U.S. patent application number 10/075007 was filed with the patent office on 2003-08-14 for toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device.
Invention is credited to Johnson, Elizabeth M..
Application Number | 20030150472 10/075007 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27660008 |
Filed Date | 2003-08-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030150472 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Johnson, Elizabeth M. |
August 14, 2003 |
Toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device
Abstract
A toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device for combining a
toothbrush and toothpaste into one useful tool. The toothpaste
dispensing toothbrush device includes an elongate housing including
a handle portion and an elongate head portion; and also includes a
plurality of bristles being attached to the head portion of the
elongate housing; and further includes a cap being removably
attached to the elongate housing; and also includes a toothpaste
dispensing assembly for dispensing toothpaste from the elongate
housing.
Inventors: |
Johnson, Elizabeth M.;
(Atascadero, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LINGBECK PATENT LAW OFFICE
P.O. BOX 500
ST. MICHAEL
MN
55376
US
|
Family ID: |
27660008 |
Appl. No.: |
10/075007 |
Filed: |
February 14, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
132/311 ;
222/103 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B 11/0037 20130101;
A46B 2200/1066 20130101; A46B 11/0041 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
132/311 ;
222/103 |
International
Class: |
B65D 035/28; A46B
015/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device comprising: an
elongate housing including a handle portion and an elongate head
portion; a plurality of bristles being attached to said elongate
head portion of said elongate housing; a cap being removably
attached to said elongate housing; and a toothpaste dispensing
assembly for dispensing toothpaste from said elongate housing.
2. A toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device as described in claim
1, wherein said handle portion has an open end, and also has a
cavity disposed therein, and further has a longitudinal slot being
disposed through a wall thereof.
3. A toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device as described in claim
2, wherein said elongate head portion has a cavity being disposed
therein near a front end thereof, and also has an opening being
disposed through a wall into said cavity, and further has a channel
being disposed therein and being in fluid communication with said
cavity of said elongate head portion and said cavity of said handle
portion.
4. A toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device as described in claim
3, wherein said bristles are securely attached about said opening
of said elongate head portion.
5. A toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device as described in claim
2, wherein said cap is removably disposed over said open end in
said handle portion of said housing and has an end and side walls
and also has a lip disposed along an edge of said end wall.
6. A toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device as described in claim
3, wherein said toothpaste dispensing assembly includes a seat
disposed at a junction of said channel and said cavity in said
handle portion, and also includes a cartridge retaining member
being securely disposed in said seat, and further includes a valve
member being disposed in said cavity of said elongate head portion
and being biasedly disposed over an opening into said channel to
prevent toothpaste from uncontrolled seepage from said channel, and
further includes a cartridge press member being movably disposed in
said cavity of said handle portion for urging toothpaste from a
toothpaste cartridge being securely and removably disposed in said
cavity of said handle portion.
7. A toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device as described in claim
6, wherein said cartridge retaining member is generally a ring
which is adapted to engage about a neck portion of the toothpaste
cartridge.
8. A toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device as described in claim
6, wherein said valve member includes a spring being disposed in
said cavity of said elongate head portion, and also includes a
stopper member being attached to an end of said spring and being
biasedly disposed over said opening in said channel.
9. A toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device as described in claim
6, wherein said cartridge press member includes a press body being
movably disposed in said cavity of said handle portion and being
adapted to press upon the toothpaste cartridge to urge toothpaste
therefrom and through said channel and through said opening in said
elongate head portion, and also includes a handle member being
connected to said press body and being movably disposed through
said longitudinal slot of said handle portion.
10. A toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device as described in claim
9, wherein said press body has a top and a front side which is
angled relative to said top and which extends from an edge of said
top to a bottom edge of a back side, said front side being slanted
downwardly and rearwardly such that said press body is generally
tapered from said top downwardly, said front side being generally
flat and being adapted to press upon the toothpaste cartridge to
squeeze toothpaste therefrom.
