MXPA05001988A

MXPA05001988A - Toothbrush.

Info

Publication number: MXPA05001988A
Application number: MXPA05001988A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Douglas J Hohlbein
Original assignee: Colgate Palmolive Co
Priority date: 2002-08-19
Filing date: 2003-08-18
Publication date: 2005-04-28
Also published as: WO2004016188A2; BR0313617A; WO2004016188A3; KR20050065533A; CN1688226A; EP1538946A2; AU2003263865A1; US20050138744A1; CA2495388A1

Abstract

A toothbrush (10)includes a head (14) having multiple cleaning elements (24, 26). One set of the cleaning elements is longer than the other and relatively rigid. That set (24) alternates with a shorter, springier set (26) of cleaning elements (24, 26). The flexibility of the shorter springier cleaning elements (26) facilitates penetration of the longer cleaning elements (24) into the interproximal area of the user's teeth.

Description

TOOTHBRUSH Background of the Invention The present invention is directed to a manual or electric toothbrush which includes a handle and a head. The cleaning elements are mounted on the head such as bunches of bristles. When a toothpaste is applied to the cleaning elements the user inserts the head into the mouth and brushes the teeth in a known manner.

The head of a toothbrush usually has a flat or slightly altered surface to which the cleaning elements are attached. Usually, the cleaning elements are threads of plastic material or materials formed into bundles, bundles or other groupings. The threads are fastened to the head either before or after the formation of the toothbrush. The cleaning elements must be arranged in the head so that all the areas of the teeth are cleaned, particularly the interproximal spaces.

An approach of the surfaces of the teeth is described in the patent of the United States of America No. 4,519,111 granted to Paolo Cavazza on May 28, 1985. This patent describes a toothbrush wherein the dual sets of cleaning elements are used. One set increases in height by moving away from the far end of the toothbrush and the second set is of the same height through the length of the toothbrush head (column 1 row 27-33).

Another approach to cleaning the teeth using the variable height cleaning elements is described in United States Patent No. 5,896,614 issued April 27, 1999 to Flewitt. This patent describes rows of alternating strips or rows of strips running perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush. The longitudinal brush of the alternating rows can be flat or undulating. The transverse profile can be concave, in the form of "V" or "U" (column 1, lines 53-66). In one embodiment, the largest dimension of the strips is aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush (column 2, lines 32-40, Figure 5-7); in another incorporation perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (figures 1-4). According to this patent, the use of a flatter strip material (thin bristle) cleans the surfaces of the teeth (column 3, rows 63-65).

U.S. Patent No. 5,341,537 issued August 30, 1994 and assigned to the assignee of the present application, describes an arrangement of bristles designed to improve the removal of the plaque from the teeth. Three groups of cleaning elements are described. The first is a relatively wide set of elements arranged in rows perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush. This group is generally shorter than the other groups of cleaning elements. The second group is also aligned with the first group in rows but with the bundles outside the cleaning elements inclined towards the outer periphery of the toothbrush head. The third group of cleaning elements is laterally inclined (about 30E) towards the outside of the head of the toothbrush and inclined to a lesser extent to the distant and / or proximal end of the toothbrush head (column 3 rows 25). -56). This angle placement of some bristles helps in the sweeping of the tooth plate in the line of the gums and between the teeth (column 5, lines 10-16).

Synthesis of the Invention This invention relates to the problem of obtaining the cleaning action of the toothbrush bristles in the interproximal areas of the teeth. A common problem with many prior art toothbrushes is that the stiffness of some bristles keeps the bristles away from the teeth. Therefore, in a typical brush, the bristles easily clean the outer surfaces of the teeth but few bristles reach the areas between the teeth, for example, the interproximal areas.

This invention solves this problem by using alternating sets of bristles or cleaning elements. One set is longer than the other and has relatively stiff bristles that can reach inside the interproximal areas, the other set comprises shorter bristles and they jump more and more easily under load.

Preferably, the first set of stiffer bristles are spaced apart from each other by a distance that approximates the average width of a tooth so that they are better positioned to fit in the areas between the teeth. The shorter sets of elastic bristles are located in the areas between the longer rigid bristle sets. The shorter bristles are preferably crimped or otherwise constructed to allow easy compression when the user applies pressure to the toothbrush. By compressing the more elastic and shorter bristles under that pressure, the longer rigid bristles will extend further into the interproximal areas. This combination of types of bristles facilitates the cleaning of all parts of the teeth.

The drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the manual toothbrush head of this invention having a set of relatively stiff and long bristles alternating with more elastic and shorter bristles; Figure 2 is a side elevational view of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a top plan view of Figure 1; Figures 4-6 are elevational and side views showing alternating configurations of the long bristles; Figure 7 is a top plan view of an electric toothbrush including the bristle arrangement of Figures 1-4.

Figure 8 illustrates the bristles of the toothbrush of this invention and its contact with the teeth of a user of the toothbrush.

