Abstract:
An improved oral-hygiene apparatus, for example a toothbrush, includes a handle configured to resist rolling and angled to maintain the head off a surface when idle. In addition, the apparatus includes recessed tongue-cleaner on the head, opposite the bristles. The tongue-cleaner features a rounded tongue-curette scrape edge and smooth curette base. This design allows omni-directional travel and effectively scrapes and cleans the tongue and inner cheek. The present invention is economical to produce and does not increase the overall thickness of the instrument head.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to provisional patent application No. 60/621,394 titled “Improved Toothbrush and Tongue Cleaner” filed on 22 Oct. 2004 and provisional patent application No. 60/679,513 titled “Comprehensive-Hygiene Toothbrush System” filed on 10 May 2005. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to an apparatus and system for improved oral hygiene. Specifically, the present invention relates to an improved design for a toothbrush and tongue cleaner apparatus.  
         [0003]     A recent poll taken in the United States ranked the toothbrush ahead of the automobile as an indispensable object necessary for daily living. This indispensable tool of civilized society has seen many improvements during its long life—from inauspicious incarceration of animal bones and hairs, to the modern electric, sonic-pulse toothbrush.  
         [0004]     In basic form, the modern, manual toothbrush has three basic parts—the head, which contains the bristles, the neck, and the handle. It is not surprising, therefore, that these parts would be the target of improvements for inventors the world over. Yet, despite all the improvements, the conventional, manual toothbrush still needs improvement. One area of improvement not adequately addressed by the prior-art is the ever-more demanding area of personal hygiene. A second area of needed improvement is designs that keep the toothbrush free from contaminants when placed on a surface during periods of non-use.  
         [0005]     The tongue is an often-overlooked aspect of proper oral hygiene. The conventional toothbrush provides little assistance to proper tongue cleaning for a number of reasons. First, the bristles are ill suited for effective cleaning of the tongue because they often invoke a “gag-reflex”. For example, oral hygiene requires manipulation of the tongue to reach further back into the mouth. Conventional toothbrush bristles are inadequate to this task as they function poorly to depress the tongue. Moving the tongue out of the way to reach the back of the mouth requires more than gentle pressure, but, as pressure is increased on the tongue, discomfort increases and induces the gag-reflex. Another drawback of a conventional toothbrush is a user&#39;s set of upper-front teeth restricts the mobility of the brush handle when the bristles make contact with the tongue.  
         [0006]     Second, a conventional toothbrush cannot adequately clean the tongue because the bristles cannot form a squeegee-like action against the surface of the tongue. Papillae, resembling miniature carpet pile, cover the surface of the tongue. Partially digested foods in the form of semi-liquid residue find their way in between the papillae, a location inaccessible to bristles of a conventional toothbrush. A scraping tool better cleans this accumulated residue on the papillae. Because the bristles of a conventional toothbrush deflect and bend when pressure is applied, it does not efficiently and effectively clean the papillae.  
         [0007]     Third, a conventional toothbrush creates a large effective cleaning area when properly used. However, the large effective cleaning area relies on every bristle tip contacting the cleaning surface. To improve contact, conventional bristles are made stiff or offer less flexibility in movement. Consequently, slight tilting of the toothbrush handle, for example, lifts a portion of the bristles and removes them from contacting the cleaning surface and, therefore, a conventional toothbrush looses a significant amount of cleaning effectiveness.  
         [0008]     It is, however, desirable that oral-hygiene instruments include both the bristles of a conventional toothbrush and an improved tongue cleaner. This would improve oral hygiene, be less time consuming, more comfortable, and provide more efficient and thorough cleaning after each use. Users will be less likely to forego tongue cleaning because it is always available during a “tooth-brushing session”.  
         [0009]     Attempts to improve the toothbrush as a tongue-cleaner received limited success. For example, some prior-art devices include a second set of short bristles mounted opposite conventional toothbrush bristles. This approach, however, increases the overall thickness of the toothbrush head making insertion into the mouth difficult and increasing the propensity of the gag-reflex.  
