Toothbrush

Abstract

A toothbrush includes an elongate handle stem and a brush head which is connected to the handle stem. The brush head carries a bristle array which contains a plurality of bristle bundles which, in order to improve the cleaning effect, in particular in the interdental spaces, have a plurality of bristle bundles attached to an outer edge of the bristle array, which have a diameter of between 0.8 and 1.2 mm and/or are formed from microfilaments with a diameter of 4 to 6 mils, the usage end of which tapers to a tip.

Claims

1. A toothbrush having an elongate handle stem and a brush head connected to the handle stem, the brush head carrying a bristle array including a plurality of bristle bundles, wherein a plurality of bristle bundles arranged at an outer edge of the bristle array have a diameter of between 0.8 and 1.2 mm, or are formed from microfilaments with a diameter of 4 to 6 mils, or have a diameter of between 0.8 and 1.2 mm and are formed from microfilaments with a diameter of 4 to 6 mils, a usage end of the microfilaments being tapered to a tip, and wherein the brush head has a one-piece base body which forms a surface through which the bristle bundles project, and in that the bristle bundles having a diameter of between 0.8 and 1.2 mm, or formed of microfilaments having a diameter between 4 and 6 mils, or have a diameter of between 0.8 and 1.2 mm and are formed from microfilaments with a diameter of 4 to 6 mils, project through surface segments which are higher than those surface segments projected through by conventional bristle bundles formed from filaments having a diameter of 5 to 8 mils.

2. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein all the bristle bundles forming the outer edge of the bristle array have a diameter of between 0.8 and 1.2 mm and/or are formed from microfilaments with a diameter of 4 to 6 mils, which are tapered to a tip at their usage end.

3. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the bristle bundles forming the outer edge of the bristle array are provided between 0.8 and 1.2 mm away from an outer contour of the brush head.

4. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein an edge of the brush head, which determines an outer contour of the brush head and extends at right angles from the surface through which the bristle bundles project, is provided at least partially with a soft-elastic overmolding.

5. The toothbrush according to claim 4, wherein the soft-elastic overmolding is formed in one piece with soft-elastic cleaning elements which project beyond the surface.

6. The toothbrush according to claim 4, wherein the soft-elastic overmolding forms a profiling shaped as a tongue cleaner on the surface through which the bristle bundles project.

7. The toothbrush according to claim 6, wherein the brush head carries a first and a second bristle array, wherein the first and the second bristle array are spatially separated from each other and have a plurality of bristle bundles respectively arranged at an outer edge of the respective bristle array which have a diameter of between 0.8 mm and 1.2 mm, or which are formed from microfilaments with a diameter of 4 to 6 mils and are tapered to a tip at usage ends of the microfilaments, or which have a diameter of between 0.8 and 1.2 mm and are formed from microfilaments with a diameter of 4 to 6 mils and are tapered to a tip at usage ends of the microfilaments.

8. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the bristle array comprises at least two circle segments formed with a center angle (α, β) of at least 200°, forming a uniform bristle array and formed of bristle bundles.

9. The toothbrush according to claim 8, wherein the circle segments comprise at least two bristle filament ring segments formed with a center angle (α, β) of at least 200°.

10. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the usage ends of the bristle filaments, which are tapered to a tip on the usage end, are dyed.

11. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the bristle bundles provided at the outer edge of the bristle array have filaments which are longer by a factor of 1.05 to 1.4 than longest filaments of the remaining bristle bundles of the bristle array.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further details and advantages of the present invention result from the following description of an embodiment in connection with the drawing.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view of a brush head of a first embodiment of a toothbrush according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic top view of a brush head of a second embodiment of a toothbrush according to the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic top view of a brush head of a third embodiment of a toothbrush according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic top view of a brush head of a fourth embodiment of a toothbrush according to the invention;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a side view of the embodiment of a toothbrush according to the invention shown in FIG. 4;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a schematic top view of a brush head of a fifth embodiment of a toothbrush according to the invention;

(8) FIG. 7 shows a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6;

(9) FIG. 8 shows a schematic side view of a sixth embodiment of a toothbrush according to the invention and

(10) FIG. 9 shows a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment that is modified compared to FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(11) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a toothbrush having a base body 2 formed by a hard component, the base body 2 forming an incompletely shown handle stem 4 and a brush head 6 having a surface 10 projected through by bristle bundles 18. The bristle bundles, which are always marked with reference numeral 8, follow specific requirements which are explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

(12) The brush head 6 in the embodiment shown is formed by three basically circular and interlocking disc segments 12, 14, 16 whose diameter increases from front to back. The first disc segment 12 then has a smaller diameter than the second disc segment 14, which in turn has a smaller diameter than the third disc segment 16. The first disc segment 12 is equipped with a large circular bristle bundle 18, which is formed from conventional filaments with a diameter of 5 to 8 mils and is the only bristle bundle of the first disc segment 12.

