U.S. patent application number 12/067516 was filed with the patent office on 2008-08-28 for toothbrush head.
Invention is credited to Uwe Bielfeldt, Alois Koppl, Ulrich Storkel, Michael Waldmeier.
Application Number | 20080201886 12/067516 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37441732 |
Filed Date | 2008-08-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080201886 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bielfeldt; Uwe ; et
al. |
August 28, 2008 |
Toothbrush Head
Abstract
A toothbrush head with a bristle support member on which a
bristle zone with a plurality of bristle tufts is arranged. The
bristle tufts include three differently inclined groups of bristle
tufts of which a first group is arranged essentially perpendicular
to the plane of the bristle support member, a second group is
inclined in a direction transverse to the toothbrush head
longitudinal axis towards a first side, and a third group is
inclined in a direction transverse to the toothbrush head
longitudinal axis towards an opposite second side, with the
inclined bristle tufts of the second and third group being arranged
in transverse rows on the bristle support member. In each
transverse row of inclined bristle tufts, all the bristle tufts are
inclined towards the same side, with the bristle inclined from the
outside inwards.
Inventors: |
Bielfeldt; Uwe; (Bad Soden,
DE) ; Koppl; Alois; (Weilrod, DE) ; Storkel;
Ulrich; (Bad Nauheim, DE) ; Waldmeier; Michael;
(Frankfurt/Main, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FISH & RICHARDSON PC
P.O. BOX 1022
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55440-1022
US
|
Family ID: |
37441732 |
Appl. No.: |
12/067516 |
Filed: |
August 24, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
August 24, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2006/008300 |
371 Date: |
April 17, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/167.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B 9/025 20130101;
A46B 9/04 20130101; A46B 2200/1066 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/167.2 |
International
Class: |
A46B 9/04 20060101
A46B009/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 22, 2005 |
DE |
10 2005 045 279.5 |
Claims
1-17. (canceled)
18. A toothbrush head, comprising: (i) a bristle support member
defining a plane and containing a longitudinal axis of the
toothbrush head; (ii) a bristle zone on the bristle support member;
(iii) a plurality of bristle tufts arranged in the bristle zone,
the plurality comprising: (a) a first group of bristle tufts
arranged substantially perpendicular to the plane of the bristle
support member; (b) a second group of bristle tufts arranged in
transverse rows on the bristle support member, such that all of
said bristle tufts are inclined from the outside inwards in a
direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush
head towards a first side of the toothbrush head; and (c) a third
group of bristle tufts arranged in transverse rows on the bristle
support member, such that all of said bristle tufts are inclined
from the outside inwards in a direction transverse to the
longitudinal axis of the toothbrush head towards an opposite second
side of the toothbrush head.
19. The toothbrush head of claim 18, wherein the bristle tufts in
each transverse row of bristle tufts are arranged in a common plane
in which the bristle zone is free from perpendicular and
counter-inclined bristle tufts.
20. The toothbrush head of claim 18, wherein the bristle tufts in
each transverse row of bristle tufts have the same degree of
inclination.
21. The toothbrush head of claim 18, wherein the bristle tufts in
each transverse row are inclined along the longitudinal axis of the
toothbrush head.
22. The toothbrush head of claim 18, wherein the height of the
bristle tufts of at least the second group or the third group
exceeds the height of the bristle tufts of the first group.
23. The toothbrush head of claim 18, wherein the bristle tufts in
any one transverse row are different in height.
24. The toothbrush head of claim 18, wherein, for any one
transverse row, the height of the inclined bristle tufts with
bristle heads near a center of the bristle zone exceeds the height
of the inclined bristle tufts with bristle heads near an outer side
of the bristle zone.
25. The toothbrush head of claim 18, wherein the heads of the
inclined bristle tufts in any one transverse row form an
approximately rectilinear contour downwardly sloping towards an
outer side of the bristle zone.
26. The toothbrush head of claim 18, wherein the heads of the
inclined bristle tufts of the second and third group define an
approximately gable-roof-shaped contour with a longitudinal axis
substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush
head.
