TOOTH BRUSH OF IDENTIFYING OWNER

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a toothbrush, and more particularly, to a toothbrush for identifying its owner comprising a rotatable member formed with multiple owner identification indicia (numerals or letters) indicated on a predetermined portion thereof, so that a user can rotate the rotatable dial member so as to select any one of the multiple indicia, thereby facilitating a user's identification of the owner of the toothbrush.

Background Art

Generally, a number of people typically use their toothbrushes by identifying the color or shape of toothbrush and the like, when their toothbrushes are put into a toothbrush holder or toothbrush sterilizer and the like for custody in houses or places where lots of people live in a community, after using their toothbrushes. In such case, it is easy to identify their own toothbrushes from others' toothbrushes if the colors or shapes of the toothbrushes are different from one another.

However, since a user may use other people' s toothbrushes by mistake in case of toothbrushes having colors or shapes identical or similar to one another, there occur unsanitary problems as well as a risk of infection when toothbrushes belonging to the people who suffer from infection diseases are used by mistake.

Conventionally, methods in which an owner' s name or numeral is inscribed on a handle of a toothbrush and the

like have been proposed to solve the above problems, however, they are not widely used due to troublesomeness and deterioration in the outer appearance of the toothbrush.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a toothbrush for identifying its owner that comprises a means for identifying the owner of the toothbrush, in which multiple owner identification indicia are provided for allowing a user to identify the owner of the toothbrush, so that the owner can optionally select the indicia as he or she wishes.

Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush for identifying its owner that comprises a coupling means for allowing the means for identifying the owner to be coupled to the handle of the toothbrush to each other.

Technical Solution

In general, a toothbrush includes a handle which a user can grip with his or her hand when toothbrushing, and a head portion including bristles embedded thereon.

The toothbrush for identifying its owner of the present invention includes at least one rotatable dial member, a handle having a receiving portion formed therein for receiving the rotatable dial member, and a fixing means for fixing the rotatable dial member to the handle. At this time, the rotatable dial member has multiple owner

identification indicia (numerals, letters or figures) indicated thereon.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fixing means for fixing the rotatable dial member to the handle, which permits the rotatable dial member to be rotated, may include a cover having a curved surface formed at a side thereof so as to allow the rotatable dial member to be seated thereon and rotated therein.

Further, according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fixing means for fixing the rotatable dial member to the handle, which permits the rotatable dial member to be rotated, may include lugs or indents formed on the rotary axial line of the rotatable dial member each having a fixed size, and a pair of lugs or indents formed at the both sides of the receiving portion of the handle so as to correspond to the lugs or indents formed on the rotatable dial member to, each other.

Still, according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fixing means for fixing the rotatable dial member to the handle, which permits the rotatable dial member to be rotated, may include a rotary shaft passing through the rotary axial line of the rotatable dial member, and a pair of fixing grooves formed at a certain position of the receiving portion, respectively, so as to allow both ends of the rotary shaft to be inserted and fixed therein.

Meanwhile, the rotatable dial member may include multiple grooves formed between the multiple owner identification indicia.

include a latching protrusion formed on the inner bottom surface thereof so as to correspond to the multiple grooves of the rotatable dial member, thereby preventing the rotatable dial member from being rotated inadvertently.

Advantageous Effects

As described above, according to the present invention, the toothbrush for identifying its owner comprises a rotatable member including multiple owner identification indicia indicated thereon mounted at a predetermined portion of the handle of the toothbrush and adapted to allow a user to identify the owner of the toothbrush, so that a user can readily identify her or his own toothbrush from a number of similar toothbrushes.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Further objects and advantages of the invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a toothbrush for identifying its owner according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged view of a rear surface of the toothbrush according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a vertical cross- section of assembly state of the toothbrush according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a toothbrush for identifying its owner according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal cross-section view showing the toothbrush according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. β is a partial enlarged view of a vertical cross- section of the toothbrush according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a toothbrush for identifying its owner according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a partial enlarged view of a horizontal cross-section of the toothbrush according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the toothbrush according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the invention will be explained in detail with reference to the appended drawings of FIGs. 1 through 4.

The toothbrush for identifying its owner according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a rotatable dial member 200, a handle having a receiving portion 210 and a viewing window 211 formed thereon, respectively, and a cover 220.

