Patent Publication Number: US-2011070016-A1

Title: Water pump toothbrush

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO CO-PENDING APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to the benefit of the Sep. 22, 2009, in the name of Diane Richardson, filing date of co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/244,478 filed Sep. 22, 2009, for a “WATER GUN TOOTHBRUSH”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present water pump toothbrush relates in general to toothbrushes and, more particularly, to a toothbrush having a pump for transferring fluid from the internal fluid reservoir to a position adjacent a base portion of a plurality of bristles supported by a body of the toothbrush. 
     Various configurations for toothbrushes are well known in the art. While these devices appear to be suitable for the intended purpose of cleaning teeth, the known toothbrushes suffer from various deficiencies and lack desired features. By way of example and not limitation, known toothbrush devices fail to provide a readily available source of fluid, such as liquid water, for aiding in the cleaning and/or rinsing process. 
     SUMMARY 
     A water pump toothbrush according to one aspect of the present invention is a manual toothbrush used along with conventional toothpaste. During use, toothpaste is spread on the toothbrush bristles as is conventional. The water pump toothbrush provides the advantage of a readily available source of fluid, such as liquid water, for aiding in the cleaning process by squirting fluid, such as liquid water, on the bristles when the user is ready to begin brushing their teeth. The water pump toothbrush can operate similar to a toy water gun. The fluid, such as liquid water, can squirt out when a button located on a body of the toothbrush is pushed by the user. 
     A majority of people run water to wet a toothbrush in preparation to begin brushing their teeth, because the combination of water and toothpaste is more efficient working together to clean the teeth. 
     The water pump toothbrush has many advantages. By way of example and not limitation, the water pump toothbrush eliminates the common habit of continually running water from the faucet and thereby wasting a valuable natural resource. No more hand movement required back and forth to the running faucet to wet the toothbrush in preparation to begin or to continue brushing teeth. The water pump toothbrush keeps the user brushing at a steady pace. The fluid stored inside an internal reservoir defined by the body of the toothbrush is ready to use at the push of a button, which makes the water pump toothbrush convenient and easy to use. The water pump toothbrush is also a convenient way to brush teeth when a source of running water is unavailable. The water gun toothbrush simplifies the task of brushing young children&#39;s teeth, and can make brushing more fun for children as they grow older. 
     With the water pump toothbrush, a user can now brush with any desired fluid, by way of example and not limitation, liquid water, mouth wash, plaque rinse, and other mouth cleaning liquids. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawing wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a simplified perspective view of one aspect of a water pump toothbrush; and 
         FIG. 2  is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the water pump toothbrush shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a water pump toothbrush  10  is illustrated. The toothbrush  10  for cleaning teeth includes a body  12  defining an internal fluid reservoir  14 . The fluid reservoir  14  may comprise substantially all of the interior of the body  12  or only a portion of the body  12 , such as the portion extending from the end of the neck  22  to the end of the body  12  which receives the cap  30 . A plurality of bristles  16  are supported at a base portion  18  by a head  20  of the body  12 . The head  20  can be supported from a neck portion  22  of the body  12 . The neck portion  22  can be integrally with the body  12  or as a discrete neck portion  22  which is removably attachable to the body  12 . An outer end portion  24  of the plurality of bristles  16  contact the teeth for cleaning. A fluid flow passage  26  extends from the internal fluid reservoir  14  to a position adjacent the base portion  18  of the plurality of bristles  16 . A pump  28  is located in the passage  26  for transferring fluid from the internal fluid reservoir  14  to the base portion  18  of the bristles  16 . 
     The body  12  of the toothbrush  10  can be any size and shape desired. Preferably, the body  12  is of a sufficiently small size and shape to be grasped within the palm of one hand during use. It should be recognized that a larger body  12  can accommodate a larger fluid reservoir  14 . The fluid reservoir  14  includes a removable cap or plug  30  allowing the fluid reservoir  14  to be filled or refilled by a user. The cap or plug  30  can be threaded or friction fit to one end of the body  12  to seal and prevent leakage from the reservoir  14 . A one way vent valve, not shown, can be provided in the cap  30  or in the body  12  to prevent any build up of vacuum pressure within the reservoir  14  during dispensing of fluid by the pump  28 . 
     The bristles  16  can be provided with uniform size, length, and shape, or can be provided with differing size, length and/or shape if desired. The passage  26  through the neck portion  22  includes at least one opening or port  34 , preferably adjacent the base portion  18  of the bristles  16 , for dispensing fluid from the reservoir  14 . The port or ports  34  are interspersed with the bottom ends of the bristles  14  on the base portion  18 . The port or ports  34  can have any suitable diameter, such as one large diameter port  34 , or a plurality of smaller diameter ports  34 , or a combination of difference diameter ports  34 . The passage  26  can also include check valves  36 ,  38  located on the suction portion of the passage  26  and on the discharge portion of the passage  26  to prevent backflow of fluid. 
     The pump  28  can be either manual or electric. By way of example and not limitation, the pump  28  in  FIGS. 1 and 2  includes a piston  44  reciprocally supported in a hollow member  46  fixed in the body  12  to define a pumping chamber  48 . 
     The hollow member  46  is coupled in fluid communication with the passage  26 . The pumping chamber  48  has a suction portion  40 , which communicates with an inlet to the member  46  and the first check valve  36 , and a discharge portion  42  which communicates with an outlet in the member  46 , the second check valve  38  and the passage  38 . The piston  44  is biased by spring  50  toward a first position, where the pumping chamber is enlarged to a first volume in the chamber  46 . 
     A flexible tube  49  is coupled to the inlet of the member  46  to collect water from the bottom of the reservoir  14  during use of the toothbrush  10 . 
     During use, the “trigger”  52  is pressed by the user to urge the piston  44  against the biasing of spring  50  toward a second position of reduced volume in the chamber  48 . The first check valve  36  prevents backflow of fluid through the suction portion  40  of the passage  26  toward the reservoir  14 . Fluid discharged by the piston  44  movement is directed through the discharge portion  42  second check valve  38  to the passage  26  to be dispensed out of port  34  at the base portion  18  of the bristles  16 . Release of the trigger  52  by the user, draws fluid through the first check valve  36  from the reservoir  14  into the suction portion  40  of the chamber  48  to prime the pumping chamber  48  by filling the pumping chamber  48  with water from the reservoir  1 . Backflow of fluid through the passage  26  and the discharge portion  42  is prevented by second check valve  38 . It should be recognized that pump  28  can be any desired configuration, such as a manually operated piston pump, a manually operated diaphragm or bladder pump, or a battery operated rotary, piston, or diaphragm pump.