U.S. patent application number 11/062064 was filed with the patent office on 2005-06-30 for toothbrush.
This patent application is currently assigned to Colgate-Palmolive Company. Invention is credited to Hohlbein, Douglas.
Application Number | 20050138744 11/062064 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31888361 |
Filed Date | 2005-06-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050138744 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hohlbein, Douglas |
June 30, 2005 |
Toothbrush
Abstract
A toothbrush includes a head having multiple cleaning elements.
One set of the cleaning elements is longer than the other and
relatively rigid. That set alternates with a shorter, springier set
of cleaning elements. The flexibility of the shorter springier
cleaning elements facilitates penetration of the longer cleaning
elements into the interproximal area of the user's teeth.
Inventors: |
Hohlbein, Douglas;
(Pennington, NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
COLGATE-PALMOLIVE COMPANY
909 RIVER ROAD
PISCATAWAY
NJ
08855
US
|
Assignee: |
Colgate-Palmolive Company
|
Family ID: |
31888361 |
Appl. No.: |
11/062064 |
Filed: |
February 18, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11062064 |
Feb 18, 2005 |
|
|
|
PCT/US03/25721 |
Aug 18, 2003 |
|
|
|
60404421 |
Aug 19, 2002 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/167.1 ;
15/201 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B 9/04 20130101; A46B
9/005 20130101; A46B 9/028 20130101; A46B 2200/1066 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/167.1 ;
015/201 |
International
Class: |
A46B 009/04 |
Claims
1. A toothbrush comprising a handle, a head secured to the handle,
a first set of cleaning elements mounted on the head which are
relatively rigid and are longer than other sets of cleaning
elements mounted on the head, and a second set of cleaning elements
which are springy and more easily compressed than said first set of
cleaning elements, and said first and second sets of cleaning
elements being arranged in alternating lateral rows on the
head.
2. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein said rows of said first set of
cleaning elements are spaced from each other a distance
approximately equal to the average width of a human tooth.
3. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein said second set of cleaning
elements have an "S" shape over at least a portion of their
length.
4. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the upper surface of the first
set of cleaning elements has a V-shaped profile.
5. The toothbrush of claim 4 wherein each row of said first set of
cleaning elements comprises a pair of longitudinally adjacent
cleaning elements having tapered tops to form in combination said
V-shaped profile.
6. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein each of said second set of
cleaning elements is in the form of a compressible pad which
supports its cleaning elements.
7. The toothbrush of claim 6 wherein said compressible pad is made
of a compressible soft hollow elastomer, and its said cleaning
elements are fiber bristles mounted on the outer surface of said
tab.
8. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein said rows of first cleaning
elements extend a further distance across said head than said rows
of second cleaning elements.
9. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein said first sets of cleaning
elements are located at the outermost ends of the combination of
said first and second sets of cleaning elements.
10. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein at least one row of said
first set of cleaning elements comprises longitudinally adjacent
cleaning elements.
11. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein at least one row of said
second set of cleaning elements comprises two longitudinally
adjacent cleaning elements.
12. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein said toothbrush is a manual
toothbrush.
13. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein a portion of the toothbrush
includes a powered cleaning element.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is directed to a toothbrush, either
manual or powered, which includes a handle and a head. Cleaning
elements are mounted to the head such as tufts of bristles. When
toothpaste is applied to the cleaning elements the user inserts the
head into the mouth and brushes the teeth in a known manner.
[0002] The head of a conventional toothbrush usually has a flat or
slightly altered surface to which cleaning elements are attached.
Usually the cleaning elements are strands of plastic material(s)
formed into tufts, bundles or other groupings. The strands are
attached to the head either before or after forming the toothbrush.
Cleaning elements should be arranged in the head so that all areas
of the teeth are cleansed, particularly the interproximal
spaces.
[0003] One approach to cleaning of tooth surfaces is disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,111 issued to Paolo Cavazza on May 28, 1985.
This patent discloses a toothbrush where dual sets of cleaning
elements are used. One set increases in height the further they get
from the distal end of the toothbrush and the second set is the
same height across the length of the toothbrush head (column 1,
lines 27-33).
[0004] Another approach to tooth cleansing using cleaning elements
of varying height is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,614 issued
Apr. 27, 1999 to Flewitt. This patent discloses rows of strips or
alternating rows of strips and bristles running perpendicular to
the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush. The longitudinal profile
of the alternating rows may be flat or undulating. The transverse
profile may be concave, "V" or "U" shaped (Column 1, lines 53-66).
In one embodiment, the greater dimension of the strips is aligned
parallel to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush (column 2,
lines 32-40, FIGS. 5-7); in another embodiment perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis (FIGS. 1-4). According to this patent, the use of
the flatter (thin bristle) strip material wipes the tooth surfaces
(column 3, lines 63-65).
