TOOTHBRUSH DEVICE

Abstract: A toothbrush where an intermediate area (4) between the brush handle (1) and the brush neck (2) has a weakened portion (5, 5', 5'') to cause the toothbrush head (3) to bend relative to the handle (1) when the working pressure on the toothbrush head exceeds a threshold value. The intermediate section (4) has at least one area of contact (6; 7) for one or more of the toothbrush user's fingers, and the area of contact (6; 7) has at least two projections or prominent elevations (8, 9; 10; 11; 8', 9'; 10', 11') which, in the event that the said threshold value is exceeded, either move apart if the area of contact (6) is on the bristle side of the brush, or towards one another if the area of contact (7) is on the back of the brush.

Description: Toothbrush device The present invention relates to a toothbrush where an intermediate area between the brush handle and neck has a weakened portion to cause the toothbrush head to bend relative to the handle when the working pressure on the toothbrush head exceeds a threshold value There are previously known several toothbrushes of this type whose object is to reduce the effect of the toothbrush user exerting excessive pressure on the toothbrush head by gripping the toothbrush handle too tightly and thus exerting excessive force on the toothbrush However, it is not always easy for the toothbrush user to get a feeling of whether the force exerted is too great, especially if he brushes his teeth with a certain rapidity The object of the present invention is to provide a means of giving feedback to the toothbrush user when the force exerted by the toothbrush user on the toothbrush becomes excessive or progressively greater. The invention is characterised primarily in that the intermediate section has at least one area of contact for one or more of the toothbrush user's fingers, and that the area of contact has at least two projections or prominent elevations which, in the event that said threshold value is exceeded, either move apart if the area of contact is on the bristle side of the brush, or towards each other if the area of contact is on the back of the brush Further embodiments of the toothbrush will be apparent from the attached patent claims and from the following description which is given with reference to the attached drawings It should be appreciated that the drawings merely show typical exemplary embodiments, and that they should thus not be understood as defining the limits of the invention Fig 1 shows a first embodiment of the toothbrush according to the invention Fig 2 shows a variant of the toothbrush according to the invention Fig 3 shows a further variant of the toothbrush In the figures the brush is shown having a handle 1, a neck 2 and a head 3. In an intermediate section 4 between the brush handle 1 and the neck 2 there is a weakened portion 5, 5', 5" that is intended to cause the toothbrush head 3 to be capable of bending relative to the handle 1 when the working pressure on the toothbrush head 3 exceeds a threshold value. To this end, the intermediate section 4 has at least one area of contact 6 and/or 7 for one or more of the toothbrush user's fingers. The area of contact 6 as shown in Fig. 1 has at least two projections or prominent elevations 8, 9. If the said threshold value is exceeded when the toothbrush user brushes too hard, the toothbrush head 3 and the neck 2 will move towards a position as shown in broken lines in Figs. 1 and 2 and indicated respectively by the reference numerals 3' and 2'. The movements in the intermediate area are indicated by the thick arrows. When the head and neck of the brush are moved in this way by the exertion of excessive working pressure on the toothbrush head on the part of the toothbrush user, the projections or elevations 8, 9 on the area of contact 6, i.e., on the side of the brush where the toothbrush bristles 13 are located, will move apart. If the toothbrush user has his thumb or other fingers placed on this area, the toothbrush user will feel that the projections or elevations move apart in response to excessive pressure, and will thus be warned that he is cleaning his teeth with too much brush pressure. As indicated in Fig. 2, projections or elevations 10, 11 may similarly be arranged in connection with the area of contact 7. The intermediate section 4 consists of a front part of the toothbrush handle 1 where the cross-section of the first material of the toothbrush is indicated by means of the reference numerals 5, 5', 5", where one or more areas of the weakened portion in the longitudinal direction of the brush are smaller than the otherwise full cross-section of the handle 1. The weakened portion 5, 5', 5" is wholly or partly enveloped by a second, elastic material, indicated by the reference numeral 12, which is different from the primary material or first material that forms the handle 1, the weakened portion 5, 5', 5", the neck 2 and the head 3'. The projections or elevations 8, 9, optionally the projections or the elevations 10, 11 are uniform with the first material and have their extreme point located immediately below the surface of the second material, in its surface or slightly above its surface. Although it is understood to be advantageous to allow the said projections or elevations to be uniform with the first material, it cannot be discounted as an advantageous embodiment of the present invention and as an alternative to allow the weakened portion 5, 5', 5" to be wholly or partly enveloped by a second, elastic material that is different from the first material, said projections or elevations 8, 9, 10, 11 in that case projecting from the surface of the second material and being uniform with the second material as shown in Fig. 3 attached hereto and indicated by the reference numerals 8', 9', 10', 11 '. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the weakened portion preferably consists of a narrow part 5 consisting of the first material of the toothbrush and, unitary with this portion 5 in the bending plane of the narrow part 5, wave-shaped reinforcements 5', 5". Said projections or wave crests are provided either in that a projection projects from a respective wave crest, or that at least two wave crests have an amplitude that is markedly greater than the other wave crests, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or in a modified version as indicated in Fig. 3. In Fig. 2 it is shown how when excessive brushing force is exerted on the head 3 the projections or elevations 10, 11 will move towards each other. On making a closer study of the drawings and armed with a knowledge of toothbrush technology, it will also be understood that the movements the projections or elevations 8, 9; 10', 11 ' are subjected to will be relatively small, but will be easily felt by a sensitive finger. The present invention thus provides a toothbrush where the toothbrush user, with sensitive finger tip areas, will easily be able to feel when the toothbrush user exerts excessive pressure on his teeth during the brushing thereof. The first material is preferably a relatively rigid plastic material, and the second material is a softer plastic material that bonds well to the first material. The first and second materials may, e.g., be of the type used today in dual material toothbrushes.

