EP0130252A1 - Zahnbürste mit auswechselbarem Bürstenkopf - Google Patents

Zahnbürste mit auswechselbarem Bürstenkopf Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0130252A1
EP0130252A1 EP83303924A EP83303924A EP0130252A1 EP 0130252 A1 EP0130252 A1 EP 0130252A1 EP 83303924 A EP83303924 A EP 83303924A EP 83303924 A EP83303924 A EP 83303924A EP 0130252 A1 EP0130252 A1 EP 0130252A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
stem
head
toothbrush
brush
bristles
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP83303924A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0130252B1 (de
Inventor
Raymond Ernest
Stephen J. Ginsburg
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to EP19830303924 priority Critical patent/EP0130252B1/de
Priority to DE8383303924T priority patent/DE3378248D1/de
Publication of EP0130252A1 publication Critical patent/EP0130252A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0130252B1 publication Critical patent/EP0130252B1/de
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A46—BRUSHWARE
    • A46B—BRUSHES
    • A46B7/00—Bristle carriers arranged in the brush body
    • A46B7/04—Bristle carriers arranged in the brush body interchangeably removable bristle carriers
    • A46B7/044—Sliding connections for bristle carriers
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A46—BRUSHWARE
    • A46B—BRUSHES
    • A46B7/00—Bristle carriers arranged in the brush body
    • A46B7/04—Bristle carriers arranged in the brush body interchangeably removable bristle carriers
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A46—BRUSHWARE
    • A46B—BRUSHES
    • A46B9/00—Arrangements of the bristles in the brush body
    • A46B9/02—Position or arrangement of bristles in relation to surface of the brush body, e.g. inclined, in rows, in groups
    • A46B9/04—Arranged like in or for toothbrushes
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A46—BRUSHWARE
    • A46B—BRUSHES
    • A46B2200/00—Brushes characterized by their functions, uses or applications
    • A46B2200/10—For human or animal care
    • A46B2200/1066—Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures

Definitions

  • This invention relates to toothbrushes, and more particularly to a system of providing toothbrushes of various configurations designed for improved cleaning of the mouths of a wide variety of individual patients in conditions of increased asepticity.
  • this time can be reduced to a four-minute period with power movement.
  • a good home dental program may require the use of different toothbrush designs. For example, if a patient brushed twice daily, he may wish to use a brush which is adapted to maximize cleaning of gingival areas in the morning, and use a brush which maximizes cleaning of interproximal areas before he retires. In certain instances, a dentist may wish to prescribe the use of a certain type of toothbrush, such as a toothbrush designed to treat certain periodontal disorders.
  • toothbrushes While the primary function of a toothbrush is cleaning, toothbrushes are notoriously septic by their very nature. Micro-and microscopic particles are often lodged between bristles. Likewise, particularly in humid climate, the bristles tend to remain septically moist for long periods of time at room temperatures, often until the next use of the toothbrush.
  • toothbrush handles While particular shapes of toothbrush handles may be more desirable, it may be also desirable to provide toothbrush handles which may be of particular highly specialized or expensive variety with the brushes being disposable.
  • toothbrushes may also be desired to provide toothbrushes with handles which would be used for a variety of user applications. For example, if a user desired to use a toothbrush while spending the night away from home, she may wish to have the convenience of portability. She may also wish to have the convenience of using a particular toothbrush head configuration. If she is visiting someone whom she knows has an electric toothbrush handle, she may wish to have a handle which, if circumstances allow, permit her to attach her toothbrush to the electric toothbrush handle in conditions which are reasonably aseptic.
  • U.S. patent no. 3,994,039 discloses various methods for brushing teeth, that patent being hereby incorporated by reference. These methods include various combinations of back-and-forth movement and vertical brush movement designed to effectively clean the teeth and provide circulation at the gingival margin.
  • electric toothbrushes have been designed to provide various brush movements, primarily in an attempt to provide brushing action recommended by dentists. These include, in addition to vertical and horizontal movements, vertical rolling movements and combinations of horizontal and rolling movements. Recently, a short circular movement has received widespread acceptability in the dental profession. These diverse movements have been generally designed to be used with a single brush, usually having a simple rectangular or round shape, with little attention to improving brush design as well.
  • Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a toothbrush construction having bristles shaped, sized, located and flexible for reaching into the interproximal spaces and under the free gingival margins and which will be particularly adapted for penetrating those relatively inaccessible areas of the molars and bicuspids from the lingual cavity and the buccal cavity where the accumulations of the plaque is relatively heavy, and promoting the desirable rotary brushing motion while enabling the teeth of both the maxillary and mandibular arches to be brushed simultaneously, while avoiding excessive abrasion to the teeth and gums.
  • this invention contemplates a stem which extends from a handle and has a leading end section terminating in an attachment means for attaching an elongated bristle bearing head having a major axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stem section.
  • the bristle bearing head is formed as a back having a flat surface from which a plurality of embedded bristles project in a predetermined arrangement which is bilaterally symmetrical with respect to the transverse minor axis of the head.
  • the bristle arrangement which may be clustered in a plurality of tufts, includes wedge-like configurations of such tufts having one of the tufts located as an apex adjacent each opposite end of the back.
  • the length of the head along the major axis spaces the bristles comprising the apices a distance apart to facilitate penetration into the interproximal spaces and free gingival margins of the teeth of both the maxillary and mandibular arches simultaneously when the stem, through handle and manipulation, is disposed along the occlusal plane with the mouth in an open, teeth brushing, position.
  • the tuft forming the apex of the wedge-like configuration is centrally located with respect to the rounded end of the head on the major axis, or, where the ends of the head are tapered, the tuft forming the apex is located along the trailing or leading side edges of the head.
  • the slope of the wedge-like configuration away from each apex conforms to the scalloped contour of the gingival edges thereby improving the ability of the bristles to penetrate beneath the free margins thereof while improving the ability of these bristles at the apices to penetrate into the interproximal spaces at the gumline.
  • An area of bristles adjacent the transverse minor axis of the head may be cut to a shorter length than those bristles located toward the opposite ends of the head including the bristles in the wedge-like configuration of tufts in order to facilitate the flexing of the latter in achieving their hereinbefore described intended simultaneous penetration.
  • a modified hourglass shaped head provides additional wedge-like configurations of bristles and tufts spaced apart along the leading and trailing side edges of the head between gingival margin penetration when the major axis of the head is held parallel to the occlusal plane to render an additional capability to the toothbrush which is particularly useful in cleaning the front teeth.
  • Three other styled heads are also provided: a normal rectangle with semi-circled ends; wedge and reverse wedge configurations; and a gum massaging head.
  • the bristles from a frontal view also show a gentle curvature from the center to approximately the fourth row of bristles.
  • the take-apart attachment means may be designed as a fraction grip, bolt action, screw action, clip action, 5slide or lock action. This attachment of head to handle may also be designed so that it can be turned 180° and then inserted into the handle or vice versa thus reversing the angle of the handle.
  • this invention contemplates a toothbrush construction for improved accessability to the interproximal and free gingival margins of teeth having at least one head having an hourglass profile and including a wedge-like configuration having apices at opposite ends, a stem which may be attached and detached from the head at a location near the narrow portion of the hourglass profile (between the apices), so that the head can be readily removed and replaced with another head having either the same hourglass configuration or another configuration.
  • Stems of different varieties may be substituted for the stems so that the toothbrush may be used with a power toothbrush handle or in a manually-operated mode.
  • a toothbrush of the type having an hourglass configuration with bristles having apices extending from opposite ends of the hourglass at a stem extending from a center portion of the hourglass was improved by providing a detachment means for the bristle-bearing head, thereby permitting the changeability of the head for increased asceptic condition and for the use of a large variety of heads and stems.
  • a modular toothbrush system wherein a large variety of the stems are selectively attachable to a plurality of brush heads. at least one the heads having an hourglass profile, so that the user may select different heads in accordance with his different needs and arrange the heads in order to maintain aseptic conditions when brushing.
  • the basic configuration of the toothbrush construction according to the invention comprises stem portion 13 to which is attached a brush head 15 and is removably attached to the stem portion 13, as will be later described.
