Source: http://www.google.se/patents/US7162767
Timestamp: 2013-05-18 13:32:29
Document Index: 30591804

Matched Legal Cases: ['art.\n3', 'art.\n17', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 22', 'art 1']

Patent US7162767 - Toothbrush and process for producing the same - Google PatentS�k Bilder Kartor Play YouTube Nyheter Gmail Drive Mer » Avancerad patents�kning | Webbhistorik | Logga in Avancerad patents�kning PatentThe invention relates to a toothbrush that is produced by AFT and has a head part and at least one carrier element connected thereto. A front surface of the head part is formed by the top surfaces of the at least one carrier element and has a non-planar three-dimensional configuration, or is capable...http://www.google.se/patents/US7162767?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7162767 - Toothbrush and process for producing the same PublikationsnummerUS7162767 B2Typ av kung�relseBeviljande Ans�kningsnummer11/291,911 Publiceringsdatum16 jan 2007 Registreringsdatum2 dec 2005 Prioritetsdatum19 dec 2002�ven publicerat somCN1713838ACN100475088CCN101332012AEP1571945A1EP2292118A1EP2298126A1US6988777US7549187US7774891US7992247US20040117934US20060080795US20070094824US20090193604US20110010881US20110258797WO2004056235A1 UppfinnareFranz FischerPhilipp Pfenniger Ursprunglig innehavareTrisa Holding Ag USA-klassificering15/167.115/201 Internationell klassificeringA46B7/06A46B9/04A46D3/04A46B3/06 Kooperativ klassningA46B7/06A46B9/026A46B3/06A46B15/0002A46B5/0029A46D3/045A46B3/20A46B2200/1066A46B15/0032 Europeisk klassificeringA46B15/00B3HA46B9/02DA46B5/00B1AA46D3/04CA46B3/06H�nvisningarCitat fr�n patent (18) H�nvisningar finns i f�ljande patent (2)Externa l�nkarUSPTO �verl�telse av �gander�tt till patent som har registrerats av USPTO EspacenetToothbrush and process for producing the sameUS 7162767 B2 Sammanfattning The invention relates to a toothbrush that is produced by AFT and has a head part and at least one carrier element connected thereto. A front surface of the head part is formed by the top surfaces of the at least one carrier element and has a non-planar three-dimensional configuration, or is capable of assuming such a configuration during intended use. The invention also relates to a process for producing such a toothbrush.
a head part connected to the handle part, the head part having a front and a rear face;
at least one carrier element made of a hard plastic material and of a soft plastic material and connected to the head part, the at least one carrier element having a top surface, a rear surface and a plurality of cutouts running between the top surface and the rear surface of the carrier element; and
clusters of bristle filaments guided through the cutouts, the bristle filaments having a rear end melted to form a bristle coating, the bristle coating covering the rear surface of the at least one carrier element at least partially,
wherein the at least one carrier element holding the clusters of the bristle filaments is connected to the head part such that the rear surface of the at least one carrier element is at a distance from the front face of the head part thereby forming a cavity between the at least one carrier element and the front face of the head part, and
the at least one carrier element is at least in part resiliently deformable with respect to the head part in order to assume a non-planar three-dimensional configuration at least during use.
2. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the at least one carrier element has a contact surface defined by the hard plastic material, the contact surface providing connection of the at least one carrier element with the head part.
3. The toothbrush according to claim 2, wherein the at least one carrier element is welded to the head part by the contact surface.
4. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the cutouts are located at least partially in the soft plastic material of the at least one carrier element.
5. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the cutouts are located at least partially in the hard plastic material of the at least one carrier element.
6. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the at least one carrier element comprises sleeves made of the hard plastic material, the sleeves including the cutouts, wherein the clusters of bristle filaments are guided through the cutouts, and the rear ends of the bristle filaments are melted to the sleeves.
7. The toothbrush according to claim 6, wherein the sleeves are at least partially surrounded by the soft plastic material.
8. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the at least one carrier element is connected to the head part only in subsections of a circumferential region of the at least one carrier element.
9. The toothbrush according to claim 8, wherein the head part has lateral cutouts through which the cavity beneath the at least one carrier element is accessible.
10. The toothbrush according to claim 9, wherein the at least one carrier element is spaced apart from the head part by more than 0.5 mm.
11. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the at least one carrier element is provided with a lateral border.
12. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the at least one carrier element comprises flexible cleaning elements made of a soft plastic material.
13. The toothbrush according to claim 12, wherein the soft plastic material of the flexible cleaning elements is the same plastic material as that of the at least one carrier element.
14. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the at least one carrier element has the form of a carrier plate.
15. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the at least one carrier element is not uniform.
16. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein at least two carrier elements are connected to the head part.
17. The toothbrush according to claim 16, wherein the head part is provided between the at least two carrier elements with a zone that is flexible.
18. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the hard plastic material is polypropylene and the soft plastic material is a thermoplastic elastomer.
19. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the Shore A hardness of the soft plastic material is below 70.
20. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the hard plastic material of the at least one carrier element and the material of the head part are the same.
21. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the at least one carrier element comprises welding surfaces that are in different planes.
22. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the bristle coating has the form of separate webs partially covering the rear surface of the at least one carrier element.
23. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the clusters of bristle filaments are displaceably mounted in the cutouts of the at least one carrier element and an elastic membrane is arranged in the head part for a resilient mounting of the clusters of bristle filaments.
wherein the at least one carrier element holding the clusters of the bristle filaments is connected to the head part only in subsections of a circumferential region of the at least one carrier element and the rear surface of the at least one carrier element is at a distance from the front of the head part thereby forming a cavity between the at least one carrier element and the front face of the head part, and
the at least one carrier element is at least part resiliently deformable with respect to the head part in order to assume a non-planar three-dimensional configuration at least during use.
25. The toothbrush according to claim 24, wherein the head part has lateral cutouts through which a cavity beneath the at least one carrier element is accessible.
26. The toothbrush according to claim 25, wherein the at least one carrier element is spaced apart from the head part by more than 0.5 mm.
27. The toothbrush according to claim 26, wherein the at least one carrier element is provided with a lateral border.
at least one carrier element made of a hard plastic material and of a soft plastic material and connected to the head part, the at least one carrier element comprising flexible cleaning elements made of the soft plastic material, and the at least one carrier element having a top surface, a rear surface and a plurality of cutouts running between the top surface and the rear surface of the carrier element; and
wherein the at least one carrier element holding the clusters of the bristle filaments is connected to the head part such that the rear surface of the at least one carrier element is at a distance from the front face of the head part thereby forming a cavity between the at least one carrier element and the front face of the head part; and
wherein the at least one carrier element holding the clusters of the bristle filaments is connected to the head part such that the rear surface of the at least one carrier element is at a distance from the head part thereby forming a cavity between the at least one carrier element and the front face of the head part,
the at least one carrier element is at least in part resiliently deformable with respect to the head part in order to assume a non-planar three-dimensional configuration at least during use, and
wherein the head part has lateral cutouts through which the cavity beneath the at least one carrier element is accessible.
a head part connected to the handle part the head part having a front face and a rear face;
at least two carrier elements made of a hard plastic material and of a soft plastic material and connected to the head part, the at least two carrier elements each having a top surface, a rear surface and a plurality of cutouts running between the top surface and the rear surface of the carrier element; and
clusters of bristle filaments guided through the cutouts, the bristle filaments having a rear end melted to form a bristle coating, covering the rear surface of a corresponding one of the at least two carrier elements at least partially,
wherein the at least two carrier elements holding the clusters of the bristle filaments are connected to the head part such that the rear surface of the at least two carrier elements is at a distance from the front face of the head part thereby forming a cavity between the at least two carrier elements and the front face of the head part,
the at least two carrier elements are at least in part resiliently deformable with respect to the head part in order to assume a non-planar three-dimensional configuration at least during use.
