Abstract:
A toothbrush with a folding two-piece handle, the pivot designed to rotate the brush of the handle in relationship to rest of the handle, the pivot also designed to slide into a slot to lock the handle into the open upright position. The handle having a secondary slot and corresponding protrusion to further secure the handle in place.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present inventions relate to dental hygiene and, more particularly, to toothbrushes. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    To ensure proper oral care, dentists recommend that we brush our teeth more than once a day for at least two to three minutes each time. Despite this recommendation, the average adult person does not brush his or her teeth sufficiently. This problem is worse with children, who have notoriously short attention spans and often view brushing their teeth as a chore. 
         [0005]    Additionally there are times, such as when travelling or on vacation, where some people find brushing their teeth to be even more difficult. This difficulty can arise because of the inconvenience of having to carry a normal, full sized toothbrush or the fear of getting the toothbrush dirty as it is placed together with other toiletry articles in a bag or suitcase. Accordingly, there is a general need for a device that encourages people, especially children, to brush their teeth more often and for longer periods of time whether at home or while traveling. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    A folding toothbrush having an open position and a closed position, the toothbrush can comprise a two-piece handle, a pivot or a pair of pivots, and a first slot or a pair of first slots. The second piece of the two-piece handle can be configured to be received by the first piece in the closed position. The pivot or pivots can be in a corresponding first slot or slots and can be configured to both rotate and slide within the first slot. The second piece can comprise a head and at least one bristle. The toothbrush can further comprise a second slot and a protrusion that can be configured to substantially conform within the second slot when in the open position. 
         [0007]    In other embodiments the toothbrush can comprise a first slot with a rotating section and a locking section. The toothbrush can also comprise a third slot where at least one side of the protrusion be can configured to substantially conform within the third slot when in the closed position. 
         [0008]    According to other embodiments, a folding toothbrush having an open position and a closed position can comprise a two-piece handle, where the second piece can be configured to be received by the first piece in the closed position, and the second piece can comprise a head and at least one bristle. The toothbrush can further comprise a pair of semicircular pivots and a pair of first slots corresponding to the pair of semicircular pivots. Each pivot can be in the corresponding first slot and can be configured to both rotate and slide within the first slot. In addition, each of the pair of first slots can have a semicircular region and an elongated region. The toothbrush can further comprise a pair of protrusions, and a pair of second slots corresponding to the pair of protrusions. Each protrusion can be configured to substantially conform within the corresponding second slot when in the open position. The toothbrush can further comprise a pair of third slots that can also correspond to the pair of protrusions. Each protrusion can be configured to fit within the corresponding third slot when in the closed position. 
         [0009]    Another embodiment comprises a method of operating a folding toothbrush. The method can comprise providing the folding toothbrush, and opening the folding toothbrush from a closed position. The step of opening the folding toothbrush can comprise rotating a second section of the toothbrush in relation to a first section at a pivot, sliding the second section in relation to the first section, wherein the pivot can slide into a first securing slot and sliding a protrusion into a second securing slot. The method can further comprise using the toothbrush to brush at least one tooth. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention are described with reference to drawings of certain preferred embodiments which are intended to illustrate, but not to limit, the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a folding toothbrush according to one embodiment. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the toothbrush of  FIG. 1  showing the toothbrush in the closed position. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a part of the toothbrush of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the part of the toothbrush of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional side view of an additional part of the toothbrush of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the toothbrush of  FIG. 1  showing the change from the closed position to the open position. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7A  shows a detail view of part of the toothbrush of  FIG. 1  in the closed position. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7B  shows a detail view of one position of part of the toothbrush of  FIG. 1  as the toothbrush moves from the closed position to the open position. 
           [0019]      FIG. 7C  shows a detail view of another position of part of the toothbrush of  FIG. 1  as the toothbrush moves from the closed position to the open position. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7D  shows a detail view of part of the toothbrush of  FIG. 1  in the open position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0021]      FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of a folding toothbrush. The toothbrush  2  can comprise a two-piece handle  10 , a pivot  16  and a slot  26 . The two-piece handle can comprise a first piece  12 , and a second piece  14 . The second piece  14  of the handle can comprise a brush  18 . The brush  18  can comprise a head  20  and bristles  22 . 
