MX2008006891A - A dispensing toothbrush - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides an electrically driven dispensing device, particularly a toothbrush, utilising replaceable pressurised cartridges, of the bag-in-can type. The toothbrush has a'top- loading'structure in which the cartridge is housed in a recess at the brush end of the toothbrush handle, the recess being accessible by removing the brush head. Other features include an elastomeric valve outlet located on the brush head which can also function as a tooth wiping or polishing blade, and a non-linear drive shaft which enables the brush head to be driven from a motor located at the based end of the handle whilst keeping the handle slim in design. The invention further provides bag-in-can pressurised cartridges for use in such a brush. Advantages of such cartridges include the ability to uniformly dose dentifrice of high solids content, or dentifrice otherwise having a high viscosity. The invention further provides replaceable heads for such a brush.

Description

DISPACHATOR TOOTHBRUSH FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a dispensing toothbrush that can deliver a toothpaste with highly solid content by a convenient operation in which a button is depressed. The invention also relates to a replacement toothpaste cartridge useful for that brush. The invention even refers to constructions of those toothbrushes that facilitate the replacement of the toothpaste cartridges.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The fact remains that tooth brushing generally involves a process of squeezing toothpaste over the head of a toothbrush before brushing. It has been recognized for a long time that greater convenience could be provided if a toothbrush was provided with an internal receptacle from which the toothpaste would be dispensed during brushing, either intermittently or continuously. This approach can also facilitate a more balanced supply of the toothpaste throughout the brushing process. This idea is not new. For example, U.S. Pat. no. 730,040 exposes a toothbrush that has a simple receptacle to feed a liquid toothpaste into the brush bristle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,217,720 discloses a toothbrush that can contain more than one container of liquid dentifrice; the container (s) is (are) separate element (s) that are loaded (n) in the body of the toothbrush. U.S. Pat. no. 5,909,977 discloses a toothbrush dispensing toothbrush using a refillable cartridge for storing the dentifrice material and a compressible elastic button for pumping the toothpaste material to the brush head. An extension of the dispenser toothbrush concept in the field of electric toothbrushes is disclosed in U.S. Pat. no. 5,309,590, which describes a brush having hollow bristles through which the dentifrice flows. In addition to the best cleaning that electric toothbrushes usually provide, these provide special advantages for toothbrushes dispensers, such as the possibility of using a microprocessor to control the dispensing or use the power supply to pump the toothpaste to the head of the toothbrush. The patent no. WO 02/41801 discloses a dispensing toothbrush with electric power, comprising more than one product receptacle, which can selectively deliver two or more products simultaneously or sequentially. The supply can be controlled by a microprocessor. U.S. Pat. num. 2003/0221270 and 6,957,925 describe electric brushes in which the energy is used to pump toothpaste to the head of the toothbrush, as well as to drive the movement of the head of a toothbrush. He The first document describes a brush with a replaceable receptacle, and the last one, a brush with a permanent and rechargeable receptacle. Despite the apparent attractiveness of dispensing or "receptacle" toothbrushes and the several thousand designs that have been suggested to them throughout patent literature for several decades, they have not yet become commercially successful. on a large scale. U.S. Pat. no. 5,918,995 discloses a brush with an integral refillable container from which toothpaste can be pumped to the head of the brush by a manually operated diaphragm pump. A brush as described in the patent was marketed by Pump &Brush Finland Oy, but was not distributed on a large scale. The Fresh &Go ™ toothbrush was launched in the USA. in 2000. It is a disposable toothbrush aimed at travelers and, as such, the appeal is limited. In October 2004, the 'IntelliClean® System' was launched in the US market through an alliance between Royal Philips Electronics and The Procter & amp;; Gamble Company. This "sonic" toothbrush with power supply comprises a replaceable flexible sachet from which toothpaste can be pumped to the head of the brush by means of a manually operated diaphragm pump. Its long-term success in the market remains to be proven. An important technical problem that all these brushes must face is to reliably allow the toothpaste to move easily from the inner receptacle to the head of the toothbrush. In general, the toothpaste must be moved through a relatively long passage (in comparison with the neck of a tube of toothpaste), but narrow, whose dimensions are limited by the neck of the toothbrush. The problem is even more acute in the case of the head of an electrically driven brush because the brush neck also needs to accommodate the driving gears of the brush head. Moreover, the need for the handle to house an engine and batteries has led to many designs that require a long conduit feeding the toothpaste from the receptacle to the head of the brush, which further aggravates the problem of transporting the toothpaste to the toothbrush. the head of the brush. In practice, this has often meant that the toothpaste for dispensing brushes has had to be formulated with a lower viscosity than usual for many commercial toothpastes. This, in particular, imposes a restriction on the solids content of the dentifrice and limits its formulators. Many desirable toothpaste ingredients are best used in their solid form for reasons of stability (for matepales that can be hydrolyzed in solution) or for efficacy (such as an abrasive). A diaphragm pump the size of a toothbrush has difficulty sucking the replacement toothpaste from a receptacle if the toothpaste is of high viscosity. An alternative approach is to push the dentifrice into the bristles using, for example, a plunger or a threaded feeding plunger. See U.S. Pat. no. 6,056,466 for an example of this type. The transport mechanism is usually provided at the end of the brush handle, which is not easy to use during brushing as a