WO1997031555A1 - Brosse a dents - Google Patents

Brosse a dents Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1997031555A1
WO1997031555A1 PCT/US1997/002964 US9702964W WO9731555A1 WO 1997031555 A1 WO1997031555 A1 WO 1997031555A1 US 9702964 W US9702964 W US 9702964W WO 9731555 A1 WO9731555 A1 WO 9731555A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
bristle
brush
bristles
peak
brush head
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1997/002964
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO1997031555A9 (fr
Inventor
Takayuki Watanabe
Hisakata Hoshizaki
Original Assignee
Mcneil-Ppc, 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 Mcneil-Ppc, Inc. filed Critical Mcneil-Ppc, Inc.
Priority to BR9707802A priority Critical patent/BR9707802A/pt
Priority to AU19758/97A priority patent/AU731782B2/en
Priority to GB9818912A priority patent/GB2325619B/en
Publication of WO1997031555A1 publication Critical patent/WO1997031555A1/fr
Publication of WO1997031555A9 publication Critical patent/WO1997031555A9/fr

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
    • A46B9/04—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

  • This invention relates to a toothbrush, in particular to a toothbrush which can effectively and easily remove dental plaque from the teeth, especially from molars, and from the interdental spaces between the teeth.
  • Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Hei 5- 168528(168528/93) discloses a toothbrush which has two sections of bristles, the bristles of one section being longer than the bristles of the other section. While such a toothbrush may be more efficient in removing dental plaque from molars, it is less efficient in removing dental plaque from the other teeth. The presence of unremoved dental plaque from the other teeth can lead to dental diseases such as caries and periodontal disease.
  • the present invention provides a toothbrush which can easily and effectively remove dental plaque from molars in the deepest part in the mouth, from the surfaces of the other teeth and from the interdental spaces. This is accomplished by providing a toothbrush whose brush head comprises three bristle surfaces, none of which bristle surfaces are parallel with respect to the surface of the brush head from which the bristles extend.
  • a toothbrush comprising a brush head, a handle, and a neck portion connecting said brush head to said handle;
  • said brush head comprising a plurality of rows of bristle tufts, each of said rows of bristle tufts being oriented in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said toothbrush;
  • the tips of the bristles of said bristle tufts being arranged to provide three brush surfaces;
  • the first of said three brush surfaces being located adjacent the free end of said brush head and extending upwardly from said free end at an angle of from about 15° to about 45° with respect to said brush head to define a first bristle peak;
  • said second brush surface extending downwardly from said first bristle peak toward said brush head at an angle of from about 15° to about 45° with respect to said brush head; said third brush surface extending upwardly from said second brush surface, at an angle of from about 5° to about 25° with respect to said brush head, to a second bristle peak, said second brush surface and said third brush surface forming a bristle valley or bottom located below said first bristle peak and said second bristle peak, the ratio of the height of the bristles at said first bristle peak to the height of the bristles located at said bristle valley being from about 1.1 to about 1.4;
  • the difference between the height of the bristles at said second bristle peak and the height of said bristles at said first peak being less than about 2 mm.
  • bristle tufts may be either linear or arcuate in configuration.
  • the brush head comprises six to ten rows of bristle tufts.
  • the toothbrush of the invention comprises six to ten rows of bristle tufts, with said first bristle peak being located at the top of the second or third row of bristle tufts and said bristle valley being located at the third to fifth rows of bristle tufts.
  • Bristles which are useful in the manufacture of toothbrushes of the present invention can be made from synthetic resins such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) , polyvinylidene chloride, polyurethane, and mixtures thereof, animal hair such as pig hair, or any other materials known in the art for this purpose.
  • synthetic resins such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) , polyvinylidene chloride, polyurethane, and mixtures thereof, animal hair such as pig hair, or any other materials known in the art for this purpose.
