WO1995019120A2 - Toothbrush with non-circular cross section filaments - Google Patents
Toothbrush with non-circular cross section filaments Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO1995019120A2 WO1995019120A2 PCT/US1995/000584 US9500584W WO9519120A2 WO 1995019120 A2 WO1995019120 A2 WO 1995019120A2 US 9500584 W US9500584 W US 9500584W WO 9519120 A2 WO9519120 A2 WO 9519120A2
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- filaments
- brush head
- toothbrush
- section
- circular cross
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Ceased
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46D—MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES
- A46D1/00—Bristles; Selection of materials for bristles
- A46D1/02—Bristles details
- A46D1/0238—Bristles with non-round cross-section
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46D—MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES
- A46D1/00—Bristles; Selection of materials for bristles
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a brush head especially a toothbrush head comprising filaments having a non-circular cross-section.
- a toothbrush includes a handle and a brush head attached to the handle.
- the brush head has a longitudinal axis and terminates in a free end remote from the handle; the head has a surface from which the tufts extend generally upwardly.
- the head and the handle are usually made in one part, whereas in electronic toothbrushes the brush head usually has to be fixed by the consumer to the handle - before use .
- the brushing head includes brushing filaments. A group of filaments are so-called tufts.
- Toothbrush filaments to date use of circular cross-section. However, normal brushes using these type of filaments do not remove all plaque from the tooth surfaces. Also a number of toothbrush constructions are known, however, none appears to exhibit a good cleaning efficiency. Often specific brushing techniques on leaflets included in the package are set out by the manufacturer. However normal practice is that a purchaser does not pay attention to the instructions offered by the manufacturer, so less than optimum teeth cleaning is obtained.
- the filaments according to the invention have a trilocular, tetralocular, trilobular, rectangular or hexagonal cross-section, (see Figure 1: showing diagrams of these filament types)
- a brush head comprising said filaments wherein a certain group of filaments a so-called tuft have a trilocular cross-section whereas the other tufts have a tetralocular, trilobular, rectangular, hexagonal or circular cross-section or any combination thereof.
- a toothbrush tufted completely with tetralocular, rectangular, trilocular, trilobular or hexagonal filaments cleans surprisingly and unexpectedly better than a toothbrush comprising standard conventional circular filaments.
- toothbrushes according to the invention are made by exactly the same process as conventional brushes - only replacing the filament material with either tetralocular, rectangular, trilocular, trilobular or hexagonal filaments. Also the tufting, cutting of filaments flat and the endrounding of filament tips is performed by processes known in the art: for instance a preferred process for enrounding is described in USP 4,979,782.
- the filaments are preferably placed substantially perpendicular to the brush head and spaced longitudinal extending across the entire width of the brush head whereas the filaments extend generally upwardly from the brush head. In another embodiment the filaments are placed under an angle with respect to the brush head; for instance as described in EP 449,655.
- the filaments can be used in the toothbrush head in combination with normal circular filaments; the filaments can be used in different bristle configurations whereas the material of the filaments can be of polyester, nylon or any other material suitable for use.
- the diameter of the cross-section of the filaments may var - within the usual dimensions known by a person skilled in the art.
- the brush head according to the invention can be part of a conventional toothbrush or part of an electronic and ultrasonic toothbrush as well.
- the machine operating parameters are based on consumer habits. Additionally, the artificial plaque stain was developed based on the physical characteristics of plaque.
- the machine uses a model (plastic teeth and gums of average adult dentition/size) of the upper left quadrant of the mouth (pre-molar/molar teeth) to evaluate the efficiency of a particular brush at removing artificial plaque from the model teeth surface.
- the angle of brushing and the force used to brush the teeth are the average observed for consumers.
- the brushing motion is controlled by an electric motor.
- the efficacy of a test toothbrush is measured by calculating the difference between initial artificial plaque area minus the remaining artificial plaque after brushing. This is measured using video imaging and computer software.