(13) The second and third disc segments 14, 16 are each provided with an arrangement of bristle bundles 8 arranged concentrically with respect to each other, wherein a bundle arrangement provided on the second disc segment 14 carries two circular bristle arrays 22, 23 and the third disc segment 16 carries three such circular bristle arrays 24, 25, 26. The respective outer circular bristle array 22 and 24 is formed by bristle bundles 36 having a diameter of between 0.8 and 1.2 mm and being formed of microfilaments having a diameter of not more than 6 mils. This outer bundle array 22, 24 concentrically surrounds bundle arrays 23, 25, and 26 which are formed by conventional bristle bundles 38, 40 and 42, respectively. The bristle filaments forming the bristle bundles 36 have a maximum length of 14 mm. The conventional bristle bundles are between 9 and 11 mm long. This length is measured from the surface 10 projected through by the bristle bundles to the ends of the bristle bundles on the usage end. In some embodiments, the bristle bundles 36, 50, 62 provided at the outer edge of the bristle array have filaments which are longer by a factor of 1.05 to 1.4 than the longest filaments of the remaining bristle bundles 38, 40, 42, 52, 54, 64 of the bristle array. Bristle bundles 38 and 40 also have a diameter of between 1.2 and 0.8 mm.

(14) In the top view according to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the brush head 6 has an approximately 8-shaped configuration, whereby the two disc segments 30, 32 forming this configuration have different diameters of the brush head 6. The diameter of the front disc segment 30 is smaller by a factor of 0.8 to 0.95 than the diameter of the rear disc segment 32. An imaginary circumferential line 34 completes this rear disc segment 32 to form a circular disc. Following the contour of the circular disc, a plurality of concentric rings R1 to R4 of bristle bundles 36, 38, 40, 42 are provided, which together with a central bristle bundle 44 form a first bristle array 46. The central bristle bundle 44 is the only bristle bundle in the center of this concentric arrangement of rings R1 to R4.

(15) The front disc segment 30 is equipped with three rings R1 to R3 of bristle bundles 50, 52, 54 to form a second bristle array 48. As with the rear disc segment 32, the rings R1 to R3 are also provided concentrically to each other. The rings R1 to R3 are circular in each case. The innermost ring R3 has only two bristle bundles 54. The projection marked with reference numeral 56 in FIG. 2, i.e. the part of surface 10 of brush head 6 that protrudes beyond the outer ring R1 on the outside, is approximately 0.8 mm. This projection 56 is constant in the convex areas of a circumferential edge 28. In the area of a draw-in 60 of the brush head 6 there is no bristle bundle between the two bristle arrays 46, 48. The draw-in 60 forms an edge with a concave circumferential surface. The remaining part of the brush head 6 has a convex edge 28.

(16) All bristle bundles form a cleaning-active surface of the toothbrush with their ends on the usage side. This cleaning-active surface is convexly curved for the first bristle array 46 in side view. In other words, the bristle bundles 36 to 44 of the first bristle array 46 central in the longitudinal extension have a greater length than the front and rear bristle bundles, independent of the assignment of the respective bristle bundles 36 to 44 to their respective rings R1 to R4. The front bristle array 48 is also curved in a corresponding manner, whereby this front bristle array forms a cleaning-active surface which rises slightly towards the front. The cleaning-active surface of the second bristle array 48 is inclined forward by about 10 to 20° in side view, so that the bristle bundles 50 to 54 arranged in longitudinal direction at the free end of the brush head 6 have a greater length than the bristle bundles of the second bristle array 48 arranged towards the first bristle array 46.

(17) The cleaning-active surface of the second bristle array 48 is only slightly convex curved. Longitudinal sections through the second bristle array 48, i.e. sectional views transverse to the longitudinal extension of the handle stem 4, show a flat, cleaning-active surface formed by the second bristle array 48.

(18) On the other hand, the first bristle array 46 also has a contouring in the cross-sectional view. The contouring is concave. In other words, the bristle bundles (e.g. 44) in the center of the cross-sectional view are shorter than the outer bristle bundles (e.g. 36 in a cross-sectional view through the center of the first bristle array 46). The outer bristle bundles protrude a few tenths of a millimeter ( 2/10 to 8/10 mm) beyond the central bristle bundles.

