EP2617318A1 - Tête pour dispositif d'hygiène buccale - Google Patents

Tête pour dispositif d'hygiène buccale Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP2617318A1
EP2617318A1 EP12152014.2A EP12152014A EP2617318A1 EP 2617318 A1 EP2617318 A1 EP 2617318A1 EP 12152014 A EP12152014 A EP 12152014A EP 2617318 A1 EP2617318 A1 EP 2617318A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
cleaning element
bending
head
carrier
bending stop
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Withdrawn
Application number
EP12152014.2A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Thomas Fritsch
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.)
Braun GmbH
Original Assignee
Braun GmbH
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 Braun GmbH filed Critical Braun GmbH
Priority to EP12152014.2A priority Critical patent/EP2617318A1/fr
Priority to US13/743,362 priority patent/US20130185882A1/en
Priority to CA2860946A priority patent/CA2860946A1/fr
Priority to PCT/IB2013/050478 priority patent/WO2013108226A2/fr
Priority to JP2014552735A priority patent/JP2015504742A/ja
Priority to CN201380005530.9A priority patent/CN104066354B/zh
Publication of EP2617318A1 publication Critical patent/EP2617318A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • A46B9/04—Arranged like in or for toothbrushes
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A46—BRUSHWARE
    • A46B—BRUSHES
    • A46B9/00—Arrangements of the bristles in the brush body
    • A46B9/08—Supports or guides for bristles
    • A46B9/12—Non-adjustable supports
    • 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

