EP0848593B1 - Toothbrush - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a toothbrush consisting of a plastic brush body with a head, a Neck and a handle and bundles of bristles attached to the head.

Toothbrushes are primarily used to clean teeth and the interdental spaces, but should also often be one Massage effect on the gingiva or its marginal area exercise. These two desired effects of a toothbrush run counter to each other. While the Cleaning the teeth requires a strong brushing effect especially to remove plaque or the interdental spaces to get rid of leftovers Gingiva massage to avoid injury (Lesions) happen reluctantly. Such a toothbrush is known from US-A-5 315 732.

Opposing claims continue to result from that the bundles or bristles should be stiff enough to when pressed on the tooth surfaces sufficiently deep   To penetrate between the teeth, on the other hand, it is Gingiva particularly sensitive in the interdental space. In individual cases there are also sensitivities at Tooth neck.

It is known that the cleaning effect of a toothbrush can be increased in that the ends of the Bundles do not lie on one level, but in layers are arranged (US-A-5,446,940; US-A-5,419,001) to ensure that all bristles are in cleaning engagement with the Tooth surfaces and the interdental spaces stand and also penetrate all depressions when brushing the occlusal surfaces. This results in a very complicated topography of the Bristle trim. The manufacture of such toothbrushes is complex. They are completely unsuitable for massage of the gingiva, because only a few bundles are effective when brushing.

Toothbrushes with V-shaped bundles are also available and known bundles in which the free The ends of the bristles lie on a conical surface (DE-A-37 44 630). This is especially the penetration of the bundle tips promoted to the interdental spaces, but at the same time the abrasion on the tooth and tooth neck as well as the risk of injury enlarged on the gingiva (lesions). In Knowledge of this disadvantage is in the known toothbrush only a centrally arranged bristle bundle conical executed and also via a spring in a hole on Head of the brush body stored. Such an execution in no way meets today's hygienic requirements, because there are residues of dentifrices and other Deposit dirt in the hole. An effective cleaning the toothbrush is impossible, so after a short time also lost the spring function due to the deposits goes.  

Finally, it is known (EP-A-0 613 636) the neck of one Make the toothbrush resilient in order to apply excessive pressure to avoid the bristles, regardless of contouring the bristle bundle. Hereby, as it were be ensured that the brush head when reached a certain limit of the pressure force evades. The same goal is said with another toothbrush (DE-A-42 11 811) can be achieved in that head and neck of the toothbrush on the brush body about its longitudinal axis are stored and when the Turn the limit value around its longitudinal axis so that the Bristles disengage. Here too, the Effectiveness of cleaning and massage no consideration taken.

The invention has for its object a toothbrush to be trained so that with a perfect cleaning effect on all tooth surfaces and in the interdental spaces a reluctant massage of the Gingiva is possible and abrasion on the tooth and tooth neck as well as lesions on the gingiva are avoided.

This task is done with a toothbrush that consists of one Brush body made of plastic with a head, a neck and a handle and bundles of bristles attached to the head consists, solved according to the invention in that the free Ends of the bristles on at least part of the bundle an approximately conical envelope with a cone angle α = 30 ° to 90 ° and the neck of the brush body with a pressing force acting on the bristles K = 500 up to 1200 g springy and the pressure force all the more is larger, the smaller the cone angle α.  

The longer bristles give way when the toothbrush is attached the conical bristle bundle into the interdental spaces and clean the facing tooth surfaces, while the shorter bristles for adequate cleaning the outer or inner surfaces of the tooth. At the bundles evade stronger pressure. The one with the Bristles in engagement with tooth surfaces then have one more scraping effect with their outer surface, while the deformed bristles continue in the interdental spaces are effective. If the pressure is too strong, the Neck of the toothbrush resiliently, so that the pressure on teeth or gingiva are no longer increased can. This will prevent the teeth from abrasion and the Gingiva protected from injury. The spring force of the Halses depends on the desired cone angle the bristle bundle chosen so that the neck all the more evades, the larger the cone angle. There are hence the cone angle and the pressure force in one about inversely proportional ratio.

The bristle bundles preferably have a cone angle between 50 ° and 70 ° and the neck becomes so constructively designed that he with a pressure force between 700 and evades 900g.

