CN118338813A

CN118338813A - Toothbrush with tooth brush

Info

Publication number: CN118338813A
Application number: CN202280074100.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: H·克雷默
Original assignee: Helion Uk Intellectual Property Ltd
Current assignee: Helion Uk Intellectual Property Ltd
Priority date: 2021-11-08
Filing date: 2022-11-04
Publication date: 2024-07-12
Also published as: WO2023079121A1; EP4429518A1; AU2022383512A1; CA3237209A1; EP4176767A1

Abstract

A toothbrush having a handle, at least one cleaning region, and at least one deformable element, wherein the deformable element has a first flexible arm disposed relatively toward the cleaning region and a second flexible arm disposed relatively away from the cleaning region. The deformable element is movable from a rest position in which the first arm is substantially flat and aligned with the handle to a cleaning position in which the first arm and the cleaning region adopt a curvature of the surface of the dentition, wherein the arms form a wedge shape that is connected together at one end of the deformable element and away from each other at the other end of the deformable element. The first and second arms are connected by at least two bridges which are tiltable relative to the first and second arms when pressure is applied to the cleaning area, wherein the arms and bridges enclose a void space.

Description

Toothbrush with tooth brush

Technical Field

The present invention relates to toothbrushes. In particular, the present invention relates to a toothbrush having a cleaning region that can be adapted to the shape of the tooth surface.

Background

Toothbrushes are well known appliances that generally include a handle by which the toothbrush is held and a cleaning region (commonly referred to as a "head") on which tooth cleaning elements are disposed and which are pressed against the teeth with a cleaning force during cleaning. The head and handle define a longitudinal handle-head direction of the toothbrush, with the neck being longitudinally located between the head and handle. Tooth cleaning elements generally project from the cleaning region in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction.

The toothbrush disclosed in WO2006/089784 comprises a cleaning region and deformable elements by which the cleaning region is able to adapt to the shape of the tooth surface when a cleaning force is applied by a user. The deformable element of the toothbrush has at least a first and a second flexible wing arranged opposite towards and away from the cleaning zone, respectively, and at least one guiding element integrally formed with said wings, whereby the first and second wings remain wedge-shaped spaces at least partially filled with an elastic material, gel or fluid. This solution does not have a satisfactory deformability due to the materials used and due to the filling in the wedge-shaped space.

There remains a need for an improved toothbrush that adapts to the shape of the tooth surface and thus cleans the teeth effectively while reducing the risk of breakage and manufacturing difficulties.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure provides a toothbrush having a handle, at least one cleaning region, and at least one deformable element, wherein the deformable element has a first flexible arm disposed relatively toward the cleaning region and a second flexible arm disposed relatively away from the cleaning region. According to the invention, the deformable element is movable from a rest (resting) position, in which the first arm is substantially flat and aligned with the handle, to a cleaning position, in which the first arm and the cleaning region adopt a curvature of the surface of the dentition (dentition). According to the invention, the arms form a wedge shape connected together at one end and remote from each other at the other end, wherein the first and second arms are connected by at least two bridges, which bridges are tiltable relative to the first and second arms when pressure is applied to the cleaning area, wherein the arms and bridges enclose a void space. Since the bridge is tiltable relative to the arm, the deformable element can adopt a curvature of the dentition surface when pressure is applied to the cleaning region. The arrangement of arms and bridges within the deformable element reminds the structure of a fish fin having two bones arranged in a wedge shape connected by connective tissue. Inspired by their analysis of the FIN, biologists LEIF KNIESE found FINThe effect, whereby the application of force to the fin structure causes the base and tip to deform toward the applied force. That is, this technique has been used for a robot claw, but not for general oral health field or general toothbrush. The inclusion of a void space between the arm and the bridge allows the deformable element of the present invention to bend easily towards an applied load in the cleaning position. Providing void spaces in the deformable element also reduces the complexity of toothbrush manufacture because this feature eliminates the need for additional manufacturing steps, such as filling the voids with an elastomeric material, gel, or fluid.

