U.S. patent application number 10/821448 was filed with the patent office on 2004-10-14 for adjustably tiltable interdental toothbrush.
Invention is credited to Masini, Roberta.
Application Number | 20040200020 10/821448 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32866045 |
Filed Date | 2004-10-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040200020 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Masini, Roberta |
October 14, 2004 |
Adjustably tiltable interdental toothbrush
Abstract
An interdental toothbrush comprising a handle (1) and a wire
brush (8) attached thereto, in which the wire brush is integral
with a support (6) joined rotatingly to the handle, so that the
tilting of the wire brush with respect to the axis of the handle
may be adjusted, means (11, 12) being provided for locking said
support at the desired angle with respect to the handle.
Inventors: |
Masini, Roberta; (Sant'
Anna, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Grant E. Pollack, Esq.
Steinberg & Raskin, P.C.
15th Floor
1140 Avenue of the Americas
New York
NY
10036-5803
US
|
Family ID: |
32866045 |
Appl. No.: |
10/821448 |
Filed: |
April 8, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/167.1 ;
15/172 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B 2200/108 20130101;
A46B 5/0083 20130101; A46B 5/0075 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/167.1 ;
015/172 |
International
Class: |
A46B 009/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 8, 2003 |
IT |
FI2003A000035 |
Claims
1. An interdental toothbrush comprising a handle and a wire brush
attached thereto, wherein the wire brush is integral with a support
joined rotatingly to the handle, so that tilting of the wire brush
with respect to the axis of the handle can be adjusted, means being
provided for locking said support at the desired angle with respect
to the handle.
2. The interdental toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein said
support has a pin transversal with respect to the axis of the wire
brush engaging rotatingly in a seat made in the end of said
handle.
3. The interdental toothbrush according to claim 2, wherein two
parallel, ring-shape expansions, each defining a circular seat, are
made in the end of said handle.
4. The interdental toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein said
support has a pin transversal with respect to the axis of the wire
brush engaging rotatingly in a seat made in the end of said handle,
said seat having a circular shape and being defined by two
ring-shape expansions extending in a parallel way from one end of
the handle.
5. The interdental toothbrush according to claim 4, wherein the
diameter of said seat is substantially equal to the diameter of
said pin.
6. The interdental toothbrush according to claim 2, wherein said
means for locking the support at a desired angle with respect to
the handle comprise at least one radial tooth formed on said pin
and cavities formed on the surface delimiting said seat for
engaging said tooth, said cavities being spaced angularly to one
another, so that the wire brush may be locked at the desired
angle.
7. The interdental toothbrush according to claim 4, wherein said
pin has at least one radial tooth and cavities are provided on the
surface delimiting at least one of said seats for engaging said
tooth, said cavities being spaced angularly to one another, so that
the wire brush may be locked at the desired angle.
8. The interdental toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein said
support is an elongated stem, from one end of which the wire brush
extends, a transversal pin being provided at the other end.
9. The interdental toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein said
handle is made of two connectable halves, each of said halves
terminating with one of said ring-shape expansions and being
rotatingly joined to one another by their opposite ends, a
protrusion being provided on one of said halves for engaging in a
corresponding cavity, made correspondingly in the other half, with
moderate force being applied to keep said two halves reversibly
joined one to the other.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present inventionm generally relates to devices and
accessories for oral care, and more particularly to an adjustably
tiltable interdental toothbrush.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Toothbrushes of the type mentioned above are known already.
Substantially these comprise an elongated handle and a wire brush,
made of a metallic wire and a plurality of radial bristles,
extending axially from one end of the handle. The wire brush can be
mounted on the handle so as to be replaceable, or the whole
toothbrush may be disposable type. Also known are toothbrushes of
the above-mentioned type in which the wire brush can be tilted at
an angle with respect to the axis of the handle such that the
toothbrush may also be inserted in the hardest to reach spaces
between the teeth. According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,404 the
possibility of tilting or flexing the wire brush with respect to
the handle is obtained if the portion of the handle that the wire
brush is joined to is manufactured in a flexible material. In this
way, by suitably acting on that portion with two fingers the
desired tilt may be conferred on the wire brush. This solution,
though widely used, has the drawback of reducing the effective
length of the toothbrush, that has to be gripped with the fingers
in correspondence with the proximal end of the handle. A similar
solution is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,751.
[0003] Another solution that enables tilting of the wire brush with
respect to the handle is described in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,309,596
and 5,377,377. In the toothbrush described in these two patents the
wire brush is engaged in a seat from which two axial arms extend,
flexibly attached to a handle made of two parts that are attached
to one another in such a way as to be able to slide in the axial
direction. The attachment between the two arms and the seat of the
wire brush on the one hand, and between the two parts of the
handle, on the other, is flexible, so that when one part of the
handle is made slide with respect to the other, the wire brush
tilts with respect to the handle. The greater the amount of sliding
of the two portions of the handle, the greater is the degree of
tilt.
