Abstract:
A brush suitable for cleaning dentures, comprising: a handle attached to a brush head; the brush head having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface having a pad disposed thereon and the bottom surface having a plurality of bristles in perpendicular orientation to the bottom surface. This invention improves on prior art by having two sets of bristles where the second set surrounds the first set and is perpendicular to the first set of bristles.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application claims the priority of U.S. Ser. No. 61/090,916 filed on Aug. 22, 2008, the contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]    The invention relates to tools for cleaning removable dentures when the dentures are removed from the mouth. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A denture brush consisting of a handle and brush head is specified. This design includes two sets of bristles where the second set of bristles is perpendicular to and surrounds the first set of bristles. 
       Description of Related Art 
       [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,844 teaches a multi-purpose toothbrush for cleaning and brushing a person&#39;s natural teeth and also his or her dentures. The device comprises an elongated handle for holding same by a user. An enlarged bulbous member is provided at one end of the handle. This member has a large number of bristles extending outwardly therefrom. One area of bristles has a substantially flat surface while the rest of the bristles provide a curved surface. Two parallel side edges are provided by the junctions between the flat surface and the curved surface. The very end of the bristle covered member is rounded. The side edges and rounded end are very useful in cleaning dentures. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,383 teaches a brush apparatus consisting of a planar member with a plurality of bristles affixed to a body and handle unit whereby the handle is parallel to and axially offset from the centerline axis of the said planar member. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,244 teaches a multi-brush denture cleaning device includes a handle having one end adapted for holding both a first and second brush and another opposing end for holding a different third brush. The first brush has bristles protruding in one direction, and the second brush has bristles protruding in a perpendicular orientation with respect to the first brush. The third brush has bristles protruding in the same direction as the first brush. The handle may include a hand grip portion interposed between the two ends thereof. The brushes in the multi-brush denture cleaning device have varying stiffness so that the first and second brushes are harder than the third brush. The handle has two extending portions which are each at acute angles with respect to the longitudinal axis of the handle, and preferably being acutely angled with respect to each other, wherein one extending portion holds the first brush and the second extending portion holds the second brush. Each of the brushes has a different average bristle length. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,449 teaches a brush, particularly a denture brush particularly advantageous for persons of limited or diminished dexterity, comprising an elongated handle having a front, a back and a pair of sides, a bristle head on one end of the handle, the handle having a narrowed neck joining the bristle head to the remainder of the handle, having a narrowed distal end and having a bulbous enlarged central portion between the narrowed neck and the narrowed distal end, a tapered juncture between the narrowed neck and the bristle head, forming a sloped front zone and a sloped back zone, both having finger tip or thumb tip receiving depressions therein, the bristle head having a front bristle face including bristles therein generally normal to the sloped back zone, and having a rear bristle face including bristles therein generally normal to the sloped front zone, the sloped front zone and back zone having a friction material in the depressions. The neck has four such depressions and the head has three, for gripping at a variety of brush orientations. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,384 teaches a denture brush having a flat handle which projects substantially perpendicularly from the plane of the brush head. Finger grips are located on each side of the handle. In addition, the plane of the handle is offset 90° from the plane of the bristles. This alignment allows the brush to be easily grasped while facilitating the brushing motion in alternate lateral directions in the plane of the bristles and parallel to the internal surface of the denture. The orientation of the finger grips with the bristles also facilitates the ease of applying brushing force directly downward through the brushing head to the denture surface. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,477 teaches a toothbrush having two brush head surfaces in angular relationship to each other, the second brush head surface angled in relationship to the first brush head surface to accommodate the inner curvature of the jaw and to permit the efficient cleaning of the back teeth. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,941 teaches a denture brush utilizing a base having a support and a handle connected to the support. The support is provided with a first surface and an opposite second surface. A first group of bristles is fixed relative to the first surface and extend generally orthogonally outwardly from the first surface. A second group of bristles is fixed relative to the second surface and extends outwardly in a direction opposite to the first group of bristles. A gripping surface is also located on the handle adjacent the second set of bristles on the second surface of the support. 
         [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,364 teaches a denture toothbrush including a head with a rounded section extending from its distal end back toward the neck position and a flat section on one side of the head extending from a point spaced back from the distal end to the neck portion. A first set of bristles extend radially out from the rounded section and a second set of bristles extend out perpendicular to the flat section. The first set of rounded bristles resemble a bottle brush and make contact with the curved gum areas on the inside of the dentures. The second set of straight bristles are adapted to clean the teeth and area on the outside of the denture. 
