MXPA98007783A - Cepillo de dien - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a toothbrush comprising a head, a neck and a handle, the head, comprising an easily flexible bent member having a variety of bristles positioned on one side thereof and a rigid member depending on the neck, the flexible member rests on the rigid member and being accommodated with an internal bristle arrangement between the outer arrangements of bristles on opposite sides thereof, the external arrangements cause the divergent skewing of the flexible member as a consequence of the deformation of the flexible member when the bristles are pressed on the teeth and the surface of the gums

Description

TOOTHBRUSH DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to toothbrushes. In particular it is related to flexible toothbrush heads which allow the bristles to optimize their cleaning configuration in use and to teeth cleaning methods using the special toothbrush heads. The toothbrushes have been known for a long time. However, there has been a constant search for toothbrushes which seek either to improve the comfort and ease of brushing or to improve the efficiency of brushing by means of modifications to the bristles of the head of the brush or the handle. It is known that by mounting the cords of a toothbrush on a flexible head and supporting that head of the brush handle in such a way that the flexible head deforms in use thereby altering the orientation of the bristle. For example, W094 / 13174 discloses a toothbrush having a bristle crest mounted on an easily flexible bent member which is preferable in the form of an elongate blade. In use when the central portion of the brush is pressed on the occlusal surfaces of the consumer's teeth with the flexible member deforming from its normal arched position with which the outer bristles of the head act on the teeth and gums. This brushing action is only a part of the normal repertoire observed in consumers and under a more general and random brushing action of biased bristles contrary to the grouped bristles are recognized to provide a degree of intrusion into cavities and therefore a high level of efficiency in the 1st imp. It has been found that by properly assembling a rigid member in a flexible resilient member in which the crests of bristles are mounted, it is possible to configure a brush head such that the bristles are biased in use and in a controlled manner thereby It provides an optimal cleaning. Thus, in accordance with its broader aspect, a toothbrush comprising a head, a neck and a handle is provided, the head comprises an easily flexible bent member having a variety of bristles positioned on one side thereof and a rigid member that depends on the neck, the flexible member rests on the rigid member and being placed with an internal arrangement of bristles between the outer arrangement of bristles on opposite sides thereof, the external arrangements cause a divergent skewing of the flexible member as a consequence of the deformation of the flexible member when the bristles are pressed on a tooth or the surface of the gums. According to its broader aspect, a toothbrush comprising a head, a neck and a handle is provided, the head comprises an easily flexible bent member with a variety of bristles mounted on one of the sides thereof and a rigid member depending on 1 neck, the rigid member has an upper surface on which the flexible member rests and a central longitudinal axis, the bristles of the flexible member are accommodated with an internal arrangement of bristles between the outer arrangements of bristles on opposite sides of the body. same, the easily flexible bent member mounts to? Along the central longitudinal axis of the rigid member, the flexible member is free to deform adjacent the central longitudinal axis of the rigid member. In such an embodiment, when for example the brush is not in use, the flexible member adjacent the central longitudinal axis of the rigid member, which can support the outer arrangements of the bristles, can not be directly supported by the rigid member. As a result, in use it may be free to deform causing the effects described herein. Conveniently both internal and external bristle arrangements may comprise one or more longitudinal ridge rows of closely spaced adjacent bristles. The resulting deformation of the flexible member adjacent the central longitudinal axis of the rigid member may cause the outer bristle arrangement to be inclined relative to the interior arrangement in a direction which may diverge from the interior arrangement. In certain modalities, the easily flexible bent member can be supported on the rigid member along the entire length of the central longitudinal axis of the rigid member. In a preferred embodiment the flexible member may be mounted but not fixed to the central longitudinal axis of the rigid member but additionally mounted and actually fixed to the head of the brush by means of attachment to one or more lateral extensions of the rigid member which may extend in perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis. The lateral extensions of the rigid member may be for example at one or both ends of the brush head or in the center of the brush head. The brush according to the invention is designed in such a way that in use, at least some of the outer bristles of the bristle arrangement are biased outwardly when their inner bristle arrangement comes in contact with the teeth and gums. In the context of the invention, the "internal arrangement" of bristles can be convenient either one or more between (for example two) and the longitudinal ones of bristle ridges. This effect can be caused by the configuration of the brush head; when the internal arrangement of bristles comes into contact with the teeth and gums of the consumer, the flexible member where they are mounted is supported and held in place by the central longitudinal axis of the rigid member which does not allow the flexible member just below of the inner bristles is deformed. In contrast, the flexible member below the outer bristle arrangement is not similarly constricted and is free to deform as a result of the pressure applied to the remote bristle end to the flexible member. As a result of this deformation, the flexible member can be deformed, for example, in the form of an arc or in an angled form with the inner bristles remaining in their original position. But the outer bristles being forced downwards with respect to their original position. This downward movement of the outer bristles can also cause them to be skewed relative to their original orientation with which they point in, a. divergent way in relation to its original configuration. This is believed to provide the benefit of improving intrusion into cavities of the bristles, in particular the outer bristles in the provision of bristles between the teeth of the consumer, thereby improving the efficiency of the cleaning.

