US20120167324A1

US20120167324A1 - Toothbrush

Info

Publication number: US20120167324A1
Application number: US13/186,149
Authority: US
Inventors: Shou-Jen Huang
Original assignee: Acumen Co Ltd
Current assignee: Acumen Co Ltd
Priority date: 2011-01-04
Filing date: 2011-07-19
Publication date: 2012-07-05
Also published as: TWM413394U; DE202011103767U1

Abstract

A toothbrush has a bristle support head and a brush cluster. The bristle support head has a mounting surface having a long axis and a short axis. The brush cluster is mounted on the mounting surface of the bristle support head, and has at least one bristle column being parallel with the short axis of the mounting surface, at least one bristle row being parallel with the long axis of the mounting surface and intersecting with the at least one bristle column, and at least one bristle tuft mounted in multiple partitions respectively surrounded by the at least one bristle column and by the at least one bristle column and the at least one bristle row. With the above bristle structure, the toothbrush can effectively contact with the slits between teeth to clean the tartar in the slits.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toothbrush, and more particularly to a toothbrush effective in cleaning teeth.
2. Description of the Related Art
Toothbrushes are essential tools for oral hygiene. Good toothbrushes can raise the cleaning effect in brushing teeth and reduce the generation of tooth and gum diseases. With reference to FIG. 4, a conventional toothbrush has a support head 90. The support head 90 has a mounting surface 91 formed thereon. A plurality of bristle holes is formed in the mounting surface 91 in a staggered alignment. Multiple tufts of bristles 92 are respectively mounted in the bristle holes.
When the conventional toothbrush is used to brush teeth, each slit between teeth can be thoroughly cleaned only when multiple parallel tufts of bristles 92 align with the slit. However, as the tufts of bristles 92 are separately scattered on the mounting surface 91 at intervals, the contact surfaces of the tufts of bristles 92 with the slits are small and discontinuous and the tooth-cleaning effect of the conventional toothbrush is not as satisfactory as expected. As such, an improved toothbrush is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush effective in cleaning teeth.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the toothbrush has a bristle support head and a bristle cluster.
The bristle support head has a mounting surface having a long axis and a short axis defined on the mounting surface and intersecting with each other.
The brush cluster is securely mounted on the mounting surface of the bristle support head and has at least one column, at least one bristle row and at least one bristle tuft. The at least one bristle column is parallel with the short axis of the mounting surface. Each one of the at least one bristle column has multiple bristles densely mounted on the mounting surface. The at least one bristle row is parallel with the long axis of the mounting surface and intersects with the at least one bristle column. Each one of the at least one bristle row has multiple bristles densely mounted on the mounting surface. The at least one bristle tuft is mounted in multiple partitions respectively surrounded by the at least one bristle column and the at least one bristle row. Each one of the at least one bristle turf has multiple bristles densely mounted on the mounting surface.
Due to the densely mounted bristles on the mounting surface of the bristle support head, the at least one bristle column and the at least one bristle row can be thoroughly and frequently contacted with the slits between teeth. The at least one bristle column 21 intersecting with the at least one bristle row 22 is also effective in cleaning the tartar in the slits whenever the toothbrush is used to brush the teeth and the bristle support head is parallel with the long axis or the short axis.
Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toothbrush in accordance with the present invention;