         [0012]    None of the prior art teaches a denture brush with two sets of bristles where the second set surrounds the first set and is perpendicular to the first set of bristles. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]    A brush suitable for cleaning dentures, having: a handle attached to a brush head; the brush head having a top surface and a bottom surface, and the bottom surface having a plurality of bristles in perpendicular orientation to the bottom surface. This invention improves on prior art by having two sets of bristles where the second set surrounds the first set and is perpendicular to the first set of bristles. The whole device can be manufactured to approximate the shape of a set of dentures so the bristles will contact the dentures during use. See  FIG. 6 . This will make the cleaning of the dentures faster and more effective. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  shows the brush of the present invention in a partially rotated side view. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  shows the brush of the present invention in a bottom view. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  shows the brush of the present invention in a side view. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  shows the brush of the present invention in an end view from the brush head  300  end. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  shows the brush of the present invention in an end view from the handle  200  end. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  shows the brush of the present invention being used on a set of dentures  400 . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0020]    The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Identical elements in the various figures are identified with the same reference numerals. 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  shows the brush  100  in a partially rotated side view. The bottom is facing up and slightly rotated toward the viewer. The brush  100  is shown with the handle  200  and the brush head  300 . The handle  200  is shown with the curve  210 . The brush head  300  is shown with the bottom surface  320 , the bristles on the bottom surface  340 , and the bristles on the outer edge  360 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  shows the brush  100  in a bottom view. The brush  100  is shown with the handle  200  and the brush head  300 . The brush head  300  is shown with the bristles on the bottom surface  340 , the outer edge  350  and the bristles on the outer edge  360 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  shows the brush  100  in a side view. The brush  100  is shown with the handle  200  and the brush head  300 . The handle  200  is shown with the curve  210 . The brush head  300  is shown with the top surface  310 , the bottom surface  320 , the pad  330 , the bristles on bottom surface  340 , the outer edge  350  and the bristles on the outer edge  360 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  shows the brush  100  in an end view from the brush head  300  end. The brush  100  is shown with the brush head  300 . The brush head  300  is shown with the top surface  310 , the bottom surface  320 , the pad  330 , the bristles on bottom surface  340 , the outer edge  350 , and the bristles on outer edge  360 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 5  shows the brush  100  in an end view from the handle  200  end. The brush  100  is shown the handle  200  and with the brush head  300 . The brush head  300  is shown with the top surface  310 , the bottom surface  320 , the pad  330 , the bristles on bottom surface  340 , the outer edge  350 , and the bristles on the outer edge  360 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 6  shows the brush  100  being used on a set of dentures  400 . The shape of the brush head  300  and the two sets of bristles increases the amount of bristle contact with the dentures increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the cleaning. 
         [0027]    The brush  100  consists of a handle  200  and a brush head  300 . The handle  200  may be pivotably or fixedly mounted to the brush head  300 . In the preferred embodiment the handle  200  has a curve  210 . Materials that may be used to make the handle  200  and the brush head  300  include but are not limited to wood, plastic, simulated ivory, wood, metal, rubber, composites and stone. The handle can be any length, but will preferably be from 2½ inches to 8 inches with length preferred. In addition, the handle may be a band or loop on the top surface  310  of the brush head  300 . In this embodiment a user can slip one or more fingers through the loop to secure the brush during use. 
         [0028]    In the preferred embodiment the brush head  300  may be comprised of a top surface  310 , a bottom surface  320 , a pad  330 , bristles on the bottom surface  340 , an outer edge  350  and bristles on the outer edge  360 . Brush head  300  shapes include but are not limited to triangular, circular, and oval. The pad  330  may be either composed of absorbent material or abrasive material. Absorbent materials include but are not limited to artificial sponge, natural sponge and cellulose-based materials. Abrasive materials include but are not limited to pumice, emery, garnet, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, chromium oxide and composites. The pad  330  may be permanently mounted to the brush head  300  or may be replaceable. In the preferred embodiment the bottom surface  320  is planer and the outer edge  360  is perpendicular to the bottom surface  320 . In the preferred embodiment plurality of the bristles on the bottom surface  340  are perpendicular to the bottom surface  320  and a plurality of the bristles on the outer edge  360  are perpendicular to the outer edge  350 . The bristles may be secured to the brush head by any means known in the art, including but not limited to securing with metal anchors or staples. The bristles may be solid or hollow. Bristle materials include but are not limited to wire, nylon, rubber, and composites. The bristles can be appropriate length, but will likely be from ½ inch to 2 inches, in length. 
         [0029]    This design allows for a wide variety of brush head  300  shapes and bristle arrangements. The bottom surface  320  does not need to be planer. In an additional embodiment the bristles on the bottom surface  340  could be of such lengths that their free ends describe a planer surface. The brush head will be from 1 to 3″ in height and from 1 to 3″ in length with the brush head preferably 1¾″ in height and 1¾″ in length. In that case the plurality of the bristles on the outer edge  360  would be parallel to the planer surface described by the free ends of the bristles on the bottom surface  340 . In an additional embodiment, the free ends of the bristles on the bottom surface  340  are parallel to each other but of varying lengths and describe a hemisphere. There is a point on that hemisphere that is farthest from the body of the brush head  300 . There is a plane that is tangent to that point. The plurality of the bristles on the outer edge  360  would be parallel to that plane. Another variation of this embodiment is that the bristles on the bottom surface  340  describe a hemisphere but are not parallel. 
         [0030]    To use the brush of the present invention, the user grasps the dentures securely in one hand using the brush, in the other hand, scrubs the dentures. Using the brush of the present invention offers the advantage of being able to clean the dentures immediately at any time, without having to wait overnight as is typical for chemical cleaning methods. 
         [0031]    Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.