US20070039112A1

US20070039112A1 - Brush head and toothbrush with the brush head

Info

Publication number: US20070039112A1
Application number: US11/394,630
Authority: US
Inventors: Yu-Man Ko; Bou Peng
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-08-18
Filing date: 2006-03-31
Publication date: 2007-02-22
Also published as: DE102006018292A1; JP3120305U; TWM280701U

Abstract

A brush head and a toothbrush with the brush head are provided. The brush head includes a body having a front end, a back end opposing the front end, and two opposite sides; and a brush member mounted on a surface of the body and being formed with a plurality of bristles, wherein the plurality of bristles define a brush surface that slopes in relation to the surface of the body. The brush surface of the bristles can closely abut against the teeth and the gingival sulcus, and the cleaning effect of tooth brushing is efficiently enhanced using the toothbrush with the brush head, thereby overcoming the drawbacks of the prior art.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to cleaning technologies, and more particularly, to a brush head and a toothbrush with the brush head for cleaning teeth.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Healthy teeth not only allow people to eat normally but also enable people to fully enjoy delicacies during chewing. Various bacteria abound in the oral cavity where food is mixed with saliva, which, coupled with bacterial reactions, accounts for the formation of dental plaque in the gingival sulcus. Given time, the aforesaid reactions cause periodontal disease and dental caries.
More particularly, pathogenesis of periodontal disease is as follows: dental plaque and bacteria in the gingival sulcus cannot be thoroughly cleaned; however, accumulation and calcification of dental plaque in the gingival sulcus lead to the formation of dental calculus, a dental term. Once dental calculus is formed, cleaning the gingival sulcus becomes more difficult, which is an initial symptom of periodontal disease. Then, there are inflammation, bleeding, redness and sore swellings in the gingiva; at this point, where the disease is not diagnosed and treated in time by a dentist to remove dental calculus and dental plaque, periodontal disease is right around the corner. Eventually, loss of periodontal alveolar bone and formation of periodontal pockets take place, resulting in severely loosened teeth and even tooth loss.
In addition, pathogenesis of dental caries is as follows: in the presence of the dental plaque and bacteria adhering to the teeth, food in the oral cavity is metabolized into acidic substances which, in turn, decalcify the calcified structure of the teeth, and then invasion (decay) which is initially limited to enamel extends to dentine step by step; meanwhile, dental pulp (commonly referred to as nerve) cell processes inside the dentine tubules of dentine transmit heat and cold from dentine to dental pulp, which results in pulpitis. Pulpitis causes intense tooth pain, which is commonly referred to as a toothache killing the patient.
Accordingly, as regards dental hygiene, dentists often recommend brushing teeth four times a day, that is, after meals and before bedtime everyday. In so doing, not only is the oral cavity cleaned and its odor removed, but also the teeth are free from diseases. Hence, to get sparkling white teeth, one has to have a good understanding of tooth brushing first. At present, according to the most internationally recommended Bass Method for brushing teeth, one should direct the toothbrush toward the roots of the teeth at an angle that ranges between 45° and 60° and then brush the surfaces of the teeth upward and downward. Despite the high efficiency Bass Method, a well-selected, good toothbrush is indispensable to an efficient, health-promoting daily tooth-brushing task.
FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate toothbrushes on the market. A toothbrush 10 typically has a brush head 101 and a handle 103, wherein bristles 1011 which form a brush member of the brush head 101 are usually designed in such a way that they have the same length. As shown in FIGS. 2A through 2C, various brands of toothbrushes differ mostly in terms of the size of the brush head 101 and the tip angle of the brush head 101, so as to facilitate manipulation of the brush head 101 in the oral cavity. FIGS. 3A and 3B depict a special design wherein bristles 2011 at the front of the brush head 201 of the toothbrush 20 are relatively long and form an inclined surface, to clean the teeth on the distal best. As regards the related patented technology, an example is Taiwanese Patent No. 264649 that proposes a toothbrush wherein bristles disposed at the front and on both sides of the brush head are longer than those disposed at the back and the middle of the brush head.
