Oral treatment device

Abstract

An oral treatment device for use in treating an oral cavity of a user is described. The oral treatment device comprises: a support having a front side; one or more windows in the front side of the support; one or more cleaning elements projecting from the front side of the support and bendable towards the one or more windows; and a guard projecting from the front side of the support at a location between the one or more windows and the one or more cleaning elements. The one or more windows, the one or more cleaning elements and the guard are configured so that the guard is arranged to restrict bending of the one or more cleaning elements towards the one or more windows. The guard thereby restricts obscuration of the one or more windows by the one or more cleaning elements.

Description

[0001] ORAL TREATMENT DEVICE

[0002] BACKGROUND

[0003] Oral treatment devices, such as toothbrushes, for use in treating oral cavities of users are known. Some oral treatment devices have a support comprising a head portion, and cleaning elements, such as tufts of bristles, projecting from a front side of the head portion. Some oral treatment devices have a handle integrally formed with the support. Others are configured to be removably attachable to a handle, for instance so that the handle is usable with several different oral treatment devices.

[0004] SUMMARY

[0005] A first aspect of the present invention provides an oral treatment device for use in treating an oral cavity of a user, the oral treatment device comprising: a support having a front side; one or more windows in the front side of the support; one or more cleaning elements projecting from the front side of the support and bendable towards the one or more windows; and a guard projecting from the front side of the support at a location between the one or more windows and the one or more cleaning elements; wherein the one or more windows, the one or more cleaning elements and the guard are configured so that the guard is arranged to restrict bending of the one or more cleaning elements towards the one or more windows to thereby restrict obscuration of the one or more windows by the one or more cleaning elements.

[0006] The oral treatment device may have a function that is best performed when a path through the window, or through each of the windows, is unobscured by another part of the oral treatment device. The guard is configured to reduce an extent to which the one or more cleaning elements can obscure the one or more windows, which may therefore help the oral treatment device to perform the function. Examples of such a function are discussed herein. In some examples, the guard is configured to prevent the one or more cleaning elements from obscuring the one or more windows. As such, the guard enables the one or more cleaning elements to be positioned closer to the one or more windows than if the guard were not present, which therefore increases the effective cleaning area of the oral treatment device and, by extension, the ability of the oral treatment device to treat the user’s oral cavity.

[0007] As discussed herein, in some examples the oral treatment device is configured to be removably attachable to a handle. In some other examples, the oral treatment device comprises a handle, such as a handle that is integrally formed with the support.

[0008] Optionally, one of the one or more windows is an aperture through which a fluid is passable during use of the oral treatment device. The fluid may be in the form of a jet, such as a jet of water. The fluid may be usable to help clean the oral cavity of the user, such as interdental spaces of the oral cavity.

[0009] Optionally, one of the one or more windows is a transparent window through which visible light is passable during use of the oral treatment device. The visible light may be for receipt by an image capture device that is for capturing an image of the oral cavity of the user during use of the oral treatment device. The image may be, for example, an image of teeth and / or interdental spaces of the oral cavity.

[0010] Optionally, the one or more windows comprise both a first window and a second window, the first window is an aperture through which a fluid is passable during use of the oral treatment device, and the second window is a transparent window through which visible light is passable during use of the oral treatment device. As noted above, the visible light may be for receipt by an image capture device for capturing an image of the oral cavity of the user. Data representative of such an image may be usable, such as by a controller of the oral treatment device or with which the oral treatment device is usable, to help determine when the fluid is to be passed through the aperture.

[0011] Optionally, the oral treatment device comprises the aperture and the transparent window, and the aperture is located between the guard and the transparent window. In such an arrangement, the aperture is closer to the one or more cleaning elements than the transparent window. In some examples, the guard is configured to restrict obscuration of the aperture by the one or more cleaning elements.

[0012] Optionally, the guard partially surrounds the one or more windows. Optionally, the guard is curved at least partially around the one or more windows. This further helps the guard to prevent the one or more windows from being obscured, such as by the one or more cleaning elements.

[0013] Optionally, the guard is arc-shaped and arranged with a first side of the arc-shaped guard facing the one or more cleaning elements and a concave, second side of the arc-shaped guard, opposite the first side, facing the one or more windows. Providing the guard with an arc shape enables the guard to be sufficiently rigid and self-supporting while being made of a material that is soft enough to be comfortable to the user even when they cause the guard to impact part of their oral cavity.

[0014] Optionally, the guard is curved about an axis that is coaxial with an axis that passes through the aperture at a centre of the aperture.

[0015] Optionally, the aperture is circular.

[0016] Optionally, the guard has a shape dependent on the shape of the one or more windows. For example, the guard may have a shape that conforms to the shape of the one or more windows.

[0017] Optionally, the first side of the arc-shaped guard has one or more recesses therein. Optionally, the one or more recesses are for capturing, and thereafter controlling the position of, the one or more cleaning elements when the one or more cleaning elements are bent towards the one or more windows. This may prolong the working life of the one or more cleaning elements. This may be particularly effective when the one or more cleaning elements are one or more bristle tufts, since the recess(es) will tend to keep the filaments of the tufts grouped together rather than allow them to splay apart. Optionally, the recess(es) additionally or alternatively help to ensure that the cleaning element, or each of the cleaning elements, has a bent orientation that is predictable. Optionally, the cleaning element, or each of the cleaning elements, is designed so that, when in the bent orientation, the cleaning element, or each of the cleaning elements, is still able to achieve a sufficient degree of cleaning functionality. Without the one or more recesses, the guard may instead deflect the cleaning element, or each of the cleaning elements, to an unpredictable position during the bending towards the one or more windows.

