GB2338891A

GB2338891A - Reservoir toothbrush

Info

Publication number: GB2338891A
Application number: GB9813679A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chen-Kuang Cheng; Kun-Huang Chiu
Original assignee: CHENG CHEN KUANG
Current assignee: CHENG CHEN KUANG
Priority date: 1998-06-24
Filing date: 1998-06-24
Publication date: 2000-01-12
Also published as: GB9813679D0

Description

2338891

IMPROVED STRUCTURE OF TOOTHBRUSH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to toothbrushes, and more specifically to such a toothbrush which automatically applies a toothpaste to its bristles upon a rotary motion of a rotary driving member at a bottom end thereof.

A regular toothbrush 100 comprises, as shown in Figure 1, a handle 101, a brush head 102 at one end of the handle 101, and bristles 103 fastened to the brush head 102. Before brushing the teeth, people usually apply a toothpaste Z to the bristles 103. It is inconvenient to apply a toothpaste to the bristles when using a toothbrush for brushing the teeth. During the application of the toothpaste to the bristles, the toothpaste may drop from the toothbrush, and the toothpaste tube must be squeezed by hand again.

Further, it is inconvenient to carry a toothbrush and a toothpaste tube when traveling. After the toothpaste tube is empty, the empty tube must be properly disposed of to prevent a pollution.

SUMMARY OF IHE -INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a toothbrush which automatically applies toothpaste to the bristles by means of a rotary control. It is I another object of the present invention to provide a toothbrush which has switch means that controls the tooth-paste passage to the bristles. According to one aspect of the present invention, the t(yothbrush comprises a barrel holding a cleaning agent for example toothpaste, the barrel having a view window through which the amount of toothpaste is visually checked, a hollow brush head detachably fastened to the barrel hy a connector, a rotary driving member revolvably coupled to the barrel and rotated to move a sliding block forwards or backwards in the barrel, enabling toothpaste to be squeezed out of the barrel through the connector to the bristles at the brush head, and a rotary switch mounted in a hole on the brush head and turned to control the passage between the bristles and the inside space of the brush head. According to another aspect of the present invention, a circuit board and a battery mounted are mounted inside the driving member. The circuit board comprises a vibratiQn-control led music producing circuit means that is triggered to produce a music when the toothbrush is operated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Ficure I shows the structure of a conventional toothbrush and the application of a toothpaste.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a toothbrush according to 2 the present invention.

Figure 3 is an exploded view of the toothbrush shown in FI(jure 2.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal view in section of the toothbrush 5 shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4A is an enlarged view of part A of Figure 4.

Figure 4B is an enlarged view of part B of Figure 4.

Figure 5 is a sectional view in axial direction of the present invention, showing the brush cover removed, the toothpaste squeezed.

Figure 5A is an enlarged view of part A of Figure 5.

Figure 6 is an exploded view of a part of the present invention, showing the rotary switch removed from the brush head.

Figure 7 is an assembly view of Figure 6.

Figure 8 shows an 'alternate form of the brush head according to the present invention.

Figure 9 shows another alternate form of the brush head according to the present invention.

Figure 10 shows still another alternate form of the brush head according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED. EMBODIMENT

Referring to Figures from 2 to 4. a toothbrush in 3 accordance with the present invention is generally comprised of' a driving member 10, a sliding block 20, a barrel 30. a brush head 40, a connector 50, a brush cover 60, and a rotary switch 70.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 again, the driving member 10 is a cylindrical member having a circular top flange 12, a bottom open chamber 13 which is covered with a cap 16 to hold a circuit board 14, which comprises speaker means 15, and a battery 141, and a screw rod 11 raised from the top flange 12 at the center. The screw rod 11 has a collar 111 adjacent to the circular top coupling flange 12.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 again, the sliding block 20 is a short cylinder moved in the barrel 30, having a center screw hole 21 threaded onto the screw rod 11 of the driving member 10, and two longitudinal grooves 22 bilaterally disposed at the periphery.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 again, the barrel 30 is a tubular member having a threaded neck 31 at one end, two longitudinal rails 32 bilaterallv raised from the inside wall and respectively coupled to the longitudinal grooves 22 of the sliding block 20, a bottom hole 34 at the center of the bottom wall thereof, and an elonaated view window 33 at the periphery through which the amount of toothpaste Z is visuallv checked. The screw rod I I of the drivinc, member 10 is inserted through the bottom hole 34 4 into the inside of the barrel 30, enabling the circular top coupling flange 12 to be forced into engagement with the recessed bottom side wall of the barrel 30 and the collar I I I to be closely attached to the bottom hole 34 to close its passage (see Figure 4). When the driving member 10 is rotated in one direction, the sliding block 20 is forced to move forwards in the barrel 30 along the longitudinal rails 32. On the contrary, when the driving member 10 is rotated in the reversed direction, the sliding block 20 is forced to move backwards along the longitudinal rails 32.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 again, the connector 40 is fastened to the threaded neck 31 of the barrel 30. comprising a plurality of coupling grooves 41 on the inside wall thereof at one end forced into engagement with the threaded neck 31 of the bottom, a longitudinal through hole 43 in communication with the inside space of the barrel 30, an annular cou pling flange 44 raised around the periphery on the middle, and a plurality of coupling ribs 42 raised around the periphery of the reduced front end thereof.

