MXPA05003764A - Toothbrush package. - Google Patents

Abstract

Attractiveness of consumer products is enhanced by use of scintillating fluorescent light collecting fibers (10) contained in those products. The fibers (10) collect ambient light of various wavelengths, some not visible, along their length which is collected within the fiber (10) and emitted as visible light at the ends (14) of the fibers (10). The emitted light can be used to enhance the consumer appeal of the product or promote its use. Specific consumer products disclosed include toothbrushes (16) and liquid soap dispensers (32).

Description

TOOTHBRUSH PACKAGING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Consumer research shows that purchases of toothbrushes are often based on impulse decisions. Therefore, the appearance of a toothbrush and / or its packaging can play a role in the formulation of the purchase decision. For marketing purposes, it is also useful that the toothbrush or its packaging have a look that draws attention to the shelf. Also, the use of the toothbrush, particularly by young people, can be improved if that brush has an attractive and novel appearance. Others have taken several approaches to create a visually attractive toothbrush and / or packaging.

One approach is illustrated in U.S. Patent No. 4,779,173 issued December 14, 1986. This patent discloses a battery operated focus on a toothbrush handle. The focus light is transmitted to the head of the toothbrush through a plurality of plastic filaments (column 4, row 64 to column 5, row 24). Another patent describing light from a power source, for example LED or laser, carried to a toothbrush head through fibers is in U.S. Patent No. 5,030,090.

U.S. Patent No. 5,121,462 describes a process for making flashing optical fibers. U.S. Patent No. 5,588,084 provides additional details of scintillation enhancement flours and wave change dyes uniformly dissolved in the core or fiber material and the coating which serve to protect the core and allow the fiber functioning as an "optical pipe". The coating layer has a refractive indicia which is lower than that of the core so that the light rays are retained within the fiber core and are transported along their length to appear as visible light at the ends of the fiber. fibers. With the twinkling fibers, the light emitted at the ends is picked up from the ambient light that enters the side of the fibers so that an LED and battery are not required to generate the light emitted from the fiber ends. Another patent related to the twinkling fibers is the Patent of the United States of America No. 6,078,052 granted on June 20, 2000.

U.S. Patent No. 5,813,855 discloses an illuminated toothbrush wherein a light source activated in the toothbrush handle directs light toward the cleaning elements or bristles in the head of the toothbrush. The bristles are illuminated by the light that moves from the source in the handle through the toothbrush handle and up to the head. There it hits on a surface that has become rough from the bristles embedded in the head. The light then shines from the ends of the bristles. Another illuminated toothbrush is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,160,194 in which a battery-operated light shines directly on the user's teeth.

SYNTHESIS OF THE INVENTION This invention uses scintillating fluorescent light collection fibers to illuminate various consumer products and packaging for such products. The light that comes out of the ends of such fibers is used to attract the attention of consumers to the products contained in the package. For consumers, the visible ends of the fibers appear to glow as if they were activated, for example, by a battery-operated bulb. However, these fibers do not use any light sources with power to produce this effect. The ambient light around the fibers is collected through the sides of the fibers and is transmitted through the fibers as an optical pipe and emanate from the fiber end as a relatively bright light.

An illustrated embodiment of this invention is a toothbrush with a transparent or translucent handle. Embedded within the handle is an array of scintillating fluorescent light collection fibers which end near the base of the cleaning elements or bristles on the toothbrush head. If the fibers end at the base of the bristles, the light from the fibers can be distributed through all the bristles so that the bristles take on a shine. If a point of light is preferred, the flashing fluorescent light collection fibers can be placed inside the bristles so that they extend to or near the working surface of the bristles. This provides a bright light displayed within the bristles that catches the attention of potential consumers who observe the toothbrush in the store.

The light inside the bristles also provides an attractive and novel appearance that can attract one to use the toothbrush, especially the young. Since regular use is the most important element of oral hygiene, the novelty of an illuminated toothbrush provides an important induction and a reminder to young people of the use of the toothbrush. Because the collection / scintillation fibers are continuously collecting light from the environment and displaying it through the fiber ends the novel shape of the bristles is always presented to the user or to the potential consumer as long as there is some ambient light around the brush of teeth.

