Toothpaste Dispensing Toothbrush
A toothbrush comprising a toothpaste dispenser that is removably connectable to a head, wherein when connected the toothpaste dispenser can dispense toothpaste from a dispensing aperture, through a passage formed in a shaft of the head and out through at least one aperture formed in a brush portion of the head. As the head is removably connected to the dispenser it is possible for a user to replace either the head or dispenser when needed. For example, a dispenser can be changed when it is empty. Alternatively, a head can be replaced when a different user wants to use the toothbrush when a head is too worn or when it a user desires to use a different shape or hardness head.
The present invention relates to oral hygiene and provides an improved toothbrush that can dispense toothpaste or gel through a removable and interchangeable head.
BACKGROUNDPeople brush their teeth using a toothbrush and a toothpaste, gel or other similar product. Typically they will use a simple handheld toothbrush onto the head of which they will place a suitable amount of toothpaste or gel dispensed either from a tube or a mechanical dispenser. As an alternative to a simple toothbrush, some people use electric toothbrushes. Electric toothbrushes generally have head portions that can be removably connected to a base portion wherein the base portion includes a battery and a motor which serves to oscillate and/or rotate and/or reciprocate an attached head when in use. The heads are replaceable to enable multiple users to use a single base portion and to allow a user to replace worn out head portions without the need to replace the much more expensive base portion.
There have been attempts to combine toothpaste or gel dispensers with toothbrushes. This has been done for reasons of convenience. In particular, it would no longer be necessary to have separate toothpaste and toothbrush in order to brush one's teeth. This might be particularly advantageous when travelling. However, none of these attempts have produced a commercially viable product. In light of this there is a need for an improved combined toothpaste or gel dispenser and toothbrush. Any such device should be robust, practical and commercially viable.
SUMMARY OF INVENTIONThis is a toothbrush comprising a toothpaste dispenser that is removably connectable to a head, wherein when connected the toothpaste dispenser can dispense toothpaste from a dispensing aperture, through a passage formed in a shaft of the head and out through at least one aperture formed in a brush portion of the head. As the head is removably connected to the dispenser it is possible for a user to replace either the head or dispenser when needed. For example, a dispenser can be changed when it is empty. Alternatively, a head can be replaced when a different user wants to use the toothbrush when a head is too worn or when it a user desires to use a different shape or hardness head.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a toothbrush comprising:
a toothpaste dispenser having a dispensing aperture located within a connector; and
a head having a connecting portion at a first end, a brush portion and a shaft formed between the first end and the second end; wherein a passage for transport of toothpaste from the connecting portion to the brush portion is formed through the shaft, the passage having an opening at the connecting portion at a first end and being connected to at least one aperture formed in the brush portion at a second end;
wherein the head is removably connectable to the dispenser and when connected, the connecting portion of the head is connected to the connector of the toothpaste dispenser and toothpaste may be dispensed from the dispensing aperture of the dispenser, through the passage, to the brush portion of the head; and
the connector of the toothpaste dispenser and the connecting portion of the head cooperate to form a removable snap-fit connection and the connector and connecting portion are substantially oval in shape such that they can not rotate relative to one another when they are removably connected.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the preferred embodiments that are shown in the drawings and are discussed below.
It is to be noted that the term “toothpaste” used throughout this specification is intended to encompass any toothpaste, gel or similar product that might be dispensed from a dispenser and used with a toothbrush to clean one's teeth. Unless otherwise specified, none of the embodiments of the current invention are limited to any specific toothpaste or gel and it is to be understood that the skilled person would be immediately able to understand which toothpastes, gels or similar products are suitable for use with any given embodiment of the invention.
The present invention is advantageous over previous toothbrushes that incorporated a toothpaste dispenser as it combines a removable head with a toothpaste dispenser. This allows more than one user to use the same toothbrush as each user may have their own disposable head that they simply attach to the toothpaste dispenser when they wish to use the toothbrush. Furthermore, having a removable head allows the toothpaste dispenser to be easily changed when it is empty without the need to change the head at the same time. This is advantageous as a toothbrush head may not necessarily be ready for replacement at the same time as the toothpaste dispenser becomes empty. Additionally, the toothbrush of the present invention dispenses toothpaste directly through the head. This can be significantly advantageous as it allows toothpaste only to be dispensed where it is actually used and may also allow additional toothpaste to be dispensed during use of the brush.
The connecting portion of the head and the connector of the toothpaste dispenser form a removable connection when the head is connected to the toothpaste dispenser. The removable connection must be robust enough that the toothbrush can be used in a substantially conventional manner without the head becoming unintentionally detached from the dispenser. However, the head must be able to be easily removed from the dispenser when the user desires to do so.
