U.S. patent application number 09/803056 was filed with the patent office on 2001-07-26 for infant toothbrush.
Invention is credited to Safieh, Eric.
Application Number | 20010009048 09/803056 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 4173195 |
Filed Date | 2001-07-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010009048 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Safieh, Eric |
July 26, 2001 |
Infant toothbrush
Abstract
An infant toothbrush is described that comprises a generally
cylindrical handle member and a brush head. The handle member is in
the form of a baby bottle having an upper end and lower end. The
brush head is releaseably securable to the upper end of the baby
bottle. The brush head is comprised of a generally conical central
body having a lower generally cylindrical base and an upper reduced
diameter neck portion ending in a generally rounded tip. The
rounded tip has a plurality of protrusions positioned thereon. The
cylindrical base of the brush head is releaseably securable to the
baby bottle.
Inventors: |
Safieh, Eric; (Thornhill,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MEREK & VOORHEES
643-B South Washington Street
Alexandria
VA
22314
US
|
Family ID: |
4173195 |
Appl. No.: |
09/803056 |
Filed: |
March 12, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/167.1 ;
15/176.1; 15/176.2; 15/176.6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B 5/02 20130101; A61J
17/001 20150501; A61J 11/00 20130101; A46B 5/023 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/167.1 ;
15/176.1; 15/176.2; 15/176.6 |
International
Class: |
A46B 009/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 13, 1997 |
CA |
PCT/CA97/00094 |
Claims
I claim:
1. An infant toothbrush comprising: (i) a generally cylindrical
handle member, said handle member comprising a baby bottle having
an upper end and lower end; and, (ii) a brush head releaseably
securable to said upper end of said baby bottle, said brush head
comprised of a generally conical central body having a lower
generally cylindrical base and an upper reduced diameter neck
portion ending in a generally rounded tip, said cylindrical base
releaseably securable to said baby bottle, said rounded tip having
a plurality of protrusions positioned thereon.
2. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said upper end of said
baby bottle includes threads about its exterior surface, said
generally cylindrical base of said brush head threadably receivable
over said threads on said upper end of said baby bottle to
releasably secure said brush head thereto.
3. The device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said protrusions on
said tip of said brush head are bristles.
4. The device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said plurality of
bristles positioned on said tip of said brush head are spaced about
the circumference of said tip forming a generally cylindrical
brush.
5. The device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said plurality of
bristles positioned on said tip of said brush head form a generally
rectangular shaped brush.
6. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said upper end of said
baby bottle includes threads about its exterior surface, said
infant toothbrush further including a bottle cap threadably
engageable with said upper end of said baby bottle, said bottle cap
having a generally circular opening therethrough, said generally
cylindrical base of said brush head in the form of a relatively
thin outwardly extending radial flange dimensioned to be receivable
between said bottle cap and said baby bottle with said conical
central body extending through said generally circular opening in
said bottle cap when said bottle cap is threadably engaged with
said upper end of said baby bottle.
7. The device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said protrusions on
said tip of said brush head are bristles.
8. The device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said plurality of
bristles are positioned about the circumference of said tip of said
brush head forming a generally cylindrical brush.
9. The device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said plurality of
bristles upon said tip of said brush head are in the form of a
generally rectangular shaped brush.
10. An infant toothbrush comprising a handle and a brush head
releaseably securable thereto, said handle comprising a baby bottle
having a cap threadably receivable upon one end thereof, said cap
having a centrally located hole therethrough, said brush head
comprised of a generally conical central body having a lower
relatively thin radially outward extending flange and an upper neck
portion ending in a generally rounded tip having a plurality of
protrusions positioned thereon, said radial flange receivable
between said baby bottle cap and said baby bottle with said conical
central body extending through said hole in said cap when said cap
is threadably received upon said bottle.
