Toothbrush

• US 6,983,507 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Original Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Inventors: McDougall, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUIDOTTI, LAURA COLE
• Application Number:
  US10/373,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20040168271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 15/211, 15/222, 15/28, 151/671, 151/79, 151/80, 151/761, 151/10, 601/139, 601141-142, D4109-110, D41/04, D41/27
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0032 with protrusion for polishing teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/06 Arrangement of mixed bristles or tufts of bristles, e.g. wire, fibre, rubber
• 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 17/26 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/34 driven by electric motor

Abstract

An electrically-driven toothbrush has a brush holder that is arranged to rotationally vibrate and carry a number of bristles interspaced with arcuate membranes. The membranes serve to aid cleaning of the teeth and to polish the teeth surfaces during use of the toothbrush.

Claims

1. A toothbrush comprising a power source, a handle and a head defining a periphery connected to the handle, the head including a plurality of tooth cleaning elements, a central axis and further comprising a holder rotatably mounted to the head for rotation of the holder about the central axis, and, the plurality of tooth cleaning elements including a bristle element and a plurality of flexible membranes provided on the holder, wherein each of said membranes on the holder has an arcuate section extending between opposing ends and each of the opposing ends is adjacent to the periphery of the head and disposed closer to the periphery than the center axis, in which the arcuate section has a concave side facing a periphery portion that the ends are adjacent to.

2. The toothbrush according to claim 1, in which at least one membrane has a first height defined from the holder, and said bristle element has a second height defined from the holder;

wherein the first height ranges from about 50% to 90% of the second height.

3. The toothbrush according to claim 1, in which the bristle element is disposed adjacent to the periphery and between the opposing ends of at least one of the membranes.

4. The toothbrush according to claim 1, in which the bristle element is partially surrounded by at least one of the membranes.

5. The toothbrush according to claim 1, in which the arcuate section has a convex side opposing the concave side.

6. The toothbrush according to claim 1, in which the bristle element includes a first bristle tuft being disposed adjacent to the periphery and a second bristle tuft being disposed interior of the flexible membranes, the first bristle tuft extending farther from the base than the second bristle tuft.

7. The toothbrush according to claim 6, in which at least one of the membranes is shorter than the first bristle tuft and the second bristle tuft.

8. The toothbrush according to claim 1, in which the bristle element includes a first bristle tuft disposed adjacent to the periphery and a second bristle tuft being disposed interior of the flexible membranes, the first bristle tuft having a first thickness and the second bristle tuft having a second thickness, the first thickness being larger than the second thickness.

9. The toothbrush according to claim 8, in which the first bristle tuft extends farther from the holder than the second bristle tuft.

10. The toothbrush according to claim 8, in which at least one of the membranes is shorter than the first bristle tuft and the second bristle tuft.

11. The toothbrush according to claim 8, in which the head is configured to vibrate.

12. The toothbrush according to claim 8, wherein the holder supports the membrane and the first bristle tuft and the second bristle tuft.

13. A toothbrush comprising a power source, a handle and a head defining a periphery connected to the handle, the head having a central axis and a plurality of tooth cleaning elements, the plurality of tooth cleaning elements including a plurality flexible membranes and cleaning members, each of said membranes having opposing ends and a concave portion extending between the opposing ends, each of the opposing ends are closer to the periphery than the central axis, each concave portion facing the periphery portion that the ends are adjacent to, the cleaning members being adjacent to the periphery and disposed between the membranes, the head comprises a holder rotatably mounted to the head for rotation of the holder about the central axis, and wherein the holder supports the membranes and the cleaning members.

14. The toothbrush according to claim 13, in which at least one membrane has a first height, and at least one of the cleaning members has a second height;

wherein the first height ranges from about 50% to 90% of the second height.

15. The toothbrush according to claim 13, in which at least one of the cleaning members comprises a bristle element, and said bristle element is disposed between the opposing ends of at least one of the membranes.

16. The toothbrush according to claim 13, in which at least one of the cleaning members comprises a bristle element and said bristle element is partially surrounded by at least one of the membranes.

17. The toothbrush according to claim 13, in which the cleaning members includes a first bristle tuft being disposed adjacent to the periphery and a second bristle tuft disposed between the membranes, the first bristle tuft extending farther than the second bristle tuft.

18. The toothbrush according to claim 17, in which at least one of the membranes is shorter than the first bristle tuft and the second bristle tuft.

19. The toothbrush according to claim 13, in which the cleaning members includes a first bristle tuft disposed adjacent to the periphery and a second bristle tuft disposed between the membranes, the first bristle tuft having a first thickness and the second bristle tuft having a second thickness, the first thickness being different from the second thickness.

20. The toothbrush according to claim 19, in which the first bristle tuft extends farther from the base than the second bristle tuft.

21. The toothbrush according to claim 19, in which at least one of the membranes is shorter than the first bristle tuft and the second bristle tuft.

22. The toothbrush according to claim 19, in which the at least one membrane has a first height and said first bristle tuft has a second height wherein the first height ranges from about 50% to 90% of the second height.

23. The toothbrush according to claim 19, in which the first thickness is larger than the second thickness.

24. The toothbrush according to claim 23, in which the first bristle tuft is partially surrounded by at least one of the membranes.

25. A toothbrush comprising a handle having a longitudinal axis, a head defining a periphery connected to the handle and a center axis generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, a power source the head including a surface and a plurality of flexible membranes extending from the surface, each of said membranes having opposing ends, a concave section and an opposing convex section, said sections being disposed between the opposing ends, wherein the concave sections face the periphery and the convex sections face the center axis, each of the ends of the membranes are adjacent to the periphery such that they are closer to the periphery than the center axis, and at least one of said membranes has at least one said end adjacent to one said end of another of said membranes.

26. The toothbrush according to claim 25, in which the head comprises a holder rotatably mounted to the head, wherein the holder supports the membranes of the surface.

27. The toothbrush according to claim 25, further comprising a bristle tuft and the membranes comprises a plastic material.

28. The toothbrush according to claim 27, in which the membranes are radially arranged on the head with respect to the center axis.

29. The toothbrush according to claim 25, wherein each said end is adjacent to one said end of another flexible membrane.

30. The toothbrush according to claim 29, wherein the power source is electric.

31. The toothbrush according to claim 30, in which the head comprises a holder rotatably mounted to the head, wherein the holder supports the membranes of the surface.