SANITARY TRAVEL TOOTHBRUSH

Abstract

A toothbrush includes a deployable neck configured to support a cleaning head, wherein the deployable neck is deployable from a body including a brush storage compartment and a cleaning agent compartment. The brush storage compartment and the cleaning agent compartment are separated from one another such that water or other liquids from the brush cannot contact the stored cleaning agent in the cleaning agent compartment.

Claims

1. A personal care device comprising: a body; a neck deployable from the body between a closed position and an open position; a cleaning agent compartment in the body; and a brush compartment in the body configured to receive the neck in the closed position, wherein the brush compartment and cleaning agent compartment are separated by a liquid-tight wall.

2. The personal care device of claim 1, further comprising a head coupled to the neck, wherein the brush compartment is further configured to receive the head in the closed position.

3. The personal care device of claim 1, further comprising a hinge between the neck and the body, wherein the hinge is configured to rotate the neck between the closed position and the open position.

4. The personal care device of claim 1, further comprising a complementary rail between the neck and the body, wherein the complementary rail is configured to slide the neck relative to the body between the closed position and the open position.

5. The personal care device of claim 1, wherein the cleaning agent compartment includes a carrier slidably connected to the body and configured to store a cleaning agent.

6. The personal care device of claim 1, further comprising at least one cleaning agent tablet in the cleaning agent compartment.

7. The personal care device of claim 1, wherein at least one surface of the cleaning agent compartment is elastically deformable relative to the body.

8. The personal care device of claim 7, further comprising a fluid cleaning agent in the cleaning agent compartment.

9. The personal care device of claim 1, further comprising a dosing mechanism located in the cleaning agent compartment and configured to dispense a dose of a cleaning agent.

10. The personal care device of claim 1, further comprising a biasing element located in the cleaning agent compartment and configured to eject a tablet of a cleaning agent.

11. The personal care device of claim 1, further comprising a sterilization component located the brush compartment.

12. The personal care device of claim 11, wherein the sterilization component is an ultraviolet light source.

13. The personal care device of claim 12, wherein ultraviolet light source is configured to be activated when the neck is moved to the closed position.

14. The personal care device of claim 13, wherein the ultraviolet light source remains activated after the neck is moved to the closed position for a sterilization duration.

15. The personal care device of claim 1, further comprising a sterilization component located the cleaning agent compartment.

16. The personal care device of claim 15, wherein the sterilization component is an ultraviolet light source.

17. A personal care device comprising: a body; a neck connected to the body by a hinge, wherein the neck is deployable from the body between a closed position and an open position; a head including a plurality of bristles coupled to the neck; a cleaning agent compartment in the body; a brush compartment in the body configured to receive the neck in the closed position, wherein the brush compartment and cleaning agent compartment are separated by a liquid-tight wall; and a sterilization component configured to sterilize at least a portion of the personal care device.

18. The personal care device of claim 17, wherein the sterilization component is an ultraviolet light source located in the brush compartment.

19. The personal care device of claim 17, wherein the sterilization component is electrically connected to a battery in the body.

20. A personal care device comprising: a body; a neck connected to the body by a hinge, wherein the neck is deployable from the body between a closed position and an open position; a head including a plurality of bristles coupled to the neck; a cleaning agent compartment in the body; a brush compartment in the body configured to receive the neck in the closed position, wherein the brush compartment and cleaning agent compartment are separated by a liquid-tight wall; a cleaning agent positioned in the cleaning agent compartment; and a sterilization component positioned in the brush compartment and configured to sterilize the bristles.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] In order to describe the manner in which the above-recited and other features of the disclosure can be obtained, a more particular description will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. For better understanding, the like elements have been designated by like reference numbers throughout the various accompanying figures. While some of the drawings may be schematic or exaggerated representations of concepts, at least some of the drawings may be drawn to scale. Understanding that the drawings depict some example embodiments, the embodiments will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

[0007] FIG. 1-1 is a side view of an embodiment of a personal care device according to the present disclosure in an open position.

