Patent Publication Number: US-2018027956-A1

Title: Toothbrush with built-in tongue and mouth cleaning system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates generally to mouth and teeth cleaning apparatus. More specifically, with this device the teeth may be cleaned, as well as the other areas of the mouth, including the tongue, gums, and interior of the cheeks. 
     DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART 
     Dentists commonly advise their patients to vigorously clean the inside of the mouth (particularly, the cheeks, gums, and tongue) in addition o the teeth. Saliva on these surfaces can contain acids and other substances that over time can promote tooth decay. An effective way to remove the saliva and debris is by scraping it with a tongue or mouth cleaner. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a mouth cleaning apparatus that would allow cleaning of the entire portion of the mouth without much effort. Such a needed device would be simple and less complex in structure. Finally, such a needed device would be cost effective and easily accessible. The present embodiment accomplishes these objectives. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present invention is a combination toothbrush, with tongue and integrated mouth cleaners in the form of elongated concave indentations, clefts. It will have the appearance of a normal toothbrush. This device is a self-contained toothbrush comprising normal bristles but having an easily manufacturable and cleanable indentation or set of indentations, or clefts, that can be used to scrape or otherwise remove saliva and other unwanted substances from the mouth&#39;s interior. 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front angled vertical view of a toothbrush head in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a lateral view of the toothbrush head in a vertical position, emphasizing a cleaning cleft parallel to the axis in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a rear-side view of the device in a vertical position emphasizing the placement of bristles in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a rear-side view of the device in a vertical position detailing the head in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the toothbrush head emphasizing one of the clefts used for cleaning in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a lateral view of the device in a vertical position profiling a cleaning cleft as a part of front portion of the head in accordance with the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  depicts a front angled vertical view of the toothbrush head but, unlike  FIG. 1  emphasizing a cleaning cleft as integral to the front of the head in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The following describes example embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. This invention, however, may be embodied in many different ways, and the description provided herein should not be construed as limiting in any way. Among other things, the following invention may be embodied as methods or devices. As such, the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. The following detailed descriptions should not be taken in a limiting sense. 
     In this document, the terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one. In this document, the term “or” is used to refer to a nonexclusive “or,” such that “A or B” includes “A but not B,” “B but not A,” and “A and B,” unless otherwise indicated. Furthermore, all publications, patents, and patent documents referred to in this document are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, as though individually incorporated by reference. In the event of inconsistent usages between this document and those documents so incorporated by reference, the usage in the incorporated reference(s) should be considered supplementary to that of this document; for irreconcilable inconsistencies, the usage in this document controls. 
     Turning first to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a front perspective and a lateral view of a six sided rectanguloid toothbrush head  15  connected to a handle  10  are illustrated respectively. The device in its common modality is a tooth and mouth cleaning instrument comprising a handle  10  from which projects a geometrically shaped head  15  with a plurality of flexible elongated protrusions primarily serving as bristles  50  affixed to a front side  40  of the head  15 . 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrate a rear-side view detailing the toothbrush head and placement of bristles  50 , in a vertical position. On the opposite side of the bristles  50  is found a back side  45  of the toothbrush head  15 , the surface of which is the location of a concave cleft  70 , indicated by diagonally spaced lines and as an aid usually to clean interior surfaces of the mouth, such as the tongue and cheeks. 
       FIG. 5  shows a top view of the toothbrush head emphasizing one of the clefts and  FIG. 6  illustrates a lateral view of the device in a vertical position profiling a cleaning cleft as a part of front portion of the toothbrush head. On the first lateral side  30  of the toothbrush head  15  is located a concave cleft  60  parallel to the longitudinal axis of this toothbrush. On the opposite and second lateral side  35  of the head  15  is located a concave cleft  65  parallel to the longitudinal axis of this toothbrush. At the top side  40  of the head  15  is found the location of a fourth concave cleft  70 . This all is to say that in its common modality there is a total of four concave clefts  55 ,  60 ,  65 , and  70 , each used primarily to clean the interior of the mouth, generally by scraping. 
       FIG. 7  depicts a front angled vertical view of the toothbrush head  15  but, unlike  FIG. 1  emphasizing a cleaning cleft as integral to the front of the head. The common way of using this device is to brush the teeth in a normal way and use any one of the concave clefts to scrape an interior surface of the mouth or tongue, thereby removing saliva, debris, and other unwanted deposits. Especially noteworthy is the ability of the user to employ the clefts located on the lateral sides  35 ,  40  paralleling the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush for larger surfaces, such as the tongue and interior of the cheeks. A cleft located at the top side  40  of the head  15  enables one to clean a root of the tongue by moving this instrument back and forth against the root in an axis parallel to the length of one&#39;s body. Cleaning of a large surface is enhanced by rubbing the concave cleft  70  located on the back side  45  of the head  15  against that surface. After each scraping the user rinses the head of the toothbrush, paying close attention to the cleft employed in the scraping. 
     There may be variations as to the shape of any of the components, as well as the number, configuration, and location of the clefts. Further stated, there is no restriction on dimensions or proportions of the components or their configuration or their material as long as the basic purpose and functionality is preserved, i.e., cleaning the teeth and tongue with one device. The head  15  of the toothbrush may be of any shape or density or hollow, as long as it contains clefts, ridges, or other irregularities that suffice in scraping the interior of the mouth so as to remove unwanted material, such as saliva and food particles. 
     This description of this combination tooth brush and tongue cleaner gives a ‘person having an ordinary skill level in the art (35 USC 103(a))’ the ability to create and use the device in the best way possible. There can be variations, equivalents, and combinations of the device, so one should not take the above description as being the only way or form it can be created. That is, this description is but one representation of what can be done to produce the device to perform in the intended manner. Summarized, this invention or its parts may be made of any material, size, shape, color, or weight, as long as the central purpose and function, and basic method of operation are retained, i.e., serve as a tooth brush that can clean teeth in a normal way but also serve as a way of removing unwanted material, such as saliva and food particles from the mouth&#39;s interior. 
     As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. “And” as used herein is interchangeably used with “or” unless expressly stated otherwise. As used herein, the term ‘about” means +/−5% of the recited parameter. All embodiments of any aspect of the invention can be used in combination, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
     Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words ‘comprise’, ‘comprising’, and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to”. Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural and singular number, respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “wherein”, “whereas”, “above,” and “below” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of the application. 
     The description of embodiments of the disclosure is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed. While the specific embodiments of, and examples for, the disclosure are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the disclosure, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. 
     While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.