Toothbrush

The present invention relates to a toothbrush in general and particularly to a toothbrush having a toothpaste container associated with the toothbrushing part.

Toothbrushes of the above mentioned general type are known in the art. They generally have a complicated construction and are rather long. It is believed that it is desirable further improve the construction and the operation of existing toothbrushes.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a toothbrush which is a further improvement of existing toothbrushes and accommodates in it both a toothbrushing part and a toothpaste supplying part.

In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a toothbrush which has a toothbrushing part with a head provided with a plurality of bristles, a toothpaste container connected with the toothbrushing part for supplying a toothpaste to the toothbrushing part and to the head with the bristles, and valve means arranged so that during supplying the toothpaste onto the bristles the valve means is opened and located between the bristles, and for brushing with the bristles the valve means is withdrawn from the region of the bristles so as not to interfere with the teeth during brushing by the bristles.

In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the toothbrush is provided with means for supplying the toothpaste and including a piston which is formed as a multi-stage piston with several piston portions axially telescopically insertable in one another to reduce the overall length of the toothbrush.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a toothbrush in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the inventive toothbrush;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the inventive toothbrush;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the toothbrush without a toothbrushing portion;

FIG. 5a is a view showing a section of the rear end of the toothbrushing portion;

FIG. 5b is a view showing a section of a front end of a toothpaste container portion;

FIG. 6a shows valve means in an open condition, while FIGS. 6b, 6c, 6d show the valve means in a closed condition from a side view, a front view, and a plan view, respectively;

FIGS. 7a, 7b and 7c are views showing sections taken through the toothbrushing portion in the lower, central and upper regions;

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the toothbrushing portion, the toothpaste container portion, and the handle portion of the toothbrush;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the toothbrushing portion with a hood;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the handle of the toothbrush;

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a toothpaste supplying piston of the toothbrush;

FIGS. 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d show cross-sections of respective parts of the piston;

FIGS. 12a and 12b show the process of supplying a toothpaste into the toothbrush in an exploded view and in assembled condition, respectively.

A toothbrush in accordance with the present invention has a toothbrushing part which is identified as a whole with reference numeral 1, a toothpaste container part which is identified with reference numeral 2, and a handle which is identified with reference numeral 3. The lower end of the toothbrushing part 1 is connected with the upper end of the toothpaste container part 2 by interengaging projections and grooves shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b. The toothpaste container part 2 has a substantially oval shape as shown in FIG. 4.

The toothbrushing part 1 has a head provided with a plurality of bristles 4. Valve means 5 is located in the head of the toothbrushing part 1. The valve means 5 include projections 6 formed in the head and defining an extension of a passage 7 provided in the head. A valve body 8 is movable in the passage and has an expansible and compressible bellows-like main portion 9 with an end provided with two openings 10 and two flaps 11. The flaps 11 in a normal position when no force is applied close, the openings 10. The main portion 9 is fixedly received in the passage 7.

The toothbrush has further piston means 12 movable in the toothpaste container portion 2. The piston means includes a piston 13 with a top portion 14 which can be provided with a special shape. The piston has an oval shape and is connected with a piston rod composed of an upper part 15, a central part 16 and a lower part 17. The upper part 15 of the piston rod is clampingly engageable in the piston 13 since it has a split expansible and contractible upper head. The upper part 15 is provided with an outer thread cooperating with an inner thread of the central part 16. The central part 16 is provided with an outer thread cooperating with an inner thread of the lower part 17. The lower part 17 has slots 18, in which the projections 19 of the handle 3 are inserted. The lower part 17 of the piston rod has a passage 20, in which locking means is engageable. The locking means includes a piece 21, a spring 22 and a stop means 23. This locking means is used for locking the central part 16 in the lower part 17 and unlocking the former from the latter. For this purpose, the central portion 16 has a recess 24. Also a locking element 25 is provided. The toothbrush is also provided with a removable hood 26.

The operation of the toothbrush is performed in the following manner. By turning the handle 3 and thereby the lower portion 17 of the piston rod, the central portion of the piston rod 16 together with the upper portion of the central rod 15 is screwed out from the lower portion 17 as shown in FIG. 3. In the upper end position, the locking elements engage in the recess 24 and stop the central part 16 of the piston rod from further axial displacement. During further turning of the handle 3 and now both the lower part 17 and the central part 16 of the piston rod, the upper part 15 of the piston rod is screwed out of the central part 16 until the piston 13 abuts with its conical part 14 against the walls of the conical upper part of the toothpaste container part 2. The toothpaste is pressed from the toothpaste container part 2 into the toothbrushing part 1. The special shape prevents sliding of the toothpaste downwardly along the cone and pressing of the paste against the edges of the piston. Under the action of the piston, the toothpaste is pressed from the toothpaste container 2 into the toothbrushing part 1. Under the action of the pressure applied by the paste the main part 9 of the valve means 8 is stretched to the left and its left end extends leftwardly beyond the projections 6. The paste is squeezed through the inner passage of the main part 9 and spreads the flaps 11 apart so as to exit through the openings 10 onto the surface of the bristles 4. When the handle 3 is turned in the opposite direction so as to pull the piston rod with the piston 13 downwardly and a negative pressure is formed in the passage of the toothbrushing part 1. Since the flaps are normally urged toward the openings 10 to close them, in condition of the negative pressure they close the openings 10 and the main part 9 of the valve means 8 is pulled to the right back into the passage 7, so that the left end of the valve means 8 is withdrawn from the are of the brushing surface of the bristles 4. In this position the toothbrush can be used for brushing teeth. Its is to be understood that during further turning of the handle, the piston rod is shortened by insertion of the upper part 15 into the central part 16 and the central part 16 into the lower part 17. The locking means is formed so as not to hinder such an insertion.

For filling the toothpaste container part 2 with the toothpaste, the toothbrushing part 1 is removed and a toothpaste container 28 is connected with the toothpaste container part 2 through an intermediate bush 27. The toothpaste container part 2 is squeezed and supplies a toothpaste into the toothpaste container part 2 of the toothbrush.

The present invention is not limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes are possible without departing in any wa from the spirit of the present invention.

What is desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.