  • the brush head 15 is provided with an hourglass configuration, having a narrowed portion 17 between two widened portions 19.
  • the stem portion 13 extends from the narrowed portion 17, thereby forming a more-or-less perpendicular arrangement between the brush head 15 and the stem 13.
  • the stem 13 may be provided with various arrangements to facilitate brushing.
  • a series of ridges 21 facilitate gripping of the stem 13 near the brush head 15.
  • the stem 13 is also formed with an offset by bending downward at a forward bend 23 and back upward at an aft bend 25.
  • the brush head 15 is provided with an attachment portion 27 which mates with a corresponding attachment portion 29 on the stem 13. These attachment portions 27, 29 join each other at interface,31.
  • stem-brush portions with a threaded connection means, as shown in Fig. 4, where a stem portion 13' has a stud 33 extending into the brush head >15' at a narrowed portion 17' thereof.
  • the brush head 15' receives the stud 33 by way of a threaded hole 35.
  • a socket connection may be used to connect a stem 13" with a brush head 15".
  • the brush head 15" has a male extension 37 which is received by socket 38.
  • a protrusion 39 on the male extension 37 snaps into one of two opposed holes 40 to retain the brush head 15" in position on the stem 13".
  • the brush head may be placed in two positions 180° apart.
  • the method of attaching brush head 15 to stem 13 may also be by means of snapping.
  • the materials of the brush head 15, and particularly the attachment portion 29 of the stem 13 will be made soft and elastic. This would permit the user to snap brush head 15 into stem 13 without using a sideways sliding motion.
  • the brush head 15 is formed with its bristles 41 having two apices 43 extending from the widened portions 19, and a depressed section 45 extending from the narrowed portion 17. This permits an improved access to gingival margins and the adjacent tooth surfaces as well as the interproximal areas, thereby relying upon the construction of the brush rather than the brushing technique for massage and cleaning in these areas.
  • the brush configuration enables an individual user to reach into the interproximal spaces and free gingival margins. Moreover, this brush enables the user to choose between cleaning the upper and lower teeth simultaneously, particularly at the back of the arch or of cleaning the upper and lower teeth separately. In this approach to brushing, the apices 43 are properly located to enable the user to quickly alternate between the upper and lower teeth. Thus, the brush enables the user to break up the bacterial plaque in the interproximal spaces and under the free gingival margins. By the bacteria being broken up it is inactivated for a twenty-four-hour period, for the prevention of dental carries and gingival diseases.
  • the general shape of the head 15 is that of an hourglass figure, consisting of more bristles in the widened areas 19, corresponding to the maxillary and mandibular gingival areas of a patient's teeth.
  • the widened portions 19 have a measurement of 14 mm.
  • the narrowed portion 17 of the hourglass has a measurement of 10mm.
  • the total width of the head 13 is 24 mm.
  • the widened portion 19, corresponding to the gingival regions, are comprised of three vertical rows of bristle tufts.
  • the narrowed portion 17 comprised of three vertical rows of bristle tufts also.
  • the width of the widened portions 19 comprises rows of four tufts each, following the curvature of the hourglass form.
  • the narrowest portion i.e. middle portion
  • the widened portions 19 have a bristle tuft length of 10 mm.
  • the narrowed portion 17 is 8 mm in length.
  • the overall length of the lateral plane is 130 mm and exhibits an outline form extending away from the attachment point 29 for the head 15 running horizontally 50 mm and then flowing upward, ending at its highest point at approximately 35 mm and continuing at this 35 mm height in a horizontal direction to its ending dimension.
  • This stem 13 may be offered in stainless steel or plastic.
  • certain bristles 47 are chosen as primary contact bristles. These primary contact bristles 47 are at the perimeter of the brishing surface at the apices 43 and are therefore most likely to contact the surfaces of the teeth and gums prior to the remainder of the bristles 41. If the stiffness or the modulus of elasticity of all bristles 41 is the same, then the primary bristles 47 would therefore be most likely to exert the highest forces on the patient's mouth, thereby causing the primary contact bristles 47 to exert an abrasive effect which is equivalent to that of a bristle in the depressed section 45 which is significantly firmer.
  • the primary contact bristles 47 are made softer than the remaining bristles, as set forth in the following example:
  • a Nylon bristle toothbrush having the "Vee" configuration of Fig. 5 is made with Nylon bristles, the majority of which has a thickness of .25 mm in order to reduce the abrasive qualities of these bristles on the area of the free gingival margins, the primary contact bristles 47 are made with the thickness of 0.20 mm.
  • the conventional design brush head 51 is also provided with a head attachment portion 27 which is identical to the attachment portion 27 of the preferred hourglass brush head to the attachment portion 27 of the preferred hourglass brush 15. It can be readily seen that, by providing the identical attachment portion 27 and otherwise providing for proper clearance between the conventional design brush head 51 and the stem 13, the conventional design brush head 51 may be used with stem 13.
  • the brush head such as brush heads 15 and 51 may be separated from the stem 13, it is possible to frequently replace with the brush heads 15, 51.
  • By providing new brush heads 15, 51 at frequent intervals not only are more expensive designs of the stem 13 possible, but the user may be assured of the use of a clean brush head at all times. This permits, not only the use of a preferred design of the brush head, such as brush head 15 by the patient on a trial basis, but also permits improved cleaning of the teeth under more sanitary conditions.
  • a stem 55 is provided for mounting to an electric toothbrush handle (not shown).
  • Stem 55 has an attachment portion 29 which is identical to the attachment portion on stem 13. This permits the interchangeability of stems 13, 55 with brush heads 15, 51.
  • Stem 55 is provided with a mating fitting 57 which mounts to the moving end of the particular toothbrush handle in which stem 55 is designed.
  • a serrate recess 59 permits the use of stem 55 at places where the electric toothbrush head is not available or cannot be plugged into a suitable source of electrical power.
  • stem 55 the user does not need to purchase an entire toothbrush head specifically for the use with the electric toothbrush. This is important, particularly in cases where the user does not want to, for social reasons, indicate that an entire toothbrush was purchased for use with another person's toothbrush handle.
  • brush heads may be provided in a conventional blister package 61, separately from the stem.
  • the bristle construction is specific to a particular choice of the patient.
  • Indicia 65 of the package indicates that the bristles 41 are of that specific construction, facilitating selection at point of purchase. Since the brush heads may be placed on any of a number of stems, the patient is not further limited by his choice of stems.
  • toothpaste may be provided with the brush heads, as implied by the indicia 65 in Fig. 9.
  • Fig. 4 is intended to also be useful with the conventional designed toothbrush head or with a stem to fit an electric toothbrush.
  • wedging type heads 71, 73 may be constructed with primary contact bristles 47' extending across four rows in the apices in a variety of tuft patterns, according to convenience of manufacture. Additionally, referring to Fig. 11, by providing a reduced thickness for the primary contact bristles 47' at apices 75, intermediate bristles 77 between the apices may be provided without a narrow tuft configuration. This will still provide for improved contact with interproximal spaces and gingival areas, as brush heads 71, 73 will have the profile of brush heads 63 (Fig. 9), providing brush heads 71, 73 with a wedging effect.

