Brush head arrangements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11224281-B2
Application number	US-202016942903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2020
Priority date	May 14, 2015
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

A brush head (32) including: a plurality of bristle tufts (21), each of which comprises a plurality of bristle strands having a free end (25) and a proximal end (23); a plurality of retention rings (50) each comprising an upper portion (51), a lower portion (53), an exterior wall (55) and an interior wall (57), and each configured to receive the proximal end of at least one of the plurality of bristle tufts, wherein at least one of the plurality of retention rings comprises a transverse projection (71, 72) extending from the exterior and/or interior wall of the retention ring; and an elastomeric matrix (30) comprising at least a portion of each of the plurality of retention rings and the proximal end of each of the plurality of bristle tufts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A brush head assembly for a power toothbrush, comprising:
a neck; and
a brush head, the brush head comprising:
a plurality of bristle tufts, each of which comprises a plurality of bristle strands having a free end and a proximal end;
a plurality of retention rings each comprising an upper portion, a lower portion, an exterior wall and an interior wall, and each configured to receive the proximal end of at least one of the plurality of bristle tufts, wherein at least one of the plurality of retention rings comprises a transverse projection extending from the exterior or the interior wall of the retention ring;
a supporting portion of brush neck positioned relative to the plurality of proximal end head; and
an elastomeric matrix comprising at least a portion of the plurality of retention rings, the proximal end head portions of each of the plurality of bristle tufts, and the supporting portion of the brush neck.

2. The brush head assembly of claim 1 , wherein the transverse projection extends from the exterior wall of the retention ring and is configured to engage the elastomeric matrix.

3. The brush head assembly of claim 1 , wherein the transverse projection extends from the interior wall of the retention ring and is configured to engage a bristle tuft received by the retention ring.

4. The brush head assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of retention rings comprises both a transverse projection extending from the exterior and a transverse projection extending from the interior wall of the retention ring.

5. The brush head assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of retention rings comprises a plurality of transverse projections.

6. A method for manufacturing a brush head, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of retention rings each comprising an upper portion, a lower portion, an exterior wall and an interior wall, and each configured to receive the proximal end of at least one of a plurality of bristle tufts, wherein at least one of the plurality of retention rings comprises a transverse projection extending from the exterior or the interior wall of the retention ring;
providing the plurality of bristle tufts, wherein each of the plurality of bristle tufts comprises a plurality of bristle strands having a free end and a proximal end;
inserting at least one of the plurality of bristle tufts into a respective one of the plurality of the retention rings;
applying heat to each of the bristle tuft proximal ends at a temperature and distance sufficient to at least partially melt the bristle tuft proximal end to create a proximal end head portion; and
positioning a supporting portion of brush neck in relation to the proximal end head portions; and
injecting a thermoplastic elastomer to create an elastomeric matrix that at least partially encompasses the brush neck, the plurality of retaining rings, and the proximal end head portions.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the transverse projection extends from the exterior wall of the retention ring and is configured to engage the elastomeric matrix.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the transverse projection extends from the interior wall of the retention ring and is configured to engage a bristle tuft received by the retention ring.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Dengler Evan Dak Wah
• Rajagopalan Satya

Classifications

• A46B3/20

  the bristles being fixed or joined in rubber bodies, e.g. in soft rubber · CPC title

• A46B9/04

  {Arranged like in or} for toothbrushes · CPC title

• A46B3/10 Primary

  into rings or the like · CPC title

• A46B3/06 Primary

  by welding together bristles made of metal wires or plastic materials · CPC title

• A46B2200/1066

  Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures (A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04) · CPC title