         [0010]     Another attempt to improve the conventional toothbrush provides a scraping edge on the tip of toothbrush head opposite the bristles. Again the drawback with this design in addition to the issue of thickness already mentioned is that it allows only unidirectional scraping, which severely limits cleaning of the tongue papillae.  
         [0011]     Other attempts to incorporate a scraping mechanism on a conventional toothbrush are undesirable. In one example, the straight scraping edge and hard corners encourage accumulation of undesirable debris left over from the cleaning process and makes cleaning the tongue-scraper difficult. This can result in dangerous build-up of bacteria-laden residues.  
         [0012]     Certain improvements to the toothbrush have been attempted to address keeping the head from contacting the bathroom counter. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,796 issued to Lodato on 28 Sep. 1999 for a Personal Hygiene Device illustrates a self-righting tendency. The circular design, however, will tend to cause sideways rolling before finally coming to an upright position. Although this design tends to be unstable or wobbly, conceivably, this predisposes the toothbrush to fall from the counter as it rolls to its center of gravity.  
         [0013]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,380, issued to Vrignaud for an Oral Hygiene Device on 2 Jun. 1998, presents a two-headed gum-specific brush with a tongue scraper on the other end of the device. This design is messy and cumbersome to use because one may have to handle a part that just got inside the oral cavity since the brush head and tongue cleaner are located at opposite ends. The tongue scraper is quite small in dimension to provide significant tongue cleaning coverage without resorting to repetitive scraping motions. Such repetitive strokes could prove to be injurious to the tongue  
         [0014]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,127, issued to Nack on 13 Jul. 1993 shows a tongue cleaner consisting of several short bristles and a scraper that has the same height as bristles attached to an oversize head. But, Nack does not include a conventional toothbrush.  
         [0015]     Thus, there remains a need for a modern, manual toothbrush that overcomes these aforesaid shortcomings of conventional toothbrushes. Specifically, there is a need for a toothbrush with an efficient tongue cleaner, a more effective bristle configuration, an ergonomically functional handle, and a toothbrush that maintains the head free from surface contaminants when it rests on a counter.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]     The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art and presents a novel and useful system and apparatus for improving oral hygiene. The compact head of the present invention significantly reduces the gag-reflex induced by wider designs in the prior art. In addition, the propensity for the build up of dangerous bacteria on the instrument head is greatly diminished due to the rounded corners of the curette base. Additionally, the overall design of the handle portion, head size, and balance of the instrument ensures that inadvertent contamination of the head from a surface is greatly reduced. Many other advantageous and improvements to the prior art are appreciated upon scrutiny of this disclosure including the many figures.  
         [0017]     In a preferred embodiment, the present invention adapts as a combined toothbrush and tongue cleaner. The bristle pattern enhances teeth cleaning and the efficient curette base is ideally suited for scraping the tongue and inside walls of the mouth. The handle portion is easy to hold, ergonomic, balanced and designed to self align both when being manipulated for cleaning the mouth and when placed on a counter-top.  
         [0018]     In a first embodiment the present invention includes an oral-hygiene apparatus comprising: a handle portion comprising a self-actuating position stabilizing means; a head portion arranged adjacent to a first end of the handle; a bristle platform arranged at an inclined offset from a longitudinal axis of the handle portion and arranged on a first face of the head portion; and a second face arranged opposite the first face and the second face comprising a curette base having at least one rounded edge element adapted for omni-directional scraping of a surface.  
         [0019]     This first embodiment may further include modifications to the handle portion, the modifications comprising: a first overall outer diameter and the head portion further comprises a second overall outer diameter being generally smaller than the first diameter.  
         [0020]     The first embodiment includes the bristle platform having: a first bristle-grouping comprising an angled contact edge, the angled contact edge and a second bristle-grouping comprising a second angled contact edge; a third bristle-grouping comprising a row of left-biased bristle elements; and a fourth bristle-grouping comprising a row of right-biased bristle elements.  