- Novel filament shapes according to the 8 - 10 invention are novel filament shapes according to the 8 - 10 invention.
- the % of non-removed plaque for all filaments according to the invention is substantial lower than the standard circular cross-section filaments.
Landscapes
- Brushes (AREA)
Abstract
The invention concerns a toothbrush having a handle and a brush head wherein the brush head comprises non-circular cross section filaments. The filaments have a trilocular, tetralocular, trilobular, rectangular or hexagonal cross section. These toothbrushes offer a much better cleaning efficiency c.q. better plaque removal from the tooth surface.
Description
TOOTHBRUSH WITH NON-CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION FILAMENTS
The present invention relates to a brush head especially a toothbrush head comprising filaments having a non-circular cross-section.
A toothbrush includes a handle and a brush head attached to the handle. The brush head has a longitudinal axis and terminates in a free end remote from the handle; the head has a surface from which the tufts extend generally upwardly. In a conventional toothbrush the head and the handle are usually made in one part, whereas in electronic toothbrushes the brush head usually has to be fixed by the consumer to the handle - before use . The brushing head includes brushing filaments. A group of filaments are so-called tufts.
Toothbrush filaments to date use of circular cross-section. However, normal brushes using these type of filaments do not remove all plaque from the tooth surfaces. Also a number of toothbrush constructions are known, however, none appears to exhibit a good cleaning efficiency. Often specific brushing techniques on leaflets included in the package are set out by the manufacturer. However normal practice is that a purchaser does not pay attention to the instructions offered by the manufacturer, so less than optimum teeth cleaning is obtained.
Therefore a continuing need exists for improvement of toothbrushes providing better cleaning.
We have now found that toothbrushes containing different cross-sections of filaments vs the standard circular filaments surprisingly give a better cleaning efficiency. The filaments according to the invention have a trilocular, tetralocular, trilobular, rectangular or hexagonal cross-section, (see Figure 1: showing diagrams of these filament types)
Furthermore part of the invention is a brush head comprising said filaments wherein a certain group of filaments a so-called tuft have a trilocular cross-section whereas the other tufts have a tetralocular, trilobular,
rectangular, hexagonal or circular cross-section or any combination thereof. A toothbrush tufted completely with tetralocular, rectangular, trilocular, trilobular or hexagonal filaments cleans surprisingly and unexpectedly better than a toothbrush comprising standard conventional circular filaments.
The toothbrushes according to the invention are made by exactly the same process as conventional brushes - only replacing the filament material with either tetralocular, rectangular, trilocular, trilobular or hexagonal filaments. Also the tufting, cutting of filaments flat and the endrounding of filament tips is performed by processes known in the art: for instance a preferred process for enrounding is described in USP 4,979,782.
The filaments are preferably placed substantially perpendicular to the brush head and spaced longitudinal extending across the entire width of the brush head whereas the filaments extend generally upwardly from the brush head. In another embodiment the filaments are placed under an angle with respect to the brush head; for instance as described in EP 449,655.
The filaments can be used in the toothbrush head in combination with normal circular filaments; the filaments can be used in different bristle configurations whereas the material of the filaments can be of polyester, nylon or any other material suitable for use.
Furthermore the diameter of the cross-section of the filaments may var - within the usual dimensions known by a person skilled in the art. The brush head according to the invention can be part of a conventional toothbrush or part of an electronic and ultrasonic toothbrush as well.
In order to demonstrate the better cleaning efficiency of a toothbrush having the filaments according to the invention, a description of the cleaning test method used is given hereafter.
Example
Toothbrush cleaning efficiency machine tester
The machine operating parameters are based on consumer habits. Additionally, the artificial plaque stain was developed based on the physical characteristics of plaque. The machine uses a model (plastic teeth and gums of average adult dentition/size) of the upper left quadrant of the mouth (pre-molar/molar teeth) to evaluate the efficiency of a particular brush at removing artificial plaque from the model teeth surface. The angle of brushing and the force
used to brush the teeth are the average observed for consumers. The brushing motion is controlled by an electric motor. The efficacy of a test toothbrush is measured by calculating the difference between initial artificial plaque area minus the remaining artificial plaque after brushing. This is measured using video imaging and computer software.