button to press close to the neck. Some Toothbrushes have addressed this by using an activation feature on the neck for a base feeding plunger; see, for example, U.S. Pat. no. 6,142,694, which describes the Fresh &Go ™ toothbrush mentioned above, as well as US Pat. no. 6,957,925 mentioned above, which employs a threaded plunger of electrically operated feed. While these approaches address the problem of ease of activation, they do so at the expense of greater mechanical complexity, and raise concerns about the long-term reliability of the brushes. The inventor of the present has now developed a toothbrush dispenser which allows convenient operation, low mechanical complexity and easy replacement of the toothpaste receptacle. An important feature of the brush is a replaceable pressurized receptacle of the can-bag variety; the bag is loaded before use with a dentifrice, and the can containing propellant is between the bag and the can. The use of propellants to deliver toothpaste, even in a dispensing brush, is not new. U.S. Pat. no. 3,825,354 discloses a toothbrush with a hollow head in which the toothpaste can be injected from a separate aerosol can using a special adapter. Each of the following patents, US Pat. no. 2,987,743, from the USA no. 3,592,551, USA no. 3,606,555, USA no. 3,868,188, USA 3,910,706, USA no. 3,937,582, WO no. 86/02534, EP no. 437 706 and GB no. 2,313,774, describes a manual toothbrush or a similar oral applicator, whose handle comprises a container, in some cases, a replaceable cartridge, containing a mixture of toothpaste and propellant. The pressure of the propellant sends the paste through a conduit to the head of the brush. The disadvantages of incorporating the propellant into the pulp include the following: i) the pulp foams as the pressure is released; ii) as, progressively, the dentifrice receptacle is emptied, the density of the paste is reduced, and the amount of paste supplied does not remain uniform; iii) the remaining toothpaste may not contain enough propellant to be properly dispensed; and iv) when the propellant is in the same receptacle, dispensing the pulp from the latter, generally, works well when the receptacle is in a single orientation. In the U.S. patent no. 3,937,235, the pressure on the dentifrice is provided by a separate flexible bag containing Freon® propellant. This document contemplates that the total mango is replaced when the toothpaste is exhausted. In the U.S. patent no. 5,407,287, the pressure on the dentifrice is provided by a propellant driven by a plunger. In the FR patent no. 2 484 960, there is disclosed a toothpaste container of the 'can bag' type of construction, from which the dentifrice can be dispensed as an atomization. None of the exposures of toothpaste dispensers based on aforementioned propellants provide an appropriate structure for an electric toothbrush. The present invention provides a similar brush, with many advantageous features, as described in I presented. In particular, the invention provides an electrically driven toothbrush that uses replaceable aerosol cartridges with a bag-in-can system within a compact brush structure which, among other advantages, is easy to use and maintain by the end consumer, It can also be used in any orientation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an electrically driven dispensing device, particularly a toothbrush, which uses replaceable pressurized cartridges, of the bag-in-can type, within a compact structure that the end consumer can use and maintain easily. A highly preferred feature of the dispenser toothbrush of the present invention is the "top loading" structure, in which the cartridge is housed in a cavity at the brush end of the toothbrush handle; the cavity is accessed by removing the head of the brush. Other preferred features include an elastomeric valve outlet located in the brush head, which can also function as a tooth cleaner or polishing paddle, and a non-linear drive shaft that allows the brush head to be driven from a motor located at the end of the handle base, while maintaining the slim handle design. The invention also provides pressurized can-bag cartridges for use in that brush. The advantages of these cartridges include the ability to dose evenly the dentifrice with high solids content, or dentifrice that in some other way has a high viscosity. The invention also provides replaceable heads for this brush. It will be appreciated that many of the particular features of the present may be useful beyond the preferred embodiments of the present for other types of dispensing or electric brushes, or clearly for other types of dispensing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Now, the invention is described in greater detail with reference to the parts that make up the brushes and cartridges of the present invention, first in general terms, and then with reference to specific embodiments. Definitions Here, "dispenser toothbrush" refers to a toothbrush comprising a receptacle for containing a dentifrice and means for moving the dentifrice from the receptacle to an applicator from which it can be applied in the oral cavity. The applicator preferably comprises a set of bristles, but instead or additionally, comprises other elements capable of applying the dentifrice in the buccal cavity, such as a sponge or elastomeric pallets. The term "rechargeable" refers to a toothbrush or other device comprising a battery or a set of batteries, contained within a housing of the device; The battery is designed to last almost the entire life of the product and is able to receive the replenishment of its electrical charge while it remains in the housing of the device. The term "replaceable batteries" is intended to refer to batteries for which it is expected that they will be repeatedly removed from the housing of a device to be replaced by equivalent batteries charged or by the same batteries after being recharged in an external battery charger and placed in the device housing. The term "electrically driven" refers to a toothbrush or other device that comprises a movable part, such as the head of a toothbrush driven by electrical power. The term "replaceable cartridge" is used herein to refer to a unit for containing a dentifrice or other product, generally a fluid product, that can be removably inserted into a dispensing toothbrush or other dispensing device in accordance with the invention. , so that an empty cartridge can be replaced by a full one after the product has been completely dispatched, or that the cartridge, although not fully used, can be replaced with one that contains a different