Patent Application
20220192357
The present invention relates generally to the field of toothbrushes. More specifically, the present invention relates to a uniquely designed all-in-one toothbrush device that dispenses toothpaste as per a user's wants and/or needs. The all-in-one toothbrush device comprises a hollow handle for storing a toothpaste cartridge and/or toothpaste and wherein the handle is connected to a brush head having bristles for brushing a user's teeth. The all-in-one toothbrush device features different mechanisms such as a sliding button, syringe and vacuum release button in order to dispense toothpaste stored in the hollow handle to the bristles of the brush head. The improved toothbrush of the present invention offers a way to store toothpaste and a toothbrush in a compact manner, thereby effectively saving space in a bathroom or luggage bag. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices and methods of manufacture.
By way of background, oral care routines typically consist of brushing and flossing teeth to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For teeth brushing, users require a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste. However, it may be difficult to always remember to carry toothpaste while traveling. Further, if a user forgets toothpaste they may be unable to brush their teeth. Additionally, toothbrushes and toothpaste can take up considerable space in a bathroom drawer, sink top, or in a luggage bag while traveling.
Conventional toothbrushes comprise a handle connected to a brush head having bristles, wherein toothpaste is typically dispensed/applied to the bristles for brushing a user's teeth. To dispense or apply toothpaste on the bristles, a user generally squeezes the toothpaste tube while positioning the tube opening over the bristles. However, it may be difficult for children or other users with limited strength/dexterity to squeeze a toothpaste tube themselves and they may need assistance from others.
Devices such as toothpaste dispensers are available in the market and can be used for automatically dispensing toothpaste over the bristles of the toothbrush. Typically, the toothpaste dispensers are mounted on a bathroom wall or other similar place, wherein a user can place the bristles of their toothbrush under the dispenser to receive a predetermined amount of toothpaste on their toothbrush. However, toothbrush dispensers are not portable and cannot be carried along with users while traveling. Thus, some users desire a portable solution for automatically dispensing toothpaste on a toothbrush.
Therefore, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a uniquely designed toothbrush device that eliminates the need to keep or carry toothpaste tubes along with a toothbrush. There is also a long-felt need in the art for an improved toothbrush device that allows users to easily dispense and use toothpaste without keeping separate toothpaste tubes in every bathroom. Additionally, there is a long-felt need in the art for a toothpaste dispensing mechanism that saves drawer space, sink top space, or space within a luggage bag. Additionally, there is a long-felt need in the art for a uniquely designed toothbrush device that offers a way to store both a toothbrush and a toothpaste tube in a compact manner and effectively saves space in bathrooms/luggage bags. Finally, there is a long-felt need in the art for a toothpaste dispensing solution that can be easily used by children and users with limited strength/dexterity and prevents said users from needing assistance from others.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a refillable toothbrush device that is configured to store and dispense toothpaste. The stored toothpaste is dispensed on the bristles of the device using a sliding mechanism, syringe mechanism, or vacuum release mechanism. The refillable toothbrush device generally comprises a head portion having a plurality of bristles for cleaning a user's teeth and a housing having an integrated reservoir for storing toothpaste. The housing comprises a sliding mechanism that further has a slide tab configured to slide along a channel disposed on the housing to push toothpaste towards the head portion and into the bristles. Alternatively, the housing may feature a syringe-based mechanism or a vacuum-pump-based mechanism to move the toothpaste from the reservoir to a conduit which connects to the head portion to dispense the stored toothpaste into the bristles of the toothbrush.
