Toothbrush filaments, toothbrush filament rods and toothbrushes
By designing alternating protrusions and channel structures for the toothbrush bristles, the problem of poor cleaning effect between teeth was solved, resulting in toothbrush bristles with high rigidity and resilience, thus improving cleaning effect and service life.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- DUPONT XINGDA FILAMENTS CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-11
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-16
AI Technical Summary
Existing toothbrush bristles have a small contact area and weak scraping ability when cleaning between teeth. Furthermore, irregularly shaped bristles have problems such as insufficient stiffness and poor resilience, resulting in poor cleaning effect and short service life.
Design a toothbrush bristle with alternating protrusions and channels in its cross-sectional area, the ratio of the circumcircle to the incircle being no less than 0.5, the protrusions having an arc-shaped profile, and processed by a wire drawing process to form a rotationally symmetrical columnar structure, thereby enhancing stiffness and resilience.
It improves the cleaning ability of toothbrush bristles in the gaps between teeth and on the tooth surface, extends their service life, and maintains good softness and comfort, achieving a deep cleaning effect.
Smart Images
Figure CN224357219U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of oral hygiene, specifically to a toothbrush bristle, a toothbrush bristle rod including the toothbrush bristle, and a toothbrush including the toothbrush bristle rod. Background Technology
[0002] Currently, most toothbrush bristles on the market have a round cross-section. After bristles are implanted in the toothbrush, the smooth cross-section structure of this type of bristle has a certain degree of flexibility. However, when cleaning teeth, especially stains in the gaps between teeth, it often has problems such as small contact area and weak scraping ability, making it difficult to achieve deep and thorough cleaning.
[0003] To address these issues, existing technologies have proposed various irregularly shaped toothbrush bristles, such as cross-shaped, quadrilateral, and triangular bristles. These structures improve the bristles' contact with the tooth surface to some extent, enhancing the cleaning effect. However, these irregularly shaped bristles generally suffer from insufficient stiffness, poor resilience, and susceptibility to deformation. Especially during long-term use, their effective lifespan is relatively short, leading to a decline in the overall performance of the toothbrush.
[0004] Therefore, it is still necessary to provide a toothbrush bristle structure that is novel in structure, has better cleaning effect, and has high rigidity and good resilience in order to improve the cleaning ability between teeth and tooth surface. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a toothbrush bristle, a toothbrush bristle rod comprising the toothbrush bristle, and a toothbrush comprising the toothbrush bristle. This toothbrush bristle improves cleaning and massaging effects without altering the strength characteristics of the toothbrush bristle and can be manufactured economically.
[0006] This application discloses a toothbrush bristle, characterized in that the toothbrush bristle has a longitudinal axis and a cross-sectional region extending in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; the cross-sectional region has three or more protrusions arranged in an alternating manner and three or more channels equal in number to the protrusions; the cross-sectional region has a circumcircle enclosing all the outermost endpoints of the three or more protrusions; each channel has an arcuate profile on one side near the center of the cross-sectional region; the ratio of the maximum value of the radius of curvature of the arcuate profile to the radius of the circumcircle is not less than 0.5, preferably not less than 0.8, and more preferably not less than 0.9.
[0007] According to an optional implementation, the cross-sectional region has a rotationally symmetric structure.
[0008] According to an optional embodiment, the cross-sectional region includes an inscribed circle; the inscribed circle is the largest circle that can be completely contained within the internal region defined by the inner contours of the three or more channels, and the plurality of protrusions extend outward from the peripheral region of the inscribed circle.
[0009] According to an optional implementation, the ratio of the diameter of the inscribed circle to the diameter of the circumscribed circle is between 0.4 and 0.8.
[0010] According to an optional embodiment, the tips of the plurality of protrusions have an arcuate profile; the diameter of the arcuate profile is in the range of 0.01 mm to 0.04 mm.
[0011] According to an optional implementation, the diameter of the circumscribed circle is in the range of 0.15 mm to 0.28 mm.
[0012] According to an optional implementation, the outline of each channel is formed by splicing together multiple arcs with different radii of curvature.
