Abstract:
Methods for making a devices for cleaning the human tongue are disclosed. The tongue cleaner may include a tongue brush and a tongue scraper. The tongue cleaner may be of unitary injection molded construction. The tongue cleaner bristles may be tapered to a point for cleaning crevices of a human tongue, and the bristles may be angled or curved. The tongue scraper contains at least one blade for removal of undesirable material from the tongue by a scraping action. The tongue brush and tongue scraper may be combined into one unit or may be made and used separately. The methods include single and multi-step injection molding process.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to the field of devices for cleaning the human tongue, and methods for making the same. In recent years, oral hygiene has become more important to the general public. The past misconception that bad breath (halitosis) is primarily caused by dirty teeth or stomach gases is now being corrected. It is now established that the primary cause of bad breath is due to bacteria that live on the top surface of the tongue. These bacteria produce odors and deposit waste material on the surface of the tongue. In order to control bad breath, bacteria and their waste materials must be removed.  
           [0002]    The tongue surface contains many small openings where taste buds and salivary glands reside. These small openings can contain waste material which adversely affects their function. In severe cases the person may lose a significant amount of his or her sensation of taste. Such waste material may also impair the function of salivary glands, causing the mouth to feel dry. In addition, the surface of the tongue is physically uneven and the surface cells are sensitive to injury. Therefore, the removal of the bacteria and waste material may be performed by both a physical brushing as well as a tongue scraping, while respecting the sensitivity of the tongue.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Objects of the inventions include providing a device for cleaning the human tongue, and providing methods for making devices for cleaning the human tongue. Additional objects, features and advantages of the inventions will become apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this document in light of the appended drawings.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]    [0004]FIG. 1 depicts a longitudinal cross-section side view of the human tongue and surrounding anatomy.  
         [0005]    [0005]FIG. 2 depicts a longitudinal side view of a tongue cleaner and toothbrush combination device.  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 3 depicts a latitudinal front view of a tongue cleaning device.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 4 depicts a latitudinal side view of a tongue cleaning device.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 5 depicts an enlarged latitudinal side view of the tongue brush head and tongue scraper of  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 6 depicts an enlarged latitudinal side view of one tapered point bristle of the tongue cleaner of FIG. 5.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 7 depicts an enlarged latitudinal side view of one cut point bristle.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 8 depicts a latitudinal side view of a tongue scraper.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 9 depicts an enlarged latitudinal side view of three tongue scraper blades.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 10 depicts a longitudinal side view of three tongue scraper blades in a passive position.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 11 depicts a longitudinal side view of three tongue scraper blades in an active position.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 12 depicts a latitudinal front view of a tongue scraper head.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 13 depicts a latitudinal side view of a tongue cleaning device with an angled neck.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 14 depicts a latitudinal side view of the distal end of a tongue cleaning device.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 15 depicts a latitudinal side view of a head region of a tongue cleaning device.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 16 depicts a latitudinal front view of the distal end of a tongue cleaning device.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 17 depicts the molding stage of a tongue cleaning device one-step injection molding process.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 18 depicts the ejection stage of a tongue cleaning device injection molding process.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 19 depicts tongue cleaner componentry formed by a multiple step injection molding process.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 20 depicts a latitudinal side view of an injection molding machine.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 21 depicts a latitudinal side view of the injection system of an injection molding machine. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0025]    Referring to FIG. 1, the human tongue  110  is substantially all muscle  104 , and has a surface made up of taste buds  101  and papillae (also referred to as mucous membrane)  102 . The hyphoid bone  103  is directly beneath the tongue  110 , and the hard palate  111  is directly above the tongue  110 . The jaw bone  105 , lower teeth  106 , lower lip  107 , upper lip  112  and upper teeth  109  outline the human mouth orifice. This cross-sectional view illustrates in a minor degree the roughness and crevices of the human tongue which present a particularly difficult cleaning task.  
