Toothbrush

• US 5,467,494 A
• Filed: 07/27/1994
• Issued: 11/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Schneider, Norbert, Muller, Ingo
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBERTS JR, EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US08/280,914
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 15/22.1, 15/22.2, 15/224, 15/167.1, 15/167.2, 15/172
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/22 with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like brush bodies, e.g. arrangements of the bristles A46B

Abstract

A toothbrush comprises two parts (2, 3) which are pivotable relative to one another, of which a first part (2) serves as a handle and of which a second part (3) carries a brush-head (5), a spring (7) being arranged between the parts and having one end (8) fixedly connected to one (2) of the parts and having another end (9) which engages with a wall portion (11) of the second part (3), the second part (3) being pivotable relative to the first part (2) against a pressure exerted by the spring (7) during use of the toothbrush, which spring snaps when a given pressure threshold (P_d) is exceeded, after which the second part (3) is subjected only to a bending load in the absence of a pressure (Q) directed in the longitudinal direction of the spring (7) and exerted by the wall portion (11), and resumes its original position when the pressure has decreased.

Claims

1. A toothbrush comprising two parts (2,3) which are pivotable relative to one another, of which a first part (2) serves as a handle and of which a second part (3) carries a brush-head (5), a spring (7) being arranged between the parts, said spring having one end portion (9) in contact with a portion of one of the parts (3) and having one end portion (8) fixedly connected to one of the parts (2), the second part (3) being pivotable relative to the first part (2) against a pressure exerted by the spring (7) during use of the toothbrush, which spring snaps from a point of contact with the part (3) when a given pressure threshold (P_d) is exceeded and resumes said point of contact with the part (3) when the pressure has decreased, wherein the part (3) has a wall portion (11), which wall portion (11), in a situation after snapping of the spring (7), follows a path (13) which differs from the path (14) of the spring end portion (9) which engages against said wall portion (11) before snapping of the spring (7), the spring being subjected only to a bending load in the absence of a pressure (Q) directed in the longitudinal direction of said spring and exerted by the wall portion (11).

2. A toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wall portion (11) of the relevant part (3) has two surfaces (10, 12) forming an angle with one another, the end portion (9) of the spring being in contact with a first surface (10) before snapping and being in contact with the other second surface (12) after snapping.

3. A toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 wherein the spring has an elongated shape and has a linear characteristic after snapping.

4. A toothbrush as claimed in claim 2 wherein the spring has an elongated shape and has a linear characteristic after snapping.

5. A toothbrush which comprises two parts which are pivotable relative to one another, of which a first part serves as a handle and a second part carries a brush head, a spring being arranged between the parts and having one end fixedly connected to the first part and having the other end in contact with a wall portion of the second part, the second part being pivotable relative to the first part against a given pressure threshold (P_d) exerted by the spring during use of the toothbrush,

wherein said spring:

(1) snaps out of contact with said wall when said pressure threshold (P_d) is exceeded, after which the second part is subjected only to a bending load in the absence of a pressure (Q) directed in the longitudinal direction of the spring and exerted by said wall portion, and

(2) resumes its original position whereby one end contacts said wall portion when said exceeded pressure threshold (P_d) has decreased.