CN1993066A

CN1993066A - Toothbrush

Info

Publication number: CN1993066A
Application number: CNA2005800262183A
Authority: CN
Inventors: R·H·戴维斯
Original assignee: Unilever NV
Current assignee: Unilever NV
Priority date: 2004-08-03
Filing date: 2005-06-29
Publication date: 2007-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 2025-06-29
Also published as: BRPI0514025A; CN1993066B; WO2006012956A3; WO2006012956A2; EP1773154A2

Abstract

Toothbrush comprising a handle and a head attached thereto, the head having a chamber defined by a deformable bristle-bearing surface at its top and opposite thereto a base, the sides of the chamber being defined by a perimeter of the brush head, the base comprising a cap which is independent from and attachable to the rest of the base.

Description

Toothbrush

Technical field

The present invention relates to a kind of toothbrush, this toothbrush comprises brush, and this brush has the chamber between bristle area supported and the base portion.The invention still further relates to the method for making this toothbrush.

Background technology

WO 2004/19801 discloses a kind of toothbrush, this toothbrush comprises handle, is fixed to the brush of handle, cleaning element and elastic membrane, this brush has movable part and centers on the standing part of movable part, cleaning element is installed in fixing and the movable part, elastic membrane is extended between at least a portion in the zone between fixing and the movable part, film can be between the operating period of toothbrush crooked with change its raw bits to, and between the operating period of toothbrush, recover then and present arbitrarily its raw bits to.

WO 2004/14181 discloses a kind of toothbrush, this toothbrush comprises handle, be fixed to the brush of handle, elastic film, open space and at least one cleaning element, brush is with the form of base portion, this base portion has upstanding wall to produce perimeter frame, elastic film is installed to this framework, open space is between film and base portion, film has initial non-working condition, the film projection that is in this original state is to have original shape as domed, at least one cleaning element is on this film and leave brush and extend, this film is can be between the operating period of toothbrush crooked changing its original-shape, and returns to its original-shape arbitrarily then between the operating period of toothbrush.

DE-U-201 19 808 (Javanbakhsh) discloses a kind of toothbrush that comprises a pair of inflatable sections.One in these inflatable sections is positioned at below the bristle area supported.

Summary of the invention

The present invention relates to a kind of toothbrush, this toothbrush comprises handle and is attached to the brush of handle, this brush has the chamber that is defined by deformable bristle area supported and base portion, deformable bristle area supported at the top of chamber and base portion on the opposite of deformable bristle area supported, the side of chamber is defined by the periphery of brush, this base portion comprises cover cap, and this cover cap is independent of outside the remainder of base portion and can be attached to the remainder of base portion.

Brush comprises periphery, this periphery support bristle area supported and have recessed, to form this subsurface chamber.Preferred this periphery extends around brush with the form of wall and has a upper and lower edge.The part of preferred bristle area supported is attached to the top edge of this periphery and/or the inner surface of this periphery.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the bristle area supported comprises flexible member.This bristle area supported can be the form of rigid element, and these rigid element are mutually flexible to be connected with elasticity, for example, and by rarefaction in the hard material between the hard zone (thinning) or the mode by elastomeric material such as thermoplastic elastomer.Under the situation of using thermoplastic elastomer, bristle can directly be attached to the brush in the elastomer, perhaps, preferably bristle is fixed in the rigid receptacles, and this floats these rigid receptacles in elastomer.These rigid receptacles can interconnect so that improved hard to be provided, perhaps mutually fully separately with maximise flexibility.

In another preferred embodiment, the bristle area supported comprises flexible member, and this flexible member comprises flexible membrane, and flexible membrane supports bristle tuft.The preferred flexible film is crossed over brush and is attached to brush at hard brush periphery.Be chamber below the film, chamber is closed at the base portion of chamber by this cover cap.

This cover cap can be attached to the remainder of brush and by this base portion that is attached at chamber chamber be closed.The attached of this cover cap can carry out mechanically, cooperates (click-fit) as frictional fit or interlock.The attached of this cover cap also can be undertaken by chemical mode, as adhesive.This cover cap can also be welded to brush, as by hot weld or sonic soldering.