         [0026]    An embodiment of a tongue cleaning device of the invention is depicted in FIG. 2. The device depicted is a combination tongue brush/tongue scraper/toothbrush in order to present the user with maximum utility in a single article. The device has an elongated member that includes a head region  201  at the distal end, a neck  204 , and a handle  205  at the proximal end, wherein said neck emanates from said handle. The head region  201  contains a tongue brush  202  on its first side and a tongue scraper  203  on its second and opposite side. This permits the user to brush his tongue, turn the device over, and use the scraper to scrape away material loosened by brushing. The tongue brush  202  includes a plurality of flexible bristles  207  that are tapered or cut to a point. The bristles are individually mounted, non-tufted bristles. The bristles may bend or arch slightly toward the handle if desired. The tongue scraper  203  includes one or more tongue scraper blades  208 . The blades  208  may be as flexible or rigid as desired. A toothbrush  206  extends from the proximal end of the handle  205  via a second neck  209 . The embodiment of FIG. 2 also has ridged finger grips  210  to enhance handling and manipulation of the tongue cleaning device. It can be seen from FIG. 2 that the bristles  207  emanate from a supporting base or bristle base.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 3 depicts a frontal view of a tongue cleaning device, showing only the tongue brush  301 , head region  302 , neck  303 , handle  304 , and bristles  305 . The bristles are arranged in an arcuate swath across the head, in individually mounted non-tufted format. The bristles may be arranged in rows or other formations as desired. FIG. 4 shows a side view of a tongue cleaning device, wherein a tongue scraper  401  is on the opposite side of the tongue brush  402 . This embodiment shows the individually mounted bristles  403  of the tongue cleaning device. The bristles  403  are curved at an angle toward the handle  404  and are each tapered to a point. The tongue scraper  401  has a squared off edge  405 , but may include a sharp or rounded edge as desired.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 5 illustrates an enlarged view of the individually mounted bristles  501  of the tongue brush  502 . The bristles  501  are curved at an angle toward the handle  503  and formed to taper to a point. The scraper  504  has a squared off edge  505 . FIG. 6 illustrates the angle of curvature of each individual bristle  601 . FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative bristle  701  that is cut or formed to have an angled point  702 . It can be seen from FIGS.  3 - 5  that the bristles of the tongue cleaner emanate from a base or bristle base that is attached to the tongue cleaner neck.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 8 shows a side view of a tongue scraper  801 . This embodiment shows three sets of primary  803  and secondary  802  flexible scraper blades. The pair of secondary scraper blades  802  are shorter in height than the single primary scraper blade  803  and are located on either side of it. They serve to provide the primary scraper blade  803  with lateral structural support and increase its effectiveness. In the event the primary blade does not collect all of the debris, a secondary blade may pick up the remainder.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 9 illustrates one set  901  of a pair of secondary scraper blades  902  and a single primary scraper blade  903  used to form a tongue scraper. FIG. 10 shows the primary  1003  and secondary blade  1002  positions for a passive tongue scraper  1001 . FIG. 11 shows the primary  1103  and secondary blade  1102  active position of the tongue scraper  1101 . In this particular embodiment, the secondary blades  1102  may provide structural support for the primary scraper blade  1103  and increased effectiveness of the tongue scraper. FIG. 12 is a frontal view of a tongue scraper  1202 , wherein a single primary blade  1204  and pair of secondary blades  1203  are shown as a set  1201 . Three such sets are provided to enhance scraping action.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 13 shows a tongue cleaning device  1301 , wherein the neck  1307  is angled for ease in applying pressure to the tongue while cleaning. The neck  1307  can be angled from about 0 degrees to about 45 degrees or more with the longitudinal axis of the handle  1303  of the device  1301 . The head region  1304  has both a tongue scraper  1305  and a tongue brush  1306  on the same side, wherein the tongue scraper  1305  is proximal to the tongue brush  1306 . Finger grip strips  1302  extend along a portion of the handle  1303  for superior gripping.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 14 shows the components of a tongue cleaning device head region  1402  and neck  1403 . An elongated member  1401  is molded from a rigid material. The tongue scraper  1405  and a tongue brush  1404  are of unitary construction and from a second less-rigid material. The tongue scraper  1405  is distal to the tongue brush  1404 . The tongue scraper and tongue brush component  1407  are joined with the elongated member  1401  via mechanical grip and/or chemical affinity or bond at knit line  1406 . It can be seen from FIGS. 13 and 14 that the bristles of the tongue cleaner emanate from a bristle base formed as a unitary member with the bristles themselves.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 15 illustrates an alternative embodiment wherein a tongue scraper  1502  is located between a first  1506  and second colony  1507  of bristles  1501 . The bristles are depicted as being arranged in row and column format but could be arranged otherwise as desired. A few rows of bristles  1501  are located in the first colony  1506 , on the distal side of the tongue scraper  1501 . Several more rows of bristles  1501  are located in the second colony  1507 , on the proximal side of the tongue scraper  1502 . The elongate member  1504  is formed using a generally rigid material. The tongue scraper and tongue brush component  1503  may be of unitary construction or may be formed in separate manufacturing steps and joined together. The tongue scraper and tongue brush component  1503  will be formed of a more flexible material then the elongate member  1504 . The tongue scraper and tongue brush components  1503  are attached to the elongate member  1504  via mechanical grip and/or chemical affinity or bond at knit line  1505 . It can be seen from FIG. 15 that the bristles of the tongue cleaner emanate from a bristle base formed as a unitary member with the bristles themselves. The bristle base is joined with other components of the tongue cleaner.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 16 illustrates a frontal view of an embodiment of the invention, wherein a tongue scraper  1602  is located in between a first  1604  and second colony  1605  of bristles  1601 , on the same side of the head region  1603 . The user is able to control the amount of tongue brush and/or scraper contact by manipulating the angle of the handle  1606  as it is rotated about the longitudinal access of the scraper blade  1602  which acts as a fulcrum.  