[0018] Optionally, the support has a length and a width perpendicular to the length, the one or more cleaning elements comprise a plurality of cleaning elements arranged along a path that connects two lateral sides of the support, and the one or more recesses in the first side of the arc-shaped guard comprise recesses that are equal in number to the plurality of cleaning elements. This may better ensure that the recesses capture, and thereafter control the position of, the cleaning elements when the cleaning elements are bent towards the one or more windows. The recesses may be aligned with respective ones of the cleaning elements that are arranged along the path. For example, each of the recesses may be aligned with a corresponding one of these cleaning elements along an axis joining the cleaning element with one of the one or more windows. Optionally, a size of each recess may be dependent on a size of the corresponding cleaning element it is aligned with. Accordingly, the sizes of the recesses of the guard may be the same or different depending on the sizes of the corresponding cleaning elements. For example, each recess may have a diameter larger than a diameter of the cleaning element (where the diameters of the recess and the cleaning element extend along a direction perpendicular to the axis joining the cleaning element with the window). A depth of the recess (along the axis joining the cleaning element with the window) may be smaller than the diameter of the cleaning element. These recess dimensions may allow the recesses to capture the cleaning elements as the cleaning elements bend towards the one or more windows, and may also allow the cleaning elements to easily bend back towards the original positions.

[0019] Optionally, the oral treatment device is a brush head or a toothbrush. Optionally, the one or more cleaning elements comprise one or more bristle tufts. Additionally, or alternatively, the one or more cleaning elements may comprise one or more flaps and / or cups.

[0020] Optionally, the one or more cleaning elements consist of a plurality of bristle tufts.

[0021] Optionally, the guard has a Shore A hardness of between 40 and 60. A hardness in this range has been found to make the guard soft enough to be comfortable to the user even when it impacts part of their oral cavity in use, yet rigid enough to sufficiently withstand bending of the one or more cleaning elements.

[0022] Optionally, the guard has a Shore A hardness of about 50. Such a hardness has been found to be a particularly good trade-off between providing comfort to a user while ensuring that the guard performs well at restricting bending of the one or more cleaning elements towards the one or more windows.

[0023] Optionally, the guard is made of an elastomer. Elastomers are readily available and easily formable into the guard. Optionally, the elastomer is, for example, one of: a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), polyurethane (PU) and silicone.

[0024] Optionally, the support comprises a spine in an interior of the guard. Such a spine may provide that a combination of the spine and the guard is more rigid than a guard absent the spine, so that the guard is more effective at restricting bending of the one or more cleaning elements towards the one or more windows. Such a spine may additionally or alternatively facilitate accurate positioning of the guard during manufacture of the oral treatment device.

[0025] Optionally, the guard is moulded onto the spine.

[0026] Optionally, the guard takes the form of a cap on the spine.

[0027] Optionally, the spine is made from a plastics material, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Optionally, the guard is softer than the spine. The spine may provide the combination of the spine and the guard with sufficient rigidity to ensure that the guard is effective at restricting bending of the one or more cleaning elements towards the one or more windows, while ensuring that the part of the combination that contacts a user’s oral cavity in use is soft enough to be comfortable to the user even when it impacts part of their oral cavity.

[0028] Optionally, the support comprises a unitary component, a first portion of the unitary component comprises a bed from which the one or more cleaning elements project, and a second portion of the unitary component comprises the spine. Such an arrangement provides a more robust construction than one in which the spine is separate from the bed and attached to the bed. When the one or more cleaning elements are one or more bristle tufts, the bed may be considered a bristle bed.

[0029] Optionally, the guard is mechanically fixed to the spine to resist removal of the guard from the spine. This helps to prevent the guard, which could be a relatively small component, from detaching from the rest of the oral treatment device when the oral treatment device is in a user’s oral cavity.

[0030] Optionally, the spine has one or more passages therethrough, and the guard is mechanically fixed to the spine to resist removal of the guard from the spine by way of one or more portions of the guard extending fully through the one or more passages, respectively. This has been found to be a particularly effective way of retaining the guard on the spine. In such an arrangement, the guard may comprise one or more rod portions that extend fully through the one or more passages, respectively, from respective first ends of the rod portions to respective second ends of the rod portions, and the first and second ends of the rod portions are directly connected to the rest of the guard as respective joints to resist removal of the guard from the spine. Such one or more rod portions may be unitary with the rest of the guard.

[0031] Optionally, the guard has been mechanically over-moulded onto the spine. Optionally, the support has a length and a width perpendicular to the length, and the one or more cleaning elements project further than the guard from a plane defined by the length and the width. Such an arrangement may allow the one or more cleaning elements to bend or flex unhindered, or relatively unhindered, by the guard during their use to clean the user’s oral cavity. It additionally or alternatively reduces a chance of the guard from contacting the user’s oral cavity during use of the oral treatment device.

[0032] Optionally, the guard is spaced between 1mm and 1.5mm from a nearest one of the cleaning elements to the guard, such as about 1.3mm from the nearest one of the cleaning elements to the guard.

[0033] Optionally, the guard projects between 4mm and 6mm from the front side of the support, such as about 5mm from the front side of the support.

[0034] Optionally, the cleaning element, or each of the cleaning elements, projects between 7mm and 12mm from the front side of the support, such as between 8mm and 11mm from the front side of the support, such as about 9mm from the front side of the support.

[0035] Optionally, a nearest one of the cleaning elements to the guard projects between 7mm and 12mm from the front side of the support, such as between 8mm and 11mm from the front side of the support, such as about 9mm from the front side of the support.

[0036] Optionally, a nearest one of the cleaning elements to the guard has a height measured from the front side of the support, the guard projects by a distance from the front side of the support, and a spacing, orthogonal to the height and the distance, between the guard and the nearest one of the cleaning elements to the guard is less than each of the height and the distance. Such an arrangement allows the nearest one of the cleaning elements to the guard to bend or flex sufficiently during use to clean the user’s oral cavity, while ensuring that the guard is sufficiently close to the nearest one of the cleaning elements to restrict bending of the nearest one of the cleaning elements towards the one or more windows. Optionally, the spacing is less than a third of the distance.