         [0021]     Additionally, the apparatus includes a bristle platform further comprising: a first bristle-grouping comprising an angled contact edge, the angled contact edge and a second bristle-grouping comprising a second angled contact edge; a third bristle-grouping comprising a row of left-biased bristle elements; and a fourth bristle-grouping comprising a row of right-biased bristle elements.  
         [0022]     Further, the first embodiment includes an encapsulated suspension means arranged on the handle portion. And, a gripping portion arranged adjacent to the handle-portion and arranged adjacent to the head-portion in modifications of the first embodiment.  
         [0023]     In a second embodiment the present invention includes a self-actuating position-stabilizing means for an oral hygiene apparatus. The self-actuating position-stabilizing means comprises: an elongated handle portion comprising a first, generally flat surface; a second, substantially curvilinear surface adjacent to the first surface; and an off-axis center of mass.  
         [0024]     Further, the self-actuating position-stabilizing means comprises a head portion adapted to interface with the handle portion, the head portion comprising an oral hygiene instrument head.  
         [0025]     And, the self-actuating position-stabilizing means further comprises a gripping portion adapted to interface with the handle-portion and arranged intermediate to a head portion, the head porting adapted for use as an oral hygiene instrument head.  
         [0026]     A third embodiment of the present invention includes a toothbrush head for an oral-hygiene apparatus. The head comprises: a bristle-platform arranged along a plane offset from a major axis of the head, the bristle-platform adapted to receive a plurality of bristle-groupings; a first bristle-grouping comprising an angled contact edge, the angled contact edge and a second bristle-grouping comprising a second angled contact edge; a third bristle-grouping comprising a row of left-biased bristle elements; and a fourth bristle-grouping comprising a row of right-biased bristle elements.  
         [0027]     This embodiment further comprises a curette base arranged on a side opposite the bristle platform, the curette base comprising a scrape edge element adapted for omni-directional scraping of a surface.  
         [0028]     Also, the toothbrush head includes a scrape edge element comprising a generally oval ridge element. Optionally, the toothbrush head includes a scrape edge element comprising a generally Y-shaped ridge element.  
         [0029]     The third embodiment includes a scrape edge element comprising a rounded profile.  
         [0030]     This third embodiment also includes a toothbrush head having a handle-portion extending from an intermediate gripping portion, the gripping portion adapted to couple to the head. And, the handle-portion further comprises a self-actuating position-stabilizing means.  
         [0031]     Additionally, the toothbrush head further comprises an encapsulated suspension means. One possible encapsulated suspension means comprises a magnet.  
     
    
     DRAWING  
       [0032]      FIG. 1  is a top view of one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0033]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0034]      FIG. 3  is a right-side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0035]      FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0036]      FIG. 5  is a back view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0037]      FIG. 6  is a left-side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0038]      FIG. 7  is a right-side end view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0039]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view along the line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 5 .  
         [0040]      FIG. 9  is a partial perspective view of the top of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0041]      FIG. 10  is a right side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 9 .  
         [0042]      FIG. 11  is a top view of the embodiment of  FIG. 9 .  
         [0043]      FIG. 12  is a top view of an alternative embodiment of the curette base according to the present invention.  
         [0044]      FIG. 13  is an end view of the embodiment of  FIG. 12 .  
         [0045]      FIG. 14  is a top view of another embodiment of the curette base according to the present invention.  
         [0046]      FIG. 15  is a side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 14 .  
         [0047]      FIG. 16  is an end view of the embodiment of  FIG. 14 .  
         [0048]      FIG. 17  is a top view of a possible bristle arrangement according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0049]      FIG. 18  is a side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 17 .  
         [0050]      FIG. 19  is an assembly view of one embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0051]     The present invention is illustrated by preferred embodiments; however, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments and—on the contrary—is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included in the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.  
         [0052]     The various figures of the accompanying drawing illustrate aspects of the present invention and are not necessarily to scale. For clarity, some figures omit certain elements, or include extra elements. Similar features share a common reference numeral.  
