EP0926966B1 - Toothbrush with handle comprising means for vertical storage - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a toothbrush (10) with bristles (12) at the top and a handle (14) including a structure for maintaining the brush in a vertical storage position, characterized in that the brush handle (14) is longitudinally divided in its upper part into at least two branches (16,18,20) articulated between an open position for storage wherein the free ends (22,24,26) of the branches (16,18,20), mutually spaced, form support points for the brush (10) on a horizontal surface, and a closed position wherein the branches are brought together for the toothbrush (10) to be used.

Description

The present invention relates to a toothbrush.

The invention aims to improve hygiene and ease using a toothbrush with a head stacked and a handle.

For optimal hygiene of the brush and in particular of the stacked part of the head, generally avoid that when the toothbrush is stored, the stacked part is in contact with any surface. To this end, the best position for the brush is a vertical hold of this one, the head being placed upwards. This provision also allows the flow of water from the stacked part down and therefore quick drying of the hairs.

For this purpose, it is already known to use a certain number of solutions with support, the simplest being to place the brush in a toothed glass. However, this system has the disadvantage of retaining flowing water of the stacked part of the brush and risking causing maceration of the flow water in the bottom of the glass.

Other solutions exist, consisting of a support posed on any surface and on which one comes to pose the lower part of the brush handle, leaving the head the brush in the open air and allowing the water to flow out. However, these systems have the disadvantages of being bulky, impractical and risk becoming unusable in case of loss of support.

To remedy the problems mentioned above, it is known to use brushes whose handle has its own means for holding the brush in a vertical position. This is how it was proposed to use a toothbrush the base of the handle of which includes a ballast element for recall the brush in an upright position, or use a suction cup attached to the base of the handle.

It is also known to use a section handle thick, the free end of which is radially planar, forming a horizontal bearing surface on any plane.

As an example of toothbrushes whose base of the handle includes its own position holding means vertical, we also find the Japanese patent application JP-A-7-313.251, the base of which includes three fixed branches arranged in a tripod.

However, these devices also have disadvantages, namely the significant complexity of the assembly industrial of these systems, their high cost and above all a particular conformation of the handle or its base which makes it impractical use.

In order to remedy the drawbacks mentioned above, the present invention provides a toothbrush of the type comprising a stacked head and a handle comprising means for holding the brush in the vertical position of storage, characterized in that the handle of the brush is divided longitudinally from its top into at at least two branches articulated between an open position of storage in which the free ends of the branches, separated from each other, form the support points of the brush on a horizontal surface, and a closed position in which branches are grouped for use toothbrush.

• les branches sont rappelées élastiquement en position ouverte après l'utilisation de la brosse;
• la brosse comprend des moyens de maintien des branches en position fermée;
• les moyens de maintien des branches de la brosse en position fermée sont constitués par un anneau coulissant longitudinalement le long du manche et dont le profil intérieur est complémentaire du profil externe du manche en position fermée des branches;
• le manche est divisé en trois branches réparties angulairement de manière régulière autour de l'axe longitudinal du manche;
• le manche est réalisé en une seule pièce en matière plastique fendue longitudinalement en trois branches ;
• la brosse à dents est réalisée en une seule pièce moulée comprenant le manche et la tête;
• l'articulation de chaque branche est constituée par un amincissement situé à l'extrémité supérieure de la branche;
• l'amincissement est situé sur la face interne de la branche, délimitant ainsi, en position regroupée des branches, un évidement interne dans le manche;
• l'une des fentes entre deux branches adjacentes est perpendiculaire à un plan longitudinal parallèle à la tête de la brosse et est située du même coté que la face empoilée de la tête.

According to other characteristics of the invention:

• the branches are resiliently returned to the open position after using the brush;
• the brush comprises means for holding the branches in the closed position;
• the means for holding the branches of the brush in the closed position are constituted by a ring sliding longitudinally along the handle and whose internal profile is complementary to the external profile of the handle in the closed position of the branches;
• the handle is divided into three branches distributed angularly in a regular manner around the longitudinal axis of the handle;
• the handle is made in a single piece of plastic split longitudinally into three branches;
• the toothbrush is made in a single molded piece comprising the handle and the head;
• the articulation of each branch is constituted by a thinning situated at the upper end of the branch;
• the thinning is located on the internal face of the branch, thus delimiting, in the grouped position of the branches, an internal recess in the handle;
• one of the slots between two adjacent branches is perpendicular to a longitudinal plane parallel to the head of the brush and is located on the same side as the stacked face of the head.

