Patent Application
20230055920
The present invention relates generally to an all-in-one oral care system. More specifically, the present invention integrates a toothpaste dispensing mechanism and provides an interchangeable toothbrush, a tongue scraper, a toothpaste cartridge, and an interchangeable interdental brush in other embodiments.
Tooth brushing is the act of scrubbing teeth with a toothbrush with toothpaste for oral hygiene. Floss or interdental brushes can be utilized to remove food and dental plaque from teeth in areas the toothbrush is unable to reach. Although dental care is an essential procedure for keeping the mouth and teeth clean, carrying the toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss or interdental brush altogether can be a burden. Therefore, a need exists for a novel all-in-one oral care system that is lightweight and functionally reliable.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a lightweight oral care system with easily interchangeable parts that can quickly be accessed, deployed, and used on-the-go, on travel, anywhere, anytime. Another objective of the present invention is to include an interchangeable cartridge containing toothpaste, an interchangeable toothbrush, and a tongue scraper.
A user of the present invention can utilize the toothpaste dispensing mechanism and visualize both flavor and level of toothpaste remaining in the cartridge through a transparent window on the bottom cover. In other embodiments, the present invention further comprises an interchangeable interdental brush. Additional features and benefits are further discussed in the sections below.
The present invention provides a unique oral care system. The present invention enables the user to access a ready-to-use, all-in-one oral care system without having to carry a separate tube of toothpaste or a toothbrush or a tongue scraper. The present invention features both an interchangeable cartridge that contains toothpaste and an interchangeable toothbrush head with an integrated tongue scraper. Toothpaste is dispensed upon actuating the airless pump mechanism located on the main body and supported by other components and sub-assemblies within the system. The toothpaste dispenser is manually actuated through a silicone actuator on the main body of the unit. The toothbrush head comprises a plurality of bristles for manual brushing. The unique design of the present invention attends to both user interface requirements for comfort and user experience preferences for both convenience and satisfaction. Also, the present invention features a bottom cover that provides the end-user with a visual of both flavor name and level of toothpaste remaining in the cartridge.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention comprises a main body, a toothbrush, a bottom cover, a top cover, and a cartridge. All of the components of the present invention are designed to mount, snap or latch onto one another in a keyed fashion, without the use of any additional hardware. The applied Design for Manufacturing (DFM) approach makes the present invention assembly easy, fast, and cost-effective. It also enables the end-user to easily replace or interchange the components that require renewal once their end of life is reached, namely the toothbrush head and tongue scraper, the cartridge, and the interdental brush. In the preferred embodiment, all components feature materials that are either biodegradable or recyclable.
All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The word “resilient” in this document should be construed to mean that the associated material or part is designed to return to its initial state after being deformed. The phrase “press-fit” in this document should be construed to mean that the associated component is designed to be held in place by friction and normal forces against other components.
The present invention is an all-in-one oral care system that comprises a main body 1, a toothbrush head 2, a bottom cover 3, a top cover 4, a cartridge 5, and an interdental brush 42
The main body 1 further comprises an actuator 11, inner walls 12, and a body channel 121 formed by the inner walls 12. The main body 1 further comprises a variety of attachment features for connecting to the other parts of the system, including a back slot 131, a plurality of protrusions 132, a notch 133, a neck connector 134, and a cover receiving groove 135. The main body 1 has a small personalization piece 14 on the back.
The toothbrush head 2 comprises an arm 21 made of thermoplastic, a tongue scraper 211 that comprises a silicone pad with a plurality of raised notches 212, a toothbrush channel 22 within the toothbrush head 2, an over-molded valve 23 that further comprises a nozzle 231, a plurality of brushing bristles 24, a tab 25 that serves as an attachment mechanism to the back slot 131 of the main body 1, and a receiving hole 26 for connecting to the neck connector 134 of the main body 1.
The bottom cover 3 comprises a visual window 31, a snap-on provision 32 for connection with the top cover 4, a plurality of attachment grooves 33 for connection with the plurality of protrusions 132 on the main body 1, a bottom hole 34, an extended window piece 35, and a hollow interior sized to accommodate the cartridge 5.
The top cover 4 comprises a plurality of ventilation holes 41, an interdental brush 42, a receptacle 43 for the interdental brush 42, and a raised surface 44 for connecting the top cover 4 to the bottom cover 3.
The cartridge 5 comprises a cartridge body 57, a gasket 51, a plunger 52, a cap 53 that includes a cap hole 55 at the base of the cap 53, and toothpaste 54..
Referring now to the figures,
The inner walls 12 of the thermoplastic-based main body 1 are covered with over-molded silicone rubber to form an internal geometry of a narrow body channel 121. The narrow body channel 121 is designed to be in fluid communication with the toothbrush channel 22 (which is in turn in fluid communication with the nozzle 231) and the cartridge 5, such that the body channel 121 enables passage of air and toothpaste 54 upon actuation.
