EP0066259A2 - Toothbrush structure - Google Patents
Toothbrush structure Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0066259A2 EP0066259A2 EP82104638A EP82104638A EP0066259A2 EP 0066259 A2 EP0066259 A2 EP 0066259A2 EP 82104638 A EP82104638 A EP 82104638A EP 82104638 A EP82104638 A EP 82104638A EP 0066259 A2 EP0066259 A2 EP 0066259A2
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- bristle
- toothbrush
- carrying head
- handle element
- toothbrush structure
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 239000011435 rock Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 3
- 230000010355 oscillation Effects 0.000 claims 1
- 230000001580 bacterial effect Effects 0.000 abstract description 2
- 206010044541 Traumatic shock Diseases 0.000 abstract 1
- 210000003128 head Anatomy 0.000 description 12
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 3
- 210000001519 tissue Anatomy 0.000 description 3
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 description 2
- 210000002455 dental arch Anatomy 0.000 description 2
- 230000001575 pathological effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 229910001369 Brass Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 241000282465 Canis Species 0.000 description 1
- 230000009471 action Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004458 analytical method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 210000004763 bicuspid Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 210000000988 bone and bone Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 239000010951 brass Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001680 brushing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001066 destructive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000003628 erosive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001788 irregular Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000007794 irritation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000012528 membrane Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 210000000214 mouth Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001373 regressive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000007480 spreading Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000009827 uniform distribution Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46B—BRUSHES
- A46B5/00—Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware
- A46B5/002—Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware having articulations, joints or flexible portions
- A46B5/0054—Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware having articulations, joints or flexible portions designed to allow relative positioning of the head to body
- A46B5/0058—Mechanical joint or hinge made up of several components
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46B—BRUSHES
- A46B7/00—Bristle carriers arranged in the brush body
- A46B7/04—Bristle carriers arranged in the brush body interchangeably removable bristle carriers
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46B—BRUSHES
- A46B2200/00—Brushes characterized by their functions, uses or applications
- A46B2200/10—For human or animal care
- A46B2200/1066—Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures
Definitions
- This,invention relates to a toothbrush structure.
- Said film provides basic support for the growth of a bacterial blotch, which undoubtedly favors the development of those substances which are the cause of decay erosion and destructive and regressive processes affecting the tooth supporting tissues, and specifically the bone.
- This danger is mainly the outcome of the impossibility to spread and balance the pressure from the whole active face of the brush, whether the latter is provided with natural or artificial bristles.
- the regions of the tooth which are more liable to such damage are those of the canines and premolars, which are located at a smaller radius arc and are subjected to greater and more uneven friction.
- the ta'sk of the invention is that of overoom- ing the aforesaid drawbacks, by providing a toothbrush which allows a degree of freedom in the bristle-carrying head seating, such as to make it virtually independent of the handle, and accordingly free to dispose itself parallel to the area to be cleaned, thus achieving a balanced spreading of the frictional force.
- a toothbrush structure comprising a handle element and bristle-carrying head, characterized in that said bristle-carrying head is mounted to rock with respect to said handle element.
- the toothbrush structure comprises a handle element 1 which is terminated at one end with a yoke element 2 carrying, offset with respect to its own axis, a pin 3, whereto a bristle-carrying head, generally indicated at 7, is articulated for a rocking movement.
- the bristle-carrying head 7 has two side fins 4 which carry a small bridge or middle part 5, wherefrom the bristles 6 extend.
- the cited fins 4 are arranged such that they are positioned externally of the yoke part 2 of the handle element 1.
- the bristle-carrying head 7 is free to orient itself, within limits, such as to always lay in a parallel plane to the reaction surface which,in this specific case, is comprised of the para-elliptical surface of the tooth arches.
- the invention achieves its objects, and in particular that by swingably coupling the bristle-carrying head and handle a uniform distribution of the brushing forces can be obtained on account of-the bristle-carrying head adjusting itself automatically.
- the bristle-carrying head may have a different color than the handle, thus allowing all of the chromatic and shape combinations which are judged to be fitting.
- the yoke element and handle element 1 may be modified, and the same may apply to the bristle-carrying head owing to the conformation of the bristle-carrying head, seeing that the invention inspiring concept is based on the fact of allowing the free oscillation-of the area where the bristles are provided with respect to the handle.
- the materials employed, as well as the dimensions and contingent shapes may be any ones depending on requirements.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Brushes (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- This,invention relates to a toothbrush structure.
- As is known, various attempts have been made heretofore to find a rational answer, through particular configurations of the brush handle and bristles, to meet formal requirements of toothbrushes in order to achieve more uniform and rational cleaning capabilities.
