EP0251705B1 - A toothbrush - Google Patents

A toothbrush Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0251705B1
EP0251705B1 EP87305664A EP87305664A EP0251705B1 EP 0251705 B1 EP0251705 B1 EP 0251705B1 EP 87305664 A EP87305664 A EP 87305664A EP 87305664 A EP87305664 A EP 87305664A EP 0251705 B1 EP0251705 B1 EP 0251705B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
handle
cut
toothbrush
barrel
away
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP87305664A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0251705A1 (en
Inventor
John Kyle Redmond
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Johnson and Johnson Hospital Services Inc
Original Assignee
Johnson and Johnson Products Inc
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Johnson and Johnson Products Inc filed Critical Johnson and Johnson Products Inc
Publication of EP0251705A1 publication Critical patent/EP0251705A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0251705B1 publication Critical patent/EP0251705B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A46—BRUSHWARE
    • A46B—BRUSHES
    • A46B5/00—Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware
    • A46B5/02—Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware specially shaped for holding by the hand
    • A46B5/026—Grips or handles having a nonslip section
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A46—BRUSHWARE
    • A46B—BRUSHES
    • A46B5/00—Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware
    • A46B5/02—Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware specially shaped for holding by the hand
    • 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

  • the present invention relates to toothbrushes for massaging gums as well as cleaning teeth.
  • toothbrushes comprise a handle portion and a head portion.
  • the head portion generally contains a pattern of holes on one side into which are inserted bristles. Tufts of bristles are conventionally secured in the holes by means of short anchor wires.
  • the handle portion is attached to the head portion of the toothbrush, a thinner neck portion sometimes being provided.
  • the handle generally lies in the same general orientation as the head although it may be angled from the head as desired.
  • a toothbrush It would be desirable for a toothbrush to be of a design which can be effectively manipulated in use to achieve efficient and effective cleaning of the teeth and massaging of the gums. Toothbrushes have been designed with a great many varying grips in an effort to facilitate holding the toothbrush in a suitable manner for brushing the teeth. In general, however, such attempts to provide improved grip have resulted in toothbrushes which can be held firmly in one position but not manipulated easily into other positions. It is generally accepted that a desirable cleaning action is up and down rather than across the tooth surface.
  • US-A 1 369 966 describes a toothbrush to facilitate cleaning of the teeth with up and down rotary motion of the brush. Adjacent the brush head, the handle is enlarged to form an elongate ball-shaped portion adapted to be gripped by the fingers. The remainder if the handle may be of any desired shape but a round section is illustrated and preferred. In use, the ball-shaped portion is rolled between the fingers to achieve the desired rotary motion.
  • a further toothbrush whose handle is circular in section and includes a convex gripping portion is disclosed in US-A 2 414 775.
  • the handle is relatively short such that it can be pivotally supported against the little finger of the user while the gripping portion is held between the thumb and forefinger. This construction enables the brush handle to be conveniently rotated.
  • a third toothbrush designed to permit easy cleaning of the teeth is described in US-A 4 274 174.
  • the toothbrush has a round handle which tapers conically away from the bristle carrier.
  • the handle extends from the bristle carrier at an angle of 30 ° .
  • the handle tapers also in the direction of the bristle carrier, so that a depression is formed on the back of the toothbrush in the transition region to the bristle carrier.
  • On the front of the bend region a depression extends from the handle over the entire bend region into the bristle carrier.
  • the carrier itself is flat and the bristles cover only the front portion of the carrier. In use, the opposed depressions on either side of the bend region are held between thumb and forefinger.
  • a toothbrush for massaging gums as well as cleaning teeth comprising a head portion having bristles for massaging gums and cleaning teeth, and an elongate handle extending from the head portion, the handle having a barrel-shaped grip portion shaped to facilitate rolling of the toothbrush between the thumb and forefinger during use of the toothbrush, and an extension portion extending from the grip portion adapted to fit across the palm of the hand in use and including a stabilizing portion for engaging the hand and assisting in the control of the rolling action during use of the toothbrush, characterised in that there are provided a first cut-away portion on the back of the handle for engagement of the second finger when the barrel is gripped between the thumb and forefinger;
  • the barrel-shaped portion will be tapered and may be provided with suitable texture to facilitate control whilst rolling the brush between the thumb and forefinger.
  • the toothbrush shown in the drawings comprises a set of bristles 3 attached to the head portion 1 of a moulded plastic handle 2.
  • the handle 2 includes a narrow neck portion 4 attached to the head portion 1 and leading to a barrel-shaped portion 5, from which a spatula-shaped portion 6 extends.
  • the barrel-shaped portion 5 is oval in cross-section having its major axis substantially at right angles to the direction in which the bristles 3 extend from the head portion 1.
  • the spatula-shaped portion 6 widens from its junction with the barrel-shaped portion 5 towards its free end.
  • FIG. 6 there can be seen a first cut-away portion 7 on the back of the handle adapted to support the second or middle finger when the barrel-shaped portion 5 is gripped between the thumb and forefinger.
  • a second cut-away portion 10 is also formed on the opposite side of the handle at the junction of the barrel-shaped portion 5 with the spatula-shaped portion 6. The toothbrush may be gripped conventionally by placing the forefinger on the first cut-away portion 7 and the thumb on the second cut-away portion 10.
  • a texture is provided on the surface of the barrel-shaped grip portion 5 by means of raised dimples 8 and a suitably roughened surface portion 9.
  • cut-away portions 11 and 12 on either side of the handle at the junction of the narrow neck portion 4 and the barrel-shaped grip portion 5. These cut-away portions 11 and 12 co-operate to provide alternate gripping for fine control of the toothbrush in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane in which the handle is conventionally gripped.
  • a fifth cut-away portion 13 is provided on the front of the handle the junction of the narrow neck portion 4 and the barrel-shaped grip portion 5. This cut-away portion 13 and the back of the neck 14 co-operate to provide alternate gripping for fine control of the toothbrush in the same plane in which the handle is gripped conventionally.