In one embodiment, the arms and the bridge are integrally formed by injection molding. This makes the manufacture particularly efficient and reduces the risk of the arm and bridge separating during use.

In one embodiment, the arms and the bridge are made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material. TPE is a class of polymeric materials with thermoplastic and elastomeric properties that will provide the desired flexibility and robustness.

According to a preferred embodiment, the TPE material has a Shore D (Shore D) hardness of about 50 to 66, preferably about 54 to 62, more preferably about 56 to 60, most preferably about 58. The use of such TPE materials provides the deformable element with sufficient flexibility to move to a cleaning position upon application of force to the cleaning area while also providing ease of mass production. Furthermore, a reliable adhesion to the gel pad can be obtained.

In one embodiment, the bridge has a hinge (hinges) that flexibly connects the bridge to the arm. Such a hinge would allow the necessary tilting. Preferably, in the rest position the angle between the bridge and the arm is about 90 °, and when pressure is applied to the cleaning area and the bridge is tilted relative to the arm, the angle increases to about 95 ° to 110 °, preferably to about 97 ° to 105 °.

According to a preferred embodiment, the hinges are integral hinges, i.e. they are formed integrally with the arms and bridges to which they are connected during the manufacturing process, and are preferably made of the same material during the injection moulding process. This is particularly advantageous in terms of tilt angle and ease of manufacture and reduces the risk of breakage. According to a preferred embodiment, the integral hinge has a thickness in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush of about 0.2 to 0.4 mm. This is advantageous because the integral hinge has the required flexibility while also minimizing the risk of breakage. This is particularly advantageous when TPE materials having shore D hardness between 54 and 62 are used.

In one embodiment, the distance between the arms at the proximal end of the deformable element is between about 3mm and 5mm, preferably between 3.5mm and 4.5 mm. This is advantageous because it reduces the risk of breakage, improves the efficiency of cleaning, and is compact enough to fit comfortably in the user's mouth during cleaning.

In one embodiment, the longitudinal distance between the bridges is between about 5 and 9mm, preferably between 7 and 8 mm. Furthermore, the longitudinal distance between the bridge closest to the tip of the brush head and the tip is preferably also between 5 and 9, preferably between 7 and 8 mm. Preferably, the longitudinal distance between the bridge closest to the handle and the end of the deformable element, i.e. the length of the gap closest to the toothbrush handle, is preferably smaller than the longitudinal spacing between the bridges, e.g. between 5 and 6 mm. Various tests have shown that these dimensions, i.e. in combination with the use of 3 bridges, produce optimal results in terms of deformability and cleaning performance.

In one embodiment, the deformable element is no longer than 150% of the length of the cleaning zone, preferably no longer than 130% of the length of the cleaning zone. Consumer testing has shown that excessively long deformable elements create an unpleasant sensation in the mouth of the user. The deformable element being no longer than 130% of the length of the cleaning zone also reduces the difficulty of the molding process and the likelihood of breakage during use.

In one embodiment, the deformable element has 2 to 7 bridges, preferably 3 to 5 bridges, most preferably 3 bridges. It has been found that less than 3 bridges do not provide the desired deformation properties, i.e. in case of only two bridges the deformable element remains too rigid. Consumer testing, on the other hand, has shown that consumers do not want to have too many bridges in the toothbrush deformable element. An excessive number of bridges (which then often also require longer deformable elements) can create an unpleasant feel during brushing. The larger void space associated with the additional bridge may also be easily filled with toothpaste, thus requiring additional post-brush cleaning. Toothbrushes with 3 bridges are preferred because such toothbrushes have optimal functionality in terms of cleaning properties while minimizing user discomfort and the size of the void space.

In one embodiment, the handle comprises a polypropylene backbone and is integrally formed as one piece with the deformable element by injection molding.

