Patent EA-004151-B1 (EA)
Title: Toothbrush
Inventor: BROECKER GERD
IPC: A46B5/00
Filed: 2000-11-30
Abstract: 1. A dental cleaning implement which has a head which carries a dental cleaning tool, and a grip handle, the head and handle being along a longitudinal head-handle direction, the implement has a resiliently flexible structure, which comprises a region of "U" or "V" shaped folds in the material of the toothbrush, situated in its handle or between its head and its handle, which can resiliently bend under the action of pressure experienced by the bead during toothbrushing, characterised in that the implement has adjustment means by which the user may alter the flexibility of the structure between less and more flexible, the adjustment means comprising a longitudinally moveable stiffening member which can be moved longitudinally into greater or lesser engagement with the resiliently flexible structure. 2. A dental cleaning implement according to claim 1 characterised in that the resiliently flexible structure comprises a composite region of one or more relatively more flexible elastomer parts and one or more relatively less flexible plastic material parts. 3. A dental cleaning implement according to claim 2 characterised in that the composite flexible structure comprises a region of "U" or "V" shaped folds in the material of the toothbrush, with an elastomer material in the concavity or "bite" between the limbs of the folds. 4. A dental cleaning implement according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the stiffening member is mounted externally on the flexible structure or on the handle or on the neck of the toothbrush longitudinally adjacent to the flexible structure. 5. A dental cleaning implement according to claim 4 characterised in that the flexible structure has one or more guide in its external surface and the stiffening member has one or more part which can engage with the one or more guide and which can ride longitudinally along the one or more guide. 6. A dental cleaning implement according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the stiffening member comprises one or more longitudinally extending arm, extending is the direction toward the head of the toothbrush, which can engage with the flexible structure. 7. A dental cleaning implement according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the stiffening member is longitudinally slideable relative to the flexible structure. 8. A dental cleaning implement according to claim 7 characterised by a longitudinally slideable stiffening member on each side of the toothbrush, the members being linked together to enable them to move together slideably along the toothbrush. 9. A dental cleaning implement according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the resiliently flexible structure is a region of "U" shaped folds, the fold axes of the folds being aligned perpendicular or at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis and to the bristle direction; there is an elastomer material in the bite between the limbs of the folds; situated on the handle of the toothbrush is a longitudinally moveable slider; the flexible structure has one or more external longitudinal groove; the stiffening member comprises one or more arm, which extends longitudinally toward the toothbrush head when the slider is an the handle, and the one or more arm engages with the one or more groove when the slider is moved longitudinally toward the head. 10. A dental cleaning implement according to claim 9 characterised in that the one or more arm is progressively moveable toward the toothbrush head to thereby cause the one or more arm to cross a progressively greater number of limbs of the "U" or "V" shaped folds, and to bridge a progressively heater number of the "bites" between adjacent limbs. 11. A dental cleaning implement according to claim 1, 2 or 3 characterised in that the stiffening member is moveable internally within the flexible structure. 12. A dental cleaning implement according to claim 11 characterised in that the stiffening member is longitudinally moveable by a whole or partial screw thread action.