Finger-mounted toothbrush

Abstract

The present invention relates to a finger toothbrush 10 wherein the bristles 16 adjacent the tip 18 of the toothbrush 10 are the shortest in height to enhance the ability of the toothbrush to fit into the narrow space between the cheek and the facial surfaces of the rear molars to provide for the maneuverability necessary to achieve the desired cleaning of the rear molars.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A finger toothbrush  10  comprising: 
 a platform  14  having a longitudinal axis and three sets of opposed sides, the first set of opposed sides located generally perpendicular to and at the respective ends of the longitudinal axis form the tip  18  and rear end of said finger toothbrush  10 ;  
 the second set of opposed sides aligned with said longitudinal axis form the face  22  and back  32  of said platform  14 ;  
 the third set of opposed sides lying in planes generally transverse to the second set of opposed sides, form the respective edges  30  of said platform;  
 a plurality of rows of bristles  16  extending from said face  22 ; wherein  
 the row of bristles  16  furthest from the tip  18  are the tallest bristles as measured from the face  22  and the row of bristles closest to the tip  18  is shortest as measured from the face  22 .  
 
     
     
         2 . The finger toothbrush  10  of  claim 1 , wherein the height of the rows of bristles  16  located between the tallest row of bristles furthest from the tip  18  and the shortest row of bristles closest to the tip  18  are in the form of a ramp of linearly decreasing height.  
     
     
         3 . The finger toothbrush  10  of  claim 1 , wherein the height of the rows of bristles  16  located between the tallest row of bristles furthest from the tip  18  and the shortest row of bristles closest to the tip decreases arcuately.  
     
     
         4 . The finger toothbrush  10  of  claim 3 , wherein the arcuately decreasing heights of the bristles is in the form of a concave arc.  
     
     
         5 . The finger toothbrush of  claim 1 , wherein the bristle face  22  is divided into a first region furthest from the tip  18  and a second region closest to the tip  18  and the bristle tufts  16  in the first region linearly reduce in height from the bristle tufts  16  furthest from the tip  18  and the bristle tufts  16  in the second region closest to the tip  18  are of decreasing height with the bristle tufts  16  closest to the tip being the shortest.  
     
     
         6 . The finger toothbrush of  claim 5 , wherein the shortest bristle tufts include one, two or three rows of bristle tufts of equal height.  
     
     
         7 . The finger toothbrush of  claim 5 , wherein the longest bristle tufts include one, two or three rows of bristle tufts of equal height.  
     
     
         8 . The finger toothbrush of  claim 1  containing a generally tubular finger grip section  20 .  
     
     
         9 . The finger toothbrush of  claim 8 , wherein the generally tubular finger grip section  20  contains a slit  36 .  
     
     
         10 . The finger toothbrush of  claim 1 , wherein the platform  14  has an external rubber or elastomeric frame about the first and third set of opposed sides thereof.  
     
     
         11 . The finger toothbrush of  claim 10 , wherein the rubber or elastomeric frame extends onto the second set of opposed sides thereof.  
     
     
         12 . A process for manufacturing a finger toothbrush comprising the steps of molding an external rubber or elastomeric frame, overmolding within said external rubber or elastomeric frame a rigid plastic containing a platform  14  having a face  22  with a plurality of bristle holes therein, stapling bristle tufts  16  within said bristle holes, wherein the bristles  16  furthest from the tip  18  are the tallest bristles as measured from the face  22  and the bristles closest to the tip  18  is shortest as measured from the face  22 .  
     
     
         13 . The finger toothbrush  10  manufactured according to the process of  claim 12 , wherein the height of the rows of bristles  16  located between the tallest row of bristles furthest from the tip  18  and the shortest row of bristles closest to the tip  18  are in the form of a ramp of linearly decreasing height.  
     
     
         14 . The finger toothbrush  10  manufactured according to the process of  claim 12 , wherein the height of the rows of bristles  16  located between the tallest row of bristles furthest from the tip  18  and the shortest row of bristles closest to the tip decreases arcuately.  
     
     
         15 . The finger toothbrush  10  manufactured according to the process of  claim 12  containing a generally tubular finger grip section  20 .