Key Parameters used in the testing are known by persons skilled in the art like:
1. Brushing Motion - back and forth
2. Teeth - molars & premolars
3. Brush Angle
4. Brushing time
5. Brush stroke length
6. Brush Speed
7. Brush force
The result of above-mentioned in- vitro experiment is outlined in the following table :
% not removed plaque
Novel filament shapes according to the 8 - 10 invention
Circular cross-section filaments 13 - 16
The % of non-removed plaque for all filaments according to the invention is substantial lower than the standard circular cross-section filaments.
Claims
1. Brush head comprising filaments characterized in that the filaments have a non- circular cross-section.
2. Brush head according to claim 1 wherein the brush head is part of a toothbrush.
3. Brush head according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the filaments have a trilocular, tetralocular, trilobular, rectangular or hexagonal cross-section.
4. Brush head according to claim 3 wherein a group of filaments making up a tuft have a trilocular cross-section whereas other groups of filaments making up a tuft have a tetralocular, trilobular, rectangular, hexagonal or circular cross- section or any combination thereof.
5. Brush head according to claim 1-4 wherein the filaments are made of polyester material, nylon or any other material suitable for use.
6. Brush head according to any of the preceding claims wherein the filaments are placed substantially perpendicular to the brush head and spaced longitudinal extending across the entire width of the brush head.
7. Brush head according to claim 1-5 wherein the filaments are placed under an angle with respect to the brush head.
8. Brush head according to claim 6 or 7 wherein part of the filaments are placed substantially perpendicular to the brush head and another part of the filaments are placed under an angle with respect to the brush head.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP94300314.5 | 1994-01-17 | ||
| EP94300314A EP0663162A1 (en) | 1994-01-17 | 1994-01-17 | Toothbrush with non-circular cross section filaments |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| WO1995019120A2 true WO1995019120A2 (en) | 1995-07-20 |
| WO1995019120A3 WO1995019120A3 (en) | 1995-09-21 |
Family
ID=8217532
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US1995/000584 Ceased WO1995019120A2 (en) | 1994-01-17 | 1995-01-13 | Toothbrush with non-circular cross section filaments |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0663162A1 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1995019120A2 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2023006359A1 (en) | 2021-07-26 | 2023-02-02 | Unilever Ip Holdings B.V. | Filaments for oral care implements |
Families Citing this family (19)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5770307A (en) * | 1995-10-18 | 1998-06-23 | E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company | Coextruded monofilaments |
| DE69725887T2 (en) * | 1996-07-25 | 2004-09-09 | Whitehill Oral Technologies Inc. | TOOTHBRUSH WITH IMPROVED CLEANING AND DRIVING EFFECTIVENESS |
| NL1003771C2 (en) * | 1996-08-09 | 1998-02-12 | Mirjam De Wilde | Interdental toothbrush. |
| US5836769A (en) * | 1996-12-03 | 1998-11-17 | Gillette Canada Inc. | Toothbrush, method of making a toothbrush, and method of brushing teeth |
| US5849410A (en) * | 1996-12-12 | 1998-12-15 | E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company | Coextruded monofilaments |
| JP4050356B2 (en) * | 1997-05-23 | 2008-02-20 | ジョンソン・エンド・ジョンソン株式会社 | toothbrush |
