CN1688226A

CN1688226A - Toothbrush

Info

Publication number: CN1688226A
Application number: CNA038244063A
Authority: CN
Inventors: D·J·霍尔贝恩
Original assignee: Colgate Palmolive Co
Current assignee: Colgate Palmolive Co
Priority date: 2002-08-19
Filing date: 2003-08-18
Publication date: 2005-10-26
Also published as: AU2003263865A1; WO2004016188A3; MXPA05001988A; KR20050065533A; US20050138744A1; EP1538946A2; BR0313617A; WO2004016188A2; CA2495388A1

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.

Description

Toothbrush

Technical field

The present invention relates to a kind of toothbrush, or manual or electronic, it comprises handle and head.The element of cleaning with water as brushing cluster is installed to this head.Be inserted into head in the mouth and brush teeth in known manner when toothpaste being added to when cleaning element with water the user.

Background technology

The head of conventional toothbrush has the attached surface flat or that slightly change of cleaning element with water usually.Generally clean element with water and be form bunch, bundle or other plastics bundles in groups.Perhaps toothbrush is shaped before or afterwards this bundle is attached to head.Thereby should can clean the All Ranges, the particularly place of middle vicinity of tooth with water at head with cleaning element arrangements with water.

A kind of method of cleaning dental surface with water is disclosed in United States Patent (USP) 4,519, and in No. 111, it is to be presented to Paolo Cavazza on May 28th, 1985.A kind of toothbrush of this patent disclosure, it uses two groups to clean element with water.One group increases height gradually when they leave the far-end of toothbrush all be the same high (the 1st row, 27-33 is capable) with second group of length on toothbrush head.

At United States Patent (USP) 5,896, the another kind of method that element is cleaned tooth with water of cleaning with water of using height change is described in No. 614.This patent is to be presented to Plewitt on April 27th, 1999.This patent disclosure is perpendicular to several capable arrowband of toothbrush longitudinal axis layout or the row of arrowband that replaces and bristle.Alternately vertical profile of each row can be flat or rise and fall.Transverse profile can be recessed, " V " or " U " shape (the 1st row, 53-66 is capable).In one embodiment, the size that the arrowband is bigger and toothbrush longitudinal axis in parallel alignment (the 2nd row, 32-40 is capable, Fig. 5-7); Vertical with the longitudinal axis in another embodiment (Fig. 1-4).According to this patent, use more flat (thin bristle) arrowband material shampooing dental surface (the 3rd row, 63-65 is capable).

On August 30th, 1994 is that issue and transfer No. 5,341,537, the United States Patent (USP) of present assignee, discloses design and has improved a kind of bristle that removes deblurring from tooth and arrange.Disclose 3 groups and clean element with water.The 1st group is that a set of pieces of relative broad is arranged in each row vertical with the toothbrush longitudinal axis.It is short that this group is cleaned element with water than other groups usually.The 2nd group also with the 1st group of each row alignment but bunch a neighboring of cleaning the element outside with water towards toothbrush head tilt.Cleaning element with water for the 3rd group tilts and in the far-end of toothbrush head and/or the near-end lesser degree (the 3rd row, 25-56 is capable) that tilts towards the outside side direction (about 30E) of toothbrush head.This angle of some bristle help from gums line tooth and internally tooth remove spot (the 5th be listed as 10-16 capable).

Summary of the invention

This invention stresses that the tooth bristle enters the problem that the middle adjacent domain of tooth is cleaned effect with water.The common issue with of many prior art toothbrushes is that the hardness of some bristle makes other bristle leave tooth.Therefore, in general toothbrush, bristle is easy to clean with water the outer surface of tooth, but seldom has bristle to arrive interdental zone, promptly middle contiguous zone.

This invention by use alternately clean element or bristle with water do not solved this problem on the same group.One group longer and have relative harder bristle can enter in the adjacent domain of centre than another group.Another group comprises short, more resilient bristle, is easy to compression under load.

Preferably, the 1st group of harder bristle be apart from one another by the distance that is approximately equal to the tooth mean breadth, thereby they can be located preferably and are fit to enter interdental zone.Short, more resilient that group bristle is positioned between this long, hard group bristle.That short bristle preferably curls or in other words, it is configured to it can be easy to compress when the user pressurizes to toothbrush.When short, more resilient bristle compresses under that pressure, long hard bristle will further be stretched in the middle adjacent domain.This combination of all types of bristles helps cleaning with water of all each several parts of tooth.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is the fragmentary, perspective view of this invention manual toothbrush head, and this head has a bristle group leader, relatively harder and short, more resilient bristle alternately to arrange;

Fig. 2 is the side view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is the top view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4-the 6th, side view represent the interchangeable various structures of long brush hairs;

Fig. 7 is the top view of electric tooth, and it comprises the various bristles layouts of Fig. 1-4;

The bristle that Fig. 8 illustrates this invention toothbrush and they and the contacting of toothbrush user tooth.

