DE8802845U1 - toothbrush - Google Patents

Description

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- 2 toothbrushes

The invention relates to a toothbrush consisting of a brush handle and an attached brush head.

Such toothbrushes usually have an elongated, flat brush handle to which a brush head or a connecting bar supporting the brush head is attached at an angle.

Common toothbrushes sometimes have depressions or raised areas on the lower and/or upper flat side of the brush handle, into or against which the index finger and/or thumb rest when handling the toothbrush while brushing teeth. Since adults, adolescents and children have fingers of different sizes and therefore different grip positions than those specified by the projections or depressions would be useful and would make the handling of the toothbrush much easier, since currently it is only possible to buy small or large toothbrushes, inconveniences in handling the common toothbrushes are accepted.

The object of the invention is therefore to improve a toothbrush of the type mentioned above in such a way that an optimally ergonomic grip position can be guaranteed regardless of the age of the user and the size of his fingers.

This object is achieved by a toothbrush having the features of claim 1.

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By arranging a handle slider that is adjustable along part of the length of the brush handle, any desired grip position can be set, i.e. every user can achieve the ergonomic grip position that ensures optimal handling by adjusting the handle slider along the brush handle. In order to enable the largest possible contact surface and thus also to achieve a large friction surface, it is advantageous for the handle slider to at least partially encompass the brush handle.

To increase friction and to ensure that the handle slider moves in a straight line on the brush handle without jamming, the handle slider and/or the brush handle preferably have guide elements that serve to guide them together.

A preferred embodiment consists in that the handle slide does not have a closed cross-section and its free ends are pre-tensioned in such a way that it is held clamped on the brush handle.

The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments with reference to drawings. It shows in a schematic representation:

Fig. 1 a toothbrush according to the invention in side view Fig. 2 the toothbrush in plan view of the back,

Fig. 3a-j cross sections along line III-III in Fig. 2 of different embodiments, the cross sections of the respective brush handles being hatched,

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Fig. 4a-f Top views of the top and/or bottom sides, if applicable also of the side surfaces of different handle slide variants.

The toothbrush shown in Figures 1 and 2 has a brush handle 1. The brush handle 1 has a rectangular cross-section with parallel edges. An intermediate support 2, which supports the brush head 3, is connected to one end of the brush handle 1 at an angle. A handle slide 4 is slidably mounted on the brush handle 1.

In Fig. 3, various exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in section, with the brush handle 1 shown hatched. The embodiment of the handle slide according to Fig. 3a and d has a profile that is closed on all sides. Handle slides 4 of this type must be pushed on from the free end of the brush handle 1.

Further embodiments of the handle slider 4 can be U-shaped and can be placed or pushed onto the brush handle 1 from the side or from above or from below (see Fig. 4b, c). The legs with the free ends of the U-shaped handle slider 4 can be pre-tensioned, so that the legs are moved slightly apart when placed on the brush handle 1 and thus sit clamped on the brush handle 1 after being pushed on. In order to prevent the handle slider 4 from being accidentally removed from the brush handle 1, the handle slider can have inward-facing guide strips 5 which can be inserted into appropriately designed and assigned longitudinal grooves 6 in the brush handle 1. The free ends of the

Legs can also have locking projections 1 (see Fig. 31) which are supported on the fourth side of the brush handle 1. It is also possible to design handle slides with an open, asymmetrical outline and then to provide inwardly projecting edges 8 (see Fig. 3f and j) which can be inserted into a correspondingly designed and assigned groove 9 in the brush handle 1. This solution ensures that the handle slide 4 is held sufficiently firmly on the brush handle 1 to prevent it from being accidentally moved or stripped off. In addition, this option offers design options, as the surfaces of the brush handle or the sides of the slide can be designed more freely in order to give the toothbrushes a more individual touch. In the embodiment according to Fig. 3h, the U-shaped handle slide has flanks inclined at an angle to one another, whereby the cross-section of the brush handle 1 can then be trapezoidal. It is also possible to provide a longitudinal slot 10 in the brush handle 1 (indicated in Fig. 2 by a dotted line). A handle slide assembled in the form of a push button according to Fig. 3e or one provided with deflectable locking projections according to Fig. 3g can be guided with their respective handles 11 into this longitudinal slot 1c. The maximum movement path is predetermined by the slot 10.

For the sake of simplicity, the brush handles shown are essentially designed with a rectangular cross-section. However, it is possible to provide any other rounded, triangular or polygonal outer cross-sections for the brush handles 1 and corresponding inner cross-sections for the handle slides that can be moved on them.

The handle slide 4 itself can, as can be seen from Figs. 1 and 2, have simple rectangular surfaces. However, it is also possible to design its surface, if necessary also its bottom surface and the side surfaces differently, as can be seen for example from Figs. 4a-f, where circular, partially circular, convex or concave shapes or also elongated handle slides with cut-out open circular surfaces or buttons inserted into them, e.g. of a different color, are shown according to Figs. 4e and 4f.

Any combination is also possible. The surfaces of the handle slide 4 can be curved, but also structured, e.g. grooved. It is also possible to provide the handle slide with projections or recesses in which a wide variety of decorative and/or marking and/or herb plates, buttons or curved elements can be attached, possibly interchangeably. This and the handle slide itself also provide a wide range of color design options in a simple way, since the toothbrush handle and handle slide and possibly insert plate or the like can have different colors, which is otherwise only possible with considerable technical effort with conventional toothbrushes.

Since the grip length of the handle slider on the brush handle once set is maintained for a longer period of time, the handle slider or, correspondingly, the brush handle should be designed in such a way that they are difficult to move against each other, which can be achieved by choosing materials and/or structures and/or small dimensional tolerances and/or higher clamping forces.

Claims (4)

Protection claims: 1. Toothbrush, consisting of a brush handle (1) and a brush head (3) attached to it, if necessary at an angle, characterized in that a handle slide (4) is arranged on the brush handle (1) and is displaceable over at least part of the length of the brush handle (1). 2. Toothbrush according to claim 1, characterized in that the handle slide (4) at least partially surrounds the brush handle (1). 3. Toothbrush according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the handle slide (4) and/or brush handle (1) has guide elements (5,6; 8,9) for mutual guidance. 4. Toothbrush according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the handle slide (4) does not have a closed cross-section and its free ends are pre-tensioned in such a way that it is held clamped on the brush handle (1).