U.S. patent application number 11/449949 was filed with the patent office on 2007-12-13 for toothbrush with rotating head.
Invention is credited to David B. Moss.
Application Number | 20070283519 11/449949 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38820395 |
Filed Date | 2007-12-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070283519 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Moss; David B. |
December 13, 2007 |
Toothbrush with rotating head
Abstract
A toothbrush having a longitudinal axis, comprising a handle,
the handle including a neck, a head including a bed and bristles
extending from the bed, a socket enclosure forming part of and
extending outwardly from a rear of the bed, the socket enclosure
having a socket defined therein, a rotator connected to the neck
and extending into the socket capable of moving freely within the
socket while still being unable to leave said socket, the head
capable of rotating, upon the head being pressed against a teeth
and/or gums of a user, in a front and back direction in relation to
the handle and/or a side to side direction in relation to the
handle or to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush. The rotation
reduces an amount of manual rotation of the toothbrush performed by
the user.
Inventors: |
Moss; David B.; (Allenhurst,
NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Steven Horowitz;Counselor at Law
Suite 700, 295 Madison Avenue
New York
NY
10017
US
|
Family ID: |
38820395 |
Appl. No.: |
11/449949 |
Filed: |
June 10, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/167.1 ;
15/172 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B 5/0066 20130101;
A46B 5/0091 20130101; A46B 7/06 20130101; A46B 5/0054 20130101;
A46B 2200/1066 20130101; A46B 5/0062 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/167.1 ;
15/172 |
International
Class: |
A46B 9/04 20060101
A46B009/04; A46B 7/02 20060101 A46B007/02 |
Claims
1. A toothbrush designed to reduce an amount of manual rotation of
the toothbrush performed by the user, comprising: a handle, the
handle including a neck, a head including a bed and bristles
extending from the bed, the bed including a socket enclosure
extending outwardly away from the bristles, the socket enclosure
having a socket defined in said socket enclosure, a rotator
integrally and rigidly connected to the neck and extending into the
socket, the rotator free to move within said socket, the rotator
and an entrance into the socket enclosure shaped so as to prevent
the rotator from leaving the socket when said rotator moves within
said socket, the head capable of rotating, upon the head being
pressed against a teeth and/or gums of a user, in a front and back
direction in relation to the handle and/or a side to side direction
in relation to the handle.
2. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the head is capable of
rotating, upon the head being pressed against the teeth and/or gums
of the user, in both the front and back direction in relation to
the handle and the side to side direction in relation to the
handle.
3. The toothbrush of claim 2, wherein the rotator is a ball and
wherein a clearance exists between the ball and an inside wall of
the socket enclosure.
4. The tooth brush of claim 1, wherein the rotator is a ball and
wherein a clearance exists between the ball and an inside wall of
the socket enclosure.
5. The toothbrush of claim 2, wherein a range of front and back
motion of the head caused by the rotator is between approximately
20 rotational degrees and approximately 40 rotational degrees.
6. The toothbrush of claim 2, wherein a range of front and back
motion of the head by the rotator is between approximately 10
rotational degrees and approximately 50 rotational degrees.
7. The toothbrush of claim 2, wherein a range of side to side
motion of the head by the rotator is between approximately 20
rotational degrees and approximately 40 rotational degrees.
8. The toothbrush of claim 2, wherein a range of side to side
motion of the head by the rotator is between approximately 10
rotational degrees and approximately 50 rotational degrees.
9. The toothbrush of claim 2, wherein the rotation of the head is
sufficient to obviate a need for the user to turn the toothbrush
manually.
10. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the neck is flexible.
11. A toothbrush designed to reduce an amount of manual rotation of
the toothbrush performed by the user, comprising: a handle, the
handle including a neck, a head including a bed and bristles
extending from the bed, the head including a head extension, the
head extension having a groove, a rotator integrally connected to
and extending from the neck, the rotator having a first surface
that is adjacent to and conforms to a shape of the groove, a
flexible wire traversing the rotator from the first surface to a
second surface, the wire attached to the head extension at the
groove and attached to the rotator at the second surface, the head
capable of rotating, upon the head being pressed against a teeth
and/or gums of a user, in a front and back direction in relation to
the handle and/or a side, to side direction in relation to the
handle. a handle, the handle including a neck,
12. The toothbrush of claim 11, wherein the head is capable of
rotating, upon the head being pressed against the teeth and/or gums
of the user, in both the front and back direction in relation to
the longitudinal axis and the side to side direction in relation to
the longitudinal axis.