11. A toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device as described in claim
10, wherein said handle member is securely attached to said top of
said press body and has a circumferential groove being disposed in
a side thereof for receiving longitudinal edges of said
longitudinal slot so that said press body is movably suspended in
said cavity of said handle portion of said housing.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to toothpaste dispensing
toothbrushes and more particularly pertains to a new toothpaste
dispensing toothbrush device for combining a toothbrush and
toothpaste into one useful tool.
[0003] b 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] The use of toothpaste dispensing toothbrushes is known in
the prior art. More specifically, toothpaste dispensing
toothbrushes heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist
basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural
configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed
by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the
fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
[0005] Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,583,563;
6,213,663; 4,116,570; 5,842,487; 2,638,614; and U.S. Patent No.
Des. 439,413.
[0006] While these devices fulfill their respective, particular
objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not
disclose a new toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device. The prior
art discloses inventions having housings with head portions and
handle portions, and also having bristles attached to the head
portions, and further having toothpaste dispensing assemblies which
include chambers for holding toothpaste and pressing members for
urging the toothpaste from the housings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The general purpose of the present invention, which will be
described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new
toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device which has many of the
advantages of the toothpaste dispensing toothbrushes mentioned
heretofore and many novel features that result in a new toothpaste
dispensing toothbrush device which is not anticipated, rendered
obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art
toothpaste dispensing toothbrushes, either alone or in any
combination thereof. The inventive device includes an elongate
housing including a handle portion and an elongate head portion;
and also includes a plurality of bristles being attached to the
head portion of the elongate housing; and further includes a cap
being removably attached to the elongate housing; and also includes
a toothpaste dispensing assembly for dispensing toothpaste from the
elongate housing. None of the prior art discloses the type of
pressing body nor the use of a refillable toothpaste cartridge.
[0008] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more
important features of the toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device
in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be
better understood, and in order that the present contribution to
the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of
the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will
form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
[0009] In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment
of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the
invention is not limited in its application to the details of
construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in
the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The
invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced
and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that
the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose
of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
[0010] It is an object of the present invention to provide a new
toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device which has many of the
advantages of the toothpaste dispensing toothbrushes mentioned
heretofore and many novel features that result in a new toothpaste
dispensing toothbrush device which is not anticipated, rendered
obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art
toothpaste dispensing toothbrushes, either alone or in any
combination thereof.
[0011] Still another object of the present invention is to provide
a new toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device for combining a
toothbrush and toothpaste into one useful tool.
[0012] Still yet another object of the present invention is to
provide a new toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device that is easy
and convenient to use.
[0013] Even still another object of the present invention is to
provide a new toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device that is easy
to take along and places the toothpaste directly upon the bristles
without the toothpaste dropping off the bristles when toothpaste is
manually applied to the bristles.
[0014] These together with other objects of the invention, along
with the various features of novelty which characterize the
invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed
to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better
understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the
specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to
the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are
illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The invention will be better understood and objects other
than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration
is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such
description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
[0016] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a new toothpaste
dispensing toothbrush device according to the present invention and
shown in use.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view of the
present invention.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a lateral cross-sectional view of the present
invention.
[0019] FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the present
invention
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0020] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
FIGS. 1 through 4 thereof, a new toothpaste dispensing toothbrush
device embodying the principles and concepts of the present
invention and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will
be described.
[0021] As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, the toothpaste
dispensing toothbrush device 10 generally comprises an elongate
housing 11 including a handle portion 12 and an elongate head
portion 16. The handle portion 12 has an open end 13, and also has
a cavity 15 disposed therein, and further has a longitudinal slot
14 being disposed through a wall thereof. The elongate head portion
16 has a cavity 17 being disposed therein near a front end thereof,
and also has an opening 18 being disposed through a wall thereof
and into the cavity 17, and further has a channel 19 being disposed
therein and being in fluid communication with the cavity 17 of the
head portion 16 and the cavity 15 of the handle portion 11.
