BRUSH HEAD FOR AN ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH

• US 20140173838A1
• Filed: 02/18/2013
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ranir LLC (Perrigo Company PLC)
• Original Assignee: Brushpoint Innovations Incorporated (Perrigo Company PLC)
• Inventors: Dickie, Robert G., Nabavi, Shahram
• Granted Patent: US 9,131,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 7/08 as a rotating disc
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/04 Arranged like in or for toothbrushes
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/222 Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle

Abstract

A brush head for an electric toothbrush having a support structure rotatably oscillated by a motor in the handle of the toothbrush. A plurality of bristle tufts are mounted on the support structure in three ring-like series concentrically about a center point of the support structure. The bristle tufts are arranged in a unique arrangement whereby no more than two of the bristle tufts in the intermediate series and innermost series lie on a diameter line passing through the center point. The outermost and intermediate series of bristle tufts may be arranged in oval-shaped rings and the bristle tufts of the inner series may have a circular arrangement. All of the tufts preferably have the same height and diameter.

Claims

1. A brush head of a power-driven toothbrush comprising:

a support structure;

a plurality of bristle tufts attached to the support structure and extending upwardly therefrom, said plurality of bristle tufts including;

a first series of bristle tufts forming an outer ring of bristle tufts;

a second series of bristle tufts forming an intermediate ring of bristle tufts;

a third series of bristle tufts forming an inner ring of bristle tufts;

wherein said first, second and third series of bristle tufts are located generally concentrically with respect to each other and about a center point of the brush head; and

wherein never more than two of the bristle tufts of the second and third series lie on any diameter line passing through the center point of the brush head.

2. The brush head as defined in claim 1 wherein the outer ring of the first series of bristle tufts is an oval-shaped ring having major and minor axes.

3. The brush head as defined in claim 2 wherein the first series of bristle tufts include sixteen bristle tufts none of which lie on either of the major or minor axes of the oval-shaped ring.

4. The brush head as defined in claim 2 wherein the outer ring of the second series of bristle is an oval-shaped ring concentric to the oval-shaped outer ring of the first series of bristle tufts.

5. The brush head as defined in claim 4 wherein the second series of bristle tufts include six bristle tufts, two of which lie on the minor axis of the oval ring of the first series of tufts and none of the other four bristle tufts lie on the major axis of the oval ring of the first series of tufts.

6. The brush head as defined in claim 1 wherein the support structure has an oval shape with major and minor axes;

and wherein the third series of bristle tufts include six bristle tufts, two of which lie on the major axis and none of the remaining four bristle tufts lie on the minor axis.

7. The brush head as defined in claim 1 wherein all of the bristle tufts have the same length and diameter.

8. The brush head as defined in claim 1 including a center bristle tuft located on the center point of the brush head.

9. The brush head as defined in claim 8 wherein the center bristle tuft has the same length and diameter as the bristle tufts of the first, second and third series of bristle tufts.

10. The brush head as defined in claim 1 wherein the second and third series of bristle tufts have equal numbers of bristle tufts;

and wherein each of the bristle tufts of the third series is intermediate a pair of bristle tufts of the second series.

11. The brush head as defined in claim 1 wherein the support structure is free of any bristle tufts located between the bristle tufts of the outer and intermediate ring of bristle tufts and between the bristle tufts of the intermediate and inner ring of bristle tufts.

12. A toothbrush comprising:

a handpiece;

a motor within the handpiece;

a brush head having a center point;

a plurality of bristle tufts mounted on and projecting upwardly from the brush head;

said plurality of bristle tufts including;

a first series of bristle tufts located on an outer ring of bristle tufts;

a second series of bristle tufts located on an intermediate ring of bristle tufts;

a third series of bristle tufts located on an inner ring of bristle tufts;

said first, second, and third series of bristle tufts located generally concentrically with respect to each other and about the center point of the brush head; and

wherein any diameter line passing through a bristle tuft of the outer ring of bristle tufts and a bristle tuft of the inner ring of bristle tufts is free of contact with a bristle tuft of the intermediate ring of bristle tufts.

13. The toothbrush as defined in claim 12 including a center bristle tuft located at the center point of the brush head.

14. The toothbrush as defined in claim 12 wherein the first series of bristle tufts include sixteen bristle tufts, the second series of bristle tufts include six bristle tufts, and the third series of bristle tufts include six bristle tufts.

15. The toothbrush as defined in claim 12 wherein the outer and intermediate rings of bristle tufts are generally oval-shaped with common major and minor axes;

and wherein two of the bristle tufts of the inner ring lie on the major axis and two of the bristle tufts of the intermediate ring lie on the minor axis.

16. The toothbrush as defined in claim 12 wherein the outer and intermediate rings of bristle tufts are generally oval-shaped with common major and minor axes;

and wherein none of the bristle tufts of the outer ring lie on either of the major and minor axes.

17. The toothbrush as defined in claim 14 wherein the outer and intermediate rings of bristle tufts are generally oval-shaped with common major and minor axes;

and wherein two of the bristle tufts of the intermediate ring of bristle tufts lie on one of the axes of the brush head and none of the four remaining bristle tufts of the said intermediate ring of bristle tufts lie on either of the axes of said brush head.

18. The toothbrush as defined in claim 12 including a center bristle located on the center point of the brush head;

and wherein the inner ring of bristle tufts has a circular configuration concentric about the center point of the brush head.

19. The toothbrush as defined in claim 12 wherein all of the bristle tufts are similar to each other having the same height and diameter.

20. The toothbrush as defined in claim 12 wherein never more than two bristle tufts of the intermediate and inner rings combined lie on any diameter line passing through the center point of the brush head.

21. The toothbrush as defined in claim 12 wherein the outer and intermediate rings of bristle tufts are generally oval-shaped with common major and minor axes;

and wherein two of the bristle tufts of the inner ring of bristle tufts lie on one of the axes of the brush head and none of the four remaining bristle tufts of the said inner ring of bristle tufts lie on either of the axes of said brush head.

22. The toothbrush as defined in claim 12 wherein the intermediate ring of bristle tufts is generally oval-shaped having major and minor axes;

in which each of the intermediate and inner rings of bristle tufts is comprised of six bristle tufts;

in which two of the bristle tufts of the intermediate ring lie on the minor axis and two of the bristle tufts of the inner ring lie on the major axis; and

in which none of the remaining four bristle tufts of the intermediate and inner rings lie on either of the major and minor axes.

23. The toothbrush as defined in claim 12 wherein the outer and intermediate rings of bristle tufts are generally oval-shaped with common major and minor axes;

and wherein none of the bristle tufts of the outer ring of bristle tufts lie on either of the major or minor axes.