JP2793043B2 - toothbrush - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to toothbrushes, and more particularly, to toothbrushes having a three-dimensional bristle profile that provides improved cleaning between adjacent teeth and gingival border areas.

2. Description of the Prior Art Using a toothbrush and dental floss is a fundamental step in maintaining good oral hygiene. Unfortunately, the use of dental floss is not widely accepted by the general public. In addition, people who sometimes use dental floss may not be able to perform proper flossing in areas deep in the mouth. Accordingly, the importance of providing brushes that improve cleaning along hard-to-reach areas such as gingival borders and interdental areas has become even more important. Unfortunately, most commercially available toothbrushes clean the buccal outer surface of the teeth, but do not clean plaque and food debris from the gingival area, interproximal area and areas of the mouth where the toothbrush is difficult to reach. It cannot be improved.

Applicants have found that optimizing the design of the toothbrush with respect to both interproximal and gingival border regions significantly improves toothbrush performance. In particular, the present invention provides a toothbrush with a head with a grooved "heel" portion that is particularly suitable for cleaning gingival boundaries and a "toe" portion that is particularly suitable for cleaning between adjacent teeth. Have. In addition, applicants have found that the sloped toe portion cleans areas of the mouth that are not accessible with a standard toothbrush. These features, combined with several other important operational properties, allow the toothbrush to achieve the aforementioned objectives.

A toothbrush with a groove in the center along the entire bristle shape,
It is known to those skilled in the art. Oral-B Research Institute in Redwood, California, said ORTH B-More efficient cleaning of food debris from orthodontic brackets and wires
O "brushes are sold. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,020 to Hill shows a toothbrush having a generally flat head portion having a plurality of bristles forming a concave surface. However, these prior art toothbrushes cannot simultaneously improve the cleaning of adjacent teeth and gingival boundaries.

In addition, toothbrushes having a distinct "toe" surface along the profile of the side of the brush head are known to those skilled in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,608 to Key shows a toothbrush in which the head bends at a fixed obtuse angle. The key brush provides excellent cleaning of the tongue, cheeks, teeth and gums. No. 4,712,267 to Chen and U.S. Pat.
U.S. Patent No. 1,337,173 to White; U.S. Patent No. 1,440,785 to Levis; U.S. Patent No. 1,927,365 to Florio; Des. 49,47 to Dielke.
No. 2 relates to a toothbrush having a concave side head. However, these prior art toothbrushes also do not exhibit any of the operating characteristics described below that simultaneously improve the cleaning of interproximal and gingival boundaries.

 These and other objects will be apparent from the following description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toothbrush for cleaning interproximal and gingival boundaries. The toothbrush has an elongated handle member connected to the head member of the toothbrush. This head is divided into two areas. The toe area is defined as the part of the head furthest from the handle, and the heel area is defined as the head part closest to the handle. Many bristles extend from the heel area of the head,
The tips of these bristles form recessed grooves that are longitudinally aligned when viewed from the side. This groove extends the entire length of the heel portion. Similarly, a number of bristles extend from the toe region of the head, and the bristles extending from the toe portion of the head are at least as high as the bristles extending from the heel portion when viewed from the side. Yes, the profile of the bristles or free ends of the bristles extending from the toe portion forms a substantially straight surface, which is straight from the heel portion of the toe portion with respect to the entire bristles extending from the heel portion. A predetermined angle of about 0 ° to 45 ° is formed from the far edge to the near heel edge.

That is, the plane formed by the free ends of the bristles extending from the toe portion, when viewed from the side, corresponds to a substantially linear portion formed by the free ends of the bristles extending from the heel portion. At an obtuse angle. Also, the side shape of the numerous bristles of the toe portion is formed in a wedge shape by the bristles raised at the head end located far from the handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS While this specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the invention, it is believed that the present invention will be illustrated by the appended drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like parts throughout. Will be better understood from the following description of some specific preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with.

FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 are perspective views of an embodiment of the toothbrush of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the preferred heel region of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an end view of a heel region according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a preferred groove cutting portion using the groove shape of FIG. Tow bristles have been removed for clarity.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another groove cutting portion using the groove shape of FIG. Tow bristles have been removed for clarity.