  • PBT polybutylene terephthalate
  • PET polyethylene terephthalate
  • PVC polyvinyl chloride
  • Purethane polyurethane
  • animal hair such as pig hair
  • the thickness of the filament in the case of polybutylene terephthalate is preferably from about 0.15mm to about 0.3mm. If the filament thickness is less than about 0.15mm, the filament may not have sufficient bending strength. If the filament thickness is greater than 0.3mm, the filament may be too stiff.
  • the material of the brush head, neck and handle is not particularly restricted. Any materials known in the art for use in the manufacture of conventional toothbrushes can be used. Such materials include acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer (AS) ; acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) ; polypropylene (PP) ; cellulose derivatives such as cellulose propionate; polyamide; polycarbonate- polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PC-PET) ; polycarbonate-acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (PC-ABS) ; polymethyl pentene; acrylic polymers such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) ; polyacetal resins; thermoplastic elastomers (olefinic polymers, styrenic polymers, polyesters, polyurethanes, PVC polymers, etc.) and the like.
  • AS acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer
  • the brush head includes a brush head body and a plurality of rows of bristle tufts embedded in tuft holes formed in said body.
  • the toothbrush of the present invention has a handle for holding tne brush when users brush their teeth.
  • the width of the neck is preferably less than the width of the brush head and the handle, thereby imparting to the toothbrush a certain degree of flexibility and making the toothbrush easier to handle.
  • the brush head of the present invention preferably comprises six to ten rows of bristle tufts, each of which rows is oriented in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush. If the brush head has less than six rows of bristles, it is difficult to provide a brush head of sufficient length for effective removal of dental plaque. If the brush has more than ten rows of bristles, the brush section becomes too long to effectively brush the molars and ease of use decreases.
  • the first row and the second row of bristle tufts closest to the free end of the brush head are made up of two and three tufts of bristles respectively, and the other rows (i.e., the third row to the last row at the end of the brush head body nearest the neck of the toothbrush) are made up of four tufts of bristles arranged in similar linear or arcuate configuration and are placed symmetrically with respect to the center line of the brush in the longitudinal direction.
  • Such an arrangement of the bristle tufts makes the brush end of the toothbrush thin.
  • the tips of the bristles on the bristle tufts on the brush head must be arranged, as by cutting, so that the resulting brush surfaces define three planes.
  • the shape of the brush surface characteristic of the present invention can be easily formed.
  • the three brush surfaces are made continuing in the longitudinal direction of the brush head.
  • the first brush surface is located adjacent the free end of the brush head.
  • the bristles at the brush end are short and the bristles become longer toward the handle.
  • the first brush surface forms an angle of from about 15° to about 45° to the brush head.
  • the bristles form a first bristle peak, preferably at the second row or the third row of bristles from the brush end. If the first brush surface angle is less than about 15°, sufficient dental plaque removal from molars may not be attained. If the angle of the first brush surface is greater than about 45°, fitting of the toothbrush to the interdental spaces, especially between molars, decreases. In a toothbrush having a compact brush head, the aforementioned first bristle peak must be at the second row or the third row of bristles from the brush end.
  • first bristle peak is in the first row, it is hard to provide the first brush surface. If it is in the fourth row or beyond, dental plaque removability on molars decreases because the first bristle peak is too near to the center of the brush head.
  • the second brush surface extends from the first peak defined by the first brush surface and declines toward the handle at an angle of about 15° to about 45° , and defines a bottom between the third row of bristles and fifth row of bristles from the brush end. It will be understood that the first brush surface joins or meets the second brush surface at said first peak. This arrangement improves fitting of the brush to interdental spaces so as to remove dental plaque efficiently.