[0037] Optionally, the spacing is less than a sixth of the height.

[0038] Optionally, the support has a head portion and a neck portion extending from the head portion in a first direction, the neck portion is narrower than the head portion in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction over at least a majority of a length of the neck portion, and the one or more cleaning elements project from the head portion and the one or more windows are in the neck portion. The head portion being wider than the neck portion provides a greater area from which the one or more cleaning elements are able to project from the head portion, and the neck portion being narrower than the head portion helps to reduce a size or volume of the oral treatment device, so that it is comfortable for the user to use in their oral cavity and sufficiently manoeuvrable within the oral cavity to clean the oral cavity.

[0039] Optionally, the one or more cleaning elements are located at a first side of the guard, and the oral treatment device is devoid of any cleaning elements at a second side of the guard opposite from the first side of the guard. This helps to reduce the chance of any cleaning element of the oral treatment device obscuring any of the one or more windows. It additionally or alternatively helps to reduce a size or volume of the oral treatment device, so that it is comfortable for the user to use in their oral cavity and sufficiently manoeuvrable within the oral cavity to clean the oral cavity. For the avoidance of doubt, a cleaning element is a solid element, such as a bristle tuft or a flap, that is for mechanically engaging with the oral cavity to clean the oral cavity. In examples in which one of the one or more windows is an aperture through which a fluid is passable, such a fluid is not considered to be a cleaning element, since a fluid is not solid and is unable to mechanically engage with the oral cavity.

[0040] Optionally, the guard has a root closest to the front side of the support and a tip furthest from the front side of the support, and the root of the guard is fixed in position relative to the one or more windows. This better ensures that the guard is effective at restricting obscuration of the one or more windows by the one or more cleaning elements. Optionally, the guard has a root closest to the front side of the support and a tip furthest from the front side of the support, the cleaning element, or each of the cleaning elements, has a root closest to the front side of the support and a tip furthest from the front side of the support, and the root of the guard is fixed in position relative to the root of the cleaning element or of each of the cleaning elements. This better ensures that the guard will act in a predictable manner when contacted by the one or more cleaning elements during bending of the one or more cleaning elements towards the one or more windows.

[0041] Optionally, the oral treatment device comprises: an outlet aligned with a first window of the one or more windows, the first window being an aperture through which a fluid from the outlet is passable during use of the oral treatment device; and an image capture device aligned with a second window of the one or more windows, the second window being a transparent window through which visible light is passable to the image capture device during use of the oral treatment device. Optionally, the outlet is a nozzle configured to emit the fluid in the form of a jet. The fluid, such as water, may be usable to help clean the oral cavity of the user, such as interdental spaces of the oral cavity. Optionally, the image capture device is configured to capture an image of the oral cavity of the user during use of the oral treatment device. The image may be, for example, an image of teeth and / or interdental spaces of the oral cavity.

[0042] Optionally, the oral treatment device comprises a reservoir for storing the fluid, a pump for pumping the fluid from the reservoir to the outlet, and a controller for controlling the pump. Optionally, image capture device is communicably connected to the controller and configured to send data representative of the image to the controller. Optionally, the controller is configured to perform an analysis of the data and to control the pump based on the analysis. For example, optionally the controller is configured to cause the pump to pump the fluid through the outlet towards the oral cavity to clean an interdental space in the oral cavity, when the controller determines, based on the analysis, that the outlet is aligned with the interdental space. Optionally, the oral treatment device comprises a handle integrally formed with the support. This provides a robust oral treatment device that is convenient to hold and operate.

[0043] Optionally, the oral treatment device is configured to be removably attachable to a handle. Such an oral treatment device may be easier to clean than one with an integral handle. Such an arrangement also permits a handle to be used with several different such oral treatment devices, such as when oral treatment devices become too worn to be sufficiently effective at cleaning a user’s oral cavity.

[0044] A second aspect of the present invention provides an oral treatment system, comprising: the oral treatment device according to the first aspect, wherein the oral treatment device is configured to be removably attachable to a handle; and the handle.

[0045] Optionally, the handle comprises: an outlet, through which a fluid is passable from the handle during use of the oral treatment device, and an image capture device configured to capture an image of the oral cavity of the user during use of the oral treatment device; a first window of the one or more windows is an aperture through which the fluid is passable during use of the oral treatment device, and a second window of the one or more windows is a transparent window through which visible light is passable during use of the oral treatment device; and the handle and the oral treatment device are configured so that, when the oral treatment device is attached to the handle, the outlet is aligned with the aperture and the image capture device is aligned with the transparent window.

[0046] Optionally, the handle comprises a reservoir for storing the fluid, a pump for pumping the fluid from the reservoir to the outlet, and a controller for controlling the pump. Optionally, the image capture device is communicably connected to the controller and configured to send data representative of the image to the controller. Optionally, the controller is configured to perform an analysis of the data and to control the pump based on the analysis. For example, optionally the controller is configured to cause the pump to pump the fluid through the outlet towards the oral cavity to clean an interdental space in the oral cavity, when the controller determines, based on the analysis, that the outlet is aligned with the interdental space.

[0047] Optionally, the oral treatment system is a toothbrush, such as an electrically powered toothbrush.

[0048] Optional features of aspects of the present invention may be equally applied to other aspects of the present invention, where appropriate.

[0049] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an electrically powered toothbrush with a brush head of the electrically powered toothbrush removably attached to a handle of the electrically powered toothbrush.

[0051] Figure 2 shows a side view of the toothbrush of Figure 1.