         [0053]     In one embodiment the present invention relates to an oral-hygiene apparatus  10 , such as a toothbrush  12 . For clarity and ease, many of the upcoming embodiments describe a toothbrush combined with a tongue-curette scraper; however, it is readily understood that many oral-hygiene devices would benefit from this inventive disclosure. Therefore, in other embodiments of the present invention the oral-hygiene apparatus includes dental instruments such as a mouth mirrors and mirror handles, probes, scalers, retractors, langers, explorers, and related examination, treatment, and hygienic instruments as may be typically used in an oral-hygiene or oral-treatment clinic and the like.  
         [0054]      FIG. 1  illustrates one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The oral-hygiene apparatus  10 , depicted as a unique toothbrush-curette instrument  12 , includes a handle portion  14  at one end, a head portion  16  at the opposite end and a gripping portion  18  located intermediate to the two ends. An encapsulated suspension means  20  located substantially near the center of mass of the long axis of the instrument  12 , such as a magnet, enables selective and releasable coupling of the apparatus  10  to a ferrous surface, such as the side of a typical medicine or bathroom cabinet and provides for easy and convenient storage of the apparatus when not in use.  
         [0055]     In other embodiments, not depicted in the accompanying drawings, the encapsulated suspension means  20  includes hook-and-loop fastener systems whereby storage during non-use is easily accommodated by providing a mating hook-and-loop fastener on a desired surface. A snap, a through-hole and mating peg, or other mating means would work equally well, for example.  
         [0056]     The head portion  16  includes many beneficial elements in one contemplated embodiment of the present invention. For instance, if a horizontal axis is extended generally parallel to the long axis of the attached handle portion  14 , an inclined bristle platform  22  can be readily appreciated. The inclined bristle platform  22  benefits oral hygiene by orienting the plurality of bristle elements  24  in a useful direction for cleaning one&#39;s teeth as the handle portion is manipulated, for example. Emerging from the bristle platform  22 , the plurality of bristle elements  24  is arranged in alternating groupings. For example, a first bristle-row  26  includes a generally right-direction bias and a second bristle-row  28  includes an opposite, generally left-direction bias. That is to say, the groupings of bristle elements are organized into rows and each alternating row has a slant, or bias to the individual elements.  FIGS. 3, 6  and  10 , for example, illustrate this arrangement.  
         [0057]     Again, making general reference to  FIGS. 1-6 , for example, the handle portion  14  includes many beneficial elements of one contemplated embodiments of the apparatus  10 . Of particular note, the handle  14  includes a rounded-profile, or generally elliptical, wall member  44  adjacent to a generally flattened wall member  46 . Combined with an off-center mass, the pairing of the rounded or elliptical wall  44  with the flat wall causes gravity to rotate the handle  14  until it rests on the flat wall portion  46 . By orienting the head portion  16  with this feature in mind, the device can advantageously present the head portion in a particular orientation, automatically, whenever the apparatus  10  is placed on a generally solid and generally level surface, such as a tabletop or countertop. The combination of rounded and flat walls on the handle portion benefits oral hygiene by reducing the opportunity for the head portion to contact other instruments or the surface on which it is placed and keep it from rolling off the surface.  
         [0058]     One contemplated means for producing on off-center center of mass in the handle portion is illustrated in  FIG. 8 , which shows a cross-section of the handle. The geometric center  50  does not coincide with the center of mass  48 . To achieve this, an interior wall  66  toward the outer, rounded wall  44  forms a hollow void. This causes the mass  48  of the handle to be concentrated adjacent and generally toward the flat wall  42 . Thus, when the handle portion is placed on a flat surface, regardless of initial placement, the rounded wall acts as a pivot-device, rotating the handle  14  toward the flat wall. Chamfered sidewall members  43  ease the transition from the rounded wall  44  to the flat wall  42  during rotation of the handle.  
         [0059]      FIG. 7  illustrates another possible embodiment of the present invention. Shown from the right-side end view, the apparatus  10  includes a handle portion  14  with an overall outer diameter, represented by the circle  56 , that is larger than the overall outer diameter of the head portion  16 , represented by the circle  58 .  