Landscapes

  • Brushes (AREA)
EP19830303924 1983-07-05 1983-07-05 Zahnbürste mit auswechselbarem Bürstenkopf Expired EP0130252B1 (de)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP19830303924 EP0130252B1 (de) 1983-07-05 1983-07-05 Zahnbürste mit auswechselbarem Bürstenkopf
DE8383303924T DE3378248D1 (en) 1983-07-05 1983-07-05 Modular interproximal toothbrushes

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP19830303924 EP0130252B1 (de) 1983-07-05 1983-07-05 Zahnbürste mit auswechselbarem Bürstenkopf

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0130252A1 true EP0130252A1 (de) 1985-01-09
EP0130252B1 EP0130252B1 (de) 1988-10-19

Family

ID=8191207

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19830303924 Expired EP0130252B1 (de) 1983-07-05 1983-07-05 Zahnbürste mit auswechselbarem Bürstenkopf

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0130252B1 (de)
DE (1) DE3378248D1 (de)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2178304A (en) * 1985-05-07 1987-02-11 Ming Joseph Lai Toothbrushes
WO1991012748A1 (de) * 1990-02-28 1991-09-05 Haeusser Manfred Zahnbürste
EP0655209A1 (de) * 1993-11-22 1995-05-31 AVANTGARDE S.p.A. Zahnbürste
RU2171084C2 (ru) * 1996-06-22 2001-07-27 Коронет-Верке Гмбх Устройство для ухода за зубами со сменной обрабатывающей частью

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
USD387562S (en) 1995-08-14 1997-12-16 Colgate-Palmolive Company Toothbrush
USD386905S (en) 1995-08-14 1997-12-02 Colgate-Palmolive Company Toothbrush

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR443435A (fr) * 1912-05-06 1912-09-24 Bernard Mendelovici Del Vinci Nouveau genre de brosses particulièrement destinées au nettoyage des pièces dentaires fixées à demeure dans la bouche
GB216355A (en) * 1923-06-13 1924-05-29 James Murphy Calkins Improvements in or relating to tooth brushes
US2290454A (en) * 1939-08-02 1942-07-21 Steinberg Leon Josef Mechanical toothbrush
US3072944A (en) * 1960-01-21 1963-01-15 Prophylactic Brush Co Toothbrushes
FR2114314A5 (de) * 1970-11-20 1972-06-30 Blanc Guy
EP0042459A1 (de) * 1980-06-19 1981-12-30 Raymond Ernest Zahnbürste mit einer verbesserten Erreichbarkeit des Bereiches zwischen den Zähnen und des zahnfleischfreien Randes
US4399582A (en) * 1981-03-09 1983-08-23 Raymond Ernest Modular interproximal toothbrush system

