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US 6,178,582 B2Granted
Toothbrush comprising a resilient flex region
AssigneeSmithKline Beecham Consumer Healthcare GmbH
InventorHans Halm
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A toothbrush in which the head comprises a base region adjoining the handle, and a tip region, the tip region being flexibly and resiliently linked at a link region to the base region in a manner which enables the tip region to fold or pivot resiliently relative to the base during toothbrushing.
Claims15
A toothbrush head comprising:
- a first substantially rigid segment including a first bristled surface and a first array of bristle tufts, wherein a plurality of the first array of tufts extend lengthwise across at least a portion of the first bristled surface, and a plurality of said first array of tufts extend widthwise across the portion of the first bristled surface;
- a second substantially rigid segment including a second bristled surface and a second array of bristle tufts, wherein a plurality of the second array of tufts extend lengthwise across at least a portion of the second bristled surface, and a plurality of said second array of tufts extend widthwise across said portion of the second bristled surface;
- and
- a region between the first segment and the second segment, the region including elastomeric material providing flexibility and resilience so that during tooth brushing the second rigid segment, including the second array, resiliently flexes with respect to the first rigid segment and the first array.
1 more element
A toothbrush head comprising:
- a first bristled segment;
- a second bristled segment flexibly connected to the first bristled segment;
- and
- a region between the first bristled segment and the second bristled segment, the region including elastomeric material configured to provide resilient flexing of the second bristled segment with respect to the first bristled segment during tooth brushing so that the toothbrush head accommodates differing profiles of an individual user's teeth.
1 more element
A toothbrush head comprising:
- a first substantially rigid segment including a first bristled surface and a first array of bristle tufts, wherein a plurality of the first array of tufts extend lengthwise across at least a portion of the first bristled surface, and a plurality of the first array of tufts extend widthwise across the portion of the first bristled surface;
- a second substantially rigid segment including a second bristled surface and a second array of bristle tufts, wherein a plurality of the second array of tufts extend lengthwise across at least a portion of the second bristled surface, and a plurality of the second array of tufts extend widthwise across the portion of the second bristled surface;
- and
- a region between the first segment and the second segment, the region including a flexible and resilient elastomeric material enabling the second rigid segment, including the second array, to resiliently fold with respect to the first rigid segment and the first array.
1 more element
A method of making a flexible head toothbrush, comprising:
- forming a toothbrush frame from plastic material, the frame including a handle and at least two head segments having a gap between the head segments;
- depositing elastomeric material in the gap in a quantity and configuration sufficient to permit the elastomeric material to provide resilient flexing of one of the head segments relative to another of the head segments during tooth brushing;
- and
- attaching bristles to the head segments.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.