type of product. The term "Bag-in-can" refers to a container, generally rigid, pressurized and with two compartments, wherein the useful product in the container is contained within a flexible bag housed inside the container and sealed from the propellant which is maintained in the space between the bag and the outer wall of the container. A valve attached to the container allows the product to be dispensed when the valve is open, by the action of the pressure of the propellant on the flexible bag. The term "bag-in-can" here includes the terms "bag-on-valve" and "bi-can" which are used in the industry to describe containers with a similar construction of two compartments. In each of the cases, the term is extended to use of a container comprising two or more bags that may be connected to a common valve or to independent valves, for example, incompatible toothpaste materials that can be stored separately, but delivered together or sequentially. References to "longitudinal", as applied to the brushes and other dispensing devices herein, indicate a direction that generally extends along an axis from one end of the handle to one end of the head of the applicator. The references to '"transverse" indicate a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Toothbrushes Many of the features described herein would be useful in a variety of dispensing devices, such as toothbrushes, paint brushes, bath cleaners, hair brushes, razors and the like. However, the preferred embodiment herein is a dispensing toothbrush, particularly, an electrically driven toothbrush, and more preferably, a rechargeable electrically driven toothbrush. The electrically driven rechargeable toothbrush according to the invention comprises a handle and a removable and replaceable applicator head, especially an applicator head comprising at least one movable section. The handle has a housing for containing an electric motor to provide movement of the brush head by the intermediation of a drive shaft and gears, and a battery rechargeable to provide power to the motor. The handle also houses a pressurized bag-in-can cartridge and a control means for controlling, in particular, the engine or the fluid dispensing. The cartridge initially contains a dentifrice or other fluids and is replaceable when empty or if you wish to use a different type of fluid. The head of the applicator comprises a control shaft for moving both the head of the applicator and a conduit, such as a flexible tube, for transporting fluid from the cartridge to the head of the brush when it can be dispensed. Now the various elements will be described one by one. Cartridge The purpose of the cartridge is to provide a removable container for storing toothpaste inside the brush and allowing the delivery of the toothpaste to the head of the applicator. The product of the cartridge is preferably loaded into the handle of the toothbrush and then is attached to the head of the applicator when the head is attached to the handle. In some designs, the cartridge may remain attached to the head of the applicator when the head is removed from the handle. As an alternative possibility to load the cartridge, it can first be attached to the head of the applicator, and then both components are attached to the handle in a single action when the head and handle are assembled. The appropriate cartridges for a dispensing brush can take the form of a flexible sachet attached to the pump, as used in the IntelliClean® system described above. However, in this kind of system, it may be difficult for the pump to dispense high viscosity products. Another form of cartridge can be a piston-driven cylinder, as described in U.S. Pat. no. 6,142,694, wherein the piston is driven up the cylinder by a flexible cord. The flexible cord is attached to a wheel mounted on the body of the device or on the head of the brush. The wheel can be physically driven by the user or can be driven by the same motor used to drive the moving parts of the head of the applicator. The cartridge can also take the form of a bag in a delaminated bottle or bottle, where the bottle is flexible. When external pressure is applied to the bottle, such as through a window in the brush handle, the product is forced from the bottle towards the head of the applicator. When the pressure is released, the external air replaces the space previously occupied by the bag and the product contained in it. However, a highly preferred embodiment of the cartridge is a system with a bag-in-can pressurized valve. Cartridges of this type are known in the industry, are commercially available and can be filled using known methods. The cartridge has a wall rigid enough to hold the shape throughout its useful life. The valve comprises a valve foot that is external to the cartridge, and when depressed, the valve opens, and the product flows into a conduit connected to the valve foot, which leads to the head of the applicator. In a preferred embodiment herein the dispenser toothbrush comprises a handle portion to which the applicator head is removably mounted.; the handle portion comprises a cavity for housing the bag-in-can cartridge; The cavity has a longitudinal axis that is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the handle portion and an opening facing the end of the handle portion to which the applicator head is attached, where the cavity is accessed to insert and remove the cartridge when the applicator head detaches from the handle. This allows the cartridge to be easily replaced by another of a similar type while keeping the fluid flow path short, which helps prevent clogging. Preferably, the cartridge valve is a tilt valve, and thus the need for vertical or longitudinal movement of the valve foot or the cartridge is eliminated, thereby allowing the cartridge to be operated with a lateral movement by a push button or a tongue. arranged on a side surface of the handle or brush head. In an alternative embodiment, a system of levers may be used to perform the vertical or longitudinal movement of the valve foot in response to lateral movement by the user of a push button or of a tongue on the side of the handle or of the head of the valve. brush. In order to ensure the connection of the cartridge to the conduit or to provide a mechanism that allows the user to recognize which cartridges are suitable for the device, the valve foot may have a non-circular cross-section, or the cartridge may be provided with a protuberance adjacent to the valve foot, such that the conduit may have a corresponding cross section or a notch so that the cartridge fits properly to the head of the brush.

