Toothbrush and head thereof

• US 7,055,205 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yoshihiro Aoyama
• Original Assignee: Yoshihiro Aoyama
• Inventors: Aoyama, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): KARLS, SHAY LYNN
• Application Number:
  US10/324,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20030115705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 151/671, 152/01, 152/02, 151/72, 15/221, 151/84, 151/85, 152/441, 401/286
• US Class Current: 15/172
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/00 Brushes with reservoir or other means for applying substances, e.g. paints, pastes, water driven brush bodies A46B13/00; massage apparatus with liquid delivery A61H7/002, A61H2201/105; applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by liquid carrying members in general, e.g. by pads B05C1/00, B05D1/28
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/00 Other brushes; Brushes with additional arrangements
• 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 5/0075 being adjustable and stable during use
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 7/023 where the bristle carrier retracts or collapses, i.e. for storage
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/005 where the brushing material is not made of bristles, e.g. sponge, rubber or paper

Abstract

The toothbrush can prevent harmful effects that the conventional toothbrushes frequently give and is composed of disintegratable or replaceable parts, so that a user can select an optimum toothbrush by combining suitable parts depending on the individual user'"'"'s specificity. The toothbrush contains a head having bristles implanted therein, a neck having the head attached to the distal end thereof and a holder for holding the neck. The head is a single piece or is composed of a plurality of head segments. The holder is provided at the distal end thereof with an adjuster for adjusting the length of the neck protruding from the holder.

Claims

1. A toothbrush comprising:

a head comprising a first head segment and a second head segment, each of which has bristles implanted therein;

a neck, wherein the first head segment is attached to a distal end of the neck; and

a holder for holding the neck,

wherein the second head segment is slidably attached to the neck between the first head segment and the holder, and is pivotal individually around an outer circumference of the neck.

2. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the holder has at a distal end an adjuster for adjusting the length of the neck.

3. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the holder comprises a holder shaft and an outer holder.

4. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the second head segment is designed to be pivotal and replaceable with respect to the neck.

5. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the neck comprises a neck shaft which is of any shape and is selected from a round shaft, an elliptic shaft and a polygonal shaft, and which is straight or curved and has a single shaft or multi shaft structure.

6. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the neck comprises a neck shaft, and a cavity of the neck shaft is employable as a passage for a liquid, a gas, a solid, a powder or a granule, or as a space in which a mechanism is housed.

7. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the neck comprises a neck shaft which can simultaneously contain two kinds of auxiliary cleaning utensils which are used as necessary.

8. The toothbrush according to claim 1, 2 or 4, wherein the first head segment or the second head segment has a protrusion on a bottom surface thereof.

9. The toothbrush according to claim 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 or 7, wherein the neck is designed to be adjustable in length with adjusters respectively.

10. The toothbrush according to claim 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 or 7, wherein the first head segment or the second head segment contains magnet pieces, while the neck contains a vibrator to effect high-speed vibration of bristle tips.

11. The toothbrush according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein all of the elements are made of a sterilized material.

12. The toothbrush according to any of claims 1 to 7, further including a third head segment which is slidably attached to the neck.

13. A head of a toothbrush, comprising a first head segment to be attached to a distal end of a neck of the toothbrush, and a second head segment which is designed to be slidably and replaceably attached to the neck of the toothbrush between the first head segment and a holder for holding the neck, and is pivotal individually around an outer circumference of the neck.

14. The head according to claim 13 having a cleaning element formed on a surface thereof.

15. The head according to claim 14, wherein the cleaning element formed on a surface thereof is made from sponge.

16. The head according to claim 13, further including a third head segment which is slidably attched to the neck.

17. A toothbrush comprising:

a head having bristles implanted therein,

a neck comprising a hollowed holder shaft, wherein the head is attached to a distal end of the neck, and

a holder which slidably holds the neck, wherein length of the neck can be adjusted by an adjuster,

wherein the head comprises a first, second and third segments, the first segment is attached to the distal end of the neck, the second segment and the third segment penetrate the hollowed holder shaft of the neck so as to be slidably and replaceably attached to the neck between the first head segment and the holder, and the second head segment is pivotal individually around an outer circumference of the neck.