Abstract
Disclosed is a toothbrush with oligodynamic properties. This is achieved with a small current produced as a result of the dissimilar materials from which it is constructed. A small piece of zinc metal. attached to the device at a specified location acts as a sacrificial anode in order for any corrosion which will naturally occur, to occur at the replaceable anode, and nowhere else on the toothbrush. The bristles of the tooth brush are much longer than those of a conventional toothbrush in order to spend a longer period of time in contact with the teeth and gums thereby causing the desired effect to be more pronounced.
Claims
1. From a selection including mild steel, brass, copper, silver, or gold, a stamped formed metallic piece with the piece including a plurality of perforations on one distal end of the piece, the perforations for the purpose of accepting bristle tufts to be secured to the perforations
2. The invention recited in claim 1 further including the placement of a zinc sacrificial anode at a preselected location on the metallic piece.
3. The invention recited in claim 1 wherein wire bristle tufts are secured to the perforations on the metallic piece by means of a low flowing temperature silver bearing solder.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0013] FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric or perspective view of the inventive bacteria resistant self sanitizing toothbrush illustrating all of its functional components.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the invention with emphasis on the location and means of securing the sacrificial anode.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the invention showing the bristle tuft retaining perforations on a stamped metallic element.
[0016] FIG. 4 illustrates the components comprising a tuft of bristles including silver soldered bristles comprising an insertion end.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] With reference to FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment, the basic components of the toothbrush are shown, where 10 is the invention. 11 is the shaped and perforated metallic component which serves as a handle to hold the toothbrush and a holder for the tufts of bristles 13. Perforations 12 are located at one distal end of the shaped metallic component are for the purpose of retaining tufts 13 by means of a combination of the perforations and the soldered ends 14 of the tufts. This is accomplished by inserting the tuft into the perforation and re heating the soldered tuft end 14 until the solder on it flows and secures the tuft in place. Preferably the stamping operation is simultaneous with the creation of the perforations, that is to say both operations are completed at once. The bristles 20 are composed of a nearly hair thin fine wire. A common type wire to use is EDM wire illustrated in FIG. 4 as part of tuft 13. Each tuft is assembled by gathering together a group of approximately 20 wire bristles and binding them together at one end with a low temperature, silver bearing solder, thereby forming the tuft 14. The insertion end of the tuft is shown in FIG. 4. It is important to understand that each bristle 20 is of a length at least double the size of bristles on a conventional, ordinary toothbrush. The reason for this being is that this causes the bristle to spend more contact time on the teeth and gums, thereby improving the germ killing effect. The low temperature silver bearing solder serves as the means of securing tuft 13 into perforation 12 of metallic component 11. The use of silver as the bonding agent is the origin of the galvanic action occurring in the device. Galvanic dissolution is prevented by placement of a sacrificial anode 15 at a specific location shown on the device in the drawing figures.
