Abstract:
A tooth brush with reservoir having a body that is releasably attached to a head with the bristles. Releasable attachment of the body is accomplished with an aperture that also serves for dispensing tooth paste from a reservoir within the body. A blade within the body is attached to a tab outside the body with a stem that passes through a linear aperture in the body. Pushing the tab toward the aperture, thus, forces the blade toward the aperture. Consequently, when the reservoir contains tooth paste, pushing the tab toward the aperture urges tooth paste toward the aperture, eventually resulting in the dispensing of tooth paste from that aperture. Either a foldable membrane or a central partition impedes the escape of tooth paste through the linear aperture.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a tooth brush which has a reservoir for receiving, containing, and dispensing tooth paste. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Numerous patents have been granted for tooth brushes which contain a reservoir for containing and dispensing tooth paste. 
     Examples of such patents are U.S. Pat. Nos. 818,000; 1,610,831; 1,629,905; 1,780,066; 2,793,792; 2,795,000; 3,261,367; 4,615,635; 5,584,593; 5,636,933; 5,746,532; 5,846,010; and 5,908,257. 
     In the devices associated with each of these patents, however, tooth paste is forced from the reservoir, through one or more relatively small channels, to the base of the bristles. Such small channels can easily become partially or completely clogged with dried tooth paste, thereby impeding the dispensing function of the tooth brush. Moreover, these channels dispense the tooth paste near the end of the bristles that is attached to the tooth brush, which is a less effective location for applying the tooth paste to a user&#39;s teeth than the end of the bristles opposite to the end that is attached to the tooth brush. 
     The tooth brush of U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,134 dispenses the tooth paste into a trough, which creates an additional, somewhat bulky appendage to the tooth brush. And a rather complicated moveable tube is utilized to dispense the tooth paste onto the bristles in U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,532. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The head of the present tooth brush is removably attached to the body of the present invention. 
     Except for being removably attached to the body of the tooth brush, the head is the same as the traditional head for a tooth brush. The body of the tooth brush contains a reservoir for storing tooth paste. 
     An aperture which assists in removably attaching the head of the tooth brush to the body of the tooth brush also is available for inserting tooth paste into the reservoir. And when it is desired to dispense tooth paste onto the bristles of the tooth brush, the head is detached from the body; the aperture is placed near the end of the bristles that is not attached to the head, just as is the aperture of a traditional tube of tooth paste; and an exterior tab is used to cause a blade in the reservoir to force tooth paste through the reservoir onto the end of the bristles that is not attached to the head. Not only is this location for the tooth paste the same location that is utilized when a standard tube of tooth paste is employed, but this location is also the most effective position on the bristles for applying tooth paste to the user&#39;s teeth. 
     Furthermore, because the aperture is not located between bristles, such aperture can be significantly larger and less likely to be clogged with dried tooth paste. Additionally, the aperture is readily accessible for being cleaned of any dried tooth paste that may accumulate near the aperture. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the Tooth Brush with Reservoir where the head of the Tooth Brush has been removed from the body of the Tooth Brush. 
     FIG. 2 is a view looking at the first end of the body of the Tooth Brush, i.e., the end of the body of the Tooth Brush which to which the head of the Tooth Brush removably attaches. 
     FIG. 3 is a lateral view of the body of the Tooth Brush. 
     FIG. 4 is a view from above the body of the Tooth Brush. 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view for the body of the Tooth Brush showing a channel which is incorporated when the width of the body of the Tooth Brush changes. 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view, similar to that of FIG. 5, where the channel extends across the full width of the body of the Tooth Brush. 
     FIG. 7 is a lateral view of the embodiments of FIG.  5  and FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 8 is an isometric view of an alternate embodiment of the Tooth Brush with Reservoir where the linear reservoir does not extend under the linear aperture. 
     FIG. 9 is a lateral view of the embodiment of FIG.  8 . 
     FIG. 10 is a lateral view of an embodiment similar to that of FIG. 8 but which also includes a central partition. 
     FIG. 11 is a view from above the embodiment of FIG.  10 . 
     FIG. 12 shows the embodiment of FIG. 7 from the opposite side. 
     FIG. 13 shows the foldable membrane running from the first side to the second side of the body of the tooth brush as viewed from the first end of the body of the tooth brush. 