In this manner, the novel refillable toothbrush device of the present invention accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives, and provides a relatively easy, convenient and portable solution to storing and dispensing toothpaste. The refillable toothbrush device of the present invention is also user friendly, as it does not require users to maintain a separate toothbrush and toothpaste tube. Additionally, the device is compact and portable for traveling. Further, a variety of different mechanisms such as a sliding button, a syringe, a vacuum release button, etc., are easy to use for dispensing toothpaste and can be conveniently used by all users regardless of age, strength, and dexterity.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a refillable toothbrush device. The toothbrush device is configured to dispense toothpaste onto the bristles using a sliding mechanism. The refillable toothbrush device comprises a head portion having a plurality of bristles for cleaning teeth, a housing having an integrated reservoir for storing toothpaste, and a sliding mechanism for dispensing the toothpaste onto the bristles. The sliding mechanism comprises a slider component with an associated abutment plate, wherein the slider component is configured to slide along a sliding channel which is disposed on the housing. The abutment plate moves the toothpaste from the reservoir and pushes the toothpaste towards an opening at the top of the reservoir. A conduit tube extends from the reservoir opening to one or more apertures in the head portion between the bristles. The abutment plate continues to move the toothpaste through the conduit tube, wherein the conduit tube then dispenses the toothpaste from the one or more apertures onto the bristles for cleaning a user's teeth.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, a toothbrush with integrated toothpaste dispenser is disclosed. The toothbrush with integrated toothpaste dispenser is configured to dispense toothpaste using a plunger mechanism. The device comprises a head portion, a housing connected to said head portion, a reservoir included within the housing that stores toothpaste, and a plunger mechanism for dispensing the toothpaste onto the bristles. The plunger mechanism comprises a plunger disposed at the bottom of the housing, wherein the plunger comprises a plunger flange for pushing a plunger tip into said reservoir. The plunger tip pushes toothpaste towards a reservoir hole positioned at the top of the reservoir and into a conduit tube. The conduit tube extends from the reservoir hole to one or more apertures positioned in the head portion between the bristles. The conduit tube then dispenses toothpaste from said one or more apertures onto the bristles for cleaning a user's teeth. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the reservoir can have a replaceable cartridge containing toothpaste and connected to a reservoir opening. The head portion and the housing can also be integrated as a single component or can be separate components removably attached to each other.
In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, a toothbrush device with vacuum release toothpaste dispenser is disclosed. The device comprises a vacuum actuator connected to a vacuum pump, the vacuum pump having a piston configured to move into an integrated cartridge which stores the toothpaste. The vacuum pump is activated by the vacuum actuator such that the piston moves into the cartridge to pump the stored toothpaste to an orifice. Then, a pipe extending from the orifice to the plurality of bristles positioned on the head portion of the toothbrush dispenses the toothpaste. The vacuum actuator may also be disposed on the housing of the toothbrush, wherein the housing is integrated with the head portion of the toothbrush. Alternatively, the housing is removably attached to the head portion to allow for replacement of the cartridge.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:
The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.
As noted above, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a uniquely designed toothbrush device that eliminates the need to keep or carry toothpaste tubes along with a toothbrush. There is also a long-felt need in the art for an improved toothbrush device that allows users to easily dispense and use toothpaste without keeping separate toothpaste tubes in every bathroom and that saves drawer space, sink top space, or space within a luggage bag. Additionally, there is a long-felt need in the art for a uniquely designed toothbrush device that offers a way to store both a toothbrush and a toothpaste tube in a compact manner and effectively saves space in bathrooms/luggage bags. Finally, there is a long-felt need in the art for a toothpaste dispensing solution that can be easily used by children and users with limited strength/dexterity and prevents said users from needing assistance from others.
The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, comprises a refillable toothbrush device that is configured to store and dispense toothpaste onto its bristles using a sliding mechanism, a syringe mechanism, or a vacuum release mechanism. The toothbrush device comprises a head portion having a plurality of bristles for cleaning a user's teeth and a hollow handle housing having an integrated reservoir for storing toothpaste. In differing embodiments, the housing can feature a slide mechanism, a syringe plunger mechanism, or a vacuum pump mechanism which moves the toothpaste from inside the reservoir to a conduit connecting the reservoir to the head portion, in order to dispense the toothpaste onto the bristles of the toothbrush.
Referring initially to the drawings,
The toothbrush device 100 comprises a head portion 102 having a plurality of bristles 110 for cleaning a user's teeth. The plurality of bristles 110 are teeth engaging elements. For example, the plurality of bristles 110 may include nylon or elastomeric wiping elements that assist in removing stains from teeth and/or assist with forcing toothpaste 122 into the tubules of the teeth. The plurality of bristles 110 may be manufactured from any other suitable material as is known in the art. Moreover, while the toothbrush device 100 is exemplified as a manual toothbrush, the toothbrush device 100 can also be an electrical-powered toothbrush in other embodiments of the invention. The preferred length of the head portion 102 and the housing 104 is approximately 6 inches. The preferred dimensions of the plurality of bristles 110 is approximately 1 inch long by approximately ¼ to ⅓ inches wide. The preferred length of the tube 112 is approximately 2 inches.