Landscapes

  • Brushes (AREA)
  • Massaging Devices (AREA)
  • Diaphragms For Electromechanical Transducers (AREA)
  • Dental Preparations (AREA)
  • Compositions Of Oxide Ceramics (AREA)
EP87305664A 1986-06-26 1987-06-25 A toothbrush Expired - Lifetime EP0251705B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AUPH659286 1986-06-26
AU6592/86 1986-06-26

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0251705A1 EP0251705A1 (en) 1988-01-07
EP0251705B1 true EP0251705B1 (en) 1990-09-05

Family

ID=3771678

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP87305664A Expired - Lifetime EP0251705B1 (en) 1986-06-26 1987-06-25 A toothbrush

Country Status (10)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0251705B1 (no)
JP (1) JP2552867B2 (no)
BR (1) BR8703208A (no)
CA (1) CA1288911C (no)
FI (1) FI85799C (no)
NO (1) NO872657L (no)
NZ (1) NZ220681A (no)
PT (1) PT85197B (no)
SG (1) SG6891G (no)
ZA (1) ZA874612B (no)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3923495C1 (no) * 1989-07-15 1991-01-24 M + C Schiffer Gmbh, 5466 Neustadt, De
DE4229152A1 (de) * 1992-09-01 1994-03-03 Jordan As Oslo Zahnbürste sowie Herstellungsverfahren für Zahnbürsten
DE19608226A1 (de) * 1996-03-04 1997-09-11 Kurt Dipl Ing Kessler Zahnbürste mit elastisch angelenkten wechselbarem Bürstenkopf
US8997297B2 (en) 2010-11-22 2015-04-07 Braun Gmbh Toothbrush

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH0631937Y2 (ja) * 1988-05-25 1994-08-24 ジヨンソン・アンド・ジヨンソン・コンシユーマー・プロダクツ・インコーポレーテツド 歯ブラシ
EP0811335A3 (de) * 1996-06-05 1998-07-01 Monika Warden Zahnbürste
EP1372429A1 (en) * 2001-03-30 2004-01-02 Unilever N.V. Toothbrush
JP4522803B2 (ja) * 2004-09-16 2010-08-11 株式会社ジーシー 歯ブラシ
CN106455800A (zh) * 2014-05-21 2017-02-22 狮王株式会社 牙刷

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1369966A (en) * 1919-03-05 1921-03-01 Cosens Arthur Toothbrush
US2267670A (en) * 1941-04-26 1941-12-23 Nettie Rosenwasser Toothbrush
US2414775A (en) * 1945-09-06 1947-01-21 Robert W Stavely Toothbrush
FR1005685A (fr) * 1947-09-06 1952-04-15 Perfectionnement aux manches de brosses
US4274174A (en) * 1979-01-19 1981-06-23 G.R.P. Gesellschaft Fur Rationelle Psychologie Ohg Toothbrush
JPS5677343U (no) * 1979-11-17 1981-06-23
JPS61199232U (no) * 1985-06-03 1986-12-12

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3923495C1 (no) * 1989-07-15 1991-01-24 M + C Schiffer Gmbh, 5466 Neustadt, De
DE4229152A1 (de) * 1992-09-01 1994-03-03 Jordan As Oslo Zahnbürste sowie Herstellungsverfahren für Zahnbürsten
DE19608226A1 (de) * 1996-03-04 1997-09-11 Kurt Dipl Ing Kessler Zahnbürste mit elastisch angelenkten wechselbarem Bürstenkopf
US8997297B2 (en) 2010-11-22 2015-04-07 Braun Gmbh Toothbrush

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA1288911C (en) 1991-09-17
JP2552867B2 (ja) 1996-11-13
NO872657D0 (no) 1987-06-25
FI872822A0 (fi) 1987-06-25
ZA874612B (en) 1989-02-22
NO872657L (no) 1987-12-28
PT85197B (pt) 1993-07-30
SG6891G (en) 1991-04-05
PT85197A (pt) 1988-07-01
BR8703208A (pt) 1988-03-15
EP0251705A1 (en) 1988-01-07
FI85799C (fi) 1992-06-10
NZ220681A (en) 1989-12-21
FI872822A (fi) 1987-12-27
JPS6323608A (ja) 1988-01-30
FI85799B (fi) 1992-02-28

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