Patent ID: 8590093

Claim:
A toothbrush ( 1 ) comprising: a.) a support member ( 2 ) of the handle type; b.) at least one brushing member ( 3 ) for brushing teeth, which member is mounted to rotate on said support member ( 2 ) about an axis of rotation (X-X′), said brushing member ( 3 ) having a side surface ( 3 L) that extends along its axis of rotation (X-X′) between a proximal end ( 3 P) facing towards the support member ( 2 ), and an opposite, distal end ( 3 D), said side surface ( 3 L) being designed to be brought into contact with the teeth for the purpose of cleaning them by mechanical action; and c.) a physiological retractor ( 10 ) covering said side surface ( 3 L) in part so as to protect the mucous membranes adjacent to the teeth from the mechanical action of the brushing member ( 3 ); said toothbrush ( 1 ) being characterized in that, facing the side surface ( 3 L) of the brushing member, the physiological retractor ( 10 ) has a retraction portion ( 15 ), and the distance (R E ) from the outside surface ( 15 E) of said retraction portion to said axis (X-X′) varies along the axis of rotation (X-X′) in such a manner as to form a bulge ( 20 ), and in that said physiological retractor ( 10 ) has a beveled distal portion ( 40 ) forming a penetration tip, the angular coverage (δ) of the physiological retractor ( 10 ) about the axis of rotation (X-X′), facing the side surface ( 3 L) of the brushing member ( 3 ), varies along said axis (X-X′), the physiological retractor ( 10 ) has first and second cheeks ( 31 , 32 ) disposed on either side of the brushing member ( 3 ) about the axis of rotation (X-X′) so that the angular coverage (δ) of the corresponding cross-section is greater than 180°, and preferably strictly greater than 180° and less than or equal to 190°, along the axis (X-X′), the first and second cheeks ( 31 , 32 ) have respective ones of first and second antinodes ( 33 , 34 ) that constitute the low points of the physiological retractor ( 10 ), and with the brushing member ( 3 ) having a length L as measured between its proximal end ( 3 P) and its distal end ( 3 D), the low points ( 33 , 34 ) are situated in register with a point V on the axis of rotation (X-X′) that is situated at a distance (D 2 ) lying in the range 0.3×L to 0.5×L, and preferably substantially equal to 0.4×L, from the distal end ( 3 D).