Title:

Toothpaste dispensing toothbrush device

United States Patent Application 20030150472

Kind Code:

A1

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, US)

Application Number:

10/075007

Publication Date:

08/14/2003

Filing Date:

02/14/2002

Export Citation:

Click for automatic bibliography generation

Assignee:

JOHNSON ELIZABETH M.

Primary Class:

132/311

Other Classes:

222/103

International Classes:

A46B11/00; (IPC1-7): B65D35/28; A46B15/00

View Patent Images:

Download PDF 20030150472

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Primary Examiner:

WILLATT, STEPHANIE L

Attorney, Agent or Firm:

LINGBECK PATENT LAW OFFICE (ST. MICHAEL, MN, US)

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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