The setting of the pressure force can be different Way happen, e.g. through appropriate design the cross-section of the neck and thus its Moment of inertia. Furthermore, the flexural strength of the Neck influenced by the type of plastic. Furthermore, a spring can be arranged on the neck, for example be inserted or integrated. It can Measures can of course also be combined with one another. It is also possible to apply the pressure to the   to set physiological peculiarities of users, for example, the pressure force becomes with children's toothbrushes choose lower than adult. Same thing applies to users with sensitive or less sensitive tooth necks or gums.

In all cases, the free ends of the bristles should be be spherically preferably rounded.

The effect of the bundle can also be determined by its cross section to be influenced. For example, the Bundle a circular, oval or polygonal cross-section exhibit.

The cleaning effect can be carried out in the same way different stiffness and hardness of the bristles of a single bundle or individual bundle other bundles.

Finally, it is beneficial if the bundle is on one Carrier are arranged, which is interchangeably fixed on the head is to wear only the carrier with the bundles to have to replace, which is an environmentally friendly version is created.

A further preferred embodiment is characterized by this from that the head towards his free Tapered end tapered, which in particular also narrow or poorly accessible areas in the Oral cavity are accessible.

Fig. 1

einen Längsschnitt einer Zahnbürste;

Fig. 2

eine Draufsicht der Zahnbürste gemäß Fig. 1;

Fig. 3

eine vergrößerte Ansicht des Halses der Zahnbürste im Bereich III der Fig. 1;

Fig. 4

eine vergrößerte Ansicht im Bereich des Kopfes der Zahnbürste;

Fig. 5

einen schematischen Ausschnitt aus dem Frontzahnbereich während des Reinigens der Zahnvorderseite;

Fig. 6

einen der Fig. 5 entsprechenden Ausschnitt während der Reinigung der Zahnrückseite;

Fig. 7, 8

je eine der Fig. 5 bzw. 6 entsprechende Darstellung bei Überschreiten der zulässigen Andruckkraft;

Fig. 9

einen Ausschnitt aus dem Backenzahnbereich beim Reinigen der Kauflächen und

Fig. 10

eine der Fig. 9 entsprechende Darstellung bei Überschreiten der zulässigen Andruckkraft.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment shown in the drawing. The drawing shows:

Fig. 1

a longitudinal section of a toothbrush;

Fig. 2

a plan view of the toothbrush according to FIG. 1;

Fig. 3

an enlarged view of the neck of the toothbrush in area III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4

an enlarged view in the area of the head of the toothbrush;

Fig. 5

a schematic section of the front tooth area during cleaning of the front of the tooth;

Fig. 6

a section corresponding to FIG 5 while cleaning the back of the tooth.

7, 8

5 or 6 corresponding representation each when the permissible pressing force is exceeded;

Fig. 9

a section of the molar area when cleaning the occlusal surfaces and

Fig. 10

a representation corresponding to FIG. 9 when the permissible pressing force is exceeded.

The toothbrush according to Figure 1 consists of a head 1 and an elongated handle 2 that is slender Neck 3 are interconnected. In the neck area 3 is a spring part 4 in the embodiment shown embedded. For example, the toothbrush can get in the way of injection molding and the spring part 4 be encapsulated. In the embodiment shown So the spring is surrounded on all sides by plastic. she has, as Figure 3 shows, a flat, leaf-shaped Main part 5, which in the region of its ends with across provided its projections 6, 7 extending is. These projections can be used to anchor the spring part serve in molded plastic. They preferably protrude up to the surface of the neck 3 and can on her Surface also serve as an information carrier. The leaf-shaped design of the main part 5 is ensures that the neck is essentially only in the Level can dodge that of the intermediate level corresponds, and not across it.

The handle 2 has in its thickened central region the plastic embedded handle elements 10, 11, the upper handle member 10 being a relatively large one Grip surface 12, the lower grip element 11 a little offers smaller grip area 13. The grip elements exist preferably made of an elastomer and can on their free surface additionally with a friction increasing Profile, e.g. in the form of grooves 14, which preferably in closed, concentric ovals   run and thus adapted to the shape of the fingertip are.

