Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – Brushing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-13
2001-05-01
Chin, Randall E. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
Brushing
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223376
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toothbrush for babies, and ore particularly, the present invention relates to a toothbrush for babies which can be received in the mouth of a baby, for example, aged not more than 5 years and can simultaneously and thereby rapidly clean all of upper teeth or all of lower teeth of the baby.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a tooth of a baby starts to erupt from 6 months to 12 months since birth, and a deciduous dentition is completed at 24 months to 36 months since birth. In this way, after the deciduous dentition of a baby is completed within 36 months since birth, all deciduous (milk) teeth are replaced with permanent teeth before the baby is 11-years old. At this time, if the deciduous teeth which are to be replaced with the permanent teeth, are not carefully administrated, the permanent teeth cannot be properly formed and malocclusion is caused, whereby facial features may be distorted or bothersomeness or inconvenience may be provoked in administrating the permanent teeth. Consequently, in order to administrate the deciduous teeth of a baby in an adequate manner, a parent must frequently brush the teeth of the baby. However, when a parent brushes the teeth of a baby using a toothbrush or another implement, since toothbrushing is considered as an unpleasant, if not painful, drudging by the baby, the baby develops a hatred for the toothbrushing. Hence, it is difficult for the parent to sufficiently brush the teeth of the baby. Stated otherwise, in the case that the parent brushes teeth of a baby using the conventional toothbrush, a toothbrushing operation cannot be correctly implemented by the parent. Furthermore, as a substantial time is lapsed in implementing the toothbrushing operation, because the baby can show severe reluctancy thereto, the likelihood of dental plague not to be properly removed is increased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the problems occurring in the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush for babies which can simultaneously clean all of upper teeth or all of lower teeth of a baby.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush for babies which can not only clean teeth, but also remove a coating existing on a surface of the tongue of a baby.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toothbrush comprising: a toothbrush body having a handle and a first vibration generating section and possessing a first groove which has substantially a U-shaped contour; an intermediate engaging member detachably engaged into the first groove of the toothbrush body, having substantially a U-shaped configuration, and possessing a second groove which has substantially a U-shaped contour; a bristle holder having anchored thereto a plurality of bristles, the bristle holder including a teeth cleaning section and a tongue cleaning section; the teeth cleaning section being detachably fitted into the second groove of the intermediate engaging member, having substantially a U-shaped configuration, and possessing a third groove which has substantially a U-shaped contour to receive therein upper or lower teeth of a person; and the tongue cleaning section integrally coupled to a curved portion of the teeth cleaning section for removing a coating existing on a surface of the tongue of the person.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the toothbrush further comprises a remote controller including at least one switch for controlling an operation of the first vibration generating section, a speaker for outputting music, a light emitting section capable of flickering, and a second vibration generating section for exerting vibration to an operator's hand, the remote controller being connected to the first vibration generating section of the toothbrush body through a wire.
According to another aspect of the present invention, each of the first through third grooves of the toothbrush body, the intermediate engaging member and the teeth cleaning section of the bristle holder, respectively, has substantially the U-shaped contour in a manner such that it conforms to an outline of gums of the person.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, the bristle holder and the plurality of bristles are made from silicon.
According to yet still another aspect of the present invention, the bristles which are anchored at one ends thereof to a surface of the teeth cleaning section of the bristle holder, define a variety of different figures in a manner such that they can simultaneously clean buccal, lingual and occlusal surfaces of posterior teeth and labial and lingual surfaces of anterior teeth of the person.
By the features of the present invention, advantages are provided in that, since first through third grooves of a toothbrush body, an intermediate engaging member and a teeth cleaning section of a bristle holder have substantially U-shaped contours, respectively, all of upper teeth or all of lower teeth which are formed in gums of a baby, can be simultaneously cleaned. Also, due to the fact that the bristle holder and a plurality of bristles are made from a soft material such as silicon, awkwardness or uncomfortableness is not induced when they are brought into contact with the teeth and gums of the baby. At this time, the plurality of bristles which are anchored at one ends thereof to a surface of the teeth cleaning section of the bristle holder, define different profiles at posterior teeth and anterior teeth of the baby, in a manner such that they can simultaneously clean buccal, lingual and occlusal surfaces of the posterior teeth and labial and lingual surfaces of the anterior teeth. As a consequence, after the toothbrush of the present invention is received in the mouth of the baby, in a state wherein the plurality of bristles are brought into contact with the teeth and gums of the baby, vibration is generated using a first vibration generating section, whereby, as the toothbrush is continuously moved little at a time in forward, rearward, leftward or rightward directions, all of upper teeth or all of lower teeth can be simultaneously cleaned.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4011616 (1977-03-01), Kennedy
patent: 4224710 (1980-09-01), Solow
patent: 4237574 (1980-12-01), Kelly
patent: 5175901 (1993-01-01), Rabinowitz
patent: 5337435 (1994-08-01), Krasner
patent: 5365624 (1994-11-01), Berns
Abrahams Colin P.
Chin Randall E.
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