Toothbrush

• US 4,051,571 A
• Filed: 06/01/1976
• Issued: 10/04/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Herbert D. Ayers
• Original Assignee: Herbert D. Ayers
• Inventors: Ayers, Herbert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feldman, Peter
• Application Number:
  US05/691,471
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 15/167 R, 15/167 A, 15/110, 15/143-145
• US Class Current: 15/167.1
• 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 9/04 Arranged like in or for toothbrushes

Abstract

A toothbrush comprising a brush head and a handle, the brush head carrying three rows of bristle tufts which form a generally T-shaped pattern when viewed from above. A first and second row of tufts extend angularly toward each other and intersect in a plane which runs generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the brush. A cross row of tufts at the end of the brush head inclines toward the other tufts to from the T-pattern. The handle is specially contoured near the brush head to facilitate movement of the brush over the teeth.

Claims

1. A toothbrush comprising an elongated handle, a base member connected to said handle, and a plurality of tufts of bristles connected to and extending outwardly from said base member, said tufts being formed in three distinct rows of adjacent tufts, a first row of tufts spaced along said base member substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said toothbrush, the tufts in said first row extending angularly from said base member, a second row of tufts spaced along said base member substantially parallel to said first row of tufts and extending angularly from said base member and toward said first row, the tufts of said first row intersecting opposite tufts in said second row in a single plane along the central portion of said toothbrush thereby to form a single, substantially linear continuous row of bristles, the bristles of said first row being at least partially intermeshed with the bristles of said second row at substantially the outermost portion thereof, and a third row of spaced tufts positioned near the end of said base member farthest from said handle, said tufts being aligned substantially perpendicularly to said first and second rows and extending angularly toward the tufts of said first and second row, said third row having central tufts at least partially contacting the tufts of said first and second row and peripheral tufts extending parallel to said central tufts but not contacting said tufts of said first and second row, the tips of the bristles in said third row and the plane of intersection of said first and second rows forming a T-shaped pattern when viewed from above said toothbrush, said first, second and third rows of tufts being the only rows of tufts on said toothbrush effective to cleanse when contacting teeth.

2. The toothbrush of claim 1, in which the tufts in the central portion of said third row extend from said base member a greater distance than the tufts at the peripheral portion of said third row.

3. The toothbrush of claim 2, in which the tufts of said first row are staggered relative to the tufts of said second row.

4. The toothbrush of claim 3, in which said handle comprises a first portion spaced from said base member and substantially coplanar therewith, and a second portion between said base member and said first portion extending downwardly in a direction opposite to the direction of extension of said tufts and than back upwardly to connect with said first portion.

5. The toothbrush of claim 4, in which the cross sectional area of said second portion of said handle is smaller than the cross sectional area of said first portion of said handle.