27. The toothbrush head of claim 18, wherein the bristle tufts of
the second group are inclined from the second side to the first
side of the toothbrush head and the bristle tufts of the third
group are inclined from the first side to the second side of the
toothbrush head, such that bristle tufts of the second group and
,bristle tufts of the first group overlap at least in part along
the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush head.
28. The toothbrush head of claim 18, wherein a base area of the
bristle zone is at least as large as a corresponding working area
of the bristle zone.
29. The toothbrush head of claim 18, wherein the transverse rows of
the second group alternate with the transverse rows of the third
group along the direction of the longitudinal axis of the
toothbrush head.
30. The toothbrush head of claim 18, wherein bristle tufts of the
first group are arranged between the transverse rows of the second
group and the transverse rows of the third group.
31. The toothbrush head of claim 30, wherein bristle tufts of the
first, second, and third groups are alternately arranged along the
direction of the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush head.
32. The toothbrush head of claim 18, wherein the bristle tufts of
the first group have a cross-section that differs from the
cross-section of the bristle tufts of at least the second or third
group.
33. The toothbrush head of claim 18, wherein all the bristle tufts
of the first group have substantially the same cross-sectional
shape.
34. The toothbrush head of claim 33, wherein the cross-sectional
shape is approximately circular.
35. The toothbrush head of claims 18, wherein all the bristle tufts
of the second and third groups have substantially the same
cross-sectional shape.
36. The toothbrush head of claim 35, wherein the cross-sectional
shape is approximately rectangular, and wherein the longitudinal
sides of the rectangle extend substantially parallel to the
longitudinal direction of the transverse row in which the bristle
tufts are arranged.
37. The toothbrush head of claim 18, wherein the bristle tufts in
the second and third groups are inclined relative to a
perpendicular on the bristle support plane at an angle of about
5.degree. to about 45.degree..
38. The toothbrush head of claim 37, the bristle tufts in the
second and third groups are inclined relative to the perpendicular
on the bristle support plane at an angle of about 10.degree. to
about 30.degree..
39. The toothbrush head of claim 38, the bristle tufts in the
second and third groups are inclined relative to the perpendicular
on the bristle support plane at an angle of about 15.degree. to
about 25.degree..
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This invention relates to a toothbrush head, more
particularly to a toothbrush head with three differently inclined
groups of bristle tufts.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Manual toothbrushes have, in their simplest version, bristle
tufts which are oriented on the bristle support member to be
perpendicular to the plane defined by the support member. There are
many different modifications of this arrangement in existence. They
include brush heads with tufts of various length, cf. U.S. Pat. No.
6,276,021 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,489, brush heads with tufts with
variously long bristles, cf. WO 98/07348, brush heads with bristle
tufts inclined in the direction of the toothbrush longitudinal
axis, cf. U.S. Pat. No. 6,272,714, and toothbrush heads with
bristle tufts inclined in a direction transverse to the toothbrush
longitudinal axis. The latter arrangement, disclosed in U.S. Pat.
No. 5,335,389, has a plurality of bristle tufts arranged in
transverse rows one behind the other on the bristle support member.
In this arrangement, transverse rows with non-inclined bristle
tufts alternate with transverse rows which have inclined bristle
tufts. As such, the outermost bristle tufts in a transverse row are
inclined outwards so that they are splayed apart in V-shape. The
outer, outwardly inclined bristle tufts are intended to clean
simultaneously the gingival space at the gingival margin of the
upper jaw and at the gingival margin of the lower jaw.
[0003] A similar arrangement of bristle zones with outwardly
inclined bristle tufts at the outer edge of the bristle zone is
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,082, U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,020, U.S.
Pat. No. 4,010,509 or WO 2004/037038 A1. The latter document
discloses, in addition to the transverse rows of bristle tufts with
outwardly inclined bristle tufts, a transverse row with two
inwardly inclined bristle tufts. With the aid of these
counter-inclined bristle tufts it should be possible to achieve in
particular an improved cleaning of the concave biting surface of
the molars. However, such counter-inclined bristle tufts are less
suited for cleansing in the interproximal area and in the gingival
area of the teeth. The ends of the counter-inclined bristle tufts
are no longer able to move freely in their predetermined incline
and are obstructed by the other bristle tufts with the opposite
incline.