31. The toothbrush according to claim 30, wherein the head part is provided between the at least two carrier elements with a zone that is flexible.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This is a Division of application Ser. No. 10/388,744 filed Mar. 17, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,988,777. The entire disclosure of the prior application is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
FIGS. 1 a�c show a toothbrush according to the invention with a rigid curved carrier element,
FIGS. 7 a and 7 b show a toothbrush with a carrier element with a platform-like elevation;
FIGS. 13 a�c, 14 show toothbrushes with a curved carrier element and bristles which can be moved relative thereto;
FIGS. 15 a�d and 16 a�c show toothbrushes with a carrier element with a hard component in the form of a lattice; and FIGS. 17 a�c show a toothbrush with a carrier element which is only connected to it at certain points.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS All of the toothbrushes shown in the figures have a handle part (not illustrated), a head part 1 and at least one carrier element 2 which is, or can be, connected thereto and has been covered with clusters of bristles 3 by AFT. According to the invention, the front surface 5 of the finished head part, said surface, in the cases with just one carrier element 2 (see FIGS. 1�4, 6�8, 10, 12�16), largely corresponding with the top surface 4 of the latter, has a non-planar configuration in the rest state and/or during use. It is arched inward, i.e., in the direction of the head part 1, in FIG. 1, arched outward in FIGS. 2, 12�14, 16, of undulating form in FIGS. 3 and 8, planar, but compliant, in FIG. 15, and provided with inflections or steps in the rest of the figures. By this means, and by corresponding selection of the bristle lengths, it is possible to produce bristles profiles 14, 15 which differ in the longitudinal and transverse directions in relation to the head part 1 and have different levels of rigidity for the clusters of bristles 3.
FIGS. 13 a�c and 14 show a carrier element and the head part of the toothbrush in the case of which the rear ends 3 a of the clusters of bristles 3, rather than being firmly fused to the bristle-carrying surface 2 a, can be displaced in the holes 6. This is achieved by suitable material selection, e.g., polypropylene for the carrier element and polyamide for the bristle filaments. Furthermore, rather than being melted to form a uniform bristle coating, the rear ends 3 a are melted, by a heating die 12 having protrusions 23, to form separate webs 24 made of bristle melt. For the resilient mounting of the clusters of bristles 3, an elastic membrane 25 is arranged in the head part. In the case of FIG. 13 c, this membrane is arranged within a cutout 7 and is placed in position before the carrier element 2 is fitted. In the case of FIG. 14, it forms an outer surface of the head part. It is molded on during the production of the head part. The rear bristle ends 3 a, which are melted in a die-like manner, are forced upward by the membrane, with the result that the bristle-carrying surface 2 a arches to form a cushion.
FIGS. 15 a�d and 16 a�c show toothbrushes with a two-component carrier element 2. The latter comprises a hard component in the form of a lattice, in this case formed from sleeves 26, with holes 6 for accommodating clusters of bristles, and webs 27 which connect said sleeves. Also provided is a frame part 22 which is made of the hard component and of which the edge 31, which in the application case is directed toward the base, is of tapered configuration and serves as welding surface 10. The region between the sleeves 26 is filled with an elastic soft material 28. In the example from FIG. 15, the material 28 is injected above and beneath the webs. This produces a flat elastic structure, i.e., a toothbrush with a flat front surface 5 which deforms during use. In the example from FIG. 16, the material 28 is only injected above the web. The shape of the top surface 4 is influenced by the shape of the injection mold. In the case of FIG. 16, this is selected so as to produce a cushion which yields during use. FIG. 15 d shows the view of a head part 1 with the carrier element 2 inserted, the webs 27, which connect the sleeves 26 and are covered by soft material 28, only being depicted for explanatory purposes.
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