Abstract:
An elongated article comprising a handle attached to a bulbous, metal-covered head. The article is used to freshen the breath by swabbing the inside of the mouth with the head. The end of the handle opposite of the head may be flattened and ridged to facilitate scraping of the tongue.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
         [0001]    1. Field of Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to breath freshening devices.  
           [0003]    2. Prior Art  
           [0004]    Various devices and products have been devised for cleansing the mouth and freshening the breath, notably the toothbrush, dental floss, mouthwash, aromatic candies, and toothpick. However, each of these as disadvantages.  
           [0005]    The toothbrush is probably the most widely used breath-freshening device. It is generally effective, but suffers from some disadvantages. The bristles wear out and splay after some use, thus requiring periodic replacement of the toothbrush. The use of the toothbrush requires rinsing the mouth with water, thus restricting the use of the toothbrush near a sink. The toothbrush is commonly used with dentifrice, which must be periodically replaced. After use, the toothbrush is wet, and the bristles hold water, thus making the toothbrush inconvenient to carry in a pocket or purse. In addition, the toothbrush can hold and accumulate food particles in its bristles, thus requiring it to be thoroughly cleaned after each use. Furthermore, the toothbrush also may not help to reduce certain food odors, particularly if used without dentifrice.  
           [0006]    Dental floss, while effective in removing food particles lodged between the teeth, has the disadvantage of being consumable. After one use, the piece of floss is usually discarded. Also, use of dental floss can be painful, especially for first-time users. Furthermore, use of dental floss normally requires both hands and proximity to a sink for expectorating and a garbage can to discard the used piece of floss, thus the use of dental floss is restrictive to certain locations. Also, dental floss may not be effective for removing certain food odors.  
           [0007]    Like dental floss, mouthwash also has the disadvantages of being consumable and restrictive to certain locations. Breath-freshening candies also are consumable. They also have the further disadvantage of merely masking the odor, and not actually removing or breaking down odor-causing particles. Furthermore, some breath-freshening candies, because of their sugar content, may promote tooth decay.  
           [0008]    Finally toothpicks are sometimes used to freshen the breath, but they also have some of the same problems as those mentioned above. In addition, if the pick is sharp, it may be dangerous.  
           [0009]    Therefore, the need exists for a device and method of freshening the breath that is safe, portable, non-consumable, easily cleaned, and effective.  
           [0010]    My present invention is based on a totally different operating principle than the products listed above. The operating principle of my invention is not used by any known product to clean the mouth, or freshen the breath, but rather by a product trademarked ODOR STEELER, owned by DUOTRADE TRADING LDA. CORPORATION PORTUGAL, sold to clean the hands. The ODOR STEELER bar is a teardrop shaped bar about three inches long made of stainless steel. By simply rubbing one&#39;s hands with the bar under water, odors from poultry, garlic, onion, fish and other foods are removed. The product does not require soap or scrubbing. It does not wear out and is easy to clean. It does not require batteries or electrical power to operate. It is safe and nontoxic. It can be manufactured cheaply and sold at a profit.  
           [0011]    No product currently sold to clean the mouth operates on the principle used by the ODOR STEELER bar to clean the hands. Nor does any product currently sold have the advantages of being able to remove offensive odors of poultry, garlic, onion, fish and other foods while being non-consumable, durable, easy to clean, and profitable.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0012]    In accordance to the present invention, a breath freshener comprises a handle attached to a head having a portion covered with metal.  
           [0013]    Objects and Advantages  
           [0014]    Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my breath freshener are:  
           [0015]    (a) to provide a breath freshener which effectively removes the odors of poultry, garlic, onion, fish and other foods from the surfaces of the mouth,  
           [0016]    (b) to provide a breath freshener which can be used without dentifrice or other consumable product including electricity,  
           [0017]    (c) to provide a breath freshener which normally does not require replacement, but rather is durable enough to work well even after considerable use,  
           [0018]    (d) to provide a breath freshener which is easily cleaned and dried,  
           [0019]    (e) to provide a breath freshener which can be conveniently carried in a pocket or purse,  
           [0020]    (f) to provide a breath freshener which is easy to use and painless, even for inexperienced users,  
           [0021]    (g) to provide a breath freshener which will not promote tooth-decay,  
           [0022]    (h) to provide a breath freshener which is can be comfortably used in situations where it is not appropriate to use a toothbrush or dental floss, and  
           [0023]    (i) to provide a breath freshener which can be manufactured and sold profitably.  