13. The toothbrush of claim 12, wherein the rotator is a ball and
wherein a clearance exists between the ball and an inside wall of
the socket enclosure.
14. The tooth brush of claim 11, wherein the rotator is a ball and
wherein a clearance exists between the ball and an inside wall of
the socket enclosure.
15. The toothbrush of claim 11, wherein a range of front and back
motion of the head caused by the rotator is between approximately
20 rotational degrees and approximately 40 rotational degrees.
16. The toothbrush of claim 11, wherein a range of front and back
motion of the head by the rotator is between approximately 10
rotational degrees and approximately 50 rotational degrees.
17. The toothbrush of claim 11, wherein a range of side to side
motion of the head by the rotator is between approximately 20
rotational degrees and approximately 40 rotational degrees.
18. The toothbrush of claim 11, wherein a range of side to side
motion of the head by the rotator is between approximately 10
rotational degrees and approximately 50 rotational degrees.
19. The toothbrush of claim 11, wherein the rotation of the head is
sufficient to obviate a need for the user to turn the toothbrush
manually.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The field of this invention is toothbrushes, and more
particularly toothbrushes designed for individuals of reduced
manual dexterity.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0002] Most toothbrushes on the market today are extremely
difficult to use for people with arthritis, hand prosthesis, or
other health conditions in which limited manipulative dexterity
manifest themselves. The proper process of brushing teeth with a
regular toothbrush involves a great number of intricate movements.
A brusher must make sure that throughout the process of brushing,
the brush is always at a proper angle, with brushing surface always
parallel to the surface of the teeth. The front surface of the
lower front teeth has to be cleaned, then the position of the
toothbrush has to be reoriented with wrist and fingers and the rear
"tongue" surface of the lower front teeth has to be cleaned. Then
the process has to be repeated with the front and rear surface of
the upper front teeth. Then the process has to be repeated with
upper and lower cuspids and bicuspids on both sides of the mouth.
Then the back teeth have to be cleaned in the same way, except that
now in addition to the side surface, the upper biting surface of
each tooth must be carefully cleaned.
[0003] While for most of us brushing of teeth is automatic, and
while we do not think of the process in such complex terms, for
people suffering from arthritis each of these simple reorientations
of the toothbrush is an ordeal of pain that has to be repeated
hundreds of times per brushing, several times each day. Some choose
to avoid the ordeal by brushing the teeth less thoroughly, for
shorter amounts of time, or not at all. Latter approaches all
result in poor dental hygiene and ultimate tooth ache and loss.
[0004] The influx of battery-powered brushes with moving or
rotating heads have decreased the number of back and forth
movements involved in brushing, but they failed to address the
problem of angular manipulations that require the greatest
dexterity from arthritic patients. Back-and-forth movements are
mostly performed by the upper arm, while movements required to turn
and reposition the toothbrush inside of a mouth are performed by
wrist and fingers--parts most affected by pain and immobility in
arthritic patients. The problem is only more severe in people with
partial or full hand prosthesis.
[0005] In light of the problem, there is a long-standing, strong,
and previously unsatisfied need in the art for a brushing
instrument that could alleviate the pain that so many people
associate with the daily ritual of brushing of the teeth. There is
a need for a toothbrush that, while incorporating the newest
advancements in the art could also minimize the necessity of wrist
and digit movements and effort in realigning the brush against the
surface of the teeth.
[0006] The present invention achieves all of these objectives,
while also providing numerous additional benefits.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0007] The toothbrush of the present invention allows a person of
reduced manual dexterity to brush his or her teeth without having
to manipulate or turn the brush during the course of brushing. The
toothbrush is structured so that when the bristles of the head are
pressed against the gum and/or teeth the head of the brush rotates
relative to the longitudinal axis of the brush or relative to the
handle of the brush.
