Toothbrush

Abstract

An electric toothbrush features a handpiece and a detachable toothbrush head. The toothbrush head of toothbrush has a set of bristles and a coupling device for coupling it to a handpiece of the toothbrush. The toothbrush head includes a conduit for supplying a pasty, gel-type and/or liquid substance to be applied, in particular toothpaste. The coupling device has a conduit coupling for coupling the conduit to a conduit section on the handpiece side. A handpiece of the toothbrush has a coupling device for coupling the toothbrush head thereto. The handpiece includes a conduit for supplying a pasty, gel-type and/or liquid substance to be applied, in particular toothpaste. The coupling device has a conduit coupling for coupling the conduit on the handpiece side to the conduit on the brush head side. The conduit coupling comprises a control valve.

1 - 27 . (canceled) 
   
   
       28 . A toothbrush head attachable to and detachable from a handpiece of a toothbrush, the toothbrush head comprising:
 a multiplicity of bristles;   a conduit for supplying a substance from the handpiece to the toothbrush head; and   a coupler for coupling the toothbrush head to the handpiece, the coupler comprising a conduit coupler configured to couple the conduit of the toothbrush head to a conduit of the toothbrush handpiece,   wherein the conduit coupler comprises a valve arranged to be actuated by a valve actuator of the toothbrush handpiece, wherein:
 the valve is configured to be open when the toothbrush head is attached to the handpiece, 
 the valve is configured to be closed when the toothbrush head is detached from the handpiece, and 
 the conduit of the toothbrush head is closed when the valve is closed. 
   
   
   
       29 . The toothbrush head of  claim 28 , wherein the valve comprises:
 a body defining a passageway extending therethrough; and   an elastic partition wall positioned in the passageway and defining an elastically closing valve passageway opening.   
   
   
       30 . The toothbrush head of  claim 29 , wherein the valve passageway opening is centrally arranged. 
   
   
       31 . The toothbrush head of  claim 29 , wherein the valve passageway opening is slot-shaped. 
   
   
       32 . The toothbrush head of  claim 29 , wherein the elastic partition wall forms an elastic sealing lip, and the lip is configured to be actuated by the valve actuator of the handpiece. 
   
   
       33 . The toothbrush head of  claim 32 , wherein a portion of the periphery of the body of the valve is constricted proximate the sealing lip. 
   
   
       34 . The toothbrush head of  claim 28 , wherein the valve comprises an elastic valve opener which is elastically deformable and actuatable by an end of the handpiece conduit. 
   
   
       35 . The toothbrush head of  claim 34 , wherein the valve opener defines a coupling section for coupling the handpiece conduit thereto. 
   
   
       36 . The toothbrush head of  claim 34 , wherein the valve opener defines a neck, and the neck is elastically expansible radially by insertion of a portion of the handpiece conduit into the neck. 
   
   
       37 . The toothbrush head of  claim 36 , wherein the valve comprises an elastic sealing lip, and the lip defines a bottom of the neck. 
   
   
       38 . The toothbrush head of  claim 37 , wherein the sealing lip is connected with the valve opener such that radial expansion of the valve opener is configured to open the sealing lip. 
   
   
       39 . The toothbrush head of  claim 28 , wherein the valve comprises an elastic sealing lip, and the lip is configured to be actuated by the valve actuator of the handpiece. 
   
   
       40 . The toothbrush head of  claim 28 , wherein the valve is formed as a one-piece construction. 
   
   
       41 . The toothbrush head of  claim 28 , wherein the valve is a solid elastic body comprising soft plastic or rubber. 
   
   
       42 . The toothbrush head of  claim 28 , wherein the valve comprises a connecting section configured to couple the toothbrush head conduit. 
   
   
       43 . The toothbrush head of  claim 42 , wherein the connecting section comprises a circumferential bead seal. 
   
   
       44 . A toothbrush handpiece comprising:
 a conduit for supplying a substance from the handpiece to a toothbrush head attachable to the handpiece; and   a coupler for coupling the handpiece to the toothbrush head, the coupler comprising a conduit coupler configured to couple the conduit of the handpiece to a conduit of the toothbrush head,   wherein the conduit coupler comprises a valve arranged to be actuated by a valve actuator of the toothbrush head, wherein:
 the valve is configured to be open when the handpiece is attached to the toothbrush head, 
 the valve is configured to be closed when the handpiece is detached from the toothbrush head, and 
 the conduit of the handpiece is closed when the valve is closed. 
   
   
   
       45 . The toothbrush handpiece of  claim 44 , wherein the valve comprises:
 a body defining a passageway extending therethrough; and   an elastic partition wall positioned in the passageway and defining an elastically closing valve passageway opening.   
   
   
       46 . The toothbrush handpiece of  claim 45 , wherein the valve passageway opening is centrally arranged. 
   
   
       47 . The toothbrush handpiece of  claim 45 , wherein the valve passageway opening is slot-shaped. 
   
   
       48 . The toothbrush handpiece of  claim 45 , wherein the elastic partition wall forms an elastic sealing lip, and the lip is configured to be actuated by the valve actuator of the toothbrush head. 
   
   
       49 . The toothbrush handpiece of  claim 48 , wherein a portion of the periphery of the body of the valve is constricted proximate the sealing lip. 
   
   
       50 . The toothbrush handpiece of  claim 44 , wherein the valve comprises an elastic valve opener which is elastically deformable and actuatable by an end of the toothbrush head conduit. 
   
   
       51 . The toothbrush handpiece of  claim 50 , wherein the valve opener defines a coupling section for coupling the toothbrush head conduit thereto. 
   
   
       52 . The toothbrush handpiece of  claim 50 , wherein the valve opener defines a neck, and the neck is elastically expansible radially by insertion of a portion of the toothbrush head conduit into the neck. 
   
   
       53 . The toothbrush handpiece of  claim 52 , wherein the valve comprises an elastic sealing lip, and the lip defines a bottom of the neck. 
   
   
       54 . The toothbrush handpiece of  claim 53 , wherein the sealing lip is connected with the valve opener such that radial expansion of the valve opener is configured to open the sealing lip. 
   
   
       55 . The toothbrush handpiece of  claim 44 , wherein the valve comprises an elastic sealing lip, and the lip is configured to be actuated by the valve actuator of the toothbrush head. 
   
   
       56 . The toothbrush handpiece of  claim 44 , wherein the valve is formed as a one-piece construction. 
   
   
       57 . The toothbrush handpiece of  claim 44 , wherein the valve is a solid elastic body comprising soft plastic or rubber. 
   
   
       58 . The toothbrush handpiece of  claim 44 , wherein the valve comprises a connecting section configured to couple the handpiece conduit. 
   
   
       59 . The toothbrush handpiece of  claim 58 , wherein the connecting section comprises a circumferential bead seal. 
   
   
       60 . An electric toothbrush comprising
 a toothbrush head comprising a conduit;   a handpiece comprising a conduit; and   a coupler for coupling the handpiece to the toothbrush head, the coupler comprising:
 a conduit coupler configured to couple the conduit of the handpiece to the conduit of the toothbrush head; and 
 a valve configured to control a supply of substance from the handpiece to the toothbrush head, wherein:
 the valve is configured to be open when the handpiece is attached to the toothbrush head, 
 the valve is configured to be closed when the handpiece is detached from the toothbrush head, and 
 the conduit of the handpiece or the toothbrush head is closed when the valve is closed. 
 
   
   
   
       61 . The toothbrush of  claim 60 , wherein the toothbrush head comprises the coupler. 
   
   
       62 . The toothbrush of  claim 60 , wherein the handpiece comprises the coupler.