Referring to Figures 4A and 5A and Figures 3 and 4 again. the brush head 50 comprises a plurality of coupling grooves 51 at an opened bottom end thereof forced into engagement with the coupling ribs 42 at the reduced front end of the connector 40, bundles of bristles 52 fastened to the face thereof, a longitudinal inside hole 53 for guiding toothpaste Z from the connector 40 to the bristles 52, and a transverse hole 54 across the longitudinal inside hole 53.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7 and Figure 4 again, the rotary switch 70 is turned in the transverse hole 54 on the brush head 50, having an angled groove 71. The rotary switch 70 is turned in the transverse hole 54 between the "ON" position where the angled groove 71 is connected to the longitudinal inside-,4ole 53 to guide toothp-Aste Z from the longitudinal inside hole 53 to the bristles 52, and the "OFF" position where tfe angled groove 71 is disconnected from the longitudinal inside hole 53, and the passage between the br4stles 52 and the longitudinal inside hole 53 is closed.

Referring to Figure 4B and Figures 3 and 4 again, the brush cover 60 is detachably fastened to the connector 40 to protect the brush head 50, having an inside annular groove 61 forced into engagement with the annular coupling flange 44 of the connector 40.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5 again, before the use of the toothbrush, the driving member 10 is rotated counter-clockwise to lower the sliding block 20 to the bottom limit position, enabling toothpaste Z to be filled in the barrel 30. When in use, the rotary switch 70 is turned to the "ON" position, then the driving member 6 is rotated clockwise to propel the sliding block 20, causing it to squeeze toothpaste Z out of the barrel 30 into the longitudinal through hole 43 of' the connector 40 and the longitudinal inside hole 53 of the brush head 50, enabling toothpaste Z to be applied to the bristles 52. Further, through the view window 33, the user can check visually the amount of toothpaste Z in the barrel 30. When toothpaste Z is used up, the sliding block 20 is lowered, then the connector 40 is disconnected from the barrel 30, and toothpaste Z can then be filled in the barrel 30 agaiR.

Referring to Figures 3 and 5 again, when the toothbrush is vibrated during brushing, the vibration sensor (not shown) of the circuit board 14 is triggered to drive a music IC (not shown), causing it to output a music through the speaker means 15.

Referring to Figures 8, 9 and 10, the brush head 50 may be variously embodied to fit different purposes or requirements.

While only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that various modifications and changes could be made thereunto without de arting from the spirit and scope of the invention disclosed.

p C> Further, the design of the present invention may be employed to for example a polishing brush for polishing shoes.

Z 7 8

Claims

CLAIMS:-

1. A toothbrush comprising container for holding a cleaning agent, a hollow brush head detachably fastened to the container by connection means, and a rotary driving member revolvably coupled to the container, rotation of said rotary driving member causing cleaning agent to be displaced from said container via said connection means to be dispensed from said hollow brush head.

2. A toothbrush comprising: a barrel holding a cleaning agent, said barrel comprising an opened front end, a closed bottom end, a neck raised from said opened front end, two longitudinal rails bilaterally raised from an inside wall thereof, an elongated view window at the periphery, and a bottom hole at the centre of said closed bottom end; a connector having a bottom end fastened to the neck of said barrel, a neck at a front end thereof, and a longitudinal through hole in communication with the inside space of said barrel for receiving the cleaning agent from said barrel; a sliding block moved in said barrel, said sliding block comprising a screw hole at the centre, and a plurality of longitudinal peripheral grooves repectively coupled to the longitudinal rails of said barrel; a driving member coupled to the closed bottom end of said barrel and turned relative to said barrel to move said sliding block along said longitudinal rails, said driving member comprising a screw rod inserted through the bottom hole and threaded into the screw hole on said sliding block; a brush head coupled to the neck of said connector, said brush head comprising bundles of bristles fastened to a face thereof, a longitudinal inside hole in communication with the longitudinal through hole of said connector for receiving the cleaning agent, and a transverse hole across the longitudinal inside hole; and a rotary switch mounted in the transverse hole on said brush head, said rotary switch having an angled groove and being turned between an "on" position where said angled groove is connected between the longitudina inside hole of said brush head and said bristles, enabling the cleaning agent to be moved from the longitudinal inside hole of said brush head to said bristles, and an "off" position where said angled groove is disconnected from the longitudinal inside hole of said brush head and the passage between the bristles and the longitudinal inside hole of said brush head is stopped.

3. The toothbrush of claim 2, wherein said driving member comprises a bottom chamber, a circuit board and 4 battery mounted in said bottom chamber, and a cap covered on said bottom chamber, said circuit board comprising a vibration-controlled music producing circiit means.