Referring to FIG. 1, the rotatable dial member 200 will hp in detail .

cylindrical shape as a whole. The rotatable dial member 200 includes multiple owner identification indicia 202 indicated on the outer peripheral surface thereof. At this time, the outer periphery surface of the rotatable dial member 200 refers to an outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical shape or a polygonal elongated shape.

Further, the rotatable dial member 200 includes multiple grooves 201 formed between the respective owner identification indicia 202. Here, when the toothbrush for identifying its owner of the present invention is used in houses, a single rotatable dial member having letters for identifying the owner of the toothbrush indicated thereon is preferably provided, since it is unnecessary to use multiple owner identification indicia for allowing a user to identify the owner of the toothbrush. However, when the toothbrush for identifying its owner is used in a large group such as an army, two or more rotatable dial members 200, on both of which numerals are indicated so as to allow the user to identify the owner of the toothbrush are preferably provided, since various combination of the numerals are required.

Meanwhile, the ro >tatable dial member may be constructed such that each portion where the multiple owner identification indicia 202 are indicated is formed in a planar face in order to provide an advantage such as printing and the like, whereby, the rotatable dial member 200 is formed in a polygonal shape in horizontal cross- section as it is cut axially.

Referring to FIG. 2, the receiving portion 210 will be described in detail.

a rear surface thereof so as to receive the rotatable dial member 200 therein. Here, the rear surface refers to the opposite surface of a front surface of the handle, where bristles are embedded.. However, the receiving portion 210 may be formed on the front surface of the handle to improve the convenience in using and the aesthetic quality of the toothbrush.

Further, the handle includes a quadrilateral viewing window 211 mounted on the opposite surface of the front surface, on which the receiving portion 210 is formed, in such a manner as to communicate with the receiving portion 210, so that a user may watch the multiple owner identification indicia 202 of the rotatable dial member 200 received in the receiving portion 210. At this time, the size of the quadrilateral viewing window 211 is large enough to the extent that the rotatable dial member 200 is not separated from the receiving portion 210. However, the size of the viewing window 211 is preferably large enough to the extent that the multiple owner identification indicia 202 indicated on rotatable dial member 200 is shown through the viewing window as well as the multiple grooves 201 for allowing the rotatable dial member 200 to be rotated, which will be described later, is shown therethrough. Meanwhile, the viewing window 211 may be formed on the cover 220, which will be described in detail later. In that case, the viewing window 211 may not be formed on the handle.

Further, the receiving portion 210 includes a curved surface formed at the opposite side to the entrance thereof

thereon. Also, the receiving portion 210 includes a pair of cover retaining steps 212 formed at the both sides thereof in such a manner as to be positioned at a location spaced apart from the entrance of the receiving portion 210 only by a thickness of the protecting portion 221 of the cover 220, so that the inserting depth of the cover 220 may be adjusted, thereby allowing the cover to be seated thereon. In addition, the receiving portion 210 includes an insertion portion 213 formed inside from edges of the entrance thereof so as to allow a pair of insertion pieces 222 of the cover 220 to be forcibly inserted thereto.

Referring to FIG. 1, the cover 220 will be described in detail hereinafter.

The cover 220 includes a quadrilateral protecting portion 221, and a pair of quadrilateral insertion pieces 222 perpendicularly extended from the opposed edges of the protecting portion 221. The protecting portion 221 has a curved surface formed on a side surface thereof so as to allow the rotatable dial member 200 to be seated thereon. In the meantime, as described above, the curved surface formed in the protecting portion 221 of the cover 220 has a viewing window (not shown) formed thereon in such a manner as to pass through the protecting portion 221. Here, the description of the shape, size and operation of the viewing window (not shown) will be replaced with the description given by the viewing window 211 formed on the handle. In case where the viewing window is formed on the protecting portion 221, the handle may not be formed with the viewing window thereon. Referring to FIG. 3, the coupling relationship between

detail hereinafter.

The rotatable dial member 200 is received in the receiving portion 210. After that, while the pair of insertion pieces 222 of the cover 220 are forcibly inserted into the insertion portion 213, the coupling operation between the cover 220 and the handle is finished when the protecting portion 221 of the cover 220 reaches the cover retaining steps 212.