(19) The bristle bundles 38-42 arranged on the rings R2 to R4 of the first bristle array 46 and also the bristle bundle 44 or the bristle bundles 50-54 arranged on the rings R2 to R3 of the second bristle array 48 are conventional. The conventional bristle bundles are all identically formed. The bristle bundles 36 and 50 arranged on the outer rings R1 each consist of microfilaments with a diameter of 6 mils, which are tapered at their usage ends. The usage ends of these microfilaments project beyond the usage end filaments of the remaining bristle bundles of the first and second bristle array 46, 48.

(20) FIG. 2 shows a center angle of the front disc segment 30 with α. The angle α is about 270°. For the rear disc segment 32 a corresponding center angle is drawn with β. This center angle β is about 290°. The boundary lines of the front and rear disc segments 30, 32 intersect in the area of the draw-in 56.

(21) The respective rings R1 to R4 or R1 to R3 are each designed as circumferentially closed rings. Thus the first and second bristle arrays 46, 48 each have a center angle of 360°.

(22) While in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 the bristle bundles formed from microfilaments are each completely provided as the last ring R1 of the two ring-shaped bristle arrays 46, 48, a slightly different design results for the embodiment shown in FIG. 3.

(23) In this embodiment, the bristles have a wrapping of bristle bundles 62, which are formed by microfilaments with a diameter of 6 mils, wherein the microfilaments of the bristle bundles 62 are tapered to a tip at their usage end and are thus “tapered”. Inner bristle bundles 64, surrounded by these outer bristle bundles 62, form a flat cleaning-active surface extending parallel to the surface 10. The ends of the outer bristle bundles 62 protrude over this cleaning active surface.

(24) The bristle arrangement of the embodiment according to FIG. 3 shows three fully circumferentially provided circular bristle arrays 66, 68, 70 formed from the conventional bristle bundles 64. The circular bristle array 66 close to the handle stem is surrounded by outer bristle bundles 62 of microfilaments lying on a ring segment RS1 over a center angle of about 270°, so that a circle segment shaped bristle array 72 formed from the bristle bundles 62 of microfilaments and the conventional bristle bundles 64 with a center angle of 270° is obtained. A similar picture can be seen on the front bristle array 70, which realizes a circle segmented bristle array 72 formed by the outer bristle bundles 62 made of microfilaments which are only partially circumferentially provided. The outer bristle bundles 62, which are only partially circumferentially provided, lie on a ring segment RS2 with a center angle of 230°. The circle segment bristle array 74 has a center angle of 230°.

(25) The central circular bristle array 64, formed by the conventional bristle bundles 60, has no outer bristle bundles 62, which are provided in the form of segments of a circle and formed of microfilaments, but two outer bristle bundles 62, formed of microfilaments, are located diametrically opposite each other on the outer ring R1 of the central bristle array 68.

(26) In some embodiments, the bristle bundles 36, 50, 62 provided at the outer edge of the bristle array have filaments which are longer by a factor of 1.05 to 1.4 than the longest filaments of the remaining bristle bundles 38, 40, 42, 44, 52, 54, 64 of the bristle array.

(27) In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, double rows of conventional bristle bundles 64 alternate with rows of bristle bundles 62 formed of microfilaments in the longitudinal direction of the handle stem 4, extending at right angles to its longitudinal extension. Their bristle bundles are also located at the outer edge of the bristle array. The diameters of the individual bristle bundles 62 are identical (0.8 mm to 1.2 mm). However, the bristle bundles formed from the microfilaments are longer, i.e. the distance between the ends of these bristle bundles 62 on the usage end is further away from the surface 10 projected through by the bristle bundles than the end of the conventional bristle bundles 64 (cf. FIG. 5). FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate that between two relatively adjacent rows of microfilament bristle bundles 62 there are two parallel rows of conventional bristle bundles 64. The microfilament bristle bundles 62 have the same length and a much greater length than the conventional bristle bundles 64, whose diameter is between 1.5 and 1.9 mm.

(28) FIGS. 6 and 7 show a modified embodiment with alternating rows of microfilament bristle bundles 62 and conventional bristle bundles 64. Here, too, the rows extend at right angles to the longitudinal extension of the handle stem 4. Each row of microfilament bristle bundles 62 is followed by a row of conventional bristle bundles 64. In this embodiment, too, the microfilament bristle bundles 62 are considerably longer than the conventional bristle bundles.

(29) In the embodiments in FIGS. 4 and 7, bristle bundles 62 are a maximum of 14 mm long; bristle bundles 64 are between 9 and 11 mm long. Bristle bundles 62 in FIGS. 6 and 7 have a diameter of between 0.8 and 1.2 mm; bristle bundles 64 in FIGS. 6 and 7 have a diameter of between 1.5 and 1.9 mm. Bristle bundles 62 may have a length of between 11 and 14 mm; bristle bundles 64 may have a length of between 9 and 11 mm.