[0008] To accomplish the above, the toothbrush of the present
invention has a longitudinal axis and comprises a handle, the
handle including a neck, and including a head that includes a bed
and bristles extending from the bed. A socket enclosure in a
preferred embodiment is integrally connected to the bed and extends
from the rear of the bed away from the bristles. The socket
enclosure has defined inside it a socket or hollow area. Inside the
socket is a rotator. The rotator is rigidly connected to the
neck.
[0009] The rotator is free to move within the socket but the
rotator, which might be a ball, is unable to leave the socket
either because the entrance to the socket is too narrow or because
it is held to the inside wall of the socket enclosure at an end of
said inside wall distal from the entrance by a wire or other string
or structure that is attached to the inside wall of the socket
enclosure distal from the entrance and the same wire is also
attached to the rotator, either by piercing the outside surface of
the rotator or by running through a diameter of the rotator and
coming out on the other end. In this case the wire cannot fall out
of the rotator because the wire has a free end near the entrance
that is thicker and this prevents the wire from detaching from the
rotator. However, the rotator is still free to move around within
the socket.
[0010] The head and socket enclosure capable of rotating, upon the
head being pressed against a teeth and/or gums of a user, in a
front and back direction in relation to the handle and/or a side to
side direction in relation to the handle or the longitudinal axis
of the toothbrush. The rotation reduces an amount of manual
rotation of the toothbrush performed by the user.
[0011] As a result the person holding the brush need not use his
wrists to turn the brush but merely uses the force of the brush
against the teeth and/or gums to effectuate a rotating of the head
of the brush and hence a rotating of the bristles.
IMPORTANT OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES
[0012] The following important objects and advantages of the
present invention are:
[0013] (1) To provide a toothbrush designed specifically for people
with poor manual dexterity;
[0014] (2) To provide a toothbrush with improved reach into the
crevices of the gums;
[0015] (3) To provide a toothbrush that is designed specifically to
eliminate and/or severely reduce the need of the user to turn his
or her wrist;
[0016] (4) To provide a toothbrush that is of simple
construction;
[0017] (5) To provide a toothbrush that is easy to use:
[0018] (6) To provide a toothbrush that in preferred embodiments
looks essentially like an ordinary toothbrush;
[0019] (7) To provide a toothbrush that in preferred embodiments
achieves its desired objectives without requiring the insertion of
odd-looking components into one's mouth;
[0020] (8) To provide a toothbrush with greater tooth surface
contact during brushing;
[0021] (9) To provide a toothbrush that naturally rotates and
aligns its brushing surface to be at the best angle for providing
close contact between the teeth/gums and the broadest brushing
surface of the toothbrush;
[0022] (10) To provide a toothbrush that is more comfortable to use
than prior art toothbrushes;
[0023] (11) To provide a toothbrush that would allow people with
limited manipulative dexterity to change the fine angle orientation
of bristles with minimal exertion of force and minimal
reorientation of the wrist and digits of the hand;
[0024] (12) To provide a toothbrush that would allow people with
limited manipulative dexterity to change the fine angle orientation
of bristles without releasing the grasp of the handle and without
repositioning the toothbrush handle in hand;
[0025] (13) To provide a toothbrush with full left-right
reorientation of the bristles that would allow people with
compromised grasping ability to reach both sides of their mouth
with toothbrush bristles without releasing the grasp of the
handle;
[0026] (14) To provide a toothbrush with a head that is capable of
rotating on a broad range of directions and amounts in relation to
the handle of the toothbrush and/or in relation to the longitudinal
axis of the toothbrush;
[0027] (15) To provide a toothbrush that would allow people with
limited manipulative dexterity to reach both sides of their mouth
with toothbrush bristles with minimal exertion of force and minimal
reorientation of the wrist and digits of the hand;
[0028] (16) To provide a toothbrush that is convenient and
efficient for brushing the teeth in hard-to-see areas (such as back
teeth), or for brushing without a mirror; and
[0029] (17) To provide a toothbrush with a head that can rotate in
