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Toothbrush employing resiliently buckling arch to indicate excessive brushing pressure

  • US 5,146,645 A
  • Filed: 03/01/1991
  • Issued: 09/15/1992
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1991
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A toothbrush comprising a handle having a face side and a back side opposite said face side and a brush head having a face side which carries a cleansing medium for cleaning the user'"'"'s teeth and gums and a back side opposite said face side, said toothbrush further including a force indicator which simultaneously visually and tactually signals the user when a predetermined brushing force is exceeded, said force indicator comprising a resilient twin beam structure having a first end connected to said brush handle and a second end connected to said brush head, said resilient twin beam structure comprising a face side beam extending between said face side of said handle and said face side of said brush head and a back side beam extending between and substantially rigidly connected to said back side of said handle and said back side of said brush head, said back side beam exhibiting an arched at rest configuration including a point of formed weakness intermediate said first end and said second end of said resilient twin beam structure which will permit said back side beam to behave as an upwardly convex arch when said back side beam is initially subjected to compressive stress and said face side beam is initially subjected to tensile stress resulting from the user gripping said handle and bringing the cleansing medium on said brush head in contact with their teeth and gums, the predetermined force which may be exerted on the user'"'"'s teeth and gums being limited by the maximum compressive force which said back side beam can resist before it ceases to function as an upwardly convex arch and undergoes temporary and resilient buckling and deformation sufficient to cause it to invert to a downwardly convex configuration, thereby providing a simultaneous visual and tactile signal to the brush user that a predetermined brushing force has been exceeded.

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