[0052] Figure 3 shows a partial perspective exploded view of the toothbrush of Figure 1, in which the brush head has been detached from the handle.

[0053] Figure 4 shows a partial close-up perspective view of a spigot of the handle of the toothbrush of Figure 1.

[0054] Figure 5 shows a partial perspective view of the brush head of the toothbrush of Figure 1.

[0055] Figure 6 shows a front view of the brush head of the toothbrush of Figure 1.

[0056] Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of part of the brush head of Figure 5, with the crosssection being in a plane defined by a length and a width of the brush head. Figure 8 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the brush head and spigot of the toothbrush of Figure 1, with the cross-section being on a central longitudinal plane orthogonal to the width of the brush head.

[0057] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] The Figures show an oral treatment system 1 in the form of an electrically powered toothbrush. The toothbrush 1 comprises a handle 10 and an oral treatment device 20, in the form of a brush head, that is shaped and sized to be attachable to, and thereafter detachable from, the handle 10. The brush head 20 is for use in brushing an oral cavity of a user of the toothbrush 1. The brush head 20 is replaceable by, or interchangeable with, another brush head (not shown), so that the handle 10 may be used with several brush heads 20 successively.

[0059] The brush head 20 comprises an elongate support 30 having a head portion 40 and a neck portion 50. The support 30 has a length SL and a width SW perpendicular to the length SL. The head portion 40 has a heel end 41 that is proximal to the neck portion 50, an opposite toe end 42 that is distal from the neck portion 50 and that defines a first end 21 of the brush head 20, and first and second lateral sides 43, 44 that connect the heel and toe ends 41, 42. The neck portion 50 extends from the heel end 41 of the head portion 40 in a longitudinal direction of the support 30 and is narrower than the head portion 40 in a lateral direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction over a majority of a length of the neck portion 50. The neck portion 50 has a first end 51 that is proximal to the head portion 40 and an opposite second end 52 that is distal from the head portion 40 and flared. The flared second end 52 of the neck portion 50 defines a second end 22 of the brush head 20 opposite to the first end 21 of the brush head 20, and also defines a first interface 23 by which the brush head 20 engages with the handle 10. The first interface 23 comprises a cavity 23 for receipt of a second interface 13 of the handle 10, as is described in more detail below.

[0060] The support 30 comprises a first component 31 and a second component 32 that have been manufactured separately and then fixed together, as described below. A first portion of the first component 31 is a head plate 311 having a flat front side 310 that forms a flat front side 410 of the head portion 40. The head plate 311 is made of ABS and does not extend into, or define any part of, the neck portion 50 of the support 30. The second component 32 is a main structure on which the head plate 311 is mounted and which defines the neck portion 50 of the support 30 and a rear side 412 of the head portion 40, opposite from the front side 410. The second component 32 is also made from ABS. The front side 410 of the head portion 40 extends in a first direction from the heel end 41 to the toe end 42 of the head portion 40, and in a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction, from the first lateral side 43 to the second lateral side 44 of the head portion 40. The first and second directions are respectively parallel to the length SL and the width SW of the support 30.

[0061] The brush head 20 has cleaning elements 60, in the form of bristle tufts, that project from the front side 410 of the head portion 40. The front side 410 may therefore be considered a bristle bearing surface, and the head plate 311 may be considered a bristle bed. The area of the front side 410 occupied by the bristle tufts 60 and the spaces between the bristle tufts 60 is sometimes known as the bristled area. The rear side 412 of the head portion 40 is devoid of any cleaning elements. Each of the bristle tufts 60 comprises a bundle of filaments that are held together and held in position in the brush head 20 by way of an anchor-free tufting (AFT) technique. More specifically, the bristle bed has plural holes 314 extending therethrough from the front side 310 of the bristle bed 311 to an opposite rear side 312 of the bristle bed 31. Each of the holes 314 corresponds to one of the bristle tufts 60. Each of the bristle tufts 60 is a first portion of a bundle of filaments that protrudes through one of the holes 314. Respective second portions of each of the bundles are fused together into a block 61 at the rear side 312 of the bristle bed 31, so as to prevent the bundles from being pulled through the holes 314. The associated method of manufacture of these features is described below.

[0062] The bristle tufts 60 comprise a collection of nine central bristle tufts 602, a first collection of three first lateral bristle tufts 604, a second collection of three second lateral bristle tufts 606, and a toe-end bristle tuft 608. All of the bristle tufts 60 are made from Nylon and are flexible so as to be able to bend during use. The nine central bristle tufts 602 are each circular in cross section and extend from respective spaced-apart holes in a central region 411 of the front side 410 of the head portion 40, so that the nine central bristle tufts 602 are spaced apart from each other by respective gaps. A central one 602a of the nine central bristle tufts 602 lies in a central longitudinal plane CLP of the brush head 20, is longer (as measured from the front side 310 of the bristle bed 31) than the other eight of the nine central bristle tufts 602 that surround it, and the nine central bristle tufts 602 have respective ends distal from the bristle bed 311 that collectively define a convex or dome-shaped topography. The convex topography of the central bristle tufts 602 is convex when viewed laterally from one of the first and second lateral sides 43, 44 and when viewed longitudinally from one of the heel and toe ends 41, 42. In other words, the central one 602a of the nine central bristle tufts 602 projects further than the other eight of the nine central bristle tufts 602 from a plane P defined by the length SL and the width SW of the support 30. A toe-end central bristle tuft 602b lies in the central longitudinal plane CLP of the brush head 20 and is a closest one of nine central bristle tufts 602 to the toe-end bristle tuft 608. The toe-end central bristle tuft 602b extends from its hole in the front side 410 of the head portion 40 at an angle 0 of approximately 7.5 degrees from orthogonal to the front side 310 of the bristle bed 31, so that a tip of the toe-end central bristle tuft 602b is further from the heel end 41 of the head portion 40 than a root of the toe-end central bristle tuft 602b. The other eight of the nine central bristle tufts 602 extend orthogonally from their respective holes in the front side 410 of the head portion 40, so as to be orthogonal to the front side 310 of the bristle bed 31.