     FIG. 14 shows the foldable membrane running from the first side to the second side of the body of the tooth brush as viewed from the second end of the body of the tooth brush. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The Tooth Brush with Reservoir is, as its name implies, a tooth brush which contains a reservoir which can be filled with tooth paste. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the head  1  is removably attached to the body  2  of the tooth brush  3 . This is preferably accomplished with a male fitting  4  which mates with an aperture  5  in a first end  6  of the body  2  of the tooth brush. Preferably, the male fitting  4  and the aperture  5  have screw threads so that the male fitting  4  can be screwed into the aperture  5 . While being removable from the head  1 , the body  2  must, during the brushing operation, remain securely attached to the head  1 . 
     Through the aperture  5 , which is depicted in FIG. 2, tooth paste is placed into and withdrawn from the reservoir  7  formed within the body  2  of the tooth brush  3 . 
     The body  2  of the tooth brush  3  contains a linear aperture  8  communicating with said reservoir  7 , which linear aperture  8  is preferably on the same side of the body  2  as the bristles  9  are on the head  1  when the head  1  has been attached to the body  2 , which side is designated the top  10  of the body  2 . A tab  11  is slidably mounted within the linear aperture  8 . 
     Attached to the tab  11  is a stem  12  which, as shown in FIG. 3, passes through the linear aperture  8  before connecting to a blade  13  which is preferably constructed of resilient material. The blade  13  is preferably angled so that, when it is constructed of resilient material, the angle α will increase as the tab  11  is pushed toward the aperture  5  so that the blade  13  will always run from the top  10  of the body  2  to the bottom  14  of the body  2 , even when the height of the body  2  increases as the aperture  5  is approached. 
     Similarly, as shown in FIG. 4, which is a view from above the body  2 , the blade  13  is angled between the first side  15  and the second side  16  of the body  2 . The enables the angle β to decrease as the tab  11  is pushed toward the aperture  5  so that the blade  13  will always touch both the first side  15  and the second side  16  of the body  2 , even when the width of the body  2  increases as the aperture  5  is approached. 
     Having the blade  13  always run from the top  10  of the body  2  to the bottom  14  of the body  2  and always touch both the first side  15  and the second side  16  of the body  2  assures that tooth paste will not be able to bypass the blade  13  as such blade  13  is pushed toward the aperture  5 . 
     The possibility of having tooth paste escape through the linear aperture  8  is minimized through several techniques. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 3, a first end  17  of a first foldable membrane  18  is attached to the top  10  of the body  2  near a first end  19  of the linear aperture  8 ; a second end  20  of the first foldable membrane  18  is connected to the blade  13  near the top  21  of such blade  13  and on a first side  22  of such blade  13 . A first end  23  of a second foldable membrane  24  is attached to the blade  13  near the top  21  of such blade  13  and on a second side  25  of such blade  13 ; a second end  26  of the second foldable membrane  24  is attached to the top  10  of the body  2  near a second end  27  of the linear aperture  8 . Thus, as the tab  11  is pushed toward the aperture  5 , the first foldable membrane  18  folds; and the second foldable membrane  24  unfolds. Conversely, as the tab  11  is pulled away from the aperture  5 , the first foldable membrane  18  unfolds; and the second foldable membrane  24  folds. This assures that the linear aperture  8  is continuously sealed. (If desired, there could be a single foldable membrane having, at an intermediate point between a first end and a second end, an aperture through which the stem  12  would pass and by which the foldable membrane would be attached to the stem  12 .) 
     Preferably, as illustrated in FIG.  13  and FIG. 14, to reduce the possibility that tooth paste can leak around the first foldable membrane  18  and the second foldable membrane  24 , the first foldable membrane  18  and the second foldable membrane  24  run from the first side  15  to the second side  16  of the body  2  when the width of the body  2  does not change. 
     When the width of the body  2  does, however, change, a membrane-holding channel  270 , as illustrated in FIG. 5, is placed along the linear aperture  8 . A first wall  28  is attached to the top  10  of the body  2  between the first side  15  of the body  2  and the linear aperture  8  and runs toward the bottom  14  of the body  2 . A second wall  29  is attached to the top  10  of the body  2  between the second side  16  of the body  2  and the linear aperture  8  and runs toward the bottom  14  of the body  2 . The first wall  28  terminates and is connected to a first projection  30  before the first wall  28  reaches the bottom  14  of the body  2 . The first projection  30  runs from the first side  15  of the body  2  approximately parallel to the top  10  of the body  2  until reaching a position below the side of the linear aperture  8  that is nearer to the first side  15  of the body  2 . Similarly, the second wall  29  terminates and is connected to a second projection  31  before the second wall  29  reaches the bottom  14  of the body  2 . The second projection  31  runs from the second side  16  of the body  2  approximately parallel to the top  10  of the body  2  until reaching a position below the side of the linear aperture  8  that is nearer to the second side  16  of the body  2 . (If desired, the first wall  28  and the second wall  29  could be eliminated if, as portrayed in FIG. 6, the first projection  30  is connected to the first side  15  of the body  2  and if the second projection  31  is attached to the second side  16  of the body  2 .) 
