EP0708609A4 - Brosse a dents - Google Patents

Brosse a dents

Info

Publication number
EP0708609A4
EP0708609A4 EP19930925122 EP93925122A EP0708609A4 EP 0708609 A4 EP0708609 A4 EP 0708609A4 EP 19930925122 EP19930925122 EP 19930925122 EP 93925122 A EP93925122 A EP 93925122A EP 0708609 A4 EP0708609 A4 EP 0708609A4
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
bristles
heel portion
toe
heel
head
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.)
Granted
Application number
EP19930925122
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0708609A1 (fr
EP0708609B1 (fr
Inventor
William A Bredall
Ximena A Gavino
Christopher Loew
James D Vidra
Alberto B Sabato
Miklos M Breuer
Jean L Spencer
Stanley Wreford
Jeffrey Scott Meessmann
Douglas J Mcdowell
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.)
Gillette Canada Inc
Original Assignee
Gillette Canada 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
Family has litigation
First worldwide family litigation filed litigation Critical https://patents.darts-ip.com/?family=27122621&utm_source=google_patent&utm_medium=platform_link&utm_campaign=public_patent_search&patent=EP0708609(A4) "Global patent litigation dataset” by Darts-ip is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Application filed by Gillette Canada Inc filed Critical Gillette Canada Inc
Publication of EP0708609A4 publication Critical patent/EP0708609A4/fr
Publication of EP0708609A1 publication Critical patent/EP0708609A1/fr
Priority claimed from US08/803,704 external-priority patent/US5742972A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0708609B1 publication Critical patent/EP0708609B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A46—BRUSHWARE
    • A46B—BRUSHES
    • A46B9/00—Arrangements of the bristles in the brush body
    • A46B9/02—Position or arrangement of bristles in relation to surface of the brush body, e.g. inclined, in rows, in groups
    • A46B9/026—Position or arrangement of bristles in relation to surface of the brush body, e.g. inclined, in rows, in groups where the surface of the brush body or carrier is not in one plane, e.g. not flat
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A46—BRUSHWARE
    • A46B—BRUSHES
    • A46B9/00—Arrangements of the bristles in the brush body
    • A46B9/02—Position or arrangement of bristles in relation to surface of the brush body, e.g. inclined, in rows, in groups
    • A46B9/04—Arranged like in or for toothbrushes
    • 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, and more particularly, to toothbrushes which exhibit a three-dimensional bristle profile to provide improved cleaning of interproximal and gingival margin regions.
  • Toothbrushing and flossing are fundamental steps in achieving good oral hygiene. Flossing, unfortunately, has not met with widespread acceptance amongst the general populace. Furthermore, even people who floss, oftenti___es, do not perform adequate flossing in hard-to-reach areas of the mouth. Accordingly, the importance of providing a brush which achieves improved cleaning along hard-to-reach areas like the gingival margin and interproximal regions is heightened. Unfortunately, while most commercially available toothbrushes clean the outer buccal face of teeth adequately, they fail to provide improved cleaning of plaque and debris from the gingival margin, interproximal areas and other hard to reach areas of the mouth.
  • the present invention comprises a toothbrush having a head with a grooved "heel” portion which is particularly suited to cleaning the gingival margin and a "toe” portion which is particularly suited to interproximal cleaning.
  • a toothbrush having a head with a grooved "heel” portion which is particularly suited to cleaning the gingival margin
  • a "toe" portion which is particularly suited to interproximal cleaning.
  • an angled "toe" portion exhibits improved cleaning in areas of the mouth which are difficult to reach with standard toothbrushes.
  • Toothbrushes having a groove centered longitudinally along the entire bristle pattern are generally known to those skilled in the art. Oral-B Laboratories, Redwood City, CA, markets the "ORTHO" brush which is intended to more effectively clean debris from orthodontic brackets and wires. Also, U.S. Patent No. 3,722,020 to Hills, describes a toothbrush which includes a generally planar head portion having a plurality of bristles forming a concave surface. However, Applicants believe that these prior art toothbrushes do not exhibit all of the operating characteristics identified hereinafter as important in simultaneously improved interproximal and gingival margin cleaning.
  • toothbrushes having a distinct "toe" surface along the side profile of the brush head are also generally known to those skilled in the art.
  • U.S. Patent No. 4,800,608 to Key describes a toothbrush wherein the head is bent at a fixed obtuse angle. The Key brush is said to provide superior cleaning of the lingual, buccal, embrasure, and distal aspects of the teeth and gums.
  • U.S. Patent Nos. 4,712,267 to Cheng; 5,046,212 to Conke; 1,337,173 to White; 1,440,785 to Levis; 1,927,365 to Frolio; and Des. 49,472 to Dierke relate generally to toothbrushes with concave side-view heads.
  • these known prior art toothbrushes also do not exhibit all of the operating characteristics identified hereinafter as important in simultaneously improved interproximal and gingival margin cleaning.
  • a toothbrush which exhibits superior interproximal and gingival margin cleaning.
  • the toothbrush includes an elongated handle member connected to a toothbrush head member.
  • the head is divided into two regions.
  • a "toe” region is defined as the part of the head which is furthest from the handle and a “heel” region is the portion of the head which is closest to the handle.
  • a multiplicity of bristles extend from the heel region of the head; the distal ends of these bristles form a longitudinally aligned concave shape when viewed on end.
  • a multiplicity of bristles extend from the toe region of the head, wherein said bristles extending from the toe portion of the head are at least as tall as the general height of said bristles extending from the heel portion when viewed from the side and wherein the side profile view of the distal ends of the bristles extending from the toe portion form a generally linear surface which forms an angle relative to the general plane of the bristles extending from the heel portion of from 0° to about 45° declining from the edge of the toe portion distal to the heel portion to the edge of the toe portion which is proximal to the heel portion.