[0063] The three lateral bristle tufts 604 of the first collection extend from respective spaced-apart holes in a first side region 412 of the front side 410 of the head portion 40 so as to be spaced apart from each other by respective gaps, and the three lateral bristle tufts 606 of the second collection extend from respective spaced-apart holes in a second side region 413 of the front side 410 of the head portion 40 so as to be spaced apart from each other by respective gaps. The first side region 412 extends from the first lateral side 43 of the head portion 40 to the central region 411 of the front side 410 of the head portion 40. The three lateral bristle tufts 604 of the first collection are arranged in series along a first curved path that runs from a heel end of the first side region 412 to a toe end of the first side region 412, the heel end and the toe end being ends of the first side region 412 closest to the heel and toe ends 41, 42, respectively, of the head portion 40. Similarly, the second side region 413 extends from the second lateral side 44 of the head portion 40 to the central region 411. The three lateral bristle tufts 606 of the second collection are arranged in series along a second curved path that runs from a heel end of the second side region 413 to a toe end of the second side region 413, the heel end and the toe end being ends of the second side region 413 closest to the heel and toe ends 41, 42, respectively, of the head portion 40. In each of the first and second collections, the two bristle tufts 604, 606 closest to the heel end 41 of the head portion 40 extend orthogonally from their respective holes through the bristle bed 311 so as to be orthogonal to the front side 310 of the bristle bed 31. In contrast, in each of the first and second collections, the bristle tuft 604, 606 closest to the toe end 42 of the head portion 40 extends at an angle of approximately fifteen degrees from orthogonal to the front side 310 of the bristle bed 31, so that a tip of the bristle tuft 604, 606 closest to the toe end 42 of the head portion 40 is further from the heel end 41 of the head portion 40 than a root of the bristle tuft 604, 606. These angles are not indicated in the Figures, but they are parallel to and equal to the angle y (discussed below) shown in Figure 8. In other words, the toe end bristle tuft 608 and the bristle tuft 604, 606 closest to the toe end 42 in each of the first and second collections are all at the same angle to the front side 310 of the bristle bed 31 and are all at the same angle to the plane P

[0064] Each of the bristle tufts 604, 606 of the first and second collections is longer (as measured from the front side 310 of the bristle bed 31) than each of the nine central bristle tufts 602 other than the central one 602a of the nine central bristle tufts 602. In other words, each of the bristle tufts 604, 606 of the first and second collections projects further, from the plane P defined by the length SL and the width SW of the support 30, than the eight central bristle tufts 602 that surround the central one 602a of the nine central bristle tufts 602 and are the nearest of the central bristle tufts 602 to the bristle tufts 604, 606 of the first and second collections.

[0065] The toe-end bristle tuft 608 lies in the central longitudinal plane CLP of the brush head 20, is a closest one of all the bristle tufts 60 to the toe end 42 of the head portion 40 and extends from a dedicated one of the holes 314 through the bristle bed 31. The toe-end bristle tuft 608 has a root 608a closest to the front side 310 of the bristle bed 311 and a tip 608b furthest from the front side 310 of the bristle bed 31. The toe-end bristle tuft 608 extends at an angle y of approximately fifteen degrees from orthogonal to the front side 310 of the bristle bed 31, so that a tip of the toe-end bristle tuft 608 is further from the heel end 41 of the head portion 40 than a root of the toe-end bristle tuft 608. The filaments of the toe-end bristle tuft 608 are the longest of all the bristle tufts 60 of the brush head 20, as measured from the front side 310 of the bristle bed 31. That is, the toe-end bristle tuft 608 projects further than any of the other bristle tufts 60 from the plane P defined by the length SL and the width SW of the support 30.

[0066] The second component 32 of the brush head 20 defines a front side 510 of the neck portion 50, which is on a same side of the brush head 20 as the front side 410 of the head portion 40. The brush head 20 has a pair of windows 710, 720 in this front side 510 of the neck portion 50. The windows 710, 720 are offset from each other in the longitudinal direction of the support 30. A first one 710 of the windows, which is a closer one of the two windows 710, 720 to the first end 21 of the brush head 20, is a circular aperture or hole. A second one 720 of the windows, which is a closer one of the two windows 710, 720 to the second end 22 of the brush head 20, is a transparent window through which visible light is passable during use of the toothbrush 1. The purposes of these windows 710, 720 are explained below.

[0067] Discussion will now briefly turn to the handle 10 of the toothbrush 1. The handle 10 is an elongate structure comprising a grip portion 110 and a spigot 120. The grip portion 110 has a first end 111 that is proximal to the spigot 120 and an opposite second end 112 that is distal from the spigot 120 and that defines a first end 11 of the handle 10. The spigot 120 extends from the first end 111 of the grip portion 110 in a longitudinal direction of the handle 10 and is narrower than the grip portion 110 in a lateral direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the handle 10. The spigot 120 has a first end 121 that is proximal to the grip portion 110 and an opposite second end 122 that is distal from the grip portion 110. The second end 122 of the spigot 120 defines a second end 12 of the handle 10 opposite to the first end 11 of the handle 10, and the spigot 120 is the second interface 13 for engaging with the first interface 23 of the brush head 20. More specifically, the spigot 120 is insertable into the cavity of the first interface 23 of the brush head 20, to engage the spigot 120 with the brush head 20 and thereby releasably connect the brush head 20 to the handle 10.