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 are side views of the toothbrush head of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. FIG. These figures show several other methods of forming the required bristle surface shape at the bristle tips of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of an embodiment of the present invention illustrating the cleaning action of the bristle surface of the tow in the interproximal region between teeth.

FIG. 12 is an end view of the toe portion according to FIG. 4 showing the location of the posterior heel along the gingival boundary during brushing and along the inner surface of the mouth.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the preferred embodiment of the present invention provides for improved cleaning of the gingival interface in combination with cleaning between adjacent teeth. With a toothbrush indicated by The toothbrush has a generally elongated handle member 12, a head member 14, and a number of bristles 16. Usually, the handle member and the head member are formed from the same material as an integral injection molded part, but can be manufactured from multiple materials. In addition, the handle and head portions are joined by a neck portion 18 having a smaller cross-section than handle 12 or head 14.

The head portion of the toothbrush of the present invention is formed from two parts. The toe portion 20 is a portion of the head located far from the handle portion. On the other hand, the heel portion 22 is a portion of the head that is located near the handle end of the head.

A feature of the present invention is the special shape formed by the free ends of these bristles. This shape is achieved by the different shapes of the bristles in the heel 22 and toe 20 sections, so that the desired results are achieved by various shapes as shown in FIGS.

4 and 5 show the heel of a toothbrush according to the invention.
FIG. 22 is an end view of FIG. As mentioned earlier, the bristles in the heel area
24 features recessed groove shapes 28 aligned in the longitudinal direction. Preferably, the recess has a "V" shape as shown in FIG. However, it is also contemplated by the present invention to form individual tufts in a "U" shape (see FIG. 5) or a stepped "V" shape.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a preferred groove cut 28 using the "V" shape of FIG. The tow bristles 30 are shown removed. Preferably, the groove should be cut to a depth of about 1/16 inch (1.56 millimeters) to about 3/16 inches (4.68 millimeters) to form an angle β. groove
The depth and width of 28 are substantially uniform along the longitudinal length of heel portion 22.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cut 28 of another groove using the "V" shape of FIG. The tow bristles 30 are shown removed for clarity. The depth and width of groove 28 are not constant along the longitudinal length of heel portion 22. The depth and width decrease as the groove 28 approaches the handle 12 and slope upward with respect to the surface of the heel portion of the head 22.

6 and 7 show another preferred embodiment. Other slopes, such as cuts that go from shallow to deeper and become shallower, are also contemplated by the present invention. The heel cut 28 has proven to be particularly suitable for cleaning along the gingival boundary 34, as shown in FIG.

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 are side views of the toothbrush head of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. FIG. These drawings show the heel part 24 of the brush
It is particularly useful in illustrating the relationship between the bristles of the head and the bristles of the toe portion 30 of the head. Note the shape created by the free ends of the bristles, which is an important feature of the present invention. In Figures 8, 9 and 10, when viewed from the side,
A favorable "tilted toe" is observed which is observed along the tips of the toe and heel bristles. This joint forms an angle φ, which is about 0 ° to about 45 °, preferably about 10 ° to about 25 °, and more preferably about 15 ° to about 25 °. In this way, the tip of the bristles in the toe is
It protrudes from the tip of the head to form a wedge. This tow brings the bristles into deeper contact with the adjacent interdental region 32 along the back of the tooth (see FIG. 11).

8, 9, and 10 use different methods to form similar bristle tip shapes. In FIG. 8, the toe 20 and heel 22 of the head form the same common plane. However, the bristles 30 of the tow 20 increase in length as they approach the distal end of the brush. In FIG.
The planes of the toe 20 and the heel 22 are also substantially the same.
However, the angle φ of the tip of the bristle is formed by inserting the tuft of bristle at a predetermined angle into the toe portion of the head. The angle φ is greater than or less than the angle of the tow bristle hole. This is because the ends of the bristles can be individually modified. Finally, Figure 10 shows that
The tip of the bristles is angled by bending the toothbrush head to a predetermined angle of about α at the toe-heel junction. Preferably, the bend at the obtuse angle α is from about 115 ° to about 170 °, and most preferably from about 155 ° to about 170 °. These and other techniques can be used to form the bristles surface profile according to the present invention.

