CA1329868C

CA1329868C - Infant toothbrush

Info

Publication number: CA1329868C
Application number: CA 594980
Authority: CA
Inventors: Jane Ralph; Barbara Jane Deacon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: DEACON BARBARA J
Priority date: 1989-03-29
Filing date: 1989-03-29
Publication date: 1994-05-31
Anticipated expiration: 2011-05-31

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A simple combination toothbrush/teething ring for an infant includes an annular body of semicircular cross section which tapers from one side to the other thereof for fitting into a variety of mouth sizes, and bristles on the thick and thin sides of the flat surface of the body for brushing a child's teeth while the child is chewing on the ring.

Description

This in~er~ti~)[~ f~la~es tv .i ~onl'>lrlatio~ toothhru~;h CI -teethir-J rir~j CIQ~iC~e for an in~ar,t.
W~ '.` the:L~' are ~any eon~mer-lially dvc~ilable ~ -f~c tllirl~J rinJs ar;d ~imilar devi~es for massa~ing an infant~s glln~s, the inven-t,or is aware of no sueh de~i~es which are afl~pted to rlean the hild's teeth. Canadian Patent No. , ?,1~5,~)~3, which issued to J.A. Maker on January 5, 1932 and ~.S. Patent ~o. 2,826,201, which issued to J.R. Yoder on March 11, 1958 disclose conventional teething rings with '' lt) bumps or projections for massaging the gums of the user.
U.S. Pat(nt No~ 3,7~9,652, which issued to C. Rainer on , ;
No~ember 6, 1973 de~cribes a ~hewiny toothbrush which is ~ ' ' obviously intended for adults or mature childIen. ~ need %till exi~t~ for a teethincy ring which doub~es as a 1~ toothbrush. , ' The object of the present invention is to meet the above defined need by providing a relatively simple "';-, combination teethiny ring~toothbrush for small children ,', '' which c~n be used duriny the initial teething proces~
Accordingly, the pre~ent invention relates to a t~thing riny and toothbrush device for use by an infant .
compri~ing annula,r body means tapering from one ~ide to the o~her ~ide thef~of, and bristle mean~ on on~ surface of said ,;

- bocly m~an# ad~acent each ~ide thereof, wherehy ~aid body meAns ha~ a thick ~idc for large mouth~ and a thin ~ide for ''' " :. . '..

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~ ;c~llt-lL3c to ~ cilitate brusi~linJ of an inf~nt's t:eet~
whil~ the ir!-~ant -. he~s on ~h-- c~evi~e, The inv~ntion wi~l ~e descri~cl in greater de-tail wil'~ re;elenl-e tC3 the ~o~o~panyin~ drawing, which illuc,tr~tes a prefeI~ed emb~diment of the inventiorl, and wherein~
Figure 1 is a persE~ective view of a combination leethirlg ring and -toothbrush device in accordarlce with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a cross section of the de~ic~e of Fig.
l; and ' ' ., Figure 3 is a p1cln view of the body oi the device o~ Figs. 1 and 2.
With reference to the drawing, a teething ring and toothbru~h device in accordance with the invfntion includes an annular bocly 1 of generally semicircular cross se~tion.
The body 1 tapers from one side 2 to the othelr side 3 thercof, so that the device will fit into the mouth of small ;-and large children. The Gorner~ 4 of the body 1 are convex, 20 i . e . khere are no sharp edge~ on the body. The body 1 is formed o~ a plastic material, i.e. of the type normally used in teething rings.
A plurality of rows of long bristles 5 are ~rovided in hole~ 6 ~Fig. 3) in the flat surace on the thick ~ide 2 of the body 1. The bristles S are intended for '~: ~ '.'',, ' -~ 2 ,; .
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oli~ ~r~ g the t~ th of oldei infa.lt~, i.e. in the 6 to 1 month age rclng~. Similarly, a piL~ial~ty o~ parallel rows vf ~ -~horter brlstle~ 7 ~re provided in ho]e~ 8 i~ -the flat- - ;~
surface of the thinner side 3 of the body 1 for cl~aning the te~th of younger children. - -While the dimensions of the device are no-t critical, the preferred dim~nsions are a body 1 having an out~ide diameter of 7 centimeters, and inside diameter of 5 c~ntiltleters, a thickness or height at the thick side of 7 millimeters, a thickness at the thin side of 4 millimeters, and soft brixtles of 10 and 7 millimeters at the thick and thin sidec, re~E~ectively. As best shown in Fig. 2, the body 1 tapers uniformly from the thick to the thin side thereof.
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The diameter of each of the holes 6 and 8 is 1.5 millimeters, and the spacing therebe-tween in each row and between adjacent row~ is 1.0 millimeter.
In use, while a child i.5 chewing on the teething ring, the child's teeth wiil be cleaned by the bristles. Of cour~e, the bristles should be soft so that they do not damage the gums.
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Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A teething ring and toothbrush device for use by an infant comprising annular body means tapering from a first side thereof to a second, opposite side thereof, said body means being semicircular in cross section, and including a flat surface; first bristle means on said flat surface of the body means adjacent said first side; and second bristle means on said flat surface of said body means adjacent said second side, said first bristle means being longer than said second bristle means, whereby said body means has a thick first side for large mouths and a thin, second side for smaller mouths to facilitate brushing of an infant's teeth while the infact chews on the first or second side of the device.