           [0024]    These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0025]    The accompanying FIGS.  1 - 4  show a first, second, third, and fourth embodiment of my breath freshener respectively.  
                                       10 First embodiment   11 spherical head       12 handle   13 attachment of head and handle       20 Second embodiment   21 bulbous head       22 handle   23 attachment of head and handle       24 flattened portion of handle   25 ridged or serrated portion of handle       30 Third embodiment   31 annular head       32 hole in head   33 handle       34 flattened portion of handle   40 Fourth embodiment       41 flattened head   42 handle                  
 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0026]    First Embodiment  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of first preferred embodiment  10  of my breath freshener. Head  11  is shaped so as to be comfortable to hold in the mouth and is covered with metal. In embodiment  10 , head  11  is spherical in shape with a radius of about 12 mm. However, the exact size and shape of the head may vary according to size and shape of the mouth to be cleaned. For example, the shape of the head can be ellipsoidal, bulbous, annular, or convex. In addition to such common shapes, the head may be specially shaped to accommodate hard-to-reach areas of the mouth or irregularly shaped areas. Furthermore, the head may be shaped according to stylistic or marketing considerations. For example, the head may be shaped like an actual human or animal head to attract children.  
         [0028]    The surface of head  11  is smooth metal, preferably stainless steel because stainless steel has the required cleansing effect, is nontoxic, does not rust, and is relatively inexpensive. Alternatively, other suitable metals can be substituted. In the preferred embodiment, the entire surface of the head is covered with metal. This is because it is the metal that causes the breath freshening, or cleaning, effect. Furthermore, metal is easy to clean. However, in order to reduce costs, or for aesthetic reasons, some portions of the head may be non-metal. Although the preferred embodiments feature smooth metal heads, alternative embodiments may employ textured or undulating surfaces to increase the effective surface area of the metal or to provide a more abrasive surface.  
         [0029]    Head  11  can be solid metal, or hollow, or formed from some non-metal material and then simply surfaced with metal. The method of constructing the head can vary according to the influences of cost, available technology, style, desired weight, durability and other marketing considerations. In order for my invention to function properly, however, it is important that at least some portion of the surface of the head be metal.  
         [0030]    In embodiment  10 , handle  12  is cylindrical, approximately 7 mm in diameter and between 7 and 15 cm long. Although handle  12  is pictured as straight and simple cylinder, the shape, size, and composition of the handle may differ so as to be more stylish or comfortable to grasp, hold or to reach into the mouth. The handle can be made of the same material as the head, or another suitable nontoxic material may be used such as wood or plastic.  
         [0031]    Handle  12  is attached to head  11  at attachment  13 . The exact means of attachment can vary. Attachment may be permanent, such as if head  11  and handle  12  are one integral piece of metal, or temporary, such as if handle  12  is threaded into head  11 . A removable head may present advantages by allowing different sized and shaped heads to be interchanged. The choice of exactly how head  11  is attached to handle  13  is a design choice influenced by marketing considerations such as those listed above.  
         [0032]    Operation  
         [0033]    To use my invention, a user grasps the handle  12  and inserts head  11  into her mouth, swabbing and rubbing head  11  against the cheeks, gums, palate, tongue and other parts of her mouth. If the handle has a portion on it for tongue cleaning, for example as shown in FIG. 2 at  24  and  25 , then that portion of the handle may also be used to rub and scrape the tongue.  
         [0034]    Though not the primary aim of my present invention, my breath freshener may also be used by one person to clean the mouth of another person not holding the handle, such as a disabled person.  