Detailed description Figures 1-4 illustrate a manual toothbrush 10 in accordance with this invention. As shown there, the toothbrush 10 includes a handle 12 and a head 14. The handle 12 can include a suitable grasping pad made of an elastomeric material. The invention however is directed, primarily to the arrangement of cleaning elements in relation to the head 14. As shown in Figures 1-4 the head 14 has a base part 18 with the upper surface 20 which forms the base for insert cleaning elements 22. As illustrated in these figures, a set of cleaning elements 24 is aligned longitudinally in rows and is relatively rigid with respect to a second set of cleaning elements 26 which is shorter and more elastic.

The invention is particularly suitable for cleaning elements in the form of threads or bristles held through a fastening of anchors-free bundles (AFT). In a fastening of anchor-free bundles a plate or membrane is mounted on the head generally by the use of electronic welding of the plate or membrane to the head plate. The bristles extend through the plate or membrane. The free or outer ends of the bristles carry out the cleaning function. The inner ends of the bristles on the opposite side of the plate or membrane are joined together by the application of heat to create the anchor free bundle holding shape.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1-3 a first row and relatively rigid bristles or elastomeric walls or fingers 24 is arranged across the distal end of the manual toothbrush head 14 in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush. teeth. Moving towards the handle 12 the next row of cleaning elements 26 is shorter and more elastic (less rigid) than the adjacent row of cleaning elements 24. The flexibility of the bristles 26 can be achieved by imparting an "S" shape. to the bristles before or during assembly on the toothbrush head 1. Other ways of imparting a relative rigidity to the bristles 24 and a flexibility to the bristles 26 are known to those skilled in the art.

The rest of the head 14 contains alternating rows of relatively rigid and elastic cleaning elements 22. The spacing between the adjacent rows of the relatively rigid cleaning elements preferably approximates the typical spacing of the teeth in the human mouth. As shown in Figure 8 the spacing facilitates placement of the relatively stiffer and longer bristles in the interproximal areas of the teeth when applied under pressure (represented by the arrow in Figure 8) to the toothbrush. This combination of cleaning elements improves the cleaning of all parts of the teeth, particularly the interproximal areas which are prone to decay due to trapped food and plate buildup.

As illustrated in Figures 1-4 each row of elastic cleaning elements 26 comprises a plurality (preferably 2) of longitudinally adjacent elements.

Figure 4 illustrates an alternate configuration 24a of the relatively rigid cleaning elements. In this embodiment, each row of relatively rigid cleaning elements comprises longitudinally adjacent elements which have tapered upper parts which in combination create a "V" shape which also facilitate the penetration of these elements into the inverted "V" shape in the interproximal areas between the teeth. If desired, the "V" shape can be achieved by having a unique cleaning element with the top tapered to form the WV. " Figures 5-6 illustrate an additional configuration 26a for the elastic cleaning elements. In this embodiment of the invention, the cleaning elements 26a are in the form of fiber bristles 28 mounted on the floating cleaning pads 30. The pads 30 are made of a soft elastomeric material to support the cleaning elements 28. 30 pads are compressible. The compression can be achieved by having the hollow pads as illustrated in Figures 5-6. In the use of the support pads 30 the collapse below the pressure is shown in Figures 3 where the row shows the pressure applied to one of the pads 30. This allows a deeper interproximal penetration of the adjacent rigid bristles or the cleaning elements 24.

The embodiment of Figures 5-6 thus provides a variation to the easily compressed "S" shaped cleaning elements 26 of Figures 1-4. In this embodiment a pad of fine cleaning elements 28 which can be either a bristle or an elastomer shape is supported by flexible and thin elastomer supports 30. As illustrated in Figure 6 these thin supports collapse, in a similar way to the "S" elements, allowing a deeper penetration of the stiffer bristles 24.

As with the embodiment of Figures 1-3 the row of elastic cleaning elements 26a of Figures 5-6 may comprise a plurality of longitudinally adjacent cleaning elements. Similarly, as in the figure, each row of rigid cleaning elements in Figures 5-6 may comprise a plurality of longitudinally adjacent cleaning elements.

The various embodiments of the invention may have each row of rigid cleaning elements 24 to make a longer length through the brush head than that of the elastic cleaning elements 26, as in Figures 1-3. The invention can be practiced wherein the elastic elements are of a longer length through the head of the brush.

The various embodiments can be practiced wherein each of the cleaning elements extends laterally through generally the full width of the cleaning head 14 with the other elements extending a smaller distance, as in Figures 1-3. The invention may be practiced wherein one or more rows of the rigid cleaning elements and / or the elastic cleaning elements comprise a plurality of individual cleaning elements that extend laterally through the head of the brush. This will be particularly used where the cleaning elements are, for example, natural or fiber bristles rather than the illustrated elastomeric walls. The use of a plurality of cleaning elements laterally aligned in a single row can also be achieved by elastomeric fingers. Various combinations may also be used in the practices of this invention such as having one or more rows of rigid and / or elastic cleaning elements with a plurality of longitudinally adjacent cleaning elements in this row (such as in Figure 4) while other rows of the same type of cleaning elements have only a single set of cleaning elements in that row.