Further, the head portion 102 comprises a cavity 1020 and a tube 112 extending up to an aperture 1120 in the head portion 102, which allows toothpaste 122 stored in the reservoir 108 of the housing 104 to be moved into the cavity 1020. Specifically, tube 112 is coupled to the reservoir 108 and is used as a conduit to carry toothpaste 122 from the reservoir 108 to the cavity 1020 of the head portion 102, and wherein toothpaste 122 is then dispensed through the aperture 1120 onto the plurality of bristles 110. In an alternative embodiment, the reservoir 108 may contain a pre-filled, pressurized tube 1080 of toothpaste 122 that can be placed inside the reservoir 108. It is also contemplated that in this embodiment, the head portion 102 and housing 104 are hollow such that they can receive the tube 1080, wherein the tube 1080 can be replaced by another tube 1080 when it runs out of toothpaste 122 or can be reused and refilled. Further, the housing 104 may have a button 1040 that allows a user to dispense the toothpaste 122 from the tube 1080 and to the head portion 102, as seen in
The head portion 102 may include multiple apertures 1120 to allow the toothpaste to be dispensed evenly onto the plurality of bristles 110 of the toothbrush device 100. To push toothpaste from the reservoir 108 to the tube 112, a slider 116 with an associated abutment plate 118 is configured to be manually moved across a slider channel 114 disposed on the housing 104 of the toothbrush device 100. In the initial stage, the abutment plate 118 is positioned at the base 1040 of the housing 104.
In the present embodiment, the head portion 102 is also detachable from the housing 104 and when the head portion 102 is connected to the housing 104, they are connected to each other through a rubber fastener 120 that can be screwed and unscrewed to detach the head portion 102 from the housing 104. The rubber fastener 120 acts as a tight-fit assembly, a coupling sleeve, a threaded engagement, or a fastener, etc., wherein any other suitable fastener can be used as is known in the art. Alternatively, the head portion 102 and the housing 104 can be manufactured as a single unitary structure using a molding, milling, machining or other suitable process as is known in the art. Additionally, in an alternate embodiment, the base portion 1040 of the toothbrush device 100 can be removably attached to allow a user to refill the toothpaste reservoir 108, or the base portion 1040 can be permanently attached to the housing 104 which requires a user to purchase a new toothbrush device 100 when the toothpaste reservoir 108 is empty.
It should be appreciated that the toothbrush device 100 is a compact readily portable self-contained user-friendly system that includes all of the components necessary for a user to perform a desired oral care treatment routine. Because the toothpaste reservoir 108 is located within the housing 104 of the toothbrush device 100 itself, the toothbrush device 100 is portable for travel, easy to use, and reduces the amount of required storage space.
A portion of the housing 104 can be transparent or translucent allowing a user to determine the amount of toothpaste 122 present within the reservoir 108 and accordingly refill the reservoir 108 as needed. Further, the sliding channel 114 would be positioned along the non-transparent or non-translucent portion of the housing 104.
Specifically, when the plunger flange 208 is pushed, the plunger 206 moves inside the reservoir 212 through the bottom surface 2040 of the housing 204 and activates the plunger tip 222. The plunger tip 222 then contacts the toothpaste 122 within the reservoir 212 and pushes the toothpaste 122 upwards toward the conduit tube 214 through the reservoir opening 216. The toothpaste 122 then moves through the conduit tube 214 and into the head cavity 2020. A portion of the toothpaste 122 then flows through aperture or hole 218 present in the head portion 202 and is dispensed onto the plurality of bristles 210 for use. The head portion 202 comprises one aperture 218, but may include a plurality of tiny apertures to dispense the toothpaste 122 from the head cavity 2020 onto the plurality of bristles 210 of the toothbrush device 200.