[0008] FIG. 1-2 is a side cross-sectional view of the embodiment of a personal care device of FIG. 1-1 in a closed position.

[0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a personal care device according to the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 3-1 and FIG. 3-2 illustrate an embodiment of a personal care device with a biasing element configured to dispense a cleaning agent.

[0011] FIG. 4-1 and FIG. 4-2 illustrate an embodiment of a persona care device with a dosing mechanism to measure and dispense a dose of a bulk cleaning agent.

[0012] FIG. 5-1 through FIG. 5-3 illustrate an embodiment of a personal care device with an elastically deformable cleaning agent compartment configured to dispense a fluid cleaning agent.

[0013] FIG. 6-1 and FIG. 6-2 illustrate an embodiment of a personal care device with a slidably deployable neck relative to a body.

[0014] FIG. 7 is a side view of an embodiment of a personal care device with a selectively interchangeable head connected to a neck.

[0015] FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a personal care device with a sterilization component positioned in the brush compartment and configured to sterilize bristles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The present disclosure relates generally to personal care devices for dental hygiene purposes. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a portable personal care device that includes a cleaning agent compartment and/or dispenser. The portable personal care device allows the storage and transport of a toothbrush or other personal care article in a sanitary and convenient manner with a cleaning agent stored and available for dispensation in a separate compartment of the device. In some embodiments, the portable personal care device allows that user to dispense a cleaning agent from a body of the device, deploy a brush or other component from the body of the device, and use the brush or other component with a single hand and without disconnecting any parts of the device. Single-hand operation can make some embodiments of the portable personal care device described herein convenient and safe for use while performing other tasks of the user's day or schedule, such as walking, driving, working, or other personal care tasks.

[0017] FIG. 1-1 and FIG. 1-2 illustrate an embodiment of a personal care device 100 with a neck 102 that is deployable from a body 104. FIG. 1-1 illustrates the personal care device 100 in an open position, and FIG. 1-2 illustrates the personal care device 100 in a closed position. In some embodiments, a hinge 106 rotatably couples the neck 102 to the body 104 and allows the neck 102 to be moved between the open position and the closed position. In some embodiments, the neck 102 is coupled to a head 108 with a plurality of bristles 110 connected thereto. While embodiments of personal care devices are described herein with bristles in the context of toothbrushes, it should be understood that a personal care device according to the present disclosure may include a head with tines, such as a comb. Similarly, while cleaning agents will be described herein for dental hygiene, it should be understood that cleaning or personal care agents for other personal care tasks may be applicable, such as dry shampoo or beard oil for hair care. It at least one example, a personal care device according to the present disclosure includes a beard comb and beard oil for maintaining a user's facial hair.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 1-2, in some embodiments, the body 104 of the personal care device 100 includes a brush compartment 112 configured to receive at least the neck 102 of the personal care device 100 in the closed position. The brush compartment 112 can receive the head 108 and bristles 110 of some embodiments. The brush compartment provides a safe and sanitary compartment in which the bristles 110 can be stored and transported while limiting and/or preventing contamination of the bristles 110. The body 104 of the personal care device 100 further includes a cleaning agent compartment 114 that is separated from the brush compartment 112 by a liquid-tight wall 116. In some embodiments, the liquid-tight wall 116 limits and/or prevents contamination of the cleaning agent 118 by water or other liquids on the neck 102, head 108, and bristles 110. In some embodiments, the liquid-tight wall 116 limits and/or prevents contamination of the neck 102, head 108, and bristles 110 by the cleaning agent 118 or other liquids in the cleaning agent compartment 114.

[0019] In some embodiments, the cleaning agent 118 is a solid cleaning agent, such as dry toothpaste powder compacted into tablets. In some embodiments, the cleaning agent 118 is a solid cleaning agent, such as dry toothpaste powder in a loose powder. In some embodiments, the cleaning agent 118 is a fluid cleaning agent, such as a gel toothpaste, a paste toothpaste, or a liquid mouthwash.