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,537 issued Aug. 30, 1994 and assigned to
the assignee of the instant application, discloses an arrangement
of bristles designed to improve removal of plaque from teeth. Three
groups of cleaning elements are disclosed. The first is a
relatively wide set of elements arranged in rows perpendicular to
the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush. This group is generally
shorter than the other groups of cleaning elements. The second
group is also aligned with the first group in rows but with the
outboard tufts of cleaning elements slanted toward the outside
periphery of the toothbrush head. The third group of cleaning
elements is tilted laterally (about 30E) towards the outside of the
toothbrush head and tilted to a lesser degree to the distal and/or
proximal end of the toothbrush head (column 3, lines 25-56). This
angulation of some bristles assists in sweeping plaque from the
teeth at the gumline and from in-between teeth (column 5, lines
10-16).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] This invention addresses the problem of getting the
cleansing action of toothbrush bristles into the interproximal
areas of the teeth. A problem common to many prior art toothbrushes
is that the stiffness of some bristles keeps other bristles away
from the teeth. Thus, in a typical brush, the bristles readily
cleanse the outer surfaces of the teeth but few bristles reach the
areas between teeth, i.e., the interproximal areas.
[0007] This invention solves this problem by using alternating sets
of cleaning elements or bristles. One set is longer than the other
and has relatively rigid bristles that can reach into the
interproximal areas. The other set comprises shorter, springier
bristles that easily compress under load.
[0008] Preferably, the first set of more rigid bristles are spaced
from each other a distance that approximates the average width of a
tooth so that they are better positioned to fit into the areas
between the teeth. The sets of shorter springier bristles are
located in the areas between the sets of longer rigid bristles. The
shorter bristles are preferably crimped or otherwise constructed to
permit ready compression when the user applies pressure on the
toothbrush. As the shorter, springier bristles compress under that
pressure, the longer rigid bristles will extend further into the
interproximal areas. This combination of bristle types facilitates
cleansing of all portions of the teeth.
THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a fragmental perspective view of the manual
toothbrush head of this invention having a set of long, relatively
rigid bristles alternating with shorter, springer bristles;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of FIG. 1.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of FIG. 1.
[0012] FIGS. 4-6 are side elevational views showing alternative
configurations of long bristles.
[0013] FIG. 7 is a top plan view of a power toothbrush which
includes the bristle arrangements of FIGS. 1-4.
[0014] FIG. 8 illustrates the bristles of the toothbrush of this
invention and their contact with teeth of a user of the
toothbrush.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] FIGS. 1-4 illustrate a manual toothbrush 10 in accordance
with this invention. As shown therein toothbrush 10 includes a
handle 12 and a head 14. Handle 12 may include a suitable grip pad
made of an elastomeric material. The invention, however, is
primarily directed to the arrangement of cleaning elements relative
to head 14. As shown in FIGS. 1-4 head 14 has a base portion 18
with an upper surface 20 which forms the base for inserting
cleaning elements 22. As illustrated in these Figures, one set of
cleaning elements 24 is longitudinally aligned in rows and is
relatively rigid relative to a second set of cleaning elements 26
which is shorter and springier.
[0016] The invention is particularly suitable for cleaning elements
in the form of strands or bristles attached via anchor free tufting
(AFT). In anchor free tufting a plate or membrane is mounted in the
head generally by using ultrasonic welding of the plate or membrane
to portions of the head. Bristles extend through the plate or
membrane. The free or outer ends of the bristles perform the
cleaning function. The inner ends of the bristles on the opposite
side of the plate or membrane are melted together by the
application of heat to create the anchor free tufting.
[0017] In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-3
a first row of relatively rigid bristles or elastomeric walls or
fingers 24 is arrayed across the distal end of the manual
toothbrush head 14 in a direction generally perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the toothbrush. Moving toward the handle 12
the next row of cleaning elements 26 is shorter and springier (less
rigid) than the adjacent row of cleaning elements 24. The
flexibility of bristles 26 can be achieved by imparting an "S"
shape to the bristles before or during assembly into the toothbrush
head 14. Other ways of imparting relative stiffness to bristles 24
and flexibility to bristles 26 are known to those skilled in the
toothbrush art.
[0018] The balance of head 14 contains alternating rows of
relatively rigid and springy cleaning elements 22. The spacing
between adjacent rows of relatively rigid cleaning elements
preferably approximates typical spacing of teeth in the human
mouth. As illustrated in FIG. 8 the spacing facilitates the
placement of the longer, relatively rigid bristles in the
interproximal areas of the teeth when pressure (represented by the
arrow in FIG. 8) is applied to the toothbrush. This combination of
cleaning elements enhances cleaning of all parts of the teeth,
particularly the interproximal areas which are prone to decay
because of trapped food and plaque buildup.
[0019] As illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 each row of springy cleaning
elements 26 comprises a plurality (preferably two) of
longitudinally adjacent elements.
[0020] FIG. 4 illustrates an alternate configuration 24a of the
relatively rigid cleaning elements. In this embodiment, each row of
the relatively rigid cleaning elements comprises longitudinally
adjacent elements which have tapered tops and, in combination
creates a "V" shape that further facilitate penetration of these
elements into the inverted "V" shape of the interproximal areas
between teeth. If desired, the "V" shape could be achieved by
having a single cleaning element with the tapered top to form the
"V".
