrough; and a hollow interior volume. Wherein said hollow interior volume extends between said proximal end and said distal end.

[0008] The toothpaste container includes a proximal end; a distal end having an aperture therethrough; an interior volume; and toothpaste. Wherein the toothpaste is stored within the interior volume and is adapted to flow through the distal end aperture. Wherein the toothpaste container is located within the hollow interior volume of the elongated main body. [0009] Wherein the slider member is slidably connected to the elongated main body via the slot, and is adapted to push upon the toothpaste container so as to thereby push the toothpaste through the distal end aperture thereof and through the distal end aperture of the hollow interior volume.

[0010] The brush head includes: a proximal end having an aperture therethrough; a mid-section having an aperture therethrough; a hollow interior volume; a tongue scraper; and a plurality of bristles.

[0011] Wherein the hollow interior volume extends between the proximal end and the mid-section. Wherein said tongue scraper is attached to an exterior surface thereof and is adapted to be used to scrape the tongue of a user. Wherein the plurality of bristles are attached to and extend from an exterior surface of the mid-section of the brush head and spaced from the tongue scraper. Wherein the proximal end is connected to the distal end of the elongated main body such that the aperture of the distal end of the elongated main body aligns with the proximal end of the brush head and the toothpaste of the toothpaste container can pass therethrough and out of the aperture of the mid-section of the brush head and between the plurality of bristles.

[0012] The present invention holds significant improvements and serves as a tooth brush assembly. For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.

BRIEF DESCIRPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and method (s) of use for the present invention, a tooth brush assembly, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present invention.

[0014] FIGURE 1 shows a perspective view illustrating a tooth brush assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] FIGURE 2 is a perspective view illustrating a slider member of the tooth brush assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention as disclosed within FIGURE 1 ;

[0016] FIGURE 3A is a perspective view illustrating a timing

mechanism of the tooth brush assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention as disclosed within FIGURE 1 ; and

[0017] FIGURE 3B is a perspective view illustrating the tooth brush assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention as disclosed within FIGURE 1.

[0018] The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] As discussed above, the embodiments of the present invention relate to a toothbrush device, and more particularly to a tooth brush assembly which comprises a reservoir disposed within the handle of the toothbrush and which is structured and arranged for retaining up to a 3-month supply of toothpaste therein and having a sliding actuator in mechanical communication with a plunger which enables a user to push a desired amount of toothpaste through a plurality of apertures disposed around the bristles of the toothbrush head.

[0020] Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in FIGURES 1-3, perspective views illustrating the tooth brush assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Tooth brush assembly 100 comprises an elongated main body 110; toothpaste container 160; slider mechanism 200; and brush head 180. Elongated main body 110 includes a proximal end 120, distal end 140 having an aperture 142 therethrough and slot 146 therethrough, a hollow interior volume 150, wherein hollow interior volume 150 extends between the proximal end 120 and the distal end 140, and wherein the elongated main body 110 is formed from a translucent material.

[0022] Tooth brush assembly 100 further comprises a gripping layer 112 which is attached to an exterior surface portion of the elongated main body 110, wherein the gripping layer 112 includes a plurality of dimples 114 thereon. The tooth brush assembly 100 may comprise electric, nondisposable, and refillable versions.

[0023] Toothpaste container 160 includes a proximal end 162, a distal end 166 having an aperture 168 therethrough, interior volume 170, and toothpaste 174, wherein toothpaste 174 is stored within interior volume 170 and is adapted to flow through aperture 168 of the distal end 166, Toothpaste container 160 is located within the hollow interior volume 150 of the elongated main body 110, and the toothpaste 174 disposed within the toothpaste container 160 is adapted to last for three months.

[0024] The slider member 200 is slidably connected to the elongated main body 110 by means of a slot 146 and is adapted to push upon toothpaste container 160 so as to thereby push toothpaste 174 through the aperture 168 of the distal end 166 of the toothpaste container 160 and through the aperture 142 of the distal end 140 of the elongated main body 110. The slider member 200 includes a plunger member 210 which is adapted to push upon the toothpaste container 160, and the slider member 200 also includes a button 222 which is adapted to be pushed by a user’s finger 254, a spring 230 being interposed between the button 222 and the plunger 210.

[0025] Brush head 180 includes a proximal end 182 having an aperture therethrough, mid-section 186 having an aperture 188 therethrough, hollow interior volume 190, tongue scraper 192, and a plurality of bristles 194. The proximal end 182 is connected to distal end 140 of elongated main body 110 such that the aperture 142 of the distal end 140 of the elongated main body 110 aligns with the proximal end 182 of the brush head 180 such that toothpaste 174 from the toothpaste container 160 can pass therethrough, out aperture 188 of mid-section 186, and between the plurality of bristles 194. Tongue scraper 192 is formed from silicone rubber. [0026] Tooth brush assembly 100 further comprises a timing

mechanism 300 which is connected to the proximal end 120 of the elongated main body 100 and is adapted to provide a warning signal to a user 350 when a predetermined brushing time has elapsed as in FIGURE 3B. The timing mechanism 300 includes a power supply 310, a timer 320, and a light member 330, wherein the timer 320 and the light member 330 are

electronically connected to the power supply 310. The light member 330 is adapted to send a visual signal to the user when the predetermined brushing time has elapsed. The timing mechanism 3Q0 further includes a button 340 which is adapted to start the timer 320. The elapsed time may be set, for example to two minutes, however, in future embodiments, other times may be set. The light member 330 may comprise a light emitting diode (LED) and is adapted to flash when the predetermined brushing time has elapsed as shown in FIGURE 3B. A vibrator, ringer, or buzzer are also envisioned as other means for notifying the user 350 that the predetermined brushing time has elapsed.

[0027] The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations, and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, an abstract is attached hereto so as to enable anyone to quickly determine, from a cursory inspection of the abstract, the basic nature and essence of this disclosure of the invention.