Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TOOTHBRUSH ASSEMBLY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to toothbrushes, and, more
particularly, to a
toothbrush assembly having a toy-shaped handle with a compartment for
removably storing a
separate figurine or other toy.
B. Description of the Related Art
Various types of toothbrushes having object-shaped handles are generally known
in the art,
1o and are designed to appeal to children to encourage them to brush their
teeth for enhanced oral
health. Examples of such toothbrushes that appeal to children include U.S.
Design Patent Nos.
237,659, 443,765, 452,381, and 452,382 disclose toothbrushes having handles
shaped like vehicles
(e.g., race cars, rocket ships, jets, etc.). U.S. Design Patent Nos. 329,948,
347,146, 347,147,
347,148, 363,166, 402,119, 434,907, and 452,380, and U.S. Patent Nos.
5,353,464 and 6,026,532
disclose toothbrushes having handles shaped lilce animals. Toothbrush handles
having other shapes
are also possible, as seen in U.S. Design Patent Nos.113,744,155,668,175,198,
and 209,574.
Many children's toys are handheld, and, especially with vehicle type handheld
toys, contain
a compartment with a lid for retaining figurines, such as toy people, therein.
For example, the
LEGO~ Company of Denmark offers several vehicle type handheld toys that have a
compartment
with a transparent lid to retain a LEGOO figurine, such as a driver, within
the vehicle. Such
handheld toys are not known to have been used as toothbrush handles.
The closest the toothbrush art comes to offering toy-based handles with
compartments for
retaining additional figurines may be found in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,353,464 and
5,590,436. U.S.
Patent No. 5,353,464 discloses a toothbrush having a handle in the general
form of an animal. Tf
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desired, the handle can contain a hollowed-out compartment for storage of a
detachably/attachable
toothbrush head. The compartment can be fitted with a suitable cover, plug, or
lid to encase the
entire toothbrush head within the handle. However, the compartment of U.S.
Patent No. 5,353,464
is adapted to retain only the detachable toothbrush head, and there is no
mention of providing a
figurine within the handle.
U.S. Patent No. 5,590,436 discloses a toothbrush having a handle that carries
a figurine
formed separately from but attached to the handle. The figurine can be
attached directly to the
handle of the toothbrush or can be attached first to a carrier which is then
attached to the handle.
The toothbrush handle of U.S. Patent No. 5,590,436 does not have a compartment
with a cover or
lid for retaining the figurine.
Although not part of the toothbrush art, U.S. Patent No. 5,723,664 discloses a
beverage
stirrer having a pop out item such as a figurine, logo, or product replica.
The pop out item can be
mounted to an end of a sliding mechanism and can be configured to extend out
of an open end of
a casing as the beverage is stirred. Unfortunately, U.S. Patent No. 5,713,664
fails to suggest that
such a pop out item configuration can be used for a toothbrush handle.
Thus, there is a need in the art to appeal to children with a toy-shaped
toothbrush handle
having a compartment and a cover or lid for removably storing a figurine or
other child's toy therein,
wherein the handle can function as a toy with or without a detachable
toothbrush head to encourage
children to brush their teeth.
SUNINIARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the problems of the related art by providing a
toothbrush having
a head and neck which may be detachably connected to a toy-shaped handle, such
as a rocket or
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vehicle or figurine. The handle includes a compartment with a cover or lid for
removably storing
a separate vehicle, figurine, other toy or sundry product, such as candy or a
miniature tube of
toothpaste therein. The handle is preferably a handheld toy design that
functions as a toy whether
or not detached from the toothbrush head. The inventors of the present
invention have found that
such handheld toy designs, containing a compartment with an additional toy or
sundry product
therein, makes an ideal toothbrush handle which offers a fun and exciting way
for children to brush
their teeth. Such excitement motivates children to brush their teeth often, to
set in place lifelong
habits of good oral hygiene.
As embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention is broadly
drawn to a
to toothbrush assembly, comprising: a head connected to a neck, said head
having an exposed outer
surface; a plurality of bristles mounted to said head, said bristles being
grouped into bristle tufts
which extend outwardly from the exposed outer surface; a handle connected to
said neck, said
handle having a compartment provided therein and an opening that provides
access to the
compartment; and a vehicle, figurine, other toy or sundry product removably
provided within the
compartment of said handle, said vehicle, figurine, other toy or sundry
product being provided
removably and storeably within said compartment via the opening provided in
said handle.
In various practices of the present invention, the toothbrush handle takes the
form of a rocket
ship having a compartment and a cover or lid for retaining a figurine, such as
action figure, or a
vehicle or another type toy or sundry product (hereinafter generally referred
to as a "figurine")
2o therein; the compartment having a cover, or lid, or otherwise being
openable and reclosable, such
as by being in two parts or sections, which sections may be screwed together,
force fit together,
snapped-together, or hinged-together to form the compartment which holds the
figurine. Preferably,
the cover is transparent so that the figurine may be viewed within the rocket
ship-shaped handle.
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The cover may preferably be opened and closed, or removed and replaced so that
the figurine may
be removed and stored in the handle compartment.
In another aspect of the present invention, the toothbrush handle rather than
being in the
form of a rocked ship takes the form of a vehicle (e.g., a rescue vehicle)
having a compartment and
a transparent cover for retaining a figurine, such as a toy driver, therein.
The transparent cover of
the vehicle-shaped handle may function as a windshield for the vehicle, and as
discussed above may
preferably be opened and closed, or removed and replaced so that the figurine
may be removed and
stored in the handle compartment.
In still another aspect of the present invention, the toothbrush handle may be
a more
l0 conventional toothbrush shape, not the shape of a toy, but still acts as a
storage and display case for
the figurine contained in a compartment provided therein. An entirely
transparent or translucent
handle or an opaque handle with a transparent or translucent cover may be
provided to enable the
figurine to be displayed, and may preferably be opened and closed, or removed
and replaced so that
the figurine may be removed and stored in the handle compartment.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent
from the
detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that
the detailed description
and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the
invention, are given by way
of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the
spirit and scope of the
invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed
description. It is to be
understood that both the foregoing general description and the following
detailed description are
exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as
claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed
description given
hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of
illustration only, and thus are
not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a toothbrush having a head and a rocket
ship~shaped handle
having a removable and replaceable cover that allows access to a compartment
for storing a figurine
therein in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the toothbrush shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the toothbrush shown in Figs. 1 and 2;
Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the toothbrush shown in Figs. 1-3;
1o Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the toothbrush shown in Figs. 2-4;
Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of the toothbrush handle shown in Figs. 1-
5, and showing a
removable and replaceable cover held in place by a snap-in latch;
Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view in elevation of the toothbrush handle shown
in Figs. 1-6, talcen
along line 7-7 of Fig. 6 and showing a snap-in latch provided in a receiver
recess;
Fig. 8 is a front elevational view of the toothbrush handle shown in Figs. 1-
5, and showing an
alternative embodiment with a hinged full cover with a snap-in latch;
Fig. 9 is a front elevational view of the toothbrush handle shown in Figs. 1-
5, and showing
another alternative embodiment with a vertically-hinged two-piece cover with
snap-in latches for each
removable and replaceable cover;
2o Fig. 10 is a front elevational view of the toothbrush handle shown in Figs.
