PLASTIC FOUNTAIN TOOTHBRUSH

• US 3,728,035 A
• Filed: 01/06/1972
• Issued: 04/17/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jack Reitknecht
• Original Assignee: Jack Reitknecht
• Inventors: Reitknecht, Jack
• Primary Examiner(s): Charles, Lawrence
• Application Number:
  US05/215,798
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 401/171-175
• US Class Current: 401/175
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/0079 Arrangements for preventing undesired leakage or dispensing
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1066 Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04

Abstract

A plastic fountain toothbrush incorporating an elongated plastic cylinder with a brush head at one end thereof, a piston longitudinally slidably disposed therein for discharging toothpaste through a passageway into the brush head and an operating mechanism for the piston to move it longitudinally at the end of the cylinder remote from the brush head. The entire construction is waterproof to enable the entire device to be easily cleaned or rinsed off with plastic materials being used throughout to enable the device to be economically manufactured. Use of the fountain toothbrush promotes oral hygiene by eliminating transfer of germs from one conventional toothbrush to another by contacting the dispensing portion of a conventional callapsible toothpaste tube with the brush heads of several toothbrushes in a family.

Claims

1. A fountain toothbrush comprising an elongated cylindrical body, a brush head mounted on one end of said body and including bristles thereon and a passage communicating the interior of the body with the bristles, a piston longitudinally reciprocally mounted in the cylindrical body for discharging toothpaste from the body, through the passageway into the bristles when the piston moves towards the brush head, and means engaged with the piston for moving the piston longitudinally in the body, said means for moving the piston including an elongated threaded shaft journaled in said body and threaded through the piston, and an operating mechanism mounted on the end of the cylindrical body opposite from the brush head and engaged with the shaft for rotating the shaft for moving the piston in the cylindrical body, said shaft being received in a threaded bore in the piston with the threaded bore and shaft being eccentric in relation to the cylindrical body whereby the eccentricity of the threaded bore and shaft prevents rotation of the piston in relation to the body thereby moving the piston longitudinally when the shaft is rotated, said operating mechanism for the shaft including a knob disposed peripherally of the cylindrical body, and gear drive means interconnecting the knob and shaft for rotating the shaft upon rotation of the knob, said gear means including an internal gear integral with the knob and a drive gear mounted on the shaft in meshing engagement with the internal gear.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said cylindrical body includes a closure plug having an eccentric bore therein journaling the shaft, said shaft having a reduced end portion extending through the bore and the plug, said plug having a recess surrounding the bore with the recess facing the shoulder between the shaft and the reduced end theReof whereby the shaft may move longitudinally in relation to the body with the reduced end portion of the shaft moving through the bore in the plug until the shoulder on the shaft engages the bottom of a recess in the plug.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2, together with a spacer selectively insertable into the recess in the plug to prevent longitudinal movement of the shaft in relation to the body when the spacer is positioned in the recess and permit longitudinal movement of the shaft in relation to the body when the spacer is omitted from the recess.

4. The structure as defined in claim 2, wherein said knob includes a peripheral flange defining the internal gear with the peripheral flange extending beyond the internal gear and including an inwardly facing peripheral groove therein, a flexible closure plug received in said peripheral groove for preventing water from entering the interior of the flange and coming into contact with the gears.

5. The structure as defined in claim 2, wherein said operating mechanism also includes a ratchet pawl engageable with the internal gear to enable the internal gear and knob integral therewith to be rotated in one direction and preventing reverse rotation thereof.

6. The structure as defined in claim 5, wherein said operating mechanism includes means rendering the ratchet pawl inoperative for enabling the piston to be retracted into a position remote from the brush head.

7. The structure as defined in claim 6, wherein said body includes an opening adjacent the operating mechanism but outwardly of the piston when retracted, a closure plug for the opening to enable toothpaste to be forced into the cylindrical body through the end of the body having the brush head therein or through the opening with the closure therefor being removed when toothpaste is being forced into the cylindrical body.

8. The structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said brush head includes a discharge orifice defined by a peripheral wall, a closure plug for the discharge orifice, said closure plug including a rounded shoulder that can be inserted through the discharge orifice with the shoulder being spaced from the inner end of the plug, the inner end of the plug engaging an opposed surface of the passageway in the brush head to hold the shoulder against the inner end of the orifice thereby forming a seal for the orifice.

9. The structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said brush head includes an opening at the tip end thereof for receiving a hook-type support or the like to enable the toothbrush to be suspended from a support.

10. The structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said piston and operating mechanism for the shaft includes index means to enable alignment of the piston and operating mechanism when assembled with respect to the cylindrical body.

11. The structure as defined in claim 2, wherein said cylindrical body and knob are provided with rotatably interengaging peripheral rib means and recess means for relative rotation of the knob, said knob and internal gear being constructed of one-piece molded plastic material.

12. The structure as defined in claim 11 wherein said rib means and recess means enables the knob to be snapped onto the body by longitudinal movement thereof and automatically meshing and engaging all components of the operating mechanism to facilitate assembly thereof.

13. The structure as defined in claim 5 wherein said ratchet pawl is unitarily constructed with said closure plug by being formed as a one-piece molded structure from flexible resilient material to permit the pawl to oscillate when engaging the internal gear and enable the pawl to be selectively moved between operative position in engagement with the internal gear and inoperative position disengaged therefrom.

14. The structure as defined in claim 7 wherein the opening in the body adjacent the operating mechanism includes an outwardly facing annular shoulder recessed inwardly from the outer surface of the body and forming an abutment For engaging and depressing the tubular valve actuator and discharge nozzle on an aerosol container or other pressurized source to enable filling of the body.