Toothpaste-Dispensing Toothbrush with a Replaceable Brush Head

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/654,004, filed May 30, 2024, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The present disclosure relates to replaceable brush heads used in a toothpaste-dispensing toothbrush, an electric toothbrush and a conventional manual toothbrush. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to locking mechanisms for fastening a replaceable brush head on a supporting platform extended from a toothbrush handle.

There is a growing need to minimize toothbrush waste for the environment. The most effective means is to have a toothbrush having a replaceable brush head with minimal replacement part for minimal disposal after use. In fact, toothbrushes are recommended to be replaced frequently because the bristles typically become frayed and worn with use, resulting in a decrease in cleaning effectiveness. Toothbrushes have handles that are generally formed of a relatively durable material that lasts longer than the brushing bristles.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,448,287 by Ponzini, et al. describes a replaceable brush head for a toothbrush and a power toothbrush. The described replaceable brush head does not have a stepped backside having a bottom interface and the toothbrush main unit is not a truncated support platform with a top support interface to match with the stepped backside of the brush head. Therefore, the combined thickness of the top end of the brush head and the toothbrush main unit is beyond a conventional manual toothbrush, too thick and not comfortable to brush back teeth. Furthermore, the extension of the brush head does not have a latch notch on one side to engage with a latch post on the toothbrush unit to endure intimate contact between the brush head and the toothbrush unit to prevent seepage of water between the two parts.

A toothpaste-dispensing toothbrush of the present invention includes a pump head, a truncated dispensing platform attached with a spout, a handle cartridge containing a dentifrice material and a replaceable brush head. The dentifrice material is dispensed to the top of the brush head by pressing on an actuator on the pump head. The replaceable brush head has a base having a through hole and a front side attached with bristles and a stepped backside mating with the truncated dispensing platform by a set of latch mechanism that enables the mounting and the separation of the brush head on and off from the truncated dispensing platform with rotational motions with the spout as the center of rotation.

The truncated dispensing platform has a top support interface, and a front side having a stepped latch groove. The stepped backside of the brush head has an elevated upper portion with a bottom interface, and a lower portion having a stepped latch post for locking with the stepped latch groove. The interfaces between the brush head and the truncated dispensing platform are of circular arc shape for rotational sliding contact between the two parts.

To ensure additional fastening of the brush head intimate contact between the two parts, the brush head is provided with an extended lever segment at its bottom end and the truncated dispensing platform has an extended neck portion for additional fastening and ergonomic handling of the brush head for mounting and separation of the brush head. The lever segment has a second bottom interface with a lever notch on one side, and the neck portion of the truncated dispensing platform has a bottom support surface and a neck post, which engages with the lever notch for locking. Both the lever notch and the neck post are of stepped configurations. This notch locking mechanism provides an audible cue for proper alignment between the brush head and the truncated dispensing platform.

In addition, the above mentioned replaceable brush head with stepped backside configuration and locking mechanisms is applicable to a toothpaste-dispensing electric toothbrush, which has a truncated dispensing platform undergoing vibration motion. The locking mechanisms in the truncated dispensing platform are the same as that in the afore-mentioned toothpaste-dispensing toothbrush. Moreover, the replaceable brush head with stepped backside configuration and locking mechanisms is also applicable to a conventional manual toothbrush, which does not contain toothpaste. In such a manual toothbrush, the replaceable brush head has a short shaft instead of a through hole. The replaceable brush head also has a stepped backside with a bottom interface, a stepped latch post and an extended lever segment having a latch notch on one side. The truncated support platform of the toothbrush handle has a top support interface, a stepped latch groove and a neck portion having a latch post for locking with the brush head. Furthermore, the features as described for the replaceable brush head are provided for an independent replaceable brush head for use in a toothpaste-dispensing toothbrush, an electric toothpaste-dispensing toothbrush and a manual toothbrush.

Throughout the following detailed descriptions, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures. Also, in the present invention, a toothpaste-dispensing toothbrush may be a manual toothpaste-dispensing toothbrush or an electric or powered toothpaste-dispensing toothbrush.

The structure and the function of a manual toothpaste-dispensing toothbrush having a replaceable brush head of the present invention are described in detail as follows. A manual toothpaste-dispensing toothbrush includes a replaceable brush head, a truncated dispensing platform extended from the pump head, and a handle containing toothpaste.shows toothpaste-dispensing toothbrushhas replaceable brush headhaving bristlesattached to truncated dispensing platformextending from pump head, which is attached to handlecontaining toothpaste. Handle(e.g., handle cartridge) contains piston, and the piston moves toward pump headunder a vacuum force created when actuatoris released from a depressed position.

shows replaceable brush headbeing detached from truncated dispensing platformof toothpaste-dispensing toothbrush. In the present invention, a truncated dispensing platform is a toothbrush support platform that is attached with a replaceable brush head with the length of the support platform being short of the full length of the brush head.