[0004] A bristle zone with inwardly inclined bristle tufts is also
disclosed in WO 01/89344 A2, in which the bristle tufts are
inclined not only in a direction transverse to the toothbrush
longitudinal axis but also in the direction of the toothbrush
longitudinal axis. With this configuration, the bristle tufts of a
transverse row are inclined in different transverse and
longitudinal directions so that the bristle tufts partly overlap
when looking in both the toothbrush longitudinal direction and the
toothbrush transverse direction. Here too the result is an
obstruction of the inclined bristle tufts by bristle tufts with a
different inclination. With this toothbrush, the cleaning of the
planar portions of the teeth is capable of improvement in
addition.
[0005] Furthermore, CH 324623 discloses a toothbrush with
transverse rows of bristle tufts each inclined in one direction.
This toothbrush sets out to do completely without perpendicular
bristle tufts in order not to grind any flutes in the dental enamel
and in order to prevent wedge-shaped defects there in the long
term. With this prior known bristle configuration it is possible to
achieve a satisfactory cleansing of the interproximal spaces, but
the cleansing of the planar areas of the teeth is poor.
SUMMARY
[0006] In one aspect, a toothbrush head includes a bristle support
member on which a bristle zone with a plurality of bristle tufts is
arranged. Three groups of bristle tufts are arranged on the bristle
zone and inclined in special manner. The bristle tufts of the
second and third group, which are provided in addition to the
perpendicularly arranged bristle tufts of the first group, are
inclined from the outside inwards, whereby in each transverse row
of inclined bristle tufts all the bristle tufts of a transverse row
are inclined towards the same side. The term from the outside
inwards as used herein means an arrangement in which, when a
transverse row is considered in its entirety, the bristle tuft base
lying on the bristle support member lies closer to the outer edge
of the bristle zone than the bristle tuft head which, when a
transverse row is considered in its entirety, lies more in the
center of the bristle zone. If a bristle tuft lies with its tuft
base on the left-hand side of the bristle support member, then it
is inclined from the outside inwards when its free end is inclined
towards the right-hand side of the bristle support member.
[0007] Through the triple oriented groups of bristle tufts it is
possible, without special tilting of the toothbrush head, to
cleanse both the planar portions of the teeth as well as the
interproximal and gingival areas of the teeth equally effectively.
The perpendicularly upstanding bristle tufts of the first group
ensure a thorough cleansing of the planar portions of the teeth. By
contrast, the inclined bristle tufts of the second and third group
clean the interproximal and gingival areas of the teeth. The
special arrangement of the inclined bristle tufts, namely the
inclination of all the bristle tufts in the same transverse row to
the same side, namely from the outside inwards, has the effect that
all the ends of the bristle tufts of the second group, which are
inclined for example from left to right, point in the direction of
the gingival margin and clean there when the toothbrush is engaged
against a jaw half. At the same time, all the ends of the bristle
tufts of the third group, which then are inclined in reverse from
right to left, then point in the direction of the occlusal surfaces
of the teeth, enabling them to penetrate into the interproximal
area of the teeth. Using a simple cleaning movement parallel to the
row of teeth, this results in a simultaneous cleaning of different
areas, namely the middle planar portions of the teeth, the gingival
area and the interproximal area of the teeth, without the
toothbrush needing to be specially tilted. The toothbrush head
described herein, when placed untilted on a jaw half, unites in
this case the technique referred to as the Bass technique, with
which the toothbrush is placed such that the bristle ends are
inclined towards the gingival area of the teeth, and the technique
referred to as the Charters technique, with which the toothbrush is
placed such that the bristle tufts are oriented away from the
gingival margin towards the occlusal area of the teeth. If the
toothbrush head is engaged parallel to the row of teeth against the
facial or lingual tooth surfaces, then the bristle ends of the
inclined bristle tufts align themselves along the tooth axis. The
bristle tufts of the one direction of inclination move towards the
gingival margin while the bristle tufts oriented in the opposite
direction move towards the masticatory surfaces. Because of the
dimensions and arrangement of the tufts, the bristle ends of the
bristle tufts of one direction of inclination end in the area of
the gingival margin while the bristle ends of the bristle tufts
inclined in the other direction reach, when placed in position,
into the interproximal area in particular because as the result of
the proposed arrangement they are not obstructed by any other
bristle tufts. The bristles of the perpendicularly upstanding
bristle tufts end on the facial or lingual surfaces. In
consequence, the toothbrush must no longer be moved successively
into different defined positions in order to clean the different
areas of the teeth. An effective cleaning of the different areas
takes place concurrently even during a simple movement along the
row of teeth referred to as the horizontal scrubbing technique.
