Toothbrush

Abstract

A toothbrush includes a flexible neck connecting the head to the handle. The handle is a stout handle which is wider than the width of the head. At least a portion of the handle has a channel in its outer surface to reduce the amount of material of said handle.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A toothbrush comprising a handle, a head having a front surface and a rear surface, cleaning elements mounted outwardly from said front surface, a flexible neck connecting said head to said handle, said handle being a stout handle being wider than the width of said head, and at least a portion of said handle having a void to reduce the amount of material of said handle.  
     
     
         2 . The toothbrush of  claim 1  wherein said handle has at least one channel in its outer surface to comprise said void.  
     
     
         3 . The toothbrush of  claim 2  wherein said handle has a front surface on the same side of said handle as said front surface of said head and a rear surface on the same side of said handle as said rear surface of said head, and said channel being located in said front surface of said handle.  
     
     
         4 . The toothbrush of  claim 3  including a further channel located in said rear surface of said handle in the general area of said neck.  
     
     
         5 . The toothbrush of  claim 2  wherein said channel is of stepped formation having a shallow portion and an intermediate portion and a deep portion.  
     
     
         6 . The toothbrush of  claim 2  wherein said channel is in a side surface of said handle.  
     
     
         7 . The toothbrush of  claim 6  wherein said channel extends completely through said handle from one side surface to the opposite side surface.  
     
     
         8 . The toothbrush of  claim 2  wherein said handle has a front surface on the same side of said handle as said front surface of said head, said handle having a rear surface on the same side as said rear surface of said head, each of said front surface of said handle and said rear surface of said handle having an outwardly curved profile to provide a bulge in the side profile of said handle.  
     
     
         9 . The toothbrush of  claim 8  wherein said channel is in said front surface of said handle.  
     
     
         10 . The toothbrush of  claim 9  including a further channel in said rear surface of said handle located in the general area of said neck.  
     
     
         11 . The toothbrush of  claim 8  wherein said front surface is a smooth curve from the remote tip of said handle to said neck, and said rear surface of said handle having an S-shaped curve.  
     
     
         12 . The toothbrush of  claim 1  wherein said flexible neck is in the form of a joint having an undulated outer surface of varying thickness.  
     
     
         13 . The toothbrush of  claim 12  wherein said joint comprises a plurality of outwardly extending rings interconnected by reduced diameter connections, and said neck being made of a flexible elastomeric material.  
     
     
         14 . The toothbrush of  claim 1  wherein said flexible neck includes an aperture extending completely through said neck, a backbone on one side of said aperture, and a bridge on the opposite side of said aperture.  
     
     
         15 . The toothbrush of  claim 13  wherein said bridge is of an undulated formation having inward and outward bends.  
     
     
         16 . The toothbrush of  claim 14  wherein said bridge includes a single centrally located inward bend.  
     
     
         17 . The toothbrush of  claim 1  wherein said cleaning elements comprise bristles having a side profile in the form of a wave.  
     
     
         18 . A toothbrush comprising a handle, a head having a front surface and a rear surface, cleaning elements mounted outwardly from said front surface, a flexible neck connecting said head to said handle, said flexible neck including an aperture extending completely through said neck from one side surface to the opposite side surface, a backbone extending longitudinally over said aperture, a bridge extending longitudinally over said aperture remote from said backbone, and said bridge including at least one inwardly directed indent.  
     
     
         19 . The toothbrush of  claim 18  wherein said bridge is of undulated structure having a plurality of indents.  
     
     
         20 . The toothbrush of  claim 18  wherein said bridge has a single inwardly directed centrally located indent.