The connector of the toothpaste dispenser and the connecting portion of the head cooperate to form a removable snap-fit connection. That is the connector of the toothpaste dispenser and the connecting portion of the head are shaped and formed such that it is possible to push one into the other until a resilient member in one of the connector and the connecting portion engages a cooperative aperture or groove in the other of the connector and connecting portion thereby forming a relatively strong but removable connection.
The connector and connecting portion are shaped such that they cannot rotate relative to one another when they are removably connected. In particular, the connection is not rotatable and substantially circular. Instead, the connector of the toothpaste dispenser and the connecting portion of the head are substantially oval in shape.
In order to make the snap-fit connection it may be preferable that the connection is double-walled, rather than single-walled. That is, it may be preferable that one of the connector of the toothpaste dispenser and the connecting portion of the head comprises an inner wall surrounding and extending coaxially outwards from an end of the dispensing aperture or an end of the passage and a cooperative outer wall spaced from the inner wall and extending coaxially outwards from an end of the dispensing aperture or an end of the passage; and the other of the connector of the toothpaste dispenser and the connecting portion of the head comprises cooperatively formed apertures for receiving the inner wall and the outer wall when the head is removably connected to the dispenser. Having a double-walled snap-fit connection is advantageous as the removable connection may be subject to significant stress when the toothbrush is being used. A double-walled snap-fit connection is much more likely to be able to withstand such stress than a single-walled snap-fit connection.
The brush portion of the head may have either a single aperture connected to the passage or a plurality of apertures connected to the passage. In some embodiments of the invention a single aperture may be preferred due to simplicity of design. However, it is generally envisaged that is preferable that the brush portion of the head will have a plurality of apertures connected to the passage. This is because a plurality of apertures can allow toothpaste to be distributed to all parts of the brush portion and that distribution can be much more even than would be possible with a single aperture.
If the brush portion has a plurality of apertures the apertures may all be substantially the same size and shape. Alternatively, each of the plurality of apertures may be sized and/or shaped such that, when in use, substantially the same amount of toothpaste is dispensed from each aperture. It is anticipated that the skilled person will be readily able to determine a suitable size and shape for each aperture in order to meet this requirement. For example, apertures that are a further distance from the toothpaste dispenser may be larger than apertures that are closer to the toothpaste dispenser. The size and shape of each aperture may be dependent on the distance from the toothpaste dispenser and/or their position in the brush portion of the head.
In some embodiments of the invention which comprise a plurality of apertures in the brush portion of the head it may be preferable that the apertures are positioned in a single row, which extends along the direction in which the passage extends. This construction may be preferred as it is simpler than alternative constructions. In particular, it can allow a relatively narrow and straight passage to be used.
Alternatively, it may be preferable that the plurality of apertures are positioned in two or more rows, each extending along the direction in which the passage extends or in any other pattern on the brush portion of the head. Such constructions may be preferred as they may provide a more even distribution of toothpaste over the brush portion of the head when the toothbrush is in use.
The, or each, at least one aperture will extend from the passage to an outer surface of the brush portion and may have any shape that allows toothpaste to pass therethrough. For example, it may be preferable that the, or each, aperture is tubular. This may be preferred as it is a simple shape that is easily formed. Alternatively, the, or each, aperture may be frustoconical. This may be preferred as it may provide more even distribution of toothpaste than a tubular aperture and may be less likely to become blocked with toothpaste in between uses of the toothbrush. A frustoconical aperture may be oriented with either its wider radius substantially at the outer surface of the brush portion or at the passage. The choice of aperture shape will depend upon considerations such as the even distribution of dispensed toothpaste, the potential blocking of the apertures by toothpaste between uses of the toothbrush and aesthetic considerations.
Advantageously, the dispenser of the toothbrush may be substantially any type of dispenser that could easily be held by a user and used as a toothbrush handle when the toothbrush is in use. In such embodiments the head and the passage will be relatively short and the user will hold the dispenser to operate the toothbrush. However, it is to be understood that it is possible for the head and the passage to be relatively longer and that a user may hold the head portion when using the toothbrush. In advantageous embodiments of the invention the head portion is relatively short, the dispenser is held by a user when the toothbrush is in use and the dispenser is a conventional plunger-type dispenser.
The dispenser comprises a button for activating the dispensing of toothpaste from the dispenser. This may be particularly preferable if the dispenser is a plunger-type dispenser. It is preferable that the dispenser is substantially cylindrical and the button and the dispensing aperture are located at a first end of the dispenser. A cylindrical dispenser may be preferred as it can result in a toothbrush that has substantially the same form as a conventional electronic toothbrush and, as a result, users will be comfortable with using the resulting toothbrush. Positioning the button at the same end of a tubular dispenser as the dispensing aperture may be advantageous as it may be a more ergonomic and intuitive position for such a button than any other position. Furthermore, positioning a button on an end of a tubular dispenser, rather than one a side, will reduce the likelihood of the button being accidentally pressed by a user when they are gripping the dispenser in order to use the toothbrush.
