Abstract:
A toothpaste dispenser &amp; brush for compelling kids to brush their teeth wherever by making it interesting and fun. The toothpaste dispenser &amp; brush includes a toothpaste container; a toothpaste dispensing assembly for dispensing toothpaste from the toothpaste container; and a brush assembly being removably supported to the toothpaste container.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to toothpaste dispensers and more particularly pertains to a new toothpaste dispenser &amp; brush for compelling kids to brush their teeth wherever by making it interesting and fun. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of toothpaste dispensers is known in the prior art. More specifically, toothpaste dispensers heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
     The prior art includes a household apparatus for dispensing toothpaste from a tube of toothpaste. The apparatus is a toothpaste dispenser which is removably mounted to a wall surface. The tube of toothpaste is mounted within the dispenser and can have a small volume of toothpaste dispensed by pushing inward on a plunger that is connected to the toothpaste dispenser. Another prior art includes a dispenser pump e.g. for toothpaste has a plunger connected to a proximal end of an elongate flexible plastics strip which is run slidably along a guide track built into the discharge nozzle of the pump alongside the discharge channel. The distal end of the guide track defines a bend which opens through a lateral slot into the discharge channel just inside its external opening. Action of the plunger causes the strip to slide back and forth along the track and round the bend, so that the tip of the strip is moved out of the mouth of the nozzle during dispensing but returns to block it and cut away residual product when the plunger is released. Also, another prior art includes the travel toothbrush with incremental toothpaste dispenser comprising: a main housing with open inboard and outboard ends, the main housing having an inner surface with diametrically spaced detents, a toothbrush having a brush head and a reservoir affixed to the open inboard end of the main housing, the brush head having a base including a plurality of bristles and a central channel extending therein, the channel being in communication with the reservoir, a plurality of bores being positioned in the base and in communication with the central channel; and a plunger formed in an elongated configuration with inboard and outboard ends, a rubber piston being rotatably coupled to the inboard end, the plunger having an outer surface including a plurality of diametrically opposing pairs of indents, the plunger being positioned within the main housing with indents being coupled to detents of the main housing to lock the plunger in a stable orientation, in operation the main housing being filled with toothpaste and a user pressing the plunger to force toothpaste onto the bristles. 
     While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new toothpaste dispenser &amp; brush. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new toothpaste dispenser &amp; brush which has many of the advantages of the toothpaste dispensers mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new toothpaste dispenser &amp; brush which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art toothpaste dispensers, either alone or in any combination thereof. The present invention includes a toothpaste container; a toothpaste dispensing assembly for dispensing toothpaste from the toothpaste container; and a brush assembly being removably supported to the toothpaste container. None of the prior art includes the combination of the elements of the present invention. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the toothpaste dispenser &amp; brush in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a new toothpaste dispenser &amp; brush which has many of the advantages of the toothpaste dispensers mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new toothpaste dispenser &amp; brush which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art toothpaste dispensers, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new toothpaste dispenser &amp; brush for compelling kids to brush their teeth wherever by making it interesting and fun. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new toothpaste dispenser &amp; brush that is all self contained and easy and effective to use. 
     Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new toothpaste dispenser &amp; brush that readies itself for dispensing toothpaste automatically to make it simple for children to simply press on the lever to dispense the toothpaste without having to prime or pump it. 
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a bottom perspective view of the toothpaste dispenser and brush. 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view of the lever which includes the school bus. 
         FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of the plunger. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded top perspective view of the toothpaste dispenser and brush. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional top perspective view of the oval-shaped tube with the plunger disposed therein and the lever. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, a new toothpaste dispenser &amp; brush embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the toothpaste dispenser &amp; brush  10  generally comprises a toothpaste container  11 , a toothpaste dispensing assembly for dispensing toothpaste from the toothpaste container  11 , and a brush assembly being removably supported to the toothpaste container. The toothpaste container includes a tubular member  11  having a dispensing end  12  with a hole  13  being disposed therethrough, and also having an open plunger-receiving end  14 . 