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR443435A (fr) * 1912-05-06 1912-09-24 Bernard Mendelovici Del Vinci Nouveau genre de brosses particulièrement destinées au nettoyage des pièces dentaires fixées à demeure dans la bouche
GB216355A (en) * 1923-06-13 1924-05-29 James Murphy Calkins Improvements in or relating to tooth brushes
US2290454A (en) * 1939-08-02 1942-07-21 Steinberg Leon Josef Mechanical toothbrush
US3072944A (en) * 1960-01-21 1963-01-15 Prophylactic Brush Co Toothbrushes
FR2114314A5 (de) * 1970-11-20 1972-06-30 Blanc Guy
EP0042459A1 (de) * 1980-06-19 1981-12-30 Raymond Ernest Zahnbürste mit einer verbesserten Erreichbarkeit des Bereiches zwischen den Zähnen und des zahnfleischfreien Randes
US4399582A (en) * 1981-03-09 1983-08-23 Raymond Ernest Modular interproximal toothbrush system

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2178304A (en) * 1985-05-07 1987-02-11 Ming Joseph Lai Toothbrushes
WO1991012748A1 (de) * 1990-02-28 1991-09-05 Haeusser Manfred Zahnbürste
EP0655209A1 (de) * 1993-11-22 1995-05-31 AVANTGARDE S.p.A. Zahnbürste
RU2171084C2 (ru) * 1996-06-22 2001-07-27 Коронет-Верке Гмбх Устройство для ухода за зубами со сменной обрабатывающей частью
RU2171085C2 (ru) * 1996-06-22 2001-07-27 Коронет-Верке Гмбх Зубная щетка со сменной чистящей частью

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0130252B1 (de) 1988-10-19
DE3378248D1 (en) 1988-11-24

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US4399582A (en) Modular interproximal toothbrush system
US4598437A (en) Modular oral hygiene system
US4575894A (en) Vertical action tooth brush
US6493897B2 (en) Orthodontic toothbrush
US6345406B1 (en) Oral healthcare system having interchangeable, disposable heads
US4033008A (en) Toothbrush
US4150457A (en) Toothbrush
US4776054A (en) Toothbrush
US4800608A (en) Toothbrush
US6070286A (en) Angulated toothbrush
US20250009487A1 (en) Dental cleaning device
WO1994022346A1 (en) Angular headed toothbrush
BRPI0603393B1 (pt) Dental brush with polish element
CZ288851B6 (cs) Zubní kartáček
GB2025216A (en) Rotary toothbrush
US20170265638A1 (en) Tooth brush apparatus and methods of use
US6397858B1 (en) Dental concave and convex rake
EP0130252B1 (de) Zahnbürste mit auswechselbarem Bürstenkopf
US6283751B1 (en) Anatomical interproximal dental stimulator
JP2008284251A (ja) 歯ブラシ
JP3143239U (ja) 歯ブラシ
EP0042459B1 (de) Zahnbürste mit einer verbesserten Erreichbarkeit des Bereiches zwischen den Zähnen und des zahnfleischfreien Randes
JPS6021708A (ja) 歯ブラシ構造体及びモジユ−ル型の歯ブラシシステム
US20180352944A1 (en) Dental hygeine device utilizing axial forces and related methods
JP2547578Y2 (ja) 歯ぶらし構造

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Designated state(s): BE CH DE FR GB IT LI NL SE

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 19850709

17Q First examination report despatched

Effective date: 19860325

GRAA (expected) grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: B1

Designated state(s): BE CH DE FR GB IT LI NL SE

REF Corresponds to:

Ref document number: 3378248

Country of ref document: DE

Date of ref document: 19881124

ET Fr: translation filed
ITF It: translation for a ep patent filed
PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FR

Payment date: 19890630

Year of fee payment: 7

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: SE

Effective date: 19890706

ITTA It: last paid annual fee
PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: LI

Effective date: 19890731

Ref country code: CH

Effective date: 19890731

Ref country code: BE

Effective date: 19890731

PLBE No opposition filed within time limit

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT

26N No opposition filed
BERE Be: lapsed

Owner name: GINSBURG STEPHEN J.

Effective date: 19890731

Owner name: ERNEST RAYMOND

Effective date: 19890731

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: NL

Effective date: 19900201

NLV4 Nl: lapsed or anulled due to non-payment of the annual fee
REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: CH

Ref legal event code: PL

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FR

Effective date: 19910329

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: FR

Ref legal event code: ST

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Payment date: 19921221

Year of fee payment: 10

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Payment date: 19930105

Year of fee payment: 10

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Effective date: 19930705

GBPC Gb: european patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 19930705

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Effective date: 19940401

EUG Se: european patent has lapsed

Ref document number: 83303924.1

Effective date: 19900418