[0013] According to an optional embodiment, the toothbrush bristles are presented as a columnar structure with multiple ribs in their length direction; and the cross-sectional area of the toothbrush bristles remains consistent along the length direction of the toothbrush bristles and does not rotate.
[0014] According to an optional embodiment, the toothbrush bristles are presented as a columnar structure with multiple ribs in their length direction; the cross-sectional area of the toothbrush bristles rotates about the central axis of the columnar structure along the length direction of the toothbrush bristles; the multiple ribs extend in a spiral shape; and the multiple ribs are formed by the multiple protrusions.
[0015] According to an optional embodiment, the cross-sectional region has three to seven protrusions arranged in an alternating manner and a corresponding number of channels, preferably having four to five protrusions arranged in an alternating manner and a corresponding number of channels.
[0016] According to an optional embodiment, the toothbrush bristles are manufactured via a wire drawing process.
[0017] This application also discloses a toothbrush bristle rod, characterized in that the toothbrush bristle rod comprises a plurality of toothbrush bristles according to this application bundled together along the length direction.
[0018] According to an optional embodiment, the toothbrush bristle includes a plurality of toothbrush bristles having a circular cross-section; the toothbrush bristles having a circular cross-section are sized to be partially accommodated between two adjacent ribs of the toothbrush bristles according to the present application.
[0019] This application also discloses a toothbrush, characterized in that the toothbrush comprises: a toothbrush handle; a toothbrush head connected to one end of the toothbrush handle and having a plurality of holes on one side; and toothbrush bristles according to this application, which are connected to the plurality of holes in the toothbrush head.
[0020] This application also discloses a toothbrush, characterized in that the toothbrush comprises: a toothbrush handle; a toothbrush head connected to one end of the toothbrush handle and having a plurality of holes on one side; and a toothbrush filament bundle made by cutting a toothbrush filament rod according to this application, the toothbrush filament bundle being connected to the plurality of holes of the toothbrush head.
[0021] The toothbrush bristles according to this application can be manufactured using a wire drawing process and can be finished in the same manner as conventional toothbrush bristles. The wire drawing process helps improve the tensile strength and dimensional accuracy of the toothbrush bristles. The ribs, composed of multiple protrusions, the transition area between them and the channel, as well as the channel itself, all constitute functional edges or surfaces, which enhance the cleaning effect of the toothbrush bristles on the tooth surface and between teeth, without posing a danger to the gums. Furthermore, when tension is applied, the ribs composed of multiple protrusions can twist, so no greater frictional force is applied to the toothbrush bristles than in the case of conventional toothbrush bristles. In addition, when the toothbrush bristles glide across the gums with their outer surface, the ribs composed of multiple protrusions can provide a massaging effect.
[0022] The toothbrush bristles according to this application can be used as a semi-finished product, facilitating storage, transportation, and subsequent automated bristle implantation processes. The toothbrush bristles may contain only the toothbrush bristles described in this application, or they may contain a mixture of the toothbrush bristles described in this application and conventional round-section toothbrush bristles to achieve a specific brushing experience or function.
[0023] The toothbrush bristles according to this application consist of a columnar structure and at least one rib extending along the outer surface of the columnar structure. The columnar structure provides the toothbrush bristles with bending properties and re-erectability. The edges of the ribs are continuous and smooth, thus avoiding the formation of any sharp edges to reduce damage to the gums. Attached Figure Description
[0024] A more complete understanding of the foregoing and other aspects of this application will be gained from the detailed description that follows, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the scale of the drawings may vary for clarity, but this will not affect the understanding of this application.
[0025] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the toothbrush bristles according to this application;
[0026] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A 3D image of toothbrush bristles;
[0027] Figure 3This is a perspective view of toothbrush bristles according to another embodiment of this application; and
[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the toothbrush according to this application. Detailed Implementation
[0029] A more complete understanding of the foregoing and other aspects of this application will be gained from the detailed description that follows, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the scale of the drawings may vary for clarity, but this will not affect the understanding of this application.