     The toothpaste dispensing assembly includes a plunger  16  with an O-ring  48  being conventionally disposed thereabout, being movably disposed in the tubular member  11  through the open plunger-receiving end  14  with the plunger having front and back ends. The plunger has a first plurality of teeth  18  being spaced apart and being arranged side by side to form a first track being conventionally disposed on a wall  17  thereof and extending along a substantial length of the wall  17  and terminating short of the front end of the plunger  16 . The first plurality of teeth  18  are slanted forwardly and are spaced from the longitudinal edges  43 , 44  of the wall  17  of the plunger  16 . The plunger  16  further includes second and third plurality of teeth  19 , 20  arranged to form second and third tracks being conventionally disposed to either side of the first track  18  and along the longitudinal edges  43 , 44  of the wall  17  of the plunger  16 . The toothpaste dispensing assembly also includes a lever  21  having a proximate end  22  being pivotally and conventionally attached to the tubular member  11  near the open plunger-receiving end  14  thereof. The toothpaste dispensing assembly further includes a leaf spring  26  having an end being securely and conventionally attached to and depending from an underside  25  of the lever  21  near a distal end  23  thereof and being engagable to the tubular member  11  for pivotally retracting the lever  21  away from the tubular member  11 . The toothpaste dispensing assembly also includes a plunger drive member  27  being conventionally attached at the proximate end  22  of the lever  21  and being engagable to the first track  18  for moving the plunger  16  toward the dispensing end  12  of the tubular member  11 . The plunger drive member  27  has a first planar portion  28  being conventionally attached to the proximate end  22  of the lever  21  and also has a second planar portion  29  integrally extending from and being angled relative to the first planar portion  28  and being engagable to the first track  18 . The toothpaste dispensing assembly further includes plunger tracking cogs  30 , 31  being disposed about a shaft  47  which is transversely disposed and conventionally connected at the proximate end  22  of the lever  21  and being engagable to the second and third tracks  19 , 20  for guiding the plunger  16  in the tubular member  11 . The toothpaste dispensing assembly also includes a plunger stop member  32  being conventionally disposed and attached at the proximate end  22  of the lever  21  and adjacent to and behind the plunger drive member  27  and being engagable to the first track  18  of the plunger  16  upon the lever  21  being retracted by the leaf spring  26  to prevent the plunger  16  from moving rearwardly of the tubular member  11 . The lever  21  is shaped like that of a bus with the bus having rear wheels  24  which are pivotally and conventionally supported by the tubular member  11  to allow the bus to pivotally move relative to the tubular member  11 . 
     The tooth brush assembly includes a cap  33  having an open end  34  and a closed end  35  with the dispensing end  12  of the tubular member  11  being removably received in the cap  33  through the open end  34 . The brush assembly also includes a brush member  39  having a stem  40  being conventionally attached and plastic welded to and extending from the closed end  35  of the cap  33 , and further includes bristles  41  being conventionally disposed and arranged upon the brush member  39  adjacent to the stem  40  for brushing one&#39;s teeth. The brush assembly also includes a biased fastener  37  being pivotally and conventionally attached with a rivet to the cap  33  and having a clip portion  38  being integrally disposed at an end thereof and being biasedly disposed in an opening  36  through a side wall  45  of the cap  33  for securing the cap  33  to and also releasing the cap  33  from the tubular member  11 . The brush assembly further includes a pedestal  42  having a bottom end being conventionally attached and plastic welded to the side wall  45  of the cap  33  and extending outwardly therefrom with the pedestal  42  supporting a distal end  23  of the lever  21  upon the lever  21  being retracted away from the tubular member  11  to guard against actuation of the plunger  16  and dispensing of toothpaste from the tubular member 
     The tubular member  11  has a node  15  being conventionally disposed on an outer surface of the tubular member  11  near the dispensing end  12  thereof and being engagable to the clip portion  38  of the biased fastener  37 . The brush assembly further includes a grip member  46  such as a rubber pad having ribs being spaced apart and being disposed thereon with the grip member  46  being conventionally disposed upon the side wall  45  of the cap  33  opposite the opening  36  for a user to grasp when using the brush member  39 . 
     In use, the user removes the cap  33  from the dispensing end  12  of the tubular member  11  by depressing upon a portion of the biased fastener  37  to disengage the clip portion  38  from the node  15 . The user then holds the brush assembly in particular the cap  33  and the grip member  46  and positions the dispensing end  12  of the tubular member  11  upon the bristles  41  of the brush member  39 , and presses the distal end  23  of the lever  21  towards the tubular member  11  whereupon the plunger drive member  27  engages the first track  18  and moves the plunger  16  towards the dispensing end  12  of the tubular member  11  thus forcing a selected amount toothpaste from inside the tubular member  11  through the hole  13  in the dispensing end  12  of the tubular member  11  and onto the bristles  41 . The user then releases the lever  21  and the leaf spring  26  engages the tubular member  11  and urges the lever  21  pivotally away from the tubular member  11  with the plunger stop member  32  engaging the first track  18  as the lever  21  pivoting about the proximate end  22  and thus preventing backward movement of the plunger  16 . The user then places the cap  33  upon the dispensing end  12  of the tubular member  11  with the clip portion  38  of the biased fastener  37  engaging the node  15  on the tubular member  11  to secure the cap  33  to the tubular member  11 . 
     As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the toothpaste dispenser &amp; brush. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.