- More specifically'the need is presently felt of providing a rational answer in agreement with the indications given by Brass, whose technique, pursuant to tissue, chromatic, and photographic analyses, has shown to be by far the most commendable.
- According to that technique, it is necessary for the brush bristles to engage in the gum groove, regardless of whether the latter happens to be in a healthy or pathological condition, to remove the organic film which forms over that wall of the tooth which protrudes into the oral cavity.
- Said film provides basic support for the growth of a bacterial blotch, which undoubtedly favors the development of those substances which are the cause of decay erosion and destructive and regressive processes affecting the tooth supporting tissues, and specifically the bone.
- To prevent such pathological" situations, the only currently effective action is represented by a careful removal of the viscous membrane and, to this end, the toothbrush and infratooth silk or thread still constitute the most effective instruments.
- However, it has been found in actual practice that a wrong use of the toothbrush by its user plays a very importante role, since it may cause irritation of the gum rim surface tissues and affect the integrity of the outer surface and root.
- This danger is mainly the outcome of the impossibility to spread and balance the pressure from the whole active face of the brush, whether the latter is provided with natural or artificial bristles.
- It is confirmed, and by statistical data as well, that the regions of the tooth which are more liable to such damage are those of the canines and premolars, which are located at a smaller radius arc and are subjected to greater and more uneven friction.'
- This is mainly due to an incorrect relationship between the positioning of the cleaning surface and the angle taken by the user's arm, which has generally a fixed posture.
- Briefly stated, the arc covered by the lever arm of an ordinary rigid toothbrush will never match the elliptical arc of the dental arch.
- Indeed, it has been shown statistically that there is a specific correlation between people who operate the toothbrush with their right hand and the damage caused to the front area of the upper set of teeth and left side lower set, as there exists a reversed correlation in the case of left-handed people.
- Accordingly the ta'sk of the invention is that of overoom- ing the aforesaid drawbacks, by providing a toothbrush which allows a degree of freedom in the bristle-carrying head seating, such as to make it virtually independent of the handle, and accordingly free to dispose itself parallel to the area to be cleaned, thus achieving a balanced spreading of the frictional force.
- Within this task it is an object of the invention to provide a toothbrush structure which is highly reliable and safe to use, while being extremely easy and convenient to operate.
- The aforesaid task and object as well as yet other objects, such as will be apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a toothbrush structure comprising a handle element and bristle-carrying head, characterized in that said bristle-carrying head is mounted to rock with respect to said handle element.
- Further features and advantages will become more apparent from the following description of a preferred, but not limitative, embodiment of a toothbrush structure, as illustrated by way of example and not of limitation in the accompanying drawing, where:
- Figure 1 shows diagramatically, partly in section, a toothbrush according to the invention; and
- Figure 2 us a sectional view taken along the line II-II of Figure 1..
- With reference to the cited Figures, the toothbrush structure according to the invention comprises a handle element 1 which is terminated at one end with a
yoke element 2 carrying, offset with respect to its own axis, apin 3, whereto a bristle-carrying head, generally indicated at 7, is articulated for a rocking movement. - More in detail, the bristle-carrying
head 7 has twoside fins 4 which carry a small bridge ormiddle part 5, wherefrom thebristles 6 extend. - The cited
fins 4 are arranged such that they are positioned externally of theyoke part 2 of the handle element 1. - With this arrangement, owing to the clearance or play between the
bridge 5 of the toothbrush, as afforded by theeccentric pin 3, the bristle-carryinghead 7 is free to orient itself, within limits, such as to always lay in a parallel plane to the reaction surface which,in this specific case, is comprised of the para-elliptical surface of the tooth arches. - It results from this arrangement that, without exerting any special skill or care, but rather-in an almost automatic way, the user will always cause the distal plane of the bristles to coincide with the solid and irregular body represented by the tooth arch.
- With the toothbrush just described, an evenly spread application is obtained of the frictional effort across the entire outer surface of the
bristles 6, since the bristle-carrying head of the toothbrush can take a free attitude with respect to the handle inclination, at any location on the dental arch, both the lower one and upper, and regardless of whether the toothbrush is held in the right or left hand. - It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that the invention achieves its objects, and in particular that by swingably coupling the bristle-carrying head and handle a uniform distribution of the brushing forces can be obtained on account of-the bristle-carrying head adjusting itself automatically.
- Another aspect, of a purely commercial nature, is that the bristle-carrying head may have a different color than the handle, thus allowing all of the chromatic and shape combinations which are judged to be fitting.
