WO2002015740A1 - Toothbrush with articulated head and parallel and offset brushing planes - Google Patents
Toothbrush with articulated head and parallel and offset brushing planes Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2002015740A1 WO2002015740A1 PCT/FR2001/002636 FR0102636W WO0215740A1 WO 2002015740 A1 WO2002015740 A1 WO 2002015740A1 FR 0102636 W FR0102636 W FR 0102636W WO 0215740 A1 WO0215740 A1 WO 0215740A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- head
- brushing
- toothbrush
- fixed part
- brush
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46B—BRUSHES
- A46B5/00—Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware
- A46B5/002—Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware having articulations, joints or flexible portions
- A46B5/0025—Brushes with elastically deformable heads that change shape during use
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46B—BRUSHES
- A46B5/00—Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware
- A46B5/002—Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware having articulations, joints or flexible portions
- A46B5/0054—Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware having articulations, joints or flexible portions designed to allow relative positioning of the head to body
- A46B5/0062—Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware having articulations, joints or flexible portions designed to allow relative positioning of the head to body being flexible or resilient during use
-
- 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
- the invention relates to a toothbrush.
- the invention relates more particularly to a toothbrush comprising a head which is arranged at a longitudinal front end of a handle, of the type in which the head comprises, at its proximal end, on the side of the handle, a fixed part and, at its apical end, a movable part, articulated elastically around a transverse axis, which is capable of pivoting in both directions, upwards and downwards, the two parts of the head being provided, on their faces respective upper, flexible brushing elements such as bristles.
- a brush of this type is disclosed in document US-A-4,691 .405.
- the head of a toothbrush will be called the end part, generally distal, arranged at the free end of the handle and handle of the toothbrush and which carries the flexible brushing elements, such as hairs.
- toothbrushes of the articulated head type do not allow effective brushing both on the internal lateral faces and on the external lateral faces of the teeth.
- the pivoting movement of the movable part of the head is disordered, which does not make it possible to optimize the contact surface of the bristles with the teeth, nor to provide the user with a pleasant sensation when brushing, when 'he has the head of the toothbrush in his mouth.
- the invention therefore aims to remedy these drawbacks by proposing a new design of a toothbrush which in particular allows effective brushing of the teeth on their external faces and on their internal faces.
- the invention also aims to improve the comfort of brushing felt by the user thanks to better "control" of the movements of the mobile part.
- the invention provides a toothbrush of the type described above, characterized in that the fixed part is a U-shaped fork inside which is received a central branch belonging to the movable part, the part movable extending longitudinally, beyond the central branch, by an apical end block which constitutes, with the central branch, a generally rigid assembly which is articulated at the apical end of each of the branches of the fork, and in that, in the brush's rest state, the brushing elements located on the fixed part delimit an upper brushing plane substantially parallel and of altitude lower than the upper brushing plane which is delimited by the brushing elements located on the moving part.
- the brushing plane of the fixed part and the brushing plane of the movable part are inclined relative to the general plane of the upper face of the fixed part;
- the transverse articulation axis is located substantially mid-length of the head
- each groove is filled, at least partially, with an elastomerically elastically deformable material.
- FIG. 1 is a side view which shows a toothbrush according to the teachings of the invention in its rest state;
- - Figure 2 is a top view of the toothbrush of Figure 1;
- FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view from above which represents the head of the toothbrush of Figure 1, and on which the filaments or bristles have not been shown;
- - Figure 4 is an enlarged top view showing the head of the toothbrush of Figure 1;
- FIG. 5 is an enlarged bottom view showing the head of the toothbrush of Figure 1;
- FIG. 6 is a bottom view in enlarged perspective which shows the head of the toothbrush of Figure
- FIG. 7 is a side view which shows the head of the toothbrush of Fig ure 1 in its tilted down position;
- - Fig ure 8 is a view similar to the previous one which represents the head of the toothbrush of fig ure 1 in its tilted up position.
- Figures 1 and 2 There is shown in Figures 1 and 2 a toothbrush 1 0, produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention, in its rest state.
- the rest position of the toothbrush 10 is defined as being the relative position occupied by its different parts or portions when no force is applied to the brush 10.
- the toothbrush 10 has a handle 12 for gripping and handling which is oriented generally along a longitudinal axis X-X.
- the toothbrush 1 0 comprises , at the free front end of the handle 12, a brushing head 14.
- the head 14 In the rest state of the brush 10, the head 14 has substantially the shape of a plate extending in a longitudinal plane P, contained in the plane of FIG. 2, and delimiting two opposite faces, substantially parallel to each other, which will be arbitrarily designated as upper face 16 and as lower face 18.
- the top and bottom of the toothbrush 10 are arbitrarily defined according to whether one is placed, respectively, on the side of the upper face 16 or on the side of the lower face 18 of the head 14.
- the upper face 16 is here the face of the head 14 which carries flexible brushing elements 20d, 20p, 20f.
- the flexible brushing elements 20d, 20p, 20f are, for example, parallel filaments or bristles which extend perpendicular to the plane of the upper face 16 of the head
- the filaments 20d, 20p, 20f, intended for brushing the teeth may for example be made of a thermoplastic material of the polyamide or polyethylene type, but they may also be made of natural bristles or other similar elements.
- the head 14 comprises, at its rear proximal end, that is to say on the side of the handle 12, a fixed part 22 and, at its distal or apical end, front, a mobile part 24.
- the fixed part 22 is a U-shaped fork which has two branches 26, 28 which are substantially parallel and longitudinal and whose central or transverse branch 27 is connected to the body of the handle 12.
- the fork 22 has tufts 30 of fixed brushing filaments 20f which are distributed regularly over its entire upper face 32.
- the free ends of the fixed filaments 20f define an upper brushing plane 34, or fixed brushing plane.
- the movable part 24 is mounted elastically articulated, at the free end 36, 38 of each branch 26, 28 of the fork
- the movable part 24 comprises a central branch 40 which is received with clearance inside the fork 22, between the longitudinal branches 26, 28, and a block 42 of apical end which extends the central branch 40 longitudinally, au- beyond the free ends 36, 38 of the longitudinal branches 26, 28 of the fork 22, in the longitudinal plane P.
- the central branch 40 and the block 42 of apical end form a generally rigid assembly.
- the U-shaped slot 41 which separates the fork 22 and the central branch 40, has edges 45 opposite one another with a corrugated profile, along the longitudinal plane P, which makes it possible to optimize the transverse width of the head 14 in order to avoid the part bursting during stacking.
- the movable part 24 and the fork 22 are substantially coplanar and contained in the longitudinal plane P.
- the movable part 24 has tufts 30 of filaments 20p, 20d of brushing which are distributed regularly over its entire upper face 44.
- the central branch 40 carries proximal filaments 20p and the apical end block 42 carries apical filaments 20d.
- the free ends of the filaments 20p, 20d of the mobile part 24 delimit an upper brushing plane 46, or mobile brushing plane.
- the mobile brushing plane 46 in the rest state of the brush 10, is substantially parallel to the fixed brushing plane 34, and the average altitude of the fixed brushing plane 34 is less than 1 average altitude of the mobile brushing plane 46.
- the fixed 34 and movable brushing planes 46 are inclined at an angle ⁇ relative to the plane of the upper face 16 of the head 14, that is to say here relative to the longitudinal plane P, so that the altitude of the filaments 20f, 20p, 20d of each brushing plane 34, 46 decreases progressively from the proximal end of the head 14 towards its apical end.
- Each free end 36, 38 of a longitudinal branch 26, 28 of the fork 22 is linked to the apical end block 42 by a hinge 48, 50 of elastic articulation.
- the fork 22 and the movable part 24 of the head 14 are molded together in one piece with at least part of the handle 12 of the brush 10, for example made of polypropylene.
- Each hinge 48, 50 is a film 49, 51 which is produced by means of a transverse groove 52, 54 produced in the lower face 1 8 of the head 14.
- each transverse groove 52, 54 is generally V-shaped and it has two longitudinally opposite faces, respectively a rear-facing face 58, 60 and a forward-facing face 62, 64.
- each groove is generally V-shaped and it has two longitudinally opposite faces, respectively a rear-facing face 58, 60 and a forward-facing face 62, 64.
- the two transverse grooves 52, 54 are connected by a groove 53, of shallow depth, which is formed in the underside 43 of the block 42 of apical end and which is filled with the same elastomeric material as the grooves 52, 54.
- the groove 53 by communicating the two grooves 52, 54 between them, allows, during the manufacture of the brush 10, to fill the two grooves 52, 54 simultaneously with a single lateral injection of elastomeric material, on one side of the head 14.
- the groove 53 also draws a decorative pattern, here in the form of an M, on the underside 43 of a block 42 of apical end.
- connection between the movable part 24 and the fork 22 has a low bending stiffness around the transverse axis YY, which is not compensated by the fillings 56, 57 of elastomer.
- the hinges 48, 50 therefore allow the movable part 24 to articulate, relative to the fork 22, about the transverse axis Y-Y.
- the fillings 56, 57 of elastomeric material serve to resiliently return the movable part 24 to its rest position Pr, which corresponds to the rest state of the brush 10, in which the movable part 24 is contained in the longitudinal plane P .
- the transverse axis YY is located at mid-length of the head 14 and, in the rest state of the brush 1 0, it crosses the apical end 66 of the central branch 40 of the movable part 24.
- the upper face 16 of the head 14 is devoid of filaments 20 and of grooves facing the hinges 48, 50, that is to say in the two articulation zones, transversely opposite, which in particular facilitates rinsing the head 14 after using the brush 10.
- the thickness of the films 49, 51 is insufficient to allow stacking, and the presence of tufts of filaments in this region of the head 14 could hinder the tilting of the head 14 around its transverse axis YY.
- the elastomeric material which fills the transverse grooves 52, 54 is chosen in particular for its flexibility properties, for its capacity to be injected and colored like an ordinary thermoplastic, for its capacity to allow a physicochemical bond with the material.
- plastic for example polypropylene or polyamide, used for molding the head 14, and for its compatibility with the legislation relating to materials in contact with foodstuffs.
- the central branch 40 and the fork 22 are wide enough, in the transverse direction, to carry several adjacent tufts 30 of filaments 20p, 20f.
- the central branch 40 here carries two parallel longitudinal rows of tufts 30 of proximal filaments 20p
- the fork 22 here carries a row of tufts 30 of fixed filaments 20f over its entire periphery, that is to say from the free end 36 d 'a longitudinal branch 26 to the free end 38 of the other longitudinal branch 28.
- the movable part 24 therefore tilts globally in the counterclockwise direction around the transverse axis Y-Y, relative to the fixed part 22 of the head 14, considering FIG. 7.
- each groove 52, 54 then moves away from the associated front face 62, 64, which causes an elastic stretching of the elastomeric material of each filling 56, 57, which then tends to regain its shape initial by resiliently recalling the mobile part 24 towards its rest position Pr, when the force on the head 14 is released.
- a support q which is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal plane P, and which is greater on the apical filaments 20d than on the proximal filaments 20p, then the movable part 24 pivots downward, around the transverse axis YY, that is to say that the apical end block 42 rocks downwards while the central branch 40 rocks upwards, as shown in Figure 8.
- the movable part 24 therefore switches overall in a clockwise direction around the transverse axis Y-Y, relative to the fixed part 22 of the head 14, considering FIG. 8.
- each groove 52, 54 then approaches the associated front face 62, 64, which causes elastic compression of the elastomeric material of each filling 56, 57, which then tends to return to its initial shape , by resiliently recalling the movable part 24 towards its rest position Pr, when the force on the head 14 is released.
- the reminder elastic is obtained thanks to the elastic characteristics of the material used for molding the brush 1 0 according to the invention.
- the difference in altitude between the fixed 34 and mobile 46 brushing planes allows the user to control the pivoting of the mobile part 24 as a function of the support which it exerts with the head 14 on its teeth.
- the support exerted on one side of the filaments 20d, 20p of the movable part 24, with respect to the 'YY transverse axis, causes its tilting so that it generally follows the curvature of the teeth.
- the fixed filaments 20f act more particularly when the central branch 40 rocks downward, in order to fulfill the brushing function in place of its proximal filaments 20p which tend to retract downwards.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (6)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE60108129T DE60108129T2 (en) | 2000-08-25 | 2001-08-21 | TOOTHBRUSH WITH JOINT HEAD AND PARALLEL SHIFTED BRUSH LEVELS |
AU2001285996A AU2001285996A1 (en) | 2000-08-25 | 2001-08-21 | Toothbrush with articulated head and parallel and offset brushing planes |
EP01965333A EP1311174B1 (en) | 2000-08-25 | 2001-08-21 | Toothbrush with articulated head and parallel and offset brushing planes |
DK01965333T DK1311174T3 (en) | 2000-08-25 | 2001-08-21 | Toothbrush with articulated head and with parallel and staggered brush plans |
SI200130309T SI1311174T1 (en) | 2000-08-25 | 2001-08-21 | Toothbrush with articulated head and parallel and offset brushing planes |
AT01965333T ATE285692T1 (en) | 2000-08-25 | 2001-08-21 | TOOTHBRUSH WITH JOINT HEAD AND PARALLEL-SHIFT BRUSH LEVELS |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
FR0010931A FR2813170B1 (en) | 2000-08-25 | 2000-08-25 | TOOTHBRUSH WITH ARTICULATED HEAD AND PARALLEL AND OFFSET BRUSH PLANS |
FR00/10931 | 2000-08-25 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2002015740A1 true WO2002015740A1 (en) | 2002-02-28 |
Family
ID=8853729
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/FR2001/002636 WO2002015740A1 (en) | 2000-08-25 | 2001-08-21 | Toothbrush with articulated head and parallel and offset brushing planes |
Country Status (8)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1311174B1 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE285692T1 (en) |
AU (1) | AU2001285996A1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE60108129T2 (en) |
ES (1) | ES2232657T3 (en) |
FR (1) | FR2813170B1 (en) |
PT (1) | PT1311174E (en) |
WO (1) | WO2002015740A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP1621105A1 (en) | 2004-07-31 | 2006-02-01 | Trisa Holding AG | Toothbrush having cavities |
US8578544B2 (en) | 2007-02-02 | 2013-11-12 | The Gillette Company | Oral hygiene implements having flexible elements, and methods of making the same |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE10219516A1 (en) * | 2002-04-30 | 2003-11-20 | Braun Gmbh | Method of making a toothbrush with a split brush head |
FR2855727B1 (en) | 2003-06-03 | 2006-12-01 | Moche Aslanov | TOOTHBRUSH COMPRISING MOBILE PARTS (A) AND (C) AND A FIXED PART (B) AND ACTIVE JOINT |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4488328A (en) * | 1983-01-24 | 1984-12-18 | Hyman Richard M | Floating head toothbrush |
US4691405A (en) | 1985-07-29 | 1987-09-08 | Reed Joseph C | Toothbrush having adjustable bristle-mounted tabs |
US5991958A (en) * | 1995-12-29 | 1999-11-30 | Colgate-Pamolive Company | Contouring toothbrush head |
EP0990401A1 (en) * | 1995-08-25 | 2000-04-05 | SmithKline Beecham Consumer Healthcare GmbH | Toothbrush |
-
2000
- 2000-08-25 FR FR0010931A patent/FR2813170B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2001
- 2001-08-21 AU AU2001285996A patent/AU2001285996A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2001-08-21 PT PT01965333T patent/PT1311174E/en unknown
- 2001-08-21 EP EP01965333A patent/EP1311174B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2001-08-21 ES ES01965333T patent/ES2232657T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2001-08-21 WO PCT/FR2001/002636 patent/WO2002015740A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 2001-08-21 AT AT01965333T patent/ATE285692T1/en active
- 2001-08-21 DE DE60108129T patent/DE60108129T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4488328A (en) * | 1983-01-24 | 1984-12-18 | Hyman Richard M | Floating head toothbrush |
US4691405A (en) | 1985-07-29 | 1987-09-08 | Reed Joseph C | Toothbrush having adjustable bristle-mounted tabs |
EP0990401A1 (en) * | 1995-08-25 | 2000-04-05 | SmithKline Beecham Consumer Healthcare GmbH | Toothbrush |
US5991958A (en) * | 1995-12-29 | 1999-11-30 | Colgate-Pamolive Company | Contouring toothbrush head |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP1621105A1 (en) | 2004-07-31 | 2006-02-01 | Trisa Holding AG | Toothbrush having cavities |
WO2006012938A2 (en) | 2004-07-31 | 2006-02-09 | Trisa Holding Ag | Toothbrush with recesses |
US8046864B2 (en) | 2004-07-31 | 2011-11-01 | Trisa Holding Ag | Toothbrush with recesses |
US8578544B2 (en) | 2007-02-02 | 2013-11-12 | The Gillette Company | Oral hygiene implements having flexible elements, and methods of making the same |
US9504312B2 (en) | 2007-02-02 | 2016-11-29 | The Gillette Company Llc | Oral hygiene implements having flexible elements, and methods of making the same |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP1311174B1 (en) | 2004-12-29 |
FR2813170B1 (en) | 2003-03-28 |
DE60108129D1 (en) | 2005-02-03 |
FR2813170A1 (en) | 2002-03-01 |
EP1311174A1 (en) | 2003-05-21 |
ES2232657T3 (en) | 2005-06-01 |
PT1311174E (en) | 2005-03-31 |
AU2001285996A1 (en) | 2002-03-04 |
DE60108129T2 (en) | 2005-12-08 |
ATE285692T1 (en) | 2005-01-15 |
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