U.S. patent application number 11/813689 was filed with the patent office on 2008-03-13 for holder for securing toothbrush heads.
Invention is credited to Kurt R. Wagner.
Application Number | 20080061017 11/813689 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36127463 |
Filed Date | 2008-03-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080061017 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wagner; Kurt R. |
March 13, 2008 |
Holder for Securing Toothbrush Heads
Abstract
A holder (1) for securing detachable toothbrush heads for
electric toothbrushes, said toothbrush head having a movable disc
or disc part supported by a shaft, and which is provided with
bristles protruding substantially parallel to a first axis, said
first axis extending substantially perpendicularly to the plane of
the disc or disc part. The holder (1) is provided with a plurality
of recesses (7), each of said recesses being adapted to accommodate
in use at least the end of the toothbrush head supporting the disc
or the disc part with bristles. Each recess has first supporting
surfaces (8) to support in use the rim of the disc or disc part in
the radial direction perpendicularly to said first axis, and second
supporting surfaces (9) for supporting in use the rear side of the
disc or the disc part in the axial direction parallel to said first
axis.
Inventors: |
Wagner; Kurt R.; (Bronshoj,
DK) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DAVID A. GUERRA;INTERNATIONAL PATENT GROUP, LLC
2025 17TH AVENUE N.W.
CALGARY
AB
T2M 0S7
CA
|
Family ID: |
36127463 |
Appl. No.: |
11/813689 |
Filed: |
February 15, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
February 15, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/DK06/00090 |
371 Date: |
July 11, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/66 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K 1/09 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/066 |
International
Class: |
A47B 81/02 20060101
A47B081/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 15, 2005 |
DK |
PA 2005 00220 |
Claims
1. Holder (1) for securing detachable toothbrush heads (2) for
electric toothbrushes, said toothbrush head (2) having a movable
disc or disc part (3) supported by a shaft (4), and which is
provided with bristles (5) protruding substantially parallel to a
first axis (6), said first axis extending substantially
perpendicularly to the plane of the disc or disc part (3),
characterised by the holder (1) being provided with a plurality of
recesses (7), each of said recesses being adapted to accommodate at
least the end of the toothbrush head supporting the disc or the
disc part (3) with bristles (5), each recess having first
supporting surfaces (8) to support the rim of the disc or disc part
(3) in the radial direction perpendicularly to said first axis (6),
and second supporting surfaces (9) for supporting the rear side of
the disc or the disc part (3) in the axial direction parallel to
said first axis (6).
2. Holder (1) according to claim 1, characterised by the first
supporting surfaces (8) of the recess (7) following the outline of
the disc outside the area of the shaft.
3. Holder (1) according to claim 2, characterised by the first
supporting surfaces (8) of the recess (7) forming a continuous
partially circular surface (10).
4. Holder (1) according to claim 3, characterised by the second
supporting surfaces (9) of the recess being adapted to abut the
rear side of the disc (3) via the shaft (4).
5. Holder (1) according to claim 4, characterised by the second
supporting surfaces (9) of the recess having a shape which is
complementary to at least parts of the rear side of the shaft (4).
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a holder for securing
detachable toothbrush heads for electric toothbrushes, said
toothbrush head having a movable disc or disc part supported by a
shaft, and which is provided with bristles protruding substantially
parallel to a first axis, said first axis extending substantially
perpendicularly to the plane of the disc.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,296 discloses a holder for toothbrushes,
said holder having one or more cavities, each cavity being adapted
to accommodate its toothbrush head with bristles. The cavities are
lined with rubber material intended to conform to the shape of the
toothbrush. Furthermore, the holder has a rubber or steel grommet
to keep the toothbrush in its position inside the cavity. The
patent states that the cavities partially enclose the toothbrushes,
and that the toothbrush is entered into the cavity bristles first,
and that the toothbrush can be operated with one hand.
[0003] This holder is not fully satisfactorily as the rubber lining
is worn out from being used when the toothbrush is pressed into the
cavity. Thus after some time the lining will not conform to the
shape of the toothbrush any more, and it will lose its ability to
secure the toothbrush inside the cavity.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
[0004] The object of the invention is to provide a holder of the
above kind which is easy to manufacture and particularly suited for
securing detachable toothbrush heads for electric toothbrushes in a
safe and simple way under hygienic conditions, and which can be
operated easily with one hand.
[0005] The holder according to the invention is accordingly
characterised by being provided with a plurality of recesses, each
of said recesses being adapted to accommodate at least the end of
the toothbrush head supporting the disc or the disc part with
bristles, each recess having first supporting surfaces to support
the rim of the disc or disc part in the radial direction
perpendicularly to said first axis, and second supporting surfaces
for supporting the rear side of the disc or the disc part in the
axial direction parallel to said first axis.
[0006] Thus, a plain and simple securing is obtained in a plain and
simple structure with a surface, which does not alter, and which is
worn relatively slowly from usage. It is very hygienic and needs
very little cleaning as the bristles do not have any immediate
contact to the holder. The holder can be made very thin, so that it
does not jut out of the wall without reducing the access of light
and air to the bristles as they protrude freely out of the
holder.
