Patent ID: 7011467
Filing Date: 2006-03-14
Classification: A46B

Abstract:
1. An oral hygiene kit for enabling a user to maintain oral hygiene, the oral hygiene kit comprising, in combination: a paste-dispensing toothbrush assembly, the toothbrush assembly comprising a paste-dispensing brush, a paste pump assembly, a piston, and a paste reservoir, the paste reservoir comprising an inner reservoir surface, an outer reservoir surface, a bottom end, a housing end, a circular transverse reservoir cross-section, a reservoir height, and a central longitudinal reservoir axis, the reservoir cross-section having an inner reservoir sectional area, the product of the inner reservoir sectional area and the reservoir height defining an initial paste-receiving volume, the piston comprising a paste-engaging surface, an atmospheric surface, and a reservoir-engaging surface, the reservoir-engaging surface extending from the paste-engaging surface to the atmospheric surface, the piston being piston-received in the paste reservoir, the paste pump assembly comprising a brush-engaging end, a reservoir-engaging end, and paste conduit means, the paste conduit means extending from the reservoir-engaging end to the brush-engaging end for conveying paste from the paste reservoir to the paste-dispensing brush, the reservoir-engaging end being cooperatively associated with the housing end for creating an initial paste pressure intermediate the paste-engaging surface and the reservoir-engaging end, the paste-dispensing brush comprising a pump-engaging end, a brush head, an outer brush surface, a brush conduit, and a brush height, the brush conduit for conveying paste from the brush-engaging end to the brush head, the pump-engaging end being cooperatively associated with the brush-engaging end; a floss assembly, the floss assembly comprising a spool-supporting lid, a floss spool, and a floss cap, the spool-supporting lid comprising a brush-converting inner lid surface, an outer lid surface, a seat-engaging end, a spool-supporting end, a circular transverse lid cross-section, a lid height, and a central longitudinal lid axis, the seat-engaging end being removably seatable upon the brush-engaging end, the brush height being lesser in magnitude than the lid height, the inner lid surface thus for surrounding the paste-dispensing brush, the spool-supporting end comprising a spool-receiving post, the spool-receiving post comprising a post height and a central longitudinal post axis, the spool-receiving post being integrally formed with the outer lid surface, the floss spool comprising a post-receiving member, a floss length, a spool height, and an outer spool diameter, the post-receiving member comprising a post-receiving inner surface and a floss-receiving outer surface, the floss length being spooled upon and adjacent the floss-receiving outer surface, the floss length comprising a floss length end, the post receiving the post-receiving inner surface, the spool-supporting end thus supporting the floss spool, the floss cap comprising a spool-covering inner cap surface, an outer cap surface, a support-engaging end, a top end, a floss-receiving groove, a circular transverse cap cross-section, a cap height, and a central longitudinal cap axis, the reservoir axis, the lid axis, the post axis and the cap axis being collinear, the cap cross-section having an inner cap diameter, the support-engaging end being removably receivable by the spool-supporting end, the post height and the spool height each being lesser in magnitude than the cap height, the outer spool diameter being lesser in magnitude than the inner cap diameter, the inner cap surface thus surrounding the floss spool, the floss-receiving groove extending from the inner cap surface to the outer cap surface, the floss length end extending through the floss-receiving groove for enabling a user to utilize a portion of the floss length, the portion of the floss length for contributing to a user's oral hygiene; and paste, the paste being received in the paste reservoir, the paste having an initial paste volume, the initial paste volume being substantially equal in magnitude to the initial paste-receiving volume, the pump assembly being operable to increase the initial paste pressure to a second paste pressure, the second paste pressure forcing a portion of paste from the paste reservoir through the paste conduit means and the brush conduit to the brush head, the portion of paste thus substantially decreasing the second paste pressure to the initial paste pressure when forced from the paste reservoir, the portion of paste having a paste portion volume, the initial paste volume being decremented by the paste portion volume, the brush head being operable to selectively apply the portion of paste for contributing to a user's oral hygiene, the toothbrush assembly and the floss assembly thus providing an oral hygiene kit for enabling a user to maintain oral hygiene.