TOOTHBRUSH

• US 20140338140A1
• Filed: 09/14/2011
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Original Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Inventors: Ji, Yan Mei
• Granted Patent: US 9,788,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 3/00 Brushes characterised by the way in which the bristles are fixed or joined in or on the brush body or carrier machines or appliances therefor A46D
• 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: A46D 1/0276 Bristles having pointed ends

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a toothbrush (100) that incorporates tapered bristle filaments (141) in combination with tuft holes (142) of a reduced size, such as between 1.3 mm to 1.4 mm in diameter. In another aspect, the invention provides a toothbrush (100) that balances the number of tuft holes (142) and the number (X) of tapered bristle filaments (141) within each tuft hole (142) to achieve a unique ratio that reduces the cost of manufacture of the toothbrush (100) while maintaining a mouth-feel that consumers associate with a quality product. In still another aspect, the present invention provides a toothbrush (100) that incorporates tapered bristle filaments (141) and also achieves a balance between the perimeter of reduced size tuft holes (142) and the spacing between adjacent tuft holes (142) to achieve a unique ratio that reduces the cost of manufacture of the toothbrush (100) while maintaining a mouth-feel that consumers associate with a quality product.

Claims

1-34. -34. (canceled)

35. A toothbrush comprising:

a handle;

a head having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface comprising a tufting area A_TS comprising X number of tuft holes;

a bristle tuft mounted within and extending from each of the tuft holes, each of the bristle tufts formed by a plurality of tapered bristle filaments; and

wherein a ratio of A_TS to X is in a range of 5.0 to 6.5.

36. The toothbrush according to claim 35 wherein A_TS is in a range of 180 mm² to 270 mm².

37. The toothbrush according to claim 35 wherein each of the tuft holes has a tuft hole area A_TH and X×

A_TH is in a range of 50 mm² to 80 mm².

38. The toothbrush according to claim 35 wherein X is in a range of 32 to 44.

39. The toothbrush according to claim 35 wherein the ratio of A_TS to X is in a range of about 5.4 to 5.5.

40. The toothbrush according to claim 35 wherein the ratio of A_TS to X is in a range of about 6.0 to 6.1.

41. A toothbrush comprising:

a handle;

a head having a first surface comprising a plurality of tuft holes having a diameter D_TH, wherein D_TH is in a range of 1.3 mm to 1.4 mm; and

a bristle tuft mounted within and extending from each of the tuft holes, each of the bristle tufts formed by a plurality of tapered bristle filaments.

42. The toothbrush according to claim 41 wherein D_TH is approximately 1.4 mm.

43. The toothbrush according to claim 41 wherein each of the bristle tufts is formed by Y number of tapered bristle filaments, wherein Y is in a range of 28 to 40.

44. The toothbrush according to claim 41 further comprising:

the tuft holes arranged on the first surface of the head in at least one row, wherein adjacent tuft holes in the row are separated by a distance Z, wherein Z is a linear distance between center points of the adjacent tuft holes; and

wherein Z is in a range of 2.1 mm to 2.4 mm.

45. The toothbrush according to claim 44 wherein a ratio of Z to D_TH is in a range of 1.5 to 1.8.

46. The toothbrush according to claim 44 wherein the row is a transverse row.

47. The toothbrush according to claim 44 wherein the row is a longitudinal row.

48. The toothbrush according to claim 44 wherein the tuft holes are arranged on the first surface of the head in a plurality of the rows.

49. The toothbrush according to claim 41 wherein all bristle filaments on the head are tapered bristle filaments, and wherein the head comprises between 1232 and 1760 tapered bristle filaments in total.

50. A toothbrush comprising:

a handle;

a head having a first surface having X number of tuft holes;

a bristle tuft mounted within and extending from each of the tuft holes, each of the bristle tufts formed by Y number of tapered bristle filaments; and

wherein a ratio of X to Y is in a range between 1.05 to 1.64.

51. The toothbrush according to claim 50 wherein each of the tuft holes have a diameter D_TH, wherein D_TH is approximately 1.4 mm.

52. The toothbrush according to claim 50 wherein Y is in a range of 28 to 40.

53. The toothbrush according to claim 50 wherein each of the tapered bristle filaments have a diameter D_B of approximately 0.16 mm to 0.19 mm.

54. The toothbrush according to claim 50 further comprising:

each of the tuft holes having a diameter D_TH;

the tuft holes arranged on the first surface of the head in at least one row, wherein adjacent ones of the tuft holes in the row are separated by a distance Z, wherein Z is a linear distance between center points of the adjacent tuft holes; and

wherein a ratio of Z to D_TH is in a range of 1.5 to 1.8.

55. The toothbrush according to claim 54 wherein the row is a transverse row.

56. The toothbrush according to claim 54 wherein the row is a longitudinal row.

57. The toothbrush according to claim 54 wherein the tuft holes are arranged on the first surface of the head in a plurality of the rows.

58. A toothbrush comprising:

a handle;

a head having a first surface having a row of tuft holes, each of the tuft holes having a perimeter P;

a bristle tuft mounted within and extending from each of the tuft holes, each of the bristle tufts formed by a plurality of tapered bristle filaments;

wherein adjacent tuft holes in the row of tuft holes are separated by a distance Z, wherein Z is a linear distance between center points of the adjacent tuft holes; and

wherein a ratio of Z to P is in a range of 0.35 to 0.46.

59. The toothbrush according to claim 58 wherein P is in a range of 5.0 mm to 6.0 mm.

60. The toothbrush according to claim 58 wherein Z is in a range of 2.1 mm to 2.7 mm.

61. The toothbrush according to claim 58 wherein the tuft holes have a square cross-sectional shape.

62. A toothbrush comprising:

a handle;

a head having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface comprising a tufting area A_TS comprising X number of tuft holes, each of the tuft holes having a tuft hole area A_TH;

a bristle tuft mounted within and extending from each of the tuft holes, each of the bristle tufts formed by a plurality of tapered bristle filaments; and

wherein a ratio of A_TS to X×

A_TH is in a range of 3.4 to 4.4.

63. The toothbrush according to claim 62 wherein A_TS is in a range of 180 mm² to 270 mm².

64. The toothbrush according to claim 63 wherein A_TS is about 242 mm².

65. The toothbrush according to claim 62 wherein X×

A_TH is in a range of 50 mm² to 75 mm².

66. The toothbrush according to claim 65 wherein X×

A_TH is about 68 mm².

67. The toothbrush according to claim 62 wherein the ratio of A_TS to X×

A_TH is in a range of 3.52 to 3.57.

68. The toothbrush according to claim 62 wherein each of the tuft holes have a diameter D_TH, wherein D_TH is in a range of 1.3 mm to 1.4 mm.