[0020] As described herein, a hinge 106 may allow the rotation of the neck 102, head 108, and/or bristles 110 relative to the body 104 to move the personal care device 100 between the open position and the closed position. In some embodiments, the personal care device 100 includes one or more detents 120. For example, a detent 120 may maintain the personal care device 100 in a closed position. In other examples, a detent 120 may maintain the personal care device 100 in an open position. In at least one example, a detent 120 may maintain the personal care device 100 in any position between the open position and the closed position, such as holding the neck 102 at a 900 angle to a top surface of the body 104.

[0021] In some embodiments, a detent 120 is located in the hinge 106 to selectively maintain the neck 102 and body 104 at a selected angle therebetween. In other embodiments, the hinge 106 is a friction hinge that resists movement of the neck 102 and body 104 relative to one another up to a threshold value. For example, the friction hinge may provide up to 1 newton-meter of torque to resist rotation of the neck 102 relative to the body 104 to hold the neck 102 and body 104 relative to one another, while still allowing a user to manipulate the hinge 106. In at least some embodiments, the hinge 106 includes a biasing element, such as a coil spring, a leaf spring, or a torsional spring that biases the hinge 106 toward a position. For example, a torsional spring may bias the hinge 106 toward an open position, allowing a user to open the personal care device 100 with a single hand. In another example, a hinge 106 with a leaf spring operably coupled to a cam at the end of the neck 102 may bias the neck 102 into both the open position and the closed position, while applying a torque to the neck 102 in an rotational position therebetween, Such a bistable hinge 106 biases the personal care device 100 towards both the open position and the closed position. In some embodiments, the hinge 106 is a motorized hinge including an electric motor that applies a torque between the neck 102 and the body 104. In some embodiments, the motorized hinge is powered by a battery in the body 104, as will be described herein.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a personal care device 200 according to the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the body 204 of the personal care device 200 includes a cleaning agent compartment 214 configured to receive a carrier 222. The carrier 222 is configured to contain the cleaning agent 218. In some embodiments, the carrier 222 is slidably movable relative to the body 204 of the personal care device 200. For example, the carrier 222 and interior surface of the cleaning agent compartment 214 may have complementary rails 224 that allow the carrier 222 to slide in one direction relative to the body 204. In some examples, the complementary rails 224 include one or more detents to limit and/or prevent the unintended movement of the carrier 222 relative to the body 204 at certain longitudinal positions relative to one another. In other embodiments, the carrier 222 is rotatably coupled to the body 204, such as via a hinge such as described in relation to the neck of FIG. 1-1 and FIG. 1-2.

[0023] While the embodiment of FIG. 2 and other embodiments herein illustrate and/or describe a cleaning agent compartment and/or a carrier with a cleaning agent compartment therein, it should be understood that the body and/or carrier may include more than one cleaning agent compartment or a segmented cleaning agent compartment. In some embodiments, the personal care device includes a first cleaning agent compartment with tablet cleaning agent stored therein and a second cleaning agent compartment with dental floss stored therein. In some embodiments, the cleaning agent stored within the first cleaning agent compartment and the second cleaning agent compartment are individually replaceable and/or refillable. In at least one embodiment, the carrier 222 containing the cleaning agent is replaceable and/or refillable to replace and/or refill the cleaning agent stored in the cleaning agent compartment of the personal care device 200.

[0024] FIG. 3-1 and FIG. 3-2 illustrate an embodiment of a personal care device 300 with a biasing element configured to dispense a cleaning agent. In some embodiments, the personal care device 300 allows movement of the carrier 322 relative to the body 304 to dispense one cleaning agent, such as one tablet of cleaning agent or one measured dose of cleaning agent, such as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3-1. Referring now to FIG. 3-2, in some embodiments, the carrier 322 or other portion of the personal care device 300 includes a biasing element 326-1, 326-2 that applies a biasing force to the cleaning agent 318, which dispenses or ejects the cleaning agent 318 from the carrier 322. For example, a user may slide the carrier 322 relative to the body 304 to expose a tablet of the cleaning agent 318 from within the cleaning agent compartment 314. When exposed, a first biasing element 326-1 applies a biasing force to the tablet of cleaning agent 318 to eject the tablet from the carrier 322. In some embodiments, a second biasing element 326-2 advances the cleaning agent 318 in the carrier 322 to allow a second tablet or dose to be dispense subsequently.

