US20180255914A1

US20180255914A1 - Small-sized hand-operated rotatable toothbrush

Info

Publication number: US20180255914A1
Application number: US15/822,322
Authority: US
Inventors: Il Joo LEE
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-03-09
Filing date: 2017-11-27
Publication date: 2018-09-13
Also published as: KR20180103226A; KR101906978B1

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a hand-operated rotatable toothbrush in which toothbrush bristles are mounted on a toothbrush body and which is rotatable by a hand. The hand-operated rotatable toothbrush includes: a toothbrush body including a toothbrush head configured to have a hollow toothbrush bristle accommodation portion; and a toothbrush bristle body including a toothbrush bristle base configured to have a fastening means M formed along the center of the side surface of the toothbrush bristle base in a circumferential direction. A fastening means configured to engage with the fastening means of the toothbrush bristle base is formed along the center of the side surface of the inside of the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion in a circumferential direction. An elongated groove is formed to extend downward from the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion toward a toothbrush neck in order to ensure a space for the attachment and detachment of toothbrush bristles.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to a hand-operated rotatable toothbrush which is designed in a small size for an infant or a person who cannot use a large-sized toothbrush, and more specifically to a hand-operated rotatable toothbrush which is capable of significantly reducing the size of a toothbrush, particularly the size of the head of a toothbrush on which toothbrush bristles are planted.

2. Description of the Related Art

A typical toothbrush is configured such that toothbrush bristles are fastened onto the head of the toothbrush. Accordingly, there is no method capable of moving the toothbrush bristles a lot while slightly moving a toothbrush body, and thus a hand and a wrist are used a lot during tooth brushing.
An electric toothbrush is configured to brush teeth by means of an electric motor. When a toothbrush body is placed at an appropriate location, toothbrush bristles brush teeth while being automatically rotated, and thus it is not necessary to use a hand and a wrist a lot. Accordingly, an electric toothbrush is convenient in a case where it is necessary to easily brush teeth, such as a case where an arm or hand cannot be freely moved, a case where complex braces have been attached to teeth, or the like. However, an electric toothbrush requires that electronic parts, such as a battery, a motor, etc., need to be mounted on a toothbrush, and thus the price of the electric toothbrush is expensive. Furthermore, when moisture permeates the electric toothbrush, the electric toothbrush breaks down, and thus the management of the electric toothbrush is cumbersome.
A hand-operated rotatable toothbrush has an intermediate form between a typical toothbrush and an electric toothbrush. In the case where a user brushes his or her teeth while moving toothbrush bristles in a circular form, when the user places a toothbrush body on teeth and pushes it as he or her rotates it, the toothbrush body is rarely moved, and toothbrush bristles are rotated, thereby enabling gaps between teeth and between teeth and gums to be desirably cleaned. For the Fones brushing technique of brushing teeth in a circular form while occluding upper teeth and lower teeth, which is recommended as a correct tooth brushing method, the use of a hand-operated rotatable toothbrush is effective. Furthermore, a hand-operated rotatable toothbrush is manually operated, and thus electronic parts, such as a battery, a motor, etc. are not required. Accordingly, the use of the hand-operated rotatable toothbrush is convenient, and the price of the hand-operated rotatable toothbrush is relatively inexpensive.
Korean Patent Nos. 10-1464244 and 10-1697536 issued to the present applicant disclose such hand-operated rotatable toothbrushes. Since such a hand-operated rotatable toothbrush requires that toothbrush bristles are rotated separately from a toothbrush body, separate toothbrush bristles are rotatably mounted on a toothbrush head. Meanwhile, the toothbrushes disclosed in the above patents are configured such that two sets of toothbrush bristles are mounted on each of the toothbrushes and a portion where toothbrush bristles and a toothbrush head are coupled to each other is formed in a height direction rather than the circumferential direction of a toothbrush bristle base. Accordingly, the length and thickness of the toothbrush head are long and large, and thus it is difficult to apply these toothbrushes in the case where it is necessary to use a small toothbrush.