As shown in, truncated dispensing platformhas top support interface, a flow channel (shown as flow channelin), front sideattached with latch recessand spoutin flow communication with the flow channel (shown as flow channelin). In the present invention, replaceable brush headhas stepped backsideand truncated support platform is situated below the stepped backside of brush head. Stepped backsideof brush headhas first bottom interface, and the truncated support platform has top support interfacemating with first bottom interfaceof brush head. Also, in the present invention, a toothpaste-dispensing toothbrush may be a manual toothpaste-dispensing toothbrush or an electric or powered toothpaste-dispensing toothbrush.

Specifically, pump headincludes a pumping chamber attached with elastic actuatorand a one-way valve inside the pumping chamber. Truncated dispensing platformincludes a flow channel (shown as flow channelin), with an outlet opening (shown as outlet openingin) attached with slit spout. Spouthas slitat its top end to open and allow exit of the toothpaste under a pumping force and the slit closes under a vacuum force when the actuator rebounds from the depressed position.

Moreover, truncated dispensing platformhas stepped latch recesson front side. The handle itself is a toothpaste cartridge or contains a toothpaste tube. As shown inhandleis a toothpaste cartridge containing piston. When actuatoris pressed down, toothpasteis forced to exit from spoutto the top of the brush head. When the actuator is released from a depressed position a vacuum force created inside the pump head causes the piston to move forward to replenish the pump head with the toothpaste. The structure and the function of a toothpaste-dispensing toothbrush have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,647,007 by Kuo. And separately, a detailed structure of the pump head is given in a latter section describing a toothpaste-dispensing electric toothbrush as shown inand

Also shown in, replaceable brush headhas basewith a front side attached with bristles, stepped backsidehaving elevated upper portionwith first bottom interface, and lower portionhaving first latch element, shown as stepped latch post as an exemplary configuration, and through holefor engaging with spout. First bottom interfaceis for mating with top support interfaceof truncated dispenser platform. Truncated dispenser platformhas first latch counter element, shown as stepped latch recessas an exemplary configuration, is to engage with first latch elementfor locking the brush head on the truncated dispensing platform. The stepped backside configuration has the advantage that it enables the thickness of lead edgeto be the same as that of a conventional manual toothbrush for brushing the back teeth with comfort. It also enables lead edgeof the truncated support platform to have sufficient thickness to avoid potential warpage in an injection molding manufacturing process. A warped support platform can cause a gap between the replaceable brush head and the warped support platform to have undesirable water seepage in the gap during teeth brushing.

In the present invention, the term latch element refers to one part of a latch mechanism and the term latch counter element refers to a counter part of the same latch mechanism that when the two parts are engaged, the latch mechanism is locked. Generally, either the latch element or the latch counter element is deflectable for in the action of engagement and disengagement or both are deflectable when in the action of engagement or disengagement.

In a preferred embodiment, first bottom interfaceof brush headand top support interfaceof the truncated dispensing platform are of circular arcs with rotational axis at the center of spout, and that the brush head is detachable from the dispensing platform when the brush head is rotated away to disengage the stepped post from the stepped groove. Furthermore, brush headhas extended lever segmenthaving second bottom interfaceat its end, and truncated dispensing platformhas bottom support surfaceat the end of neck portionto mate with second bottom interface.

shows brush headofmounted on the truncated dispensing platform extended from pump headwith extended lever segmenthaving second latch element, shown as stepped latch notch, on one side. The lever segment makes it easier for fingers to rotate the brush head to engage or move away from the truncated dispensing platform. To accommodate the lever segment, a shown in, truncated dispensing platform has neck portionhaving second latch counter element, shown as stepped latch postto engage with stepped latch notch.also shows the front side of the brush head that, after inserting spoutin the through hole, rotating the brush head toward the truncated dispensing platform to lock stepped latch notchwith stepped neck post.shows backsideof brush headwith lever segment, shown in, rotated away from neck portionon truncated dispensing platform. To ensure accurate alignment, latch notchhas a small indented surface to mate with a small protrusion in neck postof the brush head to a locking position. At the moment of the locking engagement, a click sound is created as a feedback signal that the brush head is securely mounted on the truncated dispensing platform. The detachment of the brush head requires two steps by using two hands to rotate the brush head then push it off from the dispensing platform.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a self-closing slit-spout is fastened to the outlet opening in the truncated dispensing platform.shows the attachment of self-closing slit spoutwith flow channelon outlet openingin truncated dispensing platform, which has flow channelin communication with the pumping chamber inside pump head(shown in) of toothpaste-dispensing toothbrush. A preferred method of attachment is by adhesive bonding. Baseof spoutmay be a non-circular shape to match with a mating non-circular shape recess in the truncated dispensing platform to prevent dislodging of the spout when the replaceable brush head is rotated to mount on or to detach from the truncated dispensing platform. Toothpaste-Dispensing Electric Toothbrush

