Ergonomic topographic toothbrush

• US 5,305,489 A
• Filed: 04/13/1993
• Issued: 04/26/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gregg L. Lage
• Original Assignee: Gregg L. Lage
• Inventors: Lage, Gregg L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gerrity, Stephen F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/046,445
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 15/207.2, 15/143.1, 15/167.1, 15/167.2, 15/172, 15/176.1, 15/DIG. 5, D 4/104, D 4/112
• 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 5/02 specially shaped for holding by the hand
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A46D 1/0284 Bristles having rounded ends
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 15/05 Varied length bristle

Abstract

A toothbrush having a handle rotated by forty five degrees with respect to its detachable and replaceable bristle head, whose bristles form a contoured brushing surface having three to four alternating rounded peaks and valleys, and which has a raised helical screw thread on its neck that allows a twirling motion at the neck to impart a diagonal direction of travel to the bristles of the brush.

Claims

1. A toothbrush having an elongated handle, an integral brush head and a neck connecting said handle to said brush head, said head, neck and handle all being coaxial, said brush head having a longitudinal and a transverse axis with respect to said handle, and which brush head anchors a plurality of bristle tufts having free ends spaced from the head, comprising:

(a) a plurality of bristles, the free ends of said bristles disposed so as to form a bristle face defining alternating series of first and second substantially arctuate curves;

(b) said first curves being substantially convexly arctuate in the longitudinal and transverse axes of said brush head;

(c) said second curves being substantially concavely arctuate in the longitudinal axis of said brush head and substantially convexly arctuate in the transverse axis of said brush head;

(d) said first and second curves defining a regulator and repeating pattern having substantially equal heights and substantially equal depths; and

(e) said neck being substantially cylindrical, and said neck furthermore being substantially narrower in dimension than said handle and said brush head, and having on its surface means for enabling a user of said toothbrush to obtain bristle face motion along a line diagonal with respect to said longitudinal axis, said means comprising a plurality of helically wound threads of predetermined thread height and predetermined pitch, which threads are substantially the same radial distance from said longitudinal axis.

2. A toothbrush having an elongated handle, an integral brush head and a neck connecting said handle to said brush head, said head, neck and handle all being coaxial, said brush head having a longitudinal and a transverse axis with respect to said handle, and which brush head anchors a plurality of bristle tufts having free ends spaced from the head, comprising:

(a) a plurality of substantially parallel tufts of bristles, said tufts of varying predetermined heights juxtaposed in close proximity to each other, the tips of said bristles disposed so as to form a bristle face defining alternating series of first and second substantially arctuate curves;

(b) said first curves being substantially convexly arctuate in the longitudinal and transverse axes of said brush head;

(c) said second curves being substantially concavely arctuate in the longitudinal axis of said brush head and substantially convexly arctuate in the transverse axis of said brush head;

(d) said handle fixedly attached via said neck to, and axially rotated with respect to the longitudinal axis of, said brush head;

(e) said first and second curves defining a regular and repeating pattern having substantially equal heights and substantially equal depths; and

(f) said neck being substantially cylindrical, and said neck furthermore heating substantially narrower in dimension than said handle and said brush head, said neck having on its surface a plurality of helically wound threads of predetermined thread height and predetermined pitch and which threads are of substantially the same radial distance from said longitudinal axis and which threads comprise means for enabling a user of said toothbrush to obtain bristle face motion along a line diagonal with respect to said longitudinal axis by twirling said neck between a thumb and index finger.