Oral care assembly and method of use

Abstract

An oral care assembly that comprises a motorized toothbrush unit and a medications-dispensing or consumables-dispensing unit is disclosed. One embodiment of this invention shows the two joined together, with the toothbrush head collapsed and joined by securement members located in each unit, into a compact position for ease of storage and travel as well as for hygienic benefits. In another embodiment, the two units separated at the securement member locations and individually engaged as two separate devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oral care assembly comprising:
 a motorized toothbrush module; and   a dispenser module selectively engageable with and disengageable from the motorized toothbrush module and configured to store a plurality of consumables;   wherein the oral care assembly is selectively movable between a first configuration and a second configuration;   wherein when the oral care assembly is user-selected to be in the first configuration, the toothbrush module and the dispenser are engaged with one another to form a single unit;   wherein when the oral care assembly is user-selected to be in the second configuration, the toothbrush module and the dispenser module are disengaged from one another for separate usage.   
     
     
         2 . The oral care assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the toothbrush module further comprises:
 a handle that houses components of the toothbrush module;   a toothbrush head pivotably engaged with the handle, wherein the toothbrush head is movable between a collapsed position and an operating position;   control circuitry housed inside of the handle housing that is configured to instruct a motor to vibrate the toothbrush head.   
     
     
         3 . The toothbrush module of  claim 2 , wherein the handle further comprises:
 a top end;   a bottom end opposite to the top end; and   a cavity defined in the handle between the top end and the bottom end;   wherein a set of bristles of the toothbrush head is positioned inside of the cavity in the collapsed position; and   wherein the set of bristles of the toothbrush head is positioned outside of and vertically above the cavity in the operating position.   
     
     
         4 . The toothbrush module of  claim 2 , wherein the toothbrush module further comprises:
 a control button that operatively controls the control circuitry and is accessible when the toothbrush head is in the operating position, and wherein the control button is covered by the toothbrush head when the toothbrush head is in the collapsed position.   
     
     
         5 . The oral care assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the dispenser module further comprises:
 a housing;   a sleeve moveably disposed inside of the housing and configured to store a plurality of consumables;   a release assembly operably engaged with the housing and the sleeve to dispense at least one consumable of the plurality of consumables from the sleeve; and   a biaser assembly operably engaged with the sleeve to provide an upward force on the sleeve comprising at least one constant force spring and a biaser.   
     
     
         6 . The oral care assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the housing of the dispenser comprises a shelf that rests below the sleeve to elevate the consumables in the sleeve toward a dispenser opening for consumption. 
     
     
         7 . The oral care assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the housing of the dispenser comprises multiple sections that operably engage to form the exterior of the dispenser housing; and
 a chamber collectively defined by the first section and the second section.   
     
     
         8 . The oral care assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the interior chamber of the housing sections holds at least the sleeve and the biaser assembly. 
     
     
         9 . The oral care assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the release assembly of the dispenser further comprises:
 a top dispenser housing operably engaged with the housing;   a latch control component operably engaged with the top dispenser housing, wherein the latch control component is configured to be moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position relative to the sleeve;   wherein the top dispenser door is removably engaged with the sleeve;   wherein the sleeve is maintained in the housing when the latch control component is in the locked position;   wherein the sleeve contains an opening that allows for the reinstallation of the consumables into the dispenser module; and   wherein the sleeve is partially outside of the housing and dispenses at least one consumable from the dispenser module when the latch control component is in the unlocked position.   
     
     
         10 . The oral care assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the dispenser further comprises:
 a shelf that defines a floor of the volume of the consumables in the sleeve; and   wherein the biaser is a constant force spring having a first end operably engaged with the shelf and a second end opposite to the first end that operably engages with the top spring housing to maintain the upward bias of the shelf.   
     
     
         11 . The oral care assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the biaser is a constant force spring in the dispenser module is configured to provide a continuous upward force on the shelf causing the consumables to rest as close as possible to the top dispenser door. 
     
     
         12 . The oral care assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the biaser assembly further comprises:
 a second spring having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end;   a top spring housing operably engaged with the first end of the second spring and the sleeve; and   a spring retention base operably engaged with the second end of the second spring and with the housing, wherein the spring retention base is spaced apart from the sleeve.   
     
     
         13 . The oral care assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first securement member provided with the toothbrush module; and   a second securement member provided with the dispenser module;   wherein when the first securement member and second securement member operably engage with one another to releasably secure the two modules together to form the single unit.   
     
     
         14 . The oral care assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first securement member provided with the toothbrush module; and   a second securement member provided with the dispenser module;   wherein when the first securement member and second securement member operably engage with one another to releasably secure the two modules together to form a single unit.   
     
     
         15 . A method of using a toothbrush and a consumables dispenser unit comprising:
 providing a motorized toothbrush module and a dispenser module, wherein the motorized toothbrush module and dispenser module are releasably secured together;   loading a plurality of consumables into the dispenser module;   releasing the toothbrush module and the dispenser module from being connected to each other via the first and second securement members on each module;   applying toothpaste or another substance to the toothbrush bristles or toothbrush head to use in oral or other hygiene or cleaning;   engaging the interior circuitry of the toothbrush module so that the toothbrush head vibrates or otherwise moves to facilitate cleaning.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 actuating a release assembly of the dispenser module;   biasing a sleeve of the dispenser module, via a biaser assembly of the dispenser module, from a stored position to a dispensing position; and   dispensing one or more consumables from the sleeve of the dispenser module for consumption.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 engaging a first end of a constant force spring of the dispenser module with the sleeve;   engaging a second end of the constant force spring of the dispenser module with a shelf of the dispenser module;   biasing the shelf, via the constant force spring, inside of the sleeve; and   moving the plurality of consumables upwardly through the sleeve.   
     
     
         18 . An oral care assembly, comprising:
 a motorized toothbrush module that is moveable between a collapsed position and an operating position; and   a dispenser module selectively operably engageable with the motorized toothbrush module and configured to store a plurality of consumables;   wherein the oral car assembly is convertible between a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein when the oral care assembly is in the first configuration, the motorized toothbrush module and the dispenser are engaged with one another to form a single unit, and wherein when the oral care assembly is in the second configuration, the toothbrush module and the dispenser module are disengaged from one another;   wherein when the motorized toothbrush module is in the collapsed position, the toothbrush head is stored within the cavity in the handle housing.   
     
     
         19 . The toothbrush module of  claim 18 , further comprising a handle housing wherein there is an internal resting place in the handle housing for the toothbrush head and its attendant components, that defines the volume of a cavity therein. 
     
     
         20 . The oral care assembly of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a first securement member provided with the toothbrush module; and   a second securement member provided with the dispenser module;   wherein when the first securement member and second securement member operably engage with one another to releasably secure the two modules together to form a single compact unit for storage or travel with the toothbrush module being incapable of being engaged in this position.