| GB2327867A (en) | 1997-07-31 | 1999-02-10 | Stafford Miller Ltd | Toothbrush:bristle tufts |
| DE19829611A1 (en) * | 1998-07-02 | 2000-01-13 | Braun Gmbh | Process for producing a tuft of bristles, in particular a toothbrush |
| US8631534B2 (en) | 2006-06-08 | 2014-01-21 | Dr. Fresh, Llc | Toothbrush |
| WO2012096701A1 (en) | 2011-01-12 | 2012-07-19 | Colgate-Palmolive Company | Oral care implement |
| AU2011354716B2 (en) * | 2011-01-12 | 2015-01-22 | Colgate-Palmolive Company | Oral care implement |
| ES2973071T3 (en) * | 2014-03-11 | 2024-06-18 | Procter & Gamble | Head for an oral care tool |
| US10098447B2 (en) | 2014-07-15 | 2018-10-16 | The Procter & Gamble Company | Oral-care implement having color-communicative element |
| ES2646278T3 (en) * | 2015-02-19 | 2017-12-13 | The Procter & Gamble Company | Head for an oral care tool and oral care tool |
| CA2995681A1 (en) | 2015-09-08 | 2017-03-16 | Colgate-Palmolive Company | Oral care implement |
| ES2975359T3 (en) | 2016-06-03 | 2024-07-04 | Procter & Gamble | Filament for an oral care utensil and oral care utensil |
| EP3251546B1 (en) | 2016-06-03 | 2021-03-10 | The Procter and Gamble Company | Head for an oral care implement and oral care implement |
| US10251470B1 (en) | 2017-10-10 | 2019-04-09 | The Procter & Gamble Company | Head for an oral care implement and oral care implement |
| US11219302B2 (en) | 2017-10-10 | 2022-01-11 | The Procter & Gamble Company | Head for an oral care implement and oral care implement |
Family Cites Families (13)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2317485A (en) * | 1940-04-27 | 1943-04-27 | Pepsodent Co | Brush |
| US2508799A (en) * | 1944-12-28 | 1950-05-23 | Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co | Paintbrush and synthetic bristles for the same |
| US2876477A (en) * | 1955-12-08 | 1959-03-10 | George G Stewart | Brush |
| US3233944A (en) * | 1962-08-15 | 1966-02-08 | Shaw Gilbert | Method for production of brush construction |
| US3238553A (en) * | 1964-04-09 | 1966-03-08 | E B & A C Whiting Company | Filamentary articles |
| SE310646B (en) * | 1964-10-30 | 1969-05-12 | A Poppelman | |
| US3239865A (en) * | 1965-03-24 | 1966-03-15 | E B & A C Whiting Company | Brush containing polypropylene bristles |
| FR1453512A (en) * | 1965-08-13 | 1966-06-03 | Rhodiaceta | New brush |
| US3613143A (en) * | 1970-11-12 | 1971-10-19 | Indiana University Foundation | Brush with abrasive-impregnated bristles |
| US4279053A (en) * | 1979-09-24 | 1981-07-21 | E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company | Tri- or tetra-locular paint brush bristles |
| JPS6017109A (en) * | 1983-07-04 | 1985-01-29 | Kanegafuchi Chem Ind Co Ltd | Yarn for brush |
| NL8500178A (en) * | 1985-01-23 | 1986-08-18 | Jasper Van Den Hoek | Tooth-brush with four bristle rows - has two rows upright and two inclined |
| US4852202A (en) * | 1988-07-21 | 1989-08-01 | Ledwitz Kenenth W | Toothbrush with angled bristles |
-
1994
- 1994-01-17 EP EP94300314A patent/EP0663162A1/en not_active Withdrawn
-
1995
- 1995-01-13 WO PCT/US1995/000584 patent/WO1995019120A2/en not_active Ceased
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2023006359A1 (en) | 2021-07-26 | 2023-02-02 | Unilever Ip Holdings B.V. | Filaments for oral care implements |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| WO1995019120A3 (en) | 1995-09-21 |
| EP0663162A1 (en) | 1995-07-19 |
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| DFPE | Request for preliminary examination filed prior to expiration of 19th month from priority date (pct application filed before 20040101) | ||
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