The specific embodiment

Fig. 1-4 explanation is according to the manual toothbrush 10 of this invention.Toothbrush 10 comprises handle 12 and head 14 as shown in FIG..Handle 12 can comprise the seat of the suitable grasping that elastomeric material is made.But the present invention relates generally to the layout of cleaning the relative head 14 of element with water.As the base portion 18 of band upper surface 20 is arranged at head 14 as shown in Fig. 1-4, it is configured for inserting the base of cleaning element 22 with water.As shown in these figure, 1 group clean with water element 24 with the form of row vertically alignment and relative the 2nd group to clean element 26 with water harder, and the 2nd group to clean element with water more soft more flexible.

The present invention is particularly suitable for such element of cleaning with water, and they are by no anchor cluster (anchorfree tufting, AFT) the attached bundle or the form of bristle.In no anchor cluster, generally sheet or film are installed to the each several part of head by the use ultra-sonic welded.Bristle passes this sheet or film extends.The free end of bristle or outer end are carried out and are cleaned function with water.The inner at the bristle of sheet or film opposition side is fused together it by heating so that increase no anchor cluster.

In Fig. 1-3 explanation embodiments of the invention in, with hard relatively bristle or elastic wall or finger piece 24 the 1st the row be arranged in the far-end that strides across manual toothbrush head 14 in the direction that is approximately perpendicular to the toothbrush longitudinal axis.Following 1 row of cleaning element 26 with water that moves towards handle 12 directions is when cleaning the element adjacent row with water and compare more soft more flexible (smaller hardness).Before in being assembled to toothbrush head 14 or wherein by making bristle have the flexibility that " S " type can obtain bristle 26.Concerning the those of ordinary skill in toothbrush art field, the known bristle 24 of making is relatively hard and make the additive method of bristle 26 relative flexibilities.

The remainder of head 14 comprises hard relatively and the flexible alternate row of cleaning element with water.Distance between the hard relatively adjacent lines of cleaning element with water preferably is approximately equal to interdental general distance in the mouth.As shown in FIG. 8, when pressure (in Fig. 8 by arrow representative) when being added on the toothbrush this distance help the layout of long hard relatively bristle in the adjacent domain of tooth centre.Clean the effect of cleaning with water of this all parts of combination raising tooth of element with water, particularly in middle adjacent domain, this zone is because the dental plaque of food that embeds and accumulation tends to corrosion.

As comprising many (preferably 2) vertically adjacent element at the flexible element 26 of cleaning with water of every row as shown in Fig. 1-4.

The another kind of configuration 24a that cleans element with water that Fig. 4 explanation is hard relatively.In this embodiment, every row is hard relatively cleans vertical adjacent elements that element includes oblique pointed tip with water, formation " V " shape that combines, and this further helps these elements and penetrates into to fall between the tooth in the middle adjacent domain of " V " shape.If desired, make the single element of cleaning with water have " V " of oblique pointed tip formation also can obtain " V " shape.

Fig. 5-6 explanation elasticity is cleaned a kind of configuration of also having of element with water.To clean element 26a with water be the form that is that being installed in floats and cleans with water fiber bristles 28 on the seat 30 to elasticity in this embodiment of the present invention.Seat 30 is to be slit into by soft elastomeric material to be used for supporting to clean with water element 28.Seat 30 is compressible.As making a hollow obtain compressibility as shown in Fig. 5-6.Support under pressure in use that as shown in FIG. 6 seat 30 subsides, wherein arrow represents that pressure is added on the seat 30.This just allows adjacent bristle or cleans deeper middle contiguous the penetrating of element 24 with water.

Therefore the embodiment of Fig. 5-6 provides the serpentine of the easy compression of Fig. 1-4 to clean a kind of mutation of element with water.In this alternative scheme, can be the also thin seat of cleaning element 28 with water of bristle form of elastomer, be to support 30 supports by the elastomer of thin flexibility.

As illustrated in fig. 6, subsiding, thereby allow harder bristle 24 darker penetrating with identical these the thin supports of mode of " S " element.

Similar with the embodiment of Fig. 1-3, the row that the elasticity of Fig. 5-6 is cleaned element 26a with water can comprise many vertically adjacent elements of cleaning with water.

Equally, with Fig. 4 in hard the cleaning element with water and can comprise many vertically adjacent elements of cleaning with water of the same every row in Fig. 5-6.

Various embodiments of the present invention can have the hard length that element 24 strides across toothbrush head cleaned with water of every row to clean the length of element 26 with water greater than elasticity, as shown in Fig. 1 and 3.The present invention also can implement flexible member, and to stride across the length of toothbrush head longer.

