Articulating toothbrush assembly

Abstract

A toothbrush assembly is disclosed which includes an articulating head portion for releasable supporting a brushhead, and which is configured to releasably mount a plurality of interchangeable dental accessory tools. A spring biased actuation member having a plurality of sprockets associated therewith is provided for effectuating incremental articulated movements of the brushhead supporting portion with respect to the handle of the toothbrush assembly to position the brushhead in a desired angular orientation.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An articulating toothbrush assembly which comprises: a) an elongated body portion having front and rear end sections, the front end section defining a yoke having first and second opposed yoke arms each having a toothed aperture extending at least partially therethrough;   b) a head portion dimensioned to extend between the opposed yoke arms and configured to support a brush member and having a bore extending therethrough including first and second spaced apart annular toothed areas and first and second spaced apart annular race areas;   c) an axle shaft extending through the toothed apertures of the yoke arms and the toothed bore of the head portion and having first, second and third spaced apart sprockets provided thereon for facilitating incremental articulation of the head portion with respect to the body portion; and   d) means positioned within the toothed aperture of the second yoke arm for biasing the axle shaft into an engaged position wherein the first sprocket is engaged in the toothed aperture of the first yoke arm, the second sprocket is engaged within the first toothed area of the bore, and the third sprocket is engaged within the second toothed area of the bore and the toothed aperture in the second yoke arm, whereby movement of the axle shaft against the bias of the biasing means moves the axle shaft from the engaged position to a disengaged position wherein the first and second sprockets are disposed within the first and second race areas of the bore and the third sprocket is engaged in the toothed aperture in the second yoke arm to permit articulated movement of the head portion of the toothbrush assembly relative to the body portion of the toothbrush assembly.   
     
     
       2. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein a reception port is formed in the head portion for releasably receiving a selected one of the brush member, and a plurality of interchangeable accessory tool members. 
     
     
       3. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein the brush member has an extension shaft which extends into the reception port and includes an integral engagement mechanism for releasably engaging an internal surface of the reception port. 
     
     
       4. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein an auxiliary reception port is provided at the rear end of the body portion for releasably receiving an accessory tool member. 
     
     
       5. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein the accessory tool member has an extension shaft which extends into the auxiliary reception port and includes an integral engagement mechanism for releasably engaging an internal surface of the auxiliary reception port. 
     
     
       6. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein the accessory tool member is selected from the group consisting of a dental pick, a dental mirror, a gum massager, and a dental floss dispenser. 
     
     
       7. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the biasing means comprises a coiled compression spring and an end cap is provided for retaining the spring in the toothed aperture of the second yoke arm. 
     
     
       8. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the sprockets provided on the axle shaft have the same number of teeth formed thereon. 
     
     
       9. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein each of the sprockets have between ten and thirty teeth formed thereon. 
     
     
       10. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein each of the sprockets have twenty-six teeth formed thereon. 
     
     
       11. An articulating structural assembly which comprises: a) an first structural portion including a yoke section having first and second opposed yoke arms each having a toothed aperture extending at least partially therethrough;   b) a second structural portion having a shank section dimensioned and configured to extend between the opposed yoke arms and having a bore extending therethrough which includes first and second spaced apart annular toothed areas and first and second spaced apart annular race areas;   c) an axle shaft extending through the toothed apertures and the bore and having first, second, and third spaced apart sprockets provided thereon for facilitating incremental articulated movements of the second structural portion with respect to the first structural portion; and   d) means positioned within the second yoke arm for biasing the axle shaft into an engaged position wherein the first sprocket is engaged in the toothed aperture of the first yoke arm, the second sprocket is engaged in the first toothed area of the bore, and the third sprocket is engaged in the second toothed area of the bore and the toothed aperture in the second yoke arm whereby movement of the axle shaft against the bias of the biasing means moves the axle shaft from the engaged position to a disengaged position wherein the first and second sprockets are disposed within the first and second race areas of the bore and the third sprocket is engaged in the toothed aperture of the second yoke arm to facilitate articulated movement of the second structural portion relative to the first structural portion.   
     
     
       12. A structural assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein the biasing means comprises a coiled compression spring and an end cap is provided for retaining the compression spring in the toothed aperture of the second yoke arm. 
     
     
       13. A structural assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein each sprocket has a plurality of teeth formed thereon. 
     
     
       14. A structural assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein each of the sprockets provided on the axle shaft have the same number of teeth formed thereon. 
     
