US 5,259,086 AGranted

Musical toothbrush

AssigneeAdvanced Technology Products, Inc.

InventorPeter S. Fong

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Abstract

A musical toothbrush has a elongate handle having proximal and distal ends. Bristles are formed at the distal end of the elongate handle and a music box is removably attached to the proximal end of the elongate handle. The music box has a housing within which a music generator is disposed such that it may conveniently be actuated by a child prior to brushing the teeth. A retainer disposed within the housing releasably retains the toothbrush upon the handle. The retainer has a tensioner assembly and a plurality of teeth disposed proximate the tensioner assembly such that the proximal end of the toothbrush is positionable intermediate the tensioner assembly and the teeth. The tensioner assembly urges the proximal end of the toothbrush handle toward the teeth such that the tips of the teeth are substantially depressed and therefore frictionally engaged to the proximal end of the toothbrush handle. Thus, the music box is removably attachable to the proximal end of the toothbrush handle such that the toothbrush may be utilized with or without the music box in place.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A music box attachable to a toothbrush handle, said music box comprising:

a) a housing having an elongated opening defined thereby, the elongated opening having a longitudinal axis;
b) a music generation means disposed within said housing;
c) a retention means disposed within said housing for releasably retaining the toothbrush handle, said retention means comprising:
(i) a tensioner assembly;
and
(ii) a resilient frictional engagement means, said tensioner assembly and said engagement means being disposed at opposite sides of the opening in said housing, said engagement means comprising an plurality of teeth disposed proximate said tensioner assembly such that the toothbrush handle is positionable intermediate said tensioner assembly and said resilient frictional engagement means, said plurality of teeth comprising:
(a) front surfaces formed at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the opening in said housing;
(b) rear surfaces formed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the opening in said housing;
and
(c) wherein said angled front surfaces facilitate comparatively easy insertion of the toothbrush handle intermediate the tensioner assembly and the resilient frictional engagement means and said perpendicular rear surfaces facilitate comparatively difficult removal of the toothbrush handle therefrom, said tensioner assembly urging the toothbrush handle toward said plurality of teeth to depress said plurality of teeth;
and
(d) wherein said retentions means facilitates attachment of the toothbrush handle to said music box in a secure and detachable manner such that the music box is easily attachable to a toothbrush and comparatively more difficult to remove therefrom.

9 more elements

A sound generation means attachable to a toothbrush handle, said sound generation means comprising:

a) a housing having an elongated opening defined thereby, the elongated opening having a longitudinal axis;
b) a sound generation means disposed within said housing;
c) a retention means disposed within said housing of releasably retaining the toothbrush handle, said retention means comprising:
(i) a tensioner assembly;
and
(ii) a resilient frictional engagement means, said tensioner assembly and said engagement means being disposed at opposite sides o the opening in said housing, said engagement means comprising a plurality of teeth disposed proximate said tensioner assembly such that the toothbrush handle is positionable intermediate said tensioner assembly and said resilient frictional engagement means, said plurality of teeth comprising:
(a) a front surfaces formed at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the opening in said housing;
(b) rear surfaces formed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the opening in said housing;
and
(c) wherein said angles front surfaces facilitate comparatively easy insertion of the toothbrush handle intermediate the tensioner assembly and the resilient frictional engagement means and said perpendicular rear surfaces facilitate comparatively difficult removal of the toothbrush handle therefrom, said tensioner assembly urging the toothbrush handle toward said plurality of teeth to depress said plurality of teeth;
and
(d) wherein said retention means facilitates attachment of the toothbrush handle to said sound generation means in a secure and detachable manner such that the music box is easily attachable to a toothbrush and comparatively more difficult to remove therefrom.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.