WO2018109681A1

WO2018109681A1 - Multi-purpose interdental brush

Info

Publication number: WO2018109681A1
Application number: PCT/IB2017/057875
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stefano Griggio; Gianluca PANIZ
Original assignee: Sapiselco Srl
Priority date: 2016-12-16
Filing date: 2017-12-13
Publication date: 2018-06-21
Also published as: IT201600127771A1

Abstract

The invention is an interdental brush (10) characterized in that it comprises a plastic body having a first portion (20) in the shape of an interdental brush, meaning constituted by a linear shaft (21) with projections (24), and a second portion (30) directly or indirectly joined to said first portion (20), having a tapered shape with a pointed end (31) serving as a plastic toothpick.

Description

MULTI-PURPOSE INTERDENTAL BRUSH

DESCRIPTION

The present patent concerns instruments for oral hygiene, and in particular it concerns a new multi-purpose interdental brush.

Instruments for oral hygiene, and in particular for cleaning one's teeth, are known, among which the common toothbrush, manual or electric, which is normally used to clean the exposed surfaces of teeth.

The interdental spaces, that is, the spaces included between two adjacent teeth and the surfaces of the teeth which face towards said interdental spaces, cannot be reached by means of normal toothbrushes.

Therefore, in order to clean the interdental spaces it is necessary to use other instruments such as, for example, interdental floss and/or interdental brushes, which must be slided within the interdental spaces.

The known interdental brushes are provided with a handle and a small head.

The head is made of a flexible metal and is provided with radially projecting soft bristles which are fixed thereon and have different length and thickness depending on the user's needs. Said bristles are generally made of synthetic fibres and are cut in such a way as to obtain a cylindrical or conical brush.

The handle is generally made of plastic.

Interdental brushes are known which are provided with a replaceable head, coupled with the handle in a reversible manner, so that it can be replaced after being used once or more than once.

The use of plastic toothpicks for interdental cleaning is also known, however said plastic toothpicks pose the drawback of being rather rigid and therefore not suited to fit in all interdental spaces.

The patent document DE202014104718 concerns an interdental brush comprising a flat and pointed portion 12 and a substantially cylindrical opposite portion 11 provided with projections 21 which all lie on a single longitudinal plane on which the axis of the brush substantially lies. The patent documents KR20100006116, KR20160123126 and US2010/0269278 concern interdental brushes of the type illustrated in the previous document.

The interdental brush illustrated in the patent document KR20100006116 has a substantially enlarged centre part which makes it easier to hold it.

The patent document EP2829253 concerns an interdental brush made of a plastic material and made up of a gripping portion and a cleaning portion, the latter covered with rubber in such a way as to form flat circular projections arranged orthogonally with respect to the axis of the brush. The brush is therefore made up of separate parts which are suited to be assembled together.

The subject of the present patent is a new type of multi-purpose interdental brush made of plastic.

The main object of the invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the interdental cleaning instruments known in the art, in order to allow the user to use the same instrument for several different purposes, according to his/her needs.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an instrument which guarantees correct dental hygiene, being disposable and completely made of plastic and of a single material, for example a thermoplastic resin such as polyamide.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an instrument which makes it possible to considerably reduce production costs compared to the known interdental brushes.

These and other direct and complementary objects are achieved by the new type of multi-purpose interdental brush made of plastic, comprising among its main parts a flexible plastic body preferably made in a single piece, made up of a first portion in the shape of an interdental brush, meaning consisting of a linear shaft provided with substantially radial projections, and a second portion having a tapered shape with a pointed end intended to be used as a plastic toothpick for cleaning interdental spaces. In a possible embodiment, said first portion and said second portion are joined to each other by a centre section which can also be used as a grip.

In greater detail, said first portion comprises an elongated linear shaft, for example and conveniently with substantially circular cross section, constant or preferably tapered towards its end, and wherein flat projections lying on planes which are orthogonal to said shaft project radially from the latter.

In the preferred solution, said flat projections are distributed in sets along said shaft, for example at an equal distance from one another.

In a cross-sectional view, the projections of each set are distributed on the circumference of the cross section, for example four on each circumference, thus forming a sort of flat cross or a corolla of petals.

The distribution, shape, size and rigidity of said radial projections, as well as the rigidity and size of said shaft, depend on the needs.

Preferably, said second portion is substantially flat and tapered towards said pointed end and furthermore comprises, preferably but not necessarily, in proximity to said pointed end, a plurality of substantially linear projections, for example parallel to one another and orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of development of the interdental brush, which form a knurl on the flat faces and the edges of said second portion.

Therefore, the user can use the same instrument both as an interdental brush, using said first portion, and as a plastic toothpick, using said second portion.

In the preferred solution, said centre section is joined to an end of said shaft of said first portion and to said second portion.

Said centre section preferably has a flattened and enlarged shape and its surface is preferably provided with projections and/or depressions or knurls in general, intended to stiffen it or to serve as antislip gripping elements.

According to the invention, the thickness of the new interdental brush can decrease progressively from said centre section towards said ends of said shaft of the first portion and of said second portion, in such a way that said ends are more flexible than the centre section, which on the contrary is more rigid.

The new interdental brush, being completely made of plastic and in a single piece, guarantees the necessary hygienic conditions, in fact it is easier to clean and therefore can be reused.

Furthermore, given its low production cost, the new interdental brush is also particularly suited to be used as a disposable item or to be used for a limited number of times.

