# US 5,707,166 A · Toothbrush > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,707,166 A - Document ID: US5707166A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/788,583 - Filed: 1997-01-24 - Granted: 1998-01-13 - Earliest claimed: 1992-12-15 - Assignees: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products, Inc. - Inventors: Roland Jeannet; Robert Leutwyler; Werner Leutwyler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5707166A ## CPC - A46B 5/007: {Inserts made of different material, e.g. springs, plates} - A46B 5/0062: {being flexible or resilient during use} - A46B 7/04: interchangeably {removable bristle carriers} - A46B 2200/1066: Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures (A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04) - Y10T 403/32827: Interposed spring means coaxial with pivot - Y10T 403/32918: fork and tongue - Y10T 403/608: Pivoted - A46B: BRUSHES (handles not integral with brushware B25G) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract The invention relates to a toothbrush (10), the brushneck (12) of which, connected to an exchangeable brushhead, is deflectably held, in a reversible, resilient manner, on a hollow handle (14) by a swivel joint (18) surrounded by a sealing element (16). The brushneck (12) is provided at its coupling end (20) facing the handle (14) with an articulated head (22). The handle exhibits at its coupling end (24) facing the brushneck (12) an articulated fork (26), between whose fork legs (28, 30) an articulated head (22) of the brushneck (12) is fitted-in and connected by a swivel axle (32). The sealing element (16) consists of a pressure-elastic material. The articulated fork (26) is itself of tension-elastic configuration, so that the sealing element (16) is held by the articulated fork (26) under elastic pre-tension between the mutually opposite coupling ends (20, 24) of the handle (14) and of the brushneck (12). The toothbrush can be economically manufactured using a least possible number of single parts and enables a deflection movement, which is elastically damped by the sealing element and by the elastically configured articulated fork, which deflection movement is limited by the articulated head. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A toothbrush comprising a brushneck connected to an exchangeable brushhead, the brushneck being deflectably held, in a resilient manner, on a hollow handle by a swivel joint surrounded by a sealing element and by a tension spring extending in the hollow handle, the swivel joint having a swivel axle, the brushneck being provided at its coupling end facing the handle with an articulated head and the handle exhibiting at its coupling end facing the brushneck an articulated fork, the articulated head of the brushneck being fitted-in between fork legs of the articulated fork and connected to the articulated fork by the swivel axle, wherein the sealing element consists of a pressure-elastic material and the articulated fork forms the tension spring, and wherein the sealing element is held by the articulated fork under elastic pre-tension between the coupling ends of the handle and of the brushneck. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element is annular and is provided at both ends with sealing sleeves, and wherein the coupling ends of the handle and of the brushneck exhibit recesses into which the sealing sleeves hermetically engage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A toothbrush according to claim 2, wherein the recesses comprise annular grooves which are disposed in end faces of the coupling ends of the handle and of the brushneck. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A toothbrush according to claim 3, wherein the sealing element has an annular sealing bead positioned between the sealing sleeves, the annular sealing bead having a cross-sectional profile which coincides with a cross-sectional profile of the coupling ends of the handle and of the brushneck, the annular sealing bead bearing with its two end faces tightly against end faces of the handle and of the brushneck. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A toothbrush according to claim 4, wherein the sealing bead has an inner peripheral surface which exhibits a circumferential indentation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the swivel axle of the swivel joint is disposed in a principal plane of the sealing element close to a front wall. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A toothbrush according to claim 6, wherein the principal plane of the sealing element extends rearwards from the front wall of the toothbrush, obliquely to a central longitudinal axis of the toothbrush, to a rear wall. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the articulated head protrudes axially from the coupling end of the brushneck into the handle, the swivel axle comprising two swivel journals which extend perpendicularly and coaxially from two longitudinal sides of the articulated head. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A toothbrush according to claim 8, wherein the fork legs of the articulated fork are fastened tension-elastically to opposite side walls of the handle and are directed with their free ends towards the coupling end of the brushneck, the fork legs having leg ends with coaxial, continuous openings for the engagement of the swivel journals. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) A toothbrush according to claim 8, wherein the fork legs are pre-tensioned against each other, such that the fork legs bear with pre-tension against the longitudinal sides of the articulated head. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A toothbrush according to claim 10, wherein the ends of the fork legs are provided with mutually opposite, beveled abutting surfaces, the greatest clear distance between which is greater in size than the distance between correspondingly beveled face ends of the two swivel journals. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) A toothbrush according to claim 8, wherein each swivel journal has a length corresponding approximately to a thickness of the fork legs of the articulated fork. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein an end of the articulated head which projects into a cavity of the handle is provided with two stop cams for limiting deflection of the brushneck. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein a second spring for damping deflection of the brushneck is inserted between the handle and the brushneck. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A toothbrush according to claim 14, wherein the second spring is a leaf spring, one end of said leaf spring being fastened to a free end of the articulated head protruding into the handle and a second end of said leaf spring being supported on a supporting rib of a front wail of the handle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A toothbrush according to claim 1, further comprising a supporting jaw disposed on an inner side of a rear wall of the brushneck and of the handle, said supporting jaw having coaxially opposite-lying indentations for receiving ends of a compression spring which extends through the sealing element. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A toothbrush according to claim 16, wherein the supporting jaw includes an abutting surface for contacting a stop cam. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A toothbrush according to claim 1, further comprising a stop cam with a guide shaft for a helical compression spring, the guide shaft having an end configured as a dish-like widening. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A toothbrush according to claim 18, further comprising a supporting ring displaceably mounted on the guide shaft and held by the dish-like widening, the helical compression spring being supported by the stop cam and the supporting ring. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) A toothbrush according to claim 19, wherein the supporting ring exhibits an outer rim which radially overhangs the dish-like widening, further comprising a supporting rib surrounding the dish-like widening at a radial distance. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A toothbrush according to claim 20, wherein the supporting rib is U-shaped in top view, the supporting ring bearing upon a crosspiece and upon adjoining parts of legs of the supporting rib. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) A toothbrush according to claim 21, wherein the legs of the supporting rib form an abutting surface for limiting deflection movement of the brushneck.