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the field of heads for oral hygiene devices.
  • the present invention furthermore relates to the field of oral hygiene devices having a brush head.
  • some oral hygiene devices in particular toothbrushes, provide at least one cleaning element attached to a carrier.
  • the cleaning element may be formed by an elastic filament which during operation of the oral hygiene device is bent away from its rest state extension. Due to its elastic properties, the cleaning element may return after bending into its initial position and shape.
  • the flexural strength of the cleaning elements may approximately be isotropic.
  • bending of a cleaning element requires equal forces irrespective of the direction into which the cleaning element is bent or deflected from its initial position.
  • a head for an oral hygiene device having a carrier, and at least one elastic cleaning element attached to the carrier, and wherein the carrier is structured such that it provides the cleaning element with a first bending property in a first direction and a second bending property different to the first bending property in a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are different from each other.
  • a head for an oral hygiene device e.g. a manual or an electric toothbrush
  • “attached” means that the cleaning element may be mounted inside of the carrier, in particular that a portion of the cleaning element is accommodated in a mounting hole of the carrier or that the cleaning element is attached to a surface of the carrier (e.g. glued to the surface or injection molded in a way that the material of the cleaning element and the carrier engage in a material bond).
  • the carrier is structured in a way that it provides the cleaning element with at least two different bending properties in at least two different directions.
  • first bending stop that limits the bendable length of the cleaning element in a first direction in contrast to a larger bendable length of the cleaning element present in a second direction different to the first direction.
  • first and the second direction may be opposite to each other.
  • the bending direction is determined by a vector arrow that originates in a central point of the cleaning element, which extends in a plane that is perpendicular to a longitudinal extension direction of the cleaning element and that has an angular value in a range from 0 degrees to 360 degrees measured with respect to a reference direction.
  • the first bending stop (likewise as a second bending stop or any further bending stop that may be present on the carrier) may be formed by a protruding element, e.g. a wall-like element, which protruding element may in particular abut the cleaning element over a portion of its longitudinal length. Measured from a central point of the cleaning element, the bending stop may extend over an angular range of about 180 degrees or less.
  • a first bending stop may be present that determines a bendable length of the cleaning element as a multi-step function or continuous function of the bending direction for at least a first angular range of bending directions, e.g. in case that the first bending stop is realized by a protruding element, the protruding element may be formed like a curved wall segment having different height in different directions.
  • the carrier according to an embodiment of the invention is structured such that it provides for different bending properties of at least one cleaning element in different directions.
  • a bending property may the stiffness or rigidity of the cleaning element when the cleaning element is being bent.
  • at least one further cleaning element may be attached to the carrier and the carrier is structured such that this at least one further cleaning element has identical bending properties in all directions.
  • At least one cleaning element may be realized as a single filament formed of an elastic plastic material, e.g. a bristle or an elastomeric "finger". In other embodiments, at least one cleaning element may be realized as a bristle tuft comprising a plurality of bristles. In another embodiment, at least one cleaning element may be formed as an elastomeric element that may in particular have a larger longitudinal extension than its diameter. While any suitable material may be utilized, one example for a plastic material suitable for forming a cleaning element may be polyamide, another example is natural or synthetic rubber.
  • a plurality of cleaning elements is arranged on the carrier of the head.
  • the carrier has at least one bending stop for the at least one cleaning element, the bending stop being arranged such that it influences the bending properties of the cleaning element in at least one direction.
  • the bending stop party envelopes the cleaning element.
  • the cleaning element may be attached to a mounting surface of the carrier, e.g. by molding it onto the carrier.
  • a bending stop for the cleaning element provided on the carrier on one side of the cleaning element may shorten a bendable length of the cleaning element on this side.
  • the bending stop may be formed by a protruding element being arranged on the carrier, wherein the protruding element may in particular abut part of the cleaning element.
  • Abutment in the sense of the present disclosure means that the protruding element protruding from the carrier is in engagement with the cleaning element when the cleaning element is in its initial rest position.
  • abutment also includes configurations, wherein the cleaning element may be brought into engagement with the protruding element only if the cleaning element is deflected from its rest position.
  • the carrier may have a first bending stop and at least one second bending stop, which are arranged such that a first bendable length of the cleaning element in a first direction is longer than a second bendable length of the cleaning element in a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are different from each other.
  • the elastic cleaning element has a mounting section, an operative section and an operative end opposite the mounting section.
  • the mounting section of the cleaning element may be accommodated in the carrier (e.g. the mounting section may be fastened inside a mounting hole provided in the carrier).
  • the carrier may have a first bending stop associated with the operative section of the cleaning element for constricting a bending motion the operative section of the cleaning element in a first direction.
  • the carrier may comprise at least a second bending stop associated with the operative section of the cleaning element for constricting a bending motion of the operative section of the cleaning element in a second direction, wherein the second direction is different from the first direction.
  • the operative end of the cleaning element is the free end intended for engagement with, e.g., the gums and/or teeth to be treated.
  • the operative section of the cleaning element in the meaning of the present disclosure is the part of the cleaning element which is intended to be brought in engagement with the gum and teeth during use of the brush head.
  • the mounting sections of the bristles may be accommodated in holes in the bristle carrier.
