Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
The disclosure generally relates to an oral cleaning device for a baby. More particularly, the disclosure relates to an oral cleaning device for a baby that is configured to accommodate varying finger sizes of different users.
Oral hygiene is very essential to one's overall well-being. Conventional baby toothbrushes are known for brushing the gums and/or teeth of a baby. Some of these conventional baby toothbrushes are adapted to fit over a finger of a user (e.g., a parent or other caregiver). However, these conventional baby toothbrushes are not adapted to fit varying finger sizes of different users, which often results in a loose fitting toothbrush that is difficult for the user to manipulate in the mouth of the baby.
In addition, scraping one's tongue can prevent cavities as well as remove harmful bacteria that inflame gums. If proper oral hygiene is ignored, it can lead to other issues such as heart disease, cancer, and more. Young kids are not in a position to do dental care themselves.
Cleaning of a baby's tongue and gums is recommended each time after feeding. During the cleaning of a baby's tongue and gums, it is recommended that the baby is gently cradled in the parent's or other caregiver's arm. Then, damp gauze, a washcloth, or a baby tongue cleaner is used to gently massage the baby's gums, tongue, and inner cheeks.
Oral hygiene is very important for babies as the tongue is the main organ for sucking. The baby's tongue should be cleaned every day to reduce the risk of fungus, bacteria, or other germs. Newborn babies have a higher risk of oral thrush due to their immune system not being developed completely.
Conventional baby tongue scrapers are known for cleaning the tongue of a baby. However, these conventional baby tongue scrapers are not adapted to fit over varying finger sizes of different users, which makes it more difficult for the user to manipulate the tongue scraper effectively in the mouth of the baby.
Therefore, what is needed is an oral cleaning device for a baby that is configured to accommodate varying finger sizes of different users so that the user is able to more effectively brush the gums and/or teeth of a baby. Moreover, what is needed is an oral cleaning device for a baby that is configured to accommodate varying finger sizes of different users so that the user is able to more effectively clean the tongue of a baby. Furthermore, an oral cleaning for a baby is needed that is safe and comfortable for both the user and the baby.
Accordingly, the present disclosure is directed to an oral cleaning device for a baby that substantially obviates one or more problems resulting from the limitations and deficiencies of the related art.
In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided an oral cleaning device for a baby that includes a head portion, the head portion including one of: (i) at least one plurality of bristles for brushing gums and/or teeth of a baby, or (ii) at least one protrusion for scraping food particles and other matter from a tongue of the baby; and a body portion connected to the head portion, the body portion having a first end that is distal from the head portion and a second end that is proximal to the head portion, the first end being oppositely disposed relative to the second end, the body portion including a tapered finger recess for accommodating varying finger sizes of different users, the tapered finger recess having a cross-sectional area that gradually decreases in size from the first end to the second end.
In a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the oral cleaning device further comprises a stem portion connecting the head portion to the body portion, the stem portion extending from the second end of the body portion to the head portion so that the head portion of the oral cleaning device is spaced apart from a fingertip of a user to prevent an inadvertent biting of the fingertip of the user by the baby.
In yet a further embodiment, the head portion of the oral cleaning device comprises a concave inner surface and a convex outer surface, the convex outer surface being oppositely disposed relative to the concave inner surface.
In still a further embodiment, the head portion comprises the at least one plurality of bristles for brushing gums and/or teeth of the baby, and the at least one plurality of bristles are disposed on the concave inner surface of the head portion of the oral cleaning device.
In yet a further embodiment, the at least one plurality of bristles comprises a first plurality of bristles disposed in a central region of the concave inner surface of the head portion, a second plurality of bristles disposed in a first side region of the concave inner surface of the head portion, and a third plurality of bristles disposed in a second side region of the concave inner surface of the head portion.
In still a further embodiment, the second plurality of bristles are disposed at a first acute angle relative to the first plurality of bristles, and the third plurality of bristles are disposed at a second acute angle relative to the first plurality of bristles.
In yet a further embodiment, the first acute angle of the second plurality of bristles is generally the same as the second acute angle of the third plurality of bristles.
In still a further embodiment, the head portion of the oral cleaning device comprises a front surface and a rear surface, the front surface being oppositely disposed relative to the rear surface.
In yet a further embodiment, the head portion is in a shape of an animal head.
In still a further embodiment, the animal head forming the head portion is a bear head.
In yet a further embodiment, the rear surface of the head portion comprises a face of the bear head.
In still a further embodiment, the head portion comprises the at least one protrusion for scraping food particles and other matter from a tongue of the baby, and the at least one protrusion is disposed on the front surface of the head portion of the oral cleaning device.
In yet a further embodiment, the at least one protrusion comprises a first protrusion disposed in a central region of the front surface of the head portion, a second protrusion disposed above the first protrusion on the front surface of the head portion, and a third protrusion disposed above the second protrusion on the front surface of the head portion.
In still a further embodiment, the first protrusion, the second protrusion, and the third protrusion of the head portion are each semi-circular in shape, and the first protrusion, the second protrusion, and the third protrusion are arranged in a generally concentric arrangement.
In yet a further embodiment, the second protrusion has a second radius that is larger than a first radius of the first protrusion, and the third protrusion has a third radius that is larger than the second radius of the second protrusion.
In still a further embodiment, the tapered finger recess comprises a hemispherical end portion proximate to the second end of the body portion of the oral cleaning device.
In yet a further embodiment, the oral cleaning device is formed from a polymeric material.
