Interdental brush system, interdental brush, device

Abstract

A brush and a brush receiver handle for cleaning the interdental space such as the space between teeth. In one embodiment, the removable interdental brush comprises at least one curved portion that serves to secure the interdental brush to the receiver handle for the interdental brush.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an interdental brush device, and particularly to a handle for an interdental brush device and an interdental brush.

Background Art

[0002] To clean between teeth, various types of twist wire brushes that reach the interdental space are used. Since the shape, size, and spacing of teeth vary among users, twist wire brushes of various shapes and sizes are prepared to accommodate such various situations.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] Furthermore, several types of receiver handles for interdental brushes for holding and using replaceable interdental brushes are known. Some users (such as the elderly) have reduced vision and hand-eye coordination, or have problems such as hand stiffness and pain. For this reason, the ability to operate the brush and the handle to remove the replacement brush from the handle or attach it to the handle may be limited. Despite the importance of the ease of attaching and replacing the brush to the handle, current interdental brush devices do not provide a receiver handle for an interdental brush that allows a user to easily insert or remove a twist wire brush.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] In one embodiment of the present invention, a receiver handle for an interdental brush for holding a twist wire brush is configured to be a handle with a locking receiver head.

[0005] According to one embodiment, the interdental brush receiver handle comprises a receiver head having two opposing surfaces, and the two opposing surfaces are adjacent to a living hinge or other connecting means for connecting the two opposing surfaces. According to another embodiment, the two opposing surfaces can be separated from each other (for example, the two opposing surfaces are not connected by a living hinge or other type of permanent connection).

[0006] In one embodiment, at least one of the opposing surfaces of the receiver head comprises a groove for receiving a brush (for example, a twist wire brush for cleaning between teeth). In one embodiment, the groove is configured to include at least one curved portion or corner for receiving a brush having a corresponding curved portion or corner. In one or more embodiments, each opposing surface comprises opposing grooves for holding the brush when the opposing surfaces are closed to each other.

[0007] In one alternative embodiment, the groove is linear and has no curved portions or corners.

[0008] According to some embodiments, the opposing surfaces of the receiver head have corresponding locking portions. In one embodiment, as a configuration for locking the two opposing surfaces to each other, the first opposing surface has a clip, and the second opposing surface has a gap for the clip to engage.

[0009] The interdental brush receiver handle of the present invention according to some embodiments provides improvements to the holding structures of twist wire brushes, other types of interdental brushes, and cleaners.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] Many of the embodiments and related advantages described in this disclosure can be easily understood by referring to the following detailed description while referring to the accompanying drawings.

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Features based on some embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Referring to FIGS. 1-8, the receiver handle 100 for an interdental brush includes a first side piece 102 of the receiver head and a second side piece 104 of the receiver head. The second side 104 is connected to the first side piece 102 by a hinge 108 (for example, a living hinge). According to some embodiments, the receiver handle 100 for an interdental brush includes a handle portion 106 that a user will hold when using it to clean their teeth. According to some embodiments, the receiver handle 100 for an interdental brush may be made of polypropylene, a molten polymer, and / or other materials suitable for molding or forming into a desired configuration, such as wood, plastic, rubber-processed plastic, etc.

[0012] Referring to FIG. 4, the receiver head of the interdental brush receiver handle 100 includes a receiver head lock latch 110 for latching to a receiver head lock latch receiving portion 112 when the opposing surfaces of the receiver head are closed (for example, when rotated and mated using hinge 108).

[0013] As shown in FIG. 4, according to some embodiments, each opposing surface in the receiver head of the interdental brush receiver handle 100 includes a groove portion 116 or a groove portion 118 for receiving an interdental brush (not shown). According to some embodiments, the groove portions 116, 118 have at least one curved portion or corner portion 120 configured to fit an interdental brush having a corresponding curved portion or corner portion (for example, a twist wire core attached to the receiver head for use).

