Toothbrush

• US 20050271997A1
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pigeon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pigeon Corporation
• Inventors: Fujii, Yasushi, Mikami, Shintarou, Kitamura, Teruhiko, Iwayama, Hideki, Nakahara, Masayuki, Onuki, Zenichi
• Application Number:
  US10/525,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20050271997A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/29
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0002 Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0036 with a lighting means, e.g. laser, bulb A46B15/0034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1066 Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/088 Illuminating devices or attachments for examination of the mouth A61B1/24 and A61B1/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/22 with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like brush bodies, e.g. arrangements of the bristles A46B

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a toothbrush, in which illumination of an interior of an oral cavity enables an assistant to grasp the state of the interior of an oral cavity of a person being assisted, and an uncomfortable strike against the interior of an oral cavity caused by a portion made of a hard material can be prevented as far as possible during brushing.

[Means for Resolution] A toothbrush 10 comprising a head portion 31 formed on a surface thereof with a brush portion 55, a toothbrush body 11, and a shaft 25 that connects the head portion and the toothbrush body, the toothbrush body being provided with light emitting means 21 to irradiate light toward the head portion, the shaft being formed to permit the light to transmit therethrough, at least a surface of the head portion being formed with elastic portions 34, 36, and a tip end of the head portion being not formed with the elastic bodies and thereby provided with a tip-end light transmitting portion 37.

Claims

1. A toothbrush comprising a head portion with a brush portion located on a surface thereof, a toothbrush body, and a shaft that connects the head portion and the toothbrush body,

the toothbrush body being provided with light emitting means to irradiate light toward the head portion, the shaft being structured to permit the light to transmit or pass therethrough,

at least a surface of the head portion including an elastic portion located thereon, and

a tip end of the head portion not including the elastic portion located thereon and thereby provided with a tip-end light transmitting portion.

2. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the head portion on which the brush portion is provided, does not include the elastic portion and is thereby formed with a brush-portion light transmitting portion, and at least a part of a surface opposed to the surface of the head portion on which the brush portion is provided does not include the elastic portion and is thereby provided with a back-surface light transmitting portion.

3. The toothbrush according to claim 2, wherein the head portion includes sides that have outer peripheries, and the elastic portion is formed on at least a part of the outer peripheries of the sides of the head portion and in a substantially central region of the opposed surface except on the back-surface light transmitting portion.

4. The toothbrush according to claim 3, wherein the back-surface light transmitting portion is formed to have a cross section thereof curved from an outer periphery of a back surface of the head portion to a part of the outer peripheries of the sides, and surfaces of the elastic portion project from surfaces of respective light transmitting portions.

5. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the elastic portion includes a shaft elastic body on the shaft in the vicinity of the head portion, and a surface of the shaft does not include the elastic body and is thereby provided with a shaft light transmitting portion.

7. The toothbrush according to claim 2, wherein the elastic portion includes a shaft elastic body on the shaft in the vicinity of the head portion, and a surface of the shaft does not include the shaft elastic body and is thereby provided with a shaft light transmitting portion.

8. The toothbrush according to claim 3, wherein the elastic portion includes a shaft elastic body on the shaft in the vicinity of the head portion, and a surface of the shaft does not include the elastic body and is thereby provided with a shaft light transmitting portion.

9. The toothbrush according to claim 4, wherein the elastic portion includes a shaft elastic body on the shaft in the vicinity of the head portion, and a surface of the shaft does not include the elastic body and is thereby provided with a shaft light transmitting portion.

12. The toothbrush according to claim 11, wherein the head portion includes sides that have outer peripheries, and the elastic portion is formed on at least a part of the outer peripheries of the sides of the head portion and in a substantially central region of the opposed surface except on the back-surface light transmitting portion.

13. The toothbrush according to claim 12, wherein the back-surface light transmitting portion is formed to have a cross section thereof curved from an outer periphery of a back surface of the head portion to a part of the outer peripheries of the sides, and surfaces of the elastic portion project from surfaces of respective light transmitting portions.

16. The toothbrush according to claim 12, wherein the elastic portion includes a shaft elastic body on the shaft in the vicinity of the head portion, and a surface of the shaft does not include the elastic body and is thereby provided with a shaft light transmitting portion.

17. The toothbrush according to claim 13, wherein the elastic portion includes a shaft elastic body on the shaft in the vicinity of the head portion, and a surface of the shaft does not include the elastic body and is thereby provided with a shaft light transmitting portion.

6. A toothbrush comprising a head portion with a brush portion, a toothbrush body, and a shaft that connects the head portion and the toothbrush body,

the toothbrush body being provided with a light emitting device configured to irradiate light toward the head portion, the shaft being structured to permit the light to transmit or pass therethrough,

at least a surface of the head portion including an elastic portion, and

the elastic body being formed from a transparent material.

10. A toothbrush comprising a head portion with a brush portion located on a surface thereof, a toothbrush body, and a shaft that connects the head portion and the toothbrush body,

the toothbrush body being provided with a light emitting device that is configured to irradiate light toward the head portion, the shaft being structured to permit the light to transmit or pass therethrough,

at least a surface of the head portion including an elastic portion located thereon, and

a portion of the head portion not including the elastic portion located thereon and thereby provided with a head portion light transmitting portion.

11. The toothbrush according to claim 10, wherein the surface of the head portion on which the brush portion is provided does not include the elastic portion and is thereby formed with a brush-portion light transmitting portion, and at least a part of a surface opposed to the surface of the head portion on which the brush portion is provided does not include the elastic portion and is thereby provided with a back-surface light transmitting portion.

14. The toothbrush according to claim 10, wherein the elastic portion includes a shaft elastic body on the shaft in the vicinity of the head portion, and a surface of the shaft does not include the elastic body and is thereby provided with a shaft light transmitting portion.

15. The toothbrush according to claim 11, wherein the elastic portion includes a shaft elastic body on the shaft in the vicinity of the head portion, and a surface of the shaft does not include the shaft elastic body and is thereby provided with a shaft light transmitting portion.