In operation, moving the plunger tip 222 in the reservoir 212 creates excessive air pressure within the reservoir 212 which increases as the plunger tip 222 moves. This build-up of air pressure acts to forcibly squeeze the toothpaste 122 out from the reservoir 212, through the conduit tube 214, into the aperture/hole 218, and then onto the plurality of bristles 210. Thus, a user can adjust the amount of toothpaste 122 that is dispensed onto the plurality of bristles 210 by pushing more or less air into the reservoir 212 via the plunger tip 222.
When refilling the reservoir 212 in the present embodiment, the head portion 202 and the housing 204 are removably attached through connector 220. The connector 220 acts as a tight-fit assembly, a coupling sleeve, a threaded engagement, or a fastener, etc., or any other suitable fastening device as is known in the art. Alternatively, the head portion 202 and the housing 204 of the toothbrush device 200 of the present embodiment are manufactured as a single unitary structure using a molding, milling, machining or any other suitable process as is known in the art.
It should be appreciated that since the toothbrush device 100 of the present invention comprises an integrated toothpaste reservoir 108, 212 and dispensing means, the user is less likely to misplace the toothpaste 122 and will be more inclined to maintain their oral treatment routine. Further, the reservoir 108, 212 or the toothpaste chamber can be filled directly via any conventional toothpaste 122 tube known in the art, or the consumer can utilize a toothpaste cartridge in the reservoir 108, 122 or the toothpaste chamber.
Furthermore, the toothbrush device 300 comprises a hollow handle housing 316 with a removable base 314 that allows a user to refill or replace the cartridge 302 when empty by removing the base 314 from the housing 316. Specifically, once the installed cartridge 302 is completely depleted, the base 314 is removed to replace the empty cartridge with a new cartridge containing toothpaste 122. The base 314 is then resecured and the housing 316 is integrated with the head portion 310 such that toothpaste 122 easily moves up to the orifice 306.
When a vacuum actuator 318 is pushed, the vacuum pump 304 pushes a piston 320 within the cartridge 302 forcing the toothpaste 122 to pump and dispense through the orifice 306 up the conduit tube 312 and onto the plurality of bristles 308 of the head portion 310. When the vacuum actuator 318 is released, the piston 320 is removed from the cartridge 302 allowing the remaining toothpaste 122 to remain within the cartridge 302 and not be pumped out. Specifically, the vacuum actuator 318 is coupled to the vacuum pump 304 and is configured to operate the pump 304 to dispense the toothpaste 122. The vacuum pump 304 is in the form of a reciprocating piston pump, or any other suitable pump as is known in the art.
The housing 404 further comprises a toothpaste cartridge 406 that can be refilled or replaced by detaching the housing 404 from the head portion 402. Once the housing 404 is removed from the head portion 402, the installed cartridge 406 can be replaced with a new cartridge containing toothpaste 122. The housing 404 further comprises a vacuum pump 408 that is actuated using a vacuum actuator 410. The vacuum pump 408 is connected to a piston 413 that allows the toothpaste 122 in the cartridge 406 to be pumped up from the cartridge 406, enter the orifice 412, travel through a conduit tube 312 to the cavity 4020 of the head portion 402, and then be dispensed onto the bristles 414.
When a vacuum actuator 410 is pushed, the vacuum pump 408 actuates the piston 413 within the cartridge 406 forcing the toothpaste 122 to pump and be dispensed through the orifice 412 towards the head cavity 4020, and onto the plurality of bristles 414 through an aperture 4024 on the bristle base 4022 of the head portion 402. When the vacuum actuator 410 is released, the piston 413 is removed from the cartridge 406 allowing the remaining toothpaste 122 to remain within the cartridge 406. The vacuum actuator 410 is coupled to the vacuum pump 408 and is configured to actuate the pump 408 to dispense the toothpaste 122. The vacuum pump 408 is in the form of a reciprocating piston pump, but can be any suitable pump as is known in the art.
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used “toothbrush with integrated toothpaste dispenser”, “refillable toothbrush device”, “toothbrush device”, and “device” are interchangeable and refer to the toothbrush device 100, 200, 300, 400 of the present invention.
Notwithstanding the forgoing, the toothbrush device 100, 200, 300, 400 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size, configuration, and material of the toothbrush device 100, 200, 300, 400 as shown in
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.
What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/127,176, which was filed on Dec. 18, 2020 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63127176 | Dec 2020 | US |
