Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Implements – Tool coated or impregnated with material supply
Patent
1992-06-15
1994-08-16
Simone, Timothy F.
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Implements
Tool coated or impregnated with material supply
152101, 601139, A47L 2500
Patent
active
053374363
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In general, people usually use a tooth brush to clean their teeth each day. The toothbrush commonly consists of a straight, angled, or bent handle, the end of which is designed as a brush. This brush can be equipped with bristles of varying hardness and shape, and the bristles may also be arranged in different ways. Recently a replaceable brush head, which has many advantages from the standpoint of hygiene, has also been proposed. Since the head has to be not only attached to the handle in such a way as to be separable, but also must be fastened to the handle securely enough to follow all the motions of the brush during tooth brushing without slipping, creating a competitively priced embodiment may pose some problems.
On the other hand, different designs previously have been proposed for a cleaning device in the form of an extended thimble with a textile or other rough surface which can, if necessary, be impregnated with a tooth cleansing agent. This device, which is based on the primitive method of cleaning one's teeth by rubbing them with a finger when no toothbrush is available, has been rejected by the dental profession as inadequate.
Based on recent scientific findings, it has been determined that regularly brushing teeth vigorously for minutes at a time, even with soft brushes, can lead to microfine scratching of the tooth surface. This is particularly the case after the consumption of acidic foods, which can temporarily soften the dental enamel, as well as when the dental necks and tooth root surfaces are exposed and devoid of enamel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The goal of the present invention is thus to create a simple, brushless cleaning device which is simple and reasonably economical to produce so that it would naturally occur to the user to dispose of it in its entirety after using it one or :more times, but only after several months or, in the case of an embodiment with a replaceable head, to replace the head after each use or after a few uses. Another goal was to design the device in such a way that it would do absolutely no damage to the tooth surface or gums.
The cleaning device of the present invention accomplishes these goals due in part to the device's elasticity, which makes possible a design that fully envelops at least one tooth on three sides simultaneously, namely the bite surface, the outside, and the inside, ensures constant contact between the tooth surface and the device's cleaning surface during the cleaning motion, and makes it possible to adapt automatically to the different shapes of the teeth, e.g., when moving from the incisors to the molars. The fitting of the device onto the teeth is done through an opening that is present in the device. The opening is placed on an incisor, whereupon the device and the head are pushed backward until they envelop the tooth over its full height and grip somewhat below the edge of the gum. Moving the device back and forth creates friction over the entire surface of the tooth (with the exception of the spaces between the teeth), which gently removes plaque and other deposits without damaging the enamel.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an elongated block made of an elastic material is used without a holder. On one side the block has a longitudinal through-hole which is fitted over the teeth. Because of the flexibility of the material, the block, which covers several teeth at once, follows the curve of the palate and, during the back and forth cleaning motion, adapts to the corresponding shapes of the jaw and the teeth. A particularly suitable material for this embodiment is self-skinning foam.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a cleaning head is separably connected to a holder. Elasticity is ensured either by the properties of the material of which the head is made and/or by the resilience of the holder. The head should preferably be round or square and generally covers one or two teeth.
The securing of the head to or on the holder can be done using known means, e.g., a push-button syst
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Buzzi Carlo A.
Saxer Ulrich P.
Simone Timothy F.
Spisich Mark
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