Toothbrush

• US 6,957,469 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2003
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Church & Dwight Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Church & Dwight Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Davies, Richard Huw
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/385,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20030208865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 151/10, 151/17, 151/671, 15D/IG.5, D 4/104
• 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 9/005 where the brushing material is not made of bristles, e.g. sponge, rubber or paper
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/04 Arranged like in or for toothbrushes
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/12 Non-adjustable supports
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 15/05 Varied length bristle

Abstract

A toothbrush comprises a handle and a head for improved cleaning to the interdental regions of the teeth, the head comprising a linear arrangement of bristles transverse to the general longitudinal axis of the brush and extending along a length equal to or greater than a third of the width of the toothbrush head at the location of the arrangement, characterised in that a portion of the bristles at either end of the arrangement are angled away from the vertical such that the arrangement presents a fan-shaped transverse brushing array.

Claims

1. A toothbrush comprising a handle and a head for improved cleaning to the interdental regions of the teeth, said head comprising a linear arrangement of bristles placed on only one face of said brush head and positioned transverse to the general longitudinal axis of the brush and extending along a length equal to or greater than a third of the width of the toothbrush head at the location of the arrangement, characterized in that a portion of the bristles at either end of the arrangement are angled away from the vertical such that the arrangement presents a fan-shaped transverse brushing array, said head containing additional bristles placed only on said one face and spaced from said fan-shaped transverse brushing array, said bristles of said fan-shaped array extending farther from said brush head than said additional bristles extend from said brush head and wherein said bristles of said fan-shaped array defining a continuous wall of bristles with an uninterupted arcuate brushing edge along the length of the array.

2. Toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the linear arrangement comprises a row of individually fixed bristle tufts.

3. Toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the portion of bristles at either end of the linear arrangement are angled at from about 0.5°

to about 20°

.

4. Toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the angled portion of bristles at either end of the linear arrangement constitutes from about 0.5% to about 30% of the total number of bristles in the arrangement.

5. Toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the linear arrangement is supported by a supporting boot.

6. Toothbrush according to claim 5, wherein the boot compresses the linear arrangement in a direction transverse to the general axis of the linear arrangement.

7. Toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the brush also comprises rubbery picks.