Cleaning section for an oral hygiene device and oral hygiene device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023380582-A1
Application number	US-202318201356-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 24, 2023
Priority date	May 27, 2022
Publication date	Nov 30, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cleaning section for an electric oral hygiene device includes a carrier mounted for driven rotation and/or oscillating rotation around a rotation axis, at least a plurality of first cleaning elements and a plurality of second cleaning elements, the cleaning elements being mounted on a mounting surface of the carrier. The carrier has an outer rim and an inner portion. The plurality of first cleaning elements are arranged at the inner portion of the carrier, and the plurality of second cleaning elements are arranged at the outer rim of the carrier. The plurality of first cleaning elements have a longitudinal axis and a substantially cross-shaped cross-sectional area extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the cross-shaped cross-sectional area having four projections and four channels, the projections and channels being arranged in an alternating manner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cleaning section ( 14 ) for an electric oral hygiene device ( 10 ), the cleaning section ( 14 ) comprising:
a carrier ( 16 ) mounted for at least one of driven rotation and oscillating rotation around a rotation axis ( 22 ); and at least a plurality of first cleaning elements ( 24 ) and a plurality of second cleaning elements ( 26 ), the cleaning elements ( 24 , 26 ) mounted on a mounting surface ( 28 ) of the carrier ( 16 ), the carrier ( 16 ) having an outer rim ( 30 ) and an inner portion ( 32 ), the plurality of first cleaning elements ( 24 ) being arranged at the inner portion ( 32 ) of the carrier ( 16 ), and the plurality of second cleaning elements ( 26 ) being arranged at the outer rim ( 30 ) of the carrier ( 16 ), wherein each of the plurality of first cleaning elements ( 24 ) has a longitudinal axis and a substantially cross-shaped cross-sectional area ( 34 ) extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the cross-shaped cross-sectional area ( 34 ) having four projections ( 36 ) and four channels ( 38 ), the projections ( 36 ) and channels ( 38 ) being arranged in an alternating manner.

2 . The cleaning section of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of second cleaning elements ( 26 ) has a longitudinal axis and a cross-sectional area extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the cross-sectional area of the second cleaning elements area being different from the cross-sectional area of the first cleaning elements.

3 . The cleaning section of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first plurality of cleaning elements and the second plurality of cleaning elements ( 24 , 26 ) comprise filaments arranged in tufts ( 54 , 56 ) or an elastomeric cleaning element.

4 . The cleaning section of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of cleaning elements ( 24 ) comprise filaments arranged in tufts ( 54 ) having a packing factor of from about 45% to about 57%.

5 . The cleaning section of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of first cleaning elements ( 24 ) are at least partially arranged to encircle the rotation axis ( 22 ).

6 . The cleaning section of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of first cleaning elements ( 24 ) are circumferentially inclined in the same circumferential direction with respect to the rotation axis ( 22 ).

7 . The cleaning section of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of second cleaning elements ( 26 ) are at least partially arranged to encircle the rotation axis ( 22 ) along the outer rim ( 30 ) of the carrier ( 14 ).

8 . The cleaning section of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of first cleaning elements ( 24 ) are arranged in the center ( 58 ) of the carrier ( 16 ).

9 . The cleaning section of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the first plurality of cleaning elements ( 24 ) and some of the second plurality of cleaning elements ( 26 ) are arranged in an alternating manner in circumferential direction with respect to the rotation axis ( 22 ).

10 . The cleaning section of claim 1 , wherein each of the first plurality of cleaning elements ( 24 ) has a cross-sectional area ( 34 ) having an outer diameter ( 40 ), and the outer diameter ( 40 ) of at least some of the plurality of first cleaning elements ( 24 ) is from about 0.1 mm to about 0.3 mm.

11 . The cleaning section of claim 1 , wherein each projection ( 36 ) of the first plurality of cleaning elements ( 24 ) have a maximum thickness ( 42 ) of from about 0.025 mm to about 0.045 mm.

12 . The cleaning section of claim 1 , wherein each channel ( 38 ) of the first plurality of cleaning elements ( 24 ) has a concave curvature ( 44 ) formed by neighboring and converging projections ( 36 ), the concave curvature ( 44 ) having a radius ( 46 ) of from about 0.02 mm to about 0.09 mm.

13 . The cleaning section of claim 1 , wherein each projection ( 36 ) of at least some of the plurality of first cleaning elements ( 24 ) has an end-rounded distal end ( 48 ) forming a curvature ( 50 ) having a radius ( 52 ) of from about 0.01 mm to about 0.02 mm.

14 . The cleaning section of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of first cleaning elements ( 24 ) are made from a thermoplastic polymer.

15 . An electric oral hygiene device ( 10 ) comprising a handle ( 12 ) and a cleaning section ( 14 ) of claim 1 , the cleaning section ( 14 ) being repeatedly attachable to and detachable form the handle ( 12 ).

16 . The cleaning section of claim 2 , wherein a shape of the cross-section area of the second cleaning elements is selected from a group consisting of a substantially circular shape, a trilobal shape, a shape having a plurality of indentations, and any combination thereof.

17 . The cleaning section of claim 4 , wherein the packing factor is from about 45% to about 55%, further preferably from about 48% to about 50%.

18 . The cleaning section of claim 17 , wherein the packing factor is from about 48% to about 50%.

19 . The cleaning section of claim 10 , wherein the outer diameter ( 40 ) of at least some of the plurality of first cleaning elements ( 24 ) is about 0.256 mm.

20 . The cleaning section of claim 11 , wherein the maximum thickness of each projection ( 36 ) of the first plurality of cleaning elements ( 24 ) is from about 0.037 to about 0.041 mm.

21 . The cleaning section of claim 12 , wherein the radius ( 46 ) is from about 0.03 mm to about 0.06 mm.

22 . The cleaning section of claim 13 , wherein the radius ( 52 ) is about 0.015 mm.

23 . The cleaning section of claim 14 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer comprises polybutylene terephthalate (PBT).

Assignees

• Braun Gmbh

Inventors

• Fischer vladimir
• Schmelcher Heidrun Annika
• Alinski Jens
• Störkel Ulrich
• Jungnickel Uwe
• Kiiver Egle
• Franke Sven Alexander
• Claire-Zimmet Karen Lynn

Classifications

• A46B9/025

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

• A61C17/34

  driven by electric motor · CPC title

• A61C17/26

  driven by electric motor · CPC title

• A61C17/22

  with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like (brush bodies, e.g. arrangements of the bristles A46B) · CPC title

• A46B9/02

  Position or arrangement of bristles in relation to surface of the brush body, e.g. inclined, in rows, in groups · CPC title