Toothbrush

Abstract

A toothbrush comprises: a main body including a handle wall portion defining a rear passage portion, and formed with an elongate slot, the slot being in spatial communication with the rear passage portion; a toothpaste material received in the handle wall portion; and a driving member extending through the slot into the handle wall portion. The driving member is slidable along the slot so that the toothpaste material is moved forwardly onto a bristle mounting surface along the rear passage portion.

1 . A toothbrush, comprising:
 a main body including a head wall portion, a handle wall portion connected to and disposed behind said head wall portion, and an inner passage having a front passage portion formed in said head wall portion, and a rear passage portion formed through said handle wall portion and connected to said front passage portion, said head wall portion having a bristle mounting surface, said front passage portion extending through said bristle mounting surface, said handle wall portion having a rear free end, extending rearwardly from a rear end of said head wall portion along the length of said main body, and being formed with an elongate slot, said rear passage portion having an end opening at a rear end thereof, said slot being in spatial communication with said rear passage portion, having a front end disposed between said head wall portion and said rear free end of said handle wall portion, and extending along the length of said main body from said front end through said rear free end of said handle wall portion, said rear passage portion having a paste receiving segment disposed between said front passage portion and said front end of said slot; a toothpaste material received in said paste receiving segment of said rear passage portion and having a rear end; a driving member extending through said slot and into said rear passage portion and having an operating end disposed on an exterior of said handle wall portion, and a driving end disposed in said rear passage portion and in contact with said rear end of said toothpaste material in said paste receiving segment of said rear passage portion, said driving member being slidable along said slot so as to push said toothpaste material to move forwardly along said front and rear passage portions; and a plurality of bristles mounted on said bristle mounting surface.   
     
     
         2 . The toothbrush of  claim 1 , further comprising
 a plug inserted through said end opening of said rear passage portion and into said rear passage portion and covering said end opening of said rear passage portion.   
     
     
         3 . The toothbrush of  claim 1 , wherein said driving member includes a rod portion disposed in said rear passage portion, a knob portion disposed on an exterior of said handle wall portion, and a connecting portion extending through said slot and connected between said knob portion and said knob portion, said knob portion defining said operating end of said driving member, said rod portion defining said driving end of said driving member. 
     
     
         4 . The toothbrush of  claim 3 , wherein said paste receiving segment of said rear passage portion has two opposite ends terminated at an adjacent end of said front passage portion and said front end of said slot, respectively, said rod portion having an insertion section that extends from said driving end of said driving member to an adjacent end of said connecting portion and that has a length substantially the same as that of said paste receiving segment, said handle wall portion having a slot-defining surface that defines said front end of said slot, said driving member being slidable along said slot between a first position, in which said insertion section is disposed outside of said paste receiving segment and in which said knob portion is spaced apart from said front end of said slot, and a second position, in which said insertion section is substantially entirely received within said paste receiving segment and in which said knob portion is disposed at said front end of said slot and abuts against said slot-defining surface. 
     
     
         5 . The toothbrush of  claim 1 , wherein said driving end of said driving member has a perimeter substantially the same as that of said rear passage portion. 
     
     
         6 . A toothbrush comprising:
 a main body including a head wall portion, and a handle wall portion, extending rearwardly from a rear end of said head wall portion along the length of said main body, and an inner passage having a front passage portion formed in said head wall portion, and a rear passage portion formed in said handle wall portion and connected to said front passage portion, said head wall portion having a bristle mounting surface, said front passage portion extending through said bristle mounting surface, said handle wall portion having a first segment and a second segment connected to said first segment, said first segment having a rear end face, said rear passage portion extending through said rear end face, and having an end opening surrounded by said rear end face, said second segment defining an inner compartment that is in spatial communication with said end opening of said rear passage portion, and being formed with a slot in spatial communication with said inner compartment;   a paste dispenser disposed in said inner compartment and including a barrel and a pump, said barrel having a front open end defining a paste chamber adapted to receive a toothpaste material therein, said pump including a drawing tube having a discharging end, an abutment flange secured to and protruding outwardly from said drawing tube, a cartridge extending into said paste chamber and secured to said front open end of said barrel, and an urging member, said drawing tube extending into said cartridge in a direction and through said end opening of said rear passage portion into said rear passage portion in an opposite direction, the assembly of said barrel and said cartridge being telescopically movable relative to the assembly of said abutment flange and said drawing tube, said urging member urging the assembly of said barrel and said cartridge to move telescopically away from the assembly of said abutment flange and said drawing tube, said abutment flange constantly abutting against said rear end face of said first segment during telescopic movement between the assembly of said barrel and said cartridge and the assembly of said abutment flange and said drawing tube; and   a driving member extending through said slot and into said inner compartment to connect with said barrel, and having an operating end disposed on an exterior of said second segment, said driving member being slidable along said slot to drive telescopic movement between the assembly of said barrel and said cartridge and the assembly of said abutment flange and said drawing tube.   
     
     
         7 . The toothbrush of  claim 6 , wherein said handle wall portion further has an interconnecting segment interconnecting said first and second segments, said interconnecting segment flaring rearwardly from said first segment and having a rear end, said second segment having a front end that is coupled detachably to said rear end of said interconnecting segment. 
     
     
         8 . The toothbrush of  claim 7 , wherein said interconnecting segment has a bell shape and defines an inner space therein, said urging member being sleeved on said drawing tube and abutting against said abutment flange, said urging member and said abutment flange being received in said inner space in said interconnecting segment. 
     
     
         9 . The toothbrush of  claim 6 , wherein said driving member includes a sleeve portion disposed in said inner compartment, and a knob portion extending from said sleeve portion, received in said slot, and defining said operating end, said barrel being provided with an annular flange protruding therefrom, said sleeve portion being sleeved on said barrel and abutting against said annular flange.