Abstract:
A toothbrush comprises a handle and a head. The head includes a first section having cleaning elements extending outwardly from its outer surface. A ball joint is mounted to the head adjacent to the first section. The ball joint also includes cleaning elements extending outwardly from the outer surface. The head includes resilient material urging the ball joint so be in its initial position after the pivotal movement of the ball joint cleaning elements.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention is directed primarily to a manually held toothbrush which would include a handle and a head. With conventional manual toothbrushes, cleaning elements, such as tufts of bristles, are mounted to the head. When toothpaste is applied to the cleaning elements the user inserts the head into the mouth and brushes the teeth in a known manner.  
           [0002]    Conventionally, a toothbrush head is of one piece construction which is elongated and symmetrical in shape on each side of the longitudinal center line. Generally, the head includes fixed bristles extending outwardly from one surface of the head. Attempts have been made to provide additional flexibility to the bristles by permitting some movement of the bristles during use of the toothbrush. A number of patents, for example, disclose utilizing a pivotal or ball joint mounted on the toothbrush head to permit such movement. U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,866, for example, discloses an articulate toothbrush wherein a pivot joint connects the handle and head. All of the bristles are mounted to the pivotable head. U.S. Pat. No. 3,398,421 discloses a toothbrush wherein the head includes a pair of carriers each of which is retained by a ball member; alternatively, a single ball member is used for all of the carriers. No other bristles are included in the head. A similar approach is disclosed in patent abstracts of Japan publication no. 06327517.  
           [0003]    Another approach is to have a plurality of individually mounted groups of bristles secured to a respective ball, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,263,802 and Russian patent SU 1752336. The head includes no fixed bristles. A similar approach is utilized in a hairbrush disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,222.  
           [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,922 discloses a toothbrush with a universal joint for two segments located outwardly of the head with the joints being disposed in a longitudinal direction. Accordingly, the head actually includes the two separate sections which extend outwardly from the head. The head itself may also be attached to the handle by a ratchet ball.  
           [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,870 discloses a toothbrush having a flexibly mounted bristles wherein the bristles are mounted on a resilient lattice network.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    An object of this invention is to provide a toothbrush wherein the toothbrush head includes cleaning elements, such as bristles, mounted on a ball joint to provide an extra degree of motion, in addition to fixed cleaning elements.  
           [0007]    In accordance with this invention an elongated head is attached to the end of a handle. The head has an outer surface from which a plurality of cleaning elements extend. In addition, the head includes a further set of cleaning elements mounted to a ball joint located generally perpendicular to the outer surface so that these cleaning elements may move in various directions, including along the longitudinal axis of the head.  
           [0008]    In a preferred practice of this invention the ball joint is located below the outer surface of the head. The ball joint includes an outwardly extending stem which in its initial position is perpendicular to the outer surface of the head. A carrier for the cleaning elements is mounted to the stem. The stem is surrounded by elastomer material to urge the stem back to its initial position.  
           [0009]    The ball joint could be mounted to the head as a separate component which is snapped into place or could be joined into the cavity of the head by a flexible, resilient elastomer. The ball joint might be assembled via insert molding process.  
       
    
    
     THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toothbrush in accordance with this invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the toothbrush shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the toothbrush shown in FIGS.  1 - 2 ;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken through FIG. 3 along the line  4 - 4 ;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 in a different phase of operation;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS.  4 - 5  of an alternative form of this invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is a plan view of the alternative shown in FIG. 6; and  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a further toothbrush in accordance with this invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]    The present invention is directed to toothbrushes which are inserted in the mouth during use. Although the drawings illustrate a toothbrush which is manually operated, it is to be understood that the teachings of this invention could be incorporated in power operated or electric toothbrushes wherein a portion of the toothbrush head is, for example, oscillated such as by means of the type of drive illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,916, all of the details of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto. Such a toothbrush would include at least one oscillating or rotating section and would also include at least one section wherein the cleaning elements are mounted on a ball joint as later described.  