In one embodiment, the deformable element consists of a material, preferably TPE, having an elongation at break of 500 to 800%, preferably 600 to 750%, more preferably 650 to 700%. Materials with this property provide the required flexibility and reduce the risk of breakage during use.

In another preferred embodiment, the deformable element consists of a material, preferably TPE, having a tensile strength between 25 and 36MPa, preferably between 30 and 33MPa, more preferably between 31 and 32 MPa. The tensile strength has an influence on the adhesion properties and the physical properties, and values in these ranges give the best results in terms of the adhesion of the deformable element to the gel pad and in terms of the risk of breakage.

The toothbrush of the present invention is formed by a cascade injection molding process. A single cavity in the mold is injected with TPE to form the deformable element and neck region while polypropylene (PP) is injected to create the skeleton for the handle region. Different TPE materials are injected on top of or around the PP skeleton to provide the desired surface feel and grip. The TPE and PP materials of the deformable element and the handle are intermixed in the contact area and all materials used in the dual injection molding process will adhere to each other.

Drawings

Figure 1 shows a side view of the neck and head of the toothbrush when not in use.

Figure 2 shows a side view of the brush neck and cleaning area during brushing of the dentition. The insert shows a detailed view of the bridge and hinge of the toothbrush.

Fig. 3 shows a side cross-sectional view of the toothbrush, taken along the cleaning zone-the longitudinal direction of the handle.

Fig. 4 shows a cross-section through the head of the toothbrush in a rest position along a plane perpendicular to the view of fig. 3.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a side view of the head and neck of a toothbrush according to an embodiment of the invention. The toothbrush comprises a head 5 consisting of a cleaning zone 2 and a deformable element 3, and a toothbrush neck 12 connecting the head 5 to a handle 1 (see fig. 4, not shown in fig. 1). The cleaning region 2 has a gel pad 22 holding cleaning elements 21. The cleaning elements 21 of the toothbrush shown are bristles arranged in tufts (tufts not shown in the figures) as this is conventional for toothbrushes. The gel pad 22 is approximately 12mm wide and 27mm long in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning region 2-handle 1, and is made of TPE material (i.e. flexible gel-type material) having a shore a hardness of 28.

The deformable element 3 has a first flexible arm 31 on which the cleaning zone 2 sits, wherein the gel pad 22 is arranged on the surface of the flexible arm 31. Furthermore, the deformable element 3 has a second flexible arm 32 arranged relatively far from the cleaning zone 2. The first arm 31 and the second arm 32 form a wedge shape (V-shape), whereby the arms are connected together at a distal end 33 of the deformable element 3 relative to the neck region 12 and the handle 1, and are remote from each other at a proximal end 34 (DISTANCED FROM EACH OTHER). The distance I' "between the first arm 31 and the second arm 32 at the proximal end 34 of the deformable element 3 is about 3.5mm. As the first arm 31 and the second arm 32 converge towards the distal end 33 of the deformable element 3, the distance between the arms decreases as indicated by I, I' and I ", respectively, in fig. 1. The first arm 31 and the second arm 32 are connected to each other by three bridges 35, 35', 35", which extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the handle 1. Each bridge 35, 35', 35 "is connected to the first and second flexible arms 31, 32 via an integral hinge 38, which enables the bridge to tilt relative to the first and second arms 31, 32 as shown in the cleaning position depicted in fig. 2. When pressure is applied to the cleaning area during brushing, the bridge 35, 35', 35 "will tilt, resulting in a bending of the deformable element 3, wherein the two flexible arms 31, 32 move closer to each other at their proximal ends 34. The cleaning area 2 of the brush head 5 will thus adopt a curvature of the dentition 40, which results in a more uniform application of pressure to the plurality of teeth and less risk of gum irritation. The bridges 35, 35', 35 "have a length in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the handle 1, which length is parallel to the distances I, I ', I" and I ' "between the arms 31, 32, which distance increases from the distal bridge 35 to the proximal bridge 35", wherein their length ranges between approximately 2mm and 3.5mm. The arms 31, 32 and the bridges 35, 35', 35 "enclose several void spaces 36, 36', 36", 36' "(see fig. 1 and 2). These void spaces 36, 36', 36", 36'" vary in length in the longitudinal direction of the handle 1 between 5 and 8mm and are shown in fig. 1 as D1, D2, D3 and D4. While the three distal voids 36, 36', 36 "closer to the tip 33 of the head 5 have similar or equal lengths D1, D2, D3 and all extend below the cleaning region 2, the proximal void 36'" has a smaller length D4 and extends beyond the cleaning region 2 toward the neck 12. The region between the proximal end 34 of the deformable element 3 and the S-bend region 14 is referred to herein as the neck 12. The S-shaped curved region 14 serves as a design element desired by the consumer and does not provide additional functionality to the toothbrush of the present disclosure, particularly without increased flexibility.

