MXPA99011419A - Toothbrush with reservoir for dentifrice - Google Patents

Abstract

A disposable toothbrush with a built-in reservoir (2) for dentifrice, thereby avoiding the need for carrying around two separate items, i.e. the toothbrush and the toothpaste. The inventive disposable toothbrush includes means (18) for forcing dentifrice from the storage compartment through a conduit (7) in the neck portion (6) to the bristles (10) in a controlled manner at will.

Description

DENTAL BRUSH WITH DENTÍFRICO CONTAINER DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improved toothbrush with a container integrally formed for toothpaste. More particularly, the invention relates to a disposable toothbrush of the type mentioned, of economic construction, with a simple, compact and effective means for manually supplying toothpaste, mouthwash or other toothpaste to the head of the brush and to the bristles. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Dental brushes having an internally formed container have previously been suggested as a means of combining the characteristics of the toothbrush and the toothpaste, thus avoiding the need to carry or have two separate articles, the toothbrush and the toothbrush. toothpaste. Such a combination is considered a private job for travelers, businessmen, children and holiday makers. Ideally such a combination, if designed correctly, would have attributes of intrinsic attractiveness and convenience. Such aesthetic properties would encourage general or scattered use, initially by people traveling or moving and the latter would be adopted by the general population. An examination of the state of the art shows that previous inventions lack simplicity, convenience and cost effectiveness. Thus, in U.S. Patent 5,026,191 issued to Akly, the toothpaste is stored in the hollow brush holder and flowed outwardly into the head of the brush, near the base of the bristles by rotating a knob mounted at the opposite end of the toothbrush furthest from the brush head. The knob is fixed to a threaded rod mounted on the central axis of the hollow handle and when rotated causes a follower on the threaded rod to advance and force the paste via a connecting conduit in the neck and brush head out even the sows. The tracker is fitted with slots or pockets and the storage compartment with corresponding rails, to prevent the tracker from turning when the knob is turned. In a particular embodiment, the toothpaste compartment is sealed from the conduit connecting to the brush head by a seal or valve means, which means requires the opening of the seal or valve before the toothbrush can be used. . Alternatively, the toothbrush can be made disposable. There are two main disadvantages with Akly's patent. Firstly, mounting the knob on the opposite end of the toothbrush (farthest from the brush head) involves the drawback that two-hand operation of the device will be required. The user will have to grip the toothbrush with one hand, while operating the knob with the other hand. Secondly, the fact that the follower in the toothpaste compartment is mounted on a threaded rod and fits with slots to prevent it from rotating when the knob is turned, makes it very difficult to secure and maintain the seal and retention of the toothpaste in the storage compartment. During the operation of the knob, the imperfect seal could result in the leakage of the toothpaste beyond the follower, either via the central hole or at the periphery of the follower, with the consequent waste of material. Benichou in French Patent 2,592,287 discloses a disposable toothbrush incorporating dentifrice in the handle. In this device a miniature pump, hydraulically actuated by pressing a button projecting from the end of the handle closest to the head of the brush and located in a storage compartment of double-walled toothpaste, causes a portion of dentifrice to emerge from the brush head (in the bristles) via a duct in the neck of the brush and in the head of the brush. Even when this disclosure offers a convenient operation using a hand, has two main disadvantages. The miniature pump assembly is complex, with too many moving parts, which makes the device expensive. Secondly, the need for the storage compartment of double-walled toothpaste and the appreciable volume of the pump alone greatly decreases the available volume of dentifrice that can be carried on a handrail sized in a practical manner. For example, we specifically refer to a storage compartment of only 9 mm in diameter and a volume of dentifrice of only 1.5 to 4.5 cc. Since a toothpaste volume of 0.2 cc per tooth cleaning operation is normally required, it is clear that the Benichou toothbrush would allow only up to 22 cleaning operations. Not only is this device expensive, but it will last a few applications before it should be discarded. Laila B. Moussa in US patent 5439014 discloses a rechargeable or refillable toothbrush with a liquid toothpaste container. The brush holder is fitted with a flexible bellows and the head of the toothbrush with tiny holes. When the bellows is pressed or compressed the liquid toothpaste emerges above the head of the brush and inverting the toothbrush so that the head of the brush is on the highest part, the air pressure is balanced and the bellows becomes to expand. This invention has the disadvantage of being limited to the use of a liquid dentifrice, which lacks the superior teeth cleaning ability "of the other types.The operation of the device is uncomfortable since it rests in the support of the toothbrush in a Particular orientation during bellows oppression and dentifrice may tend to dry out and block the tiny dispensing holes.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION The present invention offers a means to overcome the limitations of the state of the art by introducing an improved means for forcing the dentifrice from the storage compartment through a conduit in the neck portion towards the bristles in a controlled manner, wherein said improvement includes: a rotating spindle mounted within the storage compartment near the neck section, which projects sealingly through at least one wall of the compartment, ending in a clamped head located outside the storage compartment, by means of which spindle can be rotated, a length of fixed cord and wound on the spindle, whose cord passes through the storage compartment and the enclosed toothpaste, said cord is fixed at "its other end to a piston or piston that has a cross section similar to that of the inside of the hollow handle, said piston Located at the end of the remote storage compartment or remote from the brush head and set to seal and prevent the toothpaste from escaping beyond the piston, said piston moves forward by means of the action of the connector cord when the head is clamped and the spindle are rotated, thus forcing the toothpaste from the storage compartment into the interior of the canal and outward to the head portion and the bristles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to obtain these means, the invention can be exemplified in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are illustrative only and that changes can be made to the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims. Figure 1 is a front view of the toothbrush, with the bristles perpendicular to the line of view of the observer. Figure 2 is a top view, with the bristles turned towards the observer. Figure 3 is a bottom view, with the bristles turned away from the observer. Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view, along line AA of Figure 1, seen as in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view, along line CC of Figure 2 , seen as in Figure 1. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line BB of Figure 1. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view, through the head of the brush, taken along the line DD of Figure 5 which includes a cover and an integrally formed seal optionally. Figure 8 is a section through the piston and the anchor showing part of the cord.