However, where a toothbrush with bristles of the same length is used, good tooth brushing skills are required to keep the oral cavity clean. Even if the toothbrush 20 illustrated by FIGS. 3A and 3B and that proposed in Taiwanese Patent No. 264649 is adopted, it would be impossible to stretch the cheeks with the toothbrush, thus tooth brushing can only be carried out in a nearly parallel direction, and any attempt to remove dental plaque from the gingival sulcus and tooth surfaces is always ineffective.
The lingual side of the teeth on anterior maxilla and anterior submaxilla (i.e., lingual surfaces of the teeth) forms an arch, which is inaccessible to a toothbrush. However, none of the designs of the brush head based on the aforementioned known technology fulfills the dual requirements for solving the inaccessibility problem and cleaning the occlusive surface.
As described above, the designs of the brush head and bristles of the toothbrushes on the market greatly compromise the cleaning efficiency of tooth brushing. The general public does not possess the oral cavity cleaning skills expected of dentists or dental professionals. As a result, periodontal disease and dental caries prevail, and dental clinics abound.
Accordingly, an issue that needs urgent solution involves developing a tooth cleaning technique to overcome various drawbacks of the aforesaid conventional technology, make tooth brushing simple and easy, and achieve the purpose of cleaning the oral cavity without using any well-recognized tooth brushing technique.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, to solve the drawbacks of the aforementioned conventional technology, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a brush head capable of enhancing the cleaning efficiency of tooth brushing and a toothbrush with the brush head, so as to clean the gingival sulcus and the teeth efficiently.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a brush head and a toothbrush with the brush head, so that tooth brushing becomes simple and easy, and the oral cavity is cleaned without using any well-recognized tooth brushing technique.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a brush head and a toothbrush with the brush head, so as to meet the dual requirements for solving the inaccessibility problem and cleaning the occlusive surface.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a brush head and a toothbrush with the brush head, to increase design flexibility.
In order to achieve the above and other objectives, a brush head and a toothbrush with the brush head are provided according to the present invention. The brush head comprises a body having a front end, a back end opposing the front end, and two opposite sides; and a brush member mounted on a surface of the body and being formed with a plurality of bristles, wherein the plurality of bristles define a brush surface that slopes in relation to the surface of the body.
Preferably, the front end of the body of the brush head includes a fixing portion, which is, for example, either a protruding bump or a protruding rib. The front end of the body may further comprise a first bonding portion, which is, for example, a recessed portion. The back end of the body of the brush head may also comprise a fixing portion, which is, for example, either a protruding bump or a protruding rib. The back end of the body may further comprise a second bonding portion, which is, for example, a recessed portion. The plurality of bristles comprise bristles of different lengths. In a preferred embodiment, the brush surface of the brush member slopes in a direction toward one of the two opposite sides of the body of the brush head. In another preferred embodiment, the brush surface of the brush member slopes in an opposite direction toward the other one of the two opposite sides of the body of the brush head. The brush surface may have a parabolic profile. The body of the brush head further includes an opening and two grooves respectively disposed on two sides of the opening.
The present invention further provides a toothbrush comprising the aforementioned brush head and a handle coupled to the brush head. Preferably, the brush head and the handle are integrally formed or separately formed. The front end of the body of the brush head comprises the first bonding portion, the back end of the body of the brush head comprises the second bonding portion, and the handle comprises a receiving portion and a third bonding portion. The receiving portion is, for example, a recessed portion.
In a preferred embodiment, the handle can be coupled to either the front end or the back end of the body of the brush head. The third bonding portion of the handle is a protruding portion for being coupled to either the first bonding portion or the second bonding portion of the body of the brush head, and the third bonding portion includes a protruding rib. In another preferred embodiment, the handle further comprises a fourth bonding portion, and the fourth bonding portion can be a protruding portion for being coupled to one of the first and second bonding portions or to any other brush head.