In the preferred embodiments of the invention the central longitudinal axis of the brush may comprise a raised surface such as a flange, which may have flat or sharp surfaces and which runs longitudinally along the head of the brush and is located in the upper surface of the rigid member contacting the underside of the flexible member in use Preferably, the bristles of the toothbrush are anchored to the easily flexible bent member in a series of ridges and extended from the flexible member in parallel to one of the other and in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the flexible member when the brush is not in use The bristles can be made from any material used in the art for making toothbrush bristles, preferred materials include nylon 6.12 or pore terephthalate. ibut i lo.The flexible material in which the bristles are assembled, it can be convenient to be any elastom material natural synthetic ester including for example high or low density polyethylene, ethylene tetrafluoride, polyurethane, polypropylene or synthetic rubbers. The bristle crests can be mounted on the flexible member suitably by means of injection molding techniques or by mounting the bristles mechanically, adhesively or by fusion on the flexible member. By way of illustration, not restriction, the following descriptions are made below; Figure 1 shows an exploded schematic perspective view with a toothbrush head configuration according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a toothbrush head according to the invention; Figure 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the brush head of Figure 2 in use; Figure 4 shows an exploded schematic perspective view of a broader embodiment of a toothbrush head according to the invention; and Figure 5 shows an exploded schematic perspective view of another toothbrush head embodiment according to the invention.

With reference to Figure 1, the head of a toothbrush without the handle is shown. The head comprises a rigid member comprising a solid base portion 1, which is further secured at one end with a neck portion 2, for attaching it to a brush handle (not shown). The base portion 1 and neck 2 have been integrally molded from a rigid material preferably a rigid plastic material, such as polypropylene, although they can be easily manufactured from an acrylonitrile styrene copolymer. The base portion 1 has longitudinal parallel sides, and eaves in cross section, the upper part of the eaves being shoulders 3, on which rests the flexible material that supports the bristles. The flange 3 in this embodiment represents the central longitudinal axis of the brush running longitudinally and centrally along the head of the brush and is also located on the upper surface of the rigid base portion adjacent to the bottom portion of the flexible member. The base portion 1 is formed to have two end portions 4a, 4b, which are essentially ectangular in cross section. The head of the brush including the end portions is typically 28 mm long and 13 mm wide and the end portions 4a, 4b are typically 13 mm wide, 6 mm high and 3 mm deep. A variety of bristle crests schematically represented are supported on a flexible base material 6, made of polypropylene. The bristles are configured with an internal arrangement 7 which comprises a longitudinal straight row of ridges of adjacent bristles having on both sides an outer arrangement 8a, 8b which comprise a longitudinal straight row of ridges of adjacent bristles. The flexible material 6 can be fixed to the end portions 4a4b of the brush head for example by means of plastic rivets 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d, which penetrate the flexible materials through holes 10a, 10b (not shown), 10c, 10d, into the flexible material 6 , and are attached to the corresponding holes in the base portion 1. In use, while the consumer manipulates the head of the brush in the mouth, the internal arrangement of bristles 7 will have a cleaning action on the teeth but because the action of the flange portion 3 at the bottom of the flexible material 6, the internal arrangement of bristles 7 is maintained at least at a position or near the flange 3 in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the brush head and in its original orientation. However, the portion of flexible material of the brush which supports the external arrangement of the bristles 8a, 8b is at least in part, not directly supported by the rigid base portion 1 and as a result, is free to deform in use under the pressure applied to the upper parts of the outer arrangements of the bristles 8a, 8b. As a result, the deformed configuration of the flexible material causes the bristles to have a skewed configuration. However, the rigid inclined sides of the base portion 1 limit the possible deformation of the flexible material 6 and therefore, act to restrict the degree of skewness of the configuration of the bristles. This configuration can give benefits to the brush in terms of its ability to penetrate cavities in the mouth. It is highly preferred that the material to which the flexible member constitutes is in fact more flexible and more deformable than the material with which the bristles are made in order to maximize the facility for deforming in use the flexible material and therefore the ability of the brush bristles to skew. Figure 2 shows a cross section of a brush similar to that shown in Figure 1, except that the end portions of the base portion are not shown. The base portion 21 of the rigid member of this embodiment also has end eaves in cross section, with a variety of bristle crests 25 attached to a flexible member 26 which rests on a flange 23. In this embodiment, the interior arrangement of bristles 27 It comprises 2 longitudinal straight rows of ridges of adjacent bristles while the outer arrangement 28 comprises a single longitudinal row of bristle ridges on each side of the inner arrangement 27. Figure 3 shows the brush of Figure 2 in use being pressed against the surface of the tooth 300. As can be seen in use, the flexible member 36 does not deform close to its center where it is held in place by the ridge 33 resting on the base portion 31. As a result, the internal arrangement of bristles 37 is retained essentially at the same angle and orientation relative to the base portion 31. However, the external arrangements 38 are not constrained by the rigid base portion 31 below the flexible member is free to tilt and slant relative to the internal arrangement 37. Figure 4 shows an alternative arrangement of a toothbrush head according to the invention. In this embodiment, the toothbrush head also has a rigid base member 41 and two end portions 44a, 44b. A brush neck 42 is fixed to the end portion 44b. The flexible member 46 has attached thereto a variety of bristle crests 45; in this embodiment the inner arrangement 47 comprises two longitudinal straight rows of ridges of adjacent bristles, while the outer arrangement .48 comprises a single longitudinal straight row of ridges of adjacent bristles on each side of the inner arrangement 47. The flexible member 46 can be conveniently fixed to a base member 41 rigid by a series of pins (not shown), which may conveniently pass through the holes 410a, 410b (not shown) 410c, 410d, and join the corresponding holes in the member rigid base 41 which extends perpendicularly from the flattened edge 43 (incorporating the central longitudinal axis • of the brush head) by conventional means. The bristles 47 of this mode are in sculpted arrangement where the bristles are not of the same length. In this embodiment, the inner arrangement of the bristles 47 is shorter than the outer arrangement 48 and in addition the tips of the bristles are molded to have a "V" configuration when viewed from one end of the brush head. Other arrangements of bristles are generally considered as different embodiments of the invention such as for example an undulating arrangement. Figure 5 represents a larger preferred configuration of the brush. teeth according to the invention. In this modality, the rigid base member 51 has a flange portion 53"sharp edge" in which the underside of the flexible member 56 rests. The neck of the brush 52 is fixed to the end of the rigid base member 51. The flexible member 56 may also be resting on or anchored to the end portions 54a, 54b and further on a raised cross member 54c, which is located laterally through of the "half of the head of the brush and extends perpendicularly to the central longitudinal axis of the head of the brush which runs" through the flange 53. Co veniently this can be by means of pins or bolts, which can pass through of the holes 510e, 510 f, 51-0g (not shown) and 510h (not shown) and in a flexible member 56 and joined to the corresponding holes in the end portions 54a, 54b and the transverse member 54c by conventional means. The flexible member 5-6 has on its upper side fixed bristle ridges 55 (shown schematically) which comprises an inner arrangement 57 of two longitudinal straight rows of ridges of adjacent bristles and an outer arrangement 48 which comprises a stack, longitudinally straight of crests of adjacent bristles on each side of the inner arrangement 57. In this embodiment, the bristles of the inner arrangement 57 are shorter than those of the outer arrangement, the bristles in each arrangement being uniformly long with one another. In use, the flexible member may be constrained by the end portions 54a, 54b, the transverse member 54c and the rim 53, but may be free in another form to deform with the four corners of the particular arrangement being capable of being deformed and by thus causing the inclination of the bristles mounted on these parts of the flexible member as described above. A preferred feature of this embodiment that can be equally applied to other embodiments is the elastomeric skirt 5-11 which depends on the flexible member 56 in a direction opposite to which the bristles point and conveniently covers the sides of the rigid base member 51. elastomeric skirt. it may be conveniently fixed to the periphery of the rigid member 51, for example by ultrasonic welding to it. Alternatively, the elastomeric skirt may be attached to the back plate running under the rigid member 51 on the opposite side of the bristles of the brush head and fixed thereto by, for example, ultrasonic welding or glue. the skirt 511 has molded into it access holes 512 which provide the neck of the toothbrush 52 access to the rigid base member 51. The elastomeric skirt 511 in use can confer advantages to the head of the brush in terms of hygiene, massage capabilities of gums and also consumer comfort. As any expert will appreciate, many variations of the invention are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the head of the brush can have any convenient shape, for example, triangular in the form of a diamond or in the form of an arrow head in addition to the rectangular one. In addition, while the schematic representations have often been drawn as highly angular, the corners in the brush modalities in particular in the rigid member may be rounded to obtain extra comfort.

