MULTI-TOOTH-SURFACE BRUSHING DEVICE
A multi-tooth-surface brushing device for improving cleaning capacity by maximizing bristle contact with the lingual, the vestibular and the occlusal tooth surfaces simultaneously throughout the entire brushing process.
The present invention relates to toothbrushes and, in particular, it is concerned with improving cleaning capacity by providing brush head configuration directed at maximizing bristle contact with the lingual, the vestibular and the occlusal tooth surface simultaneously throughout the entire brushing process.
It is well known that proper dental hygiene is not a simple matter and requires manipulating the brush head into proper orientations to access all of the tooth surfaces requiring brushing. Many brushers simply lack the desire to invest the required effort, or the awareness of what proper brushing requires, and/or the time and the patience.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,146,478 teaches a toothbrush having a rotatable bristle configuration directed at brushing plurality of tooth surfaces simultaneously. Hoverer, the bristles do not provide the abrasive cleaning action normally provided by the bristle stiffness because the bristles are configured to rotate as they glide over the teeth. U.S. Pat. No. 6,343,396 teaches a tooth cleaning device is which the bristles provide the required abrasive action; however, since the bristles are mounted in a single rotatable carriage, the bristles do maintain contact with the differing lingual and vestibular tooth curvatures.
Therefore, there is a need for a toothbrush configured to clean each of the tooth surfaces in a manner maintaining optimal contact with lingual, vestibular, occlusal tooth surfaces simultaneously.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is multi-tooth-surface brushing device for brushing lingual, vestibular, occlusal tooth surfaces simultaneously.
According to the teachings of the present invention there is provided a multi-tooth-surface brushing device for brushing a plurality of tooth surfaces simultaneously includes (a) a handle having a head, and (b) at least two opposing brushes pivotably mounted on said head so that when a user's vestibular tooth surface contacts a first of said two opposing brushes, said first brush aligns with a vestibular-curvature and when a user's lingual tooth surface contacts a second of said two opposing brushes, said second brush aligns with a lingual-curvature.
According to a further feature of the present invention the two opposing brushes have bristles of varying length, wherein the bristles of the first brush collectively form a substantial concave brushing surface and the bristles of the second brush collectively form a substantial convex-brushing surface.
According to a further feature of the present invention the bristles are disposed at a slope in which an unattached end of the bristles is more distant from the head than an end of the bristles attached to a bristle support of each of the opposing brush heads.
According to a further feature of the present invention the second brush is implemented as having a length less or equal to or less than one-half of a length of the first brush.
According to a further feature of the present invention, there is also provided a third brush disposed in the head opposite a space in between the bristles of the opposing brushes.
There is also provided according to the teachings of the present invention, a method for brushing vestibular and lingual tooth surfaces simultaneously by way of a toothbrush including a handle and a head having least two opposing brushes pivotably mounted on the head so that when a user's teeth are in contact with a brushing surface of each of the opposing brushes, each of the two opposing brushes independently aligns with contours of tooth surfaces in a dental arch includes bringing the brushing surfaces of the at least two opposing brushes in contact with vestibular and lingual tooth surfaces so that the toothbrushes independently align with contours of the tooth surfaces in the dental arch.
There is also provided according to the teachings of the present invention, a method for assembling a multi-tooth-surface brushing device having two opposing brushes for brushing vestibular and lingual tooth surfaces simultaneously includes: (a) providing a toothbrush handle including a head, the head having two pins rigidly attached for pivotal mounting of the two opposing brushes, each pin including at least one flange for securing each of the brushes to one of the two pins, (b) providing two brushes, each of the brushes including a bristle support having a bore of a diameter greater than a diameter of the pins, the bore including at least one annular groove disposed in a wall of the bore corresponding to the at least one flange, and (c) inserting each one of the two pins into the bore disposed in each of the brushes so that the at least one flange is seated in the at least one annular groove thereby enabling independent rotation of each of the brushes held securely on the pins.
The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The present invention is multi-tooth-surface brushing device with improved cleaning capacity by maximizing bristle contact with the lingual, the vestibular and the occlusal tooth surface simultaneously throughout the entire brushing process.
The principles and operation of the method according to the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description.
Turning now to the figures,
As shown in
It should be noted that both manual and powered toothbrushes are included within the scope of the present invention.
In a non-limiting, exemplary embodiment the handle is manufactured from hard plastic formed by injection molding whereas the bristles are manufactured from nylon and fastened to the brush head as is known to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that any polymeric material and other manufacturing process typically used in the art are included in the scope of the present invention.
It will be appreciated that the above descriptions are intended only to serve as examples, and that many other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.
Claims
1. A multi-tooth-surface brushing device for brushing a plurality of tooth surfaces simultaneously comprising:
- (a) a handle having a head; and
- (b) at least two opposing brushes pivotably mounted on said head so that when a user's vestibular tooth surface contacts a first of said two opposing brushes, said first brush aligns with a vestibular-curvature and when a user's lingual tooth surface contacts a second of said two opposing brushes, said second brush aligns with a lingual-curvature.
2. The multi-tooth-surface brushing device of claim 1, wherein said two opposing brushes have bristles of varying length, wherein said bristles of said first brush collectively form a substantial concave brushing surface and said bristles of said second brush collectively form a substantial convex-brushing surface.
3. The multi-tooth-surface brushing device of claim 2, wherein said bristles are disposed at a slope in which an unattached end of said bristles is more distant from said head than an end of said bristles attached to a bristle support of each of said opposing brush heads.
4. The multi-tooth-surface brushing device of claim 3, wherein said second brush is implemented as having a length less or equal to or less than one-half of a length of said first brush.
5. The multi-tooth-surface brushing device of claim 2, further comprising a third brush disposed in said head opposite a space in between said bristles of said opposing brushes.
6. A method for brushing vestibular and lingual tooth surfaces simultaneously by way of a toothbrush including a handle and a head having least two opposing brushes pivotably mounted on said head so that when a user's teeth are in contact with a brushing surface of each of said opposing brushes, each of said two opposing brushes independently aligns with contours of tooth surfaces in a dental arch comprising bringing said brushing surfaces of said at least two opposing brushes in contact with vestibular and lingual tooth surfaces so that said toothbrushes independently align with contours of the tooth surfaces in the dental arch.
7. A method for assembling a multi-tooth-surface brushing device having two opposing brushes for brushing vestibular and lingual tooth surfaces simultaneously comprising:
- (a) providing a toothbrush handle including a head, said head having two pins rigidly attached for pivotal mounting of the two opposing brushes, each pin including at least one flange for securing each of said brushes to one of said two pins;
- (b) providing two brushes, each of said brushes including a bristle support having a bore of a diameter greater than a diameter of said pins, said bore including at least one annular groove disposed in a wall of said bore corresponding to said at least one flange; and
- (c) inserting each one of said two pins into said bore disposed in each of said brushes so that said at least one flange is seated in said at least one annular groove thereby enabling independent rotation of each of said brushes held securely on said pins.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 1, 2010
Publication Date: Sep 1, 2011
Inventor: Marius Simovitz (Haifa)
Application Number: 12/714,562
International Classification: A46B 9/04 (20060101);