U.S. patent application number 10/677553 was filed with the patent office on 2005-04-07 for toothbrush having a uniform, smooth and continuous wall of bristles.
This patent application is currently assigned to Colgate-Palmolive Company. Invention is credited to Hohlbein, Douglas J., Russell, Bruce M..
Application Number | 20050071940 10/677553 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34393741 |
Filed Date | 2005-04-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050071940 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hohlbein, Douglas J. ; et
al. |
April 7, 2005 |
Toothbrush having a uniform, smooth and continuous wall of
bristles
Abstract
A toothbrush, either manual or powered, including an elongated
member with a head at one end and a handle at the other end. The
toothbrush is generally aligned along a central longitudinal axis.
The head having a brush face including a brush cavity from which a
plurality of bristles extend. The bristles being arranged in a
plurality of bristle tufts so as to extend generally perpendicular
to the central longitudinal axis. The toothbrush also includes a
plurality of lateral support members extending upwardly from a base
of the brush cavity. The bristles are attached to the toothbrush by
an attachment device provided in the brush cavity. The attachment
device engages at least one of the tufts and secures the tuft
between adjacent lateral support members. The attachment device
includes a bottom edge and a top edge. Each of the lateral support
members extend to a predetermined height from the base of the brush
cavity so as to reach at least the height of the bottom edge of
said attachment device in the brush cavity.
Inventors: |
Hohlbein, Douglas J.;
(Pennington, NJ) ; Russell, Bruce M.; (Howell,
NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
COLGATE-PALMOLIVE COMPANY
909 RIVER ROAD
PISCATAWAY
NJ
08855
US
|
Assignee: |
Colgate-Palmolive Company
|
Family ID: |
34393741 |
Appl. No.: |
10/677553 |
Filed: |
October 2, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/167.1 ;
15/195 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B 3/00 20130101; A46B
9/04 20130101; A46B 9/028 20130101; A46B 2200/1066 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/167.1 ;
015/195 |
International
Class: |
A46B 009/04 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A toothbrush comprising: an elongated member having a head at
one end and a handle at the other end, generally aligned along a
central longitudinal axis, said head having a brush face including
a cavity from which a plurality of bristles extend, said plurality
of bristles being arranged in a plurality of tufts so as to extend
generally perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis; a
plurality of lateral support members extending upwardly from a base
of the brush cavity; attachment means provided in said brush cavity
for engaging at least one of the plurality of tufts and for
securing said one tuft between adjacent lateral support members,
said attachment means having a bottom edge and a top edge, and
wherein each of the lateral support members extends to a
predetermined height from the base of the brush cavity so as to
reach at least the height of the bottom edge of said attachment
means in said brush cavity.
2. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the lateral support member
extends to a predetermined height between the bottom edge of the
attachment means and the brush face.
3. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality
of tufts is affixed by the attachment means between one of the
plurality of lateral support members and a side edge of the brush
cavity.
4. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein attachment means is a metal
staple.
5. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the lateral support members
are substantially U-shape.
6. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the lateral support members
enable the bristles of the plurality of tufts to contact one
another at a point in the cavity below the brush face.
7. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein said attachment means forms a
substantially uniform continuous layer of bristles extending from
the brush face.
8. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the lateral support member
has a non-flat top surface.
9. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the lateral support walls are
curved.
10. A powered toothbrush comprising: an elongated member having a
head at one end and a handle at the other end, generally aligned
along a central longitudinal axis, said head having a brush face
including a cavity from which a plurality of bristles extend, said
plurality of bristles being arranged in a plurality of tufts so as
to extend generally perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis;
a plurality of lateral support members extending upwardly from a
base of the brush cavity; attachment means provided in said cavity
at least for engaging one of the plurality of tufts and for
securing said one tuft between adjacent lateral support members,
said attachment means having a bottom edge and a top edge, and
wherein each of the lateral support members extends to a
predetermined height from the base of the brush cavity so as to
reach at least the height of the bottom edge of said attachment
means in said brush cavity.