[0008] In this arrangement, the bristle tufts of the inclined
transverse rows may be inclined solely in a direction transverse to
the toothbrush longitudinal axis so that they extend in a plane
perpendicular to the toothbrush longitudinal axis. In this way the
above described effect of cleaning the interproximal area and
gingival area of the teeth can be achieved in excellent manner.
[0009] In some implementations, the bristle tufts of the second
and/or third group may also have, in addition to their inclination
transverse to the toothbrush longitudinal axis, an inclination
component in the direction of the toothbrush longitudinal axis.
Through a slight inclination also in the direction of the
toothbrush longitudinal axis it is possible to improve the
penetration of the correspondingly inclined bristle tufts into the
interproximal spaces in particular during horizontal scrubbing.
With this configuration, forwardly inclined tufts penetrate into
the interproximal spaces when the brush is pushed forward.
Backwardly inclined tufts penetrate into the interproximal spaces
when the brush is pulled backward.
[0010] There is no need in general for the bristle tufts arranged
in a transverse row to have the same inclination. For example,
bristle tufts which are anchored farther to the outside on the
bristle support member could exhibit a stronger inward inclination
than bristle tufts which are arranged farther inside on the bristle
support member. However, in some implementations, all the bristle
tufts arranged in a common transverse row are of like inclination.
This promotes a uniform cleaning effect of a respective transverse
row of inclined bristle tufts.
[0011] Provided they are arranged respectively in a common
transverse row, then in particular the bristle tufts of the second
and third group are arranged in a common plane which otherwise has
no differently inclined bristles or perpendicularly upstanding
bristles. The bristle tufts arranged in a common plane are all
inclined to the same side and are not obstructed by differently
inclined or perpendicularly upstanding bristle tufts. In this way a
collision between differently inclined bristle tufts is ruled out.
Penetration into the interproximal area of the teeth on the one
hand and cleaning of the gingival area of the teeth on the other
are thus rendered still more efficient.
[0012] In principle it would be conceivable for the bristle ends of
the different groups of bristle tufts to lie in a common plane.
However, in some implementations, the bristle tufts of the second
and/or third group are constructed to be higher than the bristle
tufts of the first group. In this way the inclined bristle tufts
are better able to penetrate into the interproximal or subgingival
area, while at the same time the perpendicularly upstanding bristle
tufts stand upright on the planar surfaces of the teeth for
cleaning this particular area.
[0013] In this configuration, it would be conceivable in principle
for the bristles within the same group of bristle tufts to end in a
common plane. Preferably, however, the bristles of the different
bristle tufts of the second group as well as the bristle tufts of
the third group end at different levels. In particular the bristle
tufts in a common transverse row are constructed to be different in
height. As such, preferably the inclined bristle tufts, whose head
lies approximately in the center of the bristle zone, are
constructed to be higher than the inclined bristle tufts of the
same transverse row which are arranged with their head farther
outside towards the edge of the bristle zone. In this way there
results, looking in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush
head, an approximately roof-shaped envelope contour which is
defined by the ends of the inclined bristle tufts.
