The object of the present invention is to obtain a tooth brush to be used during a whole day and by means of which different mouth hygienic precautions can be taken.

A further object is to obtain a tooth brush which is available 24 hours a day and which can improve teeth-brushing quantitatively and qualitatively.

Background of the invention Tooth hygienic precautions not only means teeth-brushing using a suitable tooth-paste but includes also a massage of the gums, cleansing of the interstices between the teeth using dental floss, tooth sticks, and interstices tooth brushes to prevent the genesis of caries and periodontitis (loosening of the teeth). At home one normally has tooth brush and tooth paste and packages of dental floss, tooth sticks and interstices tooth brushes in different packages.

During the day it is, however, unpractical to carry with all these packages, which taken together, take a lot of space.

It has thus been previously proposed different traveller's tooth brushes which contains a reservoir for tooth paste, which reservoir in some cases is connected to the brush head through the handle and where the tooth paste is pressed forward from the reservoir or the reservoir is used as a common tooth paste tube where one presses the tooth paste forward and applies the paste strand onto the brush head.

It is also known a tooth brush from the German Patent DE 29,821,443U, which, besides containing a reservoir for tooth paste, further contains dental floss and a loop with tooth stick.

DE-C-19,823,856 discloses a similar brush.

Description of the present invention It has now turned out possible to obtain a simple and rational pen-like tooth brush which is characterized in that the brush unit has a convex brush and comprises a part having a soft, stippled material being suitable for massage and arranged in connection to the brush, and in the end facing away from the brush head contains a reservoir for dental floss, the protecting cap has a rotatably arranged holder for dental floss, which in a non-active position is a pen clip, and that the protecting cap further has at least one interstice tooth brush.

Further characteristics are evident from the accompanying claims.

By means of the present invention there is obtained a rational pen-like tooth brush to be used during the whole day (24 hrs) and which has the different helping tools needed for an adequate tooth hygiene.

The present invention will be described more in detail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, without being restricted thereto. In the drawing FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a tooth brush of the present invention taken apart; FIG. 2 shows a detail of the embodiment of FIG. 1 seen from below; FIG. 3 shows the embodiment of FIG. 2 seen from above; FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of the detail of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3; FIG. 5 shows a detail of the protecting cap with a dental floss holder in a swinged-out position; FIG. 6 shows a detail of the protecting cap with interstice tooth brushes drawn out; FIG. 7 shows a detail of the tooth brush unit with an interstice tooth brush applied; 1 denotes a pen-like tooth brush in general, which tooth brush comprises a protecting cap 2 and a teeth-brushing unit 3.

The protecting cap 2 has on one hand a pen clip 4, on the other hand a rotatably arranged dental floss holder 5. The dental floss holder 5 is rotatably arranged to end of the protecting cap 2 opposite its open end, whereby the dental floss holder 5 comprises two arms 6 which at their ends are provided with slots 7 to receive a dental floss 8. The arms 6 may be individually rotatably arranged in the protecting cap 2 or be arranged to a common shaft (not shown) being through-going the protecting cap 2. When the dental floss holder 5 has been rotated to abutment to the protecting cap 2 the arms are pen-clips as well, which can be used to attach the tooth brush 1 to a pocket opening or the like. At the ends of the pen clips 4 and on the arms 6 there are holes 9 provided to be able receive interstice tooth brushes 10 having different diameters and/or tooth sticks 24 made of plastic material or other suitable material.

The interstice tooth brushes 10 are, at their one end provided with a grip 11 which on one hand is arranged to lock the interstice tooth brush 10 to the holes 9 and respective pen-clip 4 and dental floss holder 5, and on the other hand be used for attachment of the tooth brush unit 3 which will be described below. The grip 11 can be differently angled with regard to the brush 10 to allow an optimal utility. The protecting cap 2which is dividable comprises an upper part to which the clip 4 is attached and which in turn comprises a reservoir 25 for dental floss and a tearing edge 22 for the dental floss, and is moreover arranged to receive tooth brush unit 3 by being thread thereon. The dental floss reservoir 25 is thereby separated from the brush receiving space. On the protecting cap 2 there is a start button 21, as well, for setting the dental floss free, as well as said edge 22 to be able to cut the dental floss. The lower open end of the protecting cap is arranged to receive the tooth brush unit 3 by being thread over the same. In this part there are small through-going holes 23 intended to ventilate the inner of the protecting cap, and its inner is covered with a water absorbing material.

The tooth brush unit 3 comprises a handle part 20 and a brushing unit 12 which brushing unit 12 is suitably exchangeably arranged by being able to be thread onto and over the front end 13 of the handle 20. The brushing unit 12 has suitably convexly arranged bristles 14.

Further, the brushing unit 12 has on its sides, and suitably on its underside as well, a massage surface 15 made of a softer material, such as a stippled natural or synthetic rubber material which is arranged to be used for massage of the gums. Stimulation of the gums is important in order to prevent periodontitis. The handle part 20 comprises a handle 16 which at its end facing away from the brushing unit 12, in a second embodiment, has a dental floss reservoir 17 with a cutting edge 22. Further the handle part 20 comprises a space 18 which is arranged to receive the grips 11 of interstice tooth brushes. The handle 16 can be hollowly shaped to be able to receive a tooth paste tube of so called mini-size, or be a reservoir for further interstice tooth brushes, whereby in this case the handle is arranged to be able to be screwed apart. In certain cases it may be desirable to complete the tooth brush with a ball point pen cartridge which in such a case is extends out off the hollow space 18.

The handle part of the brush unit is suitably provided with fillets 19 of a soft rubber material to increase the grip around the tooth brush. Hard plastic materials which are commonly present at tooth brushes today, are often smooth which leads to a reduced grip.

The tooth brush can thus be used in a number of different ways: 1. To brush the teeth whereby tooth paste is applied to the brushing head which, by means of the convex shape provides for a good accessibility to the interstices between the teeth and the transition between tooth and gums, as well as it also provides for a good massage of the gums close to the tooth necks; 2. To cleanse the interstices between the teeth using dental floss, whereby a piece of dental floss is withdrawn from the reservoir 17 by releasing the start button 21 and cut it against the edge 22, and tighten it between the slots 7 of the swinged-up arms 6, whereupon the interstices can be readily polished using the dental floss; 3. To cleanse the interstices between the teeth using a interstice tooth brush whereby a brush having a suitable diameter is removed from the brush depots 9 or the depot of the handle 18 and is applied with its grip at the end of the tooth brush unit whereby the grip 11 can be turned to provide a suitable attack angle; 4. To rinse interdentally using a tooth stick 24.

One aspect of the present invention further comprises a separate protecting cap including a dental floss reservoir 25, interstice tooth brushes 10, tooth sticks 24, and dental floss holder 5, whereby the protecting cap is arranged to receive tooth brushes of different types and brands. Thereby one may utilize a tooth brush which one is well used to, and still obtain the advantages of the present invention.

It is evident to the one skilled in the art that the present invention can be varied within the scope of the accompanying claims.