  • a first bending stop may be provided by the upper edge of a protruding element arranged in close proximity to the hole such that the cleaning elements abuts the protruding element when it is bent.
  • the protruding element may also be arranged such that it essentially prolongs an inner wall of the hole and thus abuts the cleaning element over part of its longitudinal extension length.
  • a second bending stop may be provided by an upper edge of the hole.
  • a bendable length of the operative section is defined by a distance between an upper edge of a bending stop and the operative end of the cleaning element.
  • the first bending stop and the second bending stop are arranged such that a first bendable length of the operative section is shorter than a second bendable length of the operative section.
  • a second bending stop may be formed by a protruding element being arranged on the carrier, wherein the protruding element abuts part of the operating section of an cleaning element.
  • the protruding element in the embodiments of figures 1 to 3 may be formed by a wall member 5 extending from carrier and above the upper edge of the hole 3.
  • the wall member 5 forming the first bending stop essentially extends parallel to the longitudinal extension direction of the cleaning element and abuts the cleaning element.
  • the first bending stop extends under an angle with respect to the bristles.
  • the first bending stop may be formed by wall members 5, 105.
  • the first bending stop of the embodiment of figures 1 to 3 may be an arc shaped wall member
  • the first bending stop of the embodiment according to figures 4 and 5 may be a H-shaped wall member 105.
  • the first bending stop has another shape, e.g. a triangular shape.
  • the carrier and the first bending stop may be integrally formed, e.g. by plastic injection molding of the carrier together with the first bending stop.
  • the carrier and the arc-shaped first bending stop 5 may be integrally formed.
  • the H-shaped first bending stop 105 may be integrally formed with the bristle carrier 102.
  • the carrier and the protruding element may be formed of two separate parts.
  • At least two or more cleaning elements may be arranged on the carrier and the first bending stop may be arranged such that it abuts at least two cleaning elements.
  • the head 7 comprises a plurality of cleaning elements realized a bristle tufts 8, where each bristle tuft may comprise two or more bristles.
  • the lateral cross-sectional area of each of the bristle tufts 8 may be circular.
  • other examples for the shape of the lateral cross-sectional area of a bristle tuft (or a cleaning element in general) may be rectangular, square, elliptical, or star-like shapes.
  • the lateral cross-sectional area of a cleaning element in the meaning of the present disclosure is its cross-sectional area in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extension direction.
  • the head 7 may comprise four protruding elements 5, wherein each of the protruding elements 5, 105 may be associated with one cleaning element 8. Each of the protruding elements 5 may be arranged such that it abuts a part of the outer surface of the cleaning element to which it is associated.
  • the H-shaped collar 105 as the protruding element forming a first bending stop may be associated with two cleaning elements 108 and thus simultaneously abuts two cleaning elements 108.
  • each of the cleaning elements 8 has a circular cross-sectional area and the first bending stops 5 may be formed such that each partly encloses the cleaning element it is associated with.
  • a plurality of cleaning elements is realized by a plurality of bristle tufts. At least one of the bristle tufts may have a circular cross-sectional area and the first bending stop may form a partial circular arc partly enclosing the circular cross-sectional area of the bristle tuft. In some embodiments, the partial circular arc forming the first bending stop may have an angular extension in a range from about 10° to about 270°, or may have an angular extension in a range from about 50° to about 200°, or to about 180°.
  • each of the protruding elements 5 forming a plurality of first bending stops encloses the circular cross-sectional area of the associated cleaning element 8 by a partial circular arc extending over approximately 180° of the cross-sectional area of each of the groups 8.
  • the cross-sectional area of the cleaning elements 108 may be approximately rectangular such that the first bending stop 105 formed by an H-shaped collar extends over the narrow side of the rectangle as well as part of the long sides of the rectangle.
  • At least a first and a second cleaning element may be arranged on the carrier.
  • a first bending stop for limiting the bending motion of the first cleaning element in a first direction may be associated with the first cleaning element and a second bending stop for limiting the bending motion of the second cleaning element in a second direction may be associated with the second cleaning element.
  • the first direction and the second direction may be opposite to each other.
  • Figure 3 shows that the head 7 has two cleaning elements 8a, 8b having protruding elements forming bending stops 5 associated therewith.
  • the protruding elements 5 are arranged such that they would complement each other, i.e. together they may cover a full circle of 360°. This configuration may lead to the cleaning element 8a being more rigid under a bending motion towards the left side of figure 3 and the cleaning element 8b being more rigid under a bending motion towards the right side of figure 3 .
  • the arrangement of cleaning elements 8 of this embodiment may leads to the fact that in both directions of rotation of the head 7, always some of the cleaning elements 8 are more rigid under a bending motion and thus may provide a higher force on the teeth and gum than others.
  • the second bending stop may be formed by the upper edge 4 of the hole 3 accommodating the mounting sections 6 of the bristles 1.
  • the cleaning element 8a on the left side of figure 1 to the right side of figure 1 the cleaning element will be curved over a bendable length defined as the distance of the operative section 9 of the cleaning element measured between the bending stop 4 formed by the upper edge of the hole 3 and the operative end 10 of the cleaning element.
  • the cleaning elements 8a, 8b may be realized as bristle tufts that each comprise a plurality of two or more bristles 1.
  • the operative section 9 of the bristle 1 When performing a bending motion of the cleaning element into the opposite direction, i.e. towards the left of the drawing of figure 1 , the operative section 9 of the bristle 1 may be bent over a bending length which is determined as the distance between the upper edge 11 of the protruding element 5 forming the first bending stop and the operative end 10 of the bristle 1.
  • the bendable length between the upper edge 11 of the protruding element 5 and the operative end 10 may be shorter than the bendable length of the operative section 9 between the first bending stop 4 and the operative end 10 of the bristle 1.
  • Figure 6 shows a schematic view of an oral hygiene device, here realized as an electric toothbrush, having a handle portion 21 and a replaceable part 22 being detachably mounted on the handle portion.
  • the replaceable part may comprise a head according any embodiment of the present disclosure.