The new interdental brush can be packaged individually as a normal toothpick or in multiple packs. The new interdental brush, given its flat shape and its flexibility, can be comfortably placed in a handbag or even in a wallet.

The characteristics of the present invention are illustrated in greater detail in the following description, with reference to the drawings which are attached hereto by way of non-limiting example.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 show three orthogonal projections of the new multi-purpose interdental brush (10), and in particular they respectively show a face, a side and a point of the new multi-purpose interdental brush (10).

Figure 4 shows a detail of the shaft (21) provided with flat radial projections (24) lying on planes which are orthogonal to the axis of the shaft (21) itself.

The new multi-purpose interdental brush (10) comprises a flexible plastic body made in a single piece and with a single material, such as polyamide.

Said body comprises a first portion (20) suited to serve the function of an interdental brush and a second portion (30) suited to serve the function of a plastic toothpick. Said first portion (20) and said second portion (30) are joined to each other directly or preferably by means of a centre section (40).

Said first portion (20) comprises an elongated shaft (21) joined to said centre section

(40) with a first end (22), while its second opposite end (23) is free.

Said elongated shaft (21) has a substantially linear shape, with preferably circular cross section, for example conveniently tapered towards said second free end (23). In this way, the flexibility of the shaft (21) increases from the first end (22) towards the second end (23).

Said first portion (20) comprises a plurality of projections (24) that protrude radially from said shaft (21).

Said projections (24) are substantially flat, lie on planes which are orthogonal to the longitudinal axis (X) of said shaft (21) and are distributed along said shaft (21) itself, for example so as to be equidistant from one another.

Said projections (24) have preferably rounded edges, like petals.

Said projections (24), for example, are made as illustrated in Figure 3 and in greater detail in Figure 4, and distributed in such a way as to form a sort of flat cross (25).

Therefore, a series of said flat crosses (25) orthogonal to the longitudinal axis (X) of the shaft (21) are distributed in succession along said shaft (21).

Said projections (24), shaped and arranged as described above, are particularly effective for cleaning the interdental spaces, as they act in all directions, differently from the projections of the interdental brushes of known type, which lie all on the same plane.

Furthermore, the four projections (24) forming each cross (25) are individually flexible independently of the others, in such a way as to make the cleaning action of the interdental brush less aggressive towards the gum in the interdental space and also more effective, as each projection (24) is flexible and thus can reach all the surfaces of the interdental space.

Said second portion (30) is flat and directly joined to said end (22) of said shaft (21) of said first portion (20) or to said centre section (40), as represented in the figures. Said second portion (30) is substantially flat and becomes narrower and/or thinner towards its pointed end (31), the latter being suited to be used as a plastic toothpick for cleaning the interdental spaces.

Said second flat portion (30) also comprises, preferably and at least in proximity to said pointed end (31), a plurality of substantially linear projections (32), parallel to one another and orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of development (X) of the interdental brush, coinciding with the longitudinal axis (X) of the shaft (21).

Each one of said linear projections (32), in particular, is arranged all around said second flat portion (30), projecting both from its two opposite flat faces (30a, 30b) and from its edges (30c, 30d). Said linear projections (32) thus form a knurl (Z), at least in a position close to the pointed end (31), which is useful to clean the interdental spaces and the surfaces of the teeth that face the interdental faces.

Said centre section (40) is preferably substantially flat and enlarged with respect to said first portion (20) and said second portion (30), and for example it is particularly suited to be held by the user.

For this purpose, or in order to stiffen said centre section (40) itself, the latter is preferably provided with projections and/or depressions and/or knurls in general. The new interdental brush (10) is thus substantially flat, and its thickness varies, decreasing from the centre section (40) towards said ends (23, 31) of said first portion (20) and said second portion (30).

Therefore, with reference to the above description and the attached drawings, the following claims are expressed.

Claims

1. Interdental brush (10) comprising a plastic body having a first portion (20) in the shape of an interdental brush, meaning constituted by a linear shaft (21) provided with projections (24), and a second portion (30) directly or indirectly joined to said first portion (20) and having a tapered shape with a pointed end (31) which serves as a plastic toothpick, characterized in that said projections (24) protrude radially from said shaft (21) and are flat, wherein said projections (24) lie on planes substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis (X) of said shaft (21) and are distributed along it, and wherein those of said projections (24) which lie on the same plane are distributed in such a way as to form a sort of flat cross (25).

2. Interdental brush (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said projections (24) are flexible.

3. Interdental brush (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said projections (24) have rounded edges.

4. Interdental brush (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is made of a single piece and with a single material.

5. Interdental brush (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is flexible.

6. Interdental brush (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second portion (30) is substantially flat and tapered towards said pointed end (31).

7. Interdental brush (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said shaft (21) of said first portion (20) has a substantially circular cross section and is tapered towards its free end (23), and wherein said second flat portion (30) becomes narrower and/or thinner towards its pointed end

(31), so that the flexibility of said brush (10) increases towards said ends (23, 31) of said first portion (20) and of said second portion (30).

8. Interdental brush (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second flat portion (30) comprises also, at least in proximity to said pointed end (31), a plurality of substantially linear projections (32) creating a knurl (Z) on its opposite flat sides (30a, 30b) and/or on its edges (30c, 30d).

9, Interdental brush (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a centre section (40) suited to join said first portion (20) and said second portion (30), and wherein said centre section (40) is substantially flat and widened with respect to said first portion (20) and said second portion (30).

10, Interdental brush (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that said centre section (40) comprises one or more projections, depressions and knurled parts in general.