US2796875A - Combination tooth brush and dentifrice container - Google Patents

Description

June. 25, 1957 A. ANASTASIA COMBINATION TOOTH BRUSH AND DENTIFRICE CONTAINER Filed March so, 1956 ANG'E LO INVENTOR ANAsTAs\A A'r-roEN EYS United States COlVIBIN-ATION TOOTH BRUSH AND DENTIFRICE CQN A N R The present invention relates to a combination article, including separably connected elements one providing a tooth brush and the other providing a container for a dentifrice such as tooth paste or tooth powder.

Summarized briefly, the invention includes a first tubular element of hollow formation, one end of which is tapered and provided with a plurality of radial wings, permitting use of said end for the purpose of dislodging particles of food from the teeth. The other end of said element is formed open, but is normally closed by a cap in which are embedded a series of bristles extending longitudinally of the tubular element to be used in brushing the teeth. A second tubular element is adapted to provide a cap for the bristles, and is partitioned intermediate its ends to form a chamber therein for a dentifrice, said chamber being closed by a removable cap. The second tubular element is also so shaped as to permit the bristles to be inserted in the chamber in an axial direction, to deposit thereon a quantity of a tooth powder.

One object of importance is to provide a device of the type described, capable of being carried in ones pocket, purse, lunch pail, etc.

Another object is to design the combination article in such a way as to provide for a full sealing both of the dentifrice container and the bristle-carrying head.

Another object is to facilitate reuse of the device, through the provision of means to allow refilling of the dentifrice container, and through the further provision of means permitting removal and discarding of the bristles, with a new head to be substituted for that which has been discarded.

Another object is to provide in a device as stated a particular shape for a tooth brush head differing from conventional brushes in such a Way as to permit cleaning of the teeth individually.

Still another object is to provide, in an article of the type referred to, a bladed, tapering portion having a shape particularly well adapted for dislodging food from the teeth.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a combination article formed according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section on line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the device constitutes two main components. These are a brush member generally designated 10, and a container member generally designated 12. Both of these can be formed almost entirely from plastic or similar material.

The brush member includes an elongated, tubular body 14 providing a handle, said body at one end having a conically tapered end portion 16 integrally formed with radial blades 18 angularly spaced ninety degrees apart about the circumference of the tapered portion. End

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portion 16 isadaptedfor nsein dislodging .particl es of food from the. teeth, sincethehladestcan. be inserted. in

. peripheral bead 21, bearingeagainst the, adjacent extremity of thethandle. .The.handle mightifdesiredbe interanally zthreaded, with .the,.,head being correspondipgly t adt -v te natively. .a ..asishown. the head m v have a frictional engagement or press fit in the open end of the handle.

Embedded in the head, and extending axially of the handle, is a quantity of bristles 22, relatively short in length, to be used in cleaning the teeth.

The arrangement differs from that of conventional tooth brushes, wherein the bristles project laterally from the handle. The arrangement shown permits the teeth to be cleaned by a rotary motion of the handle 14 about its longitudinal center line, causing travel of the toothcontacting ends of the bristles in circular paths about the center point of the tuft of bristles embedded in head 20. Further, the construction permits individual cleaning of the teeth as distinguished from conventional brushes in which this is not generally possible.

The container member generally designated 12 comprises a tubular element 24 coaxial with element 14 but somewhat shorter in length. Element 24, at one end, is slightly increased in diameter as at 26, to receive and frictionally' engage the adjacent end of the member 10. A transverse partition 28 is formed in member 12 at the inner end of the enlarged portion 26, and the partition 28 and portion 26 define an axial recess in which the A bristle tuft 22 is confined when the device is not in use.

The partition further defines, for the remainder of the length of the member 12, a chamber 30 for a dentifrice such as tooth powder 32. At its outer end, the chamber is adapted to be closed by a removable cap 34 threaded into the member 12.

In use, on removal of cap 34, the bristle tuft can be inserted in chamber 34 in a direction axially of the chamber, to deposit on the bristles a quantity of the dentifrice. In this connection, it is possible that an additional supply of a dentifrice can be confined in the tubular handle,'and one might in a commercial embodiment even form openings in the head, to permit flow of said dentifrice, from the cavity of the tubular handle into the bristle tuft.

When the tubular handle is used to hold a dentifrice, the member 12 might be employed entirely as a cap means for the bristles, without serving to hold an additional supply of the dentifrice. This, of course, is entirely at the option of the manufacturer and it is to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, both arrangements might be employed.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles it being considered that theinvention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A combination tooth brush and dentifrice container comprising an elongated handle; bristles at one end of said handle; a dentifrice container in the form of an elongated tubular member having a dentifrice-receiving chamber, said member at one end having an axial recess receivingthe bristle-carrying portion of the handle; and cap means on said member closing the dentifrice cha nparticles from the teeth.

2. A combination tooth brush and dentifrice container comprising an elongated handle; a head at one end of the handle, said head including a plug-like body engaged in said end of the handle and a bristle tuft projecting from said body; a dentifrice container comprising an elongated tubular member partitioned intermediate its ends to provide at one side of the partition a chamber for receiving a quantity of dentifrice and a recess at the other side of the partition receiving said end of the handle; and cap means on said member closing the dentifrice-receiving chamber, said handle and tubular member being coaxially aligned when said handle is engaged in the recess of the tubular member, the other end of the tubular handle being tapered and being formed with a plurality of blades radiating from the tapered portion, said blades being adapted for dislodging particles from the teeth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,768,301 Weber .d June 24, 1930 1,849,769 a Priest Mar. 15, 1932 2,240,876 Watered May 6, 1941

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