Detailed Description of the Invention As shown in Figures 1 to 8, the toothbrush with toothpaste container consists of a rigid hollow cylinder 1 of plastic, comprising the storage compartment 2 for toothpaste and serving as a handle or handle for hold the toothbrush. Suitable materials for this unit are polystyrene, ABS, SAN, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene and acrylic, in any form, whether transparent, translucent or opaque. The storage compartment has a fixed cross section, for example cylindrical, contains a suitable dentifrice such as toothpaste, gel or mouthwash, and is optionally fitted at an open end with a stopper 3. In one embodiment, the stopper or The section of the handle close to the cap may be fitted with a fastener to conveniently carry the toothbrush, for example in a shirt pocket. At its other end the cylinder tapers internally to a short end section 4 and accordingly its outer surface is provided with short and thick ribs 5 to increase clamping when the device is held in one hand. The hollow handle portion continues into the rigid long narrow neck section 6 with an internal duct 7 through which the dentifrice can flow. The neck section ends with the head of the brush 8 and the conduit continues towards the discharging orifice of dentifrice 9, through which the dentifrice can be discharged towards the base of the bristles 10.

Also a plurality of unloader orifices may be employed in the head of the brush. The head of the brush is optionally fitted with a cover 29, which can be inserted by means of a slight pressure action or clicking of the protuberances 31 in the lid. This cover is advantageously provided with a centrally mounted projecting rod 30 or rods, such that when placed in place on the head of the brush, the orifice or holes that normally provide the dentifrice to the bristles 12 are sealed by said rod or rods By this means the head of the brush is protected from the dust and the dentifrice of the germs and to dry. The simple mechanism for the discharge of toothpaste towards the head of the brush can now be described with particular reference to Figures 4 to 8. Located immediately before the beginning of the neck section is a "hole 11 which passes through one of the walls of the narrow end section 4. Inside this hole is inserted a plastic spindle 21, preferably with extensions similar to flexible fingers 22 at one end, carrying at its other end an externally mounted clamped head 23, for example a gnarled wheel or The knuckle-like extensions at the end of the spindle protrude through a plugged hole 14 in the opposite wall of the narrow end section 4 and open elastically towards the larger diameter section of the hole 14 in an action of click, avoiding the possibility of the spindle being pulled out of position, the spindle and its mounting holes have close tolerances and They effectively seal the storage compartment, so that the toothpaste will not escape by passing the mounting holes. The materials suitable for the spindle are polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene and acetal. Advantageously, the wheel 23 is flush with the rigid cylinder 1 by means of an external recess 15 in the external wall, in order to maintain a profiled and compact appearance for the device. The spindle 21 has a length of connecting or connecting cord 16 wound on it, which is linked, knotted or anchored, for example by an anchor or fastener 25, at one end in a hole 27 in the spindle. securing the cord to the spindle, such as a hook that locks into the hole to the spindle, can also be used Examples of suitable strands are synthetic materials such as polyester, nylon (nylon), aramid, teflon and kevlar, natural materials such as cotton and wool, and metals such as aluminum and stainless steel.The other end of the cord is attached to a piston or rigid piston 18, which has a cross section similar to that of the storage compartment.Preferably the cord is molded integrally in the piston during the injection molding process, this piston can pass through the full length of the storage compartment for toothpaste in a sealed manner when the cord is The piston has a projecting axial section with reduced diameter 19, which acts to push the final amount of toothpaste out of the narrow end section 4 when the plunger reaches the end of its traverse. In addition, the piston is advantageously fitted with an elastomeric seal 20 on the side facing the dentifrice to seal the toothpaste storage compartment and prevent the toothpaste from escaping past the plunger when the plunger advances. Suitable elastomer materials are soft plastics such as acetal and polypropylene, or rubbers such as nitrile, EPDM, silicones and fluoroelastomers. The operation of the mechanism for forcing toothpaste towards the brush head in the toothbrush incorporating toothpaste will now be described. The toothbrush can be advantageously marketed in a sealed bubble type air pack. Once the packaging is removed, the toothbrush would be grasped or held by the handle or handle in one hand and carry out the rotation of the clamped head 23 between the index finger and the thumb, in a preferred direction indicated by a suitable means, for example an arrow 24 marked on the wheel. The rotation of the spindle will wind the cord and pull the piston 18 along the preferably cylindrical storage compartment. The toothpaste would be forced through the neck canal and would emerge through the dentifrice discharging hole 9 or the holes in the base of the bristles 10 of the brush head. The amount of dentifrice that emerges is easily controllable and is proportional to the degree of rotation of the wheel. Apart from the features of the toothbrush being compact, simple and light, as well as the convenience of its operation with one hand, it should be appreciated that most of the length and volume of the storage compartment is available to store toothpaste. This ensures a good volume capacity for toothpaste in the device. A typical capacity for a device of this type having a total length similar to a conventional toothbrush would be about 20 cc. Of toothpaste. At the aforementioned dosage of Q.2 ce per application, there would be enough dentifrice in the toothbrush for about one hundred applications before being replaced, a significant advantage over prior art systems.

