Toothbrush head with anchor-free bristle tufting

• US 6,957,468 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2002
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Fritsch, Thomas, Driesen, Georges
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): KARLS, SHAY LYNN
• Application Number:
  US10/142,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20020166188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 151/80, 151/671, 151/911, 151/92, 151/93, 151/95, 151/99, 152/04, 152/05, 151/83, 151/98, 300/21
• 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 3/08 by clamping
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/222 Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle

Abstract

The invention is directed to a brush head, in particular a toothbrush head, having a bristle carrier and bristles attached thereto, which are seated in the form of tufts in holes in the bristle carrier and fastened by their ends close to the bristle carrier to the bristle carrier without anchoring, in particular by welding and/or adhesive bonding to a rear side of the bristle carrier using the method referred to as anchor-free tufting. According to the invention, at least one hole (2) in the bristle carrier (1) is divided by means of at least one transverse wall (4) into several segments and said at least one transverse wall is constructed such that the bristles seated in the segments form a common tuft (3) with a smooth and closed outer contour corresponding to the contour of the hole and are supported by the transverse wall.

Claims

1. A toothbrush head, comprising

a bristle carrier sized for insertion into a human mouth, and

bristles constructed to brush teeth attached to said bristle carrier, said bristles being grouped in tufts that are seated in multiple holes in the bristle carrier and fastened by their ends close to a rear side of the bristle carrier by one of the group consisting of welded bonds, adhesive bonds and bonds resulting from casting in place,

at least one hole in the bristle carrier being divided by at least one transverse wall into plural segments, said at least one transverse wall being constructed such that the bristles seated in the segments form a common tuft with a smooth and closed outer contour corresponding to the contour of the hole.

2. The brush head according to claim 1 wherein the hole and the tuft seated therein have an approximately elongated outer contour and at least one transverse wall extends in a direction approximately transverse to a longitudinal axis of the hole, or said hole and the tuft seated therein have a round, angular, oval, circular segmental contour or a combination of such contours.

3. The brush head according to claim 1 wherein the at least one transverse wall has a thickness in the range from 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm, preferably 0.2 to 0.3 mm.

4. The brush head according to claim 1 wherein an upper edge of the at least one transverse wall is recessed relative to an upper side of the bristle carrier.

5. The brush head according to claim 4 wherein a difference in height between the upper edge of the at least one transverse wall and the upper side of the bristle carrier lies in the range from 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm, preferably 0.25 mm to 0.5 mm.

6. The brush head according to claim 1 wherein the at least one transverse wall tapers in thickness toward its upper edge, being of a conical configuration.

7. The brush head according to claim 1 wherein an upper edge of the transverse wall is rounded off.

8. The brush head according to claim 1 wherein the at least one transverse wall is integrally constructed in one piece with the bristle carrier.

9. The brush head according to claim 1 wherein the transverse wall is constructed as a part separate from the bristle carrier and subsequently inserted in the hole.

10. The brush head according to claim 1 wherein the at least one hole is divided into segments of roughly the same size.

11. The brush head according to claim 1 wherein the holes are through-holes and the bristle carrier is of an essentially plate-shaped configuration.

12. The brush head according to claim 1 wherein different bristles are seated in different segments of the at least one hole.

13. The brush head according to claim 1 wherein the segments have a non-circular contour, in particular a polygonal contour with at least two roughly parallel sides.

14. The brush head according to claim 1 wherein the at least one transverse wall is arranged perpendicular to an upper side of the bristle carrier.

15. The brush head according to claim 1 wherein the at least one transverse wall is arranged at an acute angle to a bristle carrier normal standing perpendicular to a bristle carrier upper side.

16. The brush head according to claim 15 wherein the transverse wall is inclined relative to the bristle carrier normal at an angle corresponding approximately to an angle of inclination of an end wall of the hole relative to said bristle carrier normal.

17. A method of making a toothbrush head, comprising

providing a bristle carrier having multiple holes and sized for insertion into a human mouth,

dividing at least one said hole by at least one transverse wall into plural segments, and

attaching bristles constructed to brush teeth and grouped in tufts in said holes in said bristle carrier by fastening ends of said bristles close to a rear side of the bristle carrier by one of the group consisting of welded bonds, adhesive bonds and bonds resulting from casting in place,

said at least one transverse wall being constructed such that the bristles seated in the segments form a common tuft with a smooth and closed outer contour corresponding to the contour of the hole.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said dividing includes integrally constructing said transverse wall and said bristle carrier in one piece.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said bristle carrier is injection-molded of plastic together with the transverse wall.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least one transverse wall has a thickness in the range from 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm, preferably 0.2 to 0.3 mm.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein an upper edge of the at least one transverse wall is recessed relative to an upper side of the bristle carrier.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein a difference in height between the upper edge of the at least one transverse wall and the upper side of the bristle carrier lies in the range from 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm, preferably 0.25 mm to 0.5 mm.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least one transverse wall tapers in thickness toward its upper edge, being of a conical configuration.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein an upper edge of the transverse wall is rounded off.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein the segments have a non-circular contour, in particular a polygonal contour with at least two roughly parallel sides.

26. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least one transverse wall is arranged perpendicular to an upper side of the bristle carrier.

27. The method of claim 17 wherein the holes are through-holes.