Tongue cleaning device
Devices for cleaning the human tongue and methods for making such devices are disclosed. The tongue cleaner may include a tongue brush and a tongue scraper. The tongue cleaner may be of unitary injection molded construction. The tongue cleaner bristles may be tapered to a point for cleaning crevices of a human tongue, and the bristles may be angled or curved. The tongue scraper contains at least one blade for removal of undesirable material from the tongue by a scraping action. The tongue brush and tongue scraper may be combined into one unit or may be made and used separately.
This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/027,480 filed on Dec. 21, 2001, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to the field of devices for cleaning the human tongue, and methods for making the same. In recent years, oral hygiene has become more important to the general public. The past misconception that bad breath (halitosis) is primarily caused by dirty teeth or stomach gases is now being corrected. It is now established that the primary cause of bad breath is due to bacteria that live on the top surface of the tongue. These bacteria produce odors and deposit waste material on the surface of the tongue. In order to control bad breath, bacteria and their waste materials must be removed.
The tongue surface contains many small openings where taste buds and salivary glands reside. These small openings can contain waste material which adversely affects their function. In severe cases the person may lose a significant amount of his or her sensation of taste. Such waste material may also impair the function of salivary glands, causing the mouth to feel dry. In addition, the surface of the tongue is physically uneven and the surface cells are sensitive to injury. Therefore, the removal of the bacteria and waste material may be performed by both a physical brushing as well as a tongue scraping, while respecting the sensitivity of the tongue.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONObjects of the inventions include providing a device for cleaning the human tongue, and providing methods for making devices for cleaning the human tongue. Additional objects, features and advantages of the inventions will become apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this document in light of the appended drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to
An embodiment of a tongue cleaning device of the invention is depicted in
The above material describes generally structures of some embodiments of the inventions. Below, a description is provided of equipment and apparatuses useful for injection molding various tongue cleaners of the invention.
The general steps involved in injection molding a tongue cleaner of the invention include: (a) obtain or create a mold having an interior cavity reflective of the structure of tongue cleaner which is desired to be manufactured, (b) obtain a quantity of plastic or other suitable material for forming the tongue cleaner, (c) melt the plastic or other material until it is flowable, (d) force the flowable plastic or other material into the mold cavity, (e) permit the plastic or other material to cool and solidify in the cavity, (f) open the mold, and (g) remove the molded tongue cleaner. These steps will be elucidated in the text below in reference to the corresponding figures.
A discussion is provided below of some features and characteristics of some embodiments of the tongue cleaner inventions. This discussion should not be considered limiting as to the scope of the inventions. A tongue cleaning device may consist of a head region, neck and handle. The head region is distally connected to the handle via the neck. The neck may be the narrowest portion of the tongue cleaning device. The handle is at the proximal end of the tongue cleaning device. The neck and/or handle may be angled to facilitate pressure control of the device on the tongue.
One embodiment of the inventions consists of a tongue brush attached to the head region, where the tongue brush is approximately 32 mm long by 16-25 mm wide and 4 mm thick. The head and tongue brush are attached to a handle that is approximately 170 mm long, 12 mm wide and 5 mm thick. The handle can have finger grips formed of the same or a different material. The finger grips can be ridges or long strips of material. The grips are designed to facilitate handling and manipulating the tongue cleaning device.
The tongue brush includes a bristle base, which is approximately 4 mm thick. A plurality of individually mounted non-tufted bristles emanates from the bristle base. The individual bristles can be formed of the same material as the base or from another material as desired. Each bristle is individually mounted on the base, formed of solid material and tapered to a point. The bristles may be of different lengths such that those at the distal end of the brush are longer (approximately 10 mm in length) and those toward the neck are shorter (approximately 5 mm in length). The bristles may be individually cut at an angle to form a point. In addition, all of the bristles are curved toward the handle of the brush.
The curvature of the bristle, along with the different bristle lengths, allows for the bristles to touch the tongue while in use. The points of the bristles are also small enough to enter into the small indentations and crevices of the tongue surface and loosen and remove the bacteria and waste material. The bristles are soft and will not damage the surface cells of the tongue. In addition, the user can regulate bristle pressure by pivoting the tongue cleaning device about its longitudinal axis.