Claims (5)

1. A toothbrush comprising a head, a neck and a handle. the head, comprising an easily flexible bent member having a variety of bristles positioned on one side thereof and a rigid member depending on the neck, the flexible member rests on the rigid member and being accommodated with an internal arrangement of bristles between the outer arrangements of bristles on opposite sides thereof, the external arrangements cause the divergent skew of the flexible member as a consequence of the deformation of the flexible member when the bristles are pressed on the teeth and the surface of the gums.

2. A toothbrush comprising a head, a neck and a handle, the head comprises an easily flexible bent member with a variety of bristles mounted on one side thereof and a rigid member that depends on the neck. The rigid member having an upper surface on which the flexible member and the longitudinal axis -central rest, the bristles of the flexible member being accommodated in an internal arrangement of bristles between exterior arrangements of bristles on the opposite sides thereof, the member easily bent flexible being mounted along the central longitudinal axis of the rigid member, the flexible member being free to deform adjacent the central longitudinal axis of the rigid member.

3. The toothbrush according to claim 1 or rei indication 2, wherein the flexible member is attached to the flexible member by one or more lateral extensions to the rigid member.

4. The toothbrush according to claim 2 or rei indication 3, wherein the central longitudinal axis of the rigid member comprises an elevated surface that runs longitudinally through the head of the brush and is located on the upper surface of the member. rigid adjacent to the flexible member.

5. The toothbrush according to any of the preceding claims additionally comprises an elastomeric skirt covering the sides of the rigid member.