Head for an oral care implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016135579-A1
Application number	US-201514946547-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 19, 2015
Priority date	Nov 19, 2014
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A head for an oral care implement has at least a first row of tufts including a plurality of filaments having free ends and fixed ends being opposite the free ends and being fixed on a mounting surface of the head. The filaments of the at least first row of tufts extend from the mounting surface of the head in different length extensions thereby defining with the filaments' free ends an upper top cleaning surface in the form of a continuous wave-shape. Each filament has a longitudinal axis and a cross-sectional area extending in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The filaments of the longest length extension have a cross-sectional area being smaller than the cross-sectional area of the filaments of the shortest length extension.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A head ( 14 ) for an oral care implement ( 10 ) comprising:
at least a first row ( 16 ) of tufts ( 46 , 47 , 48 ) comprising a plurality of filaments having free ends ( 30 ) and fixed ends ( 32 ) being opposite the free ends ( 30 ) and being fixed on a mounting surface ( 22 ) of the head ( 14 ), the filaments of the at least first row ( 16 ) of tufts ( 46 , 47 , 48 ) extending from the mounting surface ( 22 ) of the head ( 14 ) in different length extensions ( 42 , 44 ) thereby defining with the filaments' free ends ( 30 ) an upper top cleaning surface ( 34 ) in the form of a continuous wave-shape ( 36 ), each filament having a longitudinal axis and a cross-sectional area extending in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the filaments of the longest length extension ( 42 ) have a cross-sectional area being smaller than the cross-sectional area of the filaments of the shortest length extension ( 44 ).

2 . The head ( 14 ) according to claim 1 , wherein a difference in length between the longest length extension ( 42 ) and the shortest length extension ( 44 ) is from about 1.5 mm to about 2.0 mm, optionally about 1.7 mm.

3 . The head ( 14 ) according to claim 1 , wherein each tuft ( 46 , 47 , 48 ) of the at least first row ( 16 ) has a longitudinal axis and a cross-sectional area extending in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and the cross-sectional area of each tuft ( 46 , 47 , 48 ) has substantially the same size, and the tuft ( 46 ) comprising the filaments of the longest length extension ( 42 ) comprises a higher amount of filaments than the tuft ( 48 ) comprising the filaments of the shortest length extension ( 44 ).

4 . The head ( 14 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the longest filaments have a substantially circular cross-sectional area with a diameter of about 0.15 mm to about 0.18 mm, optionally about 0.152 mm (6 mil) or about 0.178 mm (7 mil).

5 . The head ( 14 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the shortest filaments have a substantially circular cross-sectional area with a diameter of about 0.20 mm to about 0.23 mm, optionally about 0.203 mm (8 mil) or about 0.229 mm (9 mil).

6 . The head ( 14 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the head ( 14 ) has a longitudinal extension ( 28 ) extending between a proximal end ( 23 ) of the head ( 14 ) which is attached or attachable to a handle ( 12 ) and a distal end ( 24 ) being opposite the proximal end ( 23 ), and the at least first row ( 16 ) of tufts ( 46 , 47 , 48 ) is arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal extension ( 28 ) of the head ( 14 ).

7 . The head ( 14 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the head ( 14 ) comprises at least a second row ( 18 ) of tufts ( 50 , 51 , 52 ) comprising a plurality of filaments, the second row ( 18 ) being substantially parallel to the first row ( 16 ), and the filaments of the second row ( 18 ) extend from the mounting surface ( 22 ) in different length extensions ( 42 , 44 ) thereby defining with the filaments' free ends ( 30 ) an upper top cleaning surface ( 34 ) in the form of a continuous wave-shape ( 36 ),
each filament has a longitudinal axis and a cross-sectional area extending in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and the filaments of the longest length extension ( 42 ) have a cross-sectional area being smaller than the cross-sectional area of the filaments of the shortest length extension ( 44 ).

8 . The head ( 14 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the tufts ( 50 , 51 , 52 ) of the second row ( 18 ) are arranged in a manner that the wave-shape form is contra-cyclical with respect to the wave-shape form of the first row ( 16 ).

9 . The head ( 14 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the head ( 14 ) comprises a third row ( 19 ) of tufts ( 50 , 51 , 52 ) comprising a plurality of filaments and a fourth row ( 20 ) of tufts ( 46 , 47 , 48 ) comprising a plurality of filaments, the third row ( 19 ) and the fourth row ( 20 ) being substantially parallel to the first row ( 16 ) and the second row ( 18 ).

10 . The head ( 14 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the continuous wave-shaped upper top cleaning surface ( 34 ) of the third row ( 19 ) has the same configuration as the upper top cleaning surface ( 34 ) of the second row ( 18 ), and the continuous wave-shaped upper top cleaning surface ( 34 ) of the fourth row ( 20 ) has the same configuration as the upper top cleaning surface ( 34 ) of the first row ( 16 ), and the first row ( 16 ) and the fourth row ( 20 ) are arranged at the respective outer edges ( 38 ) of the mounting surface ( 22 ) of the head ( 14 ) and the second row ( 18 ) and the third row ( 19 ) are arranged between the first row ( 16 ) and the fourth row ( 20 ).

11 . The head ( 14 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the tufts ( 46 , 47 , 48 ) of the at least first row ( 16 ) are inclined with respect to the mounting surface ( 22 ) in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal extension ( 28 ) of the head ( 14 ).

12 . The head ( 14 ) according to claim 11 , wherein the tufts ( 50 , 51 , 52 ) of the second row ( 18 ) are inclined in the opposite direction with respect to the first row ( 16 ).

13 . The head ( 14 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the tufts ( 46 , 47 , 48 ) of the first row ( 16 ) and the tufts ( 46 , 47 , 48 ) of the fourth row ( 20 ) are inclined in a direction toward the proximal end ( 23 ) of the head ( 14 ), and the tufts ( 50 , 51 , 52 ) of the second row ( 18 ) and the tufts ( 50 , 51 , 52 ) of the third row ( 19 ) are inclined in a direction toward the distal end ( 24 ) of the head ( 14 ).

14 . The head ( 14 ) according to claim 11 , wherein the tufts ( 46 , 47 , 48 , 50 , 51 , 52 ) are inclined with respect to the mounting surface ( 22 ) by an inclination angle (α) from about 65° to about 80°, optionally from about 70° to about 80°, further optionally from about 74° to about 78°, even further optionally from about 74° to about 75°.

15 . An oral care implement ( 10 ) comprising a head ( 14 ) according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Gillette Co

Inventors

• Tschol Armin
• Mark Erwin
• Winkler Tilmann
• Schmid Franziska

Classifications

• A46B5/0095 Primary

  Removable or interchangeable brush heads · CPC title

• A46B15/00

  Other brushes; Brushes with additional arrangements · CPC title

• A46B2200/1066

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

• A46B9/04 Primary

  {Arranged like in or} for toothbrushes · CPC title

• A46B9/028

  Bristle profile, the end of the bristle defining a surface other than a single plane or deviating from a simple geometric form, e.g. cylinder, sphere or cone · CPC title