- The invention so conceived is susceptible to many modifications and variations all of which fall within the scope of the inventive concept.
- Thus, for example, the yoke element and handle element 1 may be modified, and the same may apply to the bristle-carrying head owing to the conformation of the bristle-carrying head, seeing that the invention inspiring concept is based on the fact of allowing the free oscillation-of the area where the bristles are provided with respect to the handle.
- Moreover, all of the constructional details may be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
- In practice, the materials employed, as well as the dimensions and contingent shapes, may be any ones depending on requirements.
Claims (6)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
IT8252281 | 1981-05-29 | ||
IT8182522A IT1207408B (en) | 1981-05-29 | 1981-05-29 | ARTICULATED HEAD BRUSH. |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0066259A2 true EP0066259A2 (en) | 1982-12-08 |
EP0066259A3 EP0066259A3 (en) | 1983-07-20 |
Family
ID=11318276
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP82104638A Withdrawn EP0066259A3 (en) | 1981-05-29 | 1982-05-27 | Toothbrush structure |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0066259A3 (en) |
IT (1) | IT1207408B (en) |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2550068A1 (en) * | 1983-08-05 | 1985-02-08 | Fabre Sa Pierre | Articulated toothbrush |
FR2625657A1 (en) * | 1988-01-13 | 1989-07-13 | Proux Hubert | Integral toothbrush |
DE4417638A1 (en) * | 1994-05-19 | 1995-11-23 | Michael Schurr | Toothbrush with detachable brush head |
WO1998046103A1 (en) * | 1997-04-17 | 1998-10-22 | The Procter & Gamble Company | Toothbrush with both stationary and moving tufts |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR474974A (en) * | 1914-05-11 | 1915-03-29 | Alexander Wienrich | Toothbrush with two sets of bristles sliding in relation to one another |
FR489640A (en) * | 1918-04-08 | 1919-02-25 | Carl Holtermann | Toothbrush with movable handle |
GB329440A (en) * | 1929-03-22 | 1930-05-22 | John Arthur Weis | Improvements in tooth brushes |
US1968303A (en) * | 1931-10-12 | 1934-07-31 | John F Mcmath | Toothbrush |
US3398421A (en) * | 1967-03-28 | 1968-08-27 | Rashbaum Abraham | Toothbrush having pivotal bristle carrying members |
-
1981
- 1981-05-29 IT IT8182522A patent/IT1207408B/en active
-
1982
- 1982-05-27 EP EP82104638A patent/EP0066259A3/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR474974A (en) * | 1914-05-11 | 1915-03-29 | Alexander Wienrich | Toothbrush with two sets of bristles sliding in relation to one another |
FR489640A (en) * | 1918-04-08 | 1919-02-25 | Carl Holtermann | Toothbrush with movable handle |
GB329440A (en) * | 1929-03-22 | 1930-05-22 | John Arthur Weis | Improvements in tooth brushes |
US1968303A (en) * | 1931-10-12 | 1934-07-31 | John F Mcmath | Toothbrush |
US3398421A (en) * | 1967-03-28 | 1968-08-27 | Rashbaum Abraham | Toothbrush having pivotal bristle carrying members |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2550068A1 (en) * | 1983-08-05 | 1985-02-08 | Fabre Sa Pierre | Articulated toothbrush |
FR2625657A1 (en) * | 1988-01-13 | 1989-07-13 | Proux Hubert | Integral toothbrush |
DE4417638A1 (en) * | 1994-05-19 | 1995-11-23 | Michael Schurr | Toothbrush with detachable brush head |
WO1998046103A1 (en) * | 1997-04-17 | 1998-10-22 | The Procter & Gamble Company | Toothbrush with both stationary and moving tufts |
US5839148A (en) * | 1997-04-17 | 1998-11-24 | The Procter & Gamble Company | Toothbrush with both stationary and moving tufts |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP0066259A3 (en) | 1983-07-20 |
IT1207408B (en) | 1989-05-17 |
IT8182522A0 (en) | 1981-05-29 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Designated state(s): AT BE CH DE FR GB LU NL SE |
|
PUAL | Search report despatched |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009013 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Designated state(s): AT BE CH DE FR GB LI LU NL SE |
|
17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 19840113 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN |
|
18D | Application deemed to be withdrawn |
Effective date: 19850508 |
|
RIN1 | Information on inventor provided before grant (corrected) |
Inventor name: GIANCOTTI, GIUSEPPE Inventor name: ROMEO, FRANCESCO Inventor name: ROMEO, ANTONIO |