[0014] Preferably, the heads of the inclined bristle tufts in a
common transverse row form an approximately rectilinear contour
downwardly sloping towards the outer side of the bristle zone. Said
rectilinear contours, which are described by the heads of the
inclined bristle tufts, are downwardly sloping in counter-inclined
transverse rows towards opposite sides so that on the whole the
previously mentioned approximately roof-shaped contour results in
the toothbrush longitudinal direction looking at the bristle
zone.
[0015] Advantageously, the counter-inclined bristle tufts of the
second group and the third group are arranged such that, looking in
the toothbrush longitudinal direction, the bristle tufts of the
second group overlap at least partly the bristle tufts of the third
group and vice versa. Advantageously, the arrangement is chosen
such that each bristle tuft of the second group, looking in the
toothbrush longitudinal direction, overlaps at least one bristle
tuft of the third group and vice versa.
[0016] In some implementations, the bristle zone has in its head or
working area a greater bristle tuft density than in the foot zone
on the bristle support member. The base area of the bristle zone,
which is defined by the bristle tuft feet on the bristle support
member, is at least as large as the working area of the bristle
zone defined by the bristle tuft heads. Owing to the inclination of
the bristle tufts of the second and third group from the outside
inwards, an expansion of the bristle zone with the height of the
bristles increasing is prevented from occurring.
[0017] In some embodiments, the bristle zone encompasses at least
three transverse rows of bristle tufts of the second group as well
as at least three transverse rows of bristle tufts of the third
group. Preferably, in this configuration the transverse rows of the
bristle tufts of the second group and the transverse rows of the
bristle tufts of the third group are arranged alternately one
behind the other in the toothbrush longitudinal direction. The
perpendicularly arranged bristle tufts of the first group are
arranged advantageously between the transverse rows of the second
and third group.
[0018] In particular a pair of transverse rows of bristle tufts of
the second group and bristle tufts of the third group are followed
in the toothbrush longitudinal direction by bristle tufts of the
first group before there again follows a pair of transverse rows of
bristle tufts of the second and third group.
[0019] By arranging the inclined bristle tufts of the second and
third group in planes perpendicular to the toothbrush head
longitudinal axis, the bristle tufts of the first group may be
arranged likewise in transverse rows perpendicular to the
toothbrush longitudinal axis. However, if the bristle tufts of the
second and third group are biaxial, i.e., arranged both transverse
to the toothbrush longitudinal axis and parallel thereto, inclined
and/or arranged in planes which are inclined at an acute angle to
the toothbrush longitudinal axis, then the bristle tufts of the
first group may be combined to form triangular bristle zone
sections between respective transverse rows of inclined bristle
tufts.
[0020] The bristle tufts of the three groups generally may have the
same cross-section, with different cross-sectional shapes being
possible. For example, the bristle tufts may have a round, an
angular or an elongated cross-section. In some cases, provision may
be made for the perpendicularly upstanding bristle tufts of the
first group to have a cross-section which differs from the
cross-section of the bristle tufts of the second and third group.
In particular the bristle tufts of the first group may have an
essentially approximately circular cross-section. By contrast, in
certain cases, the bristle tufts of the second and third group may
have an approximately rectangular cross-section, with the
cross-section extending with its longitudinal sides parallel to the
outer contour of the respective transverse row in which the
respective bristle tuft is arranged.
[0021] The degree of inclination of the bristle tufts of the second
and third group may generally be selected to differ. According to a
preferred embodiment, the bristle tufts of the second and third
group are inclined relative to a perpendicular on the bristle
support plane at an angle of 5.degree. to 45.degree., preferably
15.degree. to 30.degree., approximately. In particular the bristle
tufts may be inclined relative to the perpendicular on the bristle
support plane at an angle of 20.degree. to 25.degree.,
approximately.