  • the third brush surface extends upwardly from the aforementioned bristle valley or bottom to a second bristle peak. Bristles of the third brush surface become longer from the bristle valley as they approach the second bristle peak, becoming longest at the aforementioned second peak.
  • the third brush surface forms an angle of about 5° to about 25° with respect to the surface of the brush head body. Consequently the third brush surface continuously ascends from the aforementioned bottom point to the second bristle peak.
  • Each of the three brush surfaces can be a flat surface or a curved surface, and in the case of the curved surface, the second brush surface and the third brush surface can have continuous curvatures.
  • the term "bristle valley” or “bristle bottom” refers to that part of the brush where the first brush surface meets the second brush surface.
  • Any cross section of the brush surfaces to the transverse direction of the brush is preferably a straight line parallel to the block head or an arc.
  • the ratio of the height of the bristles at the first bristle peak E to the height of the bristles at bottom point F must be 1.1 to 1.4.
  • the difference in the height of the bristles at the first bristle peak and the height of the bristles at the second bristle peak is less than about 2mm.
  • the bristles at the first bristle peak and the bristles at the second bristle peak have the same height.
  • the difference in height between bristles of the first and second bristle peaks and the height of the bristles at the bottom point is preferably between about 0.3mm to about 6mm, more preferably between about 1.5mm to about 3mm. If less than about 0.3mm, plaque removal from the molars in the deepest part of the mouth is insufficient. If more than 6mm, it is hard for bristles to contact every surface of the other teeth, and plaque removal from the other teeth is insufficient.
  • stiffer bristles for the first and second or first to third rows of bristles.
  • stiffer bristles for the last row of bristles from the brush end, i.e., the row of bristles nearest to the neck of the toothbrush. Bristle stiffness may be controlled by using stiffer materials or thicker bristles or both.
  • the diameter of the thick bristles is preferably 5% to 30% greater than that of the other bristles.
  • the first brush surface and the second brush surface are symmetrically disposed about a plane which bisects the first peak and which is transverse to the brush head. This is accomplished when the angle of the first brush surface with respect to the brush head is equal to the angle of the second brush surface with respect to the brush head.
  • the toothbrush of the present invention may be produced by known methods using conventional high speed toothbrush manufacturing machines such as the Sabolanski ZT1-TC machine (Sabolanski Co. LTD) .
  • the toothbrush of the present invention can easily and effectively remove dental plaque on molars in the deepest part of the mouth, in interdental spaces, on the inner surfaces of teeth, etc. by providing the aforementioned three brush surfaces.
  • Toothbrush blanks in the shape of Figure 6, and comprising a brush head, a neck and a handle were manufactured by injection molding a blend of polypropylene and EPDM. Measurements of the toothbrush blanks were as follows: the whole length L: 188mm; the brush head length G: 24.4mm; the brush head width H: 11.3mm; the maximum width, I, of the handle: 14mm; neck portion width J: 5mm; and neck portion thickness K:
  • FIG. 1 there is shown therein a side view of the brush head portion of a toothbrush according to the present invention.
  • numerals 1, 2 and 3 indicate the first, second and third brush surfaces, respectively, formed for example by suitably cutting bristle tips.
  • the three brush surfaces are all in the form of flat planes.
  • the length, A, from the brush end 20 to the first bristle peak 6 is 3.3mm; the length, B, from the first bristle peak to the bottom point 22 is 4.1mm; and length, D, of the bristle section is 19.9mm.
  • the height, E, of the bristles at the first bristle peak 6 is 11.0mm.
  • the height, F, of the bristles at bottom point 22, where second brush surface 2 meets third brush surface 3, is 9.0mm.
  • Figure 2 is a plan view of the brush section shown in Figure 1.
  • the first row 25 of bristles is located adjacent the brush end 40 and consists of two bristle tufts 25a.
  • the second row 26 of bristles consists of three bristle tufts 26a and is slightly arcuate in configuration.
