Field of the invention
The present invention relates generally to toothbrushes and more particularly, it relates to a toothbrush having timer means for informing a user about the optimum time duration for brushing teeth.
Background of the invention
A bright smile with confidence builds one's personality. But to ensure that the bright smile stays takes a disciplined approach towards maintaining oral hygiene. Dentists advise that one of the most important facets of maintaining oral hygiene is brushing your teeth correctly for an optimum period of time.
There are many advantages of brushing teeth in the manner prescribed by dentists. Brushing helps in removing invisible colorless sticky film from outer and inner surface of the teeth called plaque that can be very harmful for the teeth. Further, brushing prevents tooth decay and helps in making gums stronger. It also prevents halitosis (bad breath), while maintaining integrity of the enamel and keeps it shining.
People generally think they're brushing long enough, however in reality most people spend less than a minute for brushing their teeth. The problem is even more acute with children because they generally tend to shirk brushing their teeth and even when they do, they get impatient while brushing and is very difficult to entice them to brush for the recommended duration. To make sure you're doing a thorough job and not missing any spots, dentists advise to brush teeth for about 3 minutes twice a day for adults and for about 1 minute for kids instead of brushing quickly five or more times through the day.
Various patents are available that provide a toothbrush having acoustic or visual aids in combination with timer means. However, these innovations are suitable for specific individual purposes that they address and do not a reliable method of informing the user about the optimum brushing time duration.
US Patent Number 3,261,978 shows a dental cleaning apparatus, which enables persons to better clean their teeth. A light in the toothbrush is used to fluoresce a dye contained in the toothpaste and thereby detect unclean areas. US Patent Number 4,253,212 illustrates a training appliance for tooth brushing. A sound emitting device and/or light-emitting device
actuated by brushing movement are provided in the stem of the toothbrush. These devices sense the reciprocating motion and rotational motion of the brush and the pressure being applied on brushing. In one embodiment, a hollow cylindrical body containing a ball or the like is connected to the stem of the brush, so that when the toothbrush is moved back and forth, the ball contacts an electrode that completes a circuit to emit the sound or light. US Patent Number 4,779,173 defines an illuminated brush device having a head, a handle associated with the head, a light source in the handle, and a source for energizing the light source. However, this illuminated brush device has no provision for informing the user about the optimum time duration for brushing their teeth.
US Patent Number 5,184,959 relates to a programmable toothbrush alarm unit. The programmable device emits an audible alarm to indicate one or more pre-selected tooth brushing times. The toothbrush includes a display member set in a device housing, the housing having a number of toothbrush accommodating slots, each of the toothbrush-accommodating slots having an alarm switch associated therewith, the switch being disposed in an individual alarm circuit. The alarm switch is activated and reset by removal and insertion of the toothbrush into the slot.
There exists a need for a toothbrush that can be programmed to inform the user about the optimum brushing time duration using visual signals.
Objects and summary of the invention
The object of the present invention is to obviate the above mentioned drawbacks in the prior art and to provide a toothbrush having timer means that can be programmed for informing a user about the optimum time duration for brushing teeth.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush that can inform the user about the brushing time duration through visual signals.
To achieve said objectives this invention provides a flashing toothbrush for indicating time limit for brushing comprising:
a toothbrush,
said toothbrush having a hollow section at the end of the handle of said
toothbrush,
flashing means along with batteries placed in said hollow section, and switching means for switching said flashing means.
A covering means is provided to cover said flashing means and switching means in the hollow section of the handle of said toothbrush.
The covering means is a rubber cap that on pressing from the bottom operates the flashing means.
The hollow section at the end of the handle of said toothbrush is transparent.
The flashing means comprising an IC circuit connected to LED at its output.
The IC circuit is a programmed chip for desired time.
The chip is programmed for a period of 60 seconds for kids.
The chip is programmed for a period of 180 seconds for adults.
Three batteries of 1.5 volts each are used for illuminating said flashing means.
The said batteries are button batteries.
Brief description of the accompanying drawings
The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the toothbrush as provided by the present invention.