The rotatable dial member 200 is fit between the curved surface formed around of the viewing window 211 inside the receiving portion 210 and the curved surface formed on the inner surface of the cover 220 in a state where the rotatable dial member 200 and the cover 220 are coupled with each other. Referring to FIG. 3, an operation of the components as described above will be explained in detail in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The rotatable dial member 200 is rotated by the size of the viewing window 211 at the maximum only when an owner of the toothbrush applies a force larger than a predetermined force to the grooves 201 while forwardly/backwardly moving the grooves 201 formed on the rotatable dial member 200 with his or her finger nail and the like via the viewing window 211 of the handle. But at this time, the protecting portion 211 may have a protrusion (not shown) formed on the curved surface thereof so as to allow the grooves 201 to be releasably latched thereby, so that the grooves 201 can be fully latched by the protrusion every time the rotatable dial member 200 is rotated intermittently at a fixed angle

indicia to be shown through the viewing window 211.

Thus, the owner of the toothbrush may optionally select the identification indicia through the process as described above.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Hereinafter, a second preferred embodiment of the invention will be explained in detail with reference to the appended drawings of FIGs. 4 through 6. The same reference numerals will be used to denote identical or similar elements having the same functions throughout the drawings.

Referring to FIGs. 4 and 6, a configuration of a receiving portion 310 will be explained in detail. As shown in FIG.4, the receiving portion 310 is formed on the handle in such a manner as to have a relatively larger width than that of the cross-section formed when a rotatable dial member 300 is cut diametrally and to have a depth, which is at least the radius of the rotatable dial member 300.

As shown in FIG. '6, the receiving portion 310 has a latching protrusion 311 formed at the center of the inner bottom surface thereof so as to allow the grooves of the rotatable dial member 300 to be latched thereto. Further, the receiving portion 310 has a specified number of through-holes 313 disposed around the latching protrusion 311 formed inside the receiving portion 310 passing through the lower portion of the receiving portion 310 for ventilation and drain. Tn raςp where it is difficult to mold the handle

is penetrated at a predetermined position thereof, and then a separate patch member 320 including the through-hole 313 and the latching protrusion 311 formed thereon may be provided and fixed to the rim of the penetrated portion of the handle using an adhesive agent and the like.

Referring to FIG. 5, a rotatable dial member 300 and a fixing means for the rotatable dial member 300 will be explained in detail.

The rotabable member 300 has an identical configuration to that in the first preferred embodiment, but at this time, the rotatable dial member 300 includes indents 314 or lugs 315 corresponding to the indents 314 formed on the rotary axial line thereof, each having a predetermined size. Further, the receiving portion 310 includes a pair of indents 314 or lugs 315 formed on the center of the both sides thereof so as to correspond to the indents 314 or lugs 315 of the rotatable dial member 300. In other words, each of the rotatable dial members 300 and the receiving portion 310 has a lug 315 and an indent 314 corresponding to the lug 135 formed at their respective inner sides between adjacent two rotatable dial members 300 or adjacent the rotatable dial member 300 and the receiving portion 310.

The rotatable dial member 300 is forcibly inserted into the receiving portion 310, and thus the indents 314 of the rotatable dial member 300 and the lugs of the receiving portion 310 are coupled with each other.

The number of the rotatable dial members 300 may be added or reduced in accordance with practical requirement in the same manner as the first embodiment as described

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, since the outer peripheral surface of the rotatable dial member 300 is not abutted against the handle of the toothbrush, each portion where the multiple owner identification indicia are written or printed is formed in a planar face, and thus, the rotatable dial member 300 is formed in a polygonal shape in horizontal cross-section as it is cut axially.

Referring to FIG. 6, an operation of the components as described above will be explained in detail in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention.

The second embodiment of the invention is nearly identical to the first embodiment of the invention in terms of their operation except that the rotatable dial member 300 is fixedly received in the receiving portion 310 by means of the coupling between the lugs 315 and indents 314. Further, since the toothbrush for identifying its owner according to the second embodiment of the invention has not a close contact structure, which differs from the constitution of the first embodiment of the invention in FIG. 1, in which the rotatable dial member 200 and the cover 220 abut against with each other, the rotatable dial member 300 can be prevented from being inadvertently rotated by means of a separate constitution, in which the multiple groove 301 of the rotatable dial member 300 are latched by the latching protrusion 311.