  • Each of third row 27 of bristles, fourth row 28 of bristles, fifth row 29 of bristles, sixth row 30 of bristles, seventh row 31 of bristles, and eighth row 32 of bristles consists of four bristle tufts. As can be seen in Figure 2, all of rows 27-32 have a somewhat arcuate configuration.
  • the bristles comprising the bristle tufts are made of polybutylene terephthalate.
  • the bristles in first row 25, second row 26, third row 27 and eighth row 32 are stiffened by using bristles having a larger diameter than those of the other bristles.
  • the diameter of the individual bristles in the bristle tufts in bristle rows 25, 26 and 27, indicated in Figure 2 by circles with slanting lines, is 0.2mm.
  • the diameter of the individual bristles comprising bristle tufts 5 in bristle row 32, also denoted by circles with slanting lines, is 0.23mm.
  • the diameter of the individual bristles comprising the bristle tufts in bristle rows 28-31 is 0.17mm.
  • the bristles are cut so that the first bristle peak 6 is located in the second row from the brush end.
  • the bottom point 22 is located in the third to fourth row from the brush end 40.
  • the length, C, measured parallel to the brush head, of the third brush surface, is more than one half of the bristle section length, D, also measured parallel to the brush head.
  • Figure 3 shows a side view of another embodiment of a toothbrush of the present invention in which brush surfaces 1, 2 and 3 are somewhat curved.
  • General views of other toothbrushes according to the present invention are shown in Figures 7 and 8, in which the left side view is symmetrical with the right side view.
  • the toothbrush of the present invention provides an effective means for brushing the wisdom teeth by the presence of the first bristle peak.
  • Figure 4 shows the conformance of bristles to the surfaces of the third molar as a result of the geometrical features of the toothbrush of the present invention.
  • FIG. 5 shows the conformance of bristles of the first and second brush surfaces to interdental spaces for the toothbrush of the present invention. Figure 5 illustrates that the toothbrush can easily contact and effectively brush the internal interdental spaces of maloccluded incisors.
  • the toothbrush of the present invention is also especially effective for brushing the internal surfaces of incisors, , i.e., the surfaces of the teeth facing the tongue.
  • the toothbrush of the present invention contacts the internal surfaces of the incisors with the bristles of at the second bristle peak, which effectively permits the removal of dental plaque from these surfaces.
  • Figure 1 is a side view of the brush head of a toothbrush in accordance with the present invention
  • Figure 2 is a plan view of the toothbrush of Figure 1 showing the rows of bristles
  • Figure 3 is a side view of a brush head of another embodiment of a toothbrush according to the present invention, the brush surfaces being curved;
  • Figure 4 is a view of the toothbrush of Figure 1 when being used in the brushing of molars;
  • Figure 5 is a view of the toothbrush of Figure 1 when being used in the brushing of maloccluded teeth;
  • Figure 6(a) is a side view of a toothbrush blank of the present invention.
  • Figure 6(b) is a plan view of the toothbrush blank of Figure 6(a) ;
  • Figure 7(a) is a front view of another embodiment of a toothbrush of the present invention.
  • Figure 7 (b) is a side view of the toothbrush of Figure 7(a);
  • Figure 7(c) is a rear view of the toothbrush of Figure 7(a);
  • Figure 8(a) is a front elevational view of the toothbrush of Figure 7(a);
  • Figure 8 (b) is a rear elevational view of the toothbrush of Figure 7(a) ;
  • Figure 8(c) is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line P-P of Figure 7(a);
  • Figure 8 (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along line Q-Q of Figure 7(b);
  • Figure 8(e) is a cross-sectional view taken along line R-R of Figure 7 (b) .
  • the first, second and third brush surfaces are designated by numerals 1, 2 and 3, respectively.
  • Numeral 5 designates the bristle tufts of bristle row 32 which is nearest to the brush neck 12.
  • Numeral 6 designates the first bristle peak.
  • Numeral 7 designates the second bristle peak.
  • Numeral 22 designates the bristle valley.
  • Letter A designates the length of first brush surface 1
  • B designates the length of second brush surface 2
  • C designates the length of third brush surface 3
  • D designates the length of the entire bristle section. It will be understood that lengths A, B, C and D are measured in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the brush head of the toothbrush.

