Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Implements – Brush or broom
Patent
1995-06-29
1996-11-12
Spisich, Mark
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Implements
Brush or broom
151441, 15172, 403116, A46B 904
Patent
active
055727638
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a toothbrush, and more particularly to a toothbrush of the type in that the tilting or bending angle of a neck portion relative to a handle portion can be easily adjusted by a single hand depending on which tooth or which part of a tooth is to be brushed.
BACKGROUND OF THE TECHNIQUE
Heretofore, there is known a toothbrush in which the bending angle of a neck portion relative to a handle portion can be adjusted so that the most inner teeth, which are difficult to brush, such as molar teeth, are not left unbrushed. For example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Application No. 63-13025 discloses a toothbrush in which a handle portion and a neck portion are pivotally supported by a pin and a screw is tightened relative to the pin at a predetermined angle.
Also, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Application No. 61-199231 discloses a toothbrush, in which the bending angle of a neck portion relative to a handle portion can be adjusted by sliding a control stick in the forward and backward direction of the handle portion.
However, in the toothbrush described in the above Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Application No. 63-13025, both hands are required for adjusting the bending angle of the neck portion relative to the handle portion. Also, after the completion of the adjustment of angle, the toothbrush is used, with the neck portion fixedly maintained at that adjusted angle. Therefore, there is such an inconvenience that during the use of the toothbrush, the bending angle of the neck portion relative to the handle portion can not be easily adjusted depending on which tooth or which part of a tooth is to be brushed.
In the toothbrush disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Application No. 61-199231, it is constructionally very difficult to slide the control stick by a desired amount by a single hand during the use of the toothbrush. Moreover, it is constructionally practically impossible to change the bending angle of the neck portion relative to the handle portion in accordance with the sliding amount of the control stick.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a toothbrush in which the bending angle of a neck portion relative to a handle portion can be easily adjusted by a single hand any time during the use of the toothbrush in accordance with the teeth to be brushed.
The present invention has achieved the above object by providing a toothbrush in which a basal end portion of a neck portion having a bristle portion at a distal end of the neck portion is pivotally connected to a distal end portion of a handle portion through a pivotal pin, and a slide member for fixedly maintaining the connected state between the basal end portion and the distal end portion is slidably arranged relative to the distal end portion through the pivotal pin, so that by sliding the slide member forwardly and backwardly relative to the handle portion, a bending angle of the neck portion relative to the handle portion can be adjusted, the basal end portion of the neck portion including a pair of linkage portions which are brought to outer sides of the distal end portion of the handle portion and connected to the distal end portion through the pivotal pin, the pair of linkage portions being each provided with a slant elongated-slit positionally offset toward the bristle portion from the pivotal pin, the handle portion being provided with a slide guide groove for guiding the slide member, the slide member including a slide basic body having an elongated-slit and slidably fitted in the slide guide groove, and a slide control plate integrally mounted on the slide basic body, the slide basic body being provided with a pair of fit-in projections formed respectively on opposite sides of the slide basic body at areas positionally offset toward the neck portion, the pivotal pin being allowed to pierce through the elongated-slit, the fit-in projections being slidably fitted respectively in the slant elongated-slits.
With the toothbrush of the p
REFERENCES:
patent: 1405712 (1922-02-01), Lewis
patent: 1658383 (1928-02-01), Lewis
patent: 4908900 (1990-03-01), McLaughlin et al.
Kao Corporation
Spisich Mark
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