all directions for better contact with the teeth and greater access
to hard-to reach areas.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] FIG. 1 is a front view of the toothbrush of the present
invention;
[0031] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the present invention;
[0032] FIG. 3 is a right side view of the present invention; the
left side view being identical thereto;
[0033] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the present invention;
[0034] FIG. 5 is a top view of the present invention;
[0035] FIG. 6 is a partial fragmentary vertical cross-sectional
view of the toothbrush of the present invention;
[0036] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of toothbrush of the present
invention pressed against a user's teeth and in rotated
position;
[0037] FIG. 8 is a fragmentary right side view of an alternative
embodiment of the toothbrush of the present invention having a
flexible neck and showing the brush in flexed position;
[0038] FIG. 9a is a fragmentary side view of the main embodiment of
the toothbrush of the present invention rotated in an "x" axis;
[0039] FIG. 9b is a fragmentary side view of the main embodiment of
the toothbrush of the present invention rotated in a "y" axis;
[0040] FIG. 9c is a fragmentary side view of the main embodiment of
the toothbrush of the present invention rotated in a "z" axis;
[0041] FIG. 10A is an enlarged perspective view of the rotator and
handle of the main embodiment separated from and without the head
and socket enclosure
[0042] FIG. 10B is a top view of the rotator and handle of the main
embodiment separated from and without the head and socket
enclosure; and
[0043] FIG. 11 is a side view of a further alternative embodiment
of the rotator, neck and head for the toothbrush of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0044] The apparatus of the present invention will now be
illustrated by reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred
embodiments of the toothbrush of the present invention have been
assigned reference numeral 10. Other elements have been assigned
the reference numerals referred to below.
[0045] The toothbrush 10 of the present invention is designed to
reduce the amount of manual rotation of the toothbrush performed by
the user. Toothbrush 10 comprises handle 20, which handle 20
includes neck 22. In certain alternative embodiments, handle 20
does not have a distinct neck p Toothbrush 10 also includes head
30. Head 30 includes a bed 32 and bristles 34 extending from the
bed 32. Bed 32 extends from the surface from which bristles 34
extend back to the rear surface of the head 30 of toothbrush
10.
[0046] The general concept of the toothbrush of the present
invention is to allow the head 30 of the toothbrush 10 to move in
relation to the handle 20 or longitudinal axis of the brush when a
user having poor manual dexterity attempts to brush his or her
teeth.
[0047] In a preferred embodiment, neck 22 is made of rigid plastic
or another rigid substance. In an alternative embodiment shown in
FIG. 8, however, neck 22a is flexible and in particular is flexible
enough to bend in response to a user pressing the head 30 of the
brush 10 against the teeth and/or gums. This is further way to
cause rotation of head 30 relative to the main part of handle 20
(other than neck 22a) or to the longitudinal axis of the brush 10.
In effect, this provides another way for the force of the brush
against the teeth and/or gums to be accommodated without the user
having to turn his or her wrist or hand. The flexible neck 22a is a
feature that can be incorporated with any of embodiments of the
present invention.
[0048] Bed 32 includes a socket enclosure 40 extending outwardly
away from the bristles 34. The socket enclosure 40 has a socket 42
defined in said socket enclosure.
[0049] Toothbrush 10 includes socket enclosure 40 having a socket
42 defined in said socket enclosure 40. In a preferred embodiment,
socket enclosure 40 is integrally formed from bed 32 and merely
extends the plastic or other material that bed 32 is made of
outwardly away from the bristles 34, as best seen from FIGS. 3 and
6. Socket enclosure 40 is shaped so as to have defined therein a
socket 42 inside said socket enclosure 40.
[0050] In an alternative embodiment of socket enclosure 40, socket
enclosure 40 is not integrally formed with bed 32 but is affixed
thereto and extends outwardly away from the bristles 34. In this
case, a first portion of socket enclosure 40 may extend into bed 32
and a second portion of socket enclosure 40 may extends outwardly
away from bed 32. Socket enclosure 42 would then be either
partially inside bed 32 or outside bed 32 adjacent to bed 32.