         [0035]    The above material describes generally structures of some embodiments of the inventions. Below, a description is provided of equipment and apparatuses useful for injection molding various tongue cleaners of the invention.  
         [0036]    The general steps involved in injection molding a tongue cleaner of the invention include: (a) obtain or create a mold having an interior cavity reflective of the structure of tongue cleaner which is desired to be manufactured, (b) obtain a quantity of plastic or other suitable material for forming the tongue cleaner, (c) melt the plastic or other material until it is flowable, (d) force the flowable plastic or other material into the mold cavity, (e) permit the plastic or other material to cool and solidify in the cavity, (f) open the mold, and (g) remove the molded tongue cleaner. These steps will be elucidated in the text below in reference to the corresponding figures.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 17 shows a mold  1701  for injection molding a tongue cleaning device. This mold is used for a one-step unitary construction of a tongue cleaning device. This embodiment illustrates formation of only a tongue brush  1702 , although a combination tongue brush and/or tongue scraper with or without a toothbrush could also be formed as desired. The mold  1701  includes a first mold half  1703  and a second mold half  1704 . These two mold halves are separated by a center line  1705 . When the mold  1701  is fitted together as shown in FIG. 17, molding material is forced through the portal  1706  to form the tongue brush  1702 . The formed tongue brush  1702  is then allowed to cool and solidify.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 18 shows an open mold  1801  following completion of injection molding from the previous figure. The top  1802  and bottom  1803  mold halves were separated along the center line  1804  to yield a finished product tongue cleaner device  1805  which is of unitary construction.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 19 illustrates a tongue cleaning device  1901  formed via a multiple-step injection molding process. This device  1901  is formed of multiple components each of which is individually molded. First, the tongue brush  1902  was molded from a first material. Then a second different material is used to form a tongue scraper  1904 . A third more rigid material is used to form an elongated member  1903 . These separate molding steps will typically be performed in separate molds, moving the partially-molded component from mold to mold until completion. The separate components are affixed to each other mechanically, by adhesive such as glue or epoxy, by welding, or by affinity or chemical bond during injection molding. It can be seen from FIG. 19 that the bristles of the tongue cleaner emanate from a bristle base formed as a unitary member with the bristles themselves. The bristle base is joined with other components of the tongue cleaner.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 20 illustrates an injection molding machine  2001  which may be used to make tongue cleaners of the invention. The injection molding machine includes five systems. These systems include: the hydraulic system  2002 , the injection system  2003 , the control system  2004 , the mold system  2005 , and the clamping system  2006 . The hydraulic system  2002  provides the power to run the injection system  2003 , the mold system  2005 , and the clamping system  2006 . The injection system  2003  confines, melts and transports the plastic as it progresses through various stages in the machine  2001 . The control system  2004  provides consistency and repeatability in machine operation. The mold system  2005  forms the molten plastic into a tongue cleaner. The clamping system  2006  opens and closes the mold, and supports and carries constituent parts of the mold.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 21 illustrates the injection system of an injection molding machine useful when making injection molded tongue cleaners of the invention. Raw materials  2111 , generally in the form of small pellets, are put into the hopper  2101 . A barrel  2109  receives raw material  2111  from the hopper  2101  and supports a reciprocating plasticizing screw  2110 . The barrel  2109  is heated by electric heater bands  2102 , which melts the raw material that is located within the barrel  2109 , permitting it to be plasticized by the turning screw  2110 . The injection chamber  2108  delivers the material to the nozzle  2103 . The nozzle  2103  connects the barrel  2109  to the sprue bushing  2107  of the mold  2106  and forms a seal between the barrel  2109  and the mold  2106 . Molten raw material from the barrel  2109  is forced by the screw  2110  through the nozzle  2103  into the sprue bushing  2107  and into the mold  2106  where it can assume the shape of the interior cavity of the mold. A movable platen  2105  detaches from a stationary platen  2104  to separate the mold halves and eject the molded tongue cleaner.  