Also can implement each embodiment, make every row clean that the element lateral extension strides across the whole width of cleaning head 14 with water with water and other elements stretch short distance, as shown in Fig. 1 and 3.The present invention can implement or hard clean that element or the flexible delegation that cleans element with water or a few row comprise that many lateral extension stride across toothbrush head with water each clean element with water.This will be useful especially, and for example, cleaning element with water is natural or the situation of the elastomeric walls of fiber bristles rather than explanation.Use the elasticity dactylozoite also can reach the element of cleaning with water that the many side direction of use are alignd in single file.In this working of an invention, also can use various combinations, manyly vertically adjacent clean element with water in that row (as shown in FIG. 4) as in hard and/or the flexible delegation that cleans element with water or a few row, having, and in same type is cleaned other row of element with water, can only have single group to clean element with water in that row.

As described, combination of cleaning each group of element alternate row in the preferred enforcement of this invention with water has the hard outmost row of element as this combination of cleaning with water.

The element of cleaning with water of any suitable form can be as cleaning element 22 with water in this invention broad practice.Term " is cleaned element with water " and is intended to use on general meaning, and it can comprise that conventional fiber bristles or massage elements or the other forms of element of cleaning with water comprise the elasticity dactylozoite or the wall of straight line portion or positive string section as being arranged in circular cross section or any kind required form.In the place of using bristle, bristle can be installed on bunch piece or the section by being passed in perforate suitable in bunch piece, thereby be installed in the bristle substrate in bunch piece or under bunch piece.

Should be appreciated that to the special instruction of cleaning element with water only be purpose in order to demonstrate.With various combinations (as the AFT bristle, etc.) and/or with identical bristle or clean with water element material (as nylon brush hair, spiral bristle, rubber bristles, etc.) can implement the present invention.Equally, although the element of cleaning with water of each figure explanation is generally perpendicular to head 14, some or all cleans element with water can be angled, and the upper surface 20 of head 14 has different angles relatively.Thereby thereby the combination that can select to clean with water element configurations, material and orientation obtains the result of specific intended so that additional oral health is provided, resemble strengthen clean with water, the massage of tooth polishing, dental whitening and/or gums.

Handle 12 comprises head 14, and preferably the duroplasts that is used by manual toothbrush is made.

This invention also can be implemented its head 14 and comprise 1 or several power or the electrically operated moving part of cleaning element with water that has.Fig. 7 illustrates toothbrush 10A, and it comprises power-actuated movable disc or the part 40 of cleaning element with water that have.Moving part 40 can be to vibrate rotationally, as using that class driving mechanism of expression in No. 5,625,916, the United States Patent (USP), perhaps can be inside and outside moving, and uses that class driving mechanism of expression among No. 35,941, the United States Patent (USP) RE; All details of two patents are all inserted here as a reference.In addition, except above-mentioned other types drive also can be with other mode and direction motion parts 40.Though it is the far-ends at head that Fig. 7 represents moving part 40, moving part can be positioned in the head on any desired position.

Claims

1. a toothbrush comprises handle, be fixed on the head of handle, clean element with water for the 1st group that is installed in head, it is hard and longer relatively that it cleans element with water than other groups that are installed in head, the 2nd group is cleaned with water element is flexible and cleans the easier compression of element and the described the 1st and the 2nd group with water than described the 1st group and clean arrangements of elements with water in the alternate row of head.

2. toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that described the 1st group of described row of cleaning element with water is the mean breadth that is approximately equal to people's tooth apart from one another by certain distance, this distance.

3. toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that described the 2nd group is cleaned with water element has serpentine at least on its partial-length shape.

4. toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that the 1st group of upper surface of cleaning element with water has the profile of V-arrangement.

5. toothbrush as claimed in claim 4 is characterized in that described the 1st group of each row of cleaning element with water comprises a pair of vertically adjacent element of cleaning with water, and they have the top of oblique point so that be combined to form the profile of described V-arrangement.

6. toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that cleaning element with water for each described the 2nd group is the form that is compressible seat, and this supports its element of cleaning with water.

7. toothbrush as claimed in claim 6 is characterized in that described compressible seat is to be become and it described cleaned element with water and be mounted in fiber bristles on the described combination outer surface by compressible soft hollow elasticity system.

8. toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that the 1st described row of cleaning element with water strides across described head than the 2nd described row of cleaning element with water and stretches further distance.

9. toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that described the 1st group is cleaned with water element and be positioned at the described the 1st and the 2nd group of outermost end of cleaning element combination with water.

10. toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that delegation at least cleans element with water and comprises the vertically adjacent element of cleaning with water for described the 1st group.

11. toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that delegation at least cleans element with water and comprises two vertical adjacent elements of cleaning with water for described the 2nd group.

12. toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that described toothbrush is a manual toothbrush.

13. toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that the part of toothbrush comprises the electronic element of cleaning with water.