[0068] The grip portion 110 of the handle 10 has an outer housing 113. Inside the outer housing 113, the handle 10 has a reservoir 25 for storing water, a pump 26, a controller 27 and a battery 28. The spigot 120 of the handle 10 has a housing 123 comprising a body 124 and a transparent cover 125 attached to the body 124 on one lateral side of the handle 10. Inside the housing 123 of the spigot 120, the handle 10 has a camera 29 located relative to the transparent cover 125 so that a field of view of the camera 29 includes part of the environment external to the handle 10 that is visible to the camera 29 through the transparent cover 125. The pump 26, the controller 27 and the camera 29 are electrically connected to the battery 28 by electrically conductive wires (not shown), so as to be electrically powered by the battery 28. The camera 29 is for capturing images of the user’s oral cavity during use of the toothbrush 1, when the brush head 20 is connected to the handle 10. Moreover, the camera 29 is communicably connected to the controller 27 by electrically conductive wires (not shown), via which the camera 29 is configured to send data representative of the captured images to the controller 27. The spigot 120 has an outlet, in the form of a nozzle 126, on the same lateral side of the handle 10 as the transparent cover 125, and the pump 26 is for pumping the water from the reservoir 25 to the nozzle 126 so that the water passes through the nozzle 126 as a jet during use of the toothbrush 1. The transparent cover 125 and the nozzle 126 are offset from each other in the longitudinal direction of the handle 10. The nozzle 126 is closer to the second end 12 of the handle 10 than the transparent cover 125.

[0069] When the brush head 20 is connected to the handle 10, the nozzle 126 of the handle 10 is aligned with the first window 710 of the brush head 20, and the camera 29 and the transparent cover 125 of the handle 10 are aligned with the second window 720 of the brush head 20. The controller 27 is configured to perform an analysis of the data it receives from the camera 29 in use. The controller 27 is also configured to cause the pump 26 to pump the water from the reservoir 25 and through the nozzle 126 (and thus through the aperture 710) towards the user’s oral cavity, when the controller 27 determines, based on the analysis, that the nozzle 126 and the aperture 710 are aligned with a part of the oral cavity that is to be cleaned, such as an interdental space.

[0070] Turning back to the brush head 20, the camera’s 29 view of the user’s oral cavity and the efficacy of the jet of water at cleaning the oral cavity depend on whether and to what extent the windows 710, 720 are obscured. The brush head 20 therefore has a guard 800 that projects from the front side 410 of the head portion 40 at a location between the windows 710, 720 and the bristle tufts 60, to help shield the windows 710, 720 from objects that could potentially obscure the windows 710, 720. Some such objects are some of the bristle tufts 60. More specifically, one 602c of the nine central bristle tufts 602 and one 604c, 606c of each of the first and second collections of lateral bristle tufts 604, 606 are the closest three of all the bristle tufts 60 to the heel end 41 of the head portion 40. For brevity, these three bristle tufts 602c, 604c, 606c will be referred to as the heel-end bristle tufts. The three heel-end bristle tufts 602c, 604c, 606c are arranged along a path that connects the two lateral sides 43, 44 of the head portion 40. The one 602c of the nine central bristle tufts 602 lies in the central longitudinal plane CLP of the brush head 20 and is aligned with a longitudinal axis LA of the head portion 40, and the other two 604c, 606c of the heel-end bristle tufts are laterally offset from the one 602c of the nine central bristle tufts 602 on respective sides of the one 602c of the nine central bristle tufts 602.

[0071] The heel-end bristle tufts 602c, 604c, 606c are each of a length, material and position relative to the first and second windows 710, 720 so that, were the heel-end bristle tufts 602c, 604c, 606c to be bent towards the windows 710, 720 absent the guard 800, the heelend bristle tufts 602c, 604c, 606c would partly obscure the windows 710, 720 and thus lie in the field of view of the camera 29 and lie in the path of the jet of water from the nozzle 126. The guard 800 restricts bending of the heel-end bristle tufts 602c, 604c, 606c towards the windows 710, 720, to thereby restrict obscuration of the windows 710, 720 by the heelend bristle tufts 602c, 604c, 606c. The guard 800, and its relationship to the bristle tufts 60 and the windows 710, 720 will now be described in more detail.

[0072] The first component 31 of the support 30 of the brush head 20 has a second portion in the form of a spine 316 that protrudes from the flat front side 310 of the head plate 311, and thus from the flat front side 410 of the head portion 40. The first component 31 is a unitary moulded structure, so the spine 316 is integral with the head plate 311 and is also made from ABS. The guard 800 is made of a TPE and has a Shore A hardness of 50. The spine 316 is therefore harder than the guard 800. The guard 800 is a cap on the spine 316, so that the spine 316 is located in an interior of the guard 800. More specifically, the spine 316 has a pair of passages 316a, 316b therethrough, and two respective rod portions 800a, 800b of the guard 800, which are integral with the rest of the guard 800, extend fully through the passages 316a, 316b to mechanically fix or lock the guard 800 to the spine 316. The spine 316 provides sufficient rigidity to the combination of the spine 316 and the guard 800 so that, while the guard 800 itself is soft enough to be comfortable to the user even when the guard 800 impacts part of their oral cavity in use, the combination of the spine 316 and the guard 800 is sufficiently effective at restricting bending of the heel-end bristle tufts 602c, 604c, 606c towards the windows 710, 720 as described herein.