The flexible bag inside the bag-in-can cartridge contains the fluid, especially a toothpaste, to dispense. An advantage of the bag-in-can system is that the pressurizing propellant is kept separate from the dentifrice. This prevents the propellant from entering the user's mouth, which gives greater flexibility in the choice of propellant, and also prevents the dentifrice from foaming prematurely, which will usually contain a surfactant and will usually be watery. An additional advantage of the pressurized bag-in-can system is that the dentifrice is expelled from the cartridge, which allows dispensing high viscosity compositions, such as those comprising a high level of solids. In preferred embodiments herein, a dispensed dentifrice comprises at least 5%, preferably, at least 10%, more preferably, at least 15% particulate solids. Another advantage is that the toothpaste can be dispensed independently of the orientation of the brush, which is particularly useful for dispensing more paste while the brush is in use. Moreover, a cartridge of the present may comprise more than one bag, such as two or even three bags. This may be advantageous when it is desired to use dentifrice ingredients that are sufficiently incompatible with each other so as to make long-term stable storage in the same formulation impossible. By way of example, a pouch can include a dentifrice formulation comprising hydrogen peroxide, or a persalt that releases hydrogen peroxide, and a second pouch within the same cartridge could contain a dentifrice formulation comprising a metal ion or a pH modifier to activate hydrogen peroxide. Preferably, the cartridge comprises a single propellant chamber which pressurizes both bags. Alternatively, the cartridge can be divided into different compartments, each of which comprises a separate bag and propellant chamber. This can be an advantage if the formulations of the toothpaste or the toothpaste inside the bags have substantially different rheologies and it is still desired to dispense each one at the same speed, since the different propellant pressures can be used to modify the speeds of dispatch. The bags can be connected to a common valve in such a way that the toothpaste formulations are dispensed together when the valve is activated. As an alternative modalityEach bag can have its own valve, which can be activated independently of the others. In this way, the sequential dispatch of two or more formulations can be achieved while maintaining the convenient advantage of having a single replaceable cartridge. The dimensions of the cartridge are chosen to suit the handle of the brush in which it is stored, and are suitable from about 15 mm to about 25 mm, preferably about 20 mm in diameter and from about 50 to about 90 m in total length. This cartridge can easily accommodate from about 15 to about 75 mL of toothpaste. Applicator head The electric toothbrush of the invention comprises an applicator head having at least one movable section. The head will generally comprise a hollow neck portion, relatively narrow and elongated, which allows the operative part of the head to reach the back of a user's mouth without causing discomfort. For greater convenience of use, the neck portion can be angled or curved. In preferred embodiments, the head of the applicator is detachable from the handle portion of the toothbrush. In the industry, many structures are known for attaching a head of applicator to a handle removably, for example, bayonet fittings or tongues and notches operating together. The head generally comprises a control shaft of the head which engages a control shaft in the handle when the head is attached to the latter. The mechanisms for doing so are known in the industry, such as those described in patent WO 01/19281. The control shaft can be rotary or alternative; an alternative axis is preferred. In preferred embodiments, the head of the applicator comprises a set of brushing elements projecting from the head. For a toothbrush, the elements will usually project perpendicularly with respect to a longitudinal axis of the head. The brushing elements may be those conventionally used in toothbrushes, particularly bristles or bristle bunches. The bristles may be traditional polyamide bristles or they may be made of an elastomer to be more suitable for massaging the gums. The head of the applicator may comprise more than one moving section, as described in WO 03/039393, or may comprise a movable section located adjacent a static brush section, as described in EP 990 401. The head will further comprise a conduit of fluid to deliver toothpaste from the cartridge to a delivery point on the head. This conduit will generally engage the valve foot of the bag-in-can cartridge described herein when the head is attached to the handle. Preferably, the conduit will have an internal diameter of at least 2 mm. A flexible tube made of, for example, silicone rubber may be used to form an appropriate conduit along all or part of the path of the fluid flow. In an alternative construction, the conduit can at least be partially formed by the hollow interior of the neck portion; An internal partition wall portion can be used to divide the inside of the neck into a fluid conduit and a channel to house the conductive gears. The use of the walls of an applicator head to form