Apparatus and method for brushing teeth

• US 5,175,901 A
• Filed: 05/01/1991
• Issued: 01/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gary A. Rabinowitz
• Original Assignee: Gary A. Rabinowitz
• Inventors: Rabinowitz, Gary A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRINSON, PATRICK F
• Application Number:
  US07/694,357
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 15/22.1, 15/167.2, 15/22.2, 128/859-862, 128/62 A
• US Class Current: 15/167.2
• 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: A46B 9/045 specially adapted for cleaning a plurality of tooth surfaces simultaneously

Abstract

An apparatus for brushing an entire arch of teeth at once has a resilient U-shaped housing containing a channel within which the arch of teeth fits. A plurality of bristles substantially covers the surface area of the channel, and a handle extends from each arm of the housing. The channel is shaped whereby the bristles on the edges of the channel are angled into the gingival sulcus. In operation, the user grasps a handle in each hand and moves the handles in opposition to each other to move the resilient housing. This causes the bristles to move, thereby brushing the teeth in an effective manner.

Claims

1. An apparatus for brushing teeth, comprising:

a resilient arcuate housing, defined by a first arm, a central portion, and a second arm;

a channel disposed along the length of said housing for placement over an arch of teeth;

a first handle extending from said first arm of the housing; and

a second handle extending from said second arm of the housing, whereby movement of said first and second handles back and forth in opposition to each other causes the position of said housing to be cyclically shifted on said arch.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first and second handles are rigid and said housing is resilient, whereby said first and second handles and said housing are composed of different materials and said first and second handles are attached to said housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first and second handles and said housing are composed of the same material and are integral with one another.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of bristles substantially covering the surface of said channel, wherein each bristle is approximately the length of a bristle of a conventional toothbrush.

5. An apparatus for brushing teeth, comprising:

an arcuate resilient housing defined by a first arm, a central portion, and a second arm;

a channel adapted for placement over an arch of teeth disposed along the length of said housing, said channel being defined by a first wall, a base portion, and a second wall, said base portion becoming increasingly narrow from the back of said arch to the front of said arch;

a plurality of bristles disposed generally normal to the surface of said channel, whereby when said channel is placed over said arch, a substantial number of the bristles on the walls of said channel are angled approximately 45 degrees from vertical and said bristles at the base portion of said channel are approximately vertical;

a first handle disposed on said first arm of said housing; and

a second handle disposed on said second arm of said housing, whereby movement of said first and second handles back and forth in opposition to each other causes the position of said housing to be cyclically shifted on said arch.

6. An apparatus for brushing both arches of teeth in the mouth at one time, comprising:

a U-shaped resilient housing, defined by a first arm, a central portion, and a second arm, said housing approximating the shape of the arches of teeth to be brushed;

a first channel formed in a first side of said housing for placement over a first arch of teeth, said first channel being defined by a first wall, a base portion, and a second wall, said base portion becoming increasingly narrow from the back of said first arch to the front of said first arch;

a second channel formed in a second side of said housing, opposite said first side, for placement over a second arch of teeth, said second channel being defined by a first wall, a base portion, and a second wall, said base portion becoming increasingly narrow from the back of said second arch to the front of said second arch;

a plurality of bristles, each approximately the length of a bristle in a conventional toothbrush, substantially covering the surface of each of said first and said second arm of said housing;

a first handle extending from said first arm of the housing; and

a second handle extending from said second arm of the housing, whereby movement of said first and second handles back and forth in opposition to each other causes the position of said housing to be cyclically shifted on said arches.

7. An apparatus for brushing teeth, comprising:

an arcuate resilient housing defined by a first arm, a central portion and a second arm;

a channel adapted for placement over an arch of teeth disposed along the length of said housing, said channel being defined by a first wall, a base portion, and a second wall, said base portion becoming increasingly narrow from the back of said arch to the front of said arch;

a plurality of bristles disposed generally normal to the surface of said channel, each of said bristles being approximately the same length as a bristle on a conventional toothbrush, whereby when said channel is placed over said arch, a substantial number of the bristles on the walls of said channel are angled approximately 45 degrees from vertical and said bristles at the base portion of said channel are approximately vertical;

a first handle extending from said first arm of the housing; and

a second handle extending from said second arm of the housing, whereby movement of said first and second handles back and forth in opposition to one another causes the position of said housing to be cyclically shifted on said arch and causes the tips of said bristles to move in a circular fashion.