If the button and dispensing aperture are positioned on an end of a tubular dispenser it may be preferable that the dispensing aperture and the button are positioned to extend in a direction parallel to an axis of the dispenser. Additionally or alternatively, the dispensing aperture may be positioned to extend in a direction parallel to an axis of the dispenser and the button may be positioned such that when the head is connected to the dispenser the button is positioned substantially behind the head or substantially in front of the head. It is currently considered advantageous to position a button either directly behind the head or directly in front of the head when the head is removably connected to the dispenser. However, the button may be located in any other position that is considered appropriate by a designer of a toothbrush according to the present invention.
In order to form a toothbrush that is easy to use and has a similar shape to current toothbrushes, it may be preferable that the dispenser is substantially cylindrical, the aperture is located at a first end of the dispenser and, when connected to the dispenser, the head extends in a direction substantially parallel to an axis of the dispenser. However, it is to be appreciated that, when connected to the dispenser, the head may extend in any other direction relative to the dispenser that a designer considers appropriate.
If, when removably connected to a tubular dispenser, the head extends in a direction parallel to the axis of the dispenser it may be advantageous that the head extends substantially along the axis of the dispenser. This may be preferred as it may provide the most resilient construction of the toothbrush. However, in alternative embodiments of the invention it may be preferable for the head to extend parallel to the axis of a tubular dispenser but be offset from that axis for reasons of aesthetics or ergonomics. In particular, offsetting the head from the axis may better allow the positioning of the button on an end of a dispenser.
A toothbrush 1 is shown in
The dispenser 3 is a substantially conventional tubular plunger-type dispenser and, as such, comprises a button 7 for dispensing toothpaste, a plunger 8, a container 9, a piston 10, a stopper 16 and a lower cover 11. The dispenser 3 also comprises a tube 12 that extends from an opening in the plunger 8, through an upper cover 19, to the connector 6 such that when the dispenser is operated toothpaste is dispensed through the connector. It is to be understood that the skilled person will readily understand the operation of a plunger-type dispenser and therefore its operation will not be discussed further.
The dispenser 3 is substantially tubular and the button 7 and the connector 6 are located at an upper end of the dispenser 3. They both extend in a direction parallel to the axis of the dispenser 3 but are offset from that axis.
The head comprises a central passage 17 that extends from the connecting portion 5 to a brush portion 13. For clarity, the brush portion 13 is shown without bristles. However, it is to be understood that in reality all of the brush portions illustrated in the Figures would have bristles. The brush portion 13 has a plurality of apertures 14 located at a brushing face 15. The apertures 14 extend from the passage 17 through the brushing face 15 such that when toothpaste is dispensed from the dispenser 3 through the passage 12 the toothpaste will emerge through the apertures 14 at the brushing face 15 of the head 2.
The toothbrush 1 is operated in the following manner. When it is desired to use the toothbrush 1 a head 2 is removably connected to the dispenser 3 using the snap-fit connection 4. Toothpaste is then dispensed from the dispenser 3 by pressing the button 7. When toothpaste begins to be dispensed through the apertures 14 at the brush portion 13 of the head 2 the user will then brush their teeth, holding the container 9 of the dispenser 3. If the user desires additional toothpaste at any time when brushing their teeth they may simply press the button 7 on the dispenser without the need to stop brushing their teeth. If a different user wishes to use the toothbrush 1 they may do so using their own head 2. To do this they would first remove the head 2 that the previous user had been using and attach their own head 2 to the toothbrush using the connecting portion 5 of the head 2. Similarly, if the dispenser 3 runs out of toothpaste it can be simply removed from a head 2 and either replaced with a full dispenser 3 or refilled and then reconnected to the head.
The upper cover 19 of the dispenser 3 of the toothbrush 1 of
The upper cover 19 of the dispenser 3 of an embodiment of the invention is shown in
In contrast with the toothbrush of
A snap-fit connection 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in
The snap-fit connection of
The inner walls 21, 23 and outer walls 22, 24 are sized and shaped such that when the head 2 is removably connected to the dispenser 3 the inner wall 23 of the connector 6 fits inside the inner wall 21 of the connecting portion 5, the outer wall 24 of the connector 6 fits around the inner wall 21 of the connecting portion 5 and inside the outer wall 22 of the connecting portion 5 and the outer wall 22 of the connecting portion 6 fits around the outer wall 24 of the connector 6, as shown in
As can be seen in
A bayonet mount that is outside the scope of the present invention is shown in
As the bayonet mount itself prevents relative rotation of a head 2 relative to a dispenser 3 when they are removably connected to one another and because it is necessary for the two portions of a bayonet mount to be circular, both the connector 6 and the connecting portion 5 are substantially circular. The circular connector 6 can be seen in
A first head 2a is shown in
A second head 2b is shown in
A third head 2c is shown in
A fourth head 2d is shown in
A fifth head 2e is shown in
A sixth head 2f is shown in
It is to be noted that any of the six heads 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f may be interchanged with one another by a user according to his needs and desires as appropriate. For example, a user may wish to use the second head 2b for the majority of their brushing and then switch to the sixth head 2f when a smaller head is required to reach less accessible areas.