The bristles of the present invention must be sufficiently rigid to penetrate the voids between adjacent teeth and remove plaque and food debris therefrom, and penetrate the gingival borders causing irritation and bleeding It must be able to remove food debris and plaque without any problems. Bristles with rounded ends are preferred.

Conventional bristle materials can be used in the present invention. Nylon and polyester are preferred as the bristle material. Further, when using the nylon bristle material described above, the height of the toe bristles is about 9.52 to 13.50 millimeters (about 12/32 to about 17/32 inches) and the height of the heel bristles is about 6.35. To 11.11 millimeters (about 8/32 to about 14/32 inches).

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example,
The heel groove can extend into the area of the toe. Accordingly, the invention includes all embodiments within the scope of the claims.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Row, Christopher California, United States of America, San Francisco, Page, Street, 1250, Number 4, (72) Inventor Vidra, James Dee. California, United States of America, Half, Moon, Bay, St., Andrews, Rd., 2170 (72) Inventor Sabbateau, Albert B. Atherton, California, United States, Green Oaks, Drive, 363 (72) Inventor Bloia, Microsm. Mass., Mass., USA Newton, Stanley, Road, 88 (72) Inventor Spencer, Gene El. Boston, Mass., USA Le Street, 19, Number 4, (72) Inventor Rifford, Stanley Massachusetts, USA, Boston, Commercial, Street, 232, Number, Dee (72) Inventor Meesman, Jeffrey Scott, Iowa, Iowa, United States, City , Pepper, Drive, 952 (72) Inventor McDowell, Douglas J. Iowa, Iowa, U.S.A., City, Michelle, Court, 1245 (56) References JP-A-1-190307 (JP, A) -9126 (JP, U) US Patent 1639880 (US, A) US Patent 4020521 (US, A) US Patent 1018927 (US, A) US Patent 4800608 (US, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) A46B 9/00 A46D 1/00

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. A handle member comprising: (a) an elongated handle member; and (b) a toe portion located far from the handle and a heel portion located near the handle and adjacent to the toe portion, and are connected to one end of the handle member. An elongated head member having: (c) a number of bristles extending from the heel; and (d) a number of bristles extending from the toe. A longitudinally aligned recessed groove extending over the entire length of the toe portion, the free ends of the numerous bristles of the heel portion adjacent the toe portion being substantially straight when viewed from the side, The plane formed by the free ends of all the bristles extending from the toe portion, when viewed from the side, corresponds to the substantially linear portion formed by the free ends of the bristles extending from the heel adjacent the toe. Obtuse angle A toothbrush for cleaning between adjacent teeth and at the gingival boundary, wherein a plurality of bristles on the toe portion are formed in a wedge shape by bristles raised at the end of the head remote from the handle. . 2. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the free ends of the bristles of the heel are formed in a substantially aligned substantially V-shaped cross-section. 3. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein a tip of the bristles is rounded. 4. The bristles extending from the toe of the head are higher than the height of the bristles extending from the heel when viewed from the side, and the free ends of the plurality of bristles extending from the toe are:
Forming a substantially straight surface, wherein the straight surface is about a bristle surface extending from the heel portion and extends from an edge of the toe portion farther from the heel portion to an edge of the toe portion near the heel portion. The toothbrush of claim 7, wherein the toothbrush forms a predetermined angle that is inclined from 0 to about 45 degrees. 5. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the head member on which the bristles are provided is a flat surface. 6. A toothbrush according to claim 5, wherein the bristles of the toe are perpendicular to the plane of the head member. 7. The toothbrush according to claim 5, wherein the bristles of the toe portion are provided at an obtuse angle with respect to the plane of the head member. 8. The toe portion of the head member has a height of about 11 with respect to the surface of the head member on which the bristles of the heel portion are provided.
5. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the toothbrush is fixed to the heel so as to form an obtuse angle of 5 to 170 degrees.