SUMMARY

An object of the present invention is to provide a hand-operated rotatable toothbrush which is capable of significantly reducing the size of a toothbrush, particularly the thickness of the head of a toothbrush, so that it can be used in a case where a small-sized toothbrush is required, such as a case where it is difficult to open a mouth wide due to a small mouth or a particular situation in an oral cavity, as in the case of an infant.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a hand-operated rotatable toothbrush which is convenient when a person brushes the teeth of another person.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hand-operated rotatable toothbrush in which toothbrush bristles are mounted on a toothbrush body and which is rotatable by a hand, the hand-operated rotatable toothbrush including: a toothbrush body including a toothbrush head configured to have a hollow toothbrush bristle accommodation portion; and a toothbrush bristle body including a toothbrush bristle base configured to have a fastening means formed along the center of the side surface of the toothbrush bristle base in a circumferential direction; wherein a fastening means configured to engage with the fastening means of the toothbrush bristle base is formed along the center of the side surface of the inside of the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion in a circumferential direction; and wherein an elongated groove is formed to extend downward from the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion toward a toothbrush neck in order to ensure a space for the attachment and detachment of toothbrush bristles.
The fastening means of the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion may be a coupling protrusion, and the fastening means of the toothbrush bristle base may be a coupling groove.
The fastening means of the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion may be a coupling groove, and the fastening means of the toothbrush bristle base may be a coupling protrusion.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hand-operated rotatable toothbrush in which toothbrush bristles are mounted on a toothbrush body and which is rotatable by a hand, the hand-operated rotatable toothbrush including: a toothbrush body including a toothbrush head configured to have a hollow toothbrush bristle accommodation portion so that toothbrush bristles are mounted in a direction identical to that of the toothbrush body in order to enable a person to conveniently brush the teeth of another human; and a toothbrush bristle body including a fastening means formed along the center of the side surface of a toothbrush bristle base in a circumferential direction; wherein a fastening means configured to engage with the fastening means of the toothbrush bristle base is formed along the center of the side surface of the inside of the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion in a circumferential direction; and wherein a part of the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion is cut out and an elongated groove is formed through a toothbrush neck in order to ensure a space for the attachment and detachment of toothbrush bristles.
The fastening means of the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion and the fastening means of the toothbrush bristle base may be a coupling protrusion and a coupling groove, or a coupling groove and a coupling protrusion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a toothbrush according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view showing an assembled toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a back perspective view showing the assembled toothbrush according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view showing a state in which toothbrush bristles are coupled into a toothbrush body according to still another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a back perspective view showing the state in which the toothbrush bristles are coupled into the toothbrush body according to the still another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is intended for a small-sized toothbrush, and thus the following description will be given with a focus on a configuration on which a single circular toothbrush bristle body rotatable around 360 degrees is mounted. However, it will be apparent that the configuration of the present invention may be applied to a general size toothbrush, for example, a toothbrush on which two toothbrush bristle bodies are mounted.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention. A toothbrush bristle body 10 refers to a part which is formed by setting toothbrush bristles 11 into a toothbrush bristle base 12. A coupling groove 13 is formed along the center of the side surface of the toothbrush bristle base 12 in a circumferential direction. A toothbrush body 100 includes a toothbrush head 110, a toothbrush neck 120, and a toothbrush grip 130. The toothbrush head 110 includes a hollow toothbrush bristle accommodation portion 111 in order to accommodate rotatable toothbrush bristles. A coupling protrusion 112 is formed along the center of the side surface of the inside of the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion 111 in a circumferential direction, and thus engages with the coupling groove of the toothbrush bristle base 12. The toothbrush bristle accommodation portion 111 has an elongated groove which extends downward toward the toothbrush neck. The elongated groove 121 of the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion 111 provides a clearance space for attachment and detachment by slightly spreading the toothbrush head when the toothbrush bristles are selectively attached and detached. Although the toothbrush body is made of a rigid plastic synthetic material, a portion through which the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion 111 and the elongated groove 121 extend is slender. Accordingly, when the toothbrush bristles are mounted, a portion between the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion and the elongated groove is spread through pushing by a hand, and thus the toothbrush bristles are smoothly mounted.
FIG. 2 shows a toothbrush in which a coupling groove 112′ is formed on a toothbrush bristle accommodation portion 111 and a coupling protrusion 13′ is formed on a toothbrush bristle base 12, unlike in the coupling method of FIG. 1.
FIGS. 3 and 4 are front and back perspective views showing a state in which toothbrush bristles have been mounted. One toothbrush bristle body is mounted, and thus the length of the toothbrush head is reduced. Furthermore, the coupling between the toothbrush bristles and the toothbrush body is performed on a side surface of the toothbrush bristle base, and thus the thickness of the toothbrush bristle base is reduced by half or more of that of a conventional toothbrush.
FIGS. 5 and 6 are front and back perspective views showing a state in which toothbrush bristles are coupled into a toothbrush body according to still another embodiment of the present invention. This toothbrush is intended to provide the convenience of use when a parent or guardian brushes the teeth of another person. When a user directly brushes his or her teeth, it is convenient for the direction of toothbrush bristles to be perpendicular to the direction of a toothbrush body. When a user brushes the teeth of another person, it is convenient for the direction of toothbrush bristles to be the same as that of a toothbrush body. The toothbrush bristle body of FIG. 5 has the same structure as the toothbrush bristle bodies of FIGS. 1 and 2, and the toothbrush head 210 and toothbrush neck 220 of a toothbrush body 200 are integrated into a single cylinder. The toothbrush head 210 includes a hollow toothbrush bristle accommodation portion 211 configured to accommodate toothbrush bristles. The toothbrush bristle accommodation portion 211 does not have a closed structure, but a part of the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion 211 is cut out in a circumferential direction in order to allow the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion 211 to be spread. This cutout portion of the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion 211 extends to the elongated groove 221 of the toothbrush neck 220. In the case of this toothbrush, the toothbrush neck 220 is short, and thus it is difficult to form an elongated groove along the length of the toothbrush neck 220. Accordingly, it is preferable to form an elongated groove in a circumferential direction. Furthermore, a coupling protrusion is formed along the center of the inside of the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion 211 in a circumferential direction, and engages with the coupling groove of a toothbrush bristle base. In contrast, a coupling groove may be formed on the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion 211, and a coupling protrusion may be formed on the toothbrush bristle base. In this case, although a toothbrush body is made of a rigid material, the part of the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion is cut out, and the elongated groove is formed. Accordingly, when toothbrush bristles are mounted, the toothbrush body is spread through pushing by a hand, and thus the toothbrush bristles are smoothly mounted.
According to the present invention, the size of the toothbrush head, particularly the thickness of the toothbrush head, is significantly reduced, and thus an effect can be achieved in that the toothbrush can be conveniently used when an infant or a person who cannot open his or her mouth wide due to a poor situation in an oral cavity directly brushes his or her teeth or when a guardian brushes the teeth of another person.
Although the specific embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A hand-operated rotatable toothbrush in which toothbrush bristles are mounted on a toothbrush body and which is rotatable by a hand, the hand-operated rotatable toothbrush comprising:

a toothbrush body including a toothbrush head configured to have a hollow toothbrush bristle accommodation portion; and

a toothbrush bristle body including a toothbrush bristle base configured to have a fastening means formed along a center of a side surface of the toothbrush bristle base in a circumferential direction;

wherein a fastening means configured to engage with the fastening means of the toothbrush bristle base is formed along a center of a side surface of an inside of the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion in a circumferential direction; and

wherein an elongated groove is formed to extend downward from the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion toward a toothbrush neck in order to ensure a space for attachment and detachment of toothbrush bristles.

2. The hand-operated rotatable toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the fastening means of the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion is a coupling protrusion, and the fastening means of the toothbrush bristle base is a coupling groove.

3. The hand-operated rotatable toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the fastening means of the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion is a coupling groove, and the fastening means of the toothbrush bristle base is a coupling protrusion.

4. A hand-operated rotatable toothbrush in which toothbrush bristles are mounted on a toothbrush body and which is rotatable by a hand, the hand-operated rotatable toothbrush comprising:

a toothbrush body including a toothbrush head configured to have a hollow toothbrush bristle accommodation portion so that toothbrush bristles are mounted in a direction identical to that of the toothbrush body in order to enable a person to conveniently brush teeth of another human; and

a toothbrush bristle body including a fastening means formed along a center of a side surface of a toothbrush bristle base in a circumferential direction;

wherein a part of the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion is cut out and an elongated groove is formed through a toothbrush neck in order to ensure a space for attachment and detachment of toothbrush bristles.

5. The hand-operated rotatable toothbrush of claim 4, wherein the fastening means of the toothbrush bristle accommodation portion and the fastening means of the toothbrush bristle base are a coupling protrusion and a M coupling groove, or a coupling groove and a coupling protrusion.