         [0022]    As shown, the toothbrush  2  can have a pocket knife like design with an open position ( FIG. 1 ) and a closed position ( FIG. 2 ). In the open position, the second piece  14  of the handle can be in an extended position such that the head  20  of the second piece  14  can be extended to a position away from the first piece  12  of the handle. In the closed position, the second piece  14  of the handle can be in an unextended position such that the head  20  of the second piece  14  can be in close proximity to the first piece  12 . This can be similar to the relationship between the handle of a pocket knife and a blade or other tool when the pocket knife is in an open or closed position. The opening and closing of the toothbrush  2  is described in more detail below. 
         [0023]    A folding toothbrush, as illustrated, can be useful for travel or vacations. Additionally, the folding toothbrush shown can be compact to facilitate use of carrying without sacrificing easy of use or usability. A folding toothbrush can protect the head and bristles from contacting other items, thus maintaining cleanliness and sanitation. 
         [0024]    The toothbrush  2  can further comprise a receiving area  24 . The receiving area  24  can be shaped so as to receive the brush  18  ( FIG. 2 ). In other embodiments, the second piece  14  of the handle can be substantially received within the first piece  12  at receiving area  24 , while in other embodiments the second piece  14 , including the brush  18 , can be only partially or minimally received within the first piece  12 . In still other embodiments the second piece  14  is not received within the first piece  12  at all. Preferably the second piece  14  is not completely received into the first piece  12  at receiving portion  24  so that a user can more easily manipulate the toothbrush  2  between the open and closed positions, as in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0025]    The receiving area  24  can comprise, for example, a recess, hole or cavity in the first piece  12  of the handle. The receiving area  24  can be contoured to closely reflect the shape of the second piece  14  of the handle or the portions of second piece  14  that are received into the receiving area  24 . The receiving area  24  can also be shaped in a way independent of the shape of the second piece  14  while still accepting the second piece  14  or the portions of second piece  14  that are to be received therein according to the particular design used. 
         [0026]    Returning to the toothbrush  2  illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , to move the toothbrush  2  between the open and closed positions, the toothbrush  2  can rotate around pivot  16 . The pivot  16  can be within a slot  26 . In one embodiment, the pivot  16  can be a protrusion on the second piece  14  and the slot  26  can comprise a part of the first piece  12  of the handle. In other embodiments, the second piece  14  can further comprise the pivot  16  and the handle  12  can further comprise the slot  26 . 
         [0027]    Turning now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the second piece  14  of the handle will be discussed. As illustrated, the second piece  14  of the handle comprises a brush  18 , a pivot  16 , a raised portion  34 , and a protrusion  28 . The brush  18  can further comprise a head  20  and a bristle  22 . As depicted in the figures, both sides of the second piece  14  of the handle are mirror images of one another. According to some embodiments, the pivot  16  can be on only one side of the second piece  14 . According to some further embodiments, the protrusion  28  can be on only one side of the second piece  14 . 
         [0028]    As shown, the protrusion  28  is in the shape of a rectangle that protrudes from the side of the second piece  14 . According to other embodiments, the protrusion  28  can be in the form of a shape other than a rectangle. 
         [0029]    The pivot  16  is shown on the raised portion  34 . The raised portion  34  is optional and can provide extra space or a gap between the first piece  12  and the second piece  14  to reduce the friction when moving from the closed position to the open position or vice versa. The raised portion  34  can be a circular protrusion on the side of the second piece  14  of the handle. When the toothbrush  2  is assembled, the raised portion  34  can contact the first piece  12  so that a gap can form between the first  12  and second  14  pieces, at least around the areas surrounding the raised portion  34 . 