1-5, and showing still
another alternative embodiment with a horizontally-hinged two-piece cover with
snap-in latches for
each removable and replaceable cover and a figurine removed from the
compartment of the toothbrush
handle;
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Fig. 11 is a side elevational view of a toothbrush having a removable head and
neck (shown in
phantom outline) and a vehicle-shaped handle having a removable and
replaceable cover displaying a
compartment that removably stores a figurine therein in accordance with still
another embodiment of
the present invention;
Fig. 12 is a front elevational view of the toothbrush shown in Fig. 11;
Fig. 13 is a fragmental rear view of the toothbrush shown in Figs. I 1 and 12,
and showing how
a retainer button of the toothbrush neclc engages a retainer slot formed in
the handle;
Fig. 14 is a side elevational view of a toothbrush having a removable head and
neck, and a
handle having a cover displaying a compartment that stores a figurine therein
in accordance with still
o another embodiment of the present inventio; and
Fig. 15 is a side elevational view of still another embodiment of a toothbrush
of the present
invention having a removable head and neck, and a handle having a cover
displaying a compartment
that stores a figurine therein.
15 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying
drawings.
The same reference numbers in different drawings identify the same or similar
elements. Also, the
following detailed description does not limit the invention. Tnstead, the
scope of the invention is
20 defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
Figs. 1-5 illustrate one practice of the present invention wherein a
toothbrush 10 includes a
neck section 12 interposed between a head 14 and a handheld handle 26.
Preferably, neck 12 and
head 14 are integrally connected, and together are detachably connected to
handle 16 so that head
14 may be replaced as the bristles become worn and so that handle 16 may
function separately as
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a toy when detached from neck 12 and head I4. In an alternate, less costly
embodiment of the
present invention, the head 14 and neck 12 are integral and permanently
connected to the handle 16.
As further shown in Figs. 1-5, handle 16 preferably includes a hollowed-out
compartment
22 with a cover, window, or lid 24 for retaining a figurine 28, such as an
action figure; however, it
is understood that in place of the figurine may be a vehicle, such as a
submarine, plane or other toy
or sundry product, such as candy or a miniature toothpaste tube which will
appeal to a child. Cover
24 may be hinged or otherwise fixedly attached to, such as by being removably
snapped thereto, or
integrally formed with a body portion 17 of handle 16 and may be transparent
for displaying figurine
28 housed within compartment 22. Although cover 24 may be configured to be
removable, if cover
24 is fixedly attached to handle 16, an access opening for compartment 22
should be provided where
neck 12 connects to handle 16 (as described more fully below with reference to
Fig. 11). An indicia
band 30 may additionally be provided for displaying a toy logo. Since the
embodiment of the handle
16 shown in Figs. 1-5 is shaped like a rocket ship, it preferably includes
fins 32 which simulate
rocket ship fins, but also act as support feet for holding toothbrush 10 in an
upright position for easy
storage or display.
Figs. 6-10 show various ways an openable cover may be arranged over an opening
provided
in a body portion 17 of handle 16, as opposed to the fixedly attached cover 24
shown in Figs. 1-5.
Fig. 6 shows a handle body portion 17 with an opening 34 provided therein for
receiving a
removable and replaceable cover 36 held in place by two snap-in latches 38.
Snap-in latches 38 are
received and retained in respective receptacles 40 formed in body portion 17
of handle 16, as best
shown in Fig. 7. Latches 38 may be engaged to remove cover 36 from opening 34,
permitting
removal or insertion of figurine 28 from or within compartment 22 of handle
16.
Fig. 8 shows a handle body portion I7 with an opening 34 provided therein for
receiving a
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cover 42 hingedly connected to body portion 17 with a pair of hinges 44. A
snap-in latch 38 is
provided on an edge of cover 42 opposing the edge attached to hinges 44. Snap-
in latch 38 may be
received and retained in a receptacle 40 formed in body portion 17. Latch 38
may be engaged to
pivot cover 42 away from opening 34, permitting removal or insertion of
figurine 28 from or within
compartment 22 of handle 16.
Fig. 9 shows a handle body portion 17 with an opening 34 provided therein for
receiving a
two-piece cover 46 hingedly connected in a vertical direction to body portion
17 with two pairs of
hinges 44. Snap-in latches 38 are provided on an edge of each piece of cover
46 opposing the edge
attached to hinges 44. Snap-in latches 38 may be received and retained in
respective receptacles 40
1o formed in body portion 17. Latches 38 may be engaged to pivot two-piece
cover 46 away from
opening 34, permitting removal or insertion of figurine 28 from or within
compartment 22 of handle
16.
