Brush head for a toothbrush and method for producing the brush head

• US 8,621,699 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trisa Holding AG
• Original Assignee: Trisa Holding AG
• Inventors: Fischer, Franz, Gross, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN, RANDALL E
• Application Number:
  US13/690,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20130086759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 15/221, 15/28, 15D/IG.5
• US Class Current: 15/28
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/02 power-driven carriers
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/023 with means for inducing vibration to the bristles
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0002 Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0032 with protrusion for polishing teeth
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/025 the bristles or the tufts being arranged in an angled position relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/026 where the surface of the brush body or carrier is not in one plane, e.g. not flat A46B9/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/028 Bristle profile, the end of the bristle defining a surface other than a single plane or deviating from a simple geometric form, e.g. cylinder, sphere or cone
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/04 Arranged like in or for toothbrushes
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/045 specially adapted for cleaning a plurality of tooth surfaces simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/06 Arrangement of mixed bristles or tufts of bristles, e.g. wire, fibre, rubber
• CPC Class Codes: A46D 1/00 Bristles; Selection of materials for bristles making artificial bristles D01D, D01F
• CPC Class Codes: A46D 1/0276 Bristles having pointed ends
• CPC Class Codes: A46D 1/0284 Bristles having rounded ends
• 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 17/222 Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3418 Rotation around the axis of the toothbrush handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3481 Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 15/05 Varied length bristle

Abstract

The brush head of the toothbrush has filaments that are pointed at one end and led through clearances in the bristle carrier. These filaments have a length of about 10-20 mm. The tips of the pointed filaments produce a height profile other than that of a plane and the ends of the pointed filaments that are remote from the tips are melted.

Claims

1. An electric toothbrush comprising a brush head moving in two directions S1, S2 transversely to its longitudinal direction L, with a bristle carrier, wherein the bristle carrier has a mixed filament arrangement containing:

pointed filaments with tapered tips arranged in clusters containing a plurality of pointed filaments only,

conventional filaments with a substantially constant diameter and rounded-off tips arranged in clusters containing a plurality of conventional filaments only and

wherein the pointed filaments are arranged on the bristle carrier in such a way that, during the operation of the electric toothbrush, their tips cover at most a predetermined maximum path of 3 mm.

2. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the toothbrush head has a greater lateral deflection in the direction S1 than a vertical deflection in the direction S2.

3. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brush head is driven in such a way that the filaments perform at least 5000 movements per minute.

4. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the deflection of the filaments in a direction perpendicular to the bristle carrier is less than the deflection of the filaments in a lateral direction.

5. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 4, wherein the deflection of the filaments in the direction perpendicular to the bristle carrier is less than 3 mm and the deflection of the filaments in the lateral direction is less than 5 mm.

6. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pointed filaments have a nominal diameter of 0.15 to 0.25 mm and the diameter of the pointed filaments is greater than 75% of the nominal diameter up to a distance of 5 to 6 mm from the tip and is smaller as the distance becomes less.

7. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 6, wherein the diameter of the pointed filaments measured at the distance of 1 mm from the tip ranges from 15-35% of the nominal diameter.

8. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 6, wherein the diameter of the pointed filaments measured at the distance of 2 mm from the tip ranges from 30-60% of the nominal diameter.

9. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 6, wherein the diameter of the pointed filaments measured at the distance of 4 mm from the tip ranges from 60-90% of the nominal diameter.

10. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clusters with pointed filaments contain fewer than 80 tips.

11. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clusters with pointed filaments have a maximum width e of about 3 mm.

12. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clusters with pointed filaments have a circular cross section.

13. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clusters with pointed filaments have a non-round shape.

14. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 13, wherein the non-round shape includes at least one of substantially triangular, substantially rectangular, elliptical or an arcuate shapes.

15. The electric tooth brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clusters with pointed filaments form a non-constant height profile.

16. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least 80% of the pointed filaments have a length, measured from the exit point on the bristle carrier, from the interval [L, L+4 mm], where L is a predetermined length.

17. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pointed filaments have different lengths and the tips of at least 80% of the pointed filaments are positioned with respect to the height profile with a height range of about 4 mm.

18. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pointed filaments are longer than the conventional filaments.

19. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bristle carrier is provided with rubber elastic cleaning elements.

20. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 19, wherein the pointed filaments are longer than the rubber elastic cleaning elements.

21. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 19, wherein the rubber elastic cleaning elements are arranged between the pointed filaments.

22. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conventional filaments are arranged between the pointed filaments.

23. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pointed filaments are colored in the region of the tip.

24. An electric toothbrush, comprising:

a vibrating brush head with a bristle carrier, wherein the bristle carrier has a mixed filament arrangement containing;

pointed filaments with tapered tips arranged in clusters containing a plurality of pointed filaments, and

conventional filaments with a substantially constant diameter and rounded-off tips arranged in clusters containing a plurality of conventional filaments,

wherein the pointed filaments are arranged on the bristle carrier in such a way that, during the operation of the electric toothbrush, their tips cover at most a predetermined maximum path of 3 mm.

25. An electric toothbrush comprising a vibrating brush head with a bristle carrier, wherein the bristle carrier has a mixed filament arrangement containing:

pointed filaments with tapered tips arranged in clusters containing a plurality of tips, and conventional filaments with a substantially constant diameter and rounded-off tips arranged in clusters containing a plurality of tips,

wherein the brush head is driven in such a way that the filaments perform at least 5000 movements per minute.