Dental Cleaning Substance Medium, Packaging, and Device
A single-use portion of dental cleaning substance provided in a tidy, convenient, and hygienic manner. The single-use portion of dental cleaning substance may be provided in a solid form and may be utilized via a traditional toothbrush (electronic or standard) or by use of a specific device.
This application claims priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. sctn. 119(e) from provisional application No. 60/822,095, filed Aug. 11, 2006, and provisional application No. 60/911,585, filed Apr. 13, 2007 both of which are incorporated by reference herein, in their entireties, for all purposes.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention is directed generally towards the formulation and packaging of a dental cleaning substance, such as toothpaste.
BACKGROUNDThe use of toothpaste is ubiquitous, as are the problems associated with its use. A clean and tidy way to package toothpaste for convenient use is a long-standing problem. Toothpaste tubes and pumps can leak or clog and their size can be inconvenient for travel. While small, “travel-sized” tubes are more convenient, they still may clog or leak. Regardless of its size, if a toothpaste container leaks during travel, such as while in a suitcase or purse, it may create quite a mess. Other types of packaging for toothpaste, such as toothbrushes which store the toothpaste themselves, do not resolve these issues.
There are other problems with current toothpaste containers as well. Consumers lack a mechanism for portioning toothpaste appropriately. Too much toothpaste on a toothbrush often leads to waste and mess, as excess toothpaste falls off the brush. Further problems arise when multiple people share the same container of toothpaste, as this may lead to hygiene issues.
In addition to consumer problems, toothpaste manufacturers lack an accurate mechanism for determining how many brushings a container will provide for an individual consumer. For example, a manufacturer cannot predict how much toothpaste a consumer will use per brushing, how many people will share the same tube, or how regularly those using the toothpaste will brush their teeth. Therefore, the manufacturer may have difficulty determining the rate of consumption for its product and, thus, estimates of sales and usage can be near impossible to determine.
While other products have been manufactured in single-use packaging, single-use containers of toothpaste have been unavailable due to the difficulty of designing an appropriate package or form. Although manufacturers may employ small containers as a way to provide samples of their product, such “sample packs” or “trial-sized” containers are designed for promotional campaigns, not regular use. Such packaging is focused on providing consumers with a sample of the product in the hopes that they will purchase full-sized containers. The packaging itself it not seen by the manufacturer or the consumer as standard container, and as such, there is little to no emphasis on providing a container refined for standard, recurrent use. Furthermore, sample packaging does not resolve tidiness issues, as such containers of toothpaste are often messier than traditional ones. For example, a sample pack of toothpaste may be a plastic envelope that a consumer must tear to open, with no possibility for the consumer to seal it again. Furthermore, because such containers often lack a solid spout, when squeezed, toothpaste may ooze out messily from them.
What is needed is a form of toothpaste distribution that provides individuals with a single-use portion of dental cleaning substance, such as toothpaste, in a tidy, convenient, and hygienic manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention addresses the aforementioned needs by providing a dental cleaning substance in a solid form, by providing a package that enables the distribution of a single-use portion of a dental cleaning substance, and by providing a device that may utilize a single-use portion of dental cleaning substance.
An object of the present invention is to solve at least the aforementioned problems and disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described hereinafter.
Another object of this invention is to provide a single-use unit of dental cleaning substance that is a commercially viable.
Another object of this invention is to provide a clean and portable distribution medium for dental cleaning substances.
Another object of this invention is to provide a single-use package of dental cleaning substance in a gel, paste, liquid, powder, or solid form.
Another object of this invention is to provide a package with a single-use portion of dental cleaning substance, whereby sales, dispensing, and tracking usage may be facilitated.
Anther object of this invention is to enable a way of applying a single-use portion of dental cleaning substance to traditional toothbrushes, both standard and electric.
Another object of this invention is to provide a device specifically designed to use a single-use portion of dental cleaning substance.
To achieve at least these objects and other advantages in whole or in part and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a medium for providing a dental cleaning substance, such as toothpaste, in single-use units. Each unit delivers a portion sufficient for one brushing.
In order to describe the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and features of the invention can be obtained, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
Various embodiments of the invention are discussed in detail below. While specific implementations are discussed, it should be understood that this is done for illustration purposes only. A person with ordinary skill in the relevant art will recognize that other components and configurations may be used without parting from the spirit and scope of the invention. The term “toothpaste” is utilized throughout this disclosure for illustrative proposes only and is not to be construed as limiting. One of ordinary skill in the art can recognize that the term “toothpaste,” as utilized herein, may encompass any dental cleaning substance, such as a tooth-cleaning agent, mouth-cleaning agent, or the like.
The present invention provides a tidy and convenient medium for distributing toothpaste by providing toothpaste in a solid form, herein called a “toothpaste tablet.” A toothpaste tablet may provide enough dental cleaning substance sufficient for a single use and may be created in various forms, such a brick, a strip, a tablet, a capsule, a pill, a ball, a bean, or a film. A toothpaste tablet may be formed in a mold, by cutting a large sheet of dental cleaning substance material into small pieces, by encasing a dental cleaning substance in a solid structure, or by any other method known in the art of making products of a similar form (e.g., candy, gum, vitamins, capsules, etc.). The manner in which a toothpaste tablet is created may be dependent upon the particular form of the toothpaste tablet. As illustrated by
A toothpaste tablet may be distributed in traditional packaging, such as blister packs, or may be distributed in toothpaste-specific packaging.