[0022] These and further features which, in combination and
sub-combination, may form the subject matter of the present
description will become apparent not only from the claims but also
from the subsequent description and the associated drawing with
reference to which preferred embodiments are be explained.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toothbrush head of a
manual toothbrush having a bristle zone;
[0024] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a toothbrush head of a
manual toothbrush;
[0025] FIG. 3 is an end view of the toothbrush head of FIG. 2;
[0026] FIG. 4 is a side view of toothbrush head of FIGS. 2 and 3;
and
[0027] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the bristle zone of the
toothbrush head of the preceding FIGS. 2 to 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] The toothbrush heads 1 illustrated in the drawings have an
approximately plate-shaped bristle support member 2 to which a
plurality of bristle tufts are attached, which combine to form a
bristle zone 3. The bristle tufts may be attached to the bristle
support member 2 in a variety of ways. For example, they may be
anchored on the bristle support member 2 by an anchor tufting
method or they may be integrally molded in the bristle support
member 2 by an injection molding method or be fastened to the
bristle support member 2 by a welding method.
[0029] The bristle tufts are divided into three different groups of
bristle tufts. A first group of bristle tufts 4 is arranged
essentially perpendicular to the plane defined by the plate-shaped
bristle support member 2. A second group of bristle tufts 5 is
inclined in a direction transverse to the toothbrush head
longitudinal axis 7 towards a first side of the toothbrush head,
while the third group of bristle tufts 6 is equally inclined in a
direction transverse to the toothbrush head longitudinal axis 7 but
towards the opposite side of the toothbrush head.
[0030] In the embodiment of the toothbrush head 1 shown in FIG. 1,
the bristle tufts are arranged in transverse rows on the bristle
support member 2. As FIG. 1 shows, the perpendicularly arranged
bristle tufts 4 of the first group are arranged in altogether five
transverse rows on the bristle support member 2, each transverse
row accommodating between two and four bristle tufts 4. Arranged
between the respective transverse rows of the bristle tufts 4 of
the first group is one transverse row of bristle tufts of the
second group and one transverse row of bristle tufts 6 of the third
group so that on the whole transverse rows of bristle tufts from
the first group, the second group and the third group alternate
with each other.
[0031] The bristle tufts 5 of the second group, which are arranged
in a common transverse row, lie in a common plane which extends
essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 7 of the
toothbrush head 1. In this arrangement, all the bristle tufts 5 of
the second group have the same angle of inclination towards the
same side. Similarly, the bristle tufts 6 of the third group, which
are arranged in a common transverse row, have the same angle of
inclination towards the opposite side, being arranged in a common
plane. The angle of inclination 8 of the bristle tufts 5 of the
second group amounts preferably to approximately 85 to 55.degree.
relative to the plane defined by the bristle support member 2 (cf
FIG. 1). The angle of inclination of the bristle tufts 6 of the
third group is equally large but oriented towards the opposite side
of the toothbrush head 1.
[0032] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the inclined
bristle tufts 5 of the second group and the inclined bristle tufts
6 of the third group are likewise combined in transverse rows.
[0033] In the embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 5, the bristle tufts 5 of
the second group as well as the bristle tufts 6 of the third group
have an inclination both transverse to the toothbrush longitudinal
axis 7 and parallel thereto. As shown in particular in FIG. 5, the
bristle tufts 5 and 6 are arranged in transverse rows which do not
extend at right angles in a direction transverse to the
longitudinal axis 7 but slightly obliquely in a direction
transverse to the longitudinal axis 7. In the embodiment shown (cf.
FIG. 5), the transverse rows adopt an angle of 40.degree. to
60.degree., approximately, relative to the longitudinal axis 7. The
bristle tufts 5 and 6, which are attached to the bristle support
member 2 in one transverse row each, are oriented such that they
extend in a common plane and have the same inclination in said
plane, as shown in FIG. 3. It will be understood, of course, that
here too the bristle tufts 5 of the second group are inclined
towards the one side of the bristle support member 2 while the
bristle tufts 6 of the third group are inclined towards the other
side of the bristle support member 2. In the embodiment shown,
provision is made for respectively two bristle tufts 5 of the
second group and two bristle tufts 6 of the third group per
transverse row. The angle of inclination of said bristle tufts 5
and 6 of the second and third group, respectively, relative to the
perpendicular 9 on the bristle support plane amounts in the
embodiment shown to 20.degree., approximately. As FIG. 3 shows, the
bristle tufts 5 and 6 of the second and third group are inclined
from the outside inwards also in the embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 5.