         [0042]    A discussion is provided below of some features and characteristics of some embodiments of the tongue cleaner inventions. This discussion should not be considered limiting as to the scope of the inventions. A tongue cleaning device may consist of a head region, neck and handle. The head region is distally connected to the handle via the neck. The neck may be the narrowest portion of the tongue cleaning device. The handle is at the proximal end of the tongue cleaning device. The neck and/or handle may be angled to facilitate pressure control of the device on the tongue.  
         [0043]    One embodiment of the inventions consists of a tongue brush attached to the head region, where the tongue brush is approximately 32 mm long by 16-25 mm wide and 4 mm thick. The head and tongue brush are attached to a handle that is approximately 170 mm long, 12 mm wide and 5 mm thick. The handle can have finger grips formed of the same or a different material. The finger grips can be ridges or long strips of material. The grips are designed to facilitate handling and manipulating the tongue cleaning device.  
         [0044]    The tongue brush includes a bristle base, which is approximately 4 mm thick. A plurality of individually mounted non-tufted bristles emanates from the bristle base. The individual bristles can be formed of the same material as the base or from another material as desired. Each bristle is individually mounted on the base, formed of solid material and tapered to a point. The bristles may be of different lengths such that those at the distal end of the brush are longer (approximately 10 mm in length) and those toward the neck are shorter (approximately 5 mm in length). The bristles may be individually cut at an angle to form a point. In addition, all of the bristles are curved toward the handle of the brush.  
         [0045]    The curvature of the bristle, along with the different bristle lengths, allows for the bristles to touch the tongue while in use. The points of the bristles are also small enough to enter into the small indentations and crevices of the tongue surface and loosen and remove the bacteria and waste material. The bristles are soft and will not damage the surface cells of the tongue. In addition, the user can regulate bristle pressure by pivoting the tongue cleaning device about its longitudinal axis.  
         [0046]    The tongue scraper may include one or more blades that can also be formed of the same material or a different material as the tongue brush. The tongue scraper can be on the same (first) or opposite (second) side of the tongue brush. The scraper can be made up of single or multiple blades. The scraper blades emanate from the bristle base. In addition, the blades can be located above, below or in between the bristles. In one embodiment, the blade(s) are approximately 3 mm long and about 0.5 mm thick. The edge of the blade is flat (or square) and flexible. As the scraper is pulled across the surface of the tongue the loosened bacteria and waste material is gently carried out of the mouth. The forward edge of the blade is the “active” edge of the scraper.  
         [0047]    In an alternative embodiment the tongue scraper is comprised of sets of one primary blade and two secondary blades. One secondary blade is located on either side of the primary blade. Both blades function much like a window scraper that removes water from a glass window. The secondary blade provides additional strength and effectiveness. This type of scraper is efficient and gentle to the surface of the tongue. Again, the user can regulate the scraper blade(s) pressure by pivoting the tongue brush about the longitudinal axis of the scraper blade.  
         [0048]    The tongue brush and the tongue scraper can be formed together as one instrument or they can be built and used separately. In addition, a toothbrush may be incorporated on the proximal end of the handle via a second neck to form a tooth and tongue cleaning device. Alternatively, the toothbrush may be joined to only a tongue scraper or a tongue brush. The toothbrush can be joined to the tongue cleaning device via welding, mechanical fixation or being formed during the injection molding process.  
         [0049]    In some embodiments of the inventions, the tongue cleaning device may be made by injection molding. The first step is to obtain or create a suitable mold. The mold can be formed of machined metal such as aluminum or steel to have an interior cavity reflecting the shape of the tongue cleaner to be produced. The mold is then used in an injection molding machine which forces molten raw material, such as plastic, into the mold cavity to form the tongue cleaner. The injection molding process may be a single step or series of steps, depending on the number of materials used. Possible materials for making the invention and components thereof include: polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, thermoplastic rubber, resin, silicon rubber, natural rubber, plastic and other materials.  
         [0050]    In one embodiment of the invention, the tongue cleaner may be formed by a one-step injection molding process wherein a single material, such as polypropylene, is used to form the entire tongue cleaning device, such that a single mold is used to form all portions of the tongue brush in a single step. The mold would yield the entire tongue cleaning device of unitary construction upon being opened.  
         [0051]    An alternative embodiment is to use two or more molds wherein plastics, for example, of differing degrees of rigidity would be molded separately to form distinct components of a tongue cleaning device. These separately molded portions can be fitted together via a mechanical grip and/or chemical affinity or bond. One embodiment of a multiple step injection molding process is to have three molds, wherein the first mold forms the elongated member, the second mold forms the tongue brush and tongue scraper, and a third mold forms finger grips.  
         [0052]    While the present invention has been described and illustrated in conjunction with a number of specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention as herein illustrated, described, and claimed.  
         [0053]    The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects as only illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.