Abstract:
In a preferred embodiment, this invention provides an easy-to-use, adjustable-head toothbrush that provides two or more locking angles for brushing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to toothbrushes and more particularly to an adjustable-head toothbrush that provides two or more locking angles of the brush head. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Among the thousands of toothbrush inventions are those that adjust into angles. Earlier designs include devices that fold, tilt, allow head-replacement and head-disposal, offer a novelty handle design, and other actions. However there is not yet a non-disposable toothbrush handle that allows the simple, manual angling and angle locking that this proposed construction offers. The following application and patents show adjustable toothbrush devices. 
     (a) U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,896: a toothbrush which requires finger manipulation of a control pin to adjust a handle that consists of two hinged parts and a pivot. The proposed toothbrush offers three or fewer parts to accomplish the same goal as the previous, control-pin device, which has more parts and is more difficult to operate. The proposed device, because of its simpler construction, allows less-expensive, easier manufacturing plus a simple, one-handed operation. 
     (b) U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,621: a toothbrush in which the brush-head can be angled. The toothbrush neck may be elastically deformed using an interior flexible wire. An elastically deformable neck does not allow for a locking/secure positioning mechanism, as the proposed one does. 
     (c) U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,25; a children&#39;s toothbrush with a joint, that connects the toothbrush handle with a novelty-handle end. In addition to being a novelty item, the purpose of that device is to fold into a closed unit and/or to lock into place in the open position; it does not offer a method of locking into angled positions. 
     (d) U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,658: a folding toothbrush-toothpaste system that does not offer a method of angling. 
     (e) U.S. Patent Number 20050015907: A bendable toothbrush with an inner core of soft, elastomeric material wholly or partly enclosed within an outer flexible skin of a second polymer material. This toothbrush does not offer the squeeze-adjust angling method of the proposed toothbrush. Instead the user must manipulate only a small area—the head of the brush—making it more difficult to adjust than the proposed invention. 
     There remains a need for an improved, flexible toothbrush that can be angled into two or more positions and locked into place so that it stays in place while brushing. As such, the principal objects of the present invention are: 
     1. To provide two or more angles for more focused tooth-cleaning, with the option of a straight head; 
     2. To allow one-handed operation; and 
     3. To provide a locking mechanism that keeps the angle in place while brushing. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention achieves the above objects, among others, by providing, in a preferred embodiment, a flexible toothbrush that can be angled into two or more positions and locked into place so that it stays in place while brushing. This invention is unique in that it offers angling of the brush-head to two or more lockable angles. It also offers a unique squeeze action for angle adjustment. It can be made with or without a soft, co-molded covering over the angling mechanism. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view with marked head, hinge pin, dimple, and the handle 
         FIG. 2  is a rear view with head, handle, hinge pin, squeeze handle, split for flexing, leg of toothbrush head, and detent 
         FIG. 3  is a three-quarter view with brush head, handle and hinge pin 
         FIG. 4  is a disassembled view with hinge pin, detent, dimple, hole in handle for hinge pin, hole in brush head for hinge pin 
         FIG. 5  is a side view with brush head, handle and hinge pin 
         FIG. 6  is a front view with hinge pin, squeeze handle, split for flexing handle segment, and legs of brush head. 
         FIG. 7  is a three-quarter view with brush head, hinge pin, handle, split for flexing handle segment, and dimple. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In general, the present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantages of current toothbrush devices and methods of angling a toothbrush. 
     These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by referring to the following description of preferred embodiments. The drawings below are for illustration only. The figure numerals in parentheses refer to the figure in which the element(s) being described are more fully shown. The element(s) may also be shown on other figures. 
     In  FIGS. 1 through 7 , the toothbrush head  1  connects to the handle via a stationary hinge pin  3  plus a set of detents  7  on either side of the head that lock into a set of dimples  8  on either side of the handle  2 . The detents  7  are located on the inside of two opposing legs  6  of the toothbrush head. The detents  7  in the legs  6  fit into the dimples  8  in the handle. 
     The toothbrush head  1  has a hole  10  in it for the hinge pin  3 . The handle also has a hole  9  for the hinge pin  3 . The squeeze handle, (or bulge grip)  4  is partially split  5  to allow the handle segment to move into position. 
     To operate this device, the user squeezes the bulge grip to allow the toothbrush head to be angled. Squeezing the bulge grip flexes the handle  2 , thus closing the gap  5  and allowing the detents  7  to move out of the dimples  8 , which frees the toothbrush head to move into the desired angle. When the user lets go of the bulge grip, the handle  2  flexes back to its original position, forcing the detents  7  into either one set of dimples  8  for the straight position, or into another set of dimples  8  ( FIG. 7 ), for an angled position. 
     Since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that everything contained in the above description or shown on the accompanying drawing figures shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.