Patent Publication Number: US-2010124729-A1

Title: Toothbrush with water delivery and suction unit

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/651,597, filed on Jan. 10, 2007, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a toothbrush, more particularly to a toothbrush including a suction unit and hollow bristles, which can be used to draw fluids from a user&#39;s mouth. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A patient, who loses regular oral activity, such as opening/closing of the mouth, swallowing, spitting action, etc., normally needs an assistant to do oral cleaning, e.g., brushing of teeth. Since the patient cannot spit the fluids produced during oral cleaning, suffocation is likely to occur. To prevent suffocation, the fluids have to be removed during oral cleaning. However, it is relatively difficult and inconvenient for the assistant to substantially remove the fluids from the patient&#39;s mouth during brushing of teeth. 
     Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a toothbrush that includes a suction unit and hollow bristles for drawing the fluids from the patient&#39;s mouth during oral cleaning, e.g., brushing of teeth. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to this invention, a toothbrush includes a hollow head portion defining a first fluid passage therein and having a bristle-mounting wall formed with a plurality of apertures in fluid communication with the first fluid passage; bristle bundles provided on the bristle-mounting wall of the head portion, each of the bristle bundles being composed of a plurality of hollow bristles, each of the hollow bristles having a third fluid passage that has a connecting end in fluid communication with the first fluid passage and an open free end opposite to the connecting end; a hollow grip portion connected to the head portion and defining a second fluid passage therein, the second fluid passage being in fluid communication with the first fluid passage; and a suction unit connected to the grip portion and adapted to draw a fluid from an exterior of the bristle-mounting wall of the hollow head portion through the apertures and the third fluid passages of the bristle bundles. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of a toothbrush according to this invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary schematic partly sectional view of the first preferred embodiment, illustrating how a suction action is conducted; 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary schematic partly sectional view of the first preferred embodiment, illustrating the arrangement of a hollow head portion, apertures, and bristle bundles; 
         FIG. 4  is a fragmentary schematic partly sectional view of the first preferred embodiment, illustrating the cleaning operation of the bristle bundles during oral cleaning; and 
         FIG. 5  is a fragmentary schematic partly sectional view of the second preferred embodiment of the toothbrush according to this invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the first preferred embodiment of a toothbrush  2  according to the present invention is shown to include a hollow head portion  21 , bristle bundles  22 , a hollow grip portion  23 , and a suction unit  24 . 
     The hollow head portion  21  defines a first fluid passage  211  therein and has a bristle-mounting wall  210  formed with a plurality of apertures  212  in fluid communication with the first fluid passage  211 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the bristle bundles  22  are respectively fitted in mounting holes  213  provided in the bristle-mounting wall  210  of the hollow head portion  21  and are offset from the apertures  212 . Preferably, each of the apertures  212  is disposed between two adjacent ones of the mounting holes  213  or the bristle bundles  22 . Each of the bristle bundles  22  is composed of a plurality of hollow bristles  221 . Each of the hollow bristles  221  has a third fluid passage  220  that has a connecting end  222  in fluid communication with the first fluid passage  211  and an open free end  223  opposite to the connecting end  222 . Fluids (e.g., waste fluids) can flow into the third passage  220  from a user&#39;s mouth through the open free end  223 , and then flow into the first fluid passage  211  through the connecting end  222 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the hollow grip portion  23  is connected to the hollow head portion  21  and defines a second fluid passage  231  therein. The second fluid passage  231  is in fluid communication with the first fluid passage  211 . The suction unit  24  is connected to the hollow grip portion  23 , and is adapted to draw a waste fluid from the user&#39;s mouth through the apertures  212  and/or the third fluid passages  220  and through the first and second fluid passages  211 ,  231 . 
     Preferably, the hollow grip portion  23  is formed with an air inlet  26  in fluid communication with the second fluid passage  231  and the atmosphere (see  FIG. 2 ). The toothbrush  2  further includes a cover  28  provided on the grip portion  23  for covering and uncovering the air inlet  26  and for controlling a suction pressure produced by the suction unit  24  in the second fluid passage  231  for the waste fluid. Specifically, when it is necessary to withdraw a waste fluid produced in the user&#39;s mouth during brushing of teeth, the air inlet  26  should be covered by the cover  28  so that the second fluid passage  231  is closed and the suction unit  24  can produce a suction pressure in the second fluid passage  231 , thereby suctioning the waste fluid from the user&#39;s mouth into the second fluid passages  231 , through the apertures  212 , the hollow bristles  221 , and the first fluid passage  211 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , during the suctioning operation, the hollow bristles  221  can be used to draw residual waste fluid trapped in the mouth where the apertures  212  cannot reach, e.g., the spaces between the teeth and the space below the tongue, because the hollow bristles  221  can extend into those spaces. With the use of the hollow bristles  221 , the waste fluid can be effectively drawn away from the mouth. When the waste fluid is substantially removed, the cover  28  covering the air inlet  26  can be removed from the air inlet  26  so that no suction pressure is produced for the waste fluid in the second fluid passage  231 . 
     Preferably, the cover  28  can be a plug, a knob, etc. 
     The toothbrush  2  may further include a tube  25  for interconnecting the hollow grip portion  23  and the suction unit  24  (see  FIG. 1 ). The suction unit  24  can be any kind of pump suitable for achieving the object of this invention. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the second preferred embodiment of the toothbrush  2  according to this invention. This preferred embodiment differs from the previous embodiment in that the hollow grip portion  23  is further formed with a water inlet  27  disposed at a location between the air inlet  26  and the hollow head portion  21  and in fluid communication with the second fluid passage  231 . When a clean fluid  3  is to be injected into the user&#39;s mouth through the water inlet  27  for rinsing or cleaning purpose, the air inlet  26  has to be opened so as to prevent the clean fluid  3  from being withdrawn by the suction unit  24 . Moreover, the toothbrush  2  has to be disposed at a tilted position, i.e., the hollow grip portion  23  is disposed higher than the hollow head portion  21  so that the clean fluid  3  can flow into the user&#39;s mouth from the water inlet  27  through the second fluid passage  231 , the first fluid passage  211 , and the apertures  212  and the hollow bristles  221 . 
     With the inclusion of the hollow bristles  221  provided with the third fluid passage  220  and the suction unit  24  in the toothbrush  2  of this invention, brushing of teeth and removal of mouth fluids can be easily and simultaneously carried out by an assistant (i.e., operator) and the fluid can be substantially removed from the mouth so as to improve cleaning efficiency and to prevent suffocation caused by the fluids produced during brushing of teeth. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation and equivalent arrangements.