11. The device as claimed in claim 10 wherein said protrusions on
said tip of said brush head are bristles
12. An infant toothbrush comprising a generally cylindrical handle
having opposed first and second ends and a brush head releaseably
securable to said first end of said handle, said handle comprising
a baby bottle having threads about its exterior surface at said
first end, said brush head comprising a generally conical central
body having a lower generally hollow cylindrical base portion and
an upper neck portion ending in a generally rounded tip having a
plurality of protrusions positioned thereon, said cylindrical base
portion of said brush head including internal threads engageable
with said threads on said exterior surface of said first end of
said baby bottle so as to releaseably secure said brush head to
said baby bottle.
13. The device as claimed in claim 12 wherein said protrusions on
said tip of said brush head are bristles
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to oral hygiene devices, and in
particular tooth cleaning and gum stimulating devices for use on
the teeth and gums of infants and small children.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The benefits of proper oral hygiene upon the health of an
individual's teeth and gums is well known and documented. Over
recent years, it has been shown that good oral hygiene on the part
of infants, babies and small children can be advantageous from the
perspective of preventing tooth decay and maintaining healthy gums.
The development of good oral hygiene practices and techniques for
young children also tends to develop oral hygiene habits that are
carried with the child throughout his or her lifetime.
[0003] Prior to the emergence of teeth in an infant, gently
rubbing, brushing or scrubbing the infant's gums will serve as a
means to help dislodge bacteria and help to maintain the health of
the gums. Gently rubbing a child's gums will also provide a
soothing affect to gums that may become inflamed when the child is
teething. When teeth eventually emerge from the gums into the oral
cavity the enamel surface of the teeth will benefit from brushing
through the removal of plaque and other debris that may result in
acidic formations upon the teeth, and eventually tooth decay.
[0004] Traditionally the teeth and gums of infants and very young
children (typically under the age of 1) are cleaned through gently
wiping with gauze or a wash cloth. Usually after approximately 6
months of age, and a number of teeth begin emerging from the
child's gums, brushing with a standard toothbrush is often
introduced. Typical toothbrushes designed for small children are
generally identical to commonly used adult toothbrushes, but
smaller in size. Since infants and small children are physically
incapable of effectively brushing their own teeth and gums, and as
the placement of the toothbrush within a child's mouth presents a
potential choking hazard, most parents initiate an oral hygiene
program for their children by way of physically assisting with the
brushing of the teeth. Unfortunately infants and small children are
often not co-operative making it very difficult, if not in some
cases impossible, to adequately clean the child's teeth.
[0005] As children become older they naturally attempt to become
more independent and often wish to conduct standard routine tasks
themselves. For example a two year old may refuse to allow a parent
to brush his or her teeth and insist upon brushing them himself.
Unfortunately, the manual dexterity exhibited by most small
children is insufficient to allow an adequate brushing of the teeth
and gums. The problem is exasperated by the fact that currently
available infant toothbrushes are generally formed with relatively
thin handles that are difficult for a small child to grasp. The
development of motor function within the hands of a child often
lags behind the development of other physical abilities. It is
quite often not until the age of three or four that a child has
developed sufficient hand function to enable him or her to grasp
small thin cylindrical objects (such as a pencil or crayon) and
perform desired functions with them. The long, cylindrical, thin
handles of infant toothbrushes fall into the same category making
them difficult for many small children to grasp properly and use
effectively.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The invention therefore provides a baby or infant toothbrush
that is simple and easy to use by small children, that is
relatively inexpensive and easily constructed, and that is safe and
may be used by infants and children without constant parental
supervision or assistance.
[0007] Accordingly, in one of its aspects the invention provides an
infant toothbrush comprising a generally cylindrical handle member,
said handle member comprising a baby bottle having an upper end and
lower end; and, a brush head releaseably securable to said upper
end of said baby bottle, said brush head comprised of a generally
conical central body having a lower generally cylindrical base and
an upper reduced diameter neck portion ending in a generally
rounded tip, said cylindrical base releaseably securable to said
baby bottle, said rounded tip having a plurality of protrusions
positioned thereon.