[0073] The guard 800 is positioned so that the aperture 710 is between the guard 800 and the transparent window 720. The guard 800 is arc-shaped and arranged so that a first side 810 of the guard 800 faces the bristle tufts 60 and a concave, second side 820 of the guard 800, opposite the first side 810, faces the windows 710, 720. More specifically, the guard 800 is fixed relative to the windows 710, 720 so that the concave side 820 of the guard 800 is curved about an axis that is coaxial with an aperture axis AA that passes through the aperture 710 at a centre of the aperture 710. The guard 800 is therefore curved partially around the aperture 710, which further helps the guard 800 to prevent the aperture 710, in particular, from being obscured. The first side 810 of the guard 800, facing the bristle tufts 60, has three recesses 811, 812, 813 therein. A middle one 812 of these recesses is aligned with the longitudinal axis LA of the head portion 40, and the other two recesses 811, 813 are laterally offset from the middle recess 812 on respective sides of the middle recess 812. The three recesses 811, 812, 813 are therefore substantially aligned with, and correspond to, the three heel-end bristle tufts 602c, 604c, 606c. Each of the three heel-end bristle tufts 602c, 604c, 606c is spaced about 1.3mm from the guard 800 and is at a fixed position relative to the guard 800. Each of the bristle tufts 60 projects by a respective distance from the flat front side 310 of the bristle bed 311 and, while the respective distances vary from bristle tuft to bristle tuft, all of the distances are in the range of from 7mm to 12mm. Each of the three heel-end bristle tufts 602c, 604c, 606c projects about 9mm from the flat front side 310 of the bristle bed 31. In contrast, the guard 800 projects about 5mm from a plane coincident with the flat front side 310 of the bristle bed 31. The guard 800 is therefore less likely than the bristle tufts 60 to contact the user’s oral cavity during use of the toothbrush 1, and the dimensions of the guard 800 allow the three heel-end bristle tufts 602c, 604c, 606c to flex relatively unhindered by the guard 800 during their normal use to clean the user’s oral cavity. However, when the three heel-end bristle tufts 602c, 604c, 606c are bent to a more extreme extent towards the windows 710, 720, the three recesses 811, 812, 813 in the guard 800 capture, and thereafter control the position of, the filaments of the respective heel-end bristle tufts 602c, 604c, 606c. The brush head 20 is devoid of any bristle tufts 60 or other cleaning elements at a second side of the guard 800 opposite from the first side of the guard 800, which further helps to reduce the chance of any cleaning element obscuring either of the windows 710, 720.

[0074] During use of the toothbrush 1, the brush head 20 is attached to the handle 10 by way of the user inserting the spigot 120 of the handle 10 into the cavity 23 of the brush head 20. This causes the aperture 710 and the transparent window 720 of the brush head 20 to respectively align with the nozzle 126 and the camera 29 and transparent cover 125 of the handle 10. The user then applies dentifrice to the bristle tufts 60 and brushes their teeth and gums with the bristle tufts 60 and dentifrice. During the brushing, the camera 29 captures images of the user’s teeth and interdental spaces and sends data representative of the images to the controller 27. The controller 27 analyses the data and causes the pump 26 to be electrically connected to the battery 28, so that the pump 26 pumps water from the reservoir 25 and through the nozzle 126 (and thus through the aperture 710) towards the user’s oral cavity, when the controller 27 determines that the nozzle 126 and the aperture 710 are aligned with a part of the oral cavity that is to be cleaned, such as an interdental space. This facilitates cleaning of the oral cavity. The guard 800 acts to limit the extent to which the heel-end bristle tufts 602c, 604c, 606c are able to move towards the aperture 710 and the transparent window 720, thereby keeping the aperture 710 and the transparent window 720 relatively clear for performing their respective functions.

[0075] Manufacture of the brush head 20 will now be briefly described.

[0076] The first and second components 31, 32 are manufactured separately from ABS by respective injection moulding processes. The moulding of the first component 31 results in the formation of the holes 314 through the head plate or bristle bed 311 and the spine 316 with its passages 316a, 316b therethrough. The moulding of the second component 32 results in the formation of the neck portion 50, including the aperture 710 and a space for the transparent window 720.

[0077] The guard 800 is then moulded onto the first component 31 by over-moulding TPE onto the spine 316 using a mould that is suitably shaped, sized and positioned relative to the spine 316, so that the rod portions 800a, 800b of the guard 800 are located in the passages 316a, 316b of the spine 316. The TPE is then allowed to cool to form the guard 800. This mechanically locks the guard 800 to the spine 316.

[0078] Filaments are gathered to form respective bundles, and then the bundles are located in the holes 314 in the bristle bed 311 so that a first portion of each of the bundles protrudes from the front side 310 of the bristle bed 311 and a second portion of each of the bundles protrudes from the rear side 312 of the bristle bed 31. The second portions of the bundles are then heated so that the filaments melt and fuse together. The bundles are then allowed to cool to form the solid block 61 against the rear side 312 of the bristle bed 311. The first portions of the bundles therefore project from the front side 310 of the bristle bed 311 to form the bristle tufts 60, and the block 61 prevents the bristle tufts 60 from being pulled through the holes 314 in the bristle bed 311. This AFT technique will be readily known to the skilled reader, so no further details will be provided, in the interest of brevity. In some cases, the first portions of the bundles may be trimmed after this process, to give the bristle tufts 60 their final intended lengths. The transparent window 720, moulded from a transparent plastics material, is then fixed to the second component 32 by ultrasonic welding. The first and second components 31, 32 are then joined by ultrasonic welding to form the completed brush head 20.

[0079] As noted above, during use of the toothbrush 1, the guard 800 acts to limit the extent to which the heel-end bristle tufts 602c, 604c, 606c are able to move towards the aperture 710 and the transparent window 720, thereby keeping the aperture 710 and the transparent window 720 relatively clear for performing their respective functions. The guard 800 also enables the bristle tufts 60 to be positioned closer to the windows 710, 720 than if the guard 800 were not present, which increases the bristled area of the brush head 20 and, by extension, the ability of the brush head 20 to clean the user’s oral cavity.