         [0019]    FIGS.  1 - 3  show a toothbrush  10  in accordance with this invention. As shown therein toothbrush  10  includes a handle  12  and a head  14 . Head  14  includes a fixed section  16  having an outer surface  18  from which various cleaning elements  19 , 20  extend. Head  14  also includes a section located near handle  12  which includes a ball joint  22  having cleaning elements  24 . The utilization of the ball joint  22  introduces an extra degree of motion other than flexing the bristle strands where bristles are used as the cleaning elements.  
         [0020]    The ball joint  22  could be mounted to head  14  in any suitable manner. FIG. 4, for example, illustrates a socket  26  located in a recess  28  on the underside of head  14 , that is the side opposite outer surface  18 . The ball joint  22  includes a neck or stem  30  connected to a carrier  32  with the cleaning elements  24  mounted to carrier  32 . Stem  30  could be surrounded by elastomeric material  34  to fill the opening in head  14  necessary to accommodate the ball joint while still permitting universal type movement of ball joint  22 .  
         [0021]    As shown in FIG. 4 the bottom of carrier  32  is concave to complement the convex outer surface of elastomer  34  and head  14  to facilitate the pivoting of carrier  32 . As also shown, ball joint  22 , stem  30  and carrier  32  are integral.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5 illustrates ball joint  22  in its condition during use where the ball joint  22  has pivoted in a direction toward handle  12 .  
         [0023]    An advantage of incorporating elastomeric material such as elastomeric material  34  or the resilient pad  38  (FIG. 6) around the stem  30  of the ball joint  22  is that the elastomer  34  or  38  provides extra motion in returning the ball joint  22  to its initial rest position where the stem  30  is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis or outer surface of head  14 .  
         [0024]    FIGS.  6 - 7  illustrate an alternative manner of mounting the ball joint  22 . As shown therein a socket  36  which is generally spherical in shape is formed in head  14 . A resilient pad formed of elastomeric  38  is mounted over socket  36 . Carrier  32  has depending ribs  40  which press against pad  38 . During assembly, ball joint  22  is snapped into place through a central hole in the pad  38 . When ball joint  22  is in socket  36 , ribs  40  contact pad  38 . Instead of forming the ball joint structure as a separate component, the ball joint could be incorporated in the head  14  via insert molding process.  
         [0025]    In both of the embodiments of FIGS.  1 - 5  and FIGS.  6 - 7 , the ball joint  22  is located recessed below the outer surface of head  14 . The cleaning element carrier  32  is disposed above the outer surface and mounted for pivotal movement by its connection to stem  30 . Stem  30  is surrounded by elastomeric material  34  or elastomeric pad  38  to bias stem  30  to its initial position perpendicular to the outer surface of head  14 .  
         [0026]    Although FIGS.  1 - 3  illustrate the ball joint  22  and its cleaning elements  24  to be located between the fixed section  16  and the handle  12 , other arrangements are possible such as by having a further fixed section on the opposite side of ball joint  22  or by having the ball joint located at the remote or distal end and the fixed section located between the ball joint and the handle. Similarly, while FIGS.  1 - 3  illustrate only a single ball joint the invention could be practiced with multiple ball joints.  
         [0027]    As best illustrated in FIG. 3 the cleaning elements  20  are located along the periphery of fixed section  16  in a generally U-shaped pattern. Cleaning elements  19  are located within the U-shape. Cleaning elements  19  may be shorter than cleaning elements  20  to create a cup-like outer surface of the ends of the cleaning elements  19 , 20  to help retain toothpaste on the cleaning elements. Cleaning elements  19  might be bristle bundles, while cleaning elements  20  might be in-molded technology bristles.  
         [0028]    If desired, as shown in FIG. 2, the outer surface  18  of head  14  could include a concave depression  46  to accommodate a complementary shaped surface  44  of the ball joint structure. Alternatively, the outer surface  18  may have a convex protrusion which would accommodate a complementary shape concave portion of the ball joint structure, as shown in FIG. 4. These complementary surfaces facilitate the smooth movement of the ball joint carrier  32 .  