[0008] In a further aspect the invention provides an infant
toothbrush comprising a handle and a brush head releaseably
securable thereto, said handle comprising a baby bottle having a
cap threadably receivable upon one end thereof, said cap having a
centrally located hole therethrough, said brush head comprised of a
generally conical central body having a lower relatively thin
radially outward extending flange and an upper neck portion ending
in a generally rounded tip having a plurality of protrusions
positioned thereon, said radial flange receivable between said baby
bottle cap and said baby bottle with said conical central body
extending through said hole in said cap when said cap is threadably
received upon said bottle.
[0009] In yet a further embodiment the invention provides an infant
toothbrush comprising a generally cylindrical handle having opposed
first and second ends and a brush head releaseably securable to
said first end of said handle, said handle comprising a baby bottle
having threads about its exterior surface at said first end, said
brush head comprising a generally conical central body having a
lower generally hollow cylindrical base portion and an upper neck
portion ending in a generally rounded tip having a plurality of
protrusions positioned thereon, said cylindrical base portion of
said brush head including internal threads engagable with said
threads on said exterior surface of said first end of said baby
bottle so as to releaseably secure said brush head to said baby
bottle.
[0010] Further aspects and advantages of the invention will become
apparent from the following description taken together with the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] For a better understanding of the present invention, and to
show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will
now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings which
show the preferred embodiments of the present invention in
which:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment
of the infant toothbrush according to the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG.
1;
[0014] FIG. 3 is an upper side perspective view of the brush head
of the infant toothbrush shown in FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of an alternate embodiment
of the infant toothbrush according to the present invention;
and,
[0016] FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line of 5-5 of
the FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0017] The present invention may be embodied in a number of
different forms. However, the specification and drawings that
follow describe and disclose only some of the specific forms of the
invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention
as defined in the claims that follow herein.
[0018] The infant toothbrush according to the present invention is
identified in the attached drawings generally by reference numeral
1. Infant toothbrush I is comprised primarily of a handle 2 and a
brush head 3. In the preferred embodiment of the invention handle 2
is a standard baby bottle, which may take the form of any one of a
wide variety of commercially available baby bottles. Generally the
baby bottle will comprise a cylindrical vessel having an open upper
end 4 with exterior threads 5 thereon designed to permit a baby
bottle cap or nipple bottle ring 6 to be releaseably secured
thereto. Baby bottle caps typically have a centrally positioned
opening or hole 7 through their upper surface that permits the cap
to be used to secure a nipple over the open upper end of the
bottle.
[0019] Brush head 3 is comprised of a generally conical central
body 8 having a lower generally cylindrical base 9 and an upper
neck portion 10 that ends in a generally rounded tip 11. In the
embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, brush head
3 has an overall configuration somewhat similar to that of a
standard baby bottle nipple with cylindrical base 9 in the form of
a relatively thin outwardly extending radial flange. The flange at
the base of the brush head has a small enough diameter such that it
may be received within the baby bottle cap, while being too large
to fit through opening 7 in the upper surface of the cap. At the
same time, central body 8 is configured and dimensioned such that
the insertion of brush head 3 into cap 6 allows the central body to
extend through opening 7 with lower base or flange 9 retained
within the cap, much like a standard nipple is received and secured
within a traditional baby bottle cap. In this manner it will be
appreciated that the brush head may be releaseably secured to the
baby bottle by merely screwing or unscrewing the cap onto the upper
end of the bottle. With the brush head secured to the baby bottle,
the bottle will serve as a handle allowing for the manipulation of
the brush head by infants and small children.