Claims
1. A toothbrush comprising:
- a toothpaste dispenser having a dispensing aperture located within a connector and a button for activating the dispensing of toothpaste from the dispenser; and
- a head having a connecting portion at a first end, a brush portion and a shaft formed between the first end and the second end; wherein a passage for transport of toothpaste from the connecting portion to the brush portion is formed through the shaft, the passage having an opening at the connecting portion at a first end and being connected to at least one aperture formed in the brush portion at a second end;
- wherein the head is removably connectable to the dispenser and when connected, the connecting portion of the head is connected to the connector of the toothpaste dispenser and toothpaste may be dispensed from the dispensing aperture of the dispenser, through the passage, to the brush portion of the head; and
- the connector of the toothpaste dispenser and the connecting portion of the head cooperate to form a removable snap-fit connection and the connector and connecting portion are substantially oval in shape such that they can not rotate relative to one another when they are removably connected.
2. A toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein:
- one of the connector of the toothpaste dispenser and the connecting portion of the head comprises an inner wall surrounding and extending coaxially outwards from an end of the dispensing aperture or an end of the passage and a cooperative outer wall spaced from the inner wall and extending coaxially outwards from an end of the dispensing aperture or an end of the passage; and
- the other of the connector of the toothpaste dispenser and the connecting portion of the head comprises cooperatively formed apertures for receiving the inner wall and the outer wall when the head is removably connected to the dispenser.
3. A toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the passage is connected to a single aperture formed in the brush portion of the head.
4. A toothbrush according to claim 2, wherein the passage is connected to a single aperture formed in the brush portion of the head.
5. A toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the passage is connected to a plurality of apertures formed in the brush portion of the head.
6. A toothbrush according to claim 2, wherein the passage is connected to a plurality of apertures formed in the brush portion of the head.
7. A toothbrush according to claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of apertures is sized such that when in use substantially the same amount of toothpaste is dispensed from each aperture.
8. A toothbrush according to claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of apertures is sized such that when in use substantially the same amount of toothpaste is dispensed from each aperture.
9. A toothbrush according to claim 7, wherein the apertures are positioned in a single row, which extends along the direction in which the passage extends.
10. A toothbrush according to claim 8, wherein the apertures are positioned in a single row, which extends along the direction in which the passage extends.
11. A toothbrush according to claim 9, wherein the apertures are positioned in two or more rows, each extending along the direction in which the passage extends.
12. A toothbrush according to claim 10, wherein the apertures are positioned in two or more rows, each extending along the direction in which the passage extends.
13. A toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the at least one aperture extends from the passage to an outer surface of the brush portion and is tubular.
14. A toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the at least one aperture extends from the passage to an outer surface of the brush portion and is frustoconical.
15. A toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser is a plunger-type dispenser.
16. A toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser is substantially cylindrical and the button and the aperture are located at a first end of the dispenser.
17. A toothbrush according to claim 16, wherein the aperture and the button are positioned to extend in a direction parallel to an axis of the dispenser.
18. A toothbrush according to claim 16, wherein the aperture is positioned to extend in a direction parallel to an axis of the dispenser and the button is positioned such that when the head is connected to the dispenser the button is positioned substantially behind the head.
19. A toothbrush according to claim 17, wherein the aperture is positioned to extend in a direction parallel to an axis of the dispenser and the button is positioned such that when the head is connected to the dispenser the button is positioned substantially behind the head.
20. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein the dispenser is substantially cylindrical, the aperture is located at a first end of the dispenser and, when connected to the dispenser, the head extends in a direction substantially parallel to an axis of the dispenser.
21. A toothbrush according to claim 20, wherein, when connected to the dispenser, the head extends along the axis of the dispenser.
22. A toothbrush according to claim 20, wherein, when connected to the dispenser, the head is offset from the axis of the dispenser.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 8, 2013
Publication Date: Aug 15, 2013
Inventor: Jatinder DHAMI (Leicester)
Application Number: 13/763,081
International Classification: A46B 11/00 (20060101);