Flexible neck toothbrush
First Claim
1. A flexible toothbrush comprising;
- a. a handle member;
b. neck member pivotally connected to the handle member and movable between at least first and second positions relative thereto;
c. a biasing member cooperatively engaged to the handle member and the neck member and operative to normally bias the neck member to the first position;
d. the biasing member being configured such that the application of pressure to the neck portion beyond a prescribed threshold facilitates movement of the of the neck portion from the first position to the second position.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
All embodiments of the present invention relate to a toothbrush to prevent tooth abrasion and gum damage during use. A first embodiment of the invention includes a handle including an open cavity and a neck interconnected to the handle by a pivot. The neck is movable between an aligned first position and a second angled position relative to the handle. A leaf spring is bonded to the end of the neck at a first end, and the second end of the leaf spring engages the handle to provide biasing resistance. The leaf spring is configured such that if pressure to the neck exceeds a threshold limit, there is movement of the neck portion from the first position to a second position. The threshold limit is the pressure just below the pressure at the brush that may cause damage to the hard and soft tissue of the mouth. A protective sheath envelops the junction between the handle member and the neck member to prevent accumulation of unwanted material within the cavity of the handle. A second embodiment is equivalent in structure and components to the first embodiment except that it also includes a manual adjustment of the biasing force of the leaf spring to provide variable pressure and a motor for providing mechanical movement of the brush head. Third and fourth embodiments are equivalent in structure and components of the first and second embodiments, respectively, except that the leaf spring is bonded to the handle instead of the neck.
35 Citations
48 Claims
-
1. A flexible toothbrush comprising;
-
a. a handle member;
b. neck member pivotally connected to the handle member and movable between at least first and second positions relative thereto;
c. a biasing member cooperatively engaged to the handle member and the neck member and operative to normally bias the neck member to the first position;
d. the biasing member being configured such that the application of pressure to the neck portion beyond a prescribed threshold facilitates movement of the of the neck portion from the first position to the second position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. An ergonomic toothbrush having a flexible neck and adaptively designed handle to prevent tooth abrasion and gum damage comprising:
-
a. a handle member defining a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end including an open cavity defining an interior surface;
b. a neck member defining a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end including a dental brush and said proximal end pivotally connected to the distal end of the handle member and said neck member movable between a first position wherein the handle member and neck member are substantially aligned and a second position angularly offset relative to the handle;
c. a leaf spring defining a first end, second end and spring body;
said first end bonded to said neck member, wherein movement of the neck member about the pivotal connection translates movement of the spring body within the cavity of the handle member;
said spring body adapted to engage the interior surface to provide biasing resistance;
wherein said leaf spring is operative to normally bias the neck member to the first position and is configured such that the application of pressure to the neck portion beyond a prescribed threshold facilitates movement of the neck portion from the first position to the second position. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. An ergonomic toothbrush having a flexible neck and adaptively designed handle to prevent tooth abrasion and gum damage comprising:
-
a. a handle member;
b. a neck member pivotally connected handle member, said neck member movable between a first position wherein the handle member and neck member are substantially aligned and a second position angularly offset relative to the handle;
c. a leaf spring defining a first end, second end and spring body;
said first end bonded to said neck member, said spring body configured to engage the handle member to provide biasing resistance;
wherein said leaf spring is operative to normally bias the neck member to the first position and is configured such that the application of pressure to the neck portion beyond a prescribed threshold facilitates movement of the neck portion from the first position to the second position. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
-
-
37. A flexible toothbrush comprising;
-
a. a handle member;
b. neck member pivotally connected to the handle member and movable between at least first and second positions relative thereto;
c. a biasing member formed into said he handle member to engage the neck member and operative to provide a biasing force against the neck member to the first position;
d. the biasing member being configured such that the application of pressure to the neck portion beyond a prescribed threshold facilitates movement of the of the neck portion from the first position to the second position. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
-
Specification