In still a further embodiment, the polymeric material forming the oral cleaning device comprises silicone.
In yet a further embodiment, the polymeric material forming the oral cleaning device does not comprise latex, bisphenol A, or polyvinyl chloride.
It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and explanatory in nature. As such, the foregoing general description and the following detailed description should not be construed to limit the scope of the appended claims in any sense.
The device will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Throughout the figures, the same parts are always denoted using the same reference characters so that, as a general rule, they will only be described once.
A first illustrative embodiment of an oral cleaning device for a baby is seen generally at 10 in
In the illustrative embodiment, referring again to
With combined reference to
In the illustrative embodiment, the oral cleaning device 10 is formed from a polymeric material that does not comprise latex, bisphenol A (BPA), or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) (i.e., the material is latex-free, BPA-free, and PVC-free). More specifically, in the illustrative embodiment, the polymeric material forming the oral cleaning device 10 comprises silicone that does not contain latex, BPA, or PVC.
Now, with reference to
It is readily apparent that the aforedescribed oral cleaning device 10 offers numerous advantages. As described above, the oral cleaning device 10 is configured to accommodate varying finger sizes of different users so that the user is able to more effective brush the gums and/or teeth of a baby (i.e., the size of the finger recess 28 narrows to allow virtually any size finger to fit comfortably). Further, the oral cleaning device 10 is safe and comfortable for both the user and the baby. In the illustrative embodiment, the oral cleaning device 10 is formed from a flexible material that is gentle, safe, and firm enough to brush effectively. Also, in the illustrative embodiment, the oral cleaning device 10 is advantageously reusable, washable, and environmentally friendly.
In one or more illustrative embodiments, the aforedescribed oral cleaning device 10 helps to ensure healthy hygiene. Parents are able to begin a healthy dental hygiene regime from the beginning of their child's life so as to promote better oral health care early on. The oral cleaning device 10 is lightweight and easy to clean, which makes it handy for home or on the go. The oral cleaning device 10 is in a form of a durable, reusable tool that is made of high quality material(s) and cleans easily with soap and water. Because the head portion 12 of the oral cleaning device 10 is spaced apart from a fingertip of a user, the inadvertent biting of user's finger is prevented by the oral cleaning device 10, thereby advantageously resulting in a pain-free cleaning experience for the user (e.g., the parent or other caregiver).
A second illustrative embodiment of an oral cleaning device for a baby is seen generally at 100 in
In the illustrative embodiment, referring again to
With combined reference to
In the illustrative embodiment, as shown in
In the illustrative embodiment, the oral cleaning device 100 is formed from a polymeric material that does not comprise latex, bisphenol A (BPA), or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) (i.e., the material is latex-free, BPA-free, and PVC-free). More specifically, in the illustrative embodiment, the polymeric material forming the oral cleaning device 100 comprises silicone that does not contain latex, BPA, or PVC.
Now, with reference to
It is readily apparent that the aforedescribed oral cleaning device 100 offers numerous advantages. As described above, the oral cleaning device 100 is configured to accommodate varying finger sizes of different users so that the user is able to more effectively clean the tongue of a baby (i.e., the size of the finger recess 128 narrows to allow virtually any size finger to fit comfortably). Further, the oral cleaning device 100 is safe and comfortable for both the user and the baby. In the illustrative embodiment, the oral cleaning device 100 is formed from a flexible material that is gentle, safe, and firm enough to brush effectively. Also, in the illustrative embodiment, the oral cleaning device 100 is advantageously reusable, washable, and environmentally friendly.
In one or more illustrative embodiments, the aforedescribed oral cleaning device 100 helps to ensure healthy hygiene. Parents are able to begin a healthy dental hygiene regime from the beginning of their child's life so as to promote better oral health care early on. The oral cleaning device 100 is lightweight and easy to clean, which makes it handy for home or on the go. The oral cleaning device 100 is in a form of a durable, reusable tool that is made of high quality material(s) and cleans easily with soap and water. Because the head portion 112 of the oral cleaning device 100 is spaced apart from a fingertip of a user, the inadvertent biting of a user's finger is prevented by the oral cleaning device 100, thereby advantageously resulting in a pain-free cleaning experience for the user (e.g., the parent or other caregiver). Also, the head portion 112 of the oral cleaning device 100 has a size that fits easily into the baby's mouth. The tapered finger recess 128 of the body portion 122 of the oral cleaning device 100 accommodates the finger sizes of virtually all users so that the user is able to clean the tongue of the baby with great control.
Any of the features or attributes of the above described embodiments and variations can be used in combination with any of the other features and attributes of the above described embodiments and variations as desired.
Although the oral cleaning device 10, 100 has been shown and described with respect to a certain embodiment or embodiments, it is apparent that the aforedescribed oral cleaning device 10, 100 can be embodied in many different forms and that many other modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.
Moreover, while exemplary embodiments have been described herein, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the exemplary embodiments set forth above are merely illustrative in nature and should not be construed as to limit the claims in any manner. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined only by the appended claims and their equivalents, and not, by the preceding description.
This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/416,924, entitled “Finger Toothbrush For A Baby”, filed on Oct. 17, 2022, and additionally claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/417,644, entitled “Tongue Cleaner For A Baby”, filed on Oct. 19, 2022, all of the disclosures of which are herein expressly incorporated by reference in their entireties.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
63416924 | Oct 2022 | US | |
63417644 | Oct 2022 | US |