Similarly, the various fastening configurations as described previously are applicable to a replaceable brush head of a toothpaste-dispensing electric toothbrush, or electric pump toothbrush, interchangeably. The toothpaste-dispensing electric toothbrush, or electric pump toothbrush, has a handle containing a power source and a motor driving a truncated dispensing platform and a replaceable brush head in vibrating motion for brushing.shows electric pump toothbrushhaving replaceable brush headand handle.

Brush headhas a stepped backsidemounted on truncated vibratory support platform, which is extended from handle. Handleincludes electric compartmenthaving power source, circuitry, and motorwith a vibrating mechanism, and dispensing compartmenthaving a pump headand refillable toothpaste cartridgeand cover. The toothpaste cartridge may be installed and removed for refilling by opening cover. Pump headincludes pumping chamber, one-way valveand actuator. When the actuator is depressed, the toothpaste in the pumping chamber is forced to exit from the spout to the top of the replaceable brush head. When the actuator is released from the depressed position, the vacuum force created draws toothpastefrom the toothpaste cartridge to replenish the pumping chamber and at the same time force slit spout(shown in) to close. The power source may be a battery or a rechargeable battery, and the motor itself may be a vibrator. The vibrator or a biased drive mechanism imparts vibration motion in both the truncated dispensing platform and the brush head. Switchis for actuating the vibration of the brush head.

shows replaceable brush headdetached from truncated support platform. Brush headhas through holein baseand truncated support platformhas spout, which engages with through hole. Furthermore, brush headhas latch postand lever notchin lever segment, which have the same features and functions of latch postand lever notchas described infor toothpaste-dispensing manual toothbrush. Truncated support platformhas top support interfacefor mating with first bottom interfaceand latch recessand neck postin neckfor engaging with latch postand lever notchof brush head, respectively. The features and functions of latch recessand neck postare the same as that of latch recessand neck postdescribed previously in.

The above various fastening configurations are applicable to a replaceable brush head for a conventional manual toothbrush or toothbrush, whose handle does not contain toothpaste. Here,shows toothbrushhaving replaceable brush headmounted on truncated support platformextended from handle. As shown in, stepped backsidehas elevated upper portionwith first bottom interfaceof a circular arc shape. Andshows replaceable brush headdetached from truncated support platform. Brush headhas short shaftin baseand truncated support platformhas circular recess, which engages with short shaft. Brush headhas latch postand lever notch, which have the same features and functions of latch postand lever notchas described infor toothpaste-dispensing manual toothbrush. Also, as shown in, truncated support platformhas top support interfacefor mating with first bottom interface. Latch recessand neck post, which have the same features and functions as latch recessand neck postdescribed previously in, are for engaging with latch postand lever notchof the brush head, respectively.

As an embodiment of the present invention, as shown inindependent replaceable brushhead comprises basehaving a front side attached with bristles and stepped backsidehaving elevated upper portionwith first bottom interfaceof a circular arc shape and lower portionhaving through holeand latch post. Lower portionhas lever segmenthaving second bottom interfaceand latch notch. Through holeand latch postrotationally engage with a top support interface, a spout and a latch groove in a truncated dispensing platform of a toothpaste dispensing toothbrush for locking and detaching the brush head from the truncated dispensing platform.

shows that another independent replaceable brush headcomprises basehaving a front side attached with bristles and stepped backsidehaving elevated upper portionwith first bottom interfaceof a circular shape, short shaft, latch post, and first bottom interface. Lower portionhas lever segmenthaving second bottom interfaceand latch notch. Short shaftand latch postrotationally engage with a top support interface, a circular recess and a latch groove in a truncated support platform of a manual toothbrush for locking and detaching brush headfrom the truncated support platform. In the exemplary embodiment of, the latch posts are of a stepped configuration and the latch grooves are of a stepped configuration. Additionally the lower portion has a lever segment having a second bottom interface and a latch notch for engaging with a corresponding bottom support interface and a neck latch post in the truncated toothbrush support platform.

The invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments thereof. However, it is understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.