An additional advantage of the device is that the sections of the handle, the neck and the head of the brush are all of a molded part that allows the manufacture at a low cost. In other embodiments of the invention, the brush head assembly is made removable from the handle section by means of screw or pressure, which allows the brush head to serve for more than one handle section, or which allows the change during the use of different brushes or types of brushes. Optionally, the storage compartment can also be the element that is replaced. Although certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and also pointed out in the foregoing text and the appended claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the illustrated device and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims (13)

1 . A disposable toothbrush with a toothpaste container, comprising: (a) a hollow, elongated, open end handle portion, of which the internal volume, having a fixed cross section, serves as a storage compartment for dentifrice; (b) a head portion of the toothbrush with a plurality of bristles therein, having a conduit therein, and at least one hole opening from the conduit towards the bristles, the head portion of which is connected to the bristle. handle portion via (c) a neck section having a common conduit therein, open to the storage compartment in the handle at one end, and to the conduit at the head portion at its other end, such that the dentifrice can pass through said duct from the storage compartment through the neck section towards the head portion and up to the bristles; (d) said handle, the neck section and the head portion are formed in a molded part; (e) improved means for forcing the dentifrice from the storage compartment through the conduit to the bristles in a controlled manner, wherein said improved means include: (f) a rotating spindle mounted within the storage compartment near the neck section , sealingly projecting through at least one wall of the compartment, ending in a clamped head located in an "outer recess of the storage compartment and flat with the outer surface of the compartment, by means of which the spindle can be rotated; ) a cord length fixed and wound on the spindle, whose cord passes through the storage compartment and the enclosed toothpaste, is fixed at its other end to (h) a piston having a cross section similar to that of the interior of the hollow handle, located at the end of the remote storage compartment or remote from the head portion, adjusts to seal and to prevent the toothpaste from escaping beyond the piston, whose piston is moved forward by the tight action of the connector cord when the clamped head and the spindle are rotated, thus forcing the dentifrice from the storage compartment to the Inside the duct and out to the head portion and up to the bristles, the front of the piston has a protruding portion of reduced cross section, which can enter the reduced internal volume of the spindle portion at the end of the piston stroke to efficiently empty the final volume of toothpaste; e ~~ (i) a cap fitted on the open end of the brush holder after the piston is put in place.

2. A toothbrush as in claim 1, wherein the toothpaste is toothpaste, gel or mouthwash.

3. A toothbrush as in claim 1, wherein said piston is rigid and has an elastomeric seal ring attached thereto.

4. A toothbrush as in claim 1, wherein said internal cross-section of the hollow handle is cylindrical in shape.

5. A toothbrush as in claim 1, wherein said clamped head is configured as a knotted wheel.

6. A toothbrush as in claim 1, wherein said cord is integrally molded in the piston to form a single unit. A toothbrush as in claim 1, wherein said spindle with the clamped head is secured in its position by means of extensions similar to elastic fingers in the section opposite to the clamped head. 8. A toothbrush as in claim 1, wherein the end of the handle close to the neck section is provided with gripping stops. 9. A toothbrush as in claim 1, wherein said spindle has a centrally placed hole in its cross section. 10. A toothbrush as claimed in claim 9, wherein at the remote or remote end of the piston, said cord is integrally molded in a fastener with a diameter similar to that of the hole in the spindle. A toothbrush as in claim 10, wherein said cord is locked in the spindle by inserting said fastener into the screw hole and by a rotation of at least 360 °. A toothbrush as in claim 10, wherein at the remote end of the piston said cord is integrally molded in a hook that locks into the hole in the spindle. - ~~~ 13. A toothbrush as in claim 1, wherein said cord is selected from the group consisting of polyester, nylon (nylon), aramid, Teflon, Kevlar, cotton, wool, aluminum and stainless steel.