11. The toothbrush of claim 11, wherein the lateral support member
extends to a predetermined height between the bottom edge of the
attachment means and the brush face.
12. The toothbrush of claim 11, wherein at least one of the
plurality of tufts is affixed by the attachment means between one
of the plurality of lateral support members and a side edge of the
brush cavity.
13. The toothbrush of claim 11, wherein attachment means is a metal
staple.
14. The toothbrush of claim 11, wherein the lateral support members
are substantially U-shape.
15. The toothbrush of claim 11, wherein the lateral support members
enable the bristles of the plurality of tufts to contact one
another at a point in the cavity below the brush face.
16. The toothbrush of claim 11, wherein said attachment means forms
a substantially uniform continuous layer of bristles extending from
the brush face.
17. The toothbrush of claim 11, wherein the lateral support member
has a non-flat top surface.
18. The toothbrush of claim 11, wherein the lateral support walls
are curved.
19. The toothbrush of claim 11, wherein the lateral support member
extends to a predetermined height between the top edge of the
attachment means and a top surface of said brush face.
20. A lateral support member for holding bristles in a toothbrush
comprising: a substantially U-shaped formation formed in a cavity
of the toothbrush, at least one leg of the U-shaped formation
extending to a point between a bottom edge of a staple and a brush
face of the toothbrush securing the bristles to the toothbrush.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a toothbrush with bristles
attached in such a manner to create a uniform, smooth and
continuous wall thereof, and more particularly, to a toothbrush
with means for supporting the toothbrush bristles to achieve a
uniform, smooth and continuous wall of bristles using conventional
staple bristle attachment methods.
[0003] 2. Discussion of Related Art
[0004] Truly continuous smooth bristle bars are not new in the art
(see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,021), but have only been
achieved using new staple-less manufacturing technologies. These
new manufacturing techniques, such as IMT, Fusion and AFT, are
somewhat complex resulting in high capital cost and long lead
times. It has therefore been found desirable to create continuous
smooth bristle bars by utilizing conventional staple technology due
to its lower overall cost.
[0005] Attempts have been made in the past with limited success to
achieve smooth bristle bars utilizing conventional staple
technology. For instance, simulated bristle bars have been achieved
in the past using individual square tuft holders placed very close
to one another, to minimize the space between tufts. Examples of
this manufacturing technique are described in U.S. Pat. No.
5,446,940, owned by the same assignee as this application. A
similar technique is described in U.S. Patent Publication No.
2001/0023516, with a "transverse wall" located between each
tuft.
[0006] A disadvantage of the above-noted prior art of U.S. Pat. No.
5,446,940 is the small "bridge" of plastic required between each
tuft. This "bridge" runs flush with the top surface of the brush
face, and causes a small gap A (see FIG. 1) in the bristles as they
exit the tuft holes. As a result, the bristles cannot form a
uniform, continuous and smooth wall, as the bristles "merge" from
the tuft hole. It has therefore been found desirable to create a
uniform bristle bar for bristles in a toothbrush with no gaps as
the bristles leave the brush face.
[0007] The "transverse wall" of the manufacturing technique in U.S.
Patent Publication No. 2001/0023516 is needed to maintain the
bristles in a near upright position, so that subsequent tufts can
be inserted without obstructing their access to their respective
tuft hole. As is shown in FIG. 2, if the transverse walls are
simply removed and the bristles stapled into the resulting cavity,
the bristles tufted into the blank cavity will disadvantageously
tend to fall sideways into the cavity, due to a lack of lateral
support. Further problems occur when inserting subsequent tufts,
due to the non-vertical tufts blocking the tuft "holes". Moreover,
by use of this transverse wall, the aforementioned gap results so
as to prevent a uniform, continuous and smooth wall of
bristles.
