Patent Application
20070283519
a is a fragmentary side view of the main embodiment of the toothbrush of the present invention rotated in an “x” axis;
b is a fragmentary side view of the main embodiment of the toothbrush of the present invention rotated in a “y” axis;
c is a fragmentary side view of the main embodiment of the toothbrush of the present invention rotated in a “z” axis;
The apparatus of the present invention will now be illustrated by reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of the toothbrush of the present invention have been assigned reference numeral 10. Other elements have been assigned the reference numerals referred to below.
The toothbrush 10 of the present invention is designed to reduce the amount of manual rotation of the toothbrush performed by the user. Toothbrush 10 comprises handle 20, which handle 20 includes neck 22. In certain alternative embodiments, handle 20 does not have a distinct neck p Toothbrush 10 also includes head 30. Head 30 includes a bed 32 and bristles 34 extending from the bed 32. Bed 32 extends from the surface from which bristles 34 extend back to the rear surface of the head 30 of toothbrush 10.
The general concept of the toothbrush of the present invention is to allow the head 30 of the toothbrush 10 to move in relation to the handle 20 or longitudinal axis of the brush when a user having poor manual dexterity attempts to brush his or her teeth.
In a preferred embodiment, neck 22 is made of rigid plastic or another rigid substance. In an alternative embodiment shown in
Bed 32 includes a socket enclosure 40 extending outwardly away from the bristles 34. The socket enclosure 40 has a socket 42 defined in said socket enclosure.
Toothbrush 10 includes socket enclosure 40 having a socket 42 defined in said socket enclosure 40. In a preferred embodiment, socket enclosure 40 is integrally formed from bed 32 and merely extends the plastic or other material that bed 32 is made of outwardly away from the bristles 34, as best seen from
In an alternative embodiment of socket enclosure 40, socket enclosure 40 is not integrally formed with bed 32 but is affixed thereto and extends outwardly away from the bristles 34. In this case, a first portion of socket enclosure 40 may extend into bed 32 and a second portion of socket enclosure 40 may extends outwardly away from bed 32. Socket enclosure 42 would then be either partially inside bed 32 or outside bed 32 adjacent to bed 32.
Accordingly,
Rotator 50 extends into the socket 42 and is free to move within said socket 42. Rotator is either not fixedly connected to the socket enclosure 40 or is connected in such a way that still allows rotator 50 to move freely in many directions within socket 42. For example, rotator 50 may have a flexible wire or other attachment structure connecting it to the surface of bed 32 from where bristles 34 emanate.
Rotator 50 is however rigidly connected to the handle 20, and in particular to neck 22. Rotator 50 is rigid and may be shaped like a ball or may be shaped like any other object, for example an ellipse that is close to spherical, as in
As best seen from
In an alternative embodiment, rotator 50 cannot leave socket 42 because of a loose attachment between one end of rotator 50 and an inside wall of socket enclosure 40. For example, in an alternative embodiment, a wire attached to an inside wall of socket enclosure 40 at a portion of said inside wall distal from the entrance to the socket 42 is also attached to rotator 50. In a further example, said wire might pierce a portion of the outside surface of rotator 50 or pierce a full diameter of said rotator if said rotator is a ball or spherical object. In that case the end of the wire proximal to the entrance to socket 42 would have a thicker diameter preventing the wire from detaching from rotator 50. In that way, or in other ways well known to those in the art, rotator 50 could move around freely within socket enclosure 40 and yet still not be able to leave socket 42. In the alternative embodiment, those skilled in the art will easily appreciate the amount of small clearance needed to allow movement of rotator 50 within socket 42.
It is noted that although
The head 30 (and the socket enclosure 40 in embodiments where the socket enclosure is not defined to be part of the head or bed) is capable of moving or rotating in a variety of directions when the head 30 is pressed against the teeth and/or gums of the user during use of the brush 10. Head 30 (and socket enclosure 40 in embodiments where socket enclosure 40 is not defined as part of bed 32 or head 30 but is affixed onto bed 32), in a front and back direction in relation to the handle 20 and/or a side to side direction in relation to the handle 20. In a preferred embodiment, head 30 is capable of rotating in both the front and back direction in relation to the handle 20 and the side to side direction in relation to the handle 20 or alternatively in relation to a longitudinal axis of the toothbrush 10. In fact, in certain preferred embodiments, head 30 is capable of rotating in all directions in relation to the handle 20 or alternatively in relation to a longitudinal axis of the toothbrush 10.
Although the present invention contemplates a wide variety of amounts of rotation in all directions, in one preferred embodiment, the range of front and back motion of the head 30 relative to the handle and/or relative to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush is between approximately 10 rotational degrees and approximately 50 rotational degrees and even more preferably between approximately 20 rotational degrees and approximately 40 rotational degrees. Similarly, in one preferred embodiment the range of side to side motion of the head is between approximately 10 rotational degrees and approximately 50 rotational degrees and more preferably between approximately 20 rotational degrees and approximately 40 rotational degrees.
In an alternative embodiment, the head 30 can be rotated even more than 50 degrees in the front and back direction and/or in the side to side direction.
It is noted that head 30 is not moving or rotating only with respect to two axes but with respect to all three axes in all directions, although its movement has been described as being in a side to side direction and in a front and back direction. Hence, when head 30 is rotating in a direction that is in between being a “side to side” direction and a “front and back” direction, then the term “side to side direction” should be taken to mean the side to side component of the overall direction of head 30 and the term “front and back direction” should be taken to mean the front and back component of the overall direction of head 30.
At the very least, the movement of the head 32 is sufficient to obviate a need for the user to turn the toothbrush 10 manually using the user's wrists or otherwise.
In an alternative embodiment shown in
It is to be understood that while the apparatus of this invention have been described and illustrated in detail, the above-described embodiments are simply illustrative of the principles of the invention. It is to be understood also that various other modifications and changes may be devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof. It is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. The spirit and scope of this invention are limited only by the spirit and scope of the following claims.
