Toothbrush

Abstract

Toothbrush having a base, a pair of laterally spaced arms extending from the base on opposite sides of an axis, a semicylindrical brush head formed in two separate sections which are disposed side-by-side on one side of the axis and extend from respective ones of the arms, with each of the sections including an arcuately curved side wall having an arc length of approximately 90 degrees centered about the axis, and bristles extending radially from the side walls toward the axis for simultaneous engagement with the top/bottom and both sides of a tooth. In one disclosed embodiment, the toothbrush is used manually, and in another it is used in conjunction with a drive motor.

1 . A toothbrush comprising a base, a pair of laterally spaced arms extending from the base on opposite sides of an axis, a semicylindrical brush head formed in two separate sections which are disposed side-by-side on one side of the axis and extend from respective ones of the arms, with each of the sections including an arcuately curved side wall having an arc length of approximately 90 degrees centered about the axis, and bristles extending radially from the side walls toward the axis for simultaneous engagement with the top/bottom and both sides of a tooth. 
     
     
         2 . The toothbrush of  claim 1  wherein the arms have inner sections which diverge from the base, middle sections which extend generally parallel to the axis, and outer sections which converge toward the axis, with the side walls of the brush head extending from the outer sections. 
     
     
         3 . The toothbrush of  claim 1  wherein the arms lie generally in a plane which passes through the axis, with an opening defined by tip portions of the bristles facing in a direction perpendicular to the plane for receiving the tooth. 
     
     
         4 . The toothbrush of  claim 3  wherein the arms are somewhat flexible in a direction toward and away from each other and relatively rigid in a direction perpendicular to the plane. 
     
     
         5 . The toothbrush of  claim 1  wherein the handle, the arms, and the side walls of the brush head are formed as a unitary structure of a semi-rigid plastic material. 
     
     
         6 . The toothbrush of  claim 1  wherein the base is an axially extending handle adapted to gripped by the hand of a person brushing his or her teeth. 
     
     
         7 . The toothbrush of  claim 1  wherein the base is adapted to be mounted to a drive motor, with the arms being movable relative to the base and being driven by the motor to effective a brushing movement of the bristles relative to the tooth. 
     
     
         8 . A toothbrush comprising an elongated handle, a pair of relatively flat arms of greater width than thickness extending from one end of the handle on opposite sides of an axis with the wide sides of the arms facing each other and each of the arms terminating in an arcuately curved side wall having an arc length of approximately 90 degrees, the two side walls together forming a semicylindrical brush head centered about the axis, and bristles extending radially from the side walls toward the axis for simultaneous engagement with the top/bottom and both sides of a tooth. 
     
     
         9 . The toothbrush of  claim 8  wherein the handle, the arms, and the side walls are formed as a unitary structure of a semi-rigid plastic material. 
     
     
         10 . The toothbrush of  claim 8  wherein the arms have inner sections which diverge from the from, middle sections which extend generally parallel to the axis, and outer sections which converge toward the axis, with the side walls extending from the outer sections. 
     
     
         11 . A toothbrush comprising a base which is mounted to a drive motor, a pair of laterally spaced arms which are driven by the motor and extend from the base on opposite sides of an axis, a semicylindrical brush head formed in two separate sections which are disposed side-by-side on one side of the axis and extend from respective ones of the arms, with each of the sections including an arcuately curved side wall having an arc length of approximately 90 degrees centered about the axis, and bristles extending radially from the side walls toward the axis for simultaneous engagement with the top/bottom and both sides of a tooth. 
     
     
         12 . The toothbrush of  claim 11  wherein each of the arms and the side wall extending therefrom is formed as a unitary structure of a semi-rigid plastic material.