[0030] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the toothbrush bristles according to this application. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the toothbrush bristles 1 have a longitudinal axis (perpendicular to the paper surface) and a cross-sectional region 10. The cross-sectional region 10 has three or more (e.g., four shown in the figure) protrusions 14 arranged in an alternating manner and three or more (e.g., four shown in the figure) channels 12, the same number as the protrusions 14. In this application, the number of protrusions 14 is preferably three to seven. The cross-sectional region 10 has a circumcircle 11 and an incircle 13. The circumcircle 11 is the circle enclosing all the outermost endpoints of the three or more protrusions 14. The incircle 13 is the largest circle that can be completely contained within the inner region defined by the inner contours of the three or more channels 12. The protrusions 14 extend outward from the peripheral region of the incircle 13.
[0031] Channel 12 has an arcuate profile on one side near the center of cross-sectional region 10. The radius of curvature R1 of the arcuate profile may vary at different points on the profile; a larger radius of curvature R1 means the channel is relatively gentle, while a smaller radius of curvature R1 means the channel is more concave. The ratio of the maximum value of the radius of curvature R1 of channel 12 to the radius R2 of the circumcircle 11 is set to be no less than 0.5, preferably no less than 0.8, and more preferably no less than 0.9.
[0032] In other words, the contour of channel 12 can be formed by splicing together multiple arcs with different radii of curvature R1. For example, the region of channel 12 near the tip of the protrusion 14 has a smaller radius of curvature R1, while the middle region between two adjacent protrusions 14 has a larger radius of curvature R1 (more gentle), as long as the maximum value of the radius of curvature R1 of the contour of channel 12 meets the aforementioned ratio requirement. This recessed design of the channel allows for a more compact arrangement of toothbrush bristles of other shapes (e.g., toothbrush bristles with circular cross-sectional areas) between or adjacent to the toothbrush bristles 1 in this application, facilitating the manufacture of toothbrush bristle bars, toothbrush bristle bundles, or toothbrush heads with mixed bristles.
[0033] The cross-sectional region 10 formed in this way has a rotationally symmetric structure.
[0034] To optimize the performance and comfort of the toothbrush bristles 1, the ratio of the diameter of the inscribed circle 13 to the diameter of the circumscribed circle 11 can be set between 0.4 and 0.8. To increase the comfort of the toothbrush bristles 1 and avoid damaging the gums, the tips of the multiple protrusions 14 can be configured with an arcuate profile 16. The diameter of the arcuate profile 16 can be set between 0.01 mm and 0.04 mm. The diameter of the circumscribed circle 11 can be set as needed, for example, between 0.15 mm and 0.28 mm.
[0035] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A 3D diagram of toothbrush bristles. (Example) Figure 2 As shown, the toothbrush bristles 1 have a columnar structure with multiple ribs 15 (formed by protrusions 14) along their length. The cross-sectional area 10 of the toothbrush bristles 1 remains consistent along the length of the toothbrush bristles 1 and does not rotate.
[0036] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of toothbrush bristles according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, the toothbrush bristles 1 have a columnar structure with multiple ribs 15 along their length. The cross-sectional region 10 of the toothbrush bristles 1 rotates around the central axis of the columnar structure along the length of the toothbrush bristles 1. The multiple ribs 15 extend in a spiral shape. The multiple ribs 15 are composed of multiple protrusions 14.
[0037] The toothbrush bristles 1 are preferably manufactured using a wire drawing process. The wire drawing process helps to obtain a precise cross-sectional shape and good physical properties.
[0038] According to the first embodiment of this application, the diameter of the circumscribed circle 11 of the toothbrush bristles 1 is 0.203 mm. The diameter of the inscribed circle 13 is 0.120 mm. The ratio of the diameter of the inscribed circle 13 to the diameter of the circumscribed circle 11 is 0.59. The ratio of the maximum value of the radius of curvature R1 of the arc profile to the radius R2 of the circumscribed circle 11 is 1.17. The diameter of the arc-shaped profile 16 at the tip of the protrusion 14 is 0.019 mm.