  • Figure 4 is an end profile view of the heel region of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 5 is an end profile view of the heel region of an alternate embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 6 is a perspective view of a preferred groove-cut utilizing the groove configuration of Figure 4. The toe tufts have been removed for clarity.
  • Figure 7 is a perspective view of an alternative groove-cut utilizing the groove configuration of Figure 4. The toe tufts have been removed for clarity.
  • Figures 8, 9 and 10 are side profile views of the toothbrush heads of Figures 1, 2 and 3, respectively. These figures depict several alternate means of achieving the bristle surface pattern required at the bristle tips of the present invention.
  • Figure 11 is a plan view of one embodiment of this invention illustrating the cleansing action of the toe bristle surface in the interproximal region between the teeth.
  • Figure 12 is an end view of the toe portion of according to Figure 4 showing to posterior heel portion's position along the gingival margin and buccal surfaces during brushing. DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULARLY PREFERRED
  • toothbrushes As depicted in Figures 1, 2 and 3, preferred embodiments of the present invention comprise a toothbrush, generally indicated as 10., which achieves improved cleaning of the gingival margin in combination with improved interproximal cleaning.
  • the toothbrush includes an elongated handle member 12, a head member 14 and a multiplicity of bristles .16..
  • the handle member and the head member are fabricated of the same material as a single injection molded piece, although a multiple material fabrication is also possible.
  • the handle and head portions may be joined by a neck member 18 which is often narrower in cross-section than either the handle 12 or head 14.
  • the head portion of toothbrushes according to the present invention is comprised of two portions.
  • a “toe” portion 2j) is the portion of the head located distal to the handle.
  • the "heel” portion 22. is the portion of the head which is located proximal to the handle end of the head.
  • a key feature of the present invention resides in the particular topical representation produced by the distal ends of these bristles.
  • the particular topical representation is achieved by utilizing distinct relative bristle height patterns in the heel 2_2 and toe 20 regions. Accordingly, a variety of tufting patterns, such as those depicted in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 achieve the desired result and are contemplated by the present invention.
  • FIGs 4, 5, 6 and 7 are end view depictions of the heel portion 22. of toothbrushes according to the present invention.
  • the heel region bristles 2____ are characterized from a longitudinally aligned concave groove shape 28.
  • this concave shape 2%. forms a "V", as in Figure 4.
  • other shapes such as "U” ( Figure 5) or a stepwise "V" trim of individual tufts, are also contemplated by the present invention.
  • Figure 6 is a perspective view of a preferred groove-cut 2jJ utilizing the "V"-trim pattern of Figure 4.
  • the toe bristles 3_0 have been removed for clarity.
  • the groove should be cut at a depth of from about 1/16 inches to about 3/16 inches to form angle B. It is apparent that the depth and width of the groove 28 is generally uniform along the longitudinal length of the heel portion 22.
  • Figure 7 is a perspective view of an alternate groove-cut 2jJ utilizing the "V"-trim pattern of Figure 4.
  • the toe bristles 3_0 have been removed for clarity. It is apparent that the depth and width of the groove 2_8 is not constant along the longitudinal length of the heel portion 22.. The depth and width decreases as the groove 28. approaches the handle 12. to form an upward slope relative to the surface of the heel portion of the head 22.
  • Figures 6 and 7 are intended to depict preferred embodiments. Other slopes, such as a shallow-to-deep-to-shallow cut, are also contemplated by the present invention.
  • the groove cut 28. in the heel 22 has proved to be particularly suited at cleaning along the gingival margin 3_4 as seen in Figure 12.
  • Figures 8, 9 and 10 are side profile views of the toothbrush heads of Figures 1, 2 and 3, respectively. These Figures are particularly useful in exemplifying the relationship between the bristles on the toe portion 3_0 of the head in relation to the bristles on the heel portion 24. of the brush. It is key to note the topology produced by the distal ends of the bristles as it is an important characteristic of the present invention.
  • the preferred "angled-toe" effect which is observed along the bristle tips of the toe vs. the heel is observed. This interface results in angle ⁇ which is generally from about 0° to about 45°, preferably from about 10° to about 25°. This toe provides deeper bristle-tooth contact along the back of the tooth and into the interproximal areas 32. See Fig. 11.
  • Figures 8, 9 and 10 utilize different approaches to achieve a similar bristle tip topology.
  • the toe 2J) and heel 22. portions of the head reside on the same general plane.
  • the bristles 3_0 on the toe 20 gradually increase in length as they approach the distal end 3j5 of the brush.
  • the plane of the toe .20. and heel 22. are also generally the same.
  • the angle ⁇ on the bristle tips is produced by inserting the tufts at an angle into the toe portion of the head. The angle ⁇ can be greater than or less than the angle of the toe tuft holes since the bristle tips can be trimmed independently.
  • Figure 10 provides the angle viewed at the bristle tips by bending the head of the toothbrush at the toe/heel interface to an angle of about a.
  • the obtuse angle of bend a should be from about 115° to about 170°, most preferably from about 155° to about 170°.
  • the bristles of the present invention must be stiff enough to penetrate and remove plaque and debris from the interproximal spaces, yet must be soft enough to penetrate the gingival margin and remove debris and plaque without causing irritation and bleeding. End- rounded bristle tips are preferred.
  • Any conventional bristle material may be utilized in the present invention.
  • Nylon and polyester are preferred bristle materials.
  • Nylon is the most preferred. Furthermore, when the nylon bristle materials described above are utilized the height of the toe bristles is from about 12/32 to about 17/32 inches and the height of the heel bristles ranges from about 8/32 to about 14/32 inches.