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  • Brushes (AREA)
EP12152014.2A 2012-01-20 2012-01-20 Tête pour dispositif d'hygiène buccale Withdrawn EP2617318A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP12152014.2A EP2617318A1 (fr) 2012-01-20 2012-01-20 Tête pour dispositif d'hygiène buccale
US13/743,362 US20130185882A1 (en) 2012-01-20 2013-01-17 Head For An Oral Hygiene Device
CA2860946A CA2860946A1 (fr) 2012-01-20 2013-01-18 Tete pour dispositif d'hygiene buccale
PCT/IB2013/050478 WO2013108226A2 (fr) 2012-01-20 2013-01-18 Tête pour dispositif d'hygiène buccale
JP2014552735A JP2015504742A (ja) 2012-01-20 2013-01-18 口腔衛生装置用ヘッド
CN201380005530.9A CN104066354B (zh) 2012-01-20 2013-01-18 用于口腔卫生装置的头部

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP12152014.2A EP2617318A1 (fr) 2012-01-20 2012-01-20 Tête pour dispositif d'hygiène buccale

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2617318A1 true EP2617318A1 (fr) 2013-07-24

Family

ID=48628738

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP12152014.2A Withdrawn EP2617318A1 (fr) 2012-01-20 2012-01-20 Tête pour dispositif d'hygiène buccale

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US20130185882A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP2617318A1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2015504742A (fr)
CN (1) CN104066354B (fr)
CA (1) CA2860946A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2013108226A2 (fr)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
USD751821S1 (en) * 2014-06-06 2016-03-22 Kea Products, Ltd. Electric toothbrush
USD773192S1 (en) * 2015-01-09 2016-12-06 Ranir, Llc Powered toothbrush handle

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4101366A1 (de) * 1991-01-18 1991-08-08 Jovica Vukosavljevic Die in abhaengigkeit vom jeweiligen putzvorgang den haertegrad aller borstenbuendel wechselnde zahnbuerste
US6161245A (en) * 1995-10-17 2000-12-19 Coronet-Werke Gmbh Brush-ware with adjustable bristle hardness
US6553604B1 (en) * 2000-03-16 2003-04-29 Gillette Canada Company Toothbrush
US20050188488A1 (en) * 2002-08-09 2005-09-01 Robert Moskovich Toothbrush
US20110000041A1 (en) * 2007-04-20 2011-01-06 Braun Gmbh Toothbrush

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
RU2314775C2 (ru) * 2003-04-23 2008-01-20 Дзе Проктер Энд Гэмбл Компани Электрическая зубная щетка
ES2562793T3 (es) * 2009-12-16 2016-03-08 Braun Gmbh Sección de limpieza bucal de un dispositivo de limpieza bucal y dispositivo de limpieza bucal

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4101366A1 (de) * 1991-01-18 1991-08-08 Jovica Vukosavljevic Die in abhaengigkeit vom jeweiligen putzvorgang den haertegrad aller borstenbuendel wechselnde zahnbuerste
US6161245A (en) * 1995-10-17 2000-12-19 Coronet-Werke Gmbh Brush-ware with adjustable bristle hardness
US6553604B1 (en) * 2000-03-16 2003-04-29 Gillette Canada Company Toothbrush
US20050188488A1 (en) * 2002-08-09 2005-09-01 Robert Moskovich Toothbrush
US20110000041A1 (en) * 2007-04-20 2011-01-06 Braun Gmbh Toothbrush

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA2860946A1 (fr) 2013-07-25
CN104066354A (zh) 2014-09-24
US20130185882A1 (en) 2013-07-25
JP2015504742A (ja) 2015-02-16
WO2013108226A3 (fr) 2014-03-06
WO2013108226A2 (fr) 2013-07-25
WO2013108226A9 (fr) 2014-01-23
CN104066354B (zh) 2016-03-02

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