[0039] According to the second embodiment of this application, the diameter of the circumscribed circle 11 of the toothbrush bristles 1 is 0.191 mm. The diameter of the inscribed circle 13 is 0.104 mm. The ratio of the diameter of the inscribed circle 13 to the diameter of the circumscribed circle 11 is 0.54. The ratio of the maximum value of the radius of curvature R1 of the arc contour to the radius R2 of the circumscribed circle 11 is 1.0. The diameter of the arc-shaped contour 16 at the tip of the protrusion 14 is 0.020 mm.
[0040] According to the third embodiment of this application, the diameter of the circumscribed circle 11 of the toothbrush bristles 1 is 0.178 mm. The diameter of the inscribed circle 13 is 0.101 mm. The ratio of the diameter of the inscribed circle 13 to the diameter of the circumscribed circle 11 is 0.57. The ratio of the maximum value of the radius of curvature R1 of the arc contour to the radius R2 of the circumscribed circle 11 is 1.21. The diameter of the arc-shaped contour 16 at the tip of the protrusion 14 is 0.017 mm.
[0041] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the toothbrush according to this application. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the toothbrush includes a toothbrush handle 2, a toothbrush head 3, and multiple toothbrush bristles 1. The toothbrush head 3 is connected to one end of the toothbrush handle 2.
[0042] This application also relates to a toothbrush bristle rod (not shown). The toothbrush bristle rod comprises multiple toothbrush bristles 1 as described above, which are bundled together along their length by a paper or plastic packaging material to form a continuous, elongated semi-finished product. The packaging material can bundle the toothbrush bristles by winding or by tubing. During toothbrush production, the toothbrush bristle rod can be cut to the desired length (e.g., the length to form a bundle of bristles) and then inserted into the hole of the toothbrush head 3. The toothbrush bristle rod may contain only toothbrush bristles 1 having the cross-sectional area 10 described in this application, or it may contain a mixture of toothbrush bristles having circular cross-sectional areas to achieve different cleaning effects or brushing experiences.
[0043] The toothbrush bristles 1 (or bristle bundles formed by cutting and implanting toothbrush bristle rods) are connected to the toothbrush head 3, for example, to multiple holes on the toothbrush head 3. In this embodiment, all the toothbrush bristles 1 are disposed on the same side of the toothbrush head 3. It is conceivable that the toothbrush bristles 1 can be disposed at any position on the toothbrush head 3.
[0044] The physical properties and simulated interdental cleaning power of the toothbrush bristles 1 according to this application are shown in the table below.
[0045]
[0046]
[0047] For the toothbrush bristles of the first, second, and third embodiments of this application and commercially available cross-shaped toothbrush bristles, this column of data refers to the circumscribed circle diameter. For commercially available circular cross-shaped toothbrush bristles, this column of data refers to the circular cross-section diameter.
[0048] The toothbrush bristles according to the first, second, and third embodiments of this application are made of nylon 612. The commercially available round cross-section toothbrush bristles in the table above are Celanese Tynex. ®0900HA NC410. The commercially available cross-shaped toothbrush bristles in the table above are toothbrush bristles cut from the Oral-B SensitiveX Deep Clean toothbrush.
[0049] The test method for monofilament bending recovery rate refers to GB 19342-2013; for the monofilament bending force test, take a monofilament of at least 10 mm in length, place it horizontally in a fixture and clamp it. The monofilament exposed outside the fixture is contacted by a vertical blade-shaped jig 1 mm from the outer edge of the clamping surface. The fixture, carrying the monofilament, rotates horizontally 30° around the contact point in a direction away from the blade-shaped jig. o A force sensor connected to a blade-shaped fixture measures the rebound force (mN) of a monofilament after it has been bent. Ten monofilaments are tested, and the average value is recorded as the bending force of the monofilament.