         [0029]    As shown in FIGS.  4 - 5  the outer surface of head  14  includes a recess  29  through which the stem  30  extends. The shape and dimension of recess  29  controls or limits the degree of pivoting that the cleaning elements  24  can make. In that regard, where the head  14  is generally formed from conventional hard plastic material the edges of the recess would function as a stop to limit the degree of pivoting action of the ball joint structure. FIG. 5, for example, shows the ball joint structure pivoted almost to the limit that would result where upon continued movement stem  30  contacts the edge of recess  29 .  
         [0030]    As shown in FIG. 6 head  14  includes a recess  43  into which the pad  38  would be mounted. The degree of pivoting permitted for the ball joint structure would be controlled by the size and dimension of the various components. Thus, the outer surface of head  14  would prevent further pivoting action of ball joint  22  when the carrier  32  contacts the outer surface  18 .  
         [0031]    As illustrated in FIGS.  4 - 5  the elastomer material  34  completely fills the open area in recess  29 , thus, effectively functioning as biasing structure to urge the ball joint  22  back to its initial position where it is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of head  14 .  
         [0032]    Although FIG. 3 illustrates the cleaning elements  20  to be a single row of tufts of bristles it is to be understood that the cleaning elements could be arranged in a plurality of rows. What is desired in the illustrated embodiment is that there should be an open area to accommodate cleaning elements  19 .  
         [0033]    Any suitable form of cleaning elements may be used as the cleaning elements  19 ,  20  and  24 . The term “cleaning elements” is intended to be used in a generic sense which could include conventional fiber bristles or massage elements or other forms of cleaning elements such as elastomeric fingers or walls arranged in a circular cross-sectional shape or any type of desired shape including straight portions or sinusoidal portions. Where bristles are used, the bristles could be mounted to tuft blocks or sections by extending through suitable openings in the tuft blocks so that the base of the bristles is mounted within or below the tuft block.  
         [0034]    It is to be understood that the specific illustration of the cleaning elements is merely for exemplary purposes. The invention can be practiced with various combinations of the same or different cleaning element configurations (such as stapled or in-molded technology bristles, etc.) and/or with the same bristle or cleaning element materials (such as nylon bristles, spiral bristles, rubber bristles, etc.) Similarly, while FIG. 2 illustrates the cleaning elements to be generally perpendicular to the outer surface  18  of head  14  some or all of the cleaning elements may be angled at various angles with respect to the outer surface of head  14 . It is thereby possible to select the combination of cleaning element configurations, materials and orientations to achieve specific intended results to deliver additional oral health benefits, like enhanced cleaning tooth polishing, tooth whitening and/or massaging of the gums.  
         [0035]    Although FIGS.  1 - 7  illustrate a manually operated toothbrush, the invention may also be practiced where the head includes one or more power or electrically operated movable sections carrying cleaning elements. Such movable section may oscillate in a rotational manner or may oscillate linearly in a longitudinal direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the head or may oscillate linearly in a lateral or transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the head. The movable section may oscillate in and out in a direction toward and away from the outer surface of the head. The movable section may rock back and forth with respect to the outer surface of the head. The movable section may rotate continuously in the same direction, rather than oscillate. Any suitable drive mechanism may be used for imparting the desired motion to the movable section. Where plural movable sections are used, all of the movable sections may have the same type and direction of movement, or combinations of different movements may be used.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 8 illustrates a toothbrush  10 A which includes a power driven movable disc or section  50  having cleaning elements. The movable section  50  could be oscillated rotationally such as by using the type of drive mechanism shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,916, or could move in and out using the type of drive mechanism shown in U.S. Pat. No. Re35,941, all of the details of both patents are incorporated herein by reference thereto. Alternatively, the other types of drives referred to above could move section  50  in other manners and directions. Although FIG. 8 shows movable section  50  to be at the distal end of the head, the movable section(s) could be located at any desired location on the head.  
         [0037]    As should be apparent the toothbrush  10  or  10 A provides a head wherein there is an extra degree of motion to the cleaning elements. This extra degree of motion is accomplished by providing cleaning elements on a ball joint structure in such a manner that the cleaning elements may freely move in virtually any direction from its initial non-use position.