     When a first projection  30  and a second projection  31  are employed, the stem  12  must be continued—as shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7, until the stem  12  has extended beyond the first projection  30  and the second projection  31 , the blade  13  must incorporate cutouts to accommodate the first projection  30  and the second projection  31 , or the stem  12  must be extended and the blade  13  must incorporate a cutout to accommodate as depicted in FIG.  6 . 
     As illustrated in FIG.  7  and FIG. 12, the first end  32  of the first wall  28  and the first end  33  of the second wall  29  are located toward the first end  6  of the body  2  beyond the first end  19  of the linear aperture  8 . In fact, the first end  32  of the first wall  28  and the first end  33  of the second wall  29  may extend to the first end  6  of the body  2 . 
     The second end  34  of the first wall  28  and the second end  35  of the second wall  29  are located beyond the second end  27  of the linear aperture  8  toward the end of the body  2  that is away from the aperture  5  and that is designated the second end  36  of the body  2 . In fact, the second end  34  of the first wall  28  and the second end  35  of the second wall  29  may extend to the second end  36  of the body  2 . 
     If the first end  32  of the first wall  28  and the first end  33  of the second wall  29  do not reach the first end  6  of the body  2 , a first end plate  37  is attached to the first end  32  of the first wall  28 , to the first end  33  of the second wall  29 , to the top  10  of the body  2 , to the first projection  30 , and to the second projection  31 . 
     Similarly, if the second end  34  of the first wall  28  and the second end  35  of the second wall  29  do not reach the second end  36  of the body  2 , a second end plate  38  is attached to the second end  34  of the first wall  28 , to the second end  35  of the second wall  29 , to the top  10  of the body  2 , to the first projection  30 , and to the second projection  31 . 
     An alternative embodiment of the Tooth Brush with Reservoir is illustrated in FIG. 8, FIG. 9, and FIG.  10 . In this embodiment the blade  13  is attached to a first end  39  of a rod  40 ; a second end  41  of the rod  40  is connected to the stem  12  inside the body  2 . The length of the rod  40  is selected such that when the stem  12  is at the second end  27  of the linear aperture  8 , the top  21  of the blade  13  is between the first end  19  of the linear aperture  8  and the first end  6  of the body  2 . 
     Further to assure that no tooth paste leaks from this alternative embodiment of the Tooth Brush with Reservoir, a central partition  42  having a central aperture  43  through which the rod  40  may slidably pass is connected to the top  10  of the body  2 , to the bottom  14  of the body  2 , to the first side  15  of the body  2 , and to the second side  16  of the body  2 . FIG. 10 is a cutaway view from the side of the body  2  illustrating the placement of the central aperture  43 , which location is between the first end  19  of the linear aperture  8  and the first end  6  of the body  2  and is preferably near the first end  19  of the linear aperture  8 . FIG. 11 is a similar view from above the body  2 . 
     The Tooth Brush with Reservoir facilitates traveling since one need only pack a tooth brush and need not also include a separate container of tooth paste. Furthermore, the Tooth Brush with Reservoir enhances health when several people utilize the same container of tooth paste. After a desired quantity of tooth paste has been expelled from a standard container, the usual method for separating the selected quantity from that remaining within the container is to move the tips of the bristles on the tooth brush across the opening in the container. Of course, such bristles have usually been within the mouth of the one using the brush and are, consequently, likely to contain germs that are passed to the tooth paste remaining within the container. In the case of the Tooth Brush with Reservoir, however, it would probably be the first end  6  of the body  2  that is brushed across the opening in the container. And if the first end  6  of the body  2  has entered the mouth of a user, it will have been adjacent to the head  1  and, therefore, not have come into such direct contact with the mouth as have the bristles of a standard tooth brush.