Abstract:
A souvenir toothbrush includes a head part of the toothbrush with extruded and end-rounded bristles, a handle part made with clear thermoplastic material, a molded pocket inside the clear handle for placement inside of this pocket with a flat or shaped insert having printing or an image on one or both side images, a clear or opaque molded insert placed inside the molded pocket on the top of the printed insert and a soft spongy part of the toothbrush molded to the handle of the toothbrush for convenient gripping of the handle by a user. A hair comb, brush, flosser, and other toiletry articles are also considered that have a similar handle design.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     The present invention is directed to a toothbrush or other toiletry article that provides a unique combination of utility and aesthetics. Existing methods of applying applications on such article handles includes the use of decals, ink imprinting, laser imprinting, and labels applications. Concerning toothbrushes, since toothpaste is an aggressive and abrasive substance, it is common that after using the toothbrush several times, the applications come off partially or entirely. It is desirable to provide applications, such as images and or text/logos, that will durably remain on the toothbrush despite heavy use around abrasive substances. Although a flosser, hair comb or brush is not normally surrounded by or used in conjunction with such abrasive substances, repeated use and contact by oily skin can produce a similar wearing of any applications that may be provided  
       SUMMARY  
       [0002]     The present design for a toothbrush, flosser, hair comb or brush provides a unique combinations of materials, applications, and colors that create very attractive and vivid products. Advantageously, the multi-color application stays inside of the handles and never comes into contact with aggressive toothpastes products or skin oils remains at the original quality for the duration of the product&#39;s usage. This is achieved by a toothbrush comprising: a head portion comprising extruded and end-rounded bristles; a handle part comprising a thermoplastic material and further comprising an image pocket; an image insert comprising text or an image on one or both sides that is located within the image pocket; a pocket insert placed inside of the image pocket on top of the image insert; and a soft rubber-like material molded to the handle.  
         [0003]     Various embodiments of the invention include those having an interchangeable insert of different colors with different messages molded on the top of the insert. Space between the letters of the insert and pockets on the surface of the toothbrushes may filled with a soft rubber-like material for a comfortable grip users of these products. Toothbrushes or other toiletry articles of this design can deliver many messages to the users, improve mood in the morning with images such as cats, dogs or pictures of favorite places such as parks, buildings, mountings, rivers, sports and games and so on and decorate the bathroom with high quality colorful products. They can also be used for advertisement purposes. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]     Various embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the following drawing figures.  
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is longitudinal section view through the molded and assembled toothbrush product;  
         [0006]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the toothbrush with plastic insert and over molded soft rubber-like material;  
         [0007]      FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the toothbrush with picture insert visible through the bottom part of the clear handle and molded rubber pad for the thumb;  
         [0008]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the clear handle with pocket for the inserts, molded gate area, pocket for the rubber-like material and gap for passage the molded rubber-like material from the upper part of the handle to the lower part of the handle;.  
         [0009]      FIG. 5  is a longitudinal section view of the clear handle with pocket for the inserts, step for redirecting the stream of rubber-like material during injection of this material inside the cavity and preventing the printing image from disturbance by the flow of plastic, and pockets for rubber-like material;  
         [0010]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal section of the toothbrush handle and showing the convex shape of the handle;  
         [0011]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal section of the toothbrush handle and showing the flat shape of the handle;  
         [0012]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal section of the toothbrush handle and showing the concave shape of the handle;  
         [0013]      FIG. 9  is plastic insert side view;  
         [0014]      FIG. 10  is plastic insert top view;  
         [0015]      FIG. 11  is another embodiment of the toothbrush with a two-sided image flat inset and clear material injected on the top of the two-sided image flat insert and all pockets filled in the clear handle;  
         [0016]      FIG. 12  is top view of this embodiment illustrating the image that is clearly seen through the clear plastic injected in the pocket of clear handle;  
         [0017]      FIG. 13  is bottom view of the same handle;  
         [0018]      FIG. 14  is another embodiment of the toothbrush with a plastic insert placed on the top of the flat insert with pictures placed on opposite sides of the insert and other pockets in the handles filled with a rubber-like material;  
         [0019]      FIG. 15  is side view of this clear insert;  
         [0020]      FIG. 16  is top view of this flat insert;  
         [0021]      FIG. 17  is a cross-sectional view of the handle at the insert position and showing the soft rubber-like material in a wrap-around configuration;  
         [0022]      FIG. 18  is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the insert as illustrated in  FIG. 9 , having locking mechanisms built in;  
         [0023]      FIG. 19  is a top view of an embodiment of a comb having an insert with raised lettering;  
         [0024]      FIG. 20  is a top view of an embodiment of a comb having an insert with images or alternately a bottom view of the embodiment of  FIG. 19 ;  
         [0025]      FIG. 21  is an embodiment of a brush showing a handle having an insert with raised lettering;  
         [0026]      FIG. 22  is an embodiment of a brush showing a handle having an insert with images;  
         [0027]      FIG. 23  is a top view of an embodiment of a flosser;  
         [0028]      FIG. 24  is a top view of a knob on the flosser;  
         [0029]      FIG. 25  is a side view of the knob shown in  FIG. 24 ;  
         [0030]      FIG. 26  is an enlarged view of the friction teeth illustrated in  FIG. 24 ;  
         [0031]      FIG. 27  is a side view of an embodiment of the ribbed area having protrusions; and  
         [0032]      FIG. 28  is a top view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 27 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0033]     According to an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the Figures,  FIG. 1  depicts a longitudinal section view through a molded and assembled toothbrush. A toothbrush  1  has head portion  2  that contains the bristles of the toothbrush  1 , a handle part  3  that is gripped by a user when brushing his or her teeth, a plastic pocket insert  4  that fills in a pocket  5  in the handle  3  having a gate area of a soft rubber-like material such as thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or other similar material that is often used on toothbrush handles to ensure a solid grip and for aesthetic reasons. A picture insert  6  having a graphic illustration is disposed in the bottom of the pocket area  5  and is covered by the plastic pocket insert  4 . The pocket insert  4  may be made of a clear, translucent, or opaque material.  
