Disposable individual gelled instant toothbrush

• US 5,348,153 A
• Filed: 10/04/1993
• Issued: 09/20/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William L. Cole
• Original Assignee: William L. Cole
• Inventors: Cole, William L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOOHOO, TONY GLEN
• Application Number:
  US08/130,890
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• Field of Search: 15/227, 15/167.1, 15/184, 206/361, 206/362.4, 206/570, 206/581, 206/63.5, 206/209, 2/21, 128/842, 128/844, 128/918, 128/880, 401/7, 401/268, 602/63
• US Class Current: 206/361
• 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 5/04 shaped as gloves or finger-stalls or other special holding ways, e.g. by the tongue

Abstract

A disposable teeth cleaning kit includes a finger mounted toothbrush having a substantially cylindrical elastic sheath with a closed end and an open end. The sheath can be provided with internal longitudinal torque ridges to prevent rolling of the sheath during use. Brush means is disposed on the sheath adjacent its closed end and the sheath is adapted to be furled into a compact configuration wherein the furled portion forms a substantially annular rim bounding an area spanned by the closed end portion of the sheath and the brush means. The brush means is sized and configured to be surrounded and protected by the rim during storage and can be sealed in a protective sterile pod if desired. In use, the toothbrush is unfurled onto a user'"'"'s finger whereupon the finger is manipulated in the user'"'"'s mouth to clean the teeth. When the teeth are cleaned, the brush is unfurled from the user'"'"'s finger and discarded in an appropriate refuse receptacle.

Claims

1. A disposable finger mounted toothbrush comprising a substantially cylindrical sheath having an open end and a closed end and being adapted to be furled from said open end toward said closed end into a compact storage configuration wherein the furled portion of said sheath forms a substantially annular peripheral rim having a predetermined thickness, said closed end portion of said sheath being provided with brush means adapted to clean the teeth of a user when applied with a brushing motion thereto, said brush means having a thickness less than the thickness of said peripheral rim and being sized and positioned on said sheath so that said brush means is surrounded by said peripheral rim when said sheath is in its furled storage configuration, said sheath being sized and configured to be unfurled onto and fit snugly about a user'"'"'s finger with the closed end of said sheath positioned adjacent the tip of the finger and the open end of said sheath positioned adjacent the base of the finger, and a removable protective cover positioned about said brush means for protecting said brush means against contamination, said cover having a thickness less than the thickness of said peripheral rim so that the cover is protected by the rim during storage, whereby, during storage, the brush means and the protective cover are protected against compressive forces by the surrounding peripheral rim and, once unfurled onto a finger, the protective cover can be removed and the brush means can be applied with a brushing motion to the teeth of a user by appropriate manipulation of the sheath bearing finger to clean the user'"'"'s teeth, whereupon the sheath can be refurled to remove the toothbrush from the finger for appropriate disposal.

2. A disposable finger mounted toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said cover is releasably sealed to said sheath about the periphery of said brush means.

3. A disposable finger mounted toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 and said brush means comprises a pad from which bristles outwardly extend, said pad being bonded to said sheath at the closed end portion of the sheath.

4. A disposable finger mounted toothbrush as claimed in claim 3 and wherein said protective cover is releasably sealed to the periphery of said pad about the circumference of said bristles.

5. A disposable finger mounted toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said protective cover is formed of biodegradable material.

6. A disposable finger mounted toothbrush comprising an elastic sheath having an open end and a closed end and being adapted to be furled into a compact storage configuration wherein the furled portion of said sheath forms a substantially annular peripheral rim having a predetermined thickness and bounding an interior region of said furled sheath, brush means fixed to said sheath adjacent the closed end thereof with said brush means being sized, configured, and located on said sheath to be positioned within the interior region bounded by said peripheral rim when said sheath is in its furled storage configuration, and a removable protective cover positioned about said brush means for protecting said brush means against contamination prior to use, said cover being sized and configured to be positioned along with said brush means within the interior region bounded by said peripheral rim when said sheath is in its furled storage configuration, whereby, when the sheath is in its furled storage configuration, the peripheral rim of the furled sheath surrounds and bounds the brush means and its cover to protect the cover and the brush means against compressive forces during storage and, for use, the sheath can be unfurled onto a user'"'"'s finger and the protective cover removed to expose the brush means for application to the user'"'"'s teeth.

7. A disposable finger mounted toothbrush as claimed in claim 6 and wherein said brush means and said protective cover each has a thickness that is less than the predetermined thickness of the annular peripheral rim formed by the furled sheath.

8. A disposable finger mounted toothbrush as claimed in claim 6 and wherein said cover is releasably sealed to said sheath about the periphery of said brush means.

9. A disposable finger mounted toothbrush as claimed in claim 6 and wherein said protective cover is formed of biodegradable material.

10. A disposable finger mounted toothbrush as claimed in claim 6 and wherein said brush means comprises a pad from which bristles outwardly extend, said pad being bonded to said sheath.

11. A disposable finger mounted toothbrush as claimed in claim 10 and wherein said protective cover is releasibly sealed to the periphery of said pad about the circumference of said bristles.