Landscapes

  • Brushes (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne une brosse à dents qui offre un meilleur nettoyage du rebord proximal et gingival. Elle comporte un manche allongé (12) raccordé à une tête de brosse (14) divisée en une extrémité (20) et un talon (22). Une multiplicité de poils (24) part du talon et leurs extrémités distales donnent par alignement une forme longitudinale concave (28) si on les regarde depuis le bord de la brosse. Une multiplicité de poils (30) part de l'extrémité de la tête et ces poils sont au moins aussi longs que la hauteur d'ensemble des poils qui partent du talon, vus depuis le côté. Le profil latéral formé par les extrémités distales des poils qui partent du talon constitue une surface approximativement plane qui fait un angle avec le plan général des poils qui partent du talon.
EP93925122A 1992-11-02 1993-10-29 Brosse a dents Expired - Lifetime EP0708609B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US97032792A 1992-11-02 1992-11-02
US970327 1992-11-02
PCT/US1993/010401 WO1994009678A1 (fr) 1992-11-02 1993-10-29 Brosse a dents
US08/803,704 US5742972A (en) 1993-11-02 1997-02-21 Toothbrush

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0708609A4 true EP0708609A4 (fr) 1995-10-23
EP0708609A1 EP0708609A1 (fr) 1996-05-01
EP0708609B1 EP0708609B1 (fr) 1998-12-23

Family

ID=27122621

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP93925122A Expired - Lifetime EP0708609B1 (fr) 1992-11-02 1993-10-29 Brosse a dents

Country Status (8)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0708609B1 (fr)
CN (1) CN1053095C (fr)
AU (1) AU669765B2 (fr)
CA (1) CA2148243C (fr)
IL (1) IL107381A (fr)
PL (1) PL173112B1 (fr)
WO (1) WO1994009678A1 (fr)
ZA (1) ZA937969B (fr)