[0025] FIG. 4-1 and FIG. 4-2 illustrate an embodiment of a personal care device 400 with a dosing mechanism to measure and dispense a dose of a bulk cleaning agent. FIG. 4-1 is a side cross-sectional view of a personal care device 400 in a closed position with a carrier 422 containing a bulk powder cleaning agent 418. In some embodiments, when the carrier 422 is inserted into the cleaning agent compartment 414, a dosing mechanism 428 is urged away from the cleaning agent 418. When the carrier 422 and cleaning agent 418 is moved away from and/or out of the cleaning agent compartment 414, the dosing mechanism moves into the carrier 422 and/or cleaning agent 418 to segment a portion of the cleaning agent 418 (e.g., a dose 430) that is exposed in the part of the carrier 422 outside of the body 404 of the personal care device 400. By partitioning the carrier 422 and allowing a pre-defined dose 430 to be removed at a time, the personal care device 400 may limit packaging waste or packaging inefficiencies by allowing the use of bulk cleaning agents 418.

[0026] In some embodiments, a personal care device may dispense fluid cleaning agents. FIG. 5-1 through FIG. 5-3 illustrate an embodiment of a personal care device 500 with an elastically deformable cleaning agent compartment configured to dispense a fluid cleaning agent. FIG. 5-1 is a perspective view of a personal care device 500 that includes a port 532 in a carrier 522 that allows a fluid cleaning agent to selectively flow therefrom when a sufficient positive pressure is created in the cleaning agent compartment. For example, FIG. 5-2 is a bottom view of the personal care device 500 of FIG. 5-1 illustrating a bottom surface 534 of the carrier 522. In some embodiments, the bottom surface 534 is elastically deformable to allow a user to apply a force to the bottom surface 534 and compress a fluid cleaning agent located in the carrier 522. In some embodiments, the bottom surface 534 includes a tactile indicator 536 to intuitively guide the user to apply the compressive force to the bottom surface 534. By having the deformable bottom surface 534 flanked by the substantially rigid body 504 of the personal care device 500, unintentional compression (and dispensation) of the cleaning agent may be limited and/or prevented.

[0027] FIG. 5-3 is a side cross-sectional view of the embodiment of a personal care device 500 of FIG. 5-1 and 5-2. In some embodiments, the deformable bottom surface 534 receives the compressive force 538 from the user to compress the cleaning agent 518 and/or a container 540 of the cleaning agent 518 within the carrier 522. The pressure within the carrier 522 and/or container 540 of the cleaning agent 518 within the carrier 522 may urge a portion of the fluid cleaning agent 518 through the port 532 and out of the personal care device 500. In some embodiments, the elastically deformable bottom surface 534 may elastically restore to an original position while the container 540 of the fluid cleaning agent 518 remains deformed, allowing for repeated compression of the container 540 without the container 540 drawing in ambient air and contaminating the cleaning agent 518.

[0028] FIG. 6-1 and FIG. 6-2 illustrate an embodiment of a personal care device 600 with a slidably deployable neck 602 relative to a body 604. Similar to as described in relation to a carrier in FIG. 2, a neck 602 may be slidably connected to the body 604, allowing the neck 602 and/or head 608 to deploy longitudinally from the body 604. In some embodiments, the neck 602 and interior surface of the brush compartment 612 may have complementary rails 624 that allow the neck 602 to slide in one direction relative to the body 604. In some examples, the complementary rails 624 include one or more detents to limit and/or prevent the unintended movement of the neck 602 relative to the body 604 at certain longitudinal positions relative to one another.

