Composite Toothbrush Having Safety Features And Methods of Making Same

Abstract

A composite safety toothbrush is disclosed. The toothbrush apparatus detailed herein employs a composite head made from a rigid inner polymer material and a softer thermoplastic material surrounding the inner material. The softer material provides safety for prison toothbrush applications as well as elderly and patient care where care givers may brush the teeth of a patient. Innovative pin connectors in the inner toothbrush head assist in the composite formation. The toothbrush solution herein further importantly provides for a toothbrush having a flexible handle.

Claims

1. A composite toothbrush comprising: a rigid polymer material comprising a first volume; and a pliable flexible material comprising a second volume, wherein the second volume is greater than the first volume.

2. The composite toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the pliable flexible material provides a softness applicable to safety in a prison environment or an institutional environment.

3. The composite toothbrush of claim 1, further comprising: an inner toothbrush head at least partially made from the rigid polymer material; and an outer toothbrush head at least partially made from the pliable flexible material.

4. The composite toothbrush of claim 3, further comprising: a flexible handle at least partially made from the pliable flexible material; and a pair of pin connectors protruding from the inner toothbrush head, the pin connectors made from the ridged polymer material and assisting connecting the inner toothbrush head to the outer toothbrush head.

5. A composite toothbrush comprising: a rigid polymer toothbrush head inner core having a plurality of bristle holes for retention and holding a plurality of toothbrush bristles, the rigid polymer toothbrush inner core made from a 1.sup.st material; a pliable flexible material partially surrounding the rigid polymer toothbrush head inner core on a left and a right side in a bottom plan view underside aspect, the pliable flexible material being made from a 2.sup.nd material; and a thermoplastic bond at an interface between the rigid polymer toothbrush head inner core and the pliable flexible material partially surrounding the rigid polymer toothbrush head inner core, wherein the thermoplastic bond is devoid of glue.

6. The composite toothbrush of claim 5, further comprising: a tip of the rigid polymer toothbrush head inner core being covered with the pliable flexible material; an end of the rigid polymer toothbrush head inner core opposite the tip further having the pliable flexible material adjacent thereto, the end of the rigid polymer toothbrush head inner core opposite the tip transitioning to a neck portion of the composite toothbrush that transitions to a handle of the composite toothbrush; and an opposite side of the rigid toothbrush head inner core, the opposite side opposing a side having the plurality of bristle holes, the opposite side substantially covered by the pliable flexible material; and a pair of pin connectors extending from the opposite side of the rigid polymer toothbrush head inner core, the rigid polymer inner core thereby being substantially encased by the pliable flexible material with an exception of the pin connectors and the side having the plurality of bristles not being fully encased in the pliable flexible material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of toothbrush embodiment made from a preferred method herein;

[0016] FIG. 2 is a profile view with a partial sectional view thereof taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 3;

[0017] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the toothbrush embodiment;

[0018] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of an area circumscribed by line 4 in FIG. 2;

[0019] FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the toothbrush embodiment; and

[0020] FIG. 6 is illustrative of a preferred position of a toothbrush illustrating flexing ability.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features.

[0022] Initially, with reference to FIG. 1, a flexible handle toothbrush 10 is shown that particularly answers a need in the prison, hospital or institutional applications. As shown, the toothbrush 10 has an inner toothbrush head 11 made with a first material. The first material is ideally comprised of a rigid polymer material, therefore providing structural integrity to the toothbrush 10 head 20 allowing for attachment of bristles 14, via the bristle holes 13, in the manufacturing process. Further, an outer toothbrush head 12 is manufactured from extrudable elastomer material, e.g. thermoplastic material, thereby making this material 12 soft and pliable, hence, safer for prison environments or patient care institutions. Additionally as shown, a handle portion 61 is comprised of the same flexible material as the outer toothbrush head 12.

