Brushhead for a toothbrush

• US 6,035,476 A
• Filed: 06/17/1999
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Philips Oral Healthcare Incorporated (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Optiva Corp. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Henrikson, Steven R., Meginniss, Stephen M. III, Underwood, Kevin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US09/335,232
• Time in Patent Office: 271 Days
• Field of Search: 15/22.1, 15/167.1, 15/191.1, 15/195, 15/DIG. 5, D 4/101, D 4/104
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/045 specially adapted for cleaning a plurality of tooth surfaces simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/22 with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like brush bodies, e.g. arrangements of the bristles A46B
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/222 Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 15/05 Varied length bristle

Abstract

A brushhead for a toothbrush having a particular bristle configuration which includes a plurality of bristle tufts arranged in three columns and nine rows, wherein the distal end two adjacent rows and the proximal end two adjacent rows and an intermediate row have longer bristles than the remaining bristle tuft rows. The distal, intermediate and proximal bristle tuft rows all have pointed tips (in the lateral direction) and beveled outside edges at the top portion thereof. The shorter bristle tuft rows also have beveled outside edges. The shorter bristle tuft rows between the distal and intermediate rows have angled top surfaces in addition to the beveled outside edges.

Claims

1. A brushhead for use with a toothbrush, comprising:

a base member for supporting separate bristle tufts, each tuft comprising a plurality of bristles; and

a plurality of bristle tufts mounted in said base member, arranged in an array comprising nine rows and three columns, wherein the columns extend longitudinally of the base member and the rows extend laterally thereof, wherein from a distal end of the base member, first and second rows form a first set of tall bristle tufts, fifth and sixth rows form a second set of tall bristle tufts, and eighth and ninth rows form a third set of tall bristle tufts, wherein each set of tall bristle tufts are approximately the same height, and wherein third, fourth and seventh rows are rows of bristle tufts which are relatively shorter than the tall bristle tufts.

2. An article of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third sets of tall bristles are angled to a narrow line at the top ends thereof laterally of the base member.

3. An article of claim 2, wherein the angle is within the range of 40°

-80°

.

4. An article of claim 3, wherein the angle is 60°

±

5°

.

5. An article of claim 2, wherein the top of each set of tall bristles is flat, approximately 0.02 inches wide.

6. An article of claim 2, wherein the tall bristle tufts in each row, respectively, of tall bristle tuft pairs in the first, second and third sets of tall bristles are slightly angled toward each other so that they contact and intermingle at the top thereof.

7. An article of claim 6, wherein the tall bristle tufts are set close enough together that the angle of inclination is within the range of 1-2°

.

8. An article of claim 2, wherein the shorter bristle tufts in the third and fourth rows of all three columns have top surfaces which have been initially trimmed to angle downwardly toward each other.

9. An article of claim 8, wherein the trim angle is within the range of 60°

-134°

.

10. An article of claim 9, wherein the trim angle is 120°

±

5°

.

11. An article of claim 8, wherein the shorter bristle tufts in the third and fourth rows of the first and third columns have been further trimmed to bevel inwardly along an outer edge surface thereof at an upper end portion thereof.

12. An article of claim 11, wherein the bevel is within a range of 20°

-50°

.

13. An article of claim 12, wherein the bevel is 30°

±

5°

.

14. An article of claim 2, wherein the shorter bristle tuft of the second column, seventh row, has a flat top, and wherein the bristle tufts of the first and third columns, seventh row, have been trimmed to bevel inwardly along an outer edge surface thereof at an upper end portion thereof.

15. An article of claim 14, wherein the bevel is within a range of 20°

-50°

.

16. An article of claim 15, wherein the bevel is 30°

±

5°

.

17. An article of claim 2, wherein the rows of bristle tufts are spaced in accordance with typical interdental distances.

18. An article of claim 1, wherein the third and fourth rows are approximately evenly spaced between the first and second sets of tall bristle tufts, and wherein the seventh row is approximately evenly spaced between the second and third sets of tall bristle tufts.

19. An article of claim 18, wherein the bristle tufts in the first and third columns of the first, second and third sets of tall bristles are beveled inwardly along an outer edge surface thereof at an upper end portion of the bristle tufts.

20. An article of claim 19, wherein the bevel is within the range of 20°

-50°

.

21. An article of claim 20, wherein the bevel is 37°

±

5°

.

22. An article of claim 19, wherein the shorter bristles have a height which extends above a lower edge of the bevel on the tall bristle tufts.

23. An article of claim 1, wherein the tall bristle tufts in each row, respectively, of tall bristle tuft pairs in the first, second and third sets of tall bristles are slightly angled toward each other so that they contact and intermingle at the top thereof.

24. An article of claim 1, wherein the bristles in the first, second and third set of tall bristle tufts have a diameter within the range of 0.003-0.007 inches, while the bristles in the shorter bristle tufts have a diameter of approximately within the range of 0.003-0.007 inches, with the shorter bristles having a diameter less than the tall bristles, so that the tall and short bristles feel approximately the same to a user.

25. An article of claim 24, wherein the diameter of the tall bristles is approximately 0.006 inches while the diameter of the shorter bristles is approximately 0.005 inches.

26. An article of claim 1, wherein the bristle tufts are held in the base member by relatively thin staple members, and wherein such staple members are oriented laterally of the base member.

27. An article of claim 1, wherein openings in the base member for the bristle tufts are approximately circular in cross-section for the third, fourth and seventh rows, while the openings in the base member for the bristle tufts are approximately D-shaped in cross-section for the first, second, fifth, sixth, eighth and ninth rows, wherein flat portions of the D-shaped openings face each other for the first and second, fifth and sixth, and eighth and ninth rows, permitting the bristle tufts in those rows to be spaced closer together than otherwise.

28. An article of claim 1, wherein the toothbrush is a manual toothbrush.

29. An article of claim 1, wherein the toothbrush is an electric toothbrush.

30. A brushhead for use with a toothbrush, comprising:

a base member for supporting separate bristle tufts in an array of columns and rows, wherein the columns extend longitudinally of the base member and the rows extend laterally thereof, the rows of bristle tufts at the opposing ends of the base member and intermediate thereof are tall compared with rows of shorter bristle tufts positioned therebetween, wherein the short bristles have a smaller diameter than the taller bristles, wherein the tall bristles are angled to approximately a narrow line at the top ends thereof, laterally of the base member, and wherein the taller bristles in the outermost columns are beveled inwardly along an outer edge surface at an upper end thereof and wherein the shorter bristles are beveled inwardly along an outer edge surface thereof at an upper end thereof.

31. An article of claim 30, wherein the taller bristles have a diameter of 0.006 inches and the shorter bristles have a diameter of 0.005 inches.

32. An article of claim 30, wherein the tall bristle angle is within the range of 40°

-60°

, the bevel for the tall bristles is within the range of 20°

-50° and

wherein the bevel for the shorter bristles is within the range of 20°

-50.

33. An article of claim 32, wherein the tall bristle angle is approximately 60°

, and wherein the bevel for the taller bristles is approximately 37° and

the bevel for the shorter bristles is approximately 30°

.

34. An article of claim 30, wherein the taller bristles are angled slightly toward each other so that they contact and intermingle at their respective top portions thereof.

35. An article of claim 30, wherein the bristles are held into openings in the base member by relatively thin staple members, and wherein the staple members are oriented laterally of the base member.

36. An article of claim 30, wherein the shorter bristles are equally spaced between the adjacent tall bristles.

37. An article of claim 30, wherein the toothbrush is a manual toothbrush.

38. An article of claim 30, wherein the toothbrush is an electric toothbrush.

39. A brushhead for use with a toothbrush, comprising:

a base member for supporting separate bristle tufts in an array of columns and rows, wherein the columns extend longitudinally of the base member and the rows extend laterally thereof, wherein the rows of bristle tufts located in tall bristle regions at the opposing ends of the base member and intermediate thereof are tall compared with the rows of shorter bristle tufts positioned therebetween, wherein the bristle tufts in the tall bristle regions are trimmed to a narrow top which extends laterally of the base member and wherein at least some of the tall bristles in each of the tall bristle regions are positioned so that they angle toward each other, intermingling at the top portions thereof, wherein each tall bristle region includes back-to-back D-shaped openings for holding bristle tufts and wherein the bristle tufts are held in the openings by staples which extend laterally of the base member.

40. A brushhead of claim 39, wherein flat sides of the D-shaped openings, are angled outwardly within a range of 1°

-2° and

wherein the back-to-back D-shaped openings are separated by approximately 0.020 inches.