On the back of the main body 1, a small personalization piece 14 is provided. The personalization piece 14 is sized to press-fit into the receiving slot 45 on the top cover 4. This area can be used as a surface for a user or manufacturer to attach stickers or mold in designs to improve the aesthetics or uniqueness of the present invention.
The main body 1 also includes attachment features that support the mounting of all other components and sub-assemblies. No hardware is required to assemble or disassemble the oral care system per design intent, as the attachment features are designed to integrate with only basic alignment and force supplied by the user. The attachment features include a back slot 131, a plurality of protrusions 132, a receiving notch 133, a neck connector 134, and a cover receiving groove 135.
First, the main body 1 comprises a back slot 131 that connects the toothbrush head 2 to the main body 1. The back slot 131 is an indent located on the rear of the main body 1 and is designed such that the tab 25 of the toothbrush head 2 slots into the indent of the back slot 131.
Second, the main body 1 comprises a plurality of protrusions 132 located on bottom of the main body 1. This plurality of protrusions 132 is designed to slide into the plurality of attachment grooves 33 on the bottom cover 3. The plurality of protrusions 132 is designed to slide into the plurality of grooves 33 and then rotate to lock the main body 1 into place with the bottom cover 3. Then, the main body 1 and bottom cover 3 cannot be disassembled until the user rotates the plurality of grooves 33 again and lifts the plurality of protrusions 132 along the proper path.
Third, the main body 1 comprises a receiving notch 133. The receiving notch 133 aligns with the alignment notch 56 on the cartridge 5 to ensure proper orientation of the cartridge 5 with the main body 1 to allow proper fluid communication between the two parts, ensure proper flow of the toothpaste 54 through the main body 1, and align the printed flavor name on the cartridge 5 with the visual window 31 on the bottom cover 3.
Fourth, the main body 1 comprises a neck connector 134. The neck connector 134 extends upwards from the body and is designed to press-fit into the receiving hole 26 on the toothbrush head 2.
Fifth, the main body 1 comprises a cover receiving groove 135. The cover receiving groove 135 is a small indent that runs circumferentially around the main body 1. The cover receiving groove 135 is designed to have a depth equal to the height of the raised surface 44 on the top cover 4. Thus, the top cover 4 can attach to the main body 1 by slotting the raised surface 44 into the cover receiving groove 135.
As can be seen in
The toothbrush head 2 sub-assembly seamlessly integrates the main body 1 via the tab 25. The tab 25 is comprised of a rigid, resilient yet flexible material (such as polypropylene) to allow the tab 25 to bend and flex without breaking. When the tab 25 is slid over back slot 131 in the main body 1, the tab 25 will flex up over the main body 1, and snap into the back slot 131. For removal, an ample applied force will cause the tab 25 to flex upwards and be removed from the back slot 131.
In an alternate embodiment as seen in
This connection method of the tab 25 and back slot 131 allows the toothbrush head 2 to be easily attached and removed from the main body 1 as needed by the user. For example, once the bristles are frayed, the end user can easily remove and replace the toothbrush head 2 sub-assembly only, thereby preserving the overall packaged system. The toothbrush head 2 sub-assembly is designed to be crafted of a material that is either biodegradable or recyclable.
In the preferred embodiment, the bottom cover 3 is mounted on the main body 1. The bottom cover 3 secures the cartridge 5 in place and serves as a grip - the hollow interior of the bottom cover 3 allows the cartridge 5 to be inserted inside the bottom cover 3. As can be seen in
The bottom cover 3 also includes a snap-on provision 32 that allows the top cover 4 to be used as a handle. The snap-on provision 32 is a groove that is designed to have a depth equivalent to the height of the raised surface 44 of the top cover 4, so that the raised surface 44 slides into the snap-on provision 32. In this way, the top cover 4 can be attached to the bottom cover 3, allowing the top cover 4 to be used as an extended handle for the oral care system. The bottom cover 3 further includes the extended window piece 35. The extended window piece 35 allows nearly the entirety of the cartridge 5 to be seen through the visual window 31. The extended window piece 35 is designed to be the same size as the receiving slot 45 on the top cover 4, such that the extended window piece 35 can press-fit into the receiving slot 45 to allow the parts to better connect when the snap-on provision 32 is connected to the raised surface 44 on the top cover 4.
The bottom cover 3 further contains a bottom hole 34 on the bottom of the bottom cover 3. This bottom hole 34 allows air to enter into the inside of the bottom cover 34 and through the cap hole 55 in the bottom of the cartridge 5 when the actuator 11 is used.