[0020] Tip 11 of brush head 3 contains a plurality of protrusions
positioned about its surface that provide a brushing or massaging
effect when scrubbed across the surface of the teeth or gums. These
protrusions may be in the form of small nibs or ridges upon tip 11
or, as in the embodiment shown in the attached drawings, the
protrusions may be in the form of bristles 12 that are situated on
the tip of the brush head such that they form a generally
rectangular shaped brush 13. It will be appreciated from an
understanding of the invention that bristles 12 could equally be
positioned about the surface of tip 11 in a variety of other
geometric patterns, or could encompass the entire circumference of
tip 11 forming a generally cylindrical brush. Bristles 12 are
preferably elongate, smooth, generally cylindrical members having
smooth and generally rounded ends. The bristles may be formed from
nylon or a wide variety of other synthetic or natural fibres
commonly used in toothbrushes and other oral hygiene appliances. In
addition, a number of individual bristles may be packed closely
together and arranged in the form of tufts positioned upon the
surface of tip 11.
[0021] With the exception of bristles 12, in one preferred
embodiment brush head 3 is formed from a generally soft, pliable,
resilient, non-toxic material, such as rubber, silicone, latex, or
other similar products that are used in the construction of baby
bottle nipples. However, in an alternate embodiment brush head 3
may be constructed from a more rigid material such as those
commonly used in the construction of standard toothbrushes. The
surfaces of the brush head will also preferably be smooth and
rounded and devoid of sharp corners. The overall length and other
dimensional aspects of brush head 3 may be varied while remaining
within the broad scope of the invention. For example, the length of
neck portion 10 may be relatively short when the toothbrush is to
be used by infants having very small mouths. Where toothbrush 1 is
to be used by older or larger children, neck portion 10 may be made
slightly longer in order to allow easier access to the child's
molars and back teeth as they emerge.
[0022] In FIGS. 4 and 5 an alternate embodiment of the present
invention is shown. In this embodiment lower base 9 is in the form
of a longitudinally oriented hollow cylinder or sleeve 14 that is
provided with internal threads 15 upon its lower interior surface.
Sleeve 14 is dimensioned such that it may be received over the
upper end of the baby bottle with threads 15 engageable with
threads 5. That is, in this embodiment the brush head is threaded
directly upon the end of the baby bottle without the need for the
placement of a radially extending flange between the baby bottle
and a threaded cap.
[0023] It will thus be appreciated from a thorough understanding of
the invention that infant toothbrush 1 will provide a means to
massage the gums and gently brush the teeth of infants and small
children which is both safe and effective. Unlike standard
toothbrushes that have long cylindrical handles, the present
invention provides no choking hazards. Through utilizing a baby
bottle as its handle, the invention also avoids the possibility
that it could be driven into the mouth causing damage to the back
of the mouth or throat in the event that a child should fall or be
bumped with the brush in his or her mouth. Further, the relatively
large diameter of a baby bottle also presents infants and small
children with a physical object that is easily handled with only a
minimal amount of manual dexterity. By the time that primary teeth
begin to emerge in a small child, in most cases the child has
become accustomed to sucking and chewing or gnawing upon a baby
bottle nipple. With brush head 3 having a general shape resembling
a baby bottle nipple, manipulating the brush and chewing upon tip
11 will be a relatively familiar task for a child. Finally, the
design of infant toothbrush 1 will also enable small children to
utilize the device independently without the need for constant
parental intervention or direct supervision.
[0024] Further advantages of the present invention lie within the
specific design of the brush head. Since brush head 3 is
releaseably securable to the baby bottle, should its bristles
become worn or damaged the entire brush head can be easily and
quickly removed, discarded, and replaced. Just as easily, brush
heads having varying bristle designs, or shorter or longer neck
portions, can be utilized for children of different ages and
different levels of tooth development and/or manual dexterity.
[0025] It is to be understood that what has been described are the
preferred embodiments of the invention and that it may be possible
to make variations to these embodiments while staying within the
broad scope of the invention. Some of these variations have been
discussed while others will be readily apparent to those skilled in
the art.
* * * * *