[0050] The toothbrushes used in the simulated interdental cleaning power test were all made with corresponding toothbrush bristles. The number of bristle implantation holes on the toothbrush head was 42. The width of the bristle implantation area on the toothbrush head was approximately 10 mm, and the length was 23 mm. The toothbrush shape and... Figure 4 The toothbrush shown is similar. The diameter of the bristle pores is approximately 2 mm. The exposed length of the toothbrush bristles is approximately 10 mm. In the interdental cleaning power test, a red crayon was used as a plaque simulant to cover a simulated interdental space with a length of 10 mm. 40g of commercially available Colgate anti-cavity toothpaste and 80mL of deionized water were mixed to prepare a toothpaste solution. Before the test, the toothbrush head was soaked in the toothpaste solution for 10 minutes. At the start of the test, the length of the toothbrush head was aligned with the length of the simulated interdental space, and the toothbrush position was adjusted so that one side of the bristles just covered the edge of the simulated interdental space. During the test, a weight of 200g was applied to the toothbrush head. The toothbrush head was moved at a speed of 22.3 mm / s along and perpendicular to the simulated interdental space (10 mm long, 0.4 mm wide, and 0.13 mm / 0.2 mm deep), brushing the simulated interdental space 10 times. The distance of the brush head's reciprocating motion perpendicular to the simulated interdental space was 13 mm, and the distance of its reciprocating motion along the simulated interdental space was 2 mm. mm, during the reciprocating brushing process, the bristles of the toothbrush head always cover the simulated interdental spaces; after brushing 10 times, rinse the toothpaste foam with a gentle stream of water for about 5 seconds, then use paper to absorb the surface water droplets, measure the length of the red crayon marks removed from the simulated interdental spaces, if the crayon marks are not continuous, measure in segments and sum the lengths of the removed crayon marks, calculate its percentage of the entire simulated interdental space length, repeat twice for each type of toothbrush and take the average value, which is recorded as the simulated interdental cleaning power.
[0051] The toothbrush bristles 1 according to the first, second, and third embodiments of this application all achieved 100% cleaning power in simulated interdental cleaning power tests with a gap depth of 0.13 mm and a gap width of 0.4 mm, which is generally higher than that of commercially available round-section toothbrush bristles. The toothbrush bristles 1 according to the first, second, and third embodiments of this application also achieved 100% cleaning power in simulated interdental cleaning power tests with a gap depth of 0.2 mm and a gap width of 0.4 mm, which is higher than that of commercially available round-section toothbrush bristles. This indicates that the toothbrush bristles of this application can clean interdental stains more deeply and thoroughly, effectively compensating for the shortcomings of round-section bristles in deep cleaning.
[0052] The toothbrush bristles 1 according to the first, second, and third embodiments of this application have a bending recovery rate that is no lower than that of commercially available round cross-section toothbrush bristles, but higher than that of commercially available cross-section toothbrush bristles. This means that the toothbrush bristles 1 according to this application can well recover their original shape after being bent under force, maintain the stiffness of the bristles and effective cleaning performance, and extend the service life of the toothbrush.
[0053] The single filament bending force of the toothbrush bristles 1 according to the first, second and third embodiments of this application is lower than that of commercially available circular cross-section toothbrush bristles with the same circumscribed circle diameter. This indicates that the toothbrush bristles 1 according to this application, while maintaining good softness, significantly improves cleaning efficiency through its unique cross-sectional structure, especially in cleaning between teeth, achieving a balance between cleaning effect and user comfort.
[0054] In the table above, the flexural recovery rate refers to the degree to which the toothbrush bristles resemble their original shape after being bent by an external force and the force is removed. Monofilament bending force is a physical indicator that measures the toothbrush bristles' resistance to bending deformation. Monofilament bending force, expressed in mN, typically refers to the force required to induce a specific bending deformation in the bristles. A higher monofilament bending force indicates a stiffer bristle; a lower force indicates a softer bristle. This measurement method is common and intuitively reflects the bristles' resistance to bending. Simulated interdental cleaning power aims to quantify the toothbrush's (especially the bristles) ability to remove simulated interdental debris (simulated plaque or food debris). This is an important performance indicator because interdental spaces are areas where plaque easily accumulates and is difficult to clean completely with regular brushing. This indicator is expressed as a percentage, representing how much simulated debris is removed from between teeth.
[0055] As can be seen from the data in the table above, compared with other commercially available toothbrush bristles, the toothbrush bristle 1 according to this application has a better bending recovery rate and interdental cleaning power.
