Patent ID: 8108962

Claim:
A toothbrush comprising: an elongated handle; and a brush head supported by the handle and extending generally longitudinally from a first end proximate the handle, the brush head having a base, a longitudinal centerplane extending vertically through the base, and a plurality of bristles, wherein the plurality of bristles are arranged in sections, each section having bristles that extend vertically from the base to form a contact surface elevated from the base, said contact surfaces being discontiguous from one another and together forming a multi-level contact surface of the brush head; wherein the sections of bristles include, a first outside section extending generally longitudinally atop the base to define a contact surface that declines inwardly from an outside side edge toward the longitudinal centerplane and to an inside side edge, a second outside section extending generally longitudinally atop the base to define a contact surface that declines inwardly from an outside side edge toward the longitudinal centerplane and an inside side edge, and an inside section extending generally longitudinally atop the base and having a central contact surface elevated above the base and above the inside side edges of the outside sections, such that the inside section reveals a pair of exposed vertical sidewall disposed between each inside side edge and the center contact surface, the contact surface of each inside section and each exposed vertical sidewall forming a generally v-shape cross-section.