Each of the multiple grooves 301 is releasably latched by the latching protrusion 311 formed on the inner bottom surface of the receiving portion 310. In this manner, the when a user applies a certain force to the rotatable

the next adjacent groove 301 is latched by the latching protrusion 311 to thereby allow the rotatable dial member 300 to be fixed thereon, .

Hereinafter, a third preferred embodiment of the invention will be explained in detail with reference to the appended drawings of FIGs. 7 through 9.

The same reference numerals will be used to denote identical or similar elements having the same functions throughout the drawings . Referring -to FIG. 7, the configuration of a receiving portion 310 will be explained in detail.

The receiving portion 310 has an identical configuration to that of the second embodiment of the invention as explained above. But at this time, the receiving portion 310 has a pair of fixing grooves 405 formed on the center of the both sides thereof so as to allow a pair of fitting protrusions 406 of a rotary shaft 403, which will be described later, to be inserted thereto.

Referring to FIG. ^' 7, a rotatable dial member 400 and a fixing means for the rotatable dial member 400 will be explained in detail.

The fixing means for the rotatable dial member 400 in accordance with the third embodiment of the invention includes the rotatable dial member 400 having an axial-hole 402 formed thereon, a rotary shaft 402, and 0-rings 404.

The rotatable dial member 400 in accordance with the third embodiment of the invention has an almost similar configuration to that of the rotatable dial member 300 as explained above. But at this time, the rotatable dial member 400 has the axial-hole 402 formed at the center

axial line thereof and adapted to allow the rotary shaft 403, which will be described later, to be received therein.

The rotary shaft 403 is formed into an elongated cylindrical shape as a whole. The rotary shaft 403 has a pair of fitting protrusions 406 formed at both ends thereof so as to be inserted into the pair of fixing grooves 405 of the receiving portion 310. Here, in case where the handle of the toothbrush is made of an elastic material, the fitting protrusions 406 may be forcibly inserted into the fixing grooves 405. Alternatively, in case where the handle of the toothbrush is not made of an elastic material, there is a fear of breakage of the rotary shaft 403 or the fitting protrusion 406 due to the excessive force applied upon the insertion of the fitting protrusion 406. And hence, the rotary shaft 403 may preferably have an elastic means formed inside thereof so as to apply an elastic force to the fitting protrusion 406. For example, the rotary shaft 403 has a space formed inside thereof, so that a spring 407 is provided in the space so as to allow the fitting protrusion 406 to be supported by the spring 407. Further, in order to prevent the fitting protrusion 406 from being separated from the rotary shaft 403, the end portion of the fitting protrusion 406, which is inserted in the rotary shaft 403, has a bit larger diameter than that of the fitting protrusion 406, and the end portion of the rotary shaft 403 has a bit smaller inside diameter than that of the space for the spring 407. At this time, the spring 407 functions such that the fitting protrusion 406 is elastically moved toward the inside of the rotary shaft 403 bv the elastic force as well as the fitting protrusion 406

latched to each other, thereby preventing the fitting protrusion 406 from being separated from the inside of the rotary shaft 403 to the outside thereof.

Further, an O-ring 404 is provided between the rotatable dial members 400 as well as adjacent the rotatable dial member 400 and the receiving portion 310, respectively, so as to keep a predetermined interval between them, so that the rotatable dial member 400 can be readily rotated. The O-ring functions such that the other rotatable dial member 400 is not interfered even if a single rotatable dial member 400 is rotated as well as the rotatable dial member 400 is supported by the O-ring so as not to be moved forwardly/backwardly on the rotary shaft 403. Referring to FIG. 8, an operation of the components as described above will be explained in detail in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention.

The toothbrush for identifying its owner in accordance with the third embodiment of the invention has a constitutional difference with that in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention, in that the rotary shaft 403 and the fixing groove 405 are provide as the fixing means in the third embodiment of the invention, whereas the lugs 315 and indents 314 are provided as the fixing means in the second embodiment of the invention.

Therefore, the toothbrush for identifying its owner in accordance with the third embodiment of the invention has a same operation and same appearance of the toothbrush for identifying its owner, whose entire components are assembled, with those in accordance with the second

appearance of the toothbrush for identifying its owner in accordance with the second and third embodiments of the invention.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.