Abstract:
The invention concerns a toothbrush with a bristle head or accessory unit which compensates for the brushing pressure and associated bending of the holder unit as well as hand movements. The toothbrush is characterized in that an O-ring or elastic shoe that is made either detached from or connected to the adjacent components is provided between the replaceable or fixed bristle unit and the holder unit. The bristle unit and holder unit are joined via a ball joint.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a tooth brush which consists of a bristle part which can be exchanged when required and a holder with special additional functions. 
     EP-A-0 173 50 describes an electrical tooth brush having a brush head which can be driven in a circular motion. The brush head is releasably secured to the drive and tiltably mounted. 
     A tooth brush with a twice angled handle and a bristle head is known from WO-A-95/12333. The bristle head, which either forms a separate component or is united in one piece with the handle is tiltable about an axis which stands perpendicular both to the longitudinal direction of the handle and also to the direction in which the bristles of the bristle head extend. 
     WO-A-95/12333 discloses a tooth brush with a handle and a movable bristle head. The bristle head can be latched to the handle by means of connection means in such a way that is freely rotatable both in and opposite to the clockwise sense and can also simultaneously oscillate about an axis extending perpendicular to the handle. The connection means comprise a pin which has a ring-like formation at its end face or a mushroom-like spigot. 
     Exchangeable bristle parts are known in many rigid embodiments in the trade and, amongst other things, through the German patent 44 22 073.8 C1. 
     Furthermore, there are tooth brushes with a flexibly hinged kinked handle. These are known in the documents EP 0 613 636 A1, EP 0 251 705 B1, EP 0 462 509A1, EP 0 336 641 and EP 0 371 293 and EP 0 648 448; A1. 
     All the tooth brushes listed here have more or less the same problem. The bristle head deflects away from the active surface at the human set of teeth as a result of the bending moment. The consequence is that the bristles arranged towards the center of the holder receive more pressure one-sidedly and uncontrollably. The cleaning action for the rear molars is less due to lack of contact pressure. The bristles at the center of the holder in contrast receive too much pressure and injure the gum and wear the tooth enamel more than is necessary. 
     Some embodiments of EP 0 613 636 A1 admittedly have improved possibilities through elastomeric hinging. A desired contact is, however, not hereby possible. An environmentally friendly exchange of the bristle head is not shown here. 
     The present invention shows possibilities for the exchangeability of the bristle head with value being placed on an environmentally friendly possibility of material separation. The pivotal deflection and resilient deflection can be changed by an elastic connecting member, which is manufactured separately from the exchangeable bristle part. 
     A labeling possibility, a design as a travel tooth brush, the mounting of the exchangeable accessory in the holder and the brush as a depot are shown. 
     Labeling possibilities with. adhesively attachable name labels presents the trade with a large problem of availability, in particular when the customer not only wishes to select his name but also his own color (see EP 0 114 41). 
     In accordance with the invention the bristle is proposed as a depot carrier for solid substances which can fight fungi, bacteria and germs, but which can also be a carrier for minerals and trace elements, such as, for example, fluoride and calcium. In addition, it is explained how the bristle part can be removed again when worn without one being able to break a fingernail. 
     Particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention are characterized in the independent claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The following description will serve, with reference to the accompanying drawings, for the purpose of the illustration and of the classification of the invention. 
     FIG. 1A longitudinal section of the tooth brush with exchangeable bristle part 
     FIG. 1B compensatory action of the tooth brush with cleaning pressure at the set of teeth 
     FIG. 1C transverse section with compensatory action of the tooth brush with cleaning pressure at the set of teeth 
     FIG. 1D partial enlargement of FIG. 1A at the front 
     FIG. 1E bottom view of the tooth brush with the exchangeable bristle part 
     FIG. 1F perspective view of the exchangeable bristle part 
     FIG. 2A longitudinal section of the tooth brush with exchangeable bristle part 
     FIG. 2B compensatory action of the tooth brush with cleaning pressure at the set of teeth 
     FIG. 2C transverse section with compensatory action of the tooth brush with cleaning pressure at the set of teeth 
     FIG. 2D partial enlargement of FIG. 2A at the front 
     FIG. 2E perspective view of an elastic shoe as a connecting member 
     FIG. 2F bottom view of the tooth brush with the exchangeable bristle part 
     FIG. 3A longitudinal section of a travel tooth brush with exchangeable bristle parts ready for use 
     FIG. 3B bottom view of a travel tooth brush with exchangeable bristle part hygienically stored 
     FIG. 3C longitudinal section of a travel tooth brush with an exchangeable bristle head hygienically stored 
     FIG. 3D bottom view of a travel tooth brush with an exchangeable bristle part ready for use 
     FIG. 4A longitudinal section of a tooth brush with a fixed bristle part 
     FIG. 4B compensatory action of the tooth brush with cleaning pressure at the set of teeth 
     FIG. 4C transverse section with compensatory action of the tooth brush with cleaning pressure at the set of teeth 
     FIG. 4D bottom view of the tooth brush with the fixed bristle part 
     FIG. 5A longitudinal section of the tooth brush with the fixed bristle part 
     FIG. 5B compensatory action of the tooth brush with cleaning pressure at the set of teeth 
     FIG. 5C transverse section with compensatory action of the tooth brush with cleaning pressure at the set of teeth 
     FIG. 5D bottom view of the tooth brush with the fixed bristle part 
     FIG. 6 longitudinal section of a holder with an elastically suspended accessory 
     FIG. 7 longitudinal section of a holder with a rigidly suspended tooth plaque scraper 
     FIG. 8 script representation with eleven segment representation, for example letters M and U 
     FIG. 9 bristle tuft with bristle as a carrier for active substance in the form of a tube with holes 
     FIG. 10 bristle tuft with a bristle as a carrier for active substance in the form of a tube with longitudinal opening 
     FIG. 11 bristle tuft with bristle as a carrier for active material in small cavities 
     FIG. 12 bristle tuft with bristle as a carrier for active substance in the form of a stranded arrangement of fine active material bristles and fine bristles. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1A shows a longitudinal section through a tooth brush with a ball joint  12   c.  FIG. 1C, FIG. 1D Between the exchangeable bristle part  12  and the holder  11  lies an O-ring in a ring-like cutout  11   a  and  12   a.  The spacing of the ball joint  12   c  in the longitudinal direction is preferably displaced in the longitudinal direction out of the center of gravity of the bristle part  12  in order to achieve a compensatory movement for the bending deflection of the holder. It the longitudinal direction the pivot angle  14  is restricted by fixed abutment and in the transverse direction the pivot angle  15  is restricted by fixed abutment. 