         [0030]    The pivot  16  can reside on the raised portion  34 . The pivot  16  can be in the shape of a semicircle that is protruded from the side of the second piece  14 . According to some embodiments, the pivot  16  can be mostly or substantially semicircular. According to some embodiments the pivot  16  can be a shape that is slightly more or less of a circle than semicircular. 
         [0031]      FIG. 5  shows a cross-section of the first piece  12  of the handle. In the illustrated embodiment, the first piece  12  comprises a first slot  26 , a second slot  30 , a third slot  32  and a receiving area  24 . The first slot  26  can comprise a rotating section  34  and locking section  36 . The rotating section  34  can be generally circular as depicted. The locking section  36  can be generally a trapezoid, rectangle or parallelogram in shape. The rotating section  34  and locking section  36  can also be other shapes. 
         [0032]    The shape of the first slot  26  can also be understood with reference to the following description. The first slot  26  can be shaped like a lowercase letter “b” which, as depicted in  FIG. 5 , has been laid on its back. The shape of the first slot  26  can be described further as follows. Divide a circle into four quadrants using a Cartesian coordinate system with x and y axes. Slightly shift the x-axis in the +y direction so that the circle is slightly off center of the center point (0,0) of the system, along the y-axis. Protrude the portion of the circle in the −x,−y or third quadrant along the x-axis, in the −x direction, thus effectively shifting this portion of the circle to the side of the rest of the circle with two parallel lines of equal length connecting the portion with the remaining circle. One line is along the x-axis and both lines are perpendicular to the y-axis. In other embodiments the protruded portion can end in a straight line instead of an arc of a circle. In still other embodiments the portion represented here by the protruded portion can take on other shapes not confined to shapes related to circles. 
         [0033]    The first slot  26  can optionally comprise a connecting section  38 . The connecting section  38  can be used to facilitate assembling the toothbrush  2 . The second piece  14  and the first piece  12  can be connected by placing the pivot  16  within the connecting section  38  and forcing the pivot  16  downward toward the rotating section  34  until the pivot has entered the rotating section  34 . The depth of the connecting section  38  can be less than the depth of the rotating section  34  to prevent the toothbrush  2  from becoming disassembled. The depth of the connecting section  38  can also be less than the depth of both other sections. The other sections, i.e. the rotating section  34  and the locking section  36  can be the same depth. 
         [0034]    Now turning to the second slot  30 , the second slot  30  can be designed so that the protrusion  28  fits snuggly into the second slot  30 . This can provide stability to the toothbrush  2  when in the open position. One or more sides of the protrusion  28  can be configured to substantially conform to the shape of the second slot  30 . For example, three sides of the protrusion  28  can substantially conform to the shape of the second slot  30 . The bottoms of the protrusion  28  and second slot  30  can also be configured to substantially conform to each other. 
         [0035]    The third slot  32  is optional and is designed so that the protrusion  28  will fit within the third slot  32 . The third slot  32  can be configured such that the protrusion  28  substantially conforms within the third slot  32  similar to the second slot  30 . 
         [0036]    Opening the toothbrush  2  from the closed position ( FIG. 2 ) to the open position ( FIG. 1 ) will now be described with reference to  FIG. 6 . A user can take the toothbrush  2  and while securing the first piece  12  of the handle in one hand, use the other hand to grip the second piece  14  and separate the handle  10  by pulling the second piece  14  away from the first piece  12 . This should allow the second piece  14  to rotate in relation to the first piece  12 .  FIG. 6  demonstrates the relative positions of the first  12  and second  14  pieces of the handle as the toothbrush  2  moves from the closed position “A” to the open position “D”. Initially the second piece  14  rotates at the pivot  16  from the “A” position, through the “B” position until the second piece  14  reaches the end of its rotation at the “C” position. The second piece  14  then translates towards the first piece  12  to reach the final open position represented by the letter “D”. 