[0080] Whilst particular examples have been described, it should be understood that these are illustrative examples only and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. For example, in some other examples, the oral treatment device, such as a toothbrush, comprises a handle, such as a handle that is integrally formed with the support. In some examples, the camera or the nozzle is omitted, so that there is only one window in the front side of the support corresponding to the whichever of the camera and the nozzle is present. In some examples, the window or windows is / are for use with elements other than a camera or a nozzle. In some examples, the oral treatment device has one or more cleaning elements, in the form of bristle tufts, projecting from the front side of the support, which are retained in place by a mechanism other than the AFT technique, such as in-mould tufting (IMT) or the pressure-temperature-time (PTt) technique, which will be readily known to the skilled reader. In some examples, the oral treatment device has one or more cleaning elements, in the form of bristle tufts, projecting from the front side of the support, wherein the arrangement of the bristle tufts is different to that shown in the attached Figures. In some examples, the oral treatment device has only one cleaning element, which may or may not be in the form of a bristle tuft, projecting from the front side of the support. In some examples, the guard is made of PU or silicone. In some examples, the recesses are omitted from the first side of the guard. In some examples, the first side of the guard is convex. In some examples, the support of the oral treatment device has a neck portion that extends from a head portion of the support in a first direction and is not narrower than (e.g., is of equal width to) the head portion in a lateral direction orthogonal to a first direction.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An oral treatment device for use in treating an oral cavity of a user, the oral treatment device comprising: a support having a front side; one or more windows in the front side of the support; one or more cleaning elements projecting from the front side of the support and bendable towards the one or more windows; and a guard projecting from the front side of the support at a location between the one or more windows and the one or more cleaning elements; wherein the one or more windows, the one or more cleaning elements and the guard are configured so that the guard is arranged to restrict bending of the one or more cleaning elements towards the one or more windows to thereby restrict obscuration of the one or more windows by the one or more cleaning elements.

2. The oral treatment device according to claim 1, wherein one of the one or more windows is an aperture through which a fluid is passable during use of the oral treatment device.

3. The oral treatment device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein one of the one or more windows is a transparent window through which visible light is passable during use of the oral treatment device.

4. The oral treatment device according to both claims 2 and 3, wherein the aperture is located between the guard and the transparent window.

5. The oral treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guard is curved at least partially around the one or more windows.

6. The oral treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guard is arc-shaped and arranged with a first side of the arc-shaped guard facing theone or more cleaning elements and a concave, second side of the arc-shaped guard, opposite the first side, facing the one or more windows.

7. The oral treatment device according to claim 6, wherein the first side of the arcshaped guard has one or more recesses therein.

8. The oral treatment device according to claim 7, wherein the support has a length and a width perpendicular to the length, wherein the one or more cleaning elements comprise a plurality of cleaning elements arranged along a path that connects two lateral sides of the support, and wherein the one or more recesses in the first side of the arcshaped guard comprise recesses that are equal in number to the plurality of cleaning elements.

9. The oral treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more cleaning elements comprise one or more bristle tufts.

10. The oral treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guard has a Shore A hardness of between 40 and 60.

11. The oral treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guard is made of an elastomer.

12. The oral treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support comprises a spine in an interior of the guard.

13. The oral treatment device according to claim 12, wherein the guard is softer than the spine.

14. The oral treatment device according to claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the support comprises a unitary component, wherein a first portion of the unitary component comprises a bed from which the one or more cleaning elements project, and wherein a second portion of the unitary component comprises the spine.

15. The oral treatment device according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the guard is mechanically fixed to the spine to resist removal of the guard from the spine.

16. The oral treatment device according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the spine has a passage therethrough, and wherein the guard is mechanically fixed to the spine to resist removal of the guard from the spine by way of a portion of the guard extending fully through the passage.

17. The oral treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support has a length and a width perpendicular to the length, and wherein the one or more cleaning elements project further than the guard from a plane defined by the length and the width.

18. The oral treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a nearest one of the cleaning elements to the guard has a height measured from the front side of the support, wherein the guard projects by a distance from the front side of the support, and wherein a spacing, orthogonal to the height and the distance, between the guard and the nearest one of the cleaning elements to the guard is less than each of the height and the distance.

19. The oral treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support has a head portion and a neck portion extending from the head portion in a first direction, wherein the neck portion is narrower than the head portion in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction over at least a majority of a length of the neck portion; and wherein the one or more cleaning elements project from the head portion and the one or more windows are in the neck portion.

20. The oral treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more cleaning elements are located at a first side of the guard, and wherein theoral treatment device is devoid of any cleaning elements at a second side of the guard opposite from the first side of the guard.

21. The oral treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guard has a root closest to the front side of the support and a tip furthest from the front side of the support, and wherein the root of the guard is fixed in position relative to the one or more windows.

22. The oral treatment device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising: an outlet aligned with a first window of the one or more windows, the first window being an aperture through which a fluid from the outlet is passable during use of the oral treatment device; and an image capture device aligned with a second window of the one or more windows, the second window being a transparent window through which visible light is passable to the image capture device during use of the oral treatment device.

23. The oral treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the oral treatment device is configured to be removably attachable to a handle.

24. An oral treatment system, comprising: the oral treatment device according to claim 23; and the handle.

25. The oral treatment system according to claim 24, wherein the handle comprises: an outlet, through which a fluid is passable from the handle during use of the oral treatment device, and an image capture device configured to capture an image of the oral cavity of the user during use of the oral treatment device; wherein a first window of the one or more windows is an aperture through which the fluid is passable during use of the oral treatment device, and a second window of theone or more windows is a transparent window through which visible light is passable during use of the oral treatment device; and wherein the handle and the oral treatment device are configured so that, when the oral treatment device is attached to the handle, the outlet is aligned with the aperture and the image capture device is aligned with the transparent window.

Images