[0051] Accordingly, FIG. 6 is only one of many acceptable
configurations of the location of socket 42 in relation to bed 32
and is only one of many acceptable configurations of the shape and
location of socket enclosure 40. In a preferred embodiment,
however, socket enclosure 40 should not extend so far out of bed 32
that the user will be placing into his or her mouth a toothbrush
head that is shaped dramatically different than a conventional
toothbrush head whose rear surface of its bed is largely or
substantially flat or only slightly curved. It is believed that
toothbrush consumers would be more comfortable and accepting of
using a brush 10 incorporating the present invention if said brush
10 had a head 30 shaped as close as possible to a conventionally
shaped head.
[0052] Rotator 50 extends into the socket 42 and is free to move
within said socket 42. Rotator is either not fixedly connected to
the socket enclosure 40 or is connected in such a way that still
allows rotator 50 to move freely in many directions within socket
42. For example, rotator 50 may have a flexible wire or other
attachment structure connecting it to the surface of bed 32 from
where bristles 34 emanate.
[0053] Rotator 50 is however rigidly connected to the handle 20,
and in particular to neck 22. Rotator 50 is rigid and may be shaped
like a ball or may be shaped like any other object, for example an
ellipse that is close to spherical, as in FIG. 6. In a preferred
embodiment, rotator 50 sits in socket 42 and can be moved around
freely within socket 42 in a stable and reliable manner. This means
that the way rotator 50 moves around within socket 42 on one given
occasion should be essentially the same or similar to the way in
which rotator 50 moves around within socket 42 on another
occasion--this provides the user with a workable product that
functions in a consistent manner. Furthermore, it means that the
socket 42, socket enclosure 40 and rotator 50 are durable enough
and connected in a durable way that such movement of rotator 50
within socket 42 will be reliable enough to be carried out many
times over months without breaking down.
[0054] As best seen from FIG. 6, when rotator 50 moves around
within socket 42, rotator cannot leave socket 42. In a preferred
embodiment, this is because the entrance into socket 42 is simply
too narrow. The size and shape of rotator 50 relative to the size
and shape of the entrance to the socket 40 prevents said departure
of rotator from leaving the socket 42 when said rotator moves
within said socket 42. Those skilled in the art can appreciate that
a small clearance between the rotator 50 and the inside wall 41 of
the socket enclosure 40 allows rotator 50 to move around within
socket 40 without allowing rotator to leave socket 42.
[0055] In an alternative embodiment, rotator 50 cannot leave socket
42 because of a loose attachment between one end of rotator 50 and
an inside wall of socket enclosure 40. For example, in an
alternative embodiment, a wire attached to an inside wall of socket
enclosure 40 at a portion of said inside wall distal from the
entrance to the socket 42 is also attached to rotator 50. In a
further example, said wire might pierce a portion of the outside
surface of rotator 50 or pierce a full diameter of said rotator if
said rotator is a ball or spherical object. In that case the end of
the wire proximal to the entrance to socket 42 would have a thicker
diameter preventing the wire from detaching from rotator 50. In
that way, or in other ways well known to those in the art, rotator
50 could move around freely within socket enclosure 40 and yet
still not be able to leave socket 42. In the alternative
embodiment, those skilled in the art will easily appreciate the
amount of small clearance needed to allow movement of rotator 50
within socket 42.
[0056] It is noted that although FIG. 6 depicts the socket
enclosure 40 as having a particular shape, the present invention
contemplates other shapes so lock as rotator 50 cannot fall out of
socket 42 during rotation of rotator 50 within socket 42.
Accordingly, the amount of material forming socket enclosure 40 may
in certain embodiments be reduced or increased in particular areas,
as desired.
