Plaque removing toothbrush

US5335389A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Colgate-Palmolive Company · US

Inventors

• John P. Curtis · Bloomsbury, US
• Kedar N. Rustogi · Kendall Park, US
• John C. Crawford · Carmel, US
• James H. Kemp · Somerville, US
• Thomas Mintel · Rahway, US
• Bert D. Heinzelman · North Bergen, US
• Donald R. Lamond · Lynbrook, US
• Laura H. Edelman · New York, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 29, 1990
• Grant date: Aug 9, 1994
• Expiry date: Mar 29, 2010

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S15/05
• WIPO field: Other consumer goods
• WIPO sector: Other fields

Abstract

A toothbrush whose tufts comprise three distinct kinds of rows, with each row oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis of the head. The tufts of the first kind are the shortest. The endmost tufts on each row of the second kind tilt laterally outwardly by about 12 degrees. The tufts of the third kind are nearest the end of the head farthest from the handle and diverge from each other, with each tuft thereof tilting laterally at an angle of about 30 degrees and forwardly at about 14 degrees. In a first embodiment, each row of the first kind comprises a single, wide tuft. In a second embodiment, each row of the first kind has a plurality of laterally spaced round tufts. In a third embodiment, each row of the first kind comprises a plurality of laterally spaced rectangular tufts. All of the tufts may also be considered as defining four functional groups of tufts, with each of these four groups performing a specific function during brushing. The arrangement and orientation of the tufts yields a uniform cleaning action substantially independent of brushing direction or technique.