Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – Brushing
Patent
1994-11-15
1997-08-05
Spisich, Mark
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
Brushing
15 221, 15180, 15DIG5, A61C 1722
Patent
active
056529902
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a brush section for an electric toothbrush with a handle section comprising an electric motor, wherein the brush section is adapted to be connected with the handle section and has at its end remote from the handle section an essentially circular cylindrical rotary bristle supporting structure on which bristles are arranged in the form of tufts, and wherein the bristle supporting structure has its axis of rotation at approximately right angles to a longitudinal center line of the brush section and is adapted to be driven in an alternating rotary motion, preferably over an arc of .+-.20.degree. to .+-.100.degree..
From applicant's International Patent Application published under No. WO 91/07116, an electric toothbrush of this type is known in which the entire area of the bristle supporting structure is equipped with tufts of bristles of equal length.
Used in combination with the oscillatory drive mechanism, the brush has proven well in practice, producing excellent cleaning results even when used for relatively short periods only. Interproximal cleaning demands a relatively high degree of concentration from the user, making it necessary for the brush to be accurately aligned to the interproximal spaces using a slight tilting motion relative to the longitudinal center line.
It is an object of the present invention to improve upon a brush section for an electric toothbrush having a circular cylindrical bristle supporting structure in such a way as to provide an improved cleaning action of the interproximal spaces.
According to the present invention, this object is essentially accomplished in that the tufts of bristles are serially located in position on a diameter and on an outer circular ring of the bristle supporting structure. Arranging the tufts of bristles in this manner enables the bristles to enter the interproximal spaces readily and permits a thorough cleaning of this area, while the remaining bristles clean the tooth surfaces as usual. The helical motion performed by the longer bristles as a result of the alternating rotary motion of the bristle supporting structure, in which the center (axis of rotation) of the bristles fixedly secured on the diameter is not moved, supports the penetrating action of the bristles into the interproximal space, in addition to making it easy for the user to centrally locate the brush within the interproximal space. Owing to the oscillatory cleaning motion, the bristles conform themselves to the different contours of the interproximal spaces, whereby overall a very good cleaning function can be accomplished.
Particularly suitably, the bristles of those tufts that are not fixedly secured on the diameter or on the outer circular ring of the bristle supporting structure differ in the direction of smaller values from the bristles of the tufts arranged on the diameter or on the outer circular ring at least in one of the following magnitudes: length, diameter or number. It is thereby achieved that the bristles in the inner field behave differently from the bristles on the diameter or on the outer circular ring.
For example, if the bristles in the inner field are shorter than the bristles on the diameter and on the outer circular ring, the bristles in the inner field will be engaged against the tooth surfaces, cleaning them in the process, whilst the longer bristles on the diameter will serve the function of cleaning the interproximal spaces, and the equally longer bristles on the outer circular ring will remove plaque in the tooth-gingiva junction region.
In a further configuration of the present invention, the bristles in the inner field are of a diameter smaller than that of the bristles on the diameter or on the outer circular ring, while being of equal or different length. The rigidity of the longer bristles on the diameter and on the outer circular ring is increased as a result of the larger bristle diameter, so that these more rigid bristles are again particularly advantageously suitable for cleaning the interproximal spaces and the tooth-gingiv
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Driesen Georges
Hilfinger Peter
Braun Aktiengesellschaft
Spisich Mark
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