Landscapes

  • Brushes (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention porte sur une brosse à dents permettant d'éliminer facilement et efficacement la plaque dentaire sur les molaires dans les coins les plus reculés de la bouche, dans les espaces interdentaires, et sur la surface interne des dents. Les bouts des poils forment trois surfaces de brossage (1-3). La première (1) adjacente à l'extrémité libre de la brosse s'élève depuis ladite extrémité pour former une première crête; la deuxième (2), s'étend vers le bas à partir de la première crête en direction de la tête de la brosse (40); la troisième (3), s'élève vers le haut à partir de la deuxième surface de brossage et forme une deuxième crête contiguë à l'extrémité attachée de la tête de la brosse. La deuxième surface de brossage et la troisième se coupent pour former une vallée de poils située sous la première et la deuxième crête de brossage. La brosse comprend de préférence six à dix rangées de touffes de poils (25-32).
PCT/US1997/002964 1996-02-29 1997-02-25 Brosse a dents WO1997031555A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BR9707802A BR9707802A (pt) 1996-02-29 1997-02-25 Escova de dentes
AU19758/97A AU731782B2 (en) 1996-02-29 1997-02-25 Toothbrush
GB9818912A GB2325619B (en) 1996-02-29 1997-02-25 Toothbrush

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP6738396A JPH09234114A (ja) 1996-02-29 1996-02-29 歯ブラシ
JP8/67383 1996-02-29

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1997031555A1 true WO1997031555A1 (fr) 1997-09-04
WO1997031555A9 WO1997031555A9 (fr) 1997-11-06

Family

ID=13343441

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1997/002964 WO1997031555A1 (fr) 1996-02-29 1997-02-25 Brosse a dents

Country Status (6)

Country Link
JP (1) JPH09234114A (fr)
AU (1) AU731782B2 (fr)
BR (1) BR9707802A (fr)
CA (1) CA2247861A1 (fr)
GB (1) GB2325619B (fr)
WO (1) WO1997031555A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2472515B (en) * 2009-08-06 2014-02-19 Mcneil Ppc Inc Bristle configuration

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2003250632A (ja) * 2002-02-28 2003-09-09 Lion Corp 歯ブラシ
JP2006055180A (ja) * 2004-08-17 2006-03-02 Gc Corp 歯ブラシ
KR200485533Y1 (ko) * 2017-06-16 2018-01-23 신선수 도장 작업용 붓

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR677955A (fr) * 1929-07-06 1930-03-17 Brosse à désinfection automatique
US2043898A (en) * 1935-05-04 1936-06-09 James A Malcolm Tooth brush
US3072944A (en) * 1960-01-21 1963-01-15 Prophylactic Brush Co Toothbrushes
US3188673A (en) * 1964-03-04 1965-06-15 Prophylactic Brush Co Toothbrush
US4031587A (en) * 1975-07-28 1977-06-28 Deepen Enterprises, Inc. Toothbrush for canines
CA2040222A1 (fr) * 1991-03-19 1992-09-20 John D. Shaw Brosses a dents avec code de couleurs permettant d'en determiner les caracteristiques
US5392483A (en) * 1994-07-07 1995-02-28 Chesebrough-Pond's Usa Co., Division Of Conopco, Inc. Multi-level bristle tuft toothbrush
US5396678A (en) * 1992-11-02 1995-03-14 The Gillette Company Toothbrush with rectangular bristles

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR677955A (fr) * 1929-07-06 1930-03-17 Brosse à désinfection automatique
US2043898A (en) * 1935-05-04 1936-06-09 James A Malcolm Tooth brush
US3072944A (en) * 1960-01-21 1963-01-15 Prophylactic Brush Co Toothbrushes
US3188673A (en) * 1964-03-04 1965-06-15 Prophylactic Brush Co Toothbrush
US4031587A (en) * 1975-07-28 1977-06-28 Deepen Enterprises, Inc. Toothbrush for canines
CA2040222A1 (fr) * 1991-03-19 1992-09-20 John D. Shaw Brosses a dents avec code de couleurs permettant d'en determiner les caracteristiques
US5396678A (en) * 1992-11-02 1995-03-14 The Gillette Company Toothbrush with rectangular bristles
US5392483A (en) * 1994-07-07 1995-02-28 Chesebrough-Pond's Usa Co., Division Of Conopco, Inc. Multi-level bristle tuft toothbrush

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2472515B (en) * 2009-08-06 2014-02-19 Mcneil Ppc Inc Bristle configuration

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2325619B (en) 2000-03-15
GB9818912D0 (en) 1998-10-21
AU731782B2 (en) 2001-04-05
JPH09234114A (ja) 1997-09-09
GB2325619A (en) 1998-12-02
BR9707802A (pt) 1999-07-27
AU1975897A (en) 1997-09-16
CA2247861A1 (fr) 1997-09-04

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