at least part of the fluid conduit is described in WO 2005/05187. One advantage of using the inside of the neck as a fluid conduit is that it allows the use of a wider conduit to facilitate fluid flow, while keeping the neck relatively narrow. The conduit has a first end that engages the valve foot of the cartridge. Preferably, this end is provided by a funnel-shaped nozzle to help locate the rod within the conduit. If the valve foot and the first end of the duct are made of a relatively soft plastic, such as polypropylene polyethylene, a frictional fit between the two can allow a fluid tight seal. As indicated above, the first end of the conduit can have a particular non-circular cross-section or a notch so that only one valve foot with the correct shape fits it. A second end of the conduit opens in at least one hole in the head of the applicator and forms a fluid delivery point. Of course, more than one dispatch point can be provided. Preferably, a supply valve is fitted to the orifice or each of them to prevent accidental leakage of the dentifrice and to protect the dentifrice from drying out when the brush is not in use. An appropriate supply valve is a slotted valve made of an elastomer, so that the valve opens automatically when the fluid in the duct is pressurized and closed when the pressure is released. A preferred form of slotted valve is a flat-mouth valve. Suitably, the flat-mouth valve is made of an elastomer having a Shore A hardness of 25 to 85, preferably, 35 to 70. When such hardness is used in the elastomer, the flat-mouth valve can be made to execute the double function of polishing element or massager, as well as dispensing the toothpaste. In these cases, the flat-mouth valve preferably has a width of at least 5 mm. In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the head of the applicator comprises a set of brushing elements, the longest of which project from the head with a first length, and therefore minus a flat-mouth valve projecting from the head with a second length, wherein the second length is from about 50% to about 150%, preferably, from about 80% to about 120% of the first length. The delivery valve may be located in a fixed portion of the applicator head. Returning to the fluid conduit, its first end may preferably be displaced laterally, i.e., moved at right angles to the head of the toothbrush. This can be easily arranged if at least this end of the duct comprises a flexible tube. In this way, a button may be provided on the neck of the head of the applicator; the button is exposed on the outside of the head and can be depressed such that it rests against the first end of the duct and displaces it laterally. When the first end of the conduit is coupled to a tilt valve in the cartridge, a simple mechanism is provided for a user to activate the fluid dispensing function of the brush. The entire head of the applicator can be economically manufactured in such a way that the replacement heads can be sold at a reasonable cost. The handle of the toothbrush The portion of the handle of the electrically driven rechargeable toothbrush forms the cartridge housing, an electric motor, one or more batteries and control means for controlling, in particular, the motor or the fluid dispensing. The portion of the handle has a first end which is it joins the head and a second oppo end on which the brush can be stopped when it is not in use. The motor will be, generally, coupled to conductive gears within the handle comprising a drive shaft; the control shaft of the handle is coupled to the control shaft of the head, as described above, when the head is attached to the handle. The driving gears may comprise gears or motion converters, for example, to transform a rotary movement of the motor into an alternative action of the drive shaft. While replaceable batteries can be used to power the motor, rechargeable batteries are preferred, so that the handle can be supplied as a sealed unit. In this case, the handle will generally also contain a loading coil. Additional features can also be incorporated, such as a load indicator. The control means will generally comprise a microprocessor and one or more switches. A preferred construction for the handle consists of a central support structure to which external parts of the handle housing are fixed. The structure has first and second ends corresponding to those of the handle and comprises cavities in which the cartridge, the motor and the battery can be inserted; It also has external sleeves and fasteners to fix and guide the control shaft. Since in this embodiment, the control shaft runs along the lateral part of the handle in order to deviate from the cartridge, a highly preferred feature is that it is at least articulated on the control shaft, which allows the rod is not linear, while still transmitting an alternative movement. This arrangement allows the handle to remain thin. It is highly advantageous that the handle comprises a cavity at its first end for housing the cartridge. This cavity has a longitudinal axis that is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the handle portion and an opening facing the first end of the handle, through which the cavity is accessed to insert and remove the cartridge when the applicator head is detached. This cavity is suitably formed in the