Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Implements – Brush or broom
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-15
2003-09-02
Spisich, Mark (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Implements
Brush or broom
C015S144100, C015S172000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06611984
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to toothbrushes, particularly toothbrushes for use by hand action and having a flexibility-modifying feature in their handle.
Toothbrushes having flexibility-modifying features in their handle are known, for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,154 discloses the possibility of a toothbrush having a hinge between its grip handle and its neck, i.e. that part of the toothbrush between the handle and the head. Generally however, the flexibility modifying features of known toothbrushes have been unable to focus the flexibility of the toothbrush at a precise point in the toothbrush structure, so that as a consequence the flexible bending of the toothbrush occurs over a vaguely defined zone. Also precise “tuning” of the flexibility of the toothbrush can be difficult with known constructions.
An object of this invention is to overcome the above-mentioned problems of known toothbrushes and to provide a toothbrush in which flexibility can be focused at a precisely defined location and can be easily tuned independently of selection of particular construction materials for the toothbrush.
According to this invention a toothbrush has a head and a grip handle, with a neck in between the head and grip handle, all disposed along a longitudinal toothbrush axis, bristles projecting from the head in a direction generally perpendicular to the toothbrush axis, having a hinge located between its head and its handle, the hinge being provided by a first hinge part extending from the head end of the toothbrush toward the handle end, and a second hinge part extending from the handle end toward the head end, the said first and second hinge parts being arranged in a longitudinally overlapping side by side relationship on opposite sides of a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis and to the bristle direction, the overlapping parts being able to rotate relative to each other through a restricted angle about an axis generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and to the bristle direction, the two parts being linked by a torsion element between them.
The hinge may be located at any part of the toothbrush between the head and the handle but is preferably located either between the handle and the neck or between the neck and the head. In this description the head is defined as that part of the toothbrush which bears the bristles, the handle is defined as that part of the toothbrush which is held by the hand during use, and the neck is defined as that part of the toothbrush between the head and handle. Often a toothbrush narrows over the neck region between the handle and head.
The direction of the said relative rotation is suitably from an initial unstressed rest position to a position where the toothbrush head is displaced from its rest position in the bristle tip—toothbrush head direction, and the torsion element is suitably an element which is capable of providing torsional force to return the head in the opposite direction toward, ideally into, the rest position. The said displacement is caused by pressure applied to the tips of the bristles by the action of the user brushing his/her teeth and consequently applying pressure thereto.
In one embodiment the toothbrush has a single first hinge part extending from the head end of the toothbrush toward the handle end, and a single second hinge part extending from the handle end toward the head end, the first and second hinge parts being respectively on either side of a plane parallel to and which includes the longitudinal axis.
In another embodiment the toothbrush has at least two respectively first or second hinge parts extending respectively either from the head end of the toothbrush toward the handle end, or from the handle end of the toothbrush toward the head end, and respectively either a second hinge part extending from the handle end toward the head end and between two of the said at least two first hinge parts, or a first hinge part extending from the head end toward the handle end between two of the said at least two second hinge parts.
The toothbrush of the invention may be provided as a separate head end and handle end. In one embodiment these may be connected only by the torsion element. Alternatively the toothbrush of the invention may have an integral head end and handle end, with at least part of the torsional element formed integrally between and linking them.
For example a separate head end and handle end may be constructed having respective connecting parts which co-operate together to retain the head end and handle end together. For example such connecting parts may co-operate by a snap fit co-operation, i.e. where one or both of the connecting parts are resilient and the action of bringing the connection parts together forces a ramp surface on one part over and beyond a ramp surface on the other part, so that to disconnect the connecting parts again requires resilience to be overcome. If the head end and handle end are made of resilient plastics materials the resilience of such plastics materials can be used to provide such a resilient snap-fit connection.
There may be an axle defining the axis of relative rotation. This axle may pass through a bearing hole, or fit into a bearing socket, respectively through or in at least the first or second hinge part. For example the bearing hole may be in the form of an axle hole passing completely through the respective first and/or second part. For example the bearing socket may be in the form of a concavity, not passing all the way through the respective first or second part, and in which sits the stub end of the axle. Such an axle may be separate to or integral with the first or second hinge part, and the said relative rotation through a restricted angle may be about this axis. Alternately the parts may be linked by a torsion element, which may be integral with the first and/or second hinge parts.
When the toothbrush is of the above described separate head end and handle end construction the head end and handle end may be made of different constructional materials or differently colored materials to for example visually emphasis its construction.
The torsion element is an element that applies torsion against and to restrict the relative rotation of the parts, so that the two parts can only rotate through a restricted angle relative to each other, and this rotation generates a resilient torsional effect tending to return the toothbrush toward the original rest configuration of the first and second parts. The torsion element thereby imparts flexibility into the handle of the toothbrush, helping to reduce the possibility of excessive toothbrushing pressure.
One type of torsion element comprises a torsion element made of resilient material, for example made of the plastics material of which the head end and handle end of the toothbrush are made, connected to the head end and handle end, e.g. integrally connected, and located between them. Such a torsion element may comprise a laterally extending, i.e. perpendicular to the direction of the toothbrush longitudinal axis, torsion bar. This torsion bar may be of any suitable cross section, e.g. of non-circular cross section about the axis of relative rotation of the head end and handle end, made of a resilient material, which may be integrally made of the plastics material of the toothbrush head end or handle end. Such a torsion bar may extend completely or partially across the toothbrush width between the said first and second hinge parts. Such a torsion bar may link, e.g. integrally link, the first and second hinge parts. When one of respectively the said head or handle ends is provided with such a torsion bar the other end may be provided with an axle socket into and preferably through which the torsion bar extends, the axle socket being of cross section similar to the torsion bar.
Suitably such a torsion bar and axle socket may also comprise the connecting parts referred to above, for example the torsion bar may snap-fit into the axle socket. Alternatively the torsion bar may integrally link the first and second parts as mentioned abo
SmithKline Beecham GmbH & Co. KG
Spisich Mark
Stein-Fernandez Nora
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