A package for the toothbrush preferably has a transparent or translucent portion that generally corresponds to the area of the toothbrush containing the twinkling fluorescent light collection fibers. This allows ambient light around the package to enter the fibers whether they emit light at the ends of the fiber. The light shines out of the transparent / translucent part of the container to attract potential consumers who might be buying a toothbrush.

In other embodiments of the invention, the ends of the twinkling fluorescent light collection fibers can be placed at various points along the length of the toothbrush (other than the head) to create novel light spots in the body of the toothbrush. The lighting pattern can also be used to attract consumers or potential users.

In another embodiment, the flashing fluorescent light collection fibers can be embedded in the package of any number of consumer products, for example, a liquid soap dispenser, or a shampoo bottle. If the packed material is translucent or transparent in the area of the fibers, ambient light will reach the fibers causing the ends of the fibers to emit light. This light can be used as an adjunct or auxiliary for the graphics on the packaging, thus attracting consumers and encouraging them to use after purchases.

In all these additions, the light of different color can be created by colored fibers, for example, using green, amber and red fibers.

More information regarding these fibers is available from the network site of a manufacturer of such fibers, Poly-Optical Products, Inc. of Irving, California (www.poly-optical.com).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 illustrates a toothbrush of the prior art 2 using a battery activated light 4 in which light is transmitted to the bristles embedded through the fibers 6, but not to the fibers of this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a flashing fluorescent light collection fiber of this invention.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a toothbrush containing embedded fibers to illuminate the bristles of the toothbrush.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of a toothbrush package containing a toothbrush illuminated with fiber.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view in elevation showing the flashing fluorescent light collection fibers embedded within the toothbrush bristles.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of an electric toothbrush with light picking fibers in the handle.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of a liquid soap dispenser bottle with twinkling fluorescent light collection fibers illuminating the ornamental features of the bottle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Figure 2 schematically illustrates a typical twinkling fluorescent light collection fiber 10 ("scintillating fibers"). This flashing fiber 10 collects light of many wavelengths, visible or not visible to the naked eye, along its length 12 and emits light at each end 14 of the fiber in the visible range. Therefore, the light is always "on" with this fiber and a light source with power, for example, an LED and a battery is not necessary as has been used in the prior art such as the device described in the United States of America 5,813,855 (see Figure 1).

Figure 3 illustrates the scintillating fibers 10 embedded in the toothbrush 16. These extend from the handle 18 to the head 20 of the toothbrush. At least some part of the toothbrush 16 must be transparent or translucent to allow ambient light to reach the outer surface 12 of the fibers 10. As illustrated in this Figure, one end 14 of the fiber 10 ends immediately at one side of the cleaning elements or bristles 22 mounted on the head 20 of the toothbrush 16. The cleaning elements 22 can be mounted or fixed on the head 20 of the toothbrush 16 in a manner that the light emitted from one end 14 of the fiber 10 is transmitted through the cleaning elements 22 so that the light is easily seen by the potential consumer of the toothbrush 16 when it passes through the area where the toothbrushes are sold. In a similar vein, the illuminated bristles 22 can form an attractive light pattern to encourage the use of the toothbrush and thus improve the oral hygiene of potential users, particularly the young. As previously discussed, the fibers 10 can be treated with various chemicals to emit various colors of light from their ends 1. This provides an additional attraction to consumers and users.

Any suitable form of the cleaning elements can be used as the cleaning elements 22 in the embodiment of Figure 3 of this invention.

Figure 5 shows an alternate embodiment for displaying the light collected in a twinkling fiber 10. In this embodiment, the twinkling fiber 10 is bent inside the head 20 so that the end 14 of the fiber 10 extends above the face 21 from the head 20 to a term at or around the working end 23 of the cleaning elements 22. Thus, the ambient light collected in the fibers 10 is emitted as visible light from the ends 14 of the flashing fiber 10 in a point where light is seen directly by potential consumers or potential users. This incorporation provides a more direct and bright light within the cleaning elements 22. In this embodiment, the cleaning elements themselves do not need to be transparent or translucent because they are not in themselves transmitters of light.

A container 24 containing the toothbrush 16 is illustrated in Figure 4. At least that portion 26 of the container 24 covering the fibers 10 in the toothbrush 16 must be transparent or translucent to allow ambient light reaching the flashing fibers 10 and allowing the vision of the light emitted from the ends 14 of the fibers 10. To facilitate the discussion, Figure 4 is shown without the cleaning elements 22 in place. Such elements can typically be arranged with respect to the fiber ends 14 on the head 22 in a manner similar to that shown in Figures 3 or 5.