     
       15. A structural assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein each of the sprockets have between ten and thirty teeth formed thereon. .Iadd. 
     
     
       16.  An articulating toothbrush assembly which comprises: a) an elongated body portion having front and rear end sections, the front end section defining a yoke having first and second opposed yoke arms, at least one of the yoke arms having a toothed aperture extending at least partially therethrough;   b) a head portion dimensioned to extend between the opposed yoke arms and configured to support a brush member and having a bore extending therethrough including at least one annular toothed area and at least one annular race area;   c) an axle shaft extending through the toothed aperture of the at least one yoke arm and the toothed bore of the head portion and having first and second sprockets provided thereon for facilitating incremental articulation of the head portion with respect to the body portion; and   d) a biasing member positioned within the toothed aperture of one of the at least one yoke arm to bias the axle shaft into an engaged position wherein the first sprocket is engaged in the toothed aperture of the at least one yoke arm, and the second sprocket is engaged within the at least one toothed area of the bore, whereby movement of the axle shaft against the bias of the biasing member moves the axle shaft from the engaged position to a disengaged position wherein the first sprocket is positioned within the race area of the bore and the second sprocket is disengaged from the toothed area of the bore to permit articulated movement of the head portion of the toothbrush assembly relative to the body portion of the toothbrush assembly. .Iaddend..Iadd.17. An articulating toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein each of the first and second opposed yoke arms has a toothed aperture extending at least partially therethrough, the at least one annular toothed area includes first and second annular toothed areas, and the axle shaft has a third sprocket provided thereon,   wherein in the engaged position, the first sprocket is engaged in the toothed aperture of the first yoke arm, the second sprocket is engaged within the first toothed area of the bore, and the third sprocket is engaged within the second toothed area of the bore and the toothed aperture in the second yoke arm, whereby movement of the axle shaft from the engaged position to the disengaged position disengages the second sprocket from the first toothed area of the bore and disengages the third sprocket from the second toothed area of the bore. .Iaddend..Iadd.18. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein a reception port is formed in the head portion, the reception port being configured to releasably receive a selected one of the brush member, and a plurality of interchangeable accessory tool members. .Iaddend..Iadd.19. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein the brush member has an extension shaft which extends into the reception port and includes an integral engagement member positioned to engage an internal surface of the   
     
     
        reception port. .Iaddend..Iadd.20.  A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein an auxiliary reception port is provided at the rear end of the body portion, the auxiliary reception port being configured to receive an accessory tool member. .Iaddend..Iadd.21. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 20, wherein the accessory tool member has an extension shaft which extends into the auxiliary reception port and includes an integral engagement member positioned to engage in internal surface of the auxiliary reception port. .Iaddend..Iadd.22. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 20, wherein the accessory tool member is selected from the group consisting of a dental pick, a dental mirror, a gum massager, and a dental floss dispenser. .Iaddend..Iadd.23. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein the biasing member comprises a spring and an end cap is provided for retaining the spring in the toothed aperture of the at least one yoke arm. .Iaddend..Iadd.24. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein each of the sprockets have between ten and thirty teeth formed thereon. .Iaddend..Iadd.25. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 24, wherein each of the sprockets have twenty-six teeth 
     
     
        formed thereon. .Iaddend..Iadd.26.  An articulating structural assembly which comprises: a) a first structural portion including a yoke section having first and second opposed yoke arms, at least one of the yoke arms having a toothed aperture extending at least partially therethrough;   b) a second structural portion having a shank section dimensioned and configured to extend between the opposed yoke arms and having a bore extending therethrough which includes at least one annular toothed area and at least one annular race area;   c) an axle shaft extending through the toothed aperture of the it least one yoke arm and the toothed bore of the second structural portion and having first and second sprockets provided thereon for facilitating incremental articulated movements of the second structural portion with respect to the first structural portion; and   d) a biasing member positioned within the second yoke arm, the biasing member biasing the axle shaft into an engaged position wherein the first sprocket is engaged in the toothed aperture of the at least one yoke arm, and the second sprocket is engaged in the at least one toothed area of the bore, whereby movement of the axle shaft against the bias of the biasing member moves the axle shaft from the engaged position to a disengaged position wherein the first sprocket is disposed within the at least one race area of the bore and the second sprocket is disengaged from the toothed area of the bore to facilitate articulated movement of the second structural portion relative to the first structural portion. .Iaddend.