Toothbrush having an inner cavity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9510664-B2
Application number	US-201213683495-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2012
Priority date	Nov 22, 2011
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

A personal care article, such as a toothbrush having an inner cavity made in one molding process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A toothbrush comprising:
a. a head, neck, handle, handle end, head end, outer surface, inner cavity, and longitudinal axis;
b. the inner cavity having a surface defining a cross-sectional area; wherein the inner cavity has at least one of a greater cross-sectional area, bordered by two lesser cross-sectional areas along the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush or a lesser cross sectional area bordered by two greater cross-sectional areas along the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush;
c. the outer surface defining an outer surface cross-sectional area;
d. a wall formed from the outer surface and inner cavity surface having a thickness;

wherein the toothbrush comprises a single unitary component along the entire longitudinal axis;
wherein a wall thickness along a circumferential direction at any cross-section normal to the longitudinal axis in 80% of the inner cavity is within 70% to 170% of a mean wall thickness;
wherein the toothbrush has a specific gravity below about 0.50 g/cm 3 and wherein the toothbrush deforms less than about 10 mm under a 5.0N force applied as determined by ASTM D 790.

2. The toothbrush of claim 1 , wherein a square root of outer surface cross-sectional area varies proportionally to a square root of the inner cavity cross-sectional area along the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush.

3. The toothbrush of claim 1 , wherein a total volume of the inner cavity is about 50% to 70% of a total volume defined by the outer surface.

4. The toothbrush of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the ends of the toothbrush along the longitudinal axis has a smaller outer surface cross-sectional area than a maximum cross-sectional area of the inner cavity.

5. The toothbrush of claim 4 , wherein the toothbrush handle end has a smaller outer surface cross-sectional area than the maximum cross-sectional area of the inner cavity.

6. The toothbrush of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the ends of the toothbrush along the longitudinal axis has a smaller outer surface cross-sectional area than a minimum cross-sectional area of the inner cavity.

7. The toothbrush of claim 6 , wherein the toothbrush handle end has a smaller outer surface cross-sectional area than the minimum cross-sectional area of the inner cavity.

8. The toothbrush of claim 1 , wherein the toothbrush comprises at least one of polypropylene, polyethylene terapthalate, polyethylene terapthalate glycol, high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, or polystyrene.

9. A toothbrush comprising:
e. a head, neck, handle, handle end, head end, outer surface, inner cavity, and longitudinal axis;
f. the inner cavity having a surface defining a cross-sectional area; wherein the inner cavity has at least one of a greater cross-sectional area, bordered by two lesser cross-sectional areas along the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush or a lesser cross sectional area bordered by two greater cross-sectional areas along the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush;
g. the outer surface defining an outer surface cross-sectional area;
h. a wall formed from the outer surface and inner cavity surface having a thickness;

wherein the toothbrush comprises a single unitary component along the entire longitudinal axis;
wherein a standard deviation of the wall thickness does not exceed 30% of a mean wall thickness across 80% of the inner cavity;
wherein the toothbrush has a specific gravity below about 0.50 g/cm 3 and wherein the toothbrush deforms less than about 10 mm under a 5.0N force applied as determined by ASTM D 790.

10. A toothbrush comprising:
a. a head, neck, handle, handle end, head end, outer surface, inner cavity, and longitudinal axis;
b. the inner cavity having a surface defining a cross-sectional area; wherein the inner cavity has at least one of a greater cross-sectional area, bordered by two lesser cross-sectional areas along the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush or a lesser cross sectional area bordered by two greater cross-sectional areas along the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush;
c. the outer surface defining an outer surface cross-sectional area;
d. a wall formed from the outer surface and inner cavity surface having a thickness;
wherein the toothbrush comprises a single unitary component along the entire longitudinal axis;
wherein a ratio of the mean radius to wall thickness in 80% of the inner cavity is in a range of 3 to 10;
wherein the toothbrush has a specific gravity below about 0.50 g/cm 3 and wherein the toothbrush deforms less than about 10 mm under a 5.0N force applied as determined by ASTM D 790.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble
• The Procter & Gamble Co

Inventors

• Wen Li
• Newman Matthew Lloyd
• Birk Andreas
• Bresselschmidt Andreas
• Horton Andrew Joseph
• Hustedt Siegfried Kurt
• Jackson Scott Andrew
• Kawerau Jochen Erich
• Pfeifer Ulrich
• Satterfield Richard Darren
• Schmelcher Heidrun Annika
• Schmid Franziska
• Stoerkel Jens Uwe
• Wilson Benjamin John
• Winkler Tilmann

Classifications

• A46B5/02

  specially shaped for holding by the hand · CPC title

• A46B9/04 Primary

  {Arranged like in or} for toothbrushes · CPC title

• A46B5/023 Primary

  Grips or handles specially adapted for children · CPC title

• A46B2200/1066

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

• A46B5/025

  Grips or handles specially adapted for handicapped persons · CPC title