Families Citing this family (33)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
IT230510Y1 (it) * 1993-11-22 1999-06-07 Avantgarde Spa Spazzolino da denti con setole ad altezza progressivamente decrescente verso l'asse longitudinale della testa dello spazzolino
ATE207321T1 (de) * 1994-12-01 2001-11-15 Procter & Gamble Zahnbürste mit verlängerten borsten
US5628082A (en) * 1995-03-22 1997-05-13 Colgate-Palmolive Company Toothbrush with improved efficacy
EP1074200B2 (fr) * 1995-08-22 2015-09-09 Colgate-Palmolive Company Brosses à dents
ATE326879T1 (de) * 1995-08-22 2006-06-15 Colgate Palmolive Co Zahnbürsten
JP3347930B2 (ja) * 1995-12-28 2002-11-20 ライオン株式会社 歯刷子
US6996870B2 (en) 1995-12-29 2006-02-14 Colgate-Palmolive Company Contouring toothbrush head
TW384214B (en) 1995-12-29 2000-03-11 Colgate Palmolive Co Contouring toothbrush head
US6408476B1 (en) 1996-01-18 2002-06-25 The Procter & Gamble Company Toothbrush with elastomer filled flexible head
US5655249A (en) * 1996-04-24 1997-08-12 Li; Jian-Ren Toothbrush with concave brushing surface
JP2001521407A (ja) * 1996-08-20 2001-11-06 ザ、プロクター、エンド、ギャンブル、カンパニー 多方向な毛の輪郭を備える歯ブラシ
US6514445B1 (en) 1996-12-24 2003-02-04 The Procter & Gamble Company Brush making
US6886207B1 (en) 1999-06-14 2005-05-03 The Procter & Gamble Company Toothbrush
US5946758A (en) 1997-06-24 1999-09-07 Colgate-Palmolive Company Toothbrush having contouring multi-component head with peel-resistant joint and limited flexibility
US5863102A (en) 1997-06-24 1999-01-26 Colgate-Palmolive Company Method and apparatus to permit attachment of bristles to toothbrushes with resiliently flexible heads and to thereafter permit the trimming and end rounding of such bristles
US6308367B1 (en) 1997-11-12 2001-10-30 Gillette Canada Company Toothbrush
US6353959B1 (en) * 2000-03-17 2002-03-12 V Andrew R. Thomas Toothbrush
GB2372432A (en) 2001-02-24 2002-08-28 Dyson Ltd A cleaning head with side bristles for a vacuum cleaner
KR100416418B1 (ko) * 2001-03-30 2004-01-31 주식회사 엘지생활건강 고밀도 식모부를 갖는 칫솔
US7841041B2 (en) 2002-08-09 2010-11-30 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care implement
US8806695B2 (en) 2002-08-09 2014-08-19 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care implement having flexibly supported cleaning elements extending in opposite directions
US8990996B2 (en) 2002-08-09 2015-03-31 Colgate-Palmolive Company Toothbrush
US8876221B2 (en) 2002-08-09 2014-11-04 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care implement
CA2644300C (fr) 2003-04-23 2013-07-23 John Geoffrey Chan Brosses a dents electriques
US7941886B2 (en) * 2003-09-19 2011-05-17 Braun Gmbh Toothbrushes
US8863345B2 (en) 2009-12-18 2014-10-21 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care implement having a closed-loop arrangement of cleaning elements
USD675830S1 (en) 2009-12-18 2013-02-12 Colgate-Palmolive Company Toothbrush
MX2016005478A (es) 2013-11-05 2016-08-03 Colgate Palmolive Co Implemento para el cuidado bucal.
USD749855S1 (en) 2013-11-05 2016-02-23 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care implement
US10743645B2 (en) 2013-11-05 2020-08-18 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care implement
USD764804S1 (en) 2013-11-05 2016-08-30 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care implement
CN105682510B (zh) 2013-11-05 2018-05-22 高露洁-棕榄公司 口腔护理器具
CN108577153B (zh) * 2018-03-13 2020-02-07 赵媛媛 一种便携式牙刷牙膏一体装置

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US669402A (en) * 1900-04-21 1901-03-05 Carl Roese Tooth-brush.
US1018927A (en) * 1911-07-14 1912-02-27 Jules J Sarrazin Tooth-brush.
US1639880A (en) * 1925-02-20 1927-08-23 Butler Joseph Bernard Toothbrush
CH333001A (de) * 1958-03-29 1958-09-30 Mundwyler Walter Gerät zum Massieren des Zahnfleisches
US4020521A (en) * 1975-04-11 1977-05-03 Velasquez Robert L Toothbrush

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
No further relevant documents disclosed *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1994009678A1 (fr) 1994-05-11
CA2148243C (fr) 1997-12-16
ZA937969B (en) 1995-01-30
PL308672A1 (en) 1995-08-21
CN1088768A (zh) 1994-07-06
AU669765B2 (en) 1996-06-20
PL173112B1 (pl) 1998-01-30
EP0708609A1 (fr) 1996-05-01
AU5455694A (en) 1994-05-24
CA2148243A1 (fr) 1994-05-11
IL107381A (en) 1998-01-04
EP0708609B1 (fr) 1998-12-23
CN1053095C (zh) 2000-06-07
IL107381A0 (en) 1994-01-25

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