Removable brush-head for ultrasonic toothbrush

• US 5,247,716 A
• Filed: 07/10/1992
• Issued: 09/28/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert T. Bock
• Original Assignee: Robert T. Bock
• Inventors: Bock, Robert T.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBERTS JR, EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US07/911,489
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 15/22.1, 15/22.2, 15/167.1, 15/167.2, 15/176.1, 15/176.4, 15/176.5, 15/176.6, 15/188
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• 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 7/04 interchangeably removable bristle carriers
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/20 using ultrasonics

Abstract

A removable brush-head for an ultrasonic toothbrush for daily dental hygiene purposes, including a plurality of bristle clusters, a substantially tubular body constructed of a flexible material and tensioning means securing the brush-head to the ultrasonic device, providing for the efficient transmission of ultrasonic frequency vibrations from the device via the brush-head to the teeth and gums of the user to loosen and remove soft plaque therefrom.

Claims

1. A brush device for use in personal dental hygiene care as a replaceable member of a dental hygiene device comprising:

a plurality of bristle clusters for carrying dentifrice;

a substantially tubular body constructed with flexible walls with means securing said bristle clusters within one of the said flexible walls forming a tight fit to the said dental hygiene device, at least one abutment extending from at least one of the walls toward the center forming a tight fit into a receptacle formed in the said dental hygiene device while the other walls are forming a fit with substantial clearance over said dental hygiene device.

2. The brush device of claim 1 including means of deflecting said flexible walls with said substantial clearance over said dental hygiene device inward causing the other one or more said flexible walls comprising said tight fitting abutment to move outward unlocking said brush device from said dental hygiene device.

3. A brush device for use in personal dental hygiene care as a replaceable member of an ultrasonic dental hygiene device having a mating part therefor comprising:

a plurality of bristle clusters for carrying dentifrice;

a substantially tubular body having an open end for receiving the dental hygiene device, and including top and bottom walls diverging from each other in the direction of the open end, and side walls interconnecting the top and bottom walls defining a tapered cavity smaller than the mating part of said dental hygiene device, said tubular body to be forced to fit onto the larger mating part of the said dental hygiene device, said walls being flexible with means securing said bristle clusters within one of said top and bottom walls and having at least one inner surface portion in the cavity opposite the bristle clusters for forcibly engaging a corresponding surface of the mating part when fit thereon, other said flexible walls including tensioning means to forcibly pull said flexible wall containing said bristle clusters into intimate contact against said dental hygiene device to conduct vibrations to ultrasonic frequency from said dental hygiene device to the surface within said tubular body and to said bristle clusters, the said tubular body and said bristle clusters to be received within the human mouth for conducting said vibrations to the said dentifrice to loosen soft plaque on the surface of the teeth and the gums and moved across tooth and gingival surfaces for dislodging the loosened soft plaque therefrom.

4. The brush device of claim 3 wherein at least one of the said flexible walls includes means operated by the tensioning of said flexible walls to retain said brush device on the said dental hygiene device against the forces generated by the friction between said bristle clusters and the teeth of the user, the said brush device being removable by an application of an axial force.

5. The brush device of claim 3 wherein at least the flexible wall opposite to the said flexible wall containing said bristle clusters includes a slot to allow the tensions generated by the expanding side walls to pull the flexible end portion of said flexible wall into a grove in the handle of said dental hygiene device to retain said brush device on the said dental hygiene device against the forces generated by the friction between said bristle clusters and the teeth of the user, the said brush device being removable by an application of an axial force.

6. The brush device of claim 3 wherein one of the said flexible walls is constructed to form a gap between the said brush device and the said dental hygiene device, the said gap being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the said brush device to receive means to disengage said brush device from said dental hygiene device.

7. The brush device of claim 3 wherein the dental hygiene device is a subsonic device.

8. The brush device of claim 3 wherein the dental hygiene device operates in the audible sound frequency range.

9. The brush device of claim 3, wherein the at least one inner surface portion in the cavity comprises a planar surface slated relative to a longitudinal axis of the mating part, said cavity having a relatively narrow inner portion and a relatively wide open end.

10. The brush device of claim 9, wherein the slated surface acts as an inclined plane opposite a corresponding surface on the mating part.

11. A brush device for use in personal dental hygiene care as a replaceable member of an ultrasonic dental hygiene device having a mating part and a vibratory working surface comprising:

a plurality of bristle clusters for carrying dentifrice;

having an open end for receiving the dental hygine device, and including top and bottom walls diverging from each other in the direction of the open end, and side walls interconnecting the top and bottom walls

a substantially tubular body defining a tapered cavity adapted to be smaller than a mating part of the said dental hygiene device, to be forced to fit onto said larger mating part of the said dental hygiene device, said walls being flexible including means securing said bristle clusters within one of said top and bottom walls and an inner wall portion within the cavity opposite the bristle clusters for engaging the vibratory working surface of the mating part, said flexible walls exerting tensioning force on said larger mating part to secure the inner wall portion of said flexible wall containing said bristle clusters against vibratory working surface of the mating part of said dental hygiene device to conduct vibrations of ultrasonic frequency from said dental hygiene device to the said tubular body and said bristle clusters, the said tubular body and said bristle clusters to be received within the human mouth for conducting said vibrations to the said dentifrice to loosen soft plaque on the surface of the teeth and the gums and moved across tooth and gingival surfaces for dislodging the loosened soft plaque therefrom.

12. A brush device for use in personal dental hygiene care as a replaceable member of an ultrasonic dental hygiene device comprising:

a plurality of bristle clusters for carrying dentifrice;

a substantially tubular body containing a tapered cavity adapted to be smaller than the mating part of said dental hygiene device, to be forced onto the larger mating part of the said dental hygiene device, constructed with flexible walls with means securing said bristle clusters within one of said flexible walls, other said flexible walls containing tensioning means to pull and hold said flexible wall containing said bristle clusters against said dental hygiene device to conduct vibrations to ultrasonic frequency from said dental hygiene device to the said tubular body and said bristle clusters, the said tubular body and said bristle clusters to be received within the human mouth for conducting said vibrations to the said dentifrice to loosen soft plaque on the surface of the teeth and the gums and moved across tooth and gingival surfaces for dislodging the loosened soft plaque therefrom, a flexible wall opposite said wall containing said bristle clusters includes a slot to allow the tensions generated by the expanding side walls to pull the flexible end portion of said flexible wall into a groove in the handle of said dental hygiene device to retain said brush device on the said dental hygiene device against the forces generated by the friction between said bristle clusters and the teeth of the user, the said brush device being removable by an application of an axial force.