central support structure of the handle. The particular advantage of this arrangement is that the valve foot of the cartridge is at the first end of the handle and can be directly coupled to the fluid conduit in the head of the applicator, such that the handle portion does not need to contain any fluid conduit per se. The structure may further comprise a second cavity for housing the motor. Preferably, the second cavity is formed in the lateral part of the structure, such that the motor shaft is oriented transversely within the brush. A third cavity at the second end of the structure houses the battery. The main components of the battery, the motor and the cartridge are, therefore, arranged longitudinally inside the handle and located in the order of battery, motor and cartridge, in the direction of the second end to the first end of the handle. The invention is now described in more detail with reference to the particular preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electrically rechargeable driven toothbrush, in accordance with the invention. The head has two brush movement plates, but the bristle bunches have been omitted to more clearly show the flat mouth dispensing valve. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the handle of the toothbrush of Figure 1 with the outer housing portions removed to illustrate the internal parts and construction. Figure 3 is a perspective view of a cartridge according to the invention. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the structure of the toothbrush of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the head of the toothbrush of Figure 1 with the outer housing portions removed so that they can be removed. see the component parts and the construction. Description of the preferred embodiment With reference to Figures 1 to 4, an electrically driven and rechargeable dispensing toothbrush 1 according to the invention comprises an applicator head 2 and a handle 3. The handle 3 contains a motor 4 and an axis of handle control 5. The motor is coupled to the control shaft by means of a crank 6 which transforms a rotating action of the motor in an alternative action of the control shaft. The control shaft of the handle is supported on an external face of the central structure 7, illustrated separately in Figure 4. A first cavity 9 at a first end of the structure houses a bag-in-can cartridge 10, illustrated separately in Figure 3. The cavity 9 is open towards the first end of the structure in such a way that the cartridge can be easily inserted or removed, but is closed on all other surfaces such that when the handle is fully assembled, the cartridge remains isolated from the other operative parts of the handle. The structure further includes a second transverse cavity 8 for housing the motor 4. The structure 7 includes a third cavity at its second end 11 for inserting a rechargeable battery (not shown). A charging coil 12, for recharging the battery, is fitted around the second end of the structure. The handle also includes an on-off switch 13 to operate the motor. A printed circuit 14 provides the circuit system for operating the electronic parts of the brush. The cartridge 10, which contains a toothpaste, is adjusted by an inclining valve 15 extending outwards, along the longitudinal axis of the cartridge. The transverse movement of the tilt valve opens it, which allows the pressurized gas inside the cartridge to eject the dentifrice through the valve. Referring now to Figures 1 and 5, the toothbrush 1 includes a detachable applicator head 2 that is held on the handle 3. The handle includes an elongated curved neck 16 and a head control shaft (not shown) that engages the control shaft of the handle 5 when the head is attached to the handle. The control shaft of the head is coupled to two moving bristle plates (not shown in Figure 5). The bristle plate 17 is coupled to the control shaft of the head for longitudinal reciprocating movement. The bristle plate 18 is coupled to the control shaft of the head for oscillating movement. Each bristle plate comprises a conventional amount of bristle bunches (not shown). The bundles extend from the head to a length of 10 mm. In the fixed portion of the head between two moving bristle plates, there is a flat mouth valve 19 extending from the head to a length of 10 mm. The head 2 includes a flexible tube (not shown) that acts as a conduit for dispensing the dentifrice from the cartridge in the handle to the flat-mouth valve 19. The flexible tube has a first end that terminates in a nozzle 20 for receiving the valve 15 of the cartridge 10. A second end of the tube ends in a hole in the head to which the flat-mouth valve 19 is attached. When the dentifrice is released from the cartridge as the tilt valve is opened, the valve 15 is released., the toothpaste forces the opening of the flat mouth valve 19 and is dispensed. The flat-mouth valve 19 is made of an elastomer 50 with a Shore A hardness and has a width of 10 mm along the transverse axis of the head. It has a slight curvature along the transverse axis to curve around the oscillating bristle plate 18. The flat-mouth valve 19 is sufficiently long relative to the bristle bunches of the bristle plates 17 and 18 to act effectively as a polishing element, as well as a dispensing point for the toothpaste.