         [0034]     A pocket bridge  7  is filled with the soft rubber-like material that lies between the plastic insert  4  area and a ribbed area  8 ,  9 . The ribbed area  8 ,  9  has a portion on a top part  8 , and a ribbed area on a bottom part  9  of the toothbrush  1  for contact with a user&#39;s thumb that is filled with the soft rubber-like material.  FIGS. 27 and 28  show an alternate embodiment in which the ribbed area  101  comprises a plurality of protrusions  100 . The handle part may comprise a finger grip for the ribbed area of which a portion is on a top part of the handle part, and another portion is on a bottom part of the handle part, the finger grip portion comprising the soft rubber-like material. In an embodiment, the length of at least some of the protrusions is greater than a distance separating center points of the protrusions. In another embodiment, the length of the protrusions on a top side of the toiletry article differ from a length of the protrusions on a bottom side of the toiletry article.  
         [0035]     The image area  10  is present on the bottom part of the toothbrush  1  and is clear so that the picture insert  6  can be seen when viewing the brush from the bottom side.  
         [0036]      FIG. 2  shows a top view of the toothbrush  1  having molded letters  20  on the top of the inserts, which can represent, e.g., a logo or company name. These letters  20  may be surrounded by the soft rubber-like material  21  and may project above, be level with, or slightly depressed from the surface of this soft material  21 .  
         [0037]      FIG. 3  shows a bottom view of the toothbrush  1  with picture  6  visible through the clear handle of the toothbrush. The handle  3  may be made of a clear or translucent plastic material, or only portions of the handle  3  may be clear or translucent such that ambient light can provide illumination to the picture  6 .  
         [0038]      FIG. 4  is a top view of e.g., the clear handle  3  prior to the bristles being added (bristle holes not shown). A bottom portion of the pocket for the gate  31  holds the injected rubber-like material that is above the bottom of the pocket  30  for the plastic insert. This configuration prevents a disturbance of the flat picture insert  6  in the case where the rubber-like material is directly molded without the plastic insert installed. An identified position  31  indicates the location of the gate  32  for the rubber-like material. A pocket for the bridge  33  connects the pocket  35  for the rubber-like material. The rubber-like material is designed so that it is held firmly in place on the handle  3 , with the use of through-channels, inversely tapered holes, shrinkage, or the like.  
         [0039]      FIG. 5  is a longitudinal cross-section view of the clear handle  3 . The pocket  36  is connected through the bridge  33  with the pocket  35 . A gap ( 34 ,  FIG. 4 ) may be placed on the bottom of pocket  35  which connects upper and lower pockets in the handle  3  for the rubber-like material with ribbed areas ( 8 ,  9 ,  FIG. 1 ) and keeps the ribbed areas  8 ,  9  connected together and affixed to the handle.  
         [0040]     Various cross-sectional shapes of the clear handle  3  may be provided to enhance the picture  6  in various ways.  FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal section of the toothbrush  1  having a convex shape  38  of the handle  3 . Such a convex shape  38  creates a magnifying effect on the picture  6  disposed therein.  FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal section of the toothbrush  1  having a flat shape  39  of the handle  3 . In this configuration, the distortion/lensing effect is minimized, thereby presenting an accurate sized view of the picture  6  disposed therein.  FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal section of the toothbrush  1  having a concave shape  40  of the handle  3 . Such a concave shape  40  creates a shrinking effect on the picture  6  disposed therein.  
         [0041]      FIG. 9  is a side view of a plastic insert  50  having embossed letters  51  on a top surface of the insert.  FIG. 10  is a top view of this plastic insert  50  illustrating these letters  52 .  
         [0042]      FIG. 11  is another embodiment of the toothbrush  1  with two images placed on two sides of the insert  40 . This design has clear handle  3  filled with a clear material  41  in the pocket area of the clear handle and in the ribbed pocket area  42 .  
