FR3076990A1 - TOOTH BRUSHING DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

A device (1) for brushing teeth comprising: - a handle (10), extending between a proximal end (11), adapted to be held by a hand, and a distal end (12); - a support (20), fixed to the handle, adapted to maintain a plant element (30), so that the plant element is adapted to be applied against teeth for a brushing operation of teeth; the device being characterized in that: - the support (20) reversibly maintains the plant element (30), the plant element being able to be released from the support following use of the plant element, the plant element extending between a first end (31), adapted to be connected to the support and a second end (32), adapted to come into contact with the teeth; - The support is fixed to the handle reversibly, the support being adapted to be released from the handle between two successive uses of the plant element.

Description

Toothbrushing device

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

The technical field of the invention is oral hygiene. The invention relates more particularly to a toothbrush.

PRIOR ART

Most toothbrushes used today have synthetic brushing filaments. They require the application of toothpaste. This presupposes, for the user, the use of a distribution network of the supermarkets, pharmacy or parapharmacy type. Such a network is not necessarily easily accessible, in particular in certain countries or in certain desert regions. In addition, some users may be reluctant to use industrial toothpaste, due to the presence of many chemicals. There is also a tendency today for consumers to turn to natural products with cleaning and / or antiseptic properties.

In the field of dental hygiene, the siwak has been used for centuries, especially in the Arab-Muslim world as well as in India. Also known by the term souek, souak, miswak or araq wood, siwak is obtained from the root or a branch of the Salvadora persica shrub. It is used in the form of fibrous chew sticks. Currently, such sticks are available in the form of dry sticks, fresh sticks, sometimes flavored and generally vacuum-packed in plastic envelopes. The virtues of siwak have been recognized by the World Health Organization, which has recommended its use.

The use of the siwak generally requires removal of the bark, along the stick, to a length of about 1 cm from one end. Then just chew the internal part of the stick thus released, to form a filamentous head, which is used as a toothbrush, requiring neither water nor toothpaste. After use, the filament head is cut, and a new length of bark is removed, along the residual part of the stick. This traditional use has some drawbacks. When a stick has been removed from its packaging for use, it can be soiled and must be kept under suitable hygienic conditions. In addition, the stick dries quickly, especially in hot countries, and the residual part is quickly unusable.

More advanced products, based on siwak, have been developed to facilitate its use. Most of these products combine siwak with plastics, the latter being used to form supports. Application US20090258326 describes for example a device comprising a plastic handle, at the end of which a plastic support can be inserted from which opens a piece of siwak, forming an end intended for brushing teeth. The plastic support is glued to the piece of siwak, forming a removable tip; the removable tip is inserted into the handle and removed after use to be discarded. However, such a device has the disadvantage of requiring the purchase of removable tips, so as to change the tip between two successive uses, the tips used being discarded. This has different drawbacks:

regular toothbrushing requires the successive use of several tips, which is expensive: in fact, each tip includes sticking a piece of siwak, calibrated, on a plastic support. Such packaging represents a cost, which affects the purchase price.

after each use, the tip is discarded. If the siwak is natural and biodegradable, this is not the case for the plastic material forming the support. Repeated use of tips is not environmentally satisfactory.

The device described in US20110302736 has the same drawbacks as that previously described.

Document US20090258326 describes another configuration taking the form of a plastic support of the lipstick type. It is a tubular support, covered with a removable cover, and comprising a calibrated rod of siwak. The siwak rod can extend from the support. Such a configuration poses a hygiene problem because the siwak rod is contaminated with the saliva of the user after a first use. The successive use of the same siwak stem should be avoided due to the risk of bacterial proliferation between two successive uses.

The inventor has designed a device for brushing teeth, simple and economical to use, without the drawbacks described above.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is a device for brushing teeth comprising:

a handle, extending between a proximal end, able to be held by one hand, and a distal end;

a support, fixed to the handle, capable of holding a plant element, so that the plant element is capable of being applied against teeth during a tooth brushing operation;

the device being characterized in that:

the support retains the plant element reversibly, the plant element being able to be released from the support following its use, the plant element extending between a first end, able to be connected to the support and a second end, suitable for come into contact with the teeth;

the support is fixed to the handle reversibly, the support being able to be released from the handle between two successive uses of the plant element.

Thus, unlike the prior art, the plant element can be discarded after use, that is to say after brushing teeth. The plastic support, maintaining the plant element during brushing, is kept. The support is removably attached to the handle. It can then be cleaned between two successive uses, to be re-attached to the handle. It is then possible to have a clean plant element on the cleaned support, before another use. Thus, only the plant element is thrown away after each use, which limits the ecological impact. The fact of being able to clean the support between two uses promotes hygiene of use.

Preferably, the support is configured so that the plant element is manually inserted into or around the support. This allows an existing, commercially available stick to be used at an affordable price after adjusting its length. There is no need to make an adjustment of its diameter, nor to calibration operations made necessary by the devices described in connection with the prior art.

The device may include one of the following characteristics, taken in isolation or in technically feasible combinations. The plant element is made of wood or root, extracted from at least one tree of the type: salvadora persica, olive, palm, walnut, plum, chestnut, cherry, apple, neem;

the plant element has the shape of a stem, and comprises at least one of the following characteristics:

length less than 5 cm;

diameter less than 2 cm.

The support is able to be inserted in or around the handle in a reversible manner.

The plant element is able to be inserted into the support; the support may have a holding end, in particular forming an opening, into which the plant element can be inserted, in particular manually, and from which the plant element can be released, in particular manually.

The support may have an insertion end, capable of being inserted into or around the handle, at the distal end of the handle. The support may in particular extend between the insertion end and the holding end.

The holding end defines an opening of adjustable diameter, into which plant elements of different diameters can be inserted. Thus, the diameter of the opening of the holding end can be adjusted to the diameter of the plant element. The opening can then be formed by a mandrel, able to tighten around the plant element. The device can then comprise a ring, capable of being applied under pressure around the mandrel so as to exert a radial stress around the latter, to tighten it around the plant element.

The support can be deformable, the holding end taking for example a conical shape. The device can then comprise a retaining ring, able to be moved around the retaining end and to deform the latter, so as to reduce the diameter of the opening and exert a radial retaining force applying against the plant element.

The handle and / or the support has a curved shape.

The second end of the plant element is bevelled.

The device comprises a protective cap, capable of being fixed, removably on the support, or on the handle, and capable of enveloping the plant element and / or the holding end.

The handle is telescopic, to pass from a deployed configuration, during brushing, to a folded configuration, when the device is not used.

Other advantages and characteristics will emerge more clearly from the description which follows of particular embodiments of the invention, given by way of nonlimiting examples, and represented in the figures listed below.

FIGURES

Figures 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the invention.

Figures 3 and 4 show a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 represents the combined effect of the use of a curved device and of a plant element whose second end is bevelled to increase the brushing surface, on a dentition.

FIG. 6 represents a detail of a support comprising a mandrel disposed at the level of the holding end.

FIG. 7 shows a detail of a support, comprising a retaining ring disposed at the level of the retaining end of the support.

EXPLANATION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

Figures 1 and 2 show an embodiment of a device according to the invention. It comprises a handle 10, here of cylindrical shape, and capable of forming a means for gripping the device. The handle 10 can in particular be held by the hand of a user. It can extend along a length typically between 5 cm and 10 or even 15 cm. Its diameter is preferably between 0.5 and 2 cm. The handle can be made of plastic or metal. It is preferably easily cleanable. It extends between a proximal end 11, for example solid, and a distal end 12. In this example, the distal end is open, the handle having a tubular shape at the level of the distal end.

The device also comprises a support 20, capable of being fixed, in a reversible manner, on the handle, at the level of the distal end 12. The support extends between one end 21, called the insertion end capable of being inserted in or around the handle 10, and one end 22, called the holding end, intended to receive a plant element, in particular of the siwak type. In this embodiment, the end is tubular, and can be forcefully inserted into the handle 10. The respective diameters of the handle, at its distal end 12, and of the support, at its insertion end 21, are arranged so that the support can be inserted into the handle, and can be held in the latter by friction. The support and the handle are also arranged so as to allow the support 20 to be easily removed from the handle 10. According to a variant, the distal end 12 of the handle is threaded and the insertion end 21 of the handle is tapped, so as to allow a reversible fixing of the support on the handle. According to another variant, the distal end 12 of the handle is tapped, and the insertion end 21 of the handle is threaded, so as to allow a reversible fixing of the support on the handle. Like the handle, the support can be made of an easily cleanable material, such as a metal or a plastic. The support extends, between the insertion end 21 and the holding end 22, along a length of, for example, between 0.5 cm and 5 cm.

The device also includes a plant element 30, in the form of a cylindrical rod, a first end 31 of which is held by the holding end 22. In this example, the holding end defines a tubular opening and the first end 31 is able to engage in the tubular opening so as to be maintained in the latter. The plant element 30 is maintained by simple rubbing, the diameter of the first end 31 being adjusted relative to the diameter defined by the opening forming the holding end 22 of the support 20. It is important that the element vegetable 30 can be removed from the holding end 22 manually, and without difficulty, after use.

The plant element 30 extends between the first end 31 and the second end 32 along a length of approximately 2 cm, and preferably between 0.5 cm and 5 cm. Its diameter is generally between 0.5 cm and 2 cm. The second end 32 of the plant element is intended to be applied against teeth to clean them. The plant element 30 may consist of siwak, that is to say salvadora persica or of another plant species having cleansing properties, and for example, olive, palm, walnut, plum, chestnut, cherry, apple tree or neem tree. It will be noted that the plant element 30 can be obtained from a piece of raw siwak commercially available, after possible adjustment of its length and diameter, at its first end 31, so as to allow a sufficiently firm insertion into the holding end 22 of the support 20, while being able to be released from the support after one or more uses.

The device also includes a cap 40, intended to be closed on the support 20, so as to form a tubular envelope around the plant element 30, inserted in the support 20, or the holding opening 22 when no element plant is not disposed in the support 20. The cap protects the plant element and / or the holding opening 22 against external pollution. Figure 1 shows the open device, that is to say without a cap. FIG. 2 represents the closed device, the cap 40 being held on the support 20 or on the handle 10.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the second end 22 of the plant element can be bevelled. This increases the contact area with the teeth to be cleaned.

Thus, between two successive toothbrushes, the plant element can be removed and the support can be cleaned, then kept clean, being protected by the cap 40. The plant element can be discarded, without being tied to a support plastic, as proposed in the devices described in connection with the prior art. The invention is therefore more satisfactory from an environmental point of view, the only disposable part being the plant element. Thus, only the plant element is rejected, the other plastic parts being preserved.

The handle 10, or even the support 20, can be slightly flexible, so as to facilitate their use and allow access to the plant element 30 at the level of parts which are difficult to reach from the mouth. In order to aim at the same objective, the device can form an angle between the holding end 22 of the support 20 and the proximal end 11 of the handle 10. Such an embodiment is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As shown in Figure 5, this allows better accessibility in the mouth. In this figure, we see the combined effect associated with a curved handle and a second beveled end 32, defining an angle a. This figure also shows a dentition D. This allows the device to increase the brushing surface on the dentition D.

FIG. 6 represents an embodiment, according to which the support 20 comprises, at the level of the holding end 22, a mandrel 23. The mandrel 23 is able to close around the plant element 30, so as to keep integral with the support 20. It is also able to open, so as to release the plant element 30 from the support 20. The opening and closing of the mandrel 23 can be obtained by placing a ring 24 sliding around the mandrel. This makes it possible to define an opening of variable diameter, which can be adjusted to the diameter of the plant element 30. It is then possible to use plant elements of different diameters. This avoids the need for a plant element with calibrated dimensions, which makes the invention more accessible, and at lower cost. The mandrel 23 can be removable relative to the support 20, which facilitates cleaning. According to a variant, the mandrel 23 is of the self-tightening type, so that the opening of the mandrel is adjusted by a rotation of the mandrel around the holding end 22.

FIG. 7 represents another way of obtaining a holding end 22 defining an opening of adjustable diameter using a holding ring 25 intended to reduce the diameter of the opening when it slides along the support. The retaining ring can be tapped, the retaining opening being threaded, so that when the retaining ring is inserted at the opening, it makes it possible to reduce the diameter of the opening defined by the end of retaining 22. In this case, the retaining end 22 is sufficiently flexible or deformable so that under the action of the retaining ring 25, it tightens around the plant element 30. The retaining ring can easily be removed of the retaining end 22, so that the diameter of the opening is no longer constrained, which makes it possible to release the plant element 30. Other types of retaining ring capable of tightening the end holding 22 around the plant element 30 are conceivable.

According to one embodiment, the retaining end 22 defines a conical opening, so that its diameter gradually increases towards the plant element 30. The latter can be inserted into the conical opening. A ring or a ring can advantageously be arranged around the holding end 22, in order to reduce the diameter of the opening. Thus, the plant element 30 is inserted into the conical opening, the diameter of which is constrained by the ring or the ring.

Claims (16)

1. Device (1) for brushing teeth comprising: a handle (10), extending between a proximal end (11), able to be held by one hand, and a distal end (12); a support (20), fixed to the handle, capable of holding a plant element (30), so that the plant element is capable of being applied against teeth for a tooth brushing operation; the device being characterized in that: the support (20) holds the plant element (30) reversibly, the plant element being able to be released from the support following use of the plant element, the plant element extending between a first end (31) , able to be connected to the support (20) and a second end (32), able to come into contact with the teeth; the support (20) is fixed to the handle (10) reversibly, the support being able to be released from the handle between two successive uses of the plant element. 2. Device according to claim 1, in which the plant element (30) is formed of wood or root, extracted from a tree of the type: salvadora persica and / or olive tree and / or palm tree and / or walnut tree and / or plum and / or chestnut and / or cherry and / or apple and / or neem. 3. Device according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the plant element has the shape of a stem, and comprises at least one of the following characteristics: length less than 5 cm; diameter less than 2 cm. 4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the support (20) is capable of being inserted in or around the handle (10) in a reversible manner. 5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the plant element (30) is capable of being inserted into the support. 6. Device according to claim 5, in which the support (20) has a so-called holding end (22), in which the plant element (30) can be inserted and from which the plant element (30) can be released. 7. Device according to claim 6, in which the support (20) has an insertion end (21), capable of being inserted in or around the handle (10), at the level of the distal end (12), the support extending between the insertion end (21) and the holding end (22). 8. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the holding end (22) defines an opening of variable diameter, into which plant elements (30) of different diameters can be inserted. 9. Device according to claim 8, wherein the opening of variable diameter is formed by a mandrel (23) capable of tightening around the plant element (30). 10. Device according to claim 9, comprising a ring (24), capable of being applied under pressure around the mandrel so as to exert a radial stress around the mandrel. 11. Device according to claim 8, in which the holding end (22) has a conical shape. 12. Device according to claim 11, comprising a retaining ring (25), able to be moved around the support and to deform the latter, so as to reduce the diameter of the retaining end (22) and exert a force of radial support applied against the plant element. 13. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the handle (10) or the support (20) has a curved shape. 14. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the second end (32) of the plant element is bevelled. 15. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a protective cap (40), capable of being fixed, removably on the support, and capable of enveloping the plant element (30) or the holding end. (22). 16. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the handle is telescopic, in order to pass from a deployed configuration, during brushing, to a folded configuration, when the device is not used.