As described above, the nozzle 20 receives the shank of the tilt valve 15 of the bag-in-can cartridge when the head 2 is attached to the handle 3. There is a frictional fit between the valve foot and the nozzle so such that they form a hermetic seal to the fluids to prevent the leakage of the dentifrice. A push-button 21 is attached to the nozzle 20 and is pressed elastically by a button 22 on an external face of the head 2. When the brush is assembled and the button 22 is depressed, the nozzle 20 is deflected to one side and thus moves the inclination valve 15, whereby the valve is opened and the dentifrice can be dispensed. When the button is released, the tilt valve 15 returns to its vertical position and closes, whereby the pressure is released on the dentifrice in the duct and the flat-mouth valve can be sealed 19. Reference key for the parts shown in the figures The following list provides a key for the part numbers used in the figures and their previous description. 1 Dispenser toothbrush 2 Applicator head 3 Handle 4 Motor 5 Handle shaft 6 Handle 7 Structure 8 Second cavity 9 First cavity 10 Bag-in-can cartridge 11 Second end of the structure 12 Load coil 13 On-off switch 14 Printed circuit 15 Tilt valve 16 Neck 17 Alternative bristle plate 18 Bristle swing plate 19 Flat-mouth valve 20 Nozzle 21 Push button 22 Push button The first angle is measured in side view and is defined between a long axis of the first cleaning element or rubber massage and a tangent line (t). Instead, unless otherwise specified, each of these dimensions will mean both the aforementioned value and a functionally equivalent range that encompasses that value. For example, a dimension expressed as "40 mm" will be understood as "approximately 40 mm".

