Full bristle field jet-brush combination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12357079-B2
Application number	US-202017640896-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2020
Priority date	Sep 5, 2019
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

Provided is a brush head for an oral cleaning device for cleaning teeth with a combination of brushing and emitting of a cleaning agent. The brush head comprises a bristle set for brushing the teeth and a nozzle for emitting the cleaning agent. When actuating the bristle set from a first configuration, which is optimized for brushing, to a second configuration, which is optimized for emitting of a cleaning agent, at least a part of the bristle 5 set is moved away from the nozzle and/or away from a path of the cleaning agent when being emitted from an orifice of the nozzle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A brush head for an oral cleaning device for cleaning teeth with a combination of brushing and emitting of a cleaning agent, the brush head comprising:
a platen with a first face,
a first bristle set extending from the first face for brushing the teeth,
a nozzle extending from the first face comprising an orifice for emitting the cleaning agent from the orifice towards a direction pointing away from the first face of the platen, and
an actuator for moving at least a part of the first bristle set relative to a path of the cleaning agent from the orifice such that the brush head is configurable to adopt a first configuration in which the path is at least partially blocked by said at least part of the first bristle set, and a second configuration in which the path is cleared of said at least part of the first bristle set.

2. The brush head of claim 1 ,
wherein the actuator is configured for brushing the teeth in the first configuration, and wherein the brush head is configured for emitting the cleaning agent in the second configuration.

3. The brush head of claim 1 ,
wherein the actuator comprises a flexible flap between the nozzle and the first bristle set, and wherein the orifice of the nozzle is oriented towards the flexible flap, so that the flexible flap is configured for transferring a momentum from the cleaning agent emitted from the orifice to the first bristle set.

4. The brush head of claim 1 ,
wherein the nozzle is configured for changing its geometry for emitting the cleaning agent.

5. The brush head of claim 4 ,
wherein the first bristle set is configured for being actuated from the first configuration to the second configuration by the change of the geometry of the nozzle.

6. The brush head of claim 1 ,
wherein the first bristle set is configured for being pushed away by the nozzle.

7. The brush head of claim 1 ,
wherein the first bristle set is positioned on a changeable geometry of the nozzle and configured for being moved with the change of geometry of the nozzle.

8. The brush head of claim 1 ,
wherein the nozzle has a temporarily extendable portion,
wherein the orifice for emitting the cleaning agent is located at a tip of the temporarily extendable portion of the nozzle,
wherein the nozzle with the temporarily extendable portion is configured for extending its length when emitting the cleaning agent from the orifice of the nozzle, and
wherein the temporarily extendable portion of the nozzle is configured for actuating the first bristle set from the first configuration to the second configuration.

9. The brush head of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is one of an electrically driven actuator and an actuator driven by a pressure and/or a flow of the cleaning agent in a conduit delivering the cleaning agent to the nozzle.

10. The brush head of claim 1 ,
wherein the first bristle set comprises a first bristle and a first bearing connecting the first bristle to the platen, and
wherein the first bearing is made of an elastic material and/or comprises a hinge for facilitating the actuation of the first bristle set from the first configuration to the second configuration.

11. The brush head of claim 10 ,
wherein the brush head further comprises a second bristle set extending from the first face of the platen for brushing the teeth and comprising a second bristle and a second bearing connecting the second bristle to the platen,
wherein the first bristle set is positioned closer to the nozzle than the second bristle set, and
wherein the second bearing is configured for providing a more rigid connection to the platen than the first bearing.

12. An oral cleaning device, comprising:
a brush head according to claim 1 and a support unit.

13. The brush head of claim 6 ,
wherein the brush head is configured for actuating the first bristle set from the first configuration into the second configuration by moving at least part of the nozzle away from the platen.

14. A brush head for an oral cleaning device for cleaning teeth with a combination of brushing and emitting of a cleaning agent, the brush head comprising:
a platen with a first face;
a first bristle set extending from the first face for brushing the teeth;
a nozzle comprising a temporarily extendable portion and an orifice for emitting the cleaning agent from the orifice towards a direction pointing away from the first face of the platen, wherein the orifice for emitting the cleaning agent is located at a tip of the temporarily extendable portion of the nozzle and the nozzle with the temporarily extendable portion is configured for extending its length when emitting the cleaning agent from the orifice of the nozzle; and
an actuator for moving at least a part of the first bristle set relative to a path of the cleaning agent from the orifice such that the brush head is configurable to adopt a first configuration in which the path is at least partially blocked by said at least part of the first bristle set, and a second configuration in which the path is cleared of said at least part of the first bristle set, wherein the temporarily extendable portion of the nozzle is configured for actuating the first bristle set from the first configuration to the second configuration.

15. The brush head of claim 14 ,
wherein the actuator is configured for brushing the teeth in the first configuration, and wherein the brush head is configured for emitting the cleaning agent in the second configuration.

16. The brush head of claim 14 ,
wherein the actuator comprises a flexible flap between the nozzle and the first bristle set, and wherein the orifice of the nozzle is oriented towards the flexible flap, so that the flexible flap is configured for transferring a momentum from the cleaning agent emitted from the orifice to the first bristle set.

17. The brush head of claim 14 ,
wherein the first bristle set is configured for being pushed away by the nozzle.

18. The brush head of claim 14 ,
wherein the actuator is one of an electrically driven actuator and an actuator driven by a pressure and/or a flow of the cleaning agent in a conduit delivering the cleaning agent to the nozzle.

19. The brush head of claim 14 ,
wherein the brush head is configured for actuating the first bristle set from the first configuration into the second configuration by moving at least part of the nozzle away from the platen.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Gottenbos Bart
• Williams Quintin Oliver
• Johnson Mark Thomas
• Gerhardt Lutz Christian

Classifications

• A61C17/222

  Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle · CPC title

• A46B9/025

  the bristles or the tufts being arranged in an angled position relative to each other · CPC title

• A46B7/02

  in an expanding or articulating manner · CPC title

• A46B11/0041

  Flexible or deformable reservoirs, e.g. resilient bulbs, compressible tubes · CPC title

• A46B11/00

  Brushes with reservoir or other means for applying substances, e.g. paints, pastes, water (driven brush bodies A46B13/00; {massage apparatus with liquid delivery A61H7/002, A61H2201/105}; applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by liquid carrying members in general, e.g. by pads B05C1/00, B05D1/28) · CPC title