Electric toothbrush head

• US 8,166,601 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2008
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Brown, William R. Jr., Christman, Thomas, Driesen, Georges, Fritsch, Thomas, Roberts, Michael, Schwarz-Hartmann, Armin
• Primary Examiner(s): GUIDOTTI, LAURA COLE
• Application Number:
  US12/008,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20080172814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 15/28, 151/671, 152/01
• US Class Current: 15/201
• 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 9/025 the bristles or the tufts being arranged in an angled position relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/222 Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle

Abstract

A head for an electric toothbrush includes a support member having a plurality of holes extending completely therethrough. A plurality of tufts of bristles each extends through one of the holes. A first brushing end of each tuft projects from a first side of the support member. Each tuft is prevented from being withdrawn from its hole when a tensile force is applied to the first end of each tuft along a long axis of the tuft. A resilient cushion is positioned adjacent a second side of the support member such that a second end of each tuft can contact the cushion. When a compressive force is applied to the first end of each tuft along the long axis of each tuft, each tuft can move in its hole in a first direction into the cushion. When the compressive force is removed the cushion causes each tuft to move in its hole in a second direction substantially opposite the first direction.

Claims

1. A toothbrush comprising:

a head having a planar front surface and a back surface;

a base member;

a support member fixed to the base member and having a plurality of holes extending therethrough;

a resilient cushion member disposed, at least in part, between the base member and the support member, the cushion member having a plurality of protrusions extending therefrom; and

a plurality of bristle tufts, each bristle tuft capable of engaging at least one protrusion;

wherein at least a first bristle tuft is resiliently coupled to the head and extending from the front surface and through a corresponding hole in the support member in a first protruding direction; and

at least a second bristle tuft resiliently coupled to the head and extending from the front surface and through a corresponding hole in the support member in a second protruding direction away from the first protruding direction,

wherein applying a force to the first bristle tuft and/or the second bristle tuft causes the first bristle tuft and/or the second bristle tuft to deflect towards the back surface of the head.

2. The toothbrush of claim 1, comprising a plurality of round cross sectioned bristle tufts and a plurality of elongated cross sectioned bristle tufts.

3. The toothbrush of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of elongate shaped cross sectioned bristle tufts are on the periphery of at least a portion of the plurality of round cross sectioned bristle tufts.

4. The toothbrush of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of elongate shaped cross sectioned bristle tufts border an edge of the toothbrush.

5. The toothbrush of claim 4, wherein the front and back surfaces are outer surfaces.

6. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the second bristle tuft is disposed adjacent the first bristle tuft.

7. A toothbrush comprising:

a head having a front surface and a back surface;

a base member;

a support member fixed to the base member and having a plurality of holes extending therethrough;

a resilient cushion member disposed, at least in part, between the base member and the support member, the cushion member having a plurality of protrusions extending therefrom;

at least one first bristle tuft extending from the first surface and through a corresponding hole in the support member at a first angle, the first surface being a planar surface; and

at least one second bristle tuft extending from the first surface and through a corresponding hole in the support member at a second angle, wherein the first angle and the second angle are different;

wherein the first and second bristle tufts are capable of engaging the plurality of protrusions such that the first and second bristle tufts are resiliently coupled to the head whereby applying a force to the resiliently coupled bristle tuft causes the resiliently coupled bristle tuft to move toward the head.

8. The toothbrush of claim 7, further comprising a third bristle tuft extending from the first surface at a third angle with respect to the head.

9. The toothbrush of claim 8, wherein the third bristle tuft is resiliently coupled to the head.

10. The toothbrush of claim 7, wherein the first bristle tuft is round and a plurality of second bristle tufts have an elongate shape cross section and at least partially surround the first bristle tuft.

11. The toothbrush of claim 7, wherein the second bristle tuft angles outward from an axis normal to the head.