Electric toothbrush

• US 6,654,979 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2002
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA (Unilever PLC)
• Original Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA (Unilever PLC)
• Inventors: Calabrese, Giuseppe
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Randall E.
• Application Number:
  US10/157,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20020138928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 15/221, 15/28, 151/10, 152/072, 601/142
• US Class Current: 15/28
• 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 9/005 where the brushing material is not made of bristles, e.g. sponge, rubber or paper
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/06 Arrangement of mixed bristles or tufts of bristles, e.g. wire, fibre, rubber

Abstract

An electric toothbrush comprises a handle and a head, characterized in that the head has a rubbery cleaning element.

Claims

1. A brush head for an electric toothbrush having a housing in a form of a handle, the housing containing a motor, the brush head comprising:

a head attachable to the handle and projecting from a round surface thereof an array consisting of two rubbery cleaning elements formed as linear or arcuate lamella in cross-section parallel to a base of the head, a plurality of bristle tufts, the bristle tufts being positioned between the rubbery cleaning elements, the cleaning elements capable of being vibrated or oscillated by the motor.

2. A brush head for an electric toothbrush having a housing in a form of a handle, the housing containing a motor, the brush head comprising:

a head attachable to the handle and projecting from a round surface thereof an array comprising two rubbery cleaning elements formed as linear or arcuate lamella in cross-section parallel to a base of the head, a plurality of bristle tufts, the bristle tufts being positioned between the rubbery cleaning elements, the cleaning elements capable of being vibrated or oscillated by the motor.

3. A brush head for an electric toothbrush having a housing in a form of a handle, the housing containing a motor, the brush head comprising:

a head attachable to the handle and projecting from a round surface thereof an array comprising a plurality of rubbery cleaning elements each formed as linear or arcuate lamella in cross-section parallel to a base of the head, a plurality of bristle tufts, the bristle tufts being positioned between the rubbery cleaning elements, the cleaning elements capable of being vibrated or oscillated by the motor.