• la figure 1 est une vue générale en perspective de la brosse en position ouverte des branches ;
• la figure 2 est une vue de face de la brosse maintenue en position fermée des branches;
• la figure 3 est une vue en coupe longitudinale selon la ligne 3-3 de la figure 1 de l'une des branches du manche;
• la figure 4 est une section radiale selon la ligne 4-4 de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 5 est une section radiale selon la ligne 5-5 de la figure 2.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows for the understanding of which reference will be made to the appended drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a general perspective view of the brush in the open position of the branches;
• Figure 2 is a front view of the brush maintained in the closed position of the branches;
• Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view along line 3-3 of Figure 1 of one of the arms of the handle;
• Figure 4 is a radial section along line 4-4 of Figure 1;
• Figure 5 is a radial section along line 5-5 of Figure 2.

There is shown in Figures 1 to 5 a toothbrush 10 which, according to a known design, comprises a head stacked 12 for brushing teeth and a handle gripping 14 which is connected to it, at its upper part by a thinner portion 13.

In accordance with the teachings of the invention, the handle 14 of toothbrush 10 is divided, from its upper part, in three branches 16, 18 and 20, which are articulated between an open position, illustrated in FIG. 1, and a closed position, shown in Figure 2.

In the open position, the branches 16, 18 and 20 of the sleeve 14 are spaced radially from each other and their respective feet 22, 24 and 26 form the support points the brush in a vertical position on a horizontal surface any. This conformation allows storage of the brush in vertical orientation on any surface and without accessories or additional support, the handle constituting a support tripod.

In the closed position, when using the brush, the branches 16, 18 and 20 can be combined to form a block similar to the traditional handle of a toothbrush, presenting here a profile of revolution, and this against a elastic force which recalls branches 16, 18 and 20 towards their open position.

The natural state of rest of branches 16, 18 and 20 of the brush 10 is the open position, in which the branches 16, 18 and 20 are separated from each other. Branches 16, 18 and 20 are resiliently returned to their position open, i.e. branches spaced apart to allow storage of the brush.

In order to avoid, when brushing teeth, the reminder untimely branches 16, 18 and 20 in the open position and to improve the grip comfort of the handle, the branches 16, 18 and 20 are kept in the closed position.

The means for holding the branches 16, 18 and 20 in closed position consists of a sliding ring 28 longitudinally along the upper part of the handle 14 and whose shape is substantially complementary to that of sleeve 14 in the zone in which the three branches 16, 18, 20 come together to form the handle 14.

The ring 28 has the advantages of being little bulky, to be easily set up by the end upper stacked 12 of brush 10, and power slide easily along the handle 14, thus allowing the user to slide it along the handle with a single hand.

Thus disposed, the ring 28 is retained upwards by the bristles of the head 12 of the brush 10 and below by the most large diameter of the handle 14, slightly greater than the internal diameter of the ring 28, when the branches 16, 18, and 20 are grouped in the closed position.

To recall the branches in the open position, it suffices to wind the ring 28 along the handle towards the thinned part 13, the branches 16, 18 and 20 of the handle 14 thus returning to their separated natural position, the ring 28 just being at rest around the top of the sleeve 14.

According to the embodiment, illustrated in the figures, the round 14 is divided into three branches 16, 18 and 20 distributed angularly evenly around the longitudinal axis.

The three branches 16, 18 and 20, thus distributed according to angles of about 120 °, are oriented so that one slots 29 between two faces of adjacent branches either located in a plane perpendicular to the plane defined by the head of the brush, and located relative to the longitudinal axis in the same direction as the bristles of the head 12 of the brush.

As we can see more particularly on the Figure 4, each of the branches 16, 18 or 20, of section substantially triangular, is delimited by an external part in an arc 30 and by two internal flat faces 32 and 34 radial orientation and arranged at 120 °. When passing from the open position to the closed position of the brush, the face 32 of each branch comes to bear on the face 34 of the branch adjacent.

According to the same embodiment, the body of the brush 10 is made in one piece, for example in one plastic molded part, comprising both the head 12 and the handle 14 of the brush 10, the handle 14 being itself divided into three branches 16, 18 and 20 by molding.