[0004] In these solutions, it may be difficult to maintain the
desired angle of tilt and, at any rate, it is impossible to keep it
at the desired value. Besides, in the travel or disposable type
models, where it is the user who has to put the wire brush into the
seat made in the handle, it is impossible to ensure perfect
tightness of the connection and the wire brush may be unstable and
even become unattached when in use.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an
interdental toothbrush that enables tilting of the wire brush with
respect to the axis of the handle to be adjusted in a simple and
safe way without the drawbacks of the known interdental
toothbrushes.
[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide an
interdental toothbrush of the type mentioned above in which the
wire brush is replaceable easily and maintains its position stably
during use.
[0007] These objects are accomplished with the interdental
toothbrush according to the present invention in which the wire
brush is integral with a support member joined rotatingly to the
handle, so that tilting of the wire brush from the axis of the
handle can be adjusted and means are provided for locking the
support at the desired angle with respect to the handle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The invention will be illustrated in greater detail in the
description that follows of one embodiment, provided as a
non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the interdental
toothbrush according to the invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the interdental
toothbrush of FIG. 1, rotated through 90.degree.;
[0011] FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial view of the toothbrush
according to the invention in correspondence with the joint,
showing a cross section taken according to the arrows III-III of
FIG. 1;
[0012] FIGS. 4 and 5 show, in plan view and side elevational view,
a handle for the toothbrush according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] With reference to the abovementioned figures, the
interdental toothbrush according to the present invention comprises
a handle 1 culminating in a pair of ring-shape, parallel expansions
2 and 3. The circular seats 5 formed on the two expansions 2 and 3
are coaxial. The toothbrush according to this invention also
comprises a stem 6, in particular truncated-conical shape in this
embodiment of the invention, having at its end of larger
cross-section a transversal pin 7 suitable for engaging in the
seats 5 of the expansions 2 and 3. Extending axially from the lower
cross-section end of the stem 6 is a conventionally shaped wire
brush 8, formed of a rod 9 from which a plurality of radial
bristles 10 extend.
[0014] The diameter of the pin 7 is substantially equal to that of
the seats 5 and the material from which the handle 1, and more
particularly the two end expansions 2 and 3, is made, has
sufficient elasticity to allow the pin 7 to access the seats 5 when
moderate force is applied, establishing a rotating attachment
between the handle and the stem 6.
[0015] Adjustment of the tilting of the stem 6, and accordingly of
the wire brush 8 integral with it, with respect to the handle 1 is
obtained due to the fact that the attachment between pin 7 and
expansions 2 and 3 enables the pin 7 to be rotated in the seats 5,
when a moderate force is applied on the stem 6. To ensure that the
stem 6 can be positioned stably at the desired angle, as shown in
FIG. 3, the joint between handle 1 and stem 6 also comprises means
for locking, the stem 6 in the chosen tilted position. In the
embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the locking means provided
comprise at least a tooth 11 extending radially from the pin 7 in
correspondence with at least one of the expansions 2 and 3 and a
plurality of cavities 12 formed in the surface delimiting the seat
5 and angularly spaced one from the other. When the tooth 11
engages in one of the cavities 12, the stem 6 is locked at the
desired angle of tilt. The elastic properties of the materials that
pin 7 and expansions 2 and 3 of the handle 1 are made of should be
selected so as to permit passage of the tooth 11 from one cavity 12
to another when moderate force is applied on the stem 6.
[0016] The wire brush 10 is provided together with the stem 6 and
is therefore integral with it. Thanks to the snap-lock attachment
between handle 1 and stem 6, the toothbrush of the invention may be
put together at any time and taken apart so that its dimensions are
kept to a minimum and that it may easily be carried on the person
either in a small bag or a purse.
[0017] Still with the object of minimizing dimensions of the
toothbrush, the handle may also be manufactured in such a way that
its thickness is as low as possible. As is shown in fact in FIGS. 4
and 5, to advantage the handle may be built in two halves 1a and
1b, that may be coupled together by pressure means. The two halves
1a and 1b are joined to one another in correspondence with the
respective ends opposite the ring-shape expansions 2 and 3 which
lie on a different plane, parallel to the plane of the two halves
1a and 1b, such that, when coupling is effected, the expansions 2
and 3 are spaced apart from one another so as to receive the pin
7.
[0018] To join the two halves, a protrusion 4 is provided, in
particular in the form of a connection plug, extending from a face
of one of the halves, suitable for engaging in a corresponding
cavity 4a made in the corresponding face of the other half when
they are put one on top of the other, and the elasticity of the
material they are made of is put to effect, enabling both a
reciprocal rotation along the connection side and also a moderately
forced, reversible at any time, engagement of the rib 4 in the
cavity 4a.
[0019] Advantageously the handle may be made of rubber and the
bristles of the wire brush may be subjected to antibacterial
treatment.
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