Patent ID: 8516645
Filing Date: 2013-08-27
Classification: A46B

Abstract:
1. A toothbrush head which comprises a bristle carrier in the form of a pad of a thermoplastic elastomer material having an upper surface, a bristle holder holding plural bristles, the bristle being elongate along a bristle longitudinal direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the pad and having an upper end relatively distant from the bristle carrier and a lower end relatively nearer to the bristle carrier, the bristle holder being rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the bristle longitudinal direction by means of plural connectors arranged regularly around the circumference of a circle centered on the rotation axis, the connectors being integrally made of a resilient plastics material with the holder and fixed to the bristle carrier and connecting the bristle holder to the bristle carrier, and which follows a path which is a non-radial path relative to the rotation axis and follows the surface of a cone having its base-apex direction in the bristle longitudinal direction with its apex further from the bristle carrier than the base, with an end of the connector connected to the bristle holder being nearer to the apex of the cone, and an end of the connector connected to the bristle carrier being nearer to the base of the cone, and the end of the connector which is nearer to the apex of the cone being radially closer to the rotation axis than is the end which is nearer to the base of the cone, the connector being resiliently flexible in a direction such that pressure applied to the bristle in the bristle longitudinal direction toward the bristle carrier causes the bristle holder to move against the resilience of the connectors downwards in the bristle longitudinal direction and causes a deformation of the connectors which applies a first torsional force to the bristle holder causing the bristle holder to rotate in a first rotation direction around the rotation axis parallel and subsequent release of the pressure allows the resilience of the connectors to move the bristle holder reciprocally upwards relative to the bristle carrier in the opposite direction, and allows the deformation of the connectors which applies a second torsional force opposite to the first torsional force causing the bristle holder to rotate in a second rotation direction around the rotation axis opposite to the first rotation direction, and wherein the connector is embedded in the thermoplastic elastomer material.