TOOTHBRUSH WITH CONCAVITY FORMED BY BRISTLE ENDS

• US 3,722,020 A
• Filed: 01/04/1971
• Issued: 03/27/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey Mark Hills
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey Mark Hills
• Inventors: Hills, Jeffrey Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Machlin, Leon G.
• Application Number:
  US05/103,591
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 15/167R,167A,159A 132/84R 32/1
• US Class Current: 15/167.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/04 Arranged like in or for toothbrushes
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/045 specially adapted for cleaning a plurality of tooth surfaces simultaneously

Abstract

A toothbrush comprising a generally planar head portion having a plurality of bristles forming a concave surface. Some of the bristles are generally perpendicular to said head portion and some are laterally inclined outwardly. This bristle configuration removes food debris, plaque and bacteria ledged in the sulcus area with a minimum of operator manipulation.

Claims

1. A toothbrush, comprising:

a head portion having a top surface, a plurality of bristles each extending from one end thereof which is secured to said head portion through said surface to a free end thereof, said bristles being disposed in a number of rows, the locus of substantially all of said free ends defining a generally concave plane, at least one of said rows of bristles extending substantially perpendicularly with respect to said top surface and being disposed intermediate at least two of said rows of bristles each extending at an oblique angle with respect to said perpendicular row, and said two rows of bristles further defining an angle less than 180* therebetween.

2. A toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein said substantially perpendicular row of bristles comprises means for locating the toothbrush against tooth face surfaces, and at least one of said oblique rows of bristles comprising means for cleaning sulcus tooth areas.

3. A toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein said head portion is formed with a lower substantially planar surface, a raised substantially planar surface extending substantially parallel with respect to said lower surface, and first and second inclined surfaces joining said lower and raised surfaces, said perpendicularly extending row of bristles extending from said raised surface, a row of said obliquely extending bristles further extending from each of said inclined surfaces, respectively, and said toothbrush further including a row of said bristles extending substantially perpendicularly from each of said lower surfaces.

4. A toothbrush, according to claim 1, wherein the magnitude of said angle is in the range of from 35* to 75*.

5. A toothbrush, according to claim 3, wherein said obliquely extending bristles are longer than said perpendicular bristles.

6. A toothbrush, according to claim 5, wherein said obliquely extending bristles further extend laterally with respect to the general direction of said rows beyond side surfaces of said head portion.

7. A toothbrush, according to claim 2, wherein said sulcus cleaning means will engage a user'"'"''"'"'s tooth areas normally in contact with gingivae tissue while said locating means is in contact with face surfaces of said same tooth.

8. A toothbrush, according to claim 2, wherein said number of rows is five.

9. A toothbrush, according to claim 8, wherein said rows of bristles comprise two oBlique rows and three perpendicular parallel rows.

10. A toothbrush, according to claim 3, wherein each of said oblique rows of bristles extend at an angle from and with respect to the plane of their respective inclined surface.