         [0060]      FIGS. 9, 10 , and  11  detail an omni-directional tongue-scraper  36  according to one possible embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 9  shows the head portion  16  and part of the neck  15 , which connects or links to the handle portion and gripping portion (not shown in  FIG. 9 ). The head portion  16  has a plurality of bristle elements  24  on one side. On an opposite side, the curette base  30  is generally oval in shape and recessed from the overall plane of the head. The curette base is surrounded by a rounded edge element  34 , which forms the scrape edge  32  at its perimeter. This particular embodiment adapts well as a comprehensive-hygiene apparatus because it offers an overall low head height and the scrape edge presents no sharp angles, acute angles or corners for unwanted bacteria to accumulate. This design will minimize the “gag” reflex and the bristles  24  are ideally positioned for optimum teeth cleaning. This compact design is easily manufactured. For example, the curette base  30 , scrape edge  32  and rounded edge element  35  can be readily fabricated during an injection mold operation.  
         [0061]     Other possible configurations of the curette base  30 , scrape edge  32  and edge element  34  are contemplated.  FIGS. 12-16  illustrate some possible renditions of possible tongue scrapers  36 . For example,  FIGS. 12 and 13  depict a recessed curette base  30  divided by a generally Y-shaped spiny edge element  34  that presents three distinct scrape edges. And,  FIGS. 14-16 , for example, show a central I-shaped spiny edge element  34  dissecting the recessed curette base  30  into two portions and having two corresponding scraping edges  32 .  
         [0062]     The curette base  30  may be integrally formed during the mold process. However, other curette base constructions will work equally well. For example, the curette base may be a separate construction and made of a different material (i.e. rubber) and glued at the back of the toothbrush, like an insert or an overmolded piece.  
         [0063]     Making specific reference to  FIGS. 17 and 18 , advantageous features of a possible bristle pattern highlight a first, front-set bristle segment  68  having a series of bundled bristle elements, each bundle having a tapered head relative to the plane of the bristle platform  22 . The front-set segment  68  is angled or canted toward the center of the bristle platform. Conversely, a second, rear-set bristle segment  70  has a similar taper to each bristle bundle, albeit oppositely facing so both the front set  68  and rear set  70  have tapered bristles leaning toward the center of the common bristle platform  22 . Intermediate to the two tapered bristle segments ( 68  and  70 ) are alternating rows of bristle groupings. For example, a first bristle row  26  includes a bias slant to the right and a second bristle row  28  includes a bias slant to the left. The  FIGS. 17 and 18  demonstrate the tallest bristle grouping  72  with a darkened oval. Each adjacent bristle group decreases in overall height until the end of the row, where the shortest bristle group  74  lies. In this manner, alternating rows on the bristle platform  22  have alternating left and right biases, respectively. One advantage to this arrangement of bristles includes optimized approach angles to the desired cleaning surface as a user manipulates the head.  
         [0064]      FIG. 19  illustrates a possible assembly configuration of suitable components of one embodiment of the present invention. The device  10  comprises a toothbrush with tongue-scraper. A plurality of bristles  24  mounted conventionally to the bristle platform on a first side of the head portion. Opposite the bristle platform is a curette base  30  and associated scraping edge  32 . A common pre-mold support element  15  includes stabilizing means  17  and an encapsulated suspension means, such as the insert structure for a magnet  20 . And, it further comprises a low-density material. An overmold segment  13  with integrated grip portion  18  fits over and conventionally couples to the support element  15 . The overmold segment  13  comprises a high-density material such as TPU, TPE, or TPR, for example, to provide a soft grip surface for the user.  
         [0065]     Other embodiments and uses of the device are readily appreciated by those skilled in the art. For example, the present invention may be incorporated in a conventional toothbrush or a vegetable cleaning brush or the brush -curette tool can be made of suitable material to be used for getting rid of calluses on the body.  
         [0066]     This disclosure is not intended as limiting. Instead, exemplary embodiments of the present invention were described so that those having ordinary skill in the art may better appreciate the intent and spirit of the invention. The invention is limited only by the proper construction of the following claims.