The package (300) may be distributed to consumers in various fashions. One example, as depicted in
To use a package (300), one may tear the backing (304) away from the shell (306) and apply the toothpaste (302) to a manual or electronic toothbrush. In one scenario, a dispensing device may dispense a package (300) to the individual. The dispensing device may be designed to separate the backing (304) from the shell (306) automatically when dispensing a package (300) in order to expose the toothpaste (302) contained within. The toothpaste (302) may be applied to the toothbrush with a single motion by wiping the backing (304) across the toothbrush such that toothpaste (302) is applied to the toothbrush. Conversely, one could wipe the toothbrush across the backing (304). In an alternate embodiment, the toothpaste (302) may not adhere to the backing (304), but rather to the shell (306). One may remove the toothpaste (302) by scooping the toothpaste (302) from the shell (306) with his toothbrush (similar to using a knife to scoop butter from of a single-serving packet). These procedures could be used regardless of the form of the toothpaste (302). For example, if the toothpaste (302) is a toothpaste tablet, the toothpaste tablet may be gently adhered to the backing (304) by an adhesive, enabling one to place the toothpaste tablet onto the toothbrush by pressing the tablet against the bristles via the backing (304). Alternatively, if the toothpaste tablet is designed to not stick to the backing (304) (or if the backing (304) is designed to not stick to the tablet), one may scoop it out with his toothbrush or place the toothpaste tablet onto the toothbrush with his fingers or by tipping the package (300) onto the toothbrush. In one embodiment, a toothpaste tablet may be designed to fit between the bristles of a toothbrush. For example, a toothpaste tablet in the form of a small, thin, rectangular brick may be placed between the bristles of a toothbrush. Alternatively, a toothpaste tablet may be specifically designed to adhere to the bristles of a toothbrush.
Although the use of the single-use portions of dental cleaning substances, such as toothpaste tablets and toothpaste packages, has been typically described with respect to a traditional toothbrush (manual or electric), another application device may be designed specifically for a single-use portion of dental cleaning substance (e.g., a paste, a gel, a powder, a liquid, or a solid).
These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art by a review of the preceding detailed description. Although a number of salient features of the present invention have been described above, the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways that would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading the disclosed invention. Therefore, the above description should not be considered to be exclusive of these other embodiments. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
Claims
1. A single-use dosage form of dental cleaning substance.
2. The single-use dosage form of dental cleaning substance of claim 1, wherein the dental cleaning substance is a solid.
3. The single-use dosage form of dental cleaning substance of claim 1, wherein the dental cleaning substance is contained by a solid structure.
4. The single-use dosage form of dental cleaning substance of claim 1, whereby application of a catalyst to the single-use dosage form enables usage of the dental cleaning substance.
5. The single-use dosage form of dental cleaning substance of claim 1, wherein the single-use dosage form is in the form of one of a packet, a brick, a strip, a tablet, a capsule, a pill, a ball, a bean, or a film.
6. The single-use dosage form of dental cleaning substance of claim 1, wherein the single-use dosage form fits an application device.
7. The single-use dosage form of dental cleaning substance of claim 1, wherein the single-use dosage form includes an uneven surface, wherein the uneven surface enables the fixing of the single-use dosage form to an application device.
8. The single-use dosage form of dental cleaning substance of claim 1, wherein the single-use dosage form includes an adhesive surface.
9. A package for containing a single-use portion of dental cleaning substance, the package comprising a container, wherein the container has capacity for a portion of dental cleaning substance for a single brushing by an individual.
10. The package of claim 9, wherein the container further comprises a shell, wherein the shell protects the portion of dental cleaning substance.
11. The package of claim 9, wherein the container further comprises a separating layer, wherein the separating layer separates the portion of dental cleaning substance from one or more components of the container.
12. The package of claim 9, wherein the container further comprises a first backing, wherein the first backing enables access to the portion of dental cleaning substance.
13. The package of claim 12, wherein the first backing further comprises a leverage mechanism, whereby the leverage mechanism assists in the enablement of access to the portion of the dental cleaning substance.
14. The package of claim 12, wherein the first backing adheres to the portion of dental cleaning substance.
15. The package of claim 9, wherein the container further comprises a second backing.
16. The package of claim 9, wherein the portion of dental cleaning substance is in one of the following forms: a paste, a gel, a powder, a liquid, or a solid.
17. A dental cleaning device, the device comprising:
- a handle; and
- a head comprising: a receptacle for a single-use portion of dental cleaning substance, wherein the single-use portion of dental cleaning substance is one of a paste, a gel, a powder, a liquid, or a solid, and wherein the receptacle includes a perforated surface; and a group of bristles, wherein the group of bristles is located on an exterior side of the perforated surface, whereby the perforated surface enables the channeling of the portion of single-use portion of dental cleaning substance placed within the receptacle onto the group of bristles.
18. The device of claim 17, wherein the receptacle further comprises a liquid access point, whereby liquid applied to the liquid access point assists in the channeling of the portion of dental cleaning substance placed within the receptacle through the perforated surface.
19. The device of claim 18, further comprising a cover for the liquid access point.
20. The device of claim 17, wherein the receptacle further comprises a movable surface located opposite the perforated surface, whereby physical pressure applied to the movable surface assists in the channeling of the portion of dental cleaning substance placed within the receptacle through the perforated surface.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 8, 2007
Publication Date: Feb 14, 2008
Inventor: Reza Jalili (Hartsdale, NY)
Application Number: 11/836,134
International Classification: A46B 11/00 (20060101);