[0008] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2001/023516 further describes a
method of using extra parts in the brush construction to create the
"transverse walls", suggesting the use of metal staples or metal
bars. It has therefore been found desirable to provide a toothbrush
which utilizes a single molded part for the construction of the
tuft slot hole. Such a construction results in a stronger assembly,
which is faster and less costly to produce.
[0009] Based upon the foregoing, it has been found desirable to
provide a toothbrush having a uniform, smooth and continuous wall
of bristles, which uses traditional low cost staple techniques and
ensures that once inserted, the bristles remain in a substantially
upright vertical orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis
of the toothbrush to enable timely insertion of further
bristles.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0010] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a toothbrush which overcomes the disadvantages of the
aforementioned prior art.
[0011] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a
toothbrush which is manufactured so as to achieve a uniform, smooth
and continuous wall of bristles using traditional staple
technology.
[0012] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
method for making a toothbrush with a uniform, smooth and
continuous wall of bristles which has lower production costs.
[0013] It is yet another object of this invention to provide a
toothbrush which has adequate lateral support for the bristles
tufted into the bristle cavity.
[0014] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
toothbrush having a uniform, smooth and continuous wall of
bristles, uses traditional low cost staple techniques, and ensures
that once inserted, the bristles remain substantially vertical with
respect to the toothbrush to enable insertion of further
bristles.
[0015] It is an additional object of this invention to create a
uniform bristle bar for bristles in a toothbrush which minimizes
gaps as the bristles leave the brush face.
[0016] It is yet another object of this invention to provide a
toothbrush which utilizes a single molded part for the construction
of the tuft slot hole.
[0017] Various other objects, advantages and features of the
present invention will become readily apparent from the ensuing
detailed description and the novel features will be particularly
pointed out in the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0018] In accordance with the present invention, a toothbrush
having a uniform, smooth and continuous wall of bristles is
provided. The toothbrush of the present invention has a handle
portion at one end thereof and a head portion at the other end
thereof. The head portion includes a brush face and a brush cavity
with a plurality of lateral support members extending upwardly from
the brush cavity so as to provide lateral support for the plurality
of upwardly extending bristles arranged in a plurality of tufts. In
applicant's toothbrush, at least one staple engages at least one of
the plurality of tufts and affixes the at least one of the
plurality of tufts between at least two of the lateral support
members. In order to prevent gaps between the bristles as they exit
the bristle cavity, a leg of the lateral support member extends
from a base of the cavity in the direction of the brush face to at
least a bottom edge of the staple. This arrangement of the tufts in
the lateral support member engaged by a staple enables the bristle
of the tufts to engage one another at a point in the cavity below
the brush face. As a result, the plurality of tufts so joined form
a substantially uniform continuous layer of bristles extending from
the brush face.
[0019] In accordance with another embodiment of the present
invention, a toothbrush is provided having an elongated member
having a head at one end and a handle at the other end, generally
aligned along a central longitudinal axis, said head having a brush
face including a cavity from which a plurality of bristles extend,
said plurality of bristles being arranged in a plurality of tufts
so as to extend generally perpendicular to the central longitudinal
axis;
[0020] a plurality of lateral support members extending upwardly
from a base of the brush cavity; attachment means provided in said
brush cavity for engaging at least one of the plurality of tufts
and for securing said one tuft between adjacent lateral support
members, the attachment means having a bottom edge and a top edge;
and wherein each of said lateral support members extends from the
base of the cavity so as to reach a predetermined height in the
cavity which is between the height of the bottom edge of the
attachment means and the brush face.
[0021] In accordance with a further embodiment of the present
invention, a powered toothbrush is provided having an elongated
member having a head at one end and a handle at the other end,
generally aligned along a central longitudinal axis, said head
having a brush face including a cavity from which a plurality of
bristles extend, said plurality of bristles being arranged in a
plurality of tufts so as to extend generally perpendicular to the
central longitudinal axis; a plurality of lateral support members
extending upwardly from a base of the brush cavity; attachment
means provided in said cavity at least for engaging one of the
plurality of tufts and for securing said one tuft between adjacent
lateral support members, said attachment means having a bottom edge
and a top edge, and wherein each of the lateral support members
extends to a predetermined height from the base of the brush cavity
so as to reach at least the height of the bottom edge of said
attachment means in said brush cavity.