Claims (20)

1. A dispenser toothbrush (1) comprising: a) an applicator head (2) comprising at least one fluid delivery point; b) a bag-in-can cartridge (5) for containing a fluid dentifrice; the cartridge includes a valve (15); and c) a fluid conduit (6) for dispensing the dentifrice to the head of the brush; the fluid conduit has a first end and a second end; the first end is in continuous communication with the cartridge valve, and the second end is in continuous communication with at least one fluid delivery point.

The dispenser toothbrush according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an electric motor (4) for providing movement to a movable part (3) of the head of the applicator (2).

3. The dispenser toothbrush according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a rechargeable battery (7) for supplying power to the motor.

4. The dispenser toothbrush according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the head of the applicator comprises at least one flat mouth valve (19) through which the dentifrice is dispensed.

5. The dispenser toothbrush according to claim 4, further characterized in that the flat mouth valve has a width of at least 5 mm.

6. The dispensing toothbrush according to claim 4, further characterized in that the head of the applicator comprises a set of brushing elements, the longest of which project from the head with a first length, and the mouth valve flat (19) projects from the head with a second length, and because the second length is from 50% to 150%, preferably, from 80% to 120% of the first length.

The dispenser toothbrush according to any of claims 4 to 6, further characterized in that the flat mouth valve is made of an elastomer having a shore A hardness of 25 to 85, preferably, 35 to 70.

8 The dispenser toothbrush according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the bag-in-can cartridge (5) contains a dentifrice comprising at least 15% particulate solids.

9. The dispenser toothbrush according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the valve (15) is a tilt valve.

10. The dispenser toothbrush according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that it comprises a handle portion having a first end to which the head of the applicator is detachably connected, a first cavity (9) for housing the cartridge of bag-in-can (5) formed on the first end of the handle; the first cavity has a longitudinal axis that is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the handle portion and an opening facing the first end of the handle, and because the first cavity is accessed to insert and remove the cartridge when the applicator head ( 2) is detached.

The dispensing toothbrush according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that it comprises a handle portion; the handle portion comprises a support structure (10) to which external parts of the handle housing are fixed.

The dispenser toothbrush according to claim 11, further characterized in that the structure (10) comprises the first cavity (9) for housing the bag-in-can cartridge (5).

The dispenser toothbrush according to claim 12, further characterized in that the structure (10) comprises a second cavity (8) for housing a motor (4).

14. The dispenser toothbrush according to claim 13, further characterized in that the structure (10) comprises a third cavity for housing a battery (7).

15. The dispenser toothbrush according to claim 9, further characterized in that the first end of the fluid conduit (6) can be moved laterally, and thus the inclination valve (15) of the cartridge is activated.

16. A bag-in-can cartridge (5) including a valve (15) and an external valve foot for operating the valve, characterized in that the valve foot has a cross section that is not circular.

17. A bag-in-can cartridge (5) containing a fluid dentifrice, characterized in that the dentifrice comprises at least 15% particulate solids.

18. A bag-in-can cartridge (5) comprising two bags within the cartridge; Each bag contains a fluid dentifrice.

19. A bag-in-can cartridge (5) according to any of claims 16 to 18, further characterized in that the cartridge comprises a tilt valve (15).

20. A replaceable head for an electrically driven dispenser toothbrush; the head comprises: a) a control shaft of the head, b) at least one fluid delivery point; c) a fluid conduit (6) for dispensing dentifrice at the fluid delivery point; the fluid conduit has a first end and a second end; the first end comprises means of attachment to a fluid source contained within the handle of the toothbrush, and the second end is in continuous communication with at least one fluid delivery point; and d) a button (22) on an outer surface of the head, characterized in that the first end of the fluid conduit (6) moves laterally in response to movement of the button.