Fig. 10 shows a handle body portion 17 with an opening 48 provided therein for
receiving
a two-piece cover 50 hingedly connected in a horizontal direction to body
portion 17 with two pairs
of hinges 44. Snap-in latches 38 are provided on an edge of each piece of
cover 50 opposing the
edge_ attached to hinges 44. Snap-in latches 38 may be received and retained
in respective
receptacles 40 formed in body portion 17. Latches 38 may be engaged to pivot
two-piece cover 50
away from opening 34, permitting removal or insertion of figurine 28 from or
within compartment
22 of handle 16.
2o Although hinges 40 and latches 38 are shown in specific quantities and at
specific locations
in Figs. 6-10, more or less hinges 40 and latches 38 may be provided, at a
variety of Iocations on
handle 16 in accordance with the broad teachings of the present invention.
Likewise, the covers
shown in Figs. 6-10 may have a variety of other shapes than shown in Figs. 6-
10, in accordance with
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the broad teachings of the present invention. Furthermore, other mechanisms
may be used to
connect and pivot the covers to the handles of the present invention.
Figs. 11-13 show one version of how neck 12 and head 14 of toothbrush 10 may
be
removably connected to the handle of toothbrush 10. An alternate version of
handle 16A is also
shown in Figs. 11-13. Handle 16A as shown may be shaped like a vehicle, such
vehicles may
include a race car, a submarine or an all terrain vehicle and includes a body
portion 17A fixedly
connected to or integrally formed with a transparent cover or window 24A.
Window 24A displays
a figurine 28, such as an action figure, that may be provided in a compartment
22A provided in
handle 16A.
to As further shown in Figs. 11-13, a lower portion of neck 12 includes a
retainer button 52
integrally connected to a spring arm 54, and a stiffener arm 56. Neck 12 and
head 14 may be
removably attached to handle 16A by depressing retainer button 52 in a
direction as shown by arrow
53, moving neck 12 in a direction as shown by arrow 55, sliding stiffener arm
56 and the button
52/spring arm 54 combination into an opening 60 provided in body portion 17A
of handle 16A, and
releasing retainer button 52. Retainer button 52 extends through a retainer
slot 58 provided in body
portion 17A, and remains in slot 58 due to the spring force provided by spring
arm 54. Neck 12 and
head 14 may be removed from handle 16A by depressing retainer button 52, and
pulling neck 12 and
head 14 away from handle 16A.
As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the handle of the present invention need not be
shaped like a
2o toy, but rather may be configured as a conventional generally cylindrical
toothbrush handle to act
as display case for figurine 28 contained therein. As shown in Fig. 14,
toothbrush 10 includes a neck
section 12 interposed between a head 14 and a handheld display handle 62.
Handle 62 preferably
includes a hollowed-out compartment 64 with a transparent window 66 for
retaining a figurine 28
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(e.g., an action figure) therein. In this embodiment, handle 62 includes two
hinged or separable and
rejoinable sections, a top section 62A and a bottom section 62B, which
sections when separable and
rejoinable are threadably, snap-fit, force-fit or otherwise connected,
preferably the connection
contains an indicia band 68 (similar to indicia band 30) and a threadable
connection via mating
threads 70 provided on indicia band 68 and sections 62A, 62B. When top section
62A or bottom
section 62B are separated by as preferrably indicated being unscrewed from
indicia band 70, figurine
28 may be removed from or inserted in compartment 64 of handle 62.
As shown in Fig. 15, toothbrush 10 includes a neck section 12 interposed
between a head 14
and a handheld display handle 72. Handle 72 preferably includes a hollowed-out
compartment 74
1o with a transparent window 76 for retaining a figurine 28 (e.g., an action
figure) therein. In this
embodiment, handle 72 may either threadably connect with a screw off top 78
(having neck 12
connected thereto), via mating threads 80, threadably connects with a screw
off base 82, via mating
threads 84, or threadably connects with screw off top 78 and screw off base
82. When screw off top
78 or screw off base 82 are unscrewed from handle 72, figurine 28 may be
removed from or inserted
in compartment 74 of handle 72.
Any embodiment of the toothbrush handles 16, 16A, 62, 72 of the present
invention may be
permanently attached to neck 12 and head 14, or may be removably attached to
neck 12 or head 14
using any of the attachment configurations shown in Figs. lI-15. Preferably,
however, the
toothbrush handles of the present invention are removably attached to neck 12
and head 14 so that
2o the handles may function more easily as a separate toy.
Head 14 of the present invention may have a generally flat face 18 that holds
a plurality of
tufts or bristles 20. Head 14 may have variety of shapes, including but not
limited to circular, oval,
square, rectangular, various regular or irregular shapes, etc.
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Bristles 20 extending from face 18 may be coplanar with each other so that the
outer surface
of bristles 20 lie in a single plane. The invention, however, could be
practiced where some or all of
the bristles 20 extend outwardly a different distance than other bristles 20
to result in a stepped effect
for the outer surface of bristles. In~the illustrated embodiment as best shown
in Fig. 2, bristles 20
extend outwardly from an outer surface 26 of head 14 approximately the same
distance to create a
generally flat surface or flat bristle trim for receiving the toothpaste.
While Figs. 2, 4,11, 14, and 15 illustrate conventional fiber form bristles,
the term "bristles"
as used herein is intended to be used in a generic sense as cleaning elements
or massage elements
and could include, for example, elastomeric fingers or walls arranged in a
circular cross-section
1o shape or any type of desired shape, including straight portions or
sinusoidal portions.
The bristles 20 could be mounted to the tuft blocks or sections by extending
through suitable
openings in face 18 so that the base of bristles 20 is mounted within or below
the surface of face 18
using conventional staple or in-mold tufting technology fox mounting therein.
If desired, the bristles
could be embedded in an elastomeric material which would permit the bristles
to have an
independent motion. Such various forms of bristles may thus be used for the
bristles used in any
section of head 14.
It is to be understood that the specific illustration of the bristles is
merely for exemplary
purposes. The invention can, however, be practiced with various combinations
of the same or
different bristle configurations as disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,609,890,
5,390,984, and
5,533,791, the disclosures of which being incorporated by reference herein in
their entirety, andlor
with the same or different bristle materials, such as nylon bristles, spiral
bristles, rubber bristles, etc.
Similarly, while Figs. 1-7 illustrate the bristles to be generally
perpendicular to face 18 of head 14,
some or all of the bristles may be angled at various angles with respect to
the outer surface of the
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bristle head. It is thereby possible to select the combination of bristle
configurations, bristle
materials and bristle orientations to achieve specific intended results, such
as to create as much
movement from the oscillating tuft heads to deliver additional oral health
benefits like enhanced
cleaning, tooth polishing, tooth whitening andlor massaging of the gums.
It is to be understood that the invention can be practiced by locating tufts
of bristles in any
otherwise open area of toothbrush head 14. Such tufts of bristles could be
fixed bristles
perpendicularly mounted or mounted at an angle to the exposed outer surface 26
of the head 14 or
could be bristles mounted on an elastomeric base with a Shore A durorneter in
the range of about
0 to about 90, so as to be independently movable when pressure is applied.
Such bristles in their
1o normal condition could be either perpendicular or at an angle to the face
18 of head 14.
The invention may also be practiced where different sets of bristles have
different colors.
It is to be understood, however, that any combination of colors including only
one color could be
used for bristles 20. Likewise, neck 12 and handle 16 may have a variety of
colors, and may be
opaque, transparent, translucent, clear, etc.
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