Claims: P a t e n t c l a i m s 1. A toothbrush where an intermediate area (4) between the brush handle (1) and the brush neck (2) has a weakened portion (5, 5', 5") to cause the toothbrush head (3) to bend relative to the handle (1) when the working pressure on the toothbrush head exceeds a threshold value, characterised in that the intermediate section (4) has at least one area of contact (6; 7) for one or more of the toothbrush user's fingers, and that the area of contact (6; 7) has at least two projections or prominent elevations (8, 9; 10; 11; 8', 9'; 10', 11 ') which, in the event that the said threshold value is exceeded, either move apart if the area of contact (6) is on the bristle side of the brush, or towards one another if the area of contact (7) is on the back of the brush. 2. A toothbrush as disclosed in claim 1, characterised in that the intermediate section (4) consists of a front part of the toothbrush handle (1) where the cross-section of the first material of the toothbrush, at one or more areas thereof in the longitudinal direction of the brush is smaller than the otherwise full cross-section of the handle, and where the weakened portion (5, 5', 5") is wholly or partly enveloped by a second, elastic material 812) which is different from the first material, and that said projections or elevations (8, 9; 10, 11) are unitary with the first material and have their extreme point located immediately beneath the surface of the second material (12), in its surface or slightly above its surface. 3. A toothbrush as disclosed in claim 1, characterised in that the intermediate section (4) consists of a front part of the toothbrush handle (1) where the cross-section of the first material of the toothbrush is less than the full cross-section of the handle, and where the weakened portion (5, 5', 5") is wholly or partly enveloped by a second, elastic material (12) that is different from the first material, and that said projections or elevations (8', 9'; 10', 11') project from the surface of the second material (12) and are unitary with the second material. 4. A toothbrush as disclosed in claim 2, characterised in that the weakened portion consists of a narrow part (5) of the first material of the toothbrush and wave-shaped reinforcements (5', 5") unitary therewith in the bending plane of the said narrow part, where from at least two wave crests there projects a respective projection or where at least two wave crests have an amplitude that is markedly greater than the other wave crests.

Inventors: BRAATEN STIG, OEXSETH GEIR, BRAATEN, STIG, OEXSETH, GEIR
Applicants: BRAATEN STIG, JORDAN AS, OEXSETH GEIR, BRAATEN, STIG, OEXSETH, GEIR
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A46B5
IPC codes: A46B5, A46B15