Fig. 2 shows a side view of the brush neck 12 and head 5 during brushing of the surface of the dentition 40, i.e., when pressure is applied during cleaning. The cleaning elements 21 mounted on the gel pad 22 contact the surface of the dentition 40 during brushing, which exerts a force on the cleaning region 2, causing the deformable element 3 to adopt a curvature of the surface of the dentition 40, as already mentioned above. The inset shows a detailed view of one of the bridges 35 "of the deformable element 3. The bridge 35 "has a thickness in the longitudinal direction of the handle direction of about 0.9mm, as indicated by w ₂ in the figure. The detailed view shows that the bridge 35 "is connected to the two flexible arms 31, 32 via two hinges 38. These hinges 38 are integrally formed with the bridge 35 "shown in the illustration (the same for all three bridges 35, 35', 35") and have a thickness of about 0.3mm, as shown by w ₁. The integral hinge 38 flexibly connects the bridge 35, 35', 35″ to the first arm 31 and the second arm 32, thus allowing the deformable element 3 to adopt the curvature of the surface of the dentition 40 when a force is applied by a user, as already explained. When the deformable element 3 deforms after the application of force, the hinge 38 of the bridge 35, 35', 35″ is inclined with respect to the first arm 31 and the second arm 32 at an angle α which varies between 90 ° when no pressure is applied and at most 120 °, preferably at most 110 °, during cleaning when pressure is applied.

Fig. 3 shows a side cross-section of the toothbrush, taken in the longitudinal direction of the handle 1, perpendicular to the plane of the gel pad 22. The toothbrush is formed by a cascade injection moulding process whereby a single cavity in the mould is injected with TPE material to form part of the deformable element 3 and neck 12. TPE materials for the deformable element have a shore D hardness of about 50 to 66, preferably about 54 to 62, more preferably about 56 to 60. In the presently preferred embodiment as shown, the Shore D hardness is about 58. Polypropylene PP is injected to create a handle 1 skeleton below the S-bend region 14, wherein the two materials are mixed in the S-bend region 14. TPE and PP adhere to each other during this dual injection molding process.

Fig. 4 shows a section through the planar head 5 perpendicular to the bridges 35, 35', 35″ and running through them, wherein the toothbrush is in a rest position, i.e. wherein the gel pad 22 is flat. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the deformable element 3 has a width indicated by w ₅ of about 7.2mm towards the proximal end 34 relative to the neck 12 and handle 1 and narrows slightly as it extends towards the distal end 33. The three bridges 35, 35', 35″ of the deformable element 3 have a rectangular cross section with rounded edges. The width of the bridge 35, 35', 35 "in the longitudinal direction of the handle 1 is about 0.3mm, as shown in fig. 2, denoted here as w ₂. The width of the bridge 35 in the transverse direction varies between about 4.4 and 5mm, here denoted by w ₄、w₄' and w ₄ ". The gel pad 22 is shown in a rear view as being located behind the deformable element 3. The gel pad (22) has a capsule shape with rounded ends and has a width in a direction perpendicular to the handle 1 extending beyond the width of the deformable element 3. The deformable element 3 is manufactured in one piece by injection moulding and is made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material.