In still another preferred embodiment, the receiving portion of the handle further includes a brush head, wherein the brush head can be the above-mentioned brush head or a brush head of any other type. When the brush head is of any other type, the bristles can be short soft bristles. In a further preferred embodiment, the body of the brush head further comprises an opening and two grooves respectively disposed on two sides of the opening, and the handle is formed at a front end thereof with a coupling member, wherein the coupling member includes a pivotal connection portion for being coupled to the opening of the body of the brush head, and two protruding portions respectively disposed on two sides of the pivotal connection portion and for being coupled to the two grooves of the body, and wherein the pivotal connection portion is formed with a notch.
Compared with the conventional technology, the present invention provides the brush head with the bristles defining the brush surface that slopes toward one of the two opposite sides of the body of the brush head, such that the brush surface of the bristles can closely abut against the teeth and the gingival sulcus, so as to solve various problems in the conventional technology that, for example, excellent tooth brushing skills are required, and the cheeks cannot be greatly stretched with a toothbrush and thus tooth brushing can only be carried out in a nearly parallel direction, and any attempt to remove dental plaque from the gingival sulcus and tooth surfaces is always ineffective. The present invention may be applied to effective tooth brushing in the arch-shaped lingual side of the teeth on anterior maxilla and anterior submaxilla, and it fulfills the dual requirements for solving the inaccessibility problem and cleaning the occlusive surface. In addition, the brush head and the toothbrush with the brush head of the present invention can have embodiments of various combinations to meet different design needs.
Therefore, the brush head and the toothbrush with the brush head of the present invention effectively increase the cleaning efficiency of tooth brushing, clean the gingival sulcus and the teeth efficiently, make tooth brushing simple and easy, achieve the purpose of cleaning the oral cavity without using any professional tooth brushing technique, fulfill the dual requirements for solving the inaccessibility problem and cleaning the occlusive surface, and increase design flexibility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, with reference made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIGS. 1A and 1B (PRIOR ART) are schematic diagrams of a conventional brush head and a conventional toothbrush;
FIGS. 2A through 2C (PRIOR ART) are schematic diagrams of shapes of conventional brush heads;
FIGS. 3A and 3B (PRIOR ART) are schematic diagrams of another conventional brush head and another conventional toothbrush;
FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams of a brush head according to a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 4A is a perspective view and FIG. 4B is a front view of FIG. 4A;
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a toothbrush according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the toothbrush in a usage status according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a brush head and a toothbrush with the brush head according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the toothbrush is provided with another brush head concealed at one end thereof;
FIG. 8 is another schematic diagram of the brush head and the toothbrush with the brush head according to the second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the brush head previously concealed at one end of the toothbrush has been mounted on a handle of the toothbrush;
FIGS. 9A and 9B are schematic diagrams of a brush head according to a third embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 9A is a front view and FIG. 9B is a back view;
FIGS. 10A and 10B are exploded schematic diagrams of the brush head and a toothbrush with the brush head according to the third embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 10A is a side view and FIG. 10B is a perspective view;
FIG. 11 is an exploded schematic diagram of a brush head and a toothbrush with the brush head according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the assembly of FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of a brush head and a toothbrush with the brush head according to the present invention are described as follows with reference to FIGS. 4 through 12. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present invention.

First Embodiment

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5 and 6 illustrate a brush head and a toothbrush with the brush head according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, a brush head 1 of this embodiment comprises a body 10 having a front end 11, a back end 13 opposing the front end 11, and two opposite sides 15, 17; and a brush member 12 mounted on a surface 100 of the body 10 and being formed with a plurality of bristles 19, wherein the plurality of bristles 19 define a brush surface 191 that slopes in relation to the surface 100 of the body 10. Further as shown in FIG. 4B, in this embodiment, the plurality of bristles 19 comprise bristles of different lengths such that the brush surface 191 slopes from the left side 17 toward the right side 15 of the body 10 from a view of the front end 11 of the body 10, wherein the longer bristles 19 are located at a position corresponding to the left side 17, and the shorter bristles 19 are located at a position corresponding to the right side 15. The brush surface 191 can have a parabolic profile.
As shown in FIG. 5, a toothbrush 2 includes the brush head 1 and a handle 3 coupled to the brush head 1. In this embodiment, the brush head 1 and the handle 3 are integrally formed. However, in other embodiments, the brush head 1 and the handle 3 may be separately formed, and the handle 3 is not limited to the structure shown in this embodiment but may also be, for example, a handle of an electric toothbrush or any other toothbrush.
As shown in FIG. 6, when the brush head 1 and the toothbrush 2 with the brush head 1 of the present invention are applied, the brush surface 191 of the bristles 19 can closely abut against a tooth 5 and a gingival sulcus 7. Accordingly, dental plaque can be readily and efficiently removed from the tooth 5 and the gingival sulcus 7, provided that a user moves the brush head 1 (the toothbrush 2) transversely, and thus it is not necessary for the user to learn the complicated and difficult Bass Method for cleaning the oral cavity as dentists or dental professionals do.
As disclosed above, the use of the brush head and the toothbrush with the brush head of the present invention not only makes tooth brushing simple and easy, but it cleans the oral cavity without applying any well-recognized tooth brushing technique.

Second Embodiment

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a brush head and a toothbrush with the brush head according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein any component identical or similar to the corresponding one in the first embodiment is denoted by the same or a similar component symbol, and it is not described in detail for the sake of clear and readily understandable description of this case.
The most important difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that another brush head can be disposed at one end of the toothbrush.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in this embodiment, a receiving portion 101′ is formed at the end of the toothbrush 2′, and the receiving portion 101′ can be a recessed portion for containing another brush head 1′. A front end 11′ of a body 10′ of the brush head 1′ includes a fixing portion 111′, and a back end 13′ of the body 10′ of the brush head 1′ also includes a fixing portion 131′. In this embodiment, the brush head 1′ can have a brush member 12′ whose brush surface 191′ slopes in a direction opposite to the direction in which the brush surface 191 of the brush head 1 in the first embodiment slopes. In other words, as described in the above first embodiment, the brush surface 191 of the brush head 1 in the first embodiment slopes from the left side 17 toward the right side 15 from the view of the front end 11, whereas in this embodiment, the brush surface 191′ of the brush head 1′ can slope in the opposite direction from the right side toward the left side from the view of the front end 11′ of the brush head 1′.
Furthermore, to meet the need for brushing the teeth on the lingual side of anterior maxilla and anterior submaxilla, bristles 19′ of the brush member 12′ of the brush head 1′ can be short soft bristles in order to be contained by the receiving portion 101′, and the bristles 19′ have the brush surface 191′ that slopes in the direction as described above, so as to fulfill the dual requirement for solving the inaccessibility problem with tooth brushing on the lingual side of anterior maxilla and anterior submaxilla, and cleaning the occlusive surface. The bristles 19 of the brush head 1 can be other bristles that are relatively long. However, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the aforesaid description is not to limit the bristles of the brush head of the present invention.
Further as shown in FIG. 8, the fixing portion 111′ and the fixing portion 131′ of the brush head 1′ can be protruding bumps, protruding ribs or other equivalent structures that can be fixed to the receiving portion 101′.
Accordingly, the brush head 1 can be used to clean the buccal side (that is, the lateral side of the teeth next to the cheeks) of the teeth on one side as well as the lingual side (that is, the lateral side of the teeth next to the tongue) of the teeth on the other side, and the brush head 1′ can be used to clean the buccal side of the teeth on the other side as well as the lingual side of the teeth on one side (i.e., the teeth on the other side, compared to the teeth cleaned by the brush head 1).
When the brush head 1′ is not in use, the brush head 1′ can be concealed at the end of the toothbrush 2′ by means of the receiving portion 101′. When it is to use the brush head 1′, the brush head 1′ is pulled out as shown in FIG. 8, and then put inside the receiving portion 101′ in an opposite direction to make it available for use. In so doing, the buccal side and the lingual side of the teeth on different sides can be cleaned using different brush heads.
It should be noted that this embodiment is described by way of disposing at two ends of the toothbrush 2′ the brush heads 1 and 1′ for cleaning the teeth on different sides. In other embodiments, the same brush heads 1 or the same brush heads 1′ can also be disposed on both ends of the toothbrush 2′, without being limited to this embodiment.
In this embodiment, the fixed brush head 1 and the movable brush head 1′ are respectively disposed at both ends of the toothbrush 2′. However, in other embodiments, a movable brush head 1 and a fixed brush head 1′ can also be respectively disposed at both ends of the toothbrush 2′. Furthermore, the handle 3′ is not limited to the structure shown in FIG. 7, but it can also be a handle with two downwardly bent ends and an acceptable angle for tooth brushing.
Besides, in this embodiment, the brush head 1′ having the brush surface 191′ sloping in the opposite direction, as compared to the brush surface 191 of the brush head 1, is provided in addition to the brush head 1. However, in other embodiments, a general brush head (such as the brush heads of the toothbrushes illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, or FIGS. 3A and 3B, or proposed in Taiwanese Patent No. 264649) can also be disposed at one end of the toothbrush 2′, while either the brush head 1 or the brush head 1′ is disposed at the other end of the toothbrush 2′. In other words, alternatively, the fixed brush head 1 or 1′ and a movable general brush head can be disposed at both ends of the toothbrush 2′ respectively, or the movable brush head 1 or 1′ and a fixed general brush head are disposed at both ends of the toothbrush 2′ respectively, without being limited to this embodiment.
In addition, the shape of the brush head 1 or 1′ is not particularly limited in this embodiment, such that the shape of a brush head, such as those illustrated in FIGS. 2A through 2C, may be applied to other embodiments, without being limited to the descriptions given in the above or the following embodiments.

Third Embodiment

FIGS. 9A, 9B, 10A and 10B illustrate a brush head and a toothbrush with the brush head according to a third embodiment of the present invention, wherein any component identical or similar to the corresponding one in the aforesaid embodiments is denoted by the same or a similar component symbol, and it is not described in detail for the sake of clear and readily understandable description of this case.
The most important difference between the third embodiment and the aforesaid embodiments is that the brush head can be detachably disposed on one end of the toothbrush.
As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the brush head 1″ of this embodiment comprises a body 10″ having a front end 11″, a back end 13″ opposing the front end 11″, and two opposite sides 15″, 17″; and a brush member 12″ mounted on a surface 100″ of the body 10″ and being formed with a plurality of bristles 19″. A first bonding portion 113″ and a second bonding portion 133″ are formed at the front end 11″ and the back end 13″ respectively and can be, for example, recessed portions. The plurality of bristles 19″ define a brush surface 191″ that slopes in relation to the surface 100″ of the body 10″. Further as shown in FIG. 9A, the plurality of bristles 19″ comprise bristles of different lengths such that the brush surface 191″ slopes from the right side 15″ toward the left side 17″ from a view of the front end 11″, wherein the longer bristles 19″ are located at a position corresponding to the right side 15″, and the shorter bristles 19″ are located at a position corresponding to the left side 17″. The brush surface 191″ can have a parabolic profile.
As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the toothbrush 2″ of this embodiment comprises the brush head 1″ and a handle 3″ coupled to the brush head 1″. In this embodiment, the brush head 1″ and the handle 3″ are separable parts. The handle 3″ is formed at one end thereof with a third bonding portion 31″, such as a protruding portion, for being coupled to either the first bonding portion 113″ or the second bonding portion 133″. The third bonding portion 31″ comprises a protruding rib 311″ for being coupled to either the first bonding portion 113″ or the second bonding portion 133″.
A 180° change of the direction in which the brush head 1″ is disposed on the tooth brush 2″ can be made by alternating the coupling of the third bonding portion 31″ to the first bonding portion 113″ with the coupling of the third bonding portion 31″ to the second bonding portion 133″. Thus, the buccal side and the lingual side of the teeth on different sides may be brushed using the same brush head.
It is to be noted that, although this embodiment is described by way of disposing the brush head 1″, which can be subject to a 180° change of the direction in which it is installed, at one end of the toothbrush 2″, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that, in other embodiments, the third bonding portion 31″ and a fourth bonding portion (not shown) can be formed, for example, at both ends of the toothbrush 2″ (i.e., both ends of the handle 3″), that the third bonding portion 31″ can be coupled to either the first bonding portion 113″ or the second bonding portion 133″ to make a 180° change of the direction in which the brush head 1″ is disposed on the toothbrush 2″, and that the fourth bonding portion can be a protruding portion for being coupled to a general brush head or the brush head 1 of the first embodiment, without being limited to this embodiment. Since such modifications are apparent to those skilled in the art, they are not otherwise illustrated with any drawings herein.

Fourth Embodiment

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate a brush head and a toothbrush with the brush head according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, wherein any component identical or similar to the corresponding one in the aforesaid embodiments is denoted by the same or a similar component symbol, and it is not described in detail for the sake of clear and readily understandable description of this case.
The most important difference between the fourth embodiment and the third embodiment is that the brush head is pivotally disposed on one end of the toothbrush and can be subject to a 180° change of the direction in which it is disposed.
As shown in FIG. 11, the brush head 1′″ of this embodiment is typically, for example, the structure of the first embodiment, but a body 10′″ of the brush head 1′″ is further formed with an opening 16′″ and two grooves 14′″ respectively disposed on two sides of the opening 16′″. A handle 3′″ of the toothbrush 2′″ with the brush head 1′″ is provided at a front end thereof with an coupling member 33′″, wherein the coupling member 33′″ includes a pivotal connection portion 35′″ for being coupled to the opening 16′″, and two protruding portions 37′″ respectively disposed on two sides of the pivotal connection portion 35′″ and for being coupled to the two grooves 14′″ of the body 10′″ of the brush head 1′″. A notch 351′″ is formed at a substantially central position of the pivotal connection portion 35′″ to provide flexibility required to correspondingly couple the pivotal connection portion 35′″ to the opening 16′″ and to rotate the brush head 1′″.
FIG. 12 shows the toothbrush 2′″ formed as a result of coupling the brush head 1′″ to the handle 3′″. At this point, the user may rotate the brush head 1′″ and thereby change the direction of a brush surface of the brush head 1′″ by 180°, so as to enable the buccal side and the lingual side of the teeth on different sides to be brushed by the same brush head.
Compared with the conventional technology, the brush surface of the brush head of the present invention slopes toward one of the two opposite sides of the body of the brush head and can have a parabolic profile. As a result, the cleaning efficiency of tooth brushing is enhanced, and ordinary users who do not possess the oral cavity cleaning skills expected of dentists or dental professionals are able to efficiently clean the gingival sulcus and the teeth by using the toothbrush with the brush head of the present invention.
With the brush head having the brush surface of a parabolic profile according to the present invention, the user brushing the lingual side of the teeth on anterior maxilla and anterior submaxilla finds it easy to efficiently clean the areas that are otherwise inaccessible. In addition, to implement the present invention, one may adopt the aforesaid different embodiments and vary the combination of components and parts described in individual embodiments. For instance, it is feasible to replace the brush head of the third embodiment with that of the first embodiment, replace the brush head of the fourth embodiment with that of the second embodiment, or replace the insertion design of the third embodiment and the pivotal connection design of the fourth embodiment with the installing of a brush head that can be subject to a 180° change of the direction in which it is installed on one end of the toothbrush (that is, changing the direction in which the brush surface is installed). Therefore, the design of the present invention is diverse and flexible.
As disclosed above, the present invention provides a brush head and a toothbrush with the brush head for enhanced cleaning effect of tooth brushing, so as to efficiently clean the gingival sulcus and the teeth, make tooth brushing simple and easy, clean the oral cavity without applying any professional tooth brushing technique, fulfill the dual requirements for solving the inaccessibility problem and cleaning the occlusive surface, and increase design flexibility.
The invention has been described using exemplary preferred embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements. The scope of the claims, therefore, should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.

Claims

1. A brush head comprising:

a body having a front end, a back end opposing the front end, and two opposite sides; and

a brush member mounted on a surface of the body and being formed with a plurality of bristles, wherein the plurality of bristles define a brush surface that slopes in relation to the surface of the body.

2. The brush head of claim 1, wherein the front end includes a fixing portion.

3. The brush head of claim 2, wherein the fixing portion is one of a protruding bump and a protruding rib.

4. The brush head of claim 1, wherein the front end includes a first bonding portion.

5. The brush head of claim 4, wherein the first bonding portion is a recessed portion.

6. The brush head of claim 1, wherein the back end includes a fixing portion.

7. The brush head of claim 6, wherein the fixing portion is one of a protruding bump and a protruding rib.

8. The brush head of claim 1, wherein the back end includes a second bonding portion.

9. The brush head of claim 8, wherein the second bonding portion is a recessed portion.

10. The brush head of claim 1, wherein the brush surface of the brush member slopes toward one of the two opposite sides of the body of the brush head.

11. The brush head of claim 10, wherein the plurality of bristles comprise bristles of different lengths, wherein the longer bristles are located at a position corresponding to the one of the two opposite sides of the body of the brush head, and the shorter bristles are located at a position corresponding to the other one of the two opposite sides of the body of the brush head.

12. The brush head of claim 10, wherein the brush surface has a parabolic profile.

13. The brush head of claim 1, wherein the body is further provided with an opening and two grooves respectively disposed at two sides of the opening.

14. A toothbrush comprising:

the brush head of claim 1; and

a handle coupled to the brush head.

15. The toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the brush head and the handle are integrally formed.

16. The toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the brush head and the handle are separately formed.

17. The toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the front end of the body of the brush head includes a first bonding portion, the back end of the body of the brush head includes a second bonding portion, and the handle includes a receiving portion and a third bonding portion.

18. The toothbrush of claim 17, wherein the receiving portion includes a brush head.

19. The toothbrush of claim 18, wherein the brush head included in the receiving portion comprises short soft bristles.

20. The toothbrush of claim 18, wherein the brush head included in the receiving portion is the brush head of claim 1.

21. The toothbrush of claim 17, wherein the receiving portion is a recessed portion.

22. The toothbrush of claim 17, wherein the handle is coupled to one of the front end and the back end of the body of the brush head.

23. The toothbrush of claim 17, wherein the third bonding portion is a protruding portion for being coupled to one of the first bonding portion and the second bonding portion.

24. The toothbrush of claim 17, wherein the third bonding portion includes a protruding rib.

25. The toothbrush of claim 17, wherein the handle further includes a fourth bonding portion.

26. The toothbrush of claim 25, wherein the fourth bonding portion is a protruding portion.

27. The toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the body of the brush head further includes an opening and two grooves respectively disposed on two sides of the opening, and the handle is formed at a front end thereof with a coupling member.

28. The toothbrush of claim 27, wherein the coupling member includes a pivotal connection portion for being coupled to the opening, and two protruding portions respectively disposed on two sides of the pivotal connection portion and for being coupled to the two grooves of the body of the brush head.

29. The toothbrush of claim 28, wherein the pivotal connection portion is formed with a notch.