The molding of the brush 10, carried out in the open position branches, allows to realize the articulations of branches 16, 18 and 20. Each of the joints is at this effect consisting of a thinning of the branch corresponding to its upper end 36 as can be see it more particularly in Figure 3.

This thinned portion is more specifically demarcated by a facet 38 inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the brush 10 and from it. This facet 38 is angled upwards and from the inside to the outside, thus cutting the two internal planar faces 32 and 34 at an angle. This internal facet 38 extends to a certain depth in the branch, without going to the periphery, and includes itself a groove 40 of generally elongated shape.

When the branches 16, 18 and 20 of the handle 14 of the brush 10 are grouped together for the use of brush 10, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper part 36, corresponding to the area of the facet 38 and the groove 40, is stressed in bending, against the natural elasticity of the molding material, to allow the grouping of three branches.

As we can see more particularly on the Figure 5, in the grouped position, the handle in its central part a recess 42 which corresponds to the zones defined by the facets 38 of the different branches.

In accordance with the teachings of the invention, the thus defined toothbrush has the advantages of offer an easy brush storage solution forming a tripod on any surface overall horizontal without additional accessories, and to be simple of use when the handle is in the closed position.

The transition from the closed position to the open position is easily carried out by a longitudinal movement of the ring 28 upwards.

This ring 28 remains held between the head 12 of the brush 10 the bristles of which are long enough to retain the ring, and the part of the handle from which the diameter of the ring is too small compared to that of branches grouped together so that they can slide along the handle down.

Alternatively, the handle 14 of the toothbrush 10 may have only two branches bearing on surfaces or edges located at the base of each branch, or may have four or more branches.

According to another variant, the brush 10 may include different means for holding the brush in position closed different. For example, the sliding ring can be replaced by a threaded inner ring which cooperates with an external thread of the handle 14 of the brush, or it can be controlled by a cursor located on the handle 14, which slides longitudinally along it under a thumb restraint to allow the user to passage from one position to another.

According to another variant, the handle 14 of the brush may have one or more bosses, or a groove, so to prevent the ring from moving longitudinally too far towards the lower end of the brush beyond its locking position of the branches in the closed position.

Claims (10)

1. Toothbrush (10) of the type possessing a bristled head (12) and a handle (14) comprising means for supporting the brush in a vertical storage position, characterised in that the handle (14) of the brush (10) is divided lengthwise from its upper part into at least two branches (16, 18, 20) pivotable between an open storage position in which the free ends (22, 24, 26) of the branches (16, 18, 20), at a distance from each other, form the points whereby the brush (10) bears on a horizontal surface, and a closed position in which the branches (16, 18, 20) are united for the use of the toothbrush (10).
2. Toothbrush (10) according to Claim 1, characterised in that the branches (16, 18, 20) are moved back resiliently into the open position.
3. Toothbrush (10) according to Claim 2, characterised in that the brush comprises means for retaining the branches (16, 18, 20) in the closed position.
4. Toothbrush (10) according to Claim 3, characterised in that the means for retaining the branches (16, 18, 20) of the brush (10) in the united position are formed by a ring (28) which slides lengthwise along the handle (14) and whose internal profile is complementary to the external profile of the handle (14) in the closed position of the branches.
5. Toothbrush (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the handle (14) is divided into three branches (16, 18, 20) distributed angularly in a regular manner around the longitudinal axis of the handle.
6. Toothbrush (10) according to Claim 5, characterised in that the handle (14) is produced from a single piece of plastic, split lengthwise into three branches (16, 18, 20).
7. Toothbrush (10) according to Claim 6, characterised in that the toothbrush (10) is produced from a single moulded piece comprising the handle (14) and the head (12).
8. Toothbrush (10) according to either of Claims 6 and 7, characterised in that the hinge of each branch (16, 18, 20) is formed by a thin portion (38, 40) situated at the upper end (36) of the branch.
9. Toothbrush (10) according to Claim 8, characterised in that the thin portion (38, 40) is situated on the internal surface of the branch (16, 18, 20), thus defining, in the united position of the branches, an internal cavity (42) in the handle (14).
10. Toothbrush (10) according to any one of Claims 6 to 8 taken in conjunction with Claim 5, characterised in that one of the slits (29) between two adjacent branches is perpendicular to a longitudinal plane parallel to the head (12) of the brush and is situated on the same side as the bristled surface of the head.

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