AU2003100680A4 - Collapsible Manual Toothbrush - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE

SPECIFICATION

INNOVATION

PATENT

The Collapsible Manual Toothbrush Description The invention is described in the following statement: Until now manual toothbrushes have consisted of the handle, head and bristles, all moulded into one. This invention, which consists of three inter-related claims, has been specifically designed to provide a Collapsible Manual Toothbrush that is safer to use, simple to operate, cheap and effective.

The three purposes of the Collapsible Manual Toothbrush are to ensure that the bristles are protected each time after use; to provide the option of collapsibility so that they can be more easily stored and transported by users from place to place; and to provide users, especially those in poorer countries, a greater incentive to change their bristles more often with the disposable bristle-heads.

The Collapsible Manual Toothbrush (Fig.5) comprises of a collapsible handle (Fig.4), with a protective socket for the bristles (Fig.2) mounted on the end of it; a centrepiece (Fig. 1) that can flip downwards ninety degrees anti-clockwise; a neck that tapers off into a screw (Fig.4) and a disposable bristle-head (Fig.3) hollowed out at its base so that it can be screwed onto the neck.

The centrepiece has small hinges on both sides, the flaps of which are embedded into the neck and the handle of the Collapsible manual Toothbrush. The centrepeice measures I x 1 centimetres allowing the neck to be parallel to the handle when the toothbrush is collapsed. This in turn ensures that the bristles end up squarely and safe and sound in the protective socket mounted on the end of the handle.

The protective socket is part of the handle and has a smooth concave basin for the bristles to fit in. It's rim is a flexible plastic that allows the toothbrush head to snap shut into the socket's basin, safely away from germs, rats, cockroaches and other insects. The concave socket serves three other purposes: to keep the bristles in place after brushing; to allow a firmer grip of the toothbrush while brushing; to allow easy cleaning -there are no comers and angles where mildew and germs can gain a stubborn foothold.

The Collapsible Manual Toothbrush is made of hard plastic and, apart from the abovementioned alterations, is similar to the traditional toothbrushes in design and material makeup.

Claims (3)

1. A collapsible plastic manual toothbrush whereby the top half can be pivoted backwards after use, allowing the bristles to rest squarely in the protyective socket on the other end.

2. A protective socket mounted on the end of the handle and which is part of the handle's plastic mould.

3. A disposable bristle-head for manual toothbrushes which when screwed on, becomes part of the whole toothbrush.