[0056] The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for illustrative and descriptive purposes. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the described variations. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. These embodiments were chosen and described to best illustrate the principles and practical applications, enabling those skilled in the art to understand them from their various implementations and modifications suited to their intended use. Within the framework of these embodiments, the aforementioned components and features may be combined among the different embodiments.
Claims
1. A toothbrush bristle (1), characterized in that, The toothbrush bristles (1) have a longitudinal axis and a cross-sectional region (10) extending in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; The cross-sectional region (10) has three or more protrusions (14) arranged in an alternating manner and three or more channels (12) in the same number as the protrusions; The cross-sectional region (10) has a circumcircle (11) that encloses all the outermost endpoints of the three or more protrusions (14); Each of the channels (12) has an arcuate profile on one side near the center of the cross-sectional region (10); The ratio of the maximum value of the radius of curvature of the arc profile to the radius of the circumcircle (11) is not less than 0.5, preferably not less than 0.8, and more preferably not less than 0.
9.
2. The toothbrush bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cross-sectional region (10) has a rotationally symmetric structure.
3. The toothbrush bristles according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The cross-sectional region (10) includes an inscribed circle (13); The inscribed circle (13) is the largest circle that can be fully contained within the inner region defined by the inner contours of the three or more channels (12), and the plurality of protrusions (14) extend outward from the peripheral region of the inscribed circle (13).
4. The toothbrush bristles according to claim 3, characterized in that, The ratio of the diameter of the inscribed circle (13) to the diameter of the circumscribed circle (11) is between 0.4 and 0.
8.
5. The toothbrush bristles according to claim 3, characterized in that, The tips of the plurality of protrusions (14) have an arcuate profile (16); The diameter of the arcuate profile (16) is in the range of 0.01 mm to 0.04 mm.
6. The toothbrush bristles according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The diameter of the circumcircle (11) is in the range of 0.15 mm to 0.28 mm.
7. The toothbrush bristles according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The outline of each channel (12) is composed of multiple arcs with different radii of curvature.
8. The toothbrush bristles according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The toothbrush bristles (1) have a columnar structure with multiple ribs (15) along their length; and The cross-sectional area (10) of the toothbrush bristles (1) remains consistent along the length direction of the toothbrush bristles (1) and does not rotate.
9. The toothbrush bristles according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The toothbrush bristles (1) are columnar structures with multiple ribs (15) along their length. The cross-sectional area (10) of the toothbrush bristles (1) rotates around the central axis of the columnar structure along the length direction of the toothbrush bristles (1); The plurality of ribs extend in a spiral pattern; and The plurality of ribs are formed by the plurality of protrusions (14).
10. The toothbrush bristles according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The cross-sectional area (10) has three to seven protrusions (14) arranged in an alternating manner and a corresponding number of channels (12), preferably having four to five protrusions (14) arranged in an alternating manner and a corresponding number of channels (12).
11. The toothbrush bristles according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The toothbrush bristles (1) are manufactured by a wire drawing process.
12. A toothbrush bristle rod, characterized in that, The toothbrush bristles comprise a plurality of toothbrush bristles (1) bundled together along their length according to any one of claims 1-11.
13. The toothbrush bristles according to claim 12, characterized in that, The toothbrush bristle rod includes a plurality of toothbrush bristles with a circular cross-section; The toothbrush bristles with a circular cross-section are sized to be partially accommodated between two adjacent ribs (15) of the toothbrush bristles (1) according to claim 8 or 9.
14. A toothbrush, characterized in that, The toothbrush includes: Toothbrush handle (2); The toothbrush head (3) is connected to one end of the toothbrush handle (2) and has a plurality of holes on one side; and The toothbrush bristles (1) according to any one of claims 1-11 are connected to the plurality of holes of the toothbrush head (3).
15. A toothbrush, characterized in that, The toothbrush includes: Toothbrush handle (2); The toothbrush head (3) is connected to one end of the toothbrush handle (2) and has a plurality of holes on one side; and A toothbrush filament bundle made by cutting a toothbrush filament rod according to claim 12 or 13, the toothbrush filament bundle being connected to the plurality of holes in the toothbrush head (3).