[0007] The holder can be operated easily with one hand although
detachable toothbrush heads for electric toothbrushes have a short
shaft compared to traditional toothbrushes. As the toothbrush head
and the shaft exactly fit into the recess, when the bristles turn
outwards, all it takes for securing the toothbrush head inside the
holder and for taking the toothbrush head out of the holder,
respectively, is a gentle pressure on the shaft in order to press
it into its position and a gentle pull of the shaft in order to
take it out.
[0008] According to a particular embodiment of the holder according
to the invention, the first supporting surfaces of the recess
follow the outline of the disc outside the area of the shaft, and
furthermore the first supporting surfaces can form a continuous
partially circular surface, said continuous partially circular
surface fitting approximately to the toothbrush head of an electric
toothbrush. Hereby it is achieved that the toothbrush head does not
fall out by itself, and at the same time it can easily be placed in
the recess and be taken out again with one hand. Furthermore, the
embodiment can be manufactured in a simple way.
[0009] In addition, the holder according to the invention can be
peculiar in that the second supporting surfaces are adapted to abut
the rear side of the disc via the shaft, and furthermore they can
specifically have a shape, which is complementary to at least parts
of the rear side of the shaft. Hereby, a particularly advantageous
embodiment is obtained.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The invention is explained in detail below with reference to
the drawings, in which
[0011] FIG. 1 is a front view of a part of an embodiment for a
holder,
[0012] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the holder shown in FIG. 1
along the line I-I, and
[0013] FIG. 3 is the same view including a toothbrush head
accommodated herein.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0014] FIGS. 1-3 show a holder 1 with recesses 7, each of said
recesses being adapted to accommodate a detachable toothbrush head
for an electric toothbrush. Such a toothbrush head is indicated by
the general reference number 2 in FIG. 3. The toothbrush head 2 has
a movable disc or disc part 3 supported by a shaft 4. The
toothbrush head is provided with bristles 5 protruding from the
disc or disc part 3 substantially parallel to a first axis 6. The
holder 1 is adapted so that the toothbrush head 2 can be placed
herein without the bristles getting into contact with the holder 1.
In the embodiment shown, the first axis 6, which is perpendicular
to the disc or disc part, is identical to the second axis 12 in the
holder, when the toothbrush head is placed herein.
[0015] The recess 7 has a supporting surface 8 to support the rim
of the disc or the disc part 3 in the radial direction
perpendicularly to said second axis 12. In the shown embodiment of
the invention, the supporting surface 8 has a continuous partially
circular surface approximately following the outline of the disc or
disc part 3 outside the area of the shaft 4.
[0016] In the embodiment shown said supporting surface 8 passes
into a shoulder surface 9 seen in the direction into the recess 7,
said shoulder surface 9 also forming a continuous partially
circular surface, which follows the outline of the disc or the disc
part outside the area of the shaft 4. The shoulder surface 9 is
connected to a plane contact face 10 via a partially circular face
11 extending parallel to said axis 12. The shoulder surface 9 and
the contact face 10 support the toothbrush head 2 at the rim of the
disc or the disc part 3 in the axial direction parallel to said
axis 12, the shoulder surface 9 providing direct support on the rim
of the disc or the disc part, while the contact face 10 provides
indirect support via the shaft 4.
[0017] In the above embodiment, the face 11 has the shape of a part
of a cylinder with a length corresponding to the distance between
the rim of the disc or the disc part 3 and the rear of the shaft 4.
Thereby, the plane of the contact face 10 becomes circular, and can
thus be manufactured easily. In an additional embodiment the latter
faces 10, 11 can be shaped complementary to the form of the shaft 4
in the end supporting the disc or the disc part 3. The toothbrush
head 2, however, is secured sufficiently in the holder 1 simply by
means of contact to the supporting surface 8 and the face 9 or
10.
[0018] The thickness of the holder 1 corresponds to the thickness
of the toothbrush head 2 plus an appropriate plate thickness of the
rear side of the holder 1 behind the recesses 7.
[0019] The invention is not limited to the above embodiment, which
can be amended in many ways without diverging from the idea behind
the invention. Thus, the shape of the recesses can be more rounded
thus fitting more complementary to the shape of the toothbrush
head. The recesses can have grooves/slits so that additional air
gets to the back side of the toothbrush head.
[0020] The holder 1 can be installed directly on the wall, for
instance by means of screw holes or adhesive cushions or indirectly
on a supporting intermediate plate, which is fixed to the wall
first. Hereby, the holder 1 can be installed detachably onto the
intermediate plate, so that it can be installed and de-installed
easily upon cleaning. Furthermore the holder 1 can be made from
metal, plastic or wood. Additionally, the holder 1 can be adapted
with a cover plate against dust and a dripping plate below it for
catching water from the toothbrush head 2.
* * * * *