As can be seen in
As can be seen in
The plunger 52 is designed to have a shaped top 521 and an outer wall 522. The outer wall 522 of the plunger 52 is designed to be polished, such that it exerts little friction against any adjacent surfaces. The plunger 52 is designed such that it is held in place inside the cartridge body 57 with a frictionless fit design, such that the atmospheric air pressure below the plunger 52 and the toothpaste 54 above the plunger 52 keep the plunger 52 from falling or moving when the system is not in use. The plunger 52 is held in place between actuations as follows: the volume above the plunger 52 is filled with toothpaste 54. When the actuator 11 on the main body 1 is being depressed (after being pressed by a user), an upwards pulling force that is greater than gravity is generated. As a result, the plunger 52 shifts upward within the cartridge body 57 along with the toothpaste 54 above it. The polished surfaces of both the cartridge body 57 and plunger 52 prevent friction and resistance along the path of travel. Throughout this process, the cap hole 55 on the cap 53 allows for air intake below the plunger 52 to fill the void left as the plunger 52 moves upwards. Once the actuator 11 completely returns to its initial state, the force over the plunger 52 from above becomes zero while an upward force that is generated by the atmospheric pressure below the plunger 52 becomes relatively significant. That pressure differential helps keep the plunger 52 from dropping. In this way, the atmospheric pressure below the plunger 52 prevents it from dropping, while the polished surfaces of the cartridge body 57 and the outer wall 522 allow the plunger 52 to slide smoothly upwards when the actuator 11 is depressed.
The shaped top 521 of the plunger 52 is in contact with the toothpaste 54, such that when the plunger 52 moves upwards, the toothpaste 54 is forced out the cartridge nozzle 511 in the cartridge gasket 51. The design of the plunger 52 creates a small hollow area beneath the shaped top 521, such that air can enter the area beneath the plunger 52 from the cap hole 55. The shaped top 521 may be of any shape that provides an adequate surface area against the toothpaste 54 and ample area beneath the plunger 52 for air to flow. Such shapes may include a flat surface or a raised surface, though alternate shaping is considered within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The present invention utilizes a non-pressurized vacuum dispensing mechanism that uses the actuator 11 on the main body 1 and the plunger 52 in the cartridge 5. When the oral care system is assembled, the embedded design provisions enable the airless pump to seamlessly draw the plunger 52 and thereby the toothpaste 54 from the cartridge 5 and drive the toothpaste 54 into the body channel 121, then into the toothbrush channel 22, and finally out through the nozzle 231 and onto the plurality of brushing bristles 24. The attachment features and components are arranged to enable the physics behind the airless pump mechanism to function properly, as described in the following paragraph.
The following describes how the actuator 11 works to draw the toothpaste 54 from the cartridge 5. The oval-shaped silicone rubber actuator 11 is critical to the proper function of the dispensing mechanism. The actuator’s 11 geometry and silicone rubber material’s hardness/durometer are particularly important, as the actuator 11 must be robust enough to provide sufficient force when pressed but must be resilient enough to return to its initial shape when released. By pressing the actuator 11, air and toothpaste 54 that are present inside the toothbrush channel 22, if any, are forced towards the nozzle 231 that is in the middle of the plurality of brushing bristles 24. The exit point of the toothpaste 54 consists of a nozzle 231 on the over-molded valve 23 that is surrounded by the plurality of brushing bristles 24. At this point, the fixed volume of air and toothpaste 54 that were present behind the oval-shaped actuator 11 have been pushed out. Upon releasing the actuator 11, the silicone rubber of the actuator 11, due to its inherent resilient properties, naturally seeks to return to its initial state, thereby acting as an airless pump. The release of the actuator 11 generates a vacuum force as the actuator 11 rises to its initial state, the vacuum force temporarily sealing the nozzle 231 on the toothbrush head 2 and pulling the plunger 52 inside the cartridge 5 towards the opening on the cartridge gasket 51 and dispensing the toothpaste 54 in the same direction in order to fill the vacuum that the ousted air had left behind. A subsequent actuation pushes up the toothpaste 54 further into the toothbrush channel 22 and eventually through the nozzle 231 on the toothbrush head 2, with new toothpaste 54 filling the void left in the body channel 121 as the vacuum force pulls the plunger 52 upwards. The cartridge 5 includes the cap hole 55 at base of the cartridge 5 to enable air intake as the plunger 52 shifts in the opposite direction, the cap hole 55 being aligned with the bottom hole 34 of the bottom cover 3. Air continues filling the space left underneath the plunger 52 as the plunger 52 shifts away from the plunger’s 52 initial position. The plunger 52 retains the new position with a physics-based design as described above, where the atmospheric pressure beneath the plunger 52 prevents it from falling when not in use. The cartridge 5 materials of thermoplastic and silicone have properties and a geometry that ensure a reliable press-fit into the main body 1 so that the airless pump can function properly. The present invention does not need to be sitting upright for the airless pump mechanism to work. The present invention functions in any orientation.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Further minor design changes relative to any component within the system may occur in order to optimize aspects of cost-effective manufacturability or production.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63235459 | Aug 2021 | US |