         [0037]      FIGS. 7A-D  show detail views of the pivot  16 , protrusion  28  and first  26 , second  30  and third  32  slots as the toothbrush moves from the closed position to the open position. In the closed position, as shown in  FIG. 7A , the protrusion  28  is within the third slot  32  and the pivot  16  is within the first slot  26 , in the rotating section  34 . The pivot is semicircular with the arc facing the top region of the rotating section  34 , as viewed in  FIG. 7A . The second piece  14  can be rotated in relation to the first piece  12 .  FIG. 7B  demonstrates one position of the pieces  12 ,  14  as the second piece  14  is rotated. In this position, as shown, the protrusion  28  is not within either of second  30  or third  32  slots, the pivot  16  is still within the rotating section  34  of the first slot  26  and now the arc of the pivot  16  is substantially facing the right side of the rotating section  34 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 7C  shows the end of the rotation. At the end of the rotation, as shown, the protrusion  28  is still not within either of second  30  or third  32  slots, the pivot  16  is within the rotating section  34  of the first slot  26  and now the arc of the pivot is substantially facing the bottom of the rotating section  34 . From this position the first  12  and second  14  pieces of the handle are then translated towards one another in the horizontal direction, as viewed in  FIG. 7C . The pivot  16  then slides from the rotating section  34  to the locking section  36 . The protrusion  28  also slides into the second slot  30 .  FIG. 7D  shows the final position where the toothbrush  2  is in the open position. Here, the protrusion  28  and pivot  16  are secured within the second slot  30  and locking section  36 , respectively, so that the second piece  14  is securely in position with respect to the first piece  12 . By being thus secured, the user can be able to brush his or her teeth without the first  12  and second  14  pieces becoming disengaged prematurely. 
         [0039]    After use, or when the user desires, the toothbrush  2  can be closed following the same steps as outlined above in the opposite direction and in reverse order. In other embodiments the positions and relations as explained above can be slightly different. For example, in other embodiments the pivot  16  can begin to enter the locking section  36  before finishing the step of rotating. In addition, according to certain embodiments the pivot  16  can rotate about between 165° and 195° within the first slot  26 . In some embodiments the pivot  16  can rotate about 180° within the first slot  26 . 
         [0040]    The toothbrush  2  has many benefits. In particular, the toothbrush  2  is compact and easy to store. The toothbrush  2  is also especially useful for traveling. In addition, the receiving area  14  can protect the head  20  and bristles  22  from contact with other potentially unsanitary sources. For example, if the toothbrush  2  were placed in a closed position into a suitcase or toiletry bag, the bristles  22  and at least part of the head  20  could be protected from contacting over items that may be in the suitcase or bag. This can have the affect of preserving the cleanliness of the toothbrush. Also, the toothbrush  2  as described can be very secure in the open position. This can facilitate using the toothbrush  2  to brush the user&#39;s teeth as the user may not be required to maintain the toothbrush  2  in the open position by the force of the user&#39;s hand. 
         [0041]    Another embodiment comprises a method of operating a folding toothbrush  2 . The method can comprise providing the folding toothbrush  2 , and opening the folding toothbrush  2  from a closed position. The step of opening the folding toothbrush  2  can comprise rotating a second section  14  of the toothbrush in relation to a first section  12  at a pivot  16 , sliding the second section  14  in relation to the first section  12 , wherein the pivot  16  can slide into a first securing slot  36  and sliding a protrusion  28  into a second securing slot  30 . The method can further comprise using the toothbrush  2  to brush at least one tooth. 
         [0042]    The method can still further comprise sliding the pivot  16  a distance equal to the length of the pivot  16 . The step of rotating can further comprise rotating the second section  14  between about 165° and 195°. 
         [0043]    Although certain embodiments, features, and examples have been described herein, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many aspects of the methods and devices shown and described in the present disclosure may be differently combined and/or modified to form still further embodiments. For example, any one component shown and described above can be used alone or with other components without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Additionally, it will be recognized that the methods described herein may be practiced in different sequences, and/or with additional devices as desired. Such alternative embodiments and/or uses of the methods and devices described above and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the present invention should not be limited by the particular embodiments described above, but should be determined only by a fair reading of the claims that follow.