The TPE material used for the deformable element has a shore D hardness of 58 as described above. Furthermore, it has a tensile strength of between 25 and 36MPa, preferably between 30 and 33MPa, more preferably between 31 and 32 MPa. In the preferred embodiment shown in the figures, it has a tensile strength of about 31 MPa. Furthermore, the TPO material for the deformable element preferably has an elongation at break of 500 to 800%, preferably 600 to 750%, more preferably 650 to 700%. In the present preferred embodiment, it has an elongation at break of 686%. Elongation at break was measured using the ISO 37 standard test, but unlike the standard test protocol, the standard test piece S2 was tested at a transverse speed of 200 mm/min. The PP materials used for the handle 1 skeleton are conventional PP materials, as they are often used for toothbrush handles.

Claims

1. Toothbrush having a handle (1), at least one cleaning region (2) and at least one deformable element (3), wherein the deformable element (3) has a first flexible arm (31) arranged relatively towards the cleaning region (2) and a second flexible arm (32) arranged relatively away from the cleaning region (2), wherein the deformable element (3) is movable from a rest position, in which the first arm (31) is substantially flat and aligned with the handle (1), to a cleaning position, in which the first arm (31) and the cleaning region (2) adopt a curvature of the surface of the dentition (40), wherein the arms (31, 32) form a wedge shape connected together at one end (33) of the deformable element and remote from each other at the other end (34) of the deformable element, wherein the first and second arms (31, 32) are connected by at least two bridges (35, 35', 35 "), the bridge is tiltable relative to the first and second arms (31, 32) when pressure is applied to the cleaning region (2), wherein the arms (31, 32) and bridge (35, 35') enclose a void space (36, 36', 36'").

2. Toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the arms (31, 32) and the bridge (35) are integrally formed by injection moulding.

3. Toothbrush according to claims 1-2, wherein the arms (31, 32) and the bridge (35, 35') are made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material.

4. A toothbrush according to claim 3, wherein the TPE material has a shore D hardness of about 50 to 66, preferably about 54 to 62, more preferably about 56 to 60, most preferably about 58.

5. The toothbrush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bridge (35, 35', 35 ") has a hinge (38) flexibly connecting the bridge (35, 35', 35") to the arms (31, 32).

6. The toothbrush of claim 5, wherein the hinge (38) is an integral hinge.

7. The toothbrush of claim 6, wherein the integral hinge (38) has a thickness in a longitudinal direction of the toothbrush of about 0.2 to 0.4 mm.

8. The toothbrush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the distance (I' ") between the arms (31, 32) at the proximal end (34) of the deformable element is between about 3mm to 5mm, preferably 3.5mm to 4.5 mm.

9. The toothbrush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the longitudinal distance (D ₂、D₃) between adjacent bridges is between about 5 to 9mm, preferably between 7 to 8 mm.

10. The toothbrush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the deformable element (3) is not longer than 150% of the length of the cleaning zone (2), preferably not longer than 130% of the length of the cleaning zone (2).

11. The toothbrush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the deformable element (3) has 2-7 bridges (35, 35', 35 "), preferably 3-5 bridges (35, 35', 35"), most preferably 3 bridges (35, 35', 35 ").

12. Toothbrush according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the handle (1) comprises a polypropylene skeleton and is integrally formed as one piece with the deformable element (3) by injection moulding.

13. Toothbrush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the deformable element (3) consists of a material having an elongation at break of 500 to 800%, preferably 600 to 750%, more preferably 650 to 700%.

14. The toothbrush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein in a rest position the angle (a) between the bridge (35, 35', 35 ") and the arm (31, 32) is about 90 °, and about 95 ° to 110 °, preferably about 97 ° to 105 °, when pressure is applied to the cleaning zone (2).