(30) FIG. 8 shows a modified embodiment of a surface topography of the brush head 6. In this surface topography the surface 10 projected through by the bristle bundles 62, 64 has a non-planar design. Thus the surface design is stepped according to the alternating arrangement of the different bristle bundles according to the embodiment in FIGS. 6 and 7. The bristle bundles 62 formed by the microfilaments project through a surface segment 76 which is considerably higher than a surface segment 78 projected through by the conventional bristle bundles 64. In principle, the bristle bundles formed by the microfilaments should be between 1.5 and 3 mm longer than the conventional bristle bundles 62. This difference in length refers to the distance between the ends of the bristle bundles 62 and 64 on the usage end relative to each other. Since the microfilaments of bristle bundles 62 are much less flexurally rigid, it has proved advantageous to choose the topography of surface 10 of the brush head 6 as sketched in FIG. 8. The bristle bundles 62 protrude over the brush head 6 by approximately the same length as the bristle bundles 64, and since the surface segments 76 are higher than the surface segments 78, even the microfilaments may be shorter in absolute length and still protrude at least 1.5 to 3 mm over the conventional bristle bundles 64.

(31) Although FIG. 8 shows a stepped design, the surface 10 penetrated by the bristle bundles can also be wave-shaped, whereby the conventional bristle bundles 64 are provided in the wave troughs and the wave crests are projected through by the bristle bundles 62 formed by the microfilaments. This design prevents a shape of the surface 10 which favors the settling of dirt and bacteria.

(32) The topography sketched in FIG. 8 can also be realized for the circular or circle-segmental shapes according to the embodiments in FIGS. 1 to 3. In this case the bristle bundles 36 of the embodiment in FIG. 2 are located on a higher surface segment than the conventional bristle bundles 38, 40, 42 located radially inwards.

(33) FIG. 9 shows an embodiment modified compared to FIG. 2. The embodiment has first and second bristle arrays 46, 48, which are designed as rings or ring segments in accordance with FIG. 2. The outer ring R1 of the respective bristle arrays 46, 48 is formed by bristle bundles 36, which are shaped identically to the bristle bundles 36 of the embodiment according to FIG. 1 and accordingly consist of tapered microfilaments. The bristle bundles provided within them are conventional and marked with reference numeral 38. They lie on inner rings R2 to R3 and R2 to R4 respectively. Similarly, all bristle filaments within the outer ring R1 may form a uniform bristle bundle as identified and described by reference to FIG. 1 with reference numeral 18.

(34) The inner bristle bundles 38 of the first bristle array 46 form a concave shaped cleaning-active surface. Its lowest point is located in the center of the outer ring R1.

(35) The bristle filaments of the second bristle array 48 lying within the outer ring R1 form a planar cleaning-active surface which extends substantially parallel to the surface 10 of the brush head 6, but lies below a plane in which the usage ends of the bristle bundles 36 lie on the outer ring R1.

(36) The bristle bundles 36 lying on the outer ring R1 each have identical lengths, whereby the bristle bundles 36 of the first bristle array 46 have identical lengths as the bristle bundles 36 of the second bristle array 48.

(37) In some embodiments, the bristle bundles 36, 50, 62 forming an outer edge of the bristle array 46, 48, 66, 68, 70 are provided between 0.8 and 1.2 mm away from the outer contour of the brush head 6.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(38) 2 base body 4 handle stem 6 brush head 8 bristle bundles 10 surface 12 first disc segment 14 second disc segment 16 third disc segment 18 bristle bundle 20 bundle arrangement 22 circular bristle array 23 circular bristle array 24 circular bristle array 25 circular bristle array 26 circular bristle array 28 edge 30 front disc segment 32 rear disc segment 34 imaginary circumferential line 36 bristle bundle 38 conventional bristle bundle 40 conventional bristle bundle 42 conventional bristle bundle 44 central bristle bundle 46 first bristle array 48 second bristle array 50 conventional bristle bundle 52 conventional bristle bundle 54 conventional bristle bundle 56 projection 60 draw-in 62 bristle bundle formed of microfilaments 64 conventional bristle bundle 66 circular bristle array near to the handle stem 68 central circular bristle array 70 circular bristle array remote to the handle stem 72 circular segment-shaped bristle array formed near the handle stem 74 circular segment-shaped bristle array formed near the handle stem 76 surface segment 78 surface segment R1 ring R2 ring R3 ring R4 ring RS1 ring segment RS2 ring segment