[0029] FIG. 7 is a side view of an embodiment of a personal care device 700 with a selectively interchangeable head 708 connected to a neck 702. In some embodiments, the bristles 710 and/or head 708 may be consumable through use. Further, different users may have different preferences as to firmness or shape of the head 708 and/or bristles 710. In other embodiments, different types of personal care devices may be possible with different heads 708, such as connecting a comb to the neck 702. In some embodiments, the head 708 is selectively coupled to the neck 702 by a twist-lock mechanism, a snap fit, a press fit, an adhesive, a mechanical fastener, or other selectively engaged fastening mechanism.

[0030] In addition to periodic changing of the head and/or bristles, some embodiments of a personal care device according to the present disclosure clean the bristles and/or head of the personal care device. For example, the personal care device may include a sterilization component that sterilizes one or more portions of the personal care device between uses by a user.

[0031] FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a personal care device 800 with a sterilization component 842 positioned in the brush compartment 812 and configured to sterilize bristles 810. For example, the sterilization component 842 may be an ultraviolet (UV) light source, such as a UV-C light source. In other examples, the sterilization component 842 may be an ultrasonic acoustic source. In yet other examples, the sterilization component 842 may be a laser light source. In further examples, the sterilization component 842 may be a heat source. The sterilization component 842 may be electrically connected to a power source 844 on or contained within the body 804 of the personal care device 800.

[0032] In some embodiments, the power source 844 is a battery. The battery may be rechargeable and/or replaceable. In some embodiments, the power source 844 may be a solar panel. In some embodiments, the power source 844 may include an electrical connection to allow an external power supply to charge the battery and/or provide power to the sterilization component 842. For example, the power source 844 may include an inductive charging coil that generates an electric current in the presence of a magnetic field to power the sterilization component 842. In at least one example, the user may place the personal care device 800 on a magnetic induction charging pad and the induced current in the power source 844 may power the sterilization component 842 to sterilize the bristles 810 while the personal care device 800 is positioned on the magnetic induction charging pad.

[0033] In other embodiments, the sterilization component 842 may be activated when the personal care device 800 is in a closed position, such as when the bristles 810 are proximate the sterilization component 842. In some example, the detent 820 includes or is a switch that activate the sterilization component 842. In other examples, the detent 820 or other switch activates the sterilization component 842, and the sterilization component remains active for a predetermined sterilization duration, such as 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, one hour, or other predetermined duration to sterilize at least a portion of the personal care device 800 while managing available energy in the power source 844. In other embodiments, the sterilization component is positioned in the cleaning agent compartment 814 and configured to sterilize the cleaning agent 818 and/or carrier 822.

[0034] The articles a, an, and the are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements in the preceding descriptions. The terms comprising, including, and having are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to one embodiment or an embodiment of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. For example, any element described in relation to an embodiment herein may be combinable with any element of any other embodiment described herein. Numbers, percentages, ratios, or other values stated herein are intended to include that value, and also other values that are about or approximately the stated value, as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art encompassed by embodiments of the present disclosure. A stated value should therefore be interpreted broadly enough to encompass values that are at least close enough to the stated value to perform a desired function or achieve a desired result. The stated values include at least the variation to be expected in a suitable manufacturing or production process, and may include values that are within 5%, within 1%, within 0.1%, or within 0.01% of a stated value.

[0035] A person having ordinary skill in the art should realize in view of the present disclosure that equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that various changes, substitutions, and alterations may be made to embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Equivalent constructions, including functional means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function, including both structural equivalents that operate in the same manner, and equivalent structures that provide the same function. It is the express intention of the applicant not to invoke means-plus-function or other functional claiming for any claim except for those in which the words means for appear together with an associated function. Each addition, deletion, and modification to the embodiments that falls within the meaning and scope of the claims is to be embraced by the claims.

[0036] It should be understood that any directions or reference frames in the preceding description are merely relative directions or movements. For example, any references to front and back or top and bottom or left and right are merely descriptive of the relative position or movement of the related elements.

[0037] The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the disclosure is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.