[0021] FIGS. 5-6 illustrate a further configuration 26a for the
springy cleaning elements. In this embodiment of the invention the
springy cleaning elements 26a are in the form of fiber bristles 28
mounted to floating cleansing pads 30. The pads 30 are made from a
soft elastomer material to support the cleaning elements 28. Pads
30 are compressible. The compressibility could be achieved by
having the pads hollow as illustrated in FIGS. 5-6. In use the
support pads 30 collapse under pressure as shown in FIG. 6 wherein
the arrow shows the pressure applied to one of the pads 30. This
allows for deeper interproximal penetration of the adjacent rigid
bristles or cleaning elements 24.
[0022] The embodiment of FIGS. 5-6 thus provides a variation to the
easily compressed "S" shaped cleaning elements 26 of FIGS. 1-4. In
this alternative a pad of fine cleaning elements 28 which could be
either elastomer or bristle form are supported by the thin,
flexible elastomer supports 30. As illustrated in FIG. 6 these thin
supports collapse, in a similar manner to the "S" elements,
allowing deeper penetration of the more rigid bristles 24.
[0023] As with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3 the row of springy
cleaning elements 26a of FIGS. 5-6 may comprise a plurality of
longitudinally adjacent cleaning elements. Similarly, as in FIG. 4
each row of rigid cleaning elements in FIGS. 5-6 may comprise a
plurality of longitudinally adjacent cleaning elements.
[0024] The various embodiments of the invention may have each row
of rigid cleaning elements 24 to be of longer length across the
brush head than the springy cleaning elements 26, as in FIGS. 1 and
3. The invention could be practiced where the springy elements are
of longer length across the brush head.
[0025] The various embodiments could be practiced where each of the
cleaning elements extends laterally across generally the entire
width of the cleaning head 14 with the other elements extending a
lesser distance, as in FIGS. 1 and 3. The invention may be
practiced where one or more rows of either the rigid cleaning
elements and/or the springy cleaning elements comprise a plurality
of individual cleaning elements extending laterally across the
brush head. This would be particularly used where the cleaning
elements are, for example, natural or fiber bristles rather than
the illustrated elastomeric walls. The use of a plurality of
laterally aligned cleaning elements in a single row could also be
achieved by elastomeric fingers. Various combinations may also be
used in the practices of this invention such as having one or more
rows of rigid and/or springy cleaning elements with a plurality of
longitudinally adjacent cleaning elements in that row (such as in
FIG. 4), while other rows of the same type of cleaning elements
have only a single set of cleaning elements in that row.
[0026] As also illustrated, in the preferred practice of this
invention the combination of the sets of alternating rows of
cleaning elements has the rigid cleaning elements as the outermost
row of the combination.
[0027] Any suitable form of cleaning elements may be used as the
cleaning elements 22 in the broad practice of this invention. The
term "cleaning elements" is intended to be used in a generic sense
which could include conventional fiber bristles or massage elements
or other forms of cleaning elements such as elastomeric fingers or
walls arranged in a circular cross-sectional shape or any type of
desired shape including straight portions or sinusoidal portions.
Where bristles are used, the bristles could be mounted to tuft
blocks or sections by extending through suitable openings in the
tuft blocks so that the base of the bristles is mounted within or
below the tuft block.
[0028] It is to be understood that the specific illustration of the
cleaning elements is merely for exemplary
[0029] purposes. The invention can be practiced with various
combinations (such as AFT bristles, etc.) and/or with the same
bristle or cleaning element materials (such as nylon bristles,
spiral bristles, rubber bristles, etc.) Similarly, while the
Figures illustrate the cleaning elements to be generally
perpendicular to head 14, some or all of the cleaning elements may
be angled at various angles with respect to the upper surface 20 of
head 14. It is thereby possible to select the combination of
cleaning element configurations, materials and orientations to
achieve specific intended results to deliver additional oral health
benefits, like enhanced cleaning, tooth polishing, tooth whitening
and/or massaging of the gums.
[0030] Handle 12, including head 14, is preferably made of hard
plastic material which is used for manual toothbrushes.
[0031] This invention may also be practiced where the head 14
includes one or more power or electrically operated movable
sections carrying cleaning elements. FIG. 7 illustrates a
toothbrush 10A which includes a power driven movable disc or
section 40 having cleaning elements. The movable section 40 could
be oscillated rotationally such as by using the type of drive
mechanism shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,916, or could move in and
out using the type of drive mechanism shown in U.S. Pat. No. RE
35,941; all of the details of both patents are incorporated herein
by reference thereto. Alternatively, the other types of drives
referred to above could move section 40 in other manners and
directions. Although FIG. 7 shows movable section 40 to be at the
distal end of the head, the movable section(s) could be located at
any desired location on the head.
* * * * *