     In order to achieve different spring rates with a simple O-ring with preferably the same cross-section and hardness, noses  11   b  and  12   b  are mounted in the transverse direction. If O-rings  16  of different Shore hardness are enclosed in the sales package, the customer can vary the hardness as desired. For this purpose the O-rings can be differently colored. The wall holder in FIG. 1A serves through the front projection  18   b  for the pressing of the used bristle part  12  out of the holder  11 . In this arrangement the projection  18   a  serves as an abutment for the protection of the holder  11  or  21 . The outer peripheral edge of the bristle part  12   d  sits accurately fitted in spherical manner in the opening  11   d,  so that no toothpaste contaminations can disturb the mobility during the tilting movement. 
     The embodiment of FIG. 2A, FIG. 2C, FIG.  2 D and FIG. 2E, in which an elastic shoe  27  simultaneously ensures a sealing towards the outside, is better protected against the problem of contamination. FIG. 2B again shows the compensatory action with the cleaning pressure. 
     In order to achieve different spring rates for the same hardness, noses  21   b  are provided on the holder in the transverse direction, and noses  27   b  are provided on the shoe. If shoes  27  of different Shore hardnesses are enclosed in the sales package, the customer can change the hardness as desired. The shoes can be differently colored for this purpose. It is also possible to dispense with the noses in the bristle part, as shown. Many variants are possible here and could not all be shown here. 
     FIG. 3A, FIG. 3D show a travel tooth brush ready for use when the handle part  32  turned through 180° is mounted onto the holder part  31 . A loop  39  prevents the loss of the brush. The handle part  32  simultaneously serves as an ejector for the used bristle part  22  (or also the embodiment  12 ). FIG. 3B, FIG. 3C show the hygienically stored bristle part  22  in the travel state. 
     FIG. 4A shows a longitudinal section through a tooth brush with an elastically connected firm connection, which is preferably displaced in the longitudinal direction in the direction of the bristle part out of the center of gravity of the bristle part in order to achieve a compensatory movement for the bending deflection of the holder. 
     FIG. 4C In the longitudinal direction the pivot angle  44  is restricted by fixed abutment, and in the transverse direction, the pivot angle  45  is restricted by fixed abutment. 
     FIG. 5A Longitudinal section through a tooth brush with elastically connected bristle part connection as a variation of  4 , preferably firm connection offset in the longitudinal direction out of the center of gravity of the bristle part in the direction of the bristle part in order to achieve a compensatory movement for the bending deflection of the holder. 
     FIG. 5C Similar to  4 C in the longitudinal direction the pivot angle  54  is restricted by fixed abutment, and in the transverse direction the pivot angle  55  is restricted by fixed abutment FIG. 6 Here the advantages of an elastically suspended accessory part are shown, in this case an interspace brush. The possibility of articulation self-evidently leads to large cleaning success here. 
     FIG. 7 In contrast to this, a scraper, for example for plaque, must be rigidly mounted. Here the intermediate space of the elastic part  16  or  27  is taken up by the material of the scraper part. 
     FIG. 8 A very simple written labeling with an 11 segment representation is shown for the example of the letters M and U of the elements  11   f  etc. and enables the customer to individually label at home by scratching off the corresponding mark segments  11   e  etc. Additional costs during manufacture do not arise when the name of the manufacturer (here COBRA, no claim to registered trademark) is printed simultaneously with the eleven-segment. 
     FIG. 9 Here the bristle becomes a carrier for the active substance in the form of a tube with holes. With an appropriately selected carrier substance active substance can be intentionally washed out of these holes in order, for example, to kill off fungi, bacteria or germs or to introduce minerals and trace elements into the tooth, the gum or the mouth cavity. 
     FIG. 10 Bristle tuft with bristles as a carrier for active substance in the form of a tube with longitudinal opening. 
     FIG. 11 Bristle tuft with bristle as carrier for active substance in small cavities. 
     FIG. 12 Bristle tuft with a bristle as a carrier for active substance in the form of a stranded arrangement of fine bristles of active material and fine bristles.