Dentifrice/medication dispensing toothbrush

• US 5,309,590 A
• Filed: 12/29/1992
• Issued: 05/10/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Philips Oral Healthcare Incorporated (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: GemTech, Inc. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Martin, Roy W., Giuliani, David
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBERTS JR, EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US07/999,466
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 15/22.1, 15/24, 15/29, 433/216, 128/62 A, 128/66
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/023 with means for inducing vibration to the bristles
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/22 with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like brush bodies, e.g. arrangements of the bristles A46B
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/221 Control arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/222 Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/227 with reservoirs, e.g. for toothpaste
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/34 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3481 Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights

Abstract

A vibrating toothbrush which includes a brushhead (18) mounted for vibrating movement, a reservoir (30) for containing dentifrice which is located in the handle (14) of the toothbrush, and fluid connecting means (32) connecting the reservoir (30) to the brushhead (18). The brushhead (18) includes either hollow bristles (80) or nozzles (87) in the brushhead (18) to permit egress of the dentifrice from the brushhead (18) in the area of the bristles. The brushhead (18) is driven so as to provide a scrubbing action for the teeth and to provide acoustical energy for acoustical cleansing as well. The action of the brushhead (18) and the load thereon will result in dentifrice being released out of the brushhead (18) or bristles (80) as needed, supporting cavitation and streaming for the acoustical energy, as well as providing the cleansing/therapeutic effect of the dentifrice.

Claims

1. A toothbrush having a dentifrice dispensing capability, comprising:

a toothbrush assembly including a toothbrush body, a brushhead, which includes bristles, in the vicinity of one end of the body, means for supporting said brushhead for vibrating movement, and means for driving said brushhead such that it vibrates, so that the toothbrush assembly is capable of producing a mechanical scrubbing of the teeth as well as producing an acoustical cleaning effect for the teeth and surrounding areas;

a reservoir for dentifrice;

means defined in the brushhead permitting release of dentifrice from said brushhead; and

means connecting sad reservoir to said release means, wherein said driving means includes means for vibrating said brushhead at such a frequency and amplitude that dentifrice is drawn from said reservoir and moved out through said release means by the vibrating movement of the brushhead to support acoustical cleaning of the teeth and surrounding areas.

2. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frequency of vibration of the brushhead is within a range of 100-300 Hz.

3. An apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least some of said bristles are hollow and are in fluid communication with said connecting means and hence said reservoir, said hollow bristles thereby defining said release means.

4. An apparatus of claim 2, wherein said release means comprises nozzle-like openings in said brushhead, wherein said bristles are solid and arranged in tufts and wherein said nozzle-like openings are in fluid communication with said connecting means and hence said reservoir.

5. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein said brushhead includes a small chamber therein which is in fluid communication with said release means and wherein said connecting means includes means connecting said reservoir with said small chamber in said brushhead.

6. An apparatus of claim 5, wherein said reservoir is located relatively away from said brushhead.

7. An apparatus of claim 5, including a flexible tube-like element positioned within the said reservoir and in fluid communication with said connecting means at an outlet end thereof, wherein said tube-like element includes a weighted portion in the vicinity of an inlet end thereof, such that the inlet end tends to remain in contact with fluid in the reservoir regardless of the orientation of the toothbrush.

8. An apparatus of claim 5, including means for removably connecting said reservoir to said connecting means so as to permit convenient replacement of said reservoir when it is empty.

9. An apparatus of claim 8, including air vent means in said reservoir means.

10. An apparatus of claim 5, wherein said reservoir is refillable.

11. An apparatus of claim 10, including air vent means in said brushhead.

12. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reservoir includes a wicking member which extends between said said reservoir and said connecting means.

13. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reservoir includes a sponge to store the dentifrice.

14. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein said reservoir is located in the brushhead and is in fluid communication with said release means.

15. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein the brushhead is removably connected to said brushhead driving means.

16. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein said reservoir is made from a flexible material such that said reservoir tends to collapse as dentifrice is removed therefrom.

17. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein said brushhead is driven at a frequency and amplitude sufficient that acoustic energy is supplied to the dentifrice with the brushhead, which facilitates cavitation of the dentifrice when the dentifrice exits from the release means.

18. An apparatus of claim 1, including means for pressurizing said reservoir.

19. An apparatus of claim 1, including pump means connected to said connecting means to assist in movement of dentifrice from said reservoir to said release means.

20. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein said driving means includes an arm which extends from the toothbrush body, the brushhead being supported at one end of said arm, wherein the driving means further includes means for vibrating the arm and hence the brushhead, and wherein the connecting means extends through the arm and moves therewith.

21. An oral hygiene apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a brushhead extending from said housing, the brushhead having bristles which extend therefrom for brushing teeth;

a reservoir for dentifrice;

means for providing a fluid connection between the reservoir and the brushhead; and

means for vibrating the brushhead at a sufficient frequency and amplitude to scrub the teeth and simultaneously and automatically draw dentifrice from said reservoir and deliver said dentifrice to the teeth.

22. An apparatus of claim 21, wherein the vibration of the bristles is sufficient to support cavitation at the teeth and the surrounding area.

23. An oral hygiene apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a brushhead extending from said housing, the brushhead having bristles which extend therefrom for brushing teeth, wherein the bristles have a hollow opening longitudinally therethrough;

a source of energy within the housing;

means for supplying a medicinal agent from a reservoir therefor to the bristles in the brushhead; and

means coupling the energy to the brushhead, such that the brushhead and hence the bristles thereon vibrate at a sufficient frequency and amplitude to both mechanically scrub the teeth and to produce acoustic energy in the vicinity thereof sufficient to enhance the effect of the medicinal agent at the teeth.

24. An apparatus of claim 23, wherein the source of energy is capable of vibrating the brushhead at such a frequency and amplitude that fluid is discharged from the bristles at least partially by capillary action.

25. An apparatus of claim 23, wherein the size of the hollow openings in the bristles is such and wherein the source of energy is capable of vibrating the brushhead at such a frequency and amplitude that fluid is discharged from the bristles at least partially by centrifugal force.

26. An oral hygiene apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a brushhead extending from said housing, the brushhead having bristles which extend therefrom for brushing teeth;

a source of energy within the housing;

a reservoir for a medicinal agent;

means defined in the brushhead permitting release of the medicinal agent from the brushhead;

means connecting said reservoir to said release means;

means coupling the energy to the brushhead such that the brushhead and hence the bristles thereon vibrate at a sufficient frequency, in the range of 100-300 Hz, and at a sufficient amplitude to assist in movement of the medicinal agent from said reservoir through said release means, as well as to mechanically scrub the teeth and to produce acoustic energy in the vicinity of the brushhead sufficient to enhance the effect of the medicinal agent at the teeth.

27. An apparatus of claim 26, wherein said bristles have a hollow opening longitudinally therethrough, said hollow bristles being in fluid communication with the reservoir.

28. An apparatus of claim 27, wherein the source of energy is capable of vibrating the brushhead at such a frequency and amplitude that fluid is discharged from the bristles at least partially by capillary action.

29. An apparatus of claim 27, wherein the size of the hollow openings in the bristles is such and wherein the source of energy is capable of vibrating the brushhead at such a frequency and amplitude that fluid is discharged from the bristles at least partially by centrifugal force.

30. An apparatus of claim 26, wherein said release means includes openings in said brushhead in the vicinity of the bristles which extend therefrom, said openings being in fluid communication with the reservoir.

31. An apparatus of claim 30, wherein he bristles are positioned on the brushhead relative to each other in such a manner and wherein the source of energy is capable of vibrating the brushhead at such a frequency and amplitude that fluid is discharged from the opening at least partially by capillary action.

32. An apparatus of claim 30, wherein the size of the openings is such and wherein the source of energy is capable of vibrating the brushhead at such a frequency and amplitude that fluid is discharged from the openings at least partially by centrifugal force.