Toothbrush

• US 9,788,643 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2011
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Original Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Inventors: Ji, Yan Mei
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US14/344,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20140338140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,225 Days
• Field of Search: 151671
• 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. A toothbrush comprising:

a handle;

a head having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface comprising a tufting area A_TS in the range of 180 mm² to 270 mm² comprising X number of square tuft holes, wherein X is in the range of 32 to 44 the square tuft holes arranged in a pattern having a central section, a distal section, and a proximal section;

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 there are 28-40 filaments in each tuft hole

wherein a ratio of A_TS to X is in a range of 5.0 to 6.5 mm² per tuft hole;

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;

wherein the square tuft holes of the central section of the pattern are arranged in a plurality of transverse rows that extend substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the toothbrush and a plurality of longitudinal rows that extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush;

wherein the square tuft holes of the distal section of the pattern comprise a distal transverse row, the distal transverse row being transversely offset from the transverse rows of the central section;

wherein the square tuft holes of the proximal section of the pattern comprise a proximal transverse row, the proximal transverse row being transversely offset from the transverse rows of the central section; and

wherein adjacent tuft holes of the transverse rows of the pattern are separated by a distance Z_TR2 and adjacent tuft holes of the plurality of longitudinal rows of the pattern are separated by a distance Z_LR2, the distance Z_TR2 being less than the distance Z_LR2.

2. The toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein the ratio of A_TS to X is in a range of about 5.4 to 5.5.

3. The toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein the ratio of A_TS to X is in a range of about 6.0 to 6.1.

4. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the proximal transverse row is aligned with the distal transverse row.

5. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the distance Z_TR2 is equal to 2.2 mm.

6. The toothbrush according to claim 5, wherein the distance Z_LR2 is equal to 2.55 mm.

7. A toothbrush comprising:

a handle;

a head having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface comprising a tufting area A_TS in the range of 180 mm² to 270 mm² comprising X number of tuft holes, wherein X is in the range of 32 to 44 the tuft holes arranged in a pattern having a central section, a distal section, and a proximal section;

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 there are 28-40 filaments in each tuft hole

wherein a ratio of A_TS to X is in a range of 5.0 to 6.5 mm² per tuft hole;

wherein each of the tuft holes has a tuft hole area A_TH and XxA_TH is in the range of 50 mm² to 80 mm²;

wherein the tuft holes of the central section of the pattern are arranged in a plurality of transverse rows that extend substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the toothbrush and a plurality of longitudinal rows that extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush;

wherein the tuft holes of the distal section of the pattern comprise a first distal transverse row and a second distal transverse row, the first distal transverse row being transversely offset from the transverse rows of the central section, the second distal transverse row being aligned with the transverse rows of the central section, and the first distal row located between the second distal row and the central section along the longitudinal axis; and

wherein the tuft holes of the proximal section of the pattern comprise a proximal transverse row, the proximal transverse row being transversely offset from the transverse rows of the central section.