Preferred this cover cap is transparent.Comprise at the bristle area supported of toothbrush under the situation of flexible member and wish that more this cover cap is transparent, because transparent cover cap allows the user visually to experience the flexibility of brush from below, and this impression is not subjected to the vision obstruction of bristle, and allow to improve processing, because when being fixed to bristle tuft in the brush, can fix bristle by below the hard rocker piece, using to support by the bristle distribution machine.This is especially favourable when using flexible brush head, because only selection can be before being attached to brush each bristle block to be distributed.Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment, the bristle area supported comprises bristle tuft, utilizes technique for fixing that these bristle tuft are fixed to the bristle area supported.

In a further advantageous embodiment and using flexible membrane to provide to brush under the flexible situation, preferably bristle tuft to be imbedded in the rigid receptacles, these rigid receptacles are imbedded in the film itself.Preferred these rigid receptacles extend through film so that the maximization that combines of these rigid receptacles and film.And this layout in the film also allows rigid receptacles to shake in film, and the contact-making surface and the socket that do not damage between socket and the film can not become lax yet.Preferably the shape of these rigid receptacles is made their surfaces below film greater than they surfaces on film.This also can help the socket in the stabilising membrane during shaking.When shaking socket, promote on the side direction with socket.So just the mode of unlikely separating with socket with film when film is left in the socket pulling is exerted pressure towards film from following.

In another preferred embodiment, the bristle area supported is domed and leaves chamber.In this embodiment, the imagination chamber may be defined and formed recessed by the remainder of brush by domed.

Available any fluid is filled the chamber in the brush, as air, water, gel etc.And, can exert pressure and make it be higher or lower than atmospheric pressure to chamber, so that certain flex profile to be provided to brush.

On the other hand, the invention provides a kind of method of making toothbrush, this method may further comprise the steps:

(a) with molded brush of rigid plastics and handle, brush has the hard periphery, and this periphery defines the external dimensions of brush;

(b) independent or molded in groups rigid receptacles when modular jack in groups, can selected they are separated before further handling;

(c) at socket molded about flexible membrane and these sockets are attached to the periphery of brush;

(d) during bristle is attached to socket from each socket of following support;

(e) cover cap is placed the base portion of brush, to be closed in formed chamber below the bristle supporting flexible membrane.

In alternative method, may further comprise the steps:

(a) with the molded brush of rigid plastics, handle and a plurality of rigid receptacles, rigid receptacles is molded with a group at least, and these sockets are flexible mutually and flexibly connection by the rarefaction in the hard material between the socket, brush has the hard periphery, this hard periphery defines the external dimensions of brush, and rigid receptacles defines the bristle area supported of brush;

(b) during bristle is attached to socket from each socket of following support;

(c) cover cap is placed the base portion of brush, formed chamber below the bristle area supported that is closed in rigid receptacles flexible and that flexibly install.

Description of drawings

According to quoting in the embodiments of the invention non-limitative drawings below, in these accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is the sectional view of embodiments of the invention;

Fig. 2 is the perspective view of toothbrush and cover cap;

Fig. 3 is the plane of the cover cap among the embodiment of toothbrush;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional end view according to an embodiment of the invention; And

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional end view according to an embodiment of the invention.

The specific embodiment

Fig. 1 at length shows brush 1, and brush 1 comprises the bristle area supported, and the bristle area supported is made with elastomer film 2, with the mode of rigid receptacles 4 bristle 3 is fixed to the bristle area supported.Be chamber 5 below the bristle area supported, chamber 5 is filled with air.Hole 6 is positioned at the base portion of brush 2, and available cover cap 7 closes closed pore 6.Cover cap 7 is transparent and can makes the user see the flexibility of toothbrush segments from below.

Fig. 2 shows the brush 1 that is defined by perimeter wall 8, and brush 1 has the bristle area supported 2 that can see from below.Shown cover cap 7 separates with brush, but can go out as shown in FIG. be fixed to brush like that.

Fig. 3 shows the brush that is shown among Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, is attached to brush but Fig. 3 is view and the cover cap of seeing from below 7.Can pass cover cap 7 and see the lower surface of rigid receptacles 4.

Fig. 4 shows the cross-sectional end view of embodiments of the invention.Bristle area supported 2 is sidewalls 8 of crossing over the flexible membrane of brush and being attached to the hard periphery of brush.Flexible member 2 is domed.It below the flexible member 2 chamber 5.Also the base portion with brush penetrates to allow attached cover cap (not shown), defines chamber 5 fully with this cover cap.