The term "cleaning elements" is intended to be used in a generic sense which may include conventional fiber bristles or massage elements or other forms of cleaning elements such as elastomeric walls or fingers arranged in a circular cross-sectional shape or any type of desired shape including the straight parts or the sinosoidal parts. Where the bristles are used, the bristles can be mounted on the blocks or bundle sections by extending through the appropriate openings in the bundle blocks so that the base of the bristles is mounted inside or under the bundle of bundles .

It will be understood that the specific illustration of the cleaning elements is merely for example purposes. This invention can be practiced with various combinations of the same or different cleaning element configurations (such as the bristles of molding technology within or stapling, etc.) and / or with the cleaning element or bristle materials ( such as nylon bristles, spiral bristles, rubber bristles, etc.). Similarly, even when Figures 3 and 5 illustrate the cleaning elements as being generally perpendicular to the face of the head 20, some or all of the cleaning elements may be angled or at various angles. It is therefore possible to select the combination of cleaning element configurations, materials and orientations to achieve specific intended results to deliver additional oral health benefits, such as improved cleaning, polishing of teeth, bleaching of the teeth and / or the massage of the gums.

Figure 6 illustrates a toothbrush 16A which includes a power-driven movable section or disc 28 having elements on the head 20 of the toothbrush 16. The movable section 28 can be rotationally oscillated such as by use of the type of toothbrush. drive mechanism shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,625,916, or it may be moved in and out using the type of drive mechanism shown in U.S. Patent No. Reissue No. 35,941; all the details of both patents are incorporated herein by reference thereto. Alternatively, the other types of drives mentioned above may move section 28 in other ways and directions. Although Figure 6 shows the end section 28, being at one end of the head 20, the movable section or sections 28 can be located at any desired location on the head 20.

The non-activated cleaning elements 22 in Figure 6 may be illuminated as described above. Alternatively or additionally, the twinkling fibers 10 can be embedded in the transparent or translucent portions of the handle 18A of the toothbrush with power 16A to emit light from the ends 14 of the twinkling fibers 10. The interrupter 30 can be used for regulate the activated characteristics of toothbrush 16A.

The scintillating fibers 10 of this invention have a wide application in a variety of products for the consumer. One such product, a liquid soap dispenser 32 is shown in Figure 7. As illustrated, the flashing fibers 10 are embedded in translucent or transparent parts of the dispenser 32.

In at least one end 14 of the fiber 10 is directed towards the surface of the spout. The visible light emitted from the end 14 of the fiber 10 can be used to improve the decorative patterns contained on the side of the bristle 32.

Claims (6)

1. An illuminated consumer product comprising a body, portions thereof being sufficiently translucent or transparent to allow ambient light to enter, flashing fluorescent light collection fiber lengths arranged in at least some of those body parts, at least one end of some of the fibers being directed towards the outer surface of the body of the consumer product wherein the light emitted from the end of the fiber can be seen by a person observing or using the product for the consumer.

2. The product for the illuminated consumer as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that it comprises a toothbrush having cleaning elements on the head thereof.

3. The product for the illuminated consumer as claimed in clause 2, characterized in that at least one end of at least some of the flashing fluorescent light collection fibers are located on one side of the cleaning elements on the head of the toothbrush.

4. The product for the illuminated consumer as claimed in clause 2 characterized in that at least some of the flashing fluorescent light collection fibers have ends located outside or near the working surface of the cleaning elements.

5. A package for a consumer product comprising a cover for that product, at least some part of the cover being sufficiently transparent or translucent to allow the entry of ambient light into the interior of the container, a product for the consumer within of the container containing flashes of fluorescent light collection fibers, the ends of the fibers being located inside the product in positions where they can be seen by one observing the package.

6. A container for consumer product containing scintillating fluorescent light collection fibers, the ends of which can be seen by one observing the container. SUMMARY The attractiveness of consumer products is enhanced by the use of scintillating fluorescent light collection fibers contained in those products. The fibers collect ambient light of various wavelengths, some not visible, along their length which is collected within the fiber emitted as visible light at the ends of the fibers. The light emitted can be used to improve the attraction to the consumer of the product to promote its use. The specific consumer products described include toothbrushes and liquid soap dispensers.