[0022] In accordance with still another embodiment of the present
invention, a lateral support member for holding bristles in a
toothbrush is provided having a substantially U-shaped formation
formed in a cavity of the toothbrush, at least one leg of the
U-shaped formation extending to a point between a bottom edge of a
staple securing the bristles to the toothbrush and the brush
face.
[0023] The tuft in accordance with the present invention may be
engaged by arranging the staple between a single lateral support
member and a side edge of the cavity. Moreover, the lateral support
members may extend to a point between the brush face and the bottom
edge of the staple.
[0024] Given the outward forces created by the presence of a
staple, it is preferred to have the height of the lateral support
wall rise above the bottom of the staple. However, to ensure that
the bristles between adjacent tufts are in full contact (with no
gaps) prior to leaving the tuft hole, the lateral support wall
should stop short of the top surface of the brush face. The final
convergence point of these bristles is controlled by the top-most
width of the lateral support wall, the distance between the top of
the wall and the brush face, and angle of the sides of the
wall.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] The following detailed description, given by way of example,
but not intended to limit the invention solely to the specific
embodiments described, may best be understood in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings in which:
[0026] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a prior art method for
attaching bristles in a bristle cavity as taught in U.S. Patent
Appln. Publication No. 2001/0123516.
[0027] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a prior art method for
attaching bristles in a bristle cavity without any support
members.
[0028] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a preferred embodiment
of a toothbrush in accordance with the teachings of the present
invention.
[0029] FIG. 4 is an enlarged top view of the head portion of the
toothbrush shown in FIG. 3 with the bristles removed.
[0030] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a first preferred
embodiment of an assembly and process for providing a uniform,
smooth and continuous wall of bristles in the brush cavity of the
toothbrush of FIG. 3.
[0031] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of another preferred
embodiment of an assembly and process in accordance with the
teachings of this invention for providing a uniform, smooth and
continuous wall of bristles in the brush cavity of the toothbrush
of FIG. 3.
[0032] FIG. 7 is cross-sectional view a of another preferred
embodiment of an assembly and process in accordance with the
teachings of this invention for providing a uniform, smooth and
continuous wall of bristles in the brush cavity of the toothbrush
of FIG. 3.
[0033] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of another preferred
embodiment of the assembly and process in accordance with the
teachings of this invention for providing a uniform, smooth and
continuous wall of bristles in the brush cavity of the toothbrush
of FIG. 3.
[0034] FIG. 9 is a top view of another preferred embodiment an
assembly and process in accordance with the teachings of this
invention for providing a uniform, smooth and continuous wall of
bristles in the brush cavity of a toothbrush having a curved
lateral support wall.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE
PRESENT INVENTION
[0035] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference
numerals represent like features in the several views, the
preferred embodiments of a toothbrush in accordance with the
teachings of the present invention are shown in FIGS. 3-6. FIGS.
3-6 relate to a toothbrush having a uniform, smooth, and continuous
wall of bristles. However, designs other than those specifically
set forth herein are also contemplated which would similarly
provide a toothbrush having a uniform, smooth, and continuous wall
of bristles and still be in accordance with the teachings of the
present invention.
[0036] Referring now to FIG. 3, there is provided a manual
toothbrush 1 including an elongated handle 2 on one end and a head
10 on the other end. The handle 2 may be conventional in shape and
include features such as ergonomic sizing, grasping features,
bends, and coloration as desired by the designer. The head 10 in
FIG. 3 is shown in a octagonal shape, however, other shapes
including round, oval, square, etc., may be used without departing
from the scope of this invention. Extending from the head 10,
substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 3 of the
toothbrush 1 are a plurality of bristles 18 which as will be
described in more detail below formed as a uniform, smooth, and
continuous wall.