Fig. 5 shows the alternate embodiment that is shown in the embodiment among Fig. 4.Flexible bristle area supported 2 comprises one group of hard bristle support member 9, and these hard bristle support members 9 are between groove 10, and it is flexible that these grooves 10 provide.

Fig. 6 shows the rigid receptacles 4 that is suspended in the flexible membrane 2.Also shown is bristle tuft 11, by in rigid receptacles fixedly fixator 12 form bristle tuft 11.

Fig. 7 shows when using toothbrush rigid receptacles and how to shake around its axle as the rigid receptacles that is shown among Fig. 6.Rigid receptacles also comprises the support lugn 13 that is positioned at below the film.

Fig. 8 to Figure 12 shows and makes the related step of toothbrush according to another aspect of the present invention.Fig. 8 shows the perimeter frame 8 of the external boundary that defines brush.Shown in the figure is the cross-sectional end view of brush.Among the figure and not shown handle, but handle is adjacent to brush.Periphery 8 is for the bristle area supported and for cover cap provides support, and bristle area supported and cover cap were using afterwards.

Fig. 9 shows molded rigid receptacles 4 afterwards.These rigid receptacles can be independent or molded in groups, and when modular jack in groups, they can be separated.

Figure 10 shows and is molded in socket flexible membrane 2 on every side, and these sockets are fixed to periphery 8.So form structure, in this structure, can be during using toothbrush socket be pressed onto among the chamber below the film as trampoline.

Figure 11 shows support 14, and support 14 is used for supporting rigid receptacles 4 during with fixator 12 attached bristle tuft 11.Can make each socket bunchy or in groups successively according to the size of support 14.

Figure 12 shows the cover cap 7 of the base portion that places brush, and cover cap 7 is closed chamber at this base portion, this chamber below film 2, formation above the cover cap 7.

Claims

1. toothbrush, described toothbrush comprises handle and is attached to the brush of handle, described brush has the chamber that is defined by deformable bristle area supported and base portion, described deformable bristle area supported at the top of described chamber and described base portion on the opposite of described deformable bristle area supported, the side of described chamber is defined by the periphery of described brush, described base portion comprises cover cap, and described cover cap is independent of outside the remainder of described base portion and can be attached to the remainder of described base portion.

2. toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that: described bristle area supported comprises flexible membrane, and bristle tuft is attached to described flexible membrane.

3. toothbrush as claimed in claim 2 is characterized in that: described bristle tuft is fixed in the rigid stent, and these rigid stents are dispersed among the structure of described flexible membrane.

4. toothbrush as claimed in claim 3 is characterized in that: described rigid stent protrudes and passes described film.

5. as the described toothbrush of any one claim of front, it is characterized in that: described cover cap is transparent or translucent, sees described bristle area supported so that can pass described cover cap.

6. as the described toothbrush of any one claim of front, it is characterized in that: utilize technique for fixing that described bristle is attached to described brush.

7. method of making toothbrush said method comprising the steps of:

(a) with molded brush of rigid plastics and handle, described brush has the hard periphery, and described hard periphery defines the external dimensions of described brush;

(b) independent or molded in groups rigid receptacles when modular jack in groups, can optionally separated them before further handling, and described rigid receptacles comprises socket base portion and sleeve pipe, described socket base portion and sleeve pipe, be used to support attached bristle;

(c) at described socket molded about flexible membrane and described socket is attached to the periphery of described brush;

(d) to support socket in the opposite direction, these bristles are attached among the described socket then with the attached side of bristle;

(e) cover cap is placed the base portion of described brush, to be closed in formed chamber below the described bristle supporting flexible membrane.

8. method of making toothbrush said method comprising the steps of:

(a) with the molded brush of rigid plastics, handle and a plurality of rigid receptacles, described these rigid receptacles are molded with a group at least, and described these sockets are flexible mutually and flexibly connection by the rarefaction in the hard material between the described socket, described brush has the hard periphery, described hard periphery defines the external dimensions of described brush, and described rigid receptacles defines the bristle area supported of described brush;

(b) during bristle is attached to described socket from each socket of following support;

(c) cover cap is placed the base portion of described brush, formed chamber below the bristle area supported that is closed in rigid receptacles flexible and that flexibly install.