[0023] With regard to FIG. 2, a profile of the toothbrush 10 is provided with a partial sectional view thereof taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 3. This together with FIG. 4, the composite toothbrush head 20 is shown with inner 11 and outer 12 portions having a pair (or more, or at least one) of pins 21, 22 at the interface thereof. Importantly, two separate single cavity molds are employed and a method step of molding the inner toothbrush head 11 preceding a step of molding the outer toothbrush head 12. In molding the outer toothbrush head 12, the inner toothbrush head 11 is inserted inside the outer toothbrush head 12 (plus handle 61) mold. The outer toothbrush plus handle mold will have a cavity to receive the inner toothbrush head having a plurality of bristle holes drilled thereto. Importantly, the composite toothbrush head 20 is devoid of glue. Rather, a thermoplastic bond is created in the manufacturing process wherein the inner 11 toothbrush head is molded to the outer toothbrush head 12. Further, the manufacturing of the composite head 20 will employ two single cavity molds.

[0024] With regard to FIG. 3, a top plan view of the toothbrush is shown particularly illustrating placement of the interfacing pins 21, 22 of the present invention. As stated pin connectors 21, 22 are employed to strengthen the mating between inner 11 and outer 12 toothbrush head. More specifically, the pins 21, 22 are offset diagonally and equidistant with respect to a longitudinal axis of the flexible handle toothbrush 10, as shown. Also, with regard to the pins, they are further employed to maintain the inner head 11 stationary while positioned in the cavity of the outer head (plus handle) mold. Also as contemplated by the present invention, the two or more pins 21, 22 can be positioned anywhere along the interface between inner 11 and outer 12 heads, as long as the inner head stays stationary in the cavity portion of the outer head 12 mold. FIG. 4 provides an enlarged view of the interface between the inner 11 and outer 12 toothbrush heads.

[0025] With regard to FIG. 5, the composite head 11, 12 is shown having a rigid inner core 11 that retains and holds a plurality of toothbrush bristles 14. As stated, the composite head rigid inner core 11 is made from a 1.sup.st material. Generally, the inner core 11 is partially or wholly surrounded by softer material on various sides 31, 32, 33, 34, 36. Initially, the pliable flexible material surrounds the rigid inner core 11 on a left 31 and a right 32 side in the bottom plan view (FIG. 5) underside aspect; the pliable flexible material is particularly made from a 2.sup.nd material forming the composite 11, 12. Also notably, the 2.sup.nd material is cured around the 1.sup.st material to provide a bond devoid of glue due to thermoplastic properties of the 2.sup.nd material.

[0026] Further with regard to FIG. 5, a tip 33 of the rigid inner core 11 is covered with the pliable flexible material 12. An end 34 that transitions to a neck portion directly behind or adjacent to the end 34 further transitions to the toothbrush handle 61 has pliable flexible material configured thereto. The end 34 of the rigid inner core is opposite the tip 33. The end 34 is distinct from left 31 and right 32 sides.

[0027] Yet further with regard to FIG. 5, the invention is unique as compared to previous composite toothbrushes in that the pliable flexible material occupies more of the toothbrush 10 than any hard portion(s) having the rigid polymer material.

[0028] With further reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, an opposite side 36 of the rigid inner core 11 is also substantially covered by pliable flexible material 12; in a preferred embodiment (FIG. 3), the opposite side 36 is covered with the exception of the pin connectors 21, 22 being made from the 1.sup.st material. The opposite side 36 opposes a side 35 having the plurality of bristle holes 13. The pair of pin connectors 21, 22 extend from the opposite side 36 of the toothbrush inner head 11. The toothbrush inner head 11 could further be partially, substantially or wholly encased by the pliable flexible material. A notable exception would be the pin connectors 21, 22 and the side 35 having the plurality of bristles not being fully encased in the pliable flexible material.

[0029] With regard to FIG. 6, the preferred toothbrush has a flexible handle 61 at least partially (or wholly) made from the 2.sup.nd material, the toothbrush thereby being a safety toothbrush suitable for prisons, institutions, or the like. As shown, the toothbrush can easily be bent into a shape of an L, or a C. More particularly, the flexible handle 61 has an enlarged curvilinear flat rear end portion and being comprised of flexible material thereby permitting the toothbrush to be flexed into substantially a L or C shape.

[0030] Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination, it must be expressly understood that the invention includes other combinations of fewer, more or different elements, which are disclosed in above even when not initially claimed in such combinations.

[0031] While the particular Composite Toothbrush Having Safety Features and Methods of Making Same as herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages herein before stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims.

[0032] Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements.