HK1080698B - Toothbrush - Google Patents

Description

Tooth brush

Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to a hand-held toothbrush including a handle and a head. With conventional manual toothbrushes, cleaning elements, such as tufts of bristles, are mounted on the head. When toothpaste is applied to the cleaning elements, the user places the head in the mouth and brushes the teeth in a known manner.

Background

Typically, the toothbrush head is a one-piece structure that is elongated and symmetrical in shape on either side of the longitudinal centerline. Typically, the head includes fixed bristles extending outwardly from one surface of the head. Attempts have been made to provide additional flexibility to the bristles during use of the toothbrush by allowing some movement of the bristles. For example, a number of patents disclose the use of a pivot or ball joint mounted on the head of the toothbrush to allow such movement. For example, U.S. Pat. No.5,491,866 discloses an articulating toothbrush wherein the handle and head are connected by a pivot joint. All of the bristles are mounted on a pivoting head. U.S. patent No.3,398,421 discloses a toothbrush in which the head includes a pair of holders, each held by a ball member; alternatively, a single ball member is used for all of the cages. The head does not include other bristles. A similar method is disclosed in the patent abstract of japanese laid-open No. 06327517.

Another approach is to have a plurality of bristle sets mounted individually secured to respective ball members, such as disclosed in U.S. patent No.2,263,802 and russian patent SU 1752336. The head includes unfixed bristles. A similar method is used for hair brushes, disclosed in us patent No.4,114,222.

U.S. patent No.4,654,922 discloses a toothbrush with a universal joint for two outwardly positioned sections of the head with longitudinally disposed joints. Thus, the head portion actually includes two separate portions that extend outwardly from the head portion. The head itself may also be connected to the handle by a ratchet ball.

U.S. patent No.6,088,870 discloses a toothbrush having flexibly mounted bristles mounted on an elastomeric grid.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a toothbrush wherein the head of the toothbrush, in addition to the stationary cleaning elements, includes cleaning elements, such as bristles, mounted on a ball joint to provide an additional degree of motion.

According to the invention, an elongated head is connected to the end of the handle. The head has an outer surface from which a plurality of cleaning elements extend. In addition, the head includes an additional set of cleaning elements mounted on a ball joint that is substantially perpendicular to the outer surface so that the cleaning elements can move in various directions, including along the longitudinal axis of the head.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the ball joint is located below the outer surface of the head. The ball joint includes an outwardly extending stem that is initially perpendicular to the outer surface of the head. A holder for the cleaning elements is mounted to the rod. The lever is surrounded by an elastic material to urge the lever to return to its original position.

The ball joint may be mounted to the head as a separate component that snaps into place, or may be accessed into the cavity of the head by a flexible, resilient rubber body. The ball joint may be assembled via an insert molding method.

Specifically, the present invention provides a toothbrush comprising a handle, an elongated head mounted to said handle, said head having an outer surface, said head having a longitudinal axis, said head having a first portion to which fixed cleaning elements are mounted and which extends outwardly from said outer surface, said head having a second portion to which is mounted a ball joint, said ball joint comprising a holder, cleaning elements mounted to said holder and extending in an outwardly direction from said outer surface, said ball joint having an initial position substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, and said ball joint being movable away from said initial position in response to contact of said cleaning elements with a user's teeth, whereby said holder and said ball joint cleaning elements are also movable; wherein the head comprises a biasing structure that urges the ball joint back to the initial position; wherein the head comprises a resilient material disposed against the ball joint to constitute the biasing structure; wherein the ball joint comprises a rod, the cage is mounted to the rod, and the resilient material is disposed against the rod; wherein the head comprises a socket into which the ball joint is mounted by snapping; wherein the ball joint extends completely through the head, a portion of the ball joint being exposed from a surface of the head opposite the outer surface; wherein the head includes a recess on a surface opposite the outer surface thereof in which the exposed portion of the ball joint is located, the outer surface of the head having a groove through which the stem extends, the resilient material being a rubber material filling the groove.

The present invention provides a toothbrush comprising a handle, an elongated head mounted to said handle, said head having an outer surface, said head having a longitudinal axis, said head having a first portion to which fixed cleaning elements are mounted and extending outwardly from said outer surface, said head having a second portion to which is mounted a ball joint, said ball joint comprising a holder, cleaning elements mounted to said holder and extending in an outward direction from said outer surface, said ball joint having an initial position substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and being movable away from said initial position in response to contact of said cleaning elements with a user's teeth, whereby said holder and cleaning elements of said ball joint are also movable; wherein the head comprises a biasing structure that urges the ball joint back to the initial position; wherein the head comprises a resilient material disposed against the ball joint to constitute the biasing structure; wherein the ball joint comprises a rod, the cage is mounted to the rod, and the resilient material is disposed against the rod; wherein the outer surface comprises a recess, a resilient pad mounted in the recess, the resilient pad being comprised of the resilient material, the resilient pad comprising an opening through which the rod extends.

The present invention provides a toothbrush comprising a handle, an elongated head mounted to said handle, said head having an outer surface, a seat in said head disposed at said outer surface, a ball joint movably mounted in said seat within said outer surface, a recess in said outer surface in communication with said seat, a stem extending from said ball joint through said recess and at least to said outer surface, said ball joint and said stem having an initial position in which said stem is substantially perpendicular to said outer surface, a holder mounted to said stem, cleaning elements mounted to said holder and projecting outwardly from said outer surface, said ball joint and said stem being movable away from said initial position in response to contact of said cleaning elements with a user's teeth, and a biasing structure disposed in said recess against said stem, to push the lever to the initial position.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toothbrush according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the toothbrush shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the toothbrush shown in FIGS. 1-2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but with a different phase of operation;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 4-5 of an alternative form of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the alternative form shown in FIG. 6; and

fig. 8 is a front view of another toothbrush according to the present invention.

Detailed Description

The present invention relates to a toothbrush for insertion into a mouth in use. Although the drawings show a manually operated toothbrush, it should be understood that the teachings of the present invention may also be incorporated into a power operated or powered toothbrush wherein, for example, a portion of the toothbrush head is oscillated, such as by a drive of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No.5,625,916, the entire details of which are incorporated herein by reference. Such a toothbrush should include at least one oscillating or rotating section and should also include at least one section in which the cleaning elements are mounted to a ball joint as described below.

Fig. 1-3 illustrate a toothbrush 10 according to the present invention. As shown, toothbrush 10 includes a handle 12 and a head 14. Head 14 includes a stationary portion 16 having an outer surface 18 from which various cleaning elements 19, 20 extend. The head 14 also includes a portion having a ball joint 22 of cleaning elements 24 proximate the handle 12. The use of the ball joint 22 when using bristles as cleaning elements introduces an additional degree of motion in addition to bending the bristle filaments.

The ball joint 22 may be mounted to the head 14 by any suitable means. For example, fig. 4 shows a seat 26 located in a recess 28 on the underside of head 14, i.e., the underside opposite outer surface 18. The ball joint 22 includes a neck or stem 30 connected to a retainer 32, and a cleaning element 24 mounted on the retainer 32. The stem 30 may be surrounded by a resilient material 34 to fill the opening in the head 14 necessary to accommodate the ball joint while still allowing for the general movement of the ball joint 22.

As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom end of the retainer 32 is recessed to compensate for the convex outer surfaces of the elastomer 34 and the head 14 to facilitate pivoting of the retainer 32. Also shown, the ball joint 22, rod 30 and cage 32 are integral.

Fig. 5 shows the ball joint 22 in its use, the ball joint 22 pivoting in a direction towards the handle 12.

A benefit of having a rubber material, such as rubber material 34 or elastomeric pad 38, integrated around the stem 30 of the ball joint 22 (fig. 6) is that the rubber body 34 or 38 provides additional movement during the return of the ball joint 22 to its initial rest position in which the stem 30 is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis or outer surface of the head 14.

Fig. 6-7 illustrate an alternative way of mounting the ball joint 22. As shown, a substantially spherical seat 36 is formed in head 14. An elastic pad made of a rubber body 38 is mounted on the seat 36. The holder 32 has depending ribs 40 that press against the pads 38. When assembled, the ball joint 22 snaps into place through a central hole in the gasket 38. The ribs 40 contact the pads 38 when the ball joint 22 is in the seat 36. As an alternative to the ball joint structure being formed as a separate component, the ball joint may be incorporated into the head 14 by insert molding.

In the embodiment of fig. 1-5 and 6-7, ball joint 22 is trapped below the outer surface of head 14. Cleaning elements 32 are provided on the outer surface and are mounted for pivoting movement by their connection to the rod 30. Rod 30 is surrounded by a rubber material 34 or rubber pad 38 to bias rod 30 to its initial position perpendicular to the outer surface of head 14.

Although figures 1-3 show the ball joint 22 and its cleaning elements 24 as being located between the fixed portion 16 and the handle 12, other arrangements are possible, such as having additional fixed portions on opposite sides of the ball joint 22, or a ball joint located at the distal end and a fixed portion located between the ball joint and the handle. Also, although fig. 1-3 show only a single ball joint, the present invention may have multiple ball joints.

As best shown in fig. 3, the cleaning elements 20 are positioned along the periphery of the fixed portion 16 in a substantially U-shaped pattern. Cleaning elements 19 are located within the U-shape. Cleaning elements 19 are shorter than cleaning elements 20 so that the ends of cleaning elements 19, 20 form a cupped outer surface to help retain dentifrice on the cleaning elements. Cleaning elements 19 may be tufts of bristles while cleaning elements 20 may be in-molded technology bristles.

If desired, as shown in FIG. 2, the outer surface 18 of head 14 may include a recessed depression 46 to receive a complementary shaped surface 44 of the ball joint structure. As shown in fig. 4, the outer surface 18 may alternatively have a convex protrusion that can receive a complementary shaped recess of the ball joint structure. These complementary surfaces facilitate smooth movement of the ball joint retainer 32.

As shown in fig. 4-5, the outer surface of head 14 includes a recess 29 through which a rod 30 protrudes. The shape and size of the recess 29 controls or limits the degree to which the cleaning element 24 can pivot. In that regard, where head 14 is made substantially of conventional hard plastic, the edges of the recess act as stops to limit the extent of pivoting movement of the ball joint structure. For example, FIG. 5 shows the ball joint structure pivoted to near its limit, and continued movement of the rod 30 will contact the edge of the recess 29.

As shown in fig. 6, head 14 includes a recess 43 in which pad 38 is mounted. The degree of pivoting permitted for the ball joint structure may be controlled by the size and dimensions of the various components. Thus, when the cage 32 contacts the outer surface 18, the outer surface of the head 14 prevents further pivoting action of the ball joint.

As shown in fig. 4-5, the rubber material 34 completely fills the open area in the recess 29 and, thus, effectively acts as a biasing means to urge the ball joint 22 back to its initial position substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the head 14.

Although the cleaning elements 20 are shown in fig. 3 as a single row of bristle tufts, it should be understood that the cleaning elements may be arranged in multiple rows. In the exemplary embodiment shown, it is necessary that there should be an opening area for receiving the cleaning elements 19.

Any suitable form of cleaning elements may be used as cleaning elements 19, 20 and 24. The term "cleaning elements" is intended to be used in a broad sense and includes conventional fiber bristles or massage elements or other forms of cleaning elements such as rubber fingers or walls of circular cross-section, or any desired shaped type arrangement including straight portions or undulating curved portions. In the case of bristles, the bristles could be mounted to tuft blocks or sections by extending through suitable openings in the tuft blocks so that the base of the bristles is mounted within or below the tuft block.

It should be understood that the particular cleaning elements shown are for exemplary purposes only. The present invention may be practiced with various combinations of the same or different cleaning element configurations (e.g., stapled together or injection molded bristles, etc.) and/or with the same bristles or cleaning element materials (e.g., nylon bristles, spiral bristles, rubber bristles, etc.). Likewise, although the cleaning elements are shown in FIG. 2 as being substantially perpendicular to the outer surface 18 of the head 14, some or all of the cleaning elements may be angled at various angles with respect to the outer surface of the head 14. The structure, material and orientation of the cleaning elements can thus be selected to achieve specific desired results for additional oral health benefits, such as increased cleaning tooth polishing, tooth whitening and/or massaging of the gums.

Although figures 1-7 illustrate a manually operated toothbrush, the invention may also be practiced with a head that includes one or more electrically or electronically operated movable sections that hold cleaning elements. Such movable part may oscillate in a rotational manner or may oscillate linearly in a longitudinal direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the head or may oscillate linearly in a lateral or transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the head. The movable portion can oscillate in and out in a direction toward and away from the outer surface of the head. The movable portion may rock back and forth relative to the outer surface of the head. The movable portion may rotate continuously in the same direction, other than oscillating. Any suitable drive mechanism may be used to impart the desired movement to the movable portion. Where multiple movable portions are used, all of the movable portions may have the same type and direction of movement, or a combination of different movements may be used.

Figure 8 shows a toothbrush 10A which includes an electrically driven movable disc or section 50 having cleaning elements. The movable portion 50 may be rotationally oscillated, such as by using a drive mechanism of the type shown in U.S. patent No.5,625,916, or may be moved in and out using a drive mechanism of the type shown in U.S. patent No. re35,941, the entire details of which are incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, the other types of drives mentioned above may move the section 50 in other manners and directions. Although FIG. 8 shows movable section 50 at the distal end of the head, the movable section or sections can be located at any desired location on the head.

It should be understood that toothbrush 10 or 10A provides a head in which there is an additional degree of movement of the cleaning elements. This additional degree of movement is achieved by providing the cleaning elements on the ball joint structure in a manner that they are free to move in substantially any direction from their initial non-use position.

Claims (14)

1. A toothbrush comprising a handle, an elongated head mounted to said handle, said head having an outer surface, said head having a longitudinal axis, said head having a first portion with fixed cleaning elements mounted thereto and extending outwardly from said outer surface, said head having a second portion with a ball joint mounted to said second portion, said ball joint comprising a holder, cleaning elements mounted to said holder and extending in a direction outwardly from said outer surface, said ball joint having an initial position substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, and said ball joint being movable away from said initial position in response to contact of said cleaning elements with a user's teeth, whereby said holder and cleaning elements of said ball joint are also movable;

wherein the head comprises a biasing structure that urges the ball joint back to the initial position;

wherein the head comprises a resilient material disposed against the ball joint to constitute the biasing structure;

wherein the ball joint comprises a rod, the cage is mounted to the rod, and the resilient material is disposed against the rod;

wherein the head comprises a socket into which the ball joint is mounted by snapping;

wherein the ball joint extends completely through the head, a portion of the ball joint being exposed from a surface of the head opposite the outer surface;

wherein the head includes a recess on a surface opposite the outer surface thereof in which the exposed portion of the ball joint is located, the outer surface of the head having a groove through which the stem extends, the resilient material being a rubber material filling the groove.

2. A toothbrush comprising a handle, an elongated head mounted to said handle, said head having an outer surface, said head having a longitudinal axis, said head having a first portion with stationary cleaning elements mounted thereto and extending outwardly from said outer surface, said head having a second portion with a ball joint mounted thereto, said ball joint comprising a holder, cleaning elements mounted to said holder to extend in a direction outwardly from said outer surface, said ball joint having an initial position substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, and said ball joint being movable away from said initial position in response to contact of said cleaning elements with a user's teeth, whereby said holder and cleaning elements of said ball joint are also movable;

wherein the head comprises a biasing structure that urges the ball joint back to the initial position;

wherein the head comprises a resilient material disposed against the ball joint to constitute the biasing structure;

wherein the ball joint comprises a rod, the cage is mounted to the rod, and the resilient material is disposed against the rod;

wherein the outer surface comprises a recess, a resilient pad mounted in the recess, the resilient pad being comprised of the resilient material, the resilient pad comprising an opening through which the rod extends.

3. The toothbrush of claim 2 wherein said ball joint is mounted in a socket in said head and said holder has a plurality of downwardly extending ribs disposed against said elastomeric pad.

4. The toothbrush of claim 2 wherein said holder and said resilient material have arcuate contact surfaces.

5. The toothbrush of claim 2 wherein said first portion of cleaning elements comprises a first group of cleaning elements arranged in a generally U-shaped pattern, and a second group of cleaning elements arranged within said U-shaped pattern.

6. The toothbrush of claim 5 wherein said first set of cleaning elements extend a greater distance from said outer surface than said second set of cleaning elements.

7. The toothbrush of claim 2 wherein said first portion of cleaning elements are tufts of bristles.

8. The toothbrush of claim 2 wherein said ball joint cleaning elements are bristle tufts.

9. A toothbrush comprising a handle, an elongated head mounted to said handle, said head having an outer surface, a seat in said head disposed at said outer surface, a ball joint movably mounted in said seat within said outer surface, a recess in said outer surface in communication with said seat, a stem extending from said ball joint through said recess and to at least said outer surface, said ball joint and said stem having an initial position in which said stem is substantially perpendicular to said outer surface, a holder mounted to said stem, cleaning elements mounted to said holder and projecting outwardly from said outer surface, said ball joint and said stem being movable away from said initial position in response to contact of said cleaning elements with a user's teeth, and a biasing structure disposed in said recess against said stem, to push the lever to the initial position.

10. The toothbrush of claim 9 wherein said biasing structure is a resilient material surrounding said stem.

11. The toothbrush of claim 10 wherein said resilient material is a rubber material.

12. The toothbrush of claim 11 wherein said holder and said resilient material have arcuate contact surfaces.

13. The toothbrush of claim 10 wherein said resilient material is an elastomeric pad.

14. The toothbrush of claim 9 wherein said cleaning elements are bristles.