As also illustrated, in the preferred practice of this invention the combination of the alternating row sets of the cleaning elements has the rigid cleaning elements as the outermost row of the combination.

Any suitable form of the cleaning elements can be used as the cleaning elements 22 in the broad practice of this invention. The term "cleaning elements" is intended to be used in a generic sense which may include massage elements or conventional fiber bristles or other forms of cleaning elements such as elastomeric walls or fingers arranged in a circular cross-sectional shape or any type of desired shape including straight parts or sinusoidal parts. Where the bristles are used, the bristles can be assembled into bundle blocks or sections by extending into the appropriate openings in the bundle blocks so that the base of the bristles is mounted inside or below the bundle of bundles.

It should be understood that the specific illustration of the cleaning elements is merely for example purposes. The invention can be practiced with various combinations (such as stapled bristles or molding technology inside) and / or with the same materials as cleaning elements or bristles (such as nylon bristles, elastic bristles, rubber bristles) etc.) Similarly, even when the figures illustrate the cleaning elements as the head 14 is generally perpendicular some or all of the cleaning elements can be angled at various angles with respect to the upper surface 20 of the head 1. It is therefore possible to select the combination of cleaning element configurations, materials and orientations to achieve specific intended results to deliver additional oral health benefits, such as improved teeth polishing, bleached teeth teeth and / or massage of the gums.

Although Figures 1-7 illustrate a manually operated toothbrush, the invention can also be practiced wherein the head includes one or more movable sections elliptically operated or with other energy carrying the cleaning elements. Such a movable section may oscillate in a rotational manner or may oscillate linearly in a longitudinal direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the head or may oscillate linearly in a transverse or lateral direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the head. The movable section can oscillate inwardly or outwardly in an inward and outward direction of the outer surface of the head. The movable section can oscillate back and forth with respect to the outer surface of the head. The mobile section can rotate continuously in the same direction rather than oscillate. Any suitable drive mechanism can be used to impart the desired movement to the mobile section. Where plural mobile sections are used, all moving sections may have the same type and direction of movement, combinations of different movements may be used.

Figure 8 illustrates a toothbrush 10A which includes an electrically driven movable section or disk 50 having the cleaning elements. The movable section 50 can be oscillated in a rotational manner such as by using the type of drive mechanism shown in U.S. Patent 5,625,916 or it can be moved in and out using the type of drive mechanism shown in FIG. Reissue Patent No. 35,941 all the details of both patents are incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, other types of drive mentioned above can move the section 40 in other ways and directions. Although Figure 7 shows the movable section 40 as being at the distal end on the head, the movable section or sections can be located at any desired location on the head.

Claims

R E I V I N D I C A C I O N S

1. A toothbrush comprising a handle, a head secured to the handle, a first set of elements mounted on the head which are relatively rigid and longer than the other sets of cleaning elements mounted on the head, a second set of elements of cleaning which are elastic and more easily compressed than said first set of cleaning elements, and said first and second sets of cleaning elements are arranged in alternating rows on the head.

2. The toothbrush as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that said rows of the first set of cleaning elements are spaced apart from each other by a distance approximately equal to the average width of a human tooth.

3. The toothbrush as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that said second set of cleaning elements has an "S" shape over at least a part of its length.

. The toothbrush as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the upper surface of cleaning elements has a V-shaped profile.

5. The toothbrush as claimed in the clause, characterized in that each row of said first set of cleaning elements comprises a pair of longitudinally adjacent cleaning elements having tapered tops to form said V-shaped profile in combination.

6. The toothbrush as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that each of said second set of cleaning elements is in the form of a compressible pad that supports its cleaning elements.

7. The toothbrush as claimed in clause 6, characterized in that said compressible pad is made of a soft and compressible hollow elastomer, and the cleaning elements are fiber bristles mounted on the outer surface of said appendix.

8. The toothbrush as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that said rows of the first cleaning elements extend a further distance through said head than do those rows of the second cleaning elements.

9. The toothbrush as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that said first sets of cleaning elements are located at the outermost ends of the combination of said first and second sets of cleaning elements.

10. The toothbrush as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that at least one row of said first set of cleaning elements comprises the longitudinally adjacent cleaning elements.

11. The toothbrush as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that at least one row of said second set of cleaning elements comprises two longitudinally adjacent cleaning elements.

12. The toothbrush as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that said toothbrush is a manual toothbrush.

13. The toothbrush as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that a part of the toothbrush includes an energized cleaning element. SUMMARIZES A toothbrush that includes a head that has multiple cleaning elements. One set of cleaning elements is longer than the other and relatively rigid. That game alternates with a more elastic and shorter game of cleaning elements. The flexibility of the more elastic and shorter cleaning elements facilitates the penetration of the longer cleaning elements into the interproximal area of the user's teeth.