[0037] FIG. 4 shows a top view of the head 10. The head 10 includes
a cavity 12. The cavity 12 has a plurality of lateral support
members 14 formed therein, and is defined by an edge 26 forming the
outer perimeter of the cavity 12. The lateral support members 14
are preferably U-shaped, but other shapes may be utilized without
departing from the scope of the invention.
[0038] The head 10 also includes a brush face 16, which forms the
top most surface of the head 10. Typically, the bristles 18 extend
substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 3 of the
toothbrush 1 from the bottom 34 of the cavity 12 to a point above
the brush face 16, as shown in FIG. 5.
[0039] In a preferred embodiment of FIG. 5, a staple 22 is used to
affix the bristles 18. Preferably a plurality of individual
bristles 18 are combined to form a tuft 20. The tuft 20 is inserted
into the cavity 12, arranged between a pair of legs 23 and 25 of
adjacent lateral support members 14 or between a leg and the edge
26 of the cavity 12, and affixed to the toothbrush head 10 by the
staple 22. The staple includes a top edge 30 and a bottom edge 28
thereof. It is preferable that the bristles are bent in half
substantially at a center point of each of the bristles and
arranged so that the bend portion is inserted into the lateral
support member 14. Preferably still, the number of bristles 18
grouped together to form a tuft 20 is sufficient to form a close
fit in the lateral support member 14. As such, the outer bristles
18 of a tuft 20 will have a bend radius substantially similar to
the radius of the lateral support member 14.
[0040] The bottom edge 28 of the retaining staple 22 forms the
center of the bend radius of the bristles 18 as shown in FIG. 5.
Given the outward forces created by the presence of the staple 22,
it is preferred to have the height of the lateral support member 14
rise above the bottom edge 28 of the staple 22. However, to assure
the bristles between neighboring tufts 20 are in full contact prior
to exiting the cavity 12, the legs 23, 25 of the lateral support
members 14 must stop short of the brush face 16. However, the edge
26 which may form a portion of the lateral support member may still
rise to the level of the brush face 16. There is no convergence
point on the edge 26 side of the lateral support member 14, thus
the edge 26 preferably extends from the bottom 34 to the brush face
16.
[0041] The final convergence point of the bristles 18 is controlled
by the top-most width of the lateral support member 14, and more
specifically the width of the legs 23 and 25, the distance between
the top of the lateral support member 14 and the brush face 16, and
the angle .theta. of the legs 23 or 25 of the lateral support
member 14 with respect to the bottom 34.
[0042] As shown in FIG. 5, the legs 23 or 25 of the lateral support
member 14 are relatively thick and maintain a substantially
constant thickness. In this embodiment, the height of the lateral
support member 14 is considerably less than the surface height of
the brush face 16, and does not extend as close to the brush face
16, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6. As a result, the point of
convergence 32 of the bristles 18 is lower in the cavity 12 for the
embodiment of FIG. 5.
[0043] FIG. 6 shows another embodiment wherein a plurality of
lateral support members 14 are formed along the bottom 34 of the
cavity 12. The lateral support members 14 are formed of at least
one leg 23a and a substantially concave base 24a. The lateral
support members may include a second leg 25a, or alternatively, the
edge 26 of the cavity 12. As shown in FIG. 6, the legs 23a and 25a
extend to a point approximately the same height as a top edge 30 of
a staple 22.
[0044] As shown in FIG. 6, when the lateral support member is
tapered such that the legs 23a or 25a is relatively thick at its
base and becomes thinner and thinner as it proceeds towards the
surface of the brush face 16a, the lateral support member 14 rises
much closer to the surface of the brush face 16a than the lateral
support member of FIG. 5. This results in the point of convergence
32 being higher from the cavity 12. In this embodiment, however,
the point of convergence 32 remains below the surface of the brush
face 16a.
