Children's combination toothbrush and oral hygiene product dispenser

Abstract

A toothbrush and oral hygiene dispenser being adapted for use by a child. The dispenser provides an easily actuatable activator that, when operated, discharges a predetermined amount of an oral hygiene product from an orifice. The toothbrush may be adapted to automatically lift the toothbrush head off of a support surface. The toothbrush base and a handle on the dispenser may have similar aesthetics so as to provide improved communication to the child.

1 . An oral hygiene product dispenser comprising: 
 a housing for storing an oral hygiene product;    a base for vertically supporting said housing;    an orifice through which the oral hygiene product is dispensed, said orifice being substantially fixed in location; and    an activator for selectively advancing the oral hygiene product from said housing to ultimately through said orifice.    
   
   
       2 . The dispenser of  claim 1  wherein said orifice is integral with said base.  
   
   
       3 . The dispenser of  claim 1  wherein said orifice is integral with said housing.  
   
   
       4 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , in which the activator has normal and actuated positions, and in which an actuation force required to move the activator between the normal and actuated positions is less than about 50 Newtons.  
   
   
       5 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , in which the activator has normal and actuated positions, and in which an actuation force required to move the activator between the normal and actuated positions is less than about 25 Newtons.  
   
   
       6 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , in which the activator has normal and actuated positions, and in which an actuation force required to move the activator between the normal and actuated positions is less than about 15 Newtons.  
   
   
       7 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , in which the activator applies a manual force to discharge the oral hygiene product.  
   
   
       8 . The combination of  claim 1 , in which the activator initiates an electrically operated dispensing mechanism that applies a force to discharge the oral hygiene product.  
   
   
       9 . An oral hygiene product dispenser comprising: 
 a housing for storing an oral hygiene product;    a base for vertically supporting said housing;    an orifice through which the oral hygiene product is dispensed; and    an activator for selectively advancing the oral hygiene product from said housing to ultimately through said orifice, wherein said activator includes a lever, said lever having a distal end and a proximal end.    
   
   
       10 . The dispenser of  claim 9  further comprising a handle being attached to said proximal end of said lever.  
   
   
       11 . The dispenser of  claim 9  further comprising a disposable pouch for the containment of the oral hygiene product.  
   
   
       12 . The dispenser of  claim 9  wherein said housing includes a moveable lid to provide access to the inside of said housing.  
   
   
       13 . The dispenser of  claim 9  wherein the orifice is substantially fixed in location.  
   
   
       14 . The dispenser of  claim 9 , in which the activator has normal and actuated positions, and in which an actuation force required to move the activator between the normal and actuated positions is less than about 50 Newtons.  
   
   
       15 . The dispenser of  claim 9 , in which the activator has normal and actuated positions, and in which an actuation force required to move the activator between the normal and actuated positions is less than about 25 Newtons.  
   
   
       16 . The dispenser of  claim 9 , in which the activator has normal and actuated positions, and in which an actuation force required to move the activator between the normal and actuated positions is less than about 15 Newtons.  
   
   
       17 . A toothbrush and an oral hygiene product dispenser combination comprising: 
 an oral hygiene product dispenser comprising: 
 a housing for storing an oral hygiene product;  
 a base for vertically supporting said housing;  
 an orifice through which the oral hygiene product is dispensed;  
 an activator for selectively advancing the oral hygiene product from said housing to ultimately through said orifice, wherein said activator includes a lever and a handle, said lever having a distal end and a proximal end, said handle being attached to said proximal end of said lever;  
   a toothbrush comprising: 
 a handle having a proximal end and a distal end;  
 a brush head associated with said distal end defining a toothpaste receiving surface; and  
 an enlarged base being coupled to said proximal end;  
 wherein said handle of said dispenser and said enlarged base of said toothbrush look substantially the same so as to provide improved communication to a child.  
   
   
   
       18 . The dispenser of  claim 17 , in which the activator has normal and actuated positions, and in which an actuation force required to move the activator between the normal and actuated positions is less than about 50 Newtons.  
   
   
       19 . The dispenser of  claim 17 , in which the activator has normal and actuated positions, and in which an actuation force required to move the activator between the normal and actuated positions is less than about 25 Newtons.  
   
   
       20 . The dispenser of  claim 17 , in which the activator has normal and actuated positions, and in which an actuation force required to move the activator between the normal and actuated positions is less than about 15 Newtons.