Toothbrush

• US 6,931,688 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2003
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Original Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Inventors: Moskovich, Robert, Langgner, Tanja, Kuchler, Thomas, Storz, Jouchim
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/442,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20040025274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 151/671, 151/761, 151764-1766, 151/72, 151/94, 152/01, 152/02, D 4/104, D 4/105
• US Class Current: 15/167.1
• 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 7/06 movably during use , i.e. the normal brushing action causing movement driven brush bodies A46B13/00

Abstract

A toothbrush comprises a handle and a head. The head includes a first section having cleaning elements extending outwardly from its outer surface. A ball joint is mounted to the head adjacent to the first section. The ball joint also includes cleaning elements extending outwardly from the outer surface. The head includes resilient material urging the ball joint so be in its initial position after the pivotal movement of the ball joint cleaning elements.

Claims

1. A toothbrush comprising a handle, an elongated head mounted to said handle, said head having an outer surface, said head having a longitudinal axis, said head having a first section, cleaning elements mounted to said first section extending outwardly from said outer surface, said head having a second section, a ball joint mounted to said second section, said ball joint including a movable member, a carrier and an elongated stem extending between said movable member and said carrier, a portion of said elongated stem extending within a recess in said head, cleaning elements mounted to said carrier and extending in a direction outwardly from an outer surface of said carrier, said ball joint having an initial position generally perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said head, and said ball joint being movable away from said initial position in response to said ball joint cleaning elements contacting the teeth of the user whereby said carrier and said ball joint cleaning elements are also movable.

2. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein said head includes biasing structure for urging said ball joint to return to said initial position.

3. The toothbrush of claim 2 wherein said head includes resilient material disposed against said ball joint to comprise said biasing structure.

4. The toothbrush of claim 3 wherein said carrier is mounted to said stem, and said resilient material is disposed against said stem.

5. The Toothbrush of claim 4 wherein said head includes a socket, and said ball joint is mounted to said head by being snapped into said socket.

6. The Toothbrush of claim 5 wherein said ball joint extends completely through said head with a portion of said ball joint being exposed from a surface of said head opposite said outer surface.

7. The Toothbrush of claim 6 wherein said head includes a depression on a surface of said head opposite said outer surface, said exposed portion of said ball joint being located in said depression, said outer surface of said head having a recess, said stem extending through said recess, and said resilient material being an elastomeric material filling said recess.

8. The Toothbrush of claim 4 wherein a resilient pad is mounted in said recess, said resilient pad comprising said resilient material, said resilient pad including an opening, and said stem extending through said opening.

9. The Toothbrush of claim 8 wherein said moveable member of said ball joint is mounted in a socket in said head, and said carrier has a plurality of downwardly extending ribs disposed against said resilient pad.

10. The Toothbrush of claim 4 wherein said carrier and said resilient material have arcuate contacting surfaces.

11. The Toothbrush of claim 1 wherein said first section cleaning elements include a first set of cleaning elements disposed in a generally V-shaped pattern, and a second set of cleaning elements disposed within said V-shaped pattern.

12. The Toothbrush of claim 11 wherein said first set of cleaning elements extends outwardly from said outer surface a greater distance than said second set of cleaning elements.

13. The Toothbrush of claim 1 wherein said first section cleaning elements are tufts of bristles.

14. The Toothbrush of claim 1 wherein said ball joint cleaning elements are tufts of bristles.

15. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein said outer surface of said carrier extends at an angle to a longitudinal axis of said stem.

16. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein said cleaning elements mounted to said first section are fixed cleaning elements.

17. A toothbrush comprising a handle, an elongated head mounted to said handle, said head having an outer surface, a socket in said head disposed at said outer surface, a ball joint including a member movably mounted in said socket located inwardly of said outer surface, a recess in said outer surface communicating with said socket, a stem extending from said moveable member of said ball joint through said recess and to at least said outer surface, said moveable member and said stem having an initial position wherein said stem is generally perpendicular to said outer surface, a carrier mounted to said stem, cleaning elements mounted to said carrier extending outwardly from said outer surface, said moveable member and said stem being movable away from said initial position in response to said cleaning elements contacting the teeth of a user, and biasing structure in said recess disposed against said stem to urge said stem to said initial position.

18. The Toothbrush of claim 17 wherein said biasing structure is resilient material surrounding said stem.

19. The Toothbrush of claim 18 wherein said resilient material is elastomeric material.

20. The Toothbrush of claim 19 wherein said carrier and said resilient material have arcuate contacting surfaces.

21. The Toothbrush of claim 18 wherein said resilient material is a resilient pad.

22. The Toothbrush of claim 17 wherein said cleaning elements are bristles.

23. A toothbrush comprising a handle, an elongated head mounted to said handle, said head having an outer surface, said head having a longitudinal axis, said head having a first section, fixed cleaning elements mounted to said first section and extending outwardly from said outer surface, said head having a second section, a ball joint mounted to said second section, said ball joint including a movable member, a carrier and a stem connected to said carrier, said stem extending between said movable member and said carrier, cleaning elements mounted to said carrier and extending in a direction outwardly from said outer surface, said ball joint having an initial position generally perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said ball joint being movable away from said initial position in response to said ball joint cleaning elements contacting the teeth of the user, and said head including a biasing structure comprising a resilient material disposed against said stem for urging said ball joint to return to said initial position after moving.