         [0043]      FIG. 12  is top view of this embodiment. A first image  45  present on one side of the insert  40  is clearly seen through the clear material  41  molded into the handle  3 . Clear material fills rest of the pocket in the handle  3  through bridge  43 .  
         [0044]      FIG. 13  is bottom view of the same handle with a second image  46  seen through the clear handle  3 . The pocket  30  in the clear handle  3  ( FIG. 4 ) is not symmetrical. This design eliminates a possible mistake in placement of the insert with picture  46  into the pocket of clear handle  3 . The non-symmetry may lie about an axis defining the length of the brush, its width, or its height—this non-symmetry can be used for visual aesthetic purposes as well as to assist in the assembly of the device.  
         [0045]      FIG. 14  is another embodiment of the toothbrush  1  with a plastic insert  48  placed on the top of the flat insert  40  having pictures on two opposite sides of the insert  40 . This toothbrush design has part of the handle  3  filled with soft rubber-like material  49 . In this case, gate  50  for injecting the soft rubber-like material into the clear handle is moved further up the handle closer to the bristle portion to the location indicated by reference character  50  on in  FIG. 14 .  FIG. 15  is a side view of the plastic insert  48  illustrating a truncated tapered shape that may be used, e.g., to assist in the insertion into the handle  3 .  FIG. 16  is a top view of the plastic insert  48  having an exemplary shape to match the pocket of the handle. Such a non-symmetrical design of the insert  48  can help to eliminate a mistake in the placement of this plastic insert  48  and insert with picture  46  into the pocket of clear handle  3 .  
         [0046]      FIG. 17  is a cross-section of the handle  3  at the section having the picture insert  62  in which the soft rubber-like material  63  wraps around a part of the handle for gripping or aesthetic purposes. The plastic insert  60  may be clear to permit light to enter on the back side of the picture. In the embodiment shown, the handle  3  has a convex  61  shape to it.  
         [0047]      FIG. 18  illustrates an alternate embodiment for the insert  50  with, e.g., raised lettering  51  on it, where the bottom portion of the insert  50  has a latching mechanism  65  that permits the insert to grip the handle  3  with a correspondingly shaped receiving portion of the pocket (not shown) to ensure that the insert  50  does not fall out. In the embodiment illustrated, the protrusion  65  on the tabbed portion is pressed inward during insertion, which is permitted by adjacent gaps  66  in the insert  50 . When the insert  50  is in place in the handle  3 , the protrusions flex out to hold the insert  50  in place.  
         [0048]      FIGS. 19 and 20  illustrate embodiments of the invention that are applied to a souvenir comb  70 . In this embodiment, the molded letters  71  are formed in a similar manner to those shown in  FIG. 2  for the toothbrush, and may be surrounded by a soft rubber-like material or possibly a clear material  72 .  FIG. 20  represents an embodiment similar to that shown in Fig,  19 , except that a graphical picture  73  is inserted. Alternately, it is possible that  FIG. 20  reflects an opposite side of the same comb  70  shown in  FIG. 19 . An insert may be utilized to provide the molded letters  71  and/or the graphical picture  73 .  
         [0049]     Similarly, an embodiment applied to a souvenir hair brush  80  is illustrated in  FIGS. 21 and 22 .  FIG. 21  shows a brush  80  having a handle  81  in which molded letters  82  are formed in a similar manner to those shown in  FIG. 2  for the toothbrush, and may be surrounded by a soft rubber-like material or possibly a clear material  83 .  FIG. 22  represents an embodiment similar to that shown in Fig,  21 , except that a graphical picture  84  is inserted. Alternately, it is possible that  FIG. 22  reflects an opposite side of the same brush  80  shown in  FIG. 21 . An insert may be utilized to provide the molded rubberlike material  83  and/or the graphical picture  84 .  
         [0050]      FIGS. 23-26  illustrate embodiments of the invention that are applied to a souvenir flosser  90 . The handle  3  is similarly constructed to the handle of the toothbrush embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-18 . Additionally, the flosser has a head region  92  comprising the floss  93  itself, as well as a knob  91  used to hold the floss taught.  FIG. 24  shows the knob  91  comprising a floss wrapping area  94  as well as friction teeth  95  for floss retention (also shown enlarged in  FIG. 26 ).  FIG. 25  illustrates a side view of the knob  91  having a capping portion  96  that covers the friction teeth  95 .  
         [0051]     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference has been made to the preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language has been used to describe these embodiments. However, no limitation of the scope of the invention is intended by this specific language, and the invention should be construed to encompass all embodiments that would normally occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. The particular implementations shown and described herein are illustrative examples of the invention and are not intended to otherwise limit the scope of the invention in any way.  
         [0052]     For the sake of brevity, conventional aspects (and components) may not be described in detail. Furthermore, the connecting lines, or connectors shown in the various figures presented are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical or logical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships, physical connections or logical connections may be present in a practical device. Moreover, no item or component is essential to the practice of the invention unless the element is specifically described as “essential”. Numerous modifications and adaptations will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.