Detailed description of the accompanying drawings
The toothbrush as provided by the present invention can be programmed for indicating the minimum time limit for brushing. This lets children and adults to develop a habit of brushing for optimum time duration as suggested by dentists tor maintaining good oral and dental hygiene.
Figure 1 shows the perspective view of the toothbrush as provided by the present invention. The toothbrush includes a brushing head having bristles 1.1 and an elongated handle 1.3 having a hollow section at the end of the handle.
In the hollow section of the toothbrush, an assembly of a flashing means 1.2, timer means 1.4 spring 1.5 and elongated contacts 1.6 is inserted. The hollow section is transparent to allow light of the flashing means to be visible outside the handle while-brushing. A waterproof rubber cap 1.8 is sealed with the toothbrush handle 1.3 using an adhesive for protecting the electronic circuit inside the handle 1.3 from foam and water while brushing.
In a preferred embodiment, the flashing means 1.2 is at least one LED driven by electric power drawn from one or more batteries 1.7. Further, the timing means 1.4 is an integrated circuit (IC) that can be programmed for allowing current to pass through a circuit for a predetermined period of time. The batteries used in this embodiment are three button type batteries of 1.5 Volt each.
The circuit between the flashing means 1.2, batteries 1.8 and the timing means 1.4 is not complete when the batteries are not in contact with the spring 1.5. In the normal position i.e. before the user starts using the toothbrush this circuit is not complete.
However, when the user wishes to use the toothbrush he/she pushes down the cover 1.8 at the end of the brush handle. As a result, the batteries 1.7 are pushed up and come in contact with the spring 1.5. This action completes the circuit inside the brush handle 1.3 and current starts to flow from the batteries 1.7 to the flashing means 1.2 resulting in the flashing of the flashing means 1.2. Elongated contacts 1.6 that are in contact with all the three batteries used in the preferred embodiment ensure that a power of 4.5 Volts is drawn from all the batteries combined.
After the circuit is completed, the flashing means 1.2 flash for a pre-determined duration of time. This effect is achieved using a timing means 1.4, preferably an Integrated circuit that has been programmed in such a way that the circuit remains active for the pre-determined duration of time. The pre-determined duration is about 80 seconds in brushes meant for kids and about 180 seconds in brushes meant for adults. After the time duration expires, current flow is cut off and the flashing means stops flashing. This ensures that the user is informed
that in order to brush teeth for the optimum time duration as recommended by dentists, he/she has to keep brushing until the flashing means in the brush are flashing.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described only for providing an
example. A number of modifications and rearrangements can be carried out by a person
skilled in the art to achieve equivalent results without departing from the essential spirit of
the invention.

We claim:
1. A flashing toothbrush for indicating time limit for brushing comprising:
a toothbrush,
said toothbrush having a hollow section at the end of the handle of said
toothbrush,
flashing means along with batteries placed in said hollow section, and
switching means for switching said flashing means.
2. The flashing toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 wherein a covering means is provided to cover said flashing means and switching means in the hollow section of the handle of said toothbrush.
3. The flashing toothbrush as claimed in claim 2 wherein said covering means is a rubber cap which on pressing from the bottom operates the flashing means.
4. The flashing toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hollow section at the end of the handle of said toothbrush is transparent.
5. The flashing toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 wherein said flashing means comprising an IC circuit connected to LED at its output.
6. The flashing toothbrush as claimed in claim 5 wherein said IC circuit is a programmed chip for desired time.
7. The flashing toothbrush as claimed in claim 6 wherein said chip is programmed for a period of 60 seconds for kids.
8. The flashing toothbrush as claimed in claim 6 wherein said chip is programmed for a period of 180 seconds for adults.
9. The flashing toothbrushes as claimed in claim 1 wherein the 3 batteries of 1.5 volts each are used for illuminating said flashing means.
10. The flashing toothbrush as claimed in claim 9 wherein said batteries are button batteries.
11. The flashing toothbrush for indicating time limit for brushing substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.