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

FIG. 3 is a side view in partial section of the toothbrush in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a top view of a conventional toothbrush.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a toothbrush in accordance with the present invention has a bristle support head 10 and a bristle cluster 20.
The bristle support head 10 has a mounting surface 11. The mounting surface 11 has a long axis and a short axis defined on the mounting surface 11 and intersecting with each other.
The bristle cluster 20 is mounted on the mounting surface 11 of the bristle support head 10, and has at least one bristle column 21,21A, at least one bristle row 22 and at least one bristle tuft 23. The at least one bristle column 21,21A is parallel with the short axis of the mounting surface 11. The at least one bristle row 22 is parallel with the long axis of the mounting surface 11 and intersects with the at least one bristle column 21,21A. Each of the at least one bristle column 21,21A and the at least one bristle row 22 has multiple bristles densely mounted on the mounting surface 11. The at least one bristle tuft 23 is respectively mounted in multiple partitions respectively surrounded by the at least one bristle column 21,21A and the at least one bristle row 22. Each of the at least one bristle tuft 23 has multiple bristles densely mounted on the mounting surface 11. In the present embodiment, two additional bristle tufts 23 are respectively mounted on two ends of the bristle cluster 20, and two bristle columns 21 are respectively adjacent to the two bristle tufts 23 on the two ends of the bristle cluster 20, are arced and are roughly parallel with the short axis of the mounting surface 11. All other bristle columns 21A between the two arced bristle columns 21 are parallel with the short axis of the mounting surface 11.
The process of mounting the at least one bristle column 21,21A, the at least one bristle row 22 and the at least one bristle tuft 23 on the bristle support head 10 is described as follows. After multiple bristles are densely gathered to respectively form the at least one bristle column 21,21A, the at least one bristle row 22 and the at least one bristle tuft 23, the at least one bristle column 21,21A, the at least one bristle row 22 and the at least one bristle tuft 23 are placed in a plastic injection mold for forming the bristle support head 10 so that the at least one bristle column 21,21A, the at least one bristle row 22 and the at least one bristle tuft 23 are mounted securely on the bristle support head 10 after the plastic injection molding process is completed.
With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, in the present embodiment, the at least one bristle row 22 and the at least one bristle tuft 23 are of different heights, and free ends of the at least one bristle row 22 and the at least one bristle tuft 23 form an undulated brushing surface, so that the bristle cluster 20 can fit the teeth when brushing the teeth. The bristles of each of the at least one bristle tuft 23 may be divided into an outer layer 231, an intermediate layer 232 and an inner layer 233. The outer layer 231, the intermediate layer 232 and the inner layer 233 respectively have three hardness values increasing from outside in. With the combined hardness of the bristle turf 23, the brush can gently and effectively clean tartar on the teeth and prevent from hurting the teeth or gum so as to gently achieve the oral hygiene.
Because being densely mounted on the mounting surface 11 of the bristle support head 10 in columns or in rows, the bristles of each of the at least one bristle column 21,21A and the at least one bristle row 22 can be thoroughly and frequently contacted with the slits between teeth. In addition, because the at least one bristle column 21,21A and the at least one bristle row 22 intersect with each other, the at least one bristle column 21,21A and the at least one bristle row 22 can effectively contact with the slits between teeth to clean the tartar in the slits whenever the toothbrush is used to brush the teeth along a direction parallel with the long axis or the short axis of the bristle support head 10.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A toothbrush comprising:

a bristle support head having a mounting surface having a long axis and a short axis defined on the mounting surface and intersecting with each other;

a brush cluster securely mounted on the mounting surface of the bristle support head, and having:

at least one bristle column being parallel with the short axis of the mounting surface, each one of the at least one bristle column having multiple bristles densely mounted on the mounting surface;

at least one bristle row being parallel with the long axis of the mounting surface and intersecting with the at least one bristle column, each one of the at least one bristle row having multiple bristles densely mounted on the mounting surface, and a free end; and

at least one bristle tuft respectively mounted in multiple partitions respectively surrounded by the at least one bristle column and by the at least one bristle column and the at least one bristle row, each one of the at least one bristle turf having multiple bristles densely mounted on the mounting surface, and a free end.

2. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 further comprising two additional bristle tufts respectively formed on two ends of the bristle cluster.

3. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one bristle row and the at least one bristle tuft are of different heights, and the free ends of the at least one bristle row and the at least one bristle tuft form an undulated brushing surface.

4. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 3, wherein the toothbrush has multiple bristle columns, two of the bristle columns are respectively adjacent to the two bristle tufts on the two ends of the bristle cluster, and are arced and parallel with the short axis of the mounting surface, and all other bristle columns between the two arced bristle columns are parallel with the short axis of the mounting surface.

5. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bristles of each of the at least one bristle tuft and the two additional bristle tufts are divided into an outer layer, an intermediate layer and an inner layer, and the outer layer, the intermediate layer and the inner layer respectively have three hardness values increasing from outside in.