The base of the bristle tufts 5 and 6 attached to the bristle
support member 2 is offset--when looking at a transverse row in its
entirety--to a side edge of the bristle zone 3, with the respective
bristle tufts 5 and 6 then extending with their tips to the other
side of the bristle zone 3 and hence inwards.
[0034] As FIG. 3 shows, the inclined bristle tufts 5 and 6 do not
all have the same length or height. The arrangement is chosen such
that the bristle tufts 5a and 6a lying with their head in the
center of the bristle zone 3 have a greater height than the bristle
tufts 5b and 6b lying with their head farther to the outside. In
this configuration, the free ends of the bristle tufts 5 and 6 are
coordinated with each other in height such that the bristle tufts 5
and 6 arranged in the same transverse row define with their heads a
rectilinear contour which slopes downwards to the outer side of the
bristle zone 3 (cf. FIG. 3). As such, the ends of the bristle tufts
5 and 6 tilted to different sides define contours downwardly
sloping to opposite sides so that an gable-roof-shaped envelope
contour is defined by the ends of the inclined bristle tufts 5 and
6 (cf. FIG. 3).
[0035] As FIGS. 2 and 4 show, in this second embodiment the
inclined bristle tufts 5 and 6 are again not obstructed from
bending to and fro in their plane of inclination by other bristle
tufts that are arranged perpendicular or are otherwise inclined. In
each transverse row of tilted bristle tufts 5 or 6 there are only
bristle tufts of the same inclination. In the planes that are
defined by the bristle tufts of a transverse row, the bristle zone
3 is constructed devoid of other bristles.
[0036] Arranged between the transverse rows of inclined bristle
tufts 5 and 6 are the bristle tufts 4 of the first group which are
perpendicular to the plane of the bristle support member 2. As
FIGS. 2 and 5 show, the bristle tufts 4 of the first group are
arranged in triangular bristle tuft zones between the rows of the
inclined bristle tufts 5 and 6 so that after a zone of bristle
tufts 4 of the first group there follows, looking in the
longitudinal direction of the toothbrush head 1, one transverse row
of bristle tufts 5 of the second group and then one transverse row
of bristle tufts 6 of the third group, this sequence being repeated
several times to the extent that several transverse rows of
inclined bristle tufts 5 and 6 are provided (cf. FIG. 5).
[0037] With this configuration, the bristle tufts 4 of the first
group are constructed shorter than the bristle tufts 5 and 6 of the
second and third group. The bristle tufts 5 and 6 of the second and
third group have a greater height in order, as the result of their
projection above the perpendicularly upstanding bristle tufts 4, to
be better able to penetrate into the interproximal area and into
the subgingival area of the teeth. In the embodiment shown in FIG.
3, the projecting inclined bristle tufts 5 and 6 in the center of
the bristle zone 3 have a height which is greater by 20% to 30%,
approximately, than the height of the perpendicular bristle tufts 4
of the first group.
[0038] As FIGS. 3 and 5 show, the outer contour, in particular the
widest points of the bristle zone 3, are defined by the
perpendicularly upstanding bristle tufts 4 of the first group. The
inclined bristle tufts 5 and 6 of the second and third group extend
within the circumference of the bristle zone 3, which is defined by
the perpendicular bristle tufts 4.
[0039] The bristle tufts 4 of the first group have in addition a
cross-section which differs from the cross-section of the inclined
bristle tufts 5 and 6. While the perpendicularly upstanding bristle
tufts 4 have an approximately circular cross-section (cf FIG. 2),
the inclined bristle tufts 5 and 6 have a slim rectangular
cross-section (cf. FIGS. 4 and 5), with the longitudinal sides of
this rectangular cross-section extending parallel to the respective
plane in which the bristle tufts 5 and 6 in the same transverse row
are arranged.
* * * * *