Toothbrush with rotating head

Abstract

A toothbrush having a longitudinal axis, comprising a handle, the handle including a neck, a head including a bed and bristles extending from the bed, a socket enclosure forming part of and extending outwardly from a rear of the bed, the socket enclosure having a socket defined therein, a rotator connected to the neck and extending into the socket capable of moving freely within the socket while still being unable to leave said socket, the head capable of rotating, upon the head being pressed against a teeth and/or gums of a user, in a front and back direction in relation to the handle and/or a side to side direction in relation to the handle or to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush. The rotation reduces an amount of manual rotation of the toothbrush performed by the user.

1 . A toothbrush designed to reduce an amount of manual rotation of the toothbrush performed by the user, comprising:
 a handle, the handle including a neck,   a head including a bed and bristles extending from the bed,   the bed including a socket enclosure extending outwardly away from the bristles, the socket enclosure having a socket defined in said socket enclosure,   a rotator integrally and rigidly connected to the neck and extending into the socket, the rotator free to move within said socket, the rotator and an entrance into the socket enclosure shaped so as to prevent the rotator from leaving the socket when said rotator moves within said socket,   the head capable of rotating, upon the head being pressed against a teeth and/or gums of a user, in a front and back direction in relation to the handle and/or a side to side direction in relation to the handle.   
   
   
       2 . The toothbrush of  claim 1 , wherein the head is capable of rotating, upon the head being pressed against the teeth and/or gums of the user, in both the front and back direction in relation to the handle and the side to side direction in relation to the handle. 
   
   
       3 . The toothbrush of  claim 2 , wherein the rotator is a ball and wherein a clearance exists between the ball and an inside wall of the socket enclosure. 
   
   
       4 . The tooth brush of  claim 1 , wherein the rotator is a ball and wherein a clearance exists between the ball and an inside wall of the socket enclosure. 
   
   
       5 . The toothbrush of  claim 2 , wherein a range of front and back motion of the head caused by the rotator is between approximately 20 rotational degrees and approximately 40 rotational degrees. 
   
   
       6 . The toothbrush of  claim 2 , wherein a range of front and back motion of the head by the rotator is between approximately 10 rotational degrees and approximately 50 rotational degrees. 
   
   
       7 . The toothbrush of  claim 2 , wherein a range of side to side motion of the head by the rotator is between approximately 20 rotational degrees and approximately 40 rotational degrees. 
   
   
       8 . The toothbrush of  claim 2 , wherein a range of side to side motion of the head by the rotator is between approximately 10 rotational degrees and approximately 50 rotational degrees. 
   
   
       9 . The toothbrush of  claim 2 , wherein the rotation of the head is sufficient to obviate a need for the user to turn the toothbrush manually. 
   
   
       10 . The toothbrush of  claim 1 , wherein the neck is flexible. 
   
   
       11 . A toothbrush designed to reduce an amount of manual rotation of the toothbrush performed by the user, comprising:
 a handle, the handle including a neck,   a head including a bed and bristles extending from the bed,   the head including a head extension, the head extension having a groove,   a rotator integrally connected to and extending from the neck, the rotator having a first surface that is adjacent to and conforms to a shape of the groove,   a flexible wire traversing the rotator from the first surface to a second surface, the wire attached to the head extension at the groove and attached to the rotator at the second surface,   the head capable of rotating, upon the head being pressed against a teeth and/or gums of a user, in a front and back direction in relation to the handle and/or a side, to side direction in relation to the handle.   
     a handle, the handle including a neck, 
   
   
       12 . The toothbrush of  claim 11 , wherein the head is capable of rotating, upon the head being pressed against the teeth and/or gums of the user, in both the front and back direction in relation to the longitudinal axis and the side to side direction in relation to the longitudinal axis. 
   
   
       13 . The toothbrush of  claim 12 , wherein the rotator is a ball and wherein a clearance exists between the ball and an inside wall of the socket enclosure. 
   
   
       14 . The tooth brush of  claim 11 , wherein the rotator is a ball and wherein a clearance exists between the ball and an inside wall of the socket enclosure. 
   
   
       15 . The toothbrush of  claim 11 , wherein a range of front and back motion of the head caused by the rotator is between approximately 20 rotational degrees and approximately 40 rotational degrees. 
   
   
       16 . The toothbrush of  claim 11 , wherein a range of front and back motion of the head by the rotator is between approximately 10 rotational degrees and approximately 50 rotational degrees. 
   
   
       17 . The toothbrush of  claim 11 , wherein a range of side to side motion of the head by the rotator is between approximately 20 rotational degrees and approximately 40 rotational degrees. 
   
   
       18 . The toothbrush of  claim 11 , wherein a range of side to side motion of the head by the rotator is between approximately 10 rotational degrees and approximately 50 rotational degrees. 
   
   
       19 . The toothbrush of  claim 11 , wherein the rotation of the head is sufficient to obviate a need for the user to turn the toothbrush manually.