[0022] A plurality of bristles 20 are securely and conventionally
attached to the head portion 16 of the elongate housing 11. The
bristles 20 are securely attached about the opening 18 of the
elongate head portion 16. A cap 21 is removably attached to the
elongate housing 11. The cap 21 is removably disposed over the open
end 13 in the handle portion 12 of the elongate housing 11 and has
end and side walls 22, 24 and also has a lip 23 being disposed
along an edge of the end wall 22.
[0023] A toothpaste dispensing assembly for dispensing toothpaste
from the elongate housing 11 includes a seat 25 being
conventionally disposed at a junction of the channel 19 and the
cavity 15 in the handle portion 12, and also includes a cartridge
retaining member 26 being securely and conventionally disposed in
the seat 25, and further includes a valve member 27, 28 being
conventionally disposed in the cavity 17 of the elongate head
portion 16 and being biasedly disposed over an opening 29 into the
channel 19 to prevent toothpaste from uncontrolled seepage from the
channel 19, and further includes a cartridge press member 30-35
being movably disposed in the cavity 15 of the handle portion 12
for urging toothpaste from a toothpaste cartridge 36 being securely
and removably disposed in the cavity 15 of the handle portion 12.
The cartridge retaining member 26 is generally a ring which is
adapted to engage about a neck portion 37 of the toothpaste
cartridge 36. The valve member 27, 28 includes a spring 27 being
conventionally disposed in the cavity 17 of the elongate head
portion 16, and also includes a stopper member 28 being
conventionally attached to an end of the spring 27 and being
biasedly disposed over the opening 29 in the channel 19. The
cartridge press member 30-35 includes a press body 30 being movably
disposed in the cavity 15 of the handle portion 12 and being
adapted to press upon the toothpaste cartridge 36 to urge
toothpaste therefrom and through the channel 19 and through the
opening 18 in the elongate head portion 16, and also includes a
handle member 34 being integrally attached to the press body 30 and
being movably disposed through the longitudinal slot 14 of the
handle portion 12. The press body 30 has a top 31 and a front side
32 which is angled relative to the top 31 and which extends from an
edge of the top 30 to a bottom edge of a back side 33. The front
side 32 is slanted downwardly and rearwardly such that the press
body 30 is generally tapered from the top 31 downwardly. The front
side 32 is generally flat and is adapted to press upon the
toothpaste cartridge 36 to squeeze toothpaste therefrom. The handle
member 34 is securely and integrally attached to the top 31 of the
press body 30 and has a circumferential groove 35 being disposed in
a side thereof for receiving longitudinal edges of the longitudinal
slot 14 so that the press body 30 is movably suspended in the
cavity 15 of the handle portion 12 of the housing 11.
[0024] In use, the user removes the cap 21 and unthreads the press
body 30 from the handle member 34 and inserts the toothpaste
cartridge 36 into the cavity 15 of the handle portion 12 with the
neck portion 37 of the toothpaste cartridge 36 being inserted in
the cartridge retaining member 26, and then attached the cap 21 to
the handle portion 12 of the housing 11. The user then threads the
press body 30 onto the handle member 34 and moves the handle member
34 along the handle portion 12 of the elongate housing 11 so that
the press body 30 presses upon the toothpaste cartridge 36 to force
toothpaste therefrom through the channel 19 and through the opening
18 in the elongate head portion 16 of the elongate housing 11. The
valve member 27, 28 biasedly closes off the channel 19 when no more
toothpaste is being forced through the channel 19.
[0025] As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and
operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent
from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion
relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.
[0026] With respect to the above description then, it is to be
realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts
of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape,
form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are
deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and
all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings
and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed
by the present invention.
[0027] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only
of the principles of the toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device.
Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily
occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the
invention to the exact construction and operation shown and
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and
equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the
invention.
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