         [0035]    Alternatively, the mouth of an animal such as a cooperative dog or cat may be cleaned. In such a case, the head would have to be sized and shaped accordingly.  
         [0036]    Other embodiments  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 2 depicts a second preferred embodiment  20  of my invention. In this embodiment, head  21  and handle  22  merge to form a smooth piece of metal. Embodiment  20  is preferably formed from a single, solid piece of stainless steel.  
         [0038]    Head  21  is a rounded, smooth, three-dimensionally convex or bulbous shape. Head  21  is designed to be comfortably held in the mouths; it has rounded edges. Head  21  merges smoothly into handle  22  at attachment  23  so that the whole apparatus can be easily cleaned and accumulation of dirt and filth avoided. The end of the handle  24  is flattened so that it can be used to rub the tongue. Surface roughening means  25  such as ridges, serrations, striations or texture  25  may be included to facilitate scraping.  
         [0039]    In third embodiment  30  depicted in FIG. 3, head  31  is annular or doughnut-shaped. Hole  32 , by reducing the mass of the head, may make the head more comfortable to hold in the mouth for some users.  
         [0040]    In fourth embodiment  40  of my invention depicted in FIG. 4, head  41  is a flattened, three-dimensionally convex shape merging smoothly into slightly bent handle  42 .  
         [0041]    Manufacture  
         [0042]    My breath freshener can be manufactured using techniques known to those skilled in the arts of making similarly sized articles such as kitchen and eating utensils, metal tools, or toothbrushes.  
         [0043]    The head and handle can be formed from a single piece, similar to how one-piece, solid-metal flatware is manufactured. Alternatively, the head and handle can be manufactured separately and then attached using glue, welding, pressure, screws and other means known to those skilled in the art. The attachment may or may not be permanent. A removable head would allow for its repair or replacement.  
         [0044]    My breath freshener can be constructed of solid metal. Alternatively, parts of my breath freshener may be hollow or filled with other material so as to lessen weight, decrease manufacturing costs, or improve appearance. At least some portion of the surface of the head needs to be metal, because the breath-freshening effect depends on the metal.  
         [0045]    Theory of Operation  
         [0046]    While I believe that my breath freshener operates by increasing the flow of saliva and facilitating the breakdown of odor-causing molecules by a catalytic effect of the metal, I don&#39;t wish to be bound by this. I believe that my breath freshener works on the mouth similarly to how the ODOR STEELER bar works on the hands. In both cases, a metal surface is rubbed against the skin in the presence of water. In the case of the ODOR STEELER bar, the water comes from a tap; in the present case, the water comes from the saliva generated by the mouth.  
         [0047]    Advantages  
         [0048]    From the above description, certain advantages of my breath freshener become evident: When formed from a single, solid piece of stainless steel, as shown in FIG. 2, my breath freshener is very durable and easy to clean and dry. There are no bristles or other moving parts to wear out or break. The smooth, broadly curved surfaces do not hold dirt or water. In addition, it can be inexpensively mass-produced using the same technology as that used to make solid flatware.  
         [0049]    Furthermore, my breath freshener is extremely convenient. Because it is self-contained and does not requiring any additional products to be used with it, there is nothing more for a user to buy. It can be used while sitting at the office, driving, or walking. After use, it can be simply wiped or rinsed and put in a pocket or purse.  
         [0050]    Conclusion, Ramifications, and Scope of My Invention  
         [0051]    Thus the reader can see the advantages of my invention. My breath freshener is easy to use, inexpensive to produce, and effective for reducing and eliminating bad breath. In addition, my breath freshener is sturdy and long lasting. It requires little maintenance, does not wear out, and does not require additional products to operate. In addition, my breath freshener is portable and does not require a power supply such as a battery.  
         [0052]    While my above description contain many specifics, they should not be construed as limitations on the scope of my invention, but rather as exemplifications of preferred embodiments thereof. Many other variations are possible. For example, the head can have many different and specially shaped configurations to accommodate different sized mouths or hard-toread areas of the mouth. Also, the handle can mimic the handle shape of any of the multitude of toothbrushes available.  
         [0053]    Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.