Brush – broom – and mop making – Processes
Patent
1993-11-16
1997-05-06
Husar, John M.
Brush, broom, and mop making
Processes
300 20, A46D 300
Patent
active
056264003
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to toothbrushes and more particularly to both means for deforming or bending deformable toothbrushes and a toothbrush with bristles that may be cut into a desired configuration or contour.
BACKGROUND ART
A deformable toothbrush is described in International Patent Application No. PCT/AU91/00257 incorporated herein by reference. The deformable toothbrush described in that specification comprises an elongated handle part, a head part and a neck part joining the handle part and head part. The head part has bristles projecting from at least one side thereof and at least one region of the head part is weakened to allow deformation in the head part to suit the shape of the user's dental arches.
To date, deformation of the weakened region(s) of the toothbrush described in International Patent Application No. PCT/AU91/00257 has been done by differential hand or finger pressure applied by the user on both sides of the weakened region(s).
Conventionally, the bristles of most new toothbrushes have all been at a single height so as to offer a level upper bristle surface or brushing platform to all the teeth of all users.
Obviously, a toothbrush having a uniform bristle height may not suit all users since it will not take into account the peculiar size and shape of the user's teeth and dental arches.
More recently, some toothbrushes have been designed with a contoured brushing platform, primarily by having a series of shorter bristles in the middle of the brushing platform. The depression so produced in the middle of the brushing platform is intended to provide a more snug brushing action against the teeth.
However, these contoured bristle toothbrushes have the contour of their brushing platform predetermined before purchase and so will only suit :some users whose tooth shape and dental arches conform to the predetermined contour.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a device for deforming the head of a deformable toothbrush, the deformable toothbrush having at least one region of its head weakened so that a sharp and discrete deformation or bending about the weakened region may occur, the toothbrush head deforming device including means for obstructing the movement of a desired part of the head adjacent a weakened region so that upon application of pressure on the part of the head that does not have its movement obstructed, a sharp and discrete deformation or bending about the weakened region may occur.
In a preferred form of the invention, the device further includes a housing to snugly receive a section of the toothbrush head, the housing including the obstructing means.
Preferably, the section of the toothbrush is slideably received within the housing.
Preferably, the obstructing means is formed integrally with the housing.
It is also preferred that the obstructing means overlaps at least a portion of the surface of the head from which the bristles protrude.
Preferably, the toothbrush head deforming device is a constituent part of packaging for a deformable toothbrush.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a toothbrush comprising an elongated handle part and a head part having bristles projecting from at least one side thereof, and including means adapted for cutting or adjusting the bristle height.
In a preferred form of the invention, the bristles include identification markings for identifying one or more desirable cutting locations.
The identification markings may comprise a single coloured spot located along the length of each bristle that, when the bristles are viewed in their assembled form on the toothbrush, identify an imaginary line or plane joining each spot of all the bristles and along which the user or the user's dentist should cut to produce the desired contour or configuration of brushing platform.
Preferably, each single spot that makes up the imaginary line or plane that, when cut, produces the desired contour of brushing platform is of a uniform colour.
In this way, addit
REFERENCES:
patent: 1796001 (1931-03-01), Church
patent: 2254365 (1941-09-01), Griffith et al.
patent: 3280417 (1966-10-01), Wexler
patent: 3325847 (1967-06-01), Meranto
patent: 4829621 (1989-05-01), Phenegar
patent: 5048144 (1991-09-01), Andrews
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