Folding, disposable toothbrush

Abstract

A foldable toothbrush comprises a bristle arm including bristles and a handle arm formed from sheet plastic. The bristle arm includes toothbrush bristles. The bristle arm and handle arm are attached via a grommet that allows for relative rotation of the arms in an arc in arc in the plane that generally includes the two arms of the toothbrush and that is generally perpendicular to the bristle axis. Because the materials are economical and readily available and manufacture is simple, the cost of the brushes is low enough such that the brush can be considered disposable after a single use.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The field of the invention is dental hygiene products. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Maintaining proper dental hygiene is a key to good health. In particular, regular removal of dental plaque from the teeth by brushing and flossing can prevent gingivitis and periodontal disease. Gingivitis and periodontal disease can cause tooth loss and have even been associated with heart disease. To combat these diseases, many dentists recommend brushing the teeth three times a day and flossing at least once a day. [0003] Most people know the importance of good dental hygiene, but putting it into practice can be difficult. Many people would have to carry around dental hygiene equipment in order to brush and floss according to the recommended schedule. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss can be awkward and inconvenient to carry for use outside the home. [0004] To address these problems, some manufacturers have created small toothbrushes that can be easily carried...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The patent describes a toothbrush that can be folded up and easily carried in a pocket or purse. The toothbrush has two arms that can be opened and closed to form a toothbrush with bristles facing perpendicular to the handle. The toothbrush is designed to be cheap and disposable after a single use. The technical effect of this invention is to provide a convenient and economical toothbrush that can be easily carried and used once before being thrown away."

Problems solved by technology

Most people know the importance of good dental hygiene, but putting it into practice can be difficult.

Toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss can be awkward and inconvenient to carry for use outside the home.

However, a small toothbrush often does not provide sufficient leverage for adequate cleaning and can be awkward to use.

However, when the hand grips a toothbrush that folds in an arc in the plane parallel to the bristles, it may not provide enough rigidity to prevent the toothbrush from folding inadvertently during use.

Because of the curvature of the palm and fingers when the palm grips a toothbrush handle, this support can be problematic.

If the toothbrush cannot be used without risk of buckling, the user may be unable to brush her teeth with the force needed to remove plaque.

However, adding a locking mechanism increases manufacturing difficulty and adds to the expense of manufacture.

However, if the toothbrush telescopes along the axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the brush, the act of brushing—which moves the toothbrush in the direction of the telescoping—may cause the toothbrush to collapse or telescope down during use.

However, gripping the toothbrush with sufficient force can be fatiguing, and some users may be unable to do so due to disability.

Again, a locking mechanism can be added, but such a mechanism complicates use and manufacture.

However, having to assemble and disassemble a toothbrush before and after use can be bothersome, and a toothbrush in multiple pieces increases the possibility that parts may get lost and the toothbrush become unusable.

These previous approaches result in toothbrushes that, in addition to being cumbersome and difficult to use, require sufficient material and are sufficiently expensive to manufacture such that they are not practicably disposable for the average consumer.

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