On the head 1 of the brush body made of plastic bundles of bristles 15 are attached, e.g. welded on, injected or anchored in some other way. The bundles of bristles are in several parallel rows towards the longitudinal axis of the brush body and arranged transversely thereto if necessary also offset against each other. The Bristle bundles can be of different lengths and also have any cross-sections - round, oval, polygonal. Individual bristles within a bundle or else the bundles among themselves can be different Have hardness or bending stiffness, for example have different diameters or from Plastic in different bending stiffness exist.

The bristles of some bundles 15, but preferably all Bundles are of different lengths within the bundle trained so that their free ends on a conical Envelope surface 16 are. The cone angle α can thereby in the range from 30 to 90 °, preferably in the range from 50 ° to 70 °.

The head 1 receiving the bristle bundle 15 is in 1 is wedge-shaped. It So the top 17 and bottom 18 run to Head ends wedge-shaped towards each other. Vertical in the plane to this, which is shown in Figure 2, the head is running conical to, as the side surfaces 19, 20 recognize to let.  

When using the toothbrush, the head 1 through the Dodge the spring action of the neck 3. Here is the Spring action set so that the head 1 at a Pressure K between 500 and 1200 g depending on the size of the Taper angle α resiliently backs away. The smaller the Cone angle α, the higher the contact pressure K to get voted. For example, it is for the preferred one Range α = 50 ° to 70 ° between 700 and 900 g.

Figures 5 to 8 show the toothbrush in a use phase in the anterior region of the bit. With the Numeral 22 shows the tooth positions 1/2/3/4. Figure 5 shows the cleaning process when cleaning the outside the teeth 22, Figure 6 a cleaning process Clean the inside. From this it first becomes clear that during the cleaning process and largely independent from the brush guide to the conical bristle bundle Interdental spaces are crowded out and theirs there Unfold the cleaning effect by lifting the However, toothbrushes work the tooth surfaces. At the Brushing the gingiva, not shown, on the other hand, gives way Bristles do not bristle or only slightly so that all bundles develop their massage effect. However, the proof becomes too large, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, gives Neck 3 of the brush body resilient after and the head consequently evade, so that damage to both the tooth, as well as on the gums.

Figures 9 and 10 show a cleaning phase during cleaning of the occlusal surfaces of the molars 23 conical bundles of bristles in the depressions of the occlusal surface and in the interdental space. Change during the cleaning process the angle of attack of the bristles constantly, so that the entire chewing surface is cleaned effectively. When increasing the   The bristle bundles 15 bend under pressure (FIG. 10) and finally gives way to the neck as soon as one pressure applied to the cone angle of the bristle bundle is exceeded.

Claims (8)

1. Toothbrush, comprising a plastic brush body having a resiliently fixed head (1), a neck (3) and a handle (2), as well as conical bristle bundles (15) fixed to the head, characterized in that the free ends of the bristles of at least part of the bundle are located on an approximately conical envelope surface (16) with a cone angle α of 30 to 90° and the neck of the brush body resiliently gives way in the case of a pressure force K of 500 to 1200 g acting on the bristles and the smaller the cone angle α the higher the pressure force K.
2. Toothbrush according to claim 1, characterized in that the cone angle α is in the range 50 to 70° and the neck (3) gives way under a pressure force K between 700 and 900 g.
3. Toothbrush according to one of the claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the free ends of the bristles are rounded spherically, preferably hemispherically.
4. Toothbrush according to claim 1, characterized in that the bristle bundles (15) have a circular, oval or polygonal cross-section.
5. Toothbrush according to claim 1, characterized in that the bristles of a bundle (15) or individual bundles compared with other bundles have different hardness levels.
6. Toothbrush according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pressure force leading to the giving way of head (1), is adjustable through the cross-section of the neck (3) and/or by the choice of the plastics material of the brush body and/or by a spring (4) located on the neck.
7. Toothbrush according to claim 1, characterized in that the bundles (15) are fixed to a support, which is interchangeably fixed to the brush body head (1).
8. Toothbrush according to claim 1, characterized in that the head (1) tapers conically or in wedge-shaped manner towards its free end.