The tongue scraper may include one or more blades that can also be formed of the same material or a different material as the tongue brush. The tongue scraper can be on the same (first) or opposite (second) side of the tongue brush. The scraper can be made up of single or multiple blades. The scraper blades emanate from the bristle base. In addition, the blades can be located above, below or in between the bristles. In one embodiment, the blade(s) are approximately 3 mm long and about 0.5 mm thick. The edge of the blade is flat (or square) and flexible. As the scraper is pulled across the surface of the tongue the loosened bacteria and waste material is gently carried out of the mouth. The forward edge of the blade is the “active” edge of the scraper.
In an alternative embodiment the tongue scraper is comprised of sets of one primary blade and two secondary blades. One secondary blade is located on either side of the primary blade. Both blades function much like a window scraper that removes water from a glass window. The secondary blade provides additional strength and effectiveness. This type of scraper is efficient and gentle to the surface of the tongue. Again, the user can regulate the scraper blade(s) pressure by pivoting the tongue brush about the longitudinal axis of the scraper blade.
The tongue brush and the tongue scraper can be formed together as one instrument or they can be built and used separately. In addition, a toothbrush may be incorporated on the proximal end of the handle via a second neck to form a tooth and tongue cleaning device. Alternatively, the toothbrush may be joined to only a tongue scraper or a tongue brush. The toothbrush can be joined to the tongue cleaning device via welding, mechanical fixation or being formed during the injection molding process.
In some embodiments of the inventions, the tongue cleaning device may be made by injection molding. The first step is to obtain or create a suitable mold. The mold can be formed of machined metal such as aluminum or steel to have an interior cavity reflecting the shape of the tongue cleaner to be produced. The mold is then used in an injection molding machine which forces molten raw material, such as plastic, into the mold cavity to form the tongue cleaner. The injection molding process may be a single step or series of steps, depending on the number of materials used. Possible materials for making the invention and components thereof include: polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, thermoplastic rubber, resin, silicon rubber, natural rubber, plastic and other materials.
In one embodiment of the invention, the tongue cleaner may be formed by a one-step injection molding process wherein a single material, such as polypropylene, is used to form the entire tongue cleaning device, such that a single mold is used to form all portions of the tongue brush in a single step. The mold would yield the entire tongue cleaning device of unitary construction upon being opened.
An alternative embodiment is to use two or more molds wherein plastics, for example, of differing degrees of rigidity would be molded separately to form distinct components of a tongue cleaning device. These separately molded portions can be fitted together via a mechanical grip and/or chemical affinity or bond. One embodiment of a multiple step injection molding process is to have three molds, wherein the first mold forms the elongated member, the second mold forms the tongue brush and tongue scraper, and a third mold forms finger grips.
While the present invention has been described and illustrated in conjunction with a number of specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention as herein illustrated, described, and claimed.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects as only illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
Claims
1. A tongue cleaner comprising:
- a handle configured and adapted to be grasped by a human hand, the handle having a longitudinal axis,
- a neck emanating from said handle,
- a head region located distal to said neck,
- a tongue brush located in said head region, said tongue brush including: a bristle base configured to be a substantially rigid platform that will support tongue brush bristles in use, said bristle base having a proximal end adjacent said neck and a distal end, and a plurality of bristles emanating from said bristle base, each of said bristles having a proximal end adjacent said bristle base and a distal end, at least some of said bristles being tapered from their proximal end to their distal end to present a pointed bristle appearance, at least some of said bristles being of differing heights, said bristles being arranged generally in order of descending height from said bristle base distal end to said bristle base proximal end, at least some of said bristles having a curvature that causes them to curve toward said neck, said bristles being flexible to accommodate brushing of a human tongue without causing injury to the tongue, said bristles and said bristle base being formed as a single unitary component from the same material via an injection molding process, said bristles emanating from said bristle base in an individually-mounted and free-standing non-tufted configuration, and a tongue scraper located in said head region, said tongue scraper including: at least one tongue scraper blade, said tongue scraper blade having sufficient flexibility to be useful in removing undesirable material from a human tongue by a scraping action, said tongue scraper blade emanating from said bristle base.
2. A device as recited in claim 1
- wherein said bristle base has a top and a bottom;
- wherein said bristles emanate from said bristle base top; and
- wherein said tongue scraper blade emanates from said bristle base bottom.
3. A device as recited in claim 1
- wherein said bristle base has a top and a bottom;
- wherein said bristles emanate from said bristle base top; and
- wherein said tongue scraper blade emanates from said bristle base top adjacent said bristles.
4. A device as recited in claim 1
- wherein said bristles form a first colony at said bristle base distal end and a second colony at said bristle base proximal end; and
- wherein said tongue scraper blade emanates from a location between said first and second bristle colony.
5. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein said handle, neck, bristle base, bristles and tongue scraper are formed as a single unitary component formed from a single material by an injection molding process.
6. A device as recited in claim 1
- wherein said bristle base and bristles are formed from a first material by a first injection molding process, and the remainder of the tongue cleaner is formed from a second material by a second injection molding process; and
- wherein said first material and said second material differ from each other.
7. A device as recited in claim 1
- wherein said tongue brush is formed from a first material by a first injection molding process;
- wherein said tongue scraper is formed from a second material by a second injection molding process;
- wherein said handle and neck are formed by a from a third material by a third injection molding process; and
- wherein each of said first material, said second material and said third material are different from each other.
8. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the tongue cleaner includes a material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, thermoplastic rubber, resin, silicon rubber, natural rubber and plastic.
9. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein said neck is oriented at an angle of less than 180 degrees with said handle longitudinal axis.
10. A device as recited in claim 1
- further comprising a plurality of tongue scraper blades arranged in rows in the head region of the device;
- wherein each of said tongue scraper blades has a longitudinal axis; and wherein each of said tongue scraper blades is oriented with respect to said handle so that said tongue scraper blade longitudinal axis is generally orthogonal to said handle longitudinal axis.
11. A device as recited in claim 1 further comprising finger grips located on said handle to enhance secure gripping of the handle.
12. A tongue cleaner comprising:
- a handle configured and adapted to be grasped by a human hand, the handle having a longitudinal axis,
- a neck emanating from said handle,
- a head region located distal to said neck,
- a tongue brush located in said head region, said tongue brush including: a bristle base configured to be a substantially rigid platform that will support tongue brush bristles in use, said bristle base having a proximal end adjacent said neck and a distal end, and a plurality of bristles emanating from said bristle base, each of said bristles having a proximal end adjacent said bristle base and a distal end, at least some of said bristles being tapered from their proximal end to their distal end to presented a pointed bristle appearance, said bristles being flexible to accommodate brushing of a human tongue without causing injury to the tongue, said bristles and said bristle base being formed as a single unitary component from the same material via an injection molding process, and said bristles emanating from said bristle base in an individually-mounted and free-standing non-tufted configuration.
13. A device as recited in claim 12
- wherein said bristles are arranged on said bristle base in a colony formation.
14. A device as recited in claim 12
- wherein said bristles are arranged on said bristle base in a row formation.
15. A device as recited in claim 12 wherein said handle, neck, bristle base and bristles are formed as a single unitary component formed from a single material by an injection molding process.
16. A device as recited in claim 12
- wherein said bristle base and bristles are formed from a first material by a first injection molding process, and the remainder of the tongue cleaner is formed from a second material by a second injection molding process; and
- wherein said first material and said second material differ from each other.
17. A device as recited in claim 12 wherein at least a portion of the tongue cleaner includes a material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, thermoplastic rubber, resin, silicon rubber, natural rubber and plastic.
18. A device as recited in claim 12 wherein said neck is oriented at an angle of less than 180 degrees with said handle longitudinal axis.
19. A device as recited in claim 12 further comprising finger grips located on said handle to enhance secure gripping of the handle by a user of the tongue cleaner.
20. A device as recited in claim 12 wherein at least some of said bristles are of a different length than other of said bristles.
21. A device as recited in claim 12 wherein said bristles terminate in a common plane.
22. A device as recited in claim 12 wherein at least some of said bristles are angled or curved with respect to said handle longitudinal axis.
23. A device as recited in claim 12 wherein at least some of said bristles are of a length greater than about 5 mm and less than about 10 mm.
24. A device as recited in claim 12 wherein at least some of said bristles have a base that is not more than about 1 mm in diameter.
25. A device as recited in claim 12 further comprising a tongue scraper blade in said head region, said tongue scraper blade having sufficient flexibility to be useful in removing undesirable material from a human tongue by a scraping action,
26. A device as recited in claim 12 further comprising a plurality of tongue scraper blades in said head region.
27. A device as recited in claim 26 wherein said tongue scraper blades include at least one primary tongue scraper blade and at least one secondary tongue scraper blade, said secondary tongue scraper blades serving to mechanically reinforce said primary tongue scraper blade.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 21, 2004
Publication Date: Sep 29, 2005
Inventor: Robert Wagstaff (Springville, UT)
Application Number: 10/946,357