[0057] The head 30 (and the socket enclosure 40 in embodiments
where the socket enclosure is not defined to be part of the head or
bed) is capable of moving or rotating in a variety of directions
when the head 30 is pressed against the teeth and/or gums of the
user during use of the brush 10. Head 30 (and socket enclosure 40
in embodiments where socket enclosure 40 is not defined as part of
bed 32 or head 30 but is affixed onto bed 32), in a front and back
direction in relation to the handle 20 and/or a side to side
direction in relation to the handle 20. In a preferred embodiment,
head 30 is capable of rotating in both the front and back direction
in relation to the handle 20 and the side to side direction in
relation to the handle 20 or alternatively in relation to a
longitudinal axis of the toothbrush 10. In fact, in certain
preferred embodiments, head 30 is capable of rotating in all
directions in relation to the handle 20 or alternatively in
relation to a longitudinal axis of the toothbrush 10.
[0058] Although the present invention contemplates a wide variety
of amounts of rotation in all directions, in one preferred
embodiment, the range of front and back motion of the head 30
relative to the handle and/or relative to the longitudinal axis of
the toothbrush is between approximately 10 rotational degrees and
approximately 50 rotational degrees and even more preferably
between approximately 20 rotational degrees and approximately 40
rotational degrees. Similarly, in one preferred embodiment the
range of side to side motion of the head is between approximately
10 rotational degrees and approximately 50 rotational degrees and
more preferably between approximately 20 rotational degrees and
approximately 40 rotational degrees.
[0059] FIGS. 9A, 9B and 9C depict fragmentary side views of the
main embodiment showing rotation in three different axes. As can be
seen from FIG. 9A, for example, the bristles 34 appear shorter
because of the rotation in the "x" axis.
[0060] In an alternative embodiment, the head 30 can be rotated
even more than 50 degrees in the front and back direction and/or in
the side to side direction.
[0061] It is noted that head 30 is not moving or rotating only with
respect to two axes but with respect to all three axes in all
directions, although its movement has been described as being in a
side to side direction and in a front and back direction. Hence,
when head 30 is rotating in a direction that is in between being a
"side to side" direction and a "front and back" direction, then the
term "side to side direction" should be taken to mean the side to
side component of the overall direction of head 30 and the term
"front and back direction" should be taken to mean the front and
back component of the overall direction of head 30.
[0062] At the very least, the movement of the head 32 is sufficient
to obviate a need for the user to turn the toothbrush 10 manually
using the user's wrists or otherwise.
[0063] In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 11, in order to
allow additional rotation of head 30 upon being pressed against the
teeth and/or gums of the user, the toothbrush has no socket or
socket enclosure and instead rotator 50 is held against a groove 39
in a head extension 31 of head 30 such as by means of a wire 66,
preferably a flexible wire, that runs through rotator 50, this wire
66 also being attached to head extension 31 of head at groove 39 of
head extension 31. Accordingly, rotator 50 which extends from and
is integrally connected to neck 22, has a first surface 51 that is
adjacent to and conforms to a shape of the groove 39 and a second
surface 56 out of which wire 66 exits. Wire 66 is preferably made
of flexible metal, flexible plastic or other flexible but durable
and strong materials well known to those skilled in the art. In
certain embodiments, wire 66 may not be flexible at all. Wire 66
traverses rotator 50 from the first surface 51 to the second
surface 56. Wire 66 is attached to rotator at least at second
surface 56 and is attached to the head extension 31 at groove 39.
If wire 66 is not flexible, then rotator 50 can still rotate freely
in a lateral direction--side to side. As seen from FIG. 11, wire 66
can be designed so that wire 66 does not require a protruding
attachment structure such as a bolt on the other side of head
extension 31 in order to avoid having a bulging piece of material
graze the users tongue or other areas inside the mouth during use.
This is accomplished by counter sinking the bolt or other
attachment structure so that it is flush with the surface of the
head extension 31.
[0064] It is to be understood that while the apparatus of this
invention have been described and illustrated in detail, the
above-described embodiments are simply illustrative of the
principles of the invention. It is to be understood also that
various other modifications and changes may be devised by those
skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the
invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof. It is not
desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and
operation shown and described. The spirit and scope of this
invention are limited only by the spirit and scope of the following
claims.
* * * * *