[0045] FIG. 7 depicts a further embodiment of the present
invention, where the lateral support member 14 extends towards the
brush face 16 to a point beyond the top surface 30 of the staple
22, but below the level of the brush face 16. As with the example
shown in FIG. 6, the convergence point is higher, in the cavity
12.
[0046] Another aspect of the present invention is shown in FIG. 8.
The top surface of the lateral support member may be formed in a
non-flat orientation. This results in greater general stability for
the bristles 18 caused by the height of the legs 23. This non-flat
orientation also increases the uniformity and smoothness of the
toothbrush as the bristles extend past the brush face 16 compared
to straight lateral support members 14 having legs extending to
substantially the same height as those of FIG. 8. This effect is
caused by the dropping of the convergence point 32 for the bristles
between the legs 23 in the non-flat section of the lateral support
member 14.
[0047] While the foregoing examples have been discussed with
respect to lateral support members having a substantially straight
formation and disposed substantially longitudinally on the axis 3,
other orientations are considered within the scope of the present
invention. For example, FIG. 9 depicts a portion of a toothbrush
head 10 having a lateral support members 14 formed in a curved
orientation.
[0048] It should be understood that the objective reached above can
also be achieved by a construction involving an increase in the
thickness of the head 10 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 3
of the toothbrush 1. This results in an increase in the depth of
the cavity 12, which in turn provides for an increase in the height
of the edge 26 around the cavity 12. This increase in height
effectively insures that the point of convergence of the bristles
remains below the brush face, thus eliminating the gap A that is
produced when using the methods shown in prior art of FIG. 1. In
this embodiment, the edge 26 extends from the bottom 34 to a point
minimally as high as the point of convergence 32 of neighboring
tufts 20. The lateral support members 14 may extend beyond the top
edge 30 of the staple 22, but not as far as the brush face 16. This
results in a toothbrush having a uniform, smooth, and continuous
wall of bristles 18 at the brush face 16.
[0049] However, while this method is contemplated, in the preferred
embodiment the thickness of the head 10 is not increased as this
presents a more desirable toothbrush, requiring less material and
resulting in a more compact toothbrush for easier use.
[0050] The preferred materials for construction of the toothbrush 1
of the present invention include a wide variety of moldable or
injectable plastics such as thermoplastics. It is preferable that
the toothbrush and head are molded as a single thermoplastic
component. Alternatively, multiple plastic components could be
formed and joined after formation. It is further preferable that
the lateral support members 14 are formed during the molding of the
head 10 and are integral therewith.
[0051] Alternatively, the lateral support members 14 could be
formed as part of the handle 2 and integrated with the head 10 when
the components are assembled. Still further, the lateral support
members 14 could be formed separately and then added to the
toothbrush as a component.
[0052] It is a further embodiment of the present invention that the
head 10 is arranged on a powered toothbrush (not shown). The result
is a powered toothbrush having a head 10 with a uniform, smooth and
continuous wall of bristles affixed to one end and a handle
disposed on the other end of the powered toothbrush. Typically, the
handle comprises a powering means for actuating the head 10 of the
powered toothbrush. The actuation may be oscillating, rotary,
reciprocating, or simple vibration, or a combination of motions.
The head 10 may be removable from the power providing handle or
formed of a single integrated unit as desired.
[0053] The desired objects of the present invention have been met
by providing a toothbrush having a uniform, smooth, continuous wall
of bristles while using lower cost traditional staple technology.
This is accomplished by controlling the height of the legs 23 or 25
of the lateral support members 14. Limiting the height of the legs
to a point below the edge 26 of the cavity effectively eliminates
gaps between the tufts as they extend past the brush face. Further,
there is provided sufficient lateral support for the bristles to
ensure that the bristles extend substantially perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the toothbrush, and allow for easier insertion
of subsequent bristle tufts when using traditional staple affixing
methods.
[0054] Although the invention has been particularly shown and
described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, it will
be readily appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that
various changes and modifications may be made therein without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *