GB2336524A

GB2336524A - Toothbrush

Info

Publication number: GB2336524A
Application number: GB9901457A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Adrian Mooney
Original assignee: Wisdom Toothbrushes Ltd
Current assignee: Wisdom Toothbrushes Ltd
Priority date: 1998-04-21
Filing date: 1999-01-22
Publication date: 1999-10-27
Anticipated expiration: 2019-01-22
Also published as: GB2336524B; GB9901457D0

Abstract

A toothbrush comprises a two piece moulding including a front part and a rear part which when assembled together make a complete toothbrush with a generally convexly curved base (9) and a weight located in the lower part of the toothbrush such that when the toothbrush is placed on its base, the weight will maintain the toothbrush in an upright position.

Description

1 TOOTH BRUSH 2336524 This invention relates to a tooth brush.

In order to persuade children to clean their teeth, it has been found useful to produce a toothbrush which a child will find attractive, thus encouraging him or her to use it.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a toothbrush comprises a two piece moulding including a front part, and a rear part which when assembled together make a complete toothbrush with a generally convexely curved base and a weight located in the lower part of the toothbrush such that when the toothbrush is placed on its base, the weight will maintain the toothbrush in an upright position.

A plastics sleeve may be shrunk around the completed toothbrush so as to cover the lower parts of the toothbrush and may be provided with artwork so that the toothbrush resembles a mythical or other figure with the head of the toothbrush extending upwardly from the head of the figure.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a toothbrush comprises a two piece moulding including a front part and a rear part, one of the parts carrying a brush head, and a plastics sleeve shrunk around the front and rear parts when assembled together leaving the brush head free.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of one form of toothbrush in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 is a rear view of the toothbrush of figure 1 Figure 3 is front view of a rear moulding forming part of the toothbrush of figures 1 and 2; and 2 Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV - IV of figure 3; Figure 5 is rear view of a front moulding forming part of the toothbrush of figures 1 0 Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line VI - VI of figure 5..

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a weight for insertion into the base of the 0 toothbrush of figures 1 and 2 before assembly, and 2 Ficure 8 is a front view of the toothbrush depicting a mythical figure.

Referring firstly to figures 1 and 2, there is shown a toothbrush 1 in accordance with the invention. As in most toothbrushes, the toothbrush comprises a body part 3, a neck part 5 and a brush head 7.

In accordance with a first aspect of the inventive concept, the base 9 of the body part 3 of the toothbrush 1 is curved and carries a weight 11 (see figure 7) so that, when the tooth brush is stood on its base 9, it will remain upright. The toothbrush can be pushed over but, because of the combination of curved base 9 and weight 11, will always right itself once it is released. The base 9 carries an indentation 13 for retaining the weight as will be described hereafter.

The body part is of a fairly stocky construction and is shaped to fit the contours of a mythical figure, in accordance with a second aspect of the invention, such as a tooth fairy as depicted in figure 8, the neck part 5 and the brush head 7 extending upwards from the head of the figure. The figure itself is provided by a plastics sleeve 14 which is shrunk around the body part when completed and carries the artwork of the figure.

Figures 3 to 7 show the constructional parts of the toothbrush 1. Figures 3 and 4 show a rear moulding 21, figures 5 and 6 show a front moulding 23 and figure 7 shows the weight 11 for insertion into the toothbrush 1.

The rear moulding 21 comprises one half of the body part 3 and carries the neck 5 and brush head 7 of the toothbrush 1. It is provided with three cruciform projections 27 which extend to the mid line of the body part. It also carries a slot 29 in the form of an undercut channel and one half 30 of a weight chamber 3 1.

The front moulding 23 forms the other half of the body part 3 but has no part of the neck 5 or brush head 7 of the toothbrush 1. It has three horizontally extending tubes 33 which are aligned with the three cruciform projections 27 of the rear moulding 21 and which extend beyond the mid line of the body part so as to receive the projections 27 in a tight sliding fit. Side locating projections 35 extend backwards fi-orn the edges of the moulding so as to engage inside the edges of the rear moulding for location purposes. The front moulding also carries a complementary projection 37 to the slot 29. The other half 39 of the weight chamber 31 is also included.

The weight chamber 31 has two indentations 13 which engage the flat sides 43 of the weight 11 (Figure 7) and with a cross member 45 with projections 47 projecting 0 0 3 downwardly into the weight chamber 31 to engage the flat surface 49 of the weight 11.

The base of the toothbrush is, as previously stated, convexely curved and may, for example, be part spherical.

To produce the toothbrush, the two mouldings are first produced with the bristles of the toothbrush head assembled into the rear moulding 21. The weight 11 is then inserted in the half 30 of the weight chamber 31 of the rear moulding 21 and the ftont moulding 23 is offered up to the rear moulding 21. The two mouldings 21, 23 are pressed together so that the weight 11 is pushed into the part 3 9 of the weight chamber 3 1 of the front moulding 23. At the same time, the cruciform projections 27 are pushed into the tubes 23 and the projection 37 is slid into the undercut groove 29, the projections 35 on the front moulding 23 being inserted inside the rear moulding 21 so as to provide a smooth join.

To finish the toothbrush, the plastics sleeve 14 carrying the artwork is shrunk onto the assembled toothbrush and the toothbrush is ready for use. The finished toothbrush is shown in fia gure 8. and in the form shown, the artwork is in the form of a tooth fairy.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the toothbrush head could be provided on the front moulding instead of on the rear moulding.

4

Claims

1. A toothbrush comprising a brush head and a handle. the handle having a generally convexly curved end portion defining a base, and a weight held within the base such that when the toothbrush is placed on its base, the weight will maintain the toothbrush in an upright position.

2. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein the handle is formed from a pair of elongate mouldings.

3. A toothbrush according to claim 2 wherein the brush head extends from one of the elongate mouldings.

4. A toothbrush according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein one of the pair of elongate mouldin,,s defines a front part of the toothbrush and the other of the pair defines a rear part.

5. A toothbrush according to any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein the mouldings are shaped such that when assembled to-ether they provide a hollow handle.

6. A toothbrush according to any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein the mouldings are secured together by means of a snap-fit or friction-fit fastening.

7. A toothbrush according to any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein the elongate mouldings, when assembled together, are surrounded by a sleeve to prevent the mouldings from being separated.

8. A toothbrush according to claim 7 wherein the sleeve is formed from a plastics material.

9. A toothbrush according to claim 7 or claim 8 wherein the sleeve is shrink-fitted around the mouldings.

10. A toothbrush according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the weight is contained entirely within the base.

11. A toothbrush according to any one of claims 2 to 10 wherein one or both of the mouldings is or are provided with locating projections to assist location of the mouldings during assembly.

12. A toothbrush comprising a two piece moulding including a front part and a rear part which, when assembled together, make a complete toothbrush having a generally convexly curved base and a wei-ht located in the lower part of the toothbrush such that when the 0 toothbrush is placed on its base, the weight will maintain the toothbrush in an upright position.

13. A toothbrush according to claim 12 wherein the two mouldings are as defined in any one of claims 5 to 11.

14. A toothbrush comprising a two piece moulding including a front part and a rear part, one of the parts carrying a brush head, and a plastics sleeve shrunk around the front and rear parts when assembled together leaving the brush head free.

15. A toothbrush comprising a brush head and a handle, the handle being formed fl---oma plurality (e.g. two) of elongate mouldings secured together and surrounded by a tightly 10 fitting plastics sleeve.

16. A toothbrush according to claim 15 wherein the tightly fitting sleeve is shrink-fitted onto the mouldings.

17. A toothbrush according to any one of claims 14 to 16 wherein the handle has a weight in a base portion thereof such that when the toothbrush is placed on its base, the weight will maintain the toothbrush in an upright position.

18. A toothbrush comprising a brush head and a handle. the handle having a rocker base portion containing a weight such that when the toothbrush is placed on its base, the toothbrush is biased towards a substantially upright position.

19. A toothbrush substantially as described herein with reference to accompanying 20 drawings.