Toothbrushes

• US 20040154112A1
• Filed: 02/11/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Brown, William R. Jr., Braun, Phillip M., Christman, Thomas A., Chenvainu, Alexander T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,934,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0002 Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0032 with protrusion for polishing teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1066 Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/005 where the brushing material is not made of bristles, e.g. sponge, rubber or paper
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/028 Bristle profile, the end of the bristle defining a surface other than a single plane or deviating from a simple geometric form, e.g. cylinder, sphere or cone
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/005 Devices for dental prophylaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/22 with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like brush bodies, e.g. arrangements of the bristles A46B
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/222 Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle

Abstract

Toothbrush heads, e.g., for power toothbrushes, are provided. The toothbrush heads include a support member, a resilient member extending from the support member, and a plurality of tufts of bristles extending from the support member and at least partially surrounding the member. The resilient member may be cup-shaped, fan-shaped, or textured.

Claims

1. A head for a toothbrush comprising:

a support member, a resilient member extending from the support member, and a plurality of tufts of bristles extending from the support member and at least partially surrounding the resilient member.

2. The toothbrush head of claim 1 wherein the resilient member comprises a cup-shaped member.

3. The toothbrush head of claim 1 wherein the resilient member comprises a fan-shaped member.

4. The toothbrush head of claim 1 wherein the resilient member comprises a textured member.

5. The toothbrush head of claim 1 wherein the head is configured for use on a power toothbrush.

6. The toothbrush head of claim 2 wherein the cup-shaped member comprises a resilient material.

7. The toothbrush head of claim 2 wherein the cup-shaped member includes a side wall that is substantially continuous.

8. The toothbrush head of claim 2 wherein the cup-shaped member includes a plurality of segments that define a discontinuous side wall.

9. The toothbrush head of claim 2 wherein the cup-shaped member includes a generally cylindrical side wall.

10. The toothbrush head of claim 2 wherein the cup-shaped member includes a generally conical or frustroconical side wall.

11. The toothbrush head of claim 2 further including a plurality of fin members extending inwardly from an inner surface of the cup-shaped member.

12. The toothbrush head of claim 1 wherein the resilient member includes a wavy edge.

13. The toothbrush head of claim 1 further including one or more inner cup-shaped members disposed concentrically within an open area defined by the resilient member.

14. The toothbrush head of claim 13 wherein the resilient member and inner cup-shaped members are comprised of segments that define discontinuous outer walls of the cup-shaped members.

15. The toothbrush head of claim 11 wherein at least some of the fin members converge to intersect at a central hub.

16. The toothbrush head of claim 15 wherein the central hub has a shape selected from the group consisting of cones, inverted cones, cups and cylinders.

17. The toothbrush head of claim 15 wherein the converging fin members increase in height with increasing radial distance from the central hub.

18. The toothbrush head of claim 11 wherein the fins have different lengths.

19. The toothbrush head of claim 11 wherein the fins have different thicknesses.

20. The toothbrush head of claim 11 wherein the fins have different heights.

21. The toothbrush head of claim 2 wherein the cup-shaped member defines an open central area having a depth of from about 2 to 5 mm.

22. The toothbrush head of claim 1 wherein at least some of the tufts have different heights.

23. The toothbrush head of claim 1 wherein the height of the bristle tufts is greater than the height of the resilient member.

24. The toothbrush head of claim 3 wherein the fan-shaped member includes a plurality of protrusions extending radially from a central hub.

25. The toothbrush head of claim 24 wherein the central hub is generally conical, cylindrical or cup-shaped.

26. The toothbrush head of claim 3 wherein the height of the bristle tufts is greater than the height of the fan-shaped member.

27. The toothbrush head of claim 4 wherein the textured member includes a plurality of individual elements extending from a common base.

28. The toothbrush head of claim 27 wherein said elements comprise protrusions selected from the group consisting of lammelae, nubs, and combinations thereof.

29. The toothbrush head of claim 4 wherein the textured member includes a molded element having an integrally molded surface texture.

30. The toothbrush head of claim 4 wherein the textured member comprises a resilient member formed of a material having a macroscopic surface texture.

31. The toothbrush head of claim 4 wherein the textured member comprises a resilient material.

32. The toothbrush head of claim 4 wherein the height of the bristle tufts is greater than the height of the textured member.

33. The toothbrush head of claim 1 wherein the resilient member comprises a material having texture-imparting particles embedded in its surface.

34. A head for a toothbrush comprising:

a support member,

a resilient member extending from the support member, the resilient member being selected from the group consisting of cup-shaped members, fan-shaped members, and textured members, and

a plurality of tufts of bristles extending from the support member and at least partially surrounding the resilient member.

35. A head for a toothbrush comprising:

a support member,

a resilient member extending from the support member, and

a plurality of tufts of bristles extending from the support member and at least partially surrounding the resilient member;

the head being configured for use on a power toothbrush.