[0014] According to some embodiments, the interdental brush receiver handle 100 further includes an outlet groove at the proximal end. These outlet grooves are formed by the ends 122, 124 of the opposing surfaces 102, 104 when the opposing surfaces 102, 104 of the receiver head are closed to each other, and are for exiting the stem of the interdental brush from the receiver head. When an interdental brush is attached, the stem of the interdental brush extends from the opening formed. Further details of an example of an interdental brush and an interdental brush system are described based on FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 10.

[0015] Referring to FIG. 5, according to some embodiments, the handle portion 106 includes at least one curved portion 130a - 130c. According to some embodiments, at least one curved portion in the handle portion 106 provides an improved ergonomic design, making it easier for a user to hold and operate the interdental brush receiver handle 100 when cleaning the interdental space.

[0016] In one example, the handle portion 106 has an ergonomic configuration (e.g., an S-shape) that fits between the thumb on one side and the index finger and middle finger on the opposite side. The exemplary curved portions 130a, 130b, 130c are for positioning the thumb, index finger, and middle finger respectively when the user grasps the handle portion 106.

[0017] By using an ergonomic handle portion, the user can perform fine motor control, and when manually guiding the tip of the brush into narrow and hard-to-reach spaces such as between teeth and between teeth and gums, the possibility of slipping and injury is reduced.

[0018] Here, referring to FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 10, the components of an exemplary interdental brush system 900 are described according to some embodiments. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the interdental brush 950 is attached to a first side piece 902 in the receiver head of the interdental brush system 900. Specifically, the dimple brush system 954 of the interdental brush 950 fits into the groove portion 916 of the first side piece 902. FIG. 9B shows an example in which the second side piece 904 of the receiver is closed (e.g., using a latch or other type of fixing means) to fix the dimple brush system 954 (FIG. 9A) within the receiver head.

[0019] FIG. 10 shows an example of an interdental brush 950 including an interdental brush head 952 and a dimple brush system 954. As shown in FIG. 10, for example, the dimple brush system 954 has three curved portions 956a - 956c, forming "dimples" in the dimple brush system 954. The resulting shape of the dimple brush system 954 corresponds to the shape of the groove portion 916, for example, in the first side piece 902 of the interdental brush system 900. The angled shape of the stem and the groove prevents the stem from easily slipping out of the receiver head as in the case of a straight stem and channel, improving the safety when connecting the interdental brush 950 to the receiver handle.

[0020] According to some embodiments, the interdental brush head 952 may include threads (e.g., textured nylon threads), monofilament hairs (e.g., hairs with a diameter of 0.05 mm to 0.01 mm), and / or any combination of the foregoing (e.g., a hybrid thread and hair brush head). If it is determined to be desirable for a particular implementation and cleaning purpose, it may be replaced with other types of materials suitable for interdental cleaning and the cleaning of other types of objects.

[0021] According to some embodiments, the interdental brush 950 can be manufactured by folding a single wire in half, inserting a bundle of cleaning material (e.g., filaments such as nylon threads and / or monofilament hairs) between the folded wires, and twisting the wires together to form a twisted wire core having an interdental brush head 952 at one end. In one embodiment, the stem of the interdental brush 950, which is on the opposite side of the interdental brush head 952 and for insertion into the handle of the interdental brush system, can be bent or otherwise manipulated to form one or more bends of the dimple brush system 954.

[0022] In one embodiment, the interdental brush head 952 may include a plurality of textured nylon filament strands (e.g., those fixed to a twist wire). According to some embodiments, in the region closest to the twist wire core in the portion where the strands protrude from the twist wire core, the "tuft zone" is denser than other portions of the strand and has a weaker tendency to move back and forth laterally when deployed by the user for oral care purposes. The extra energy required to move the strands back and forth results in a gradual increase in resistance and an improvement in the ability to clean and massage the teeth and gums. According to some embodiments, one novel feature of the "tuft zone" portion of the filament strand is the angle created by the sides of the "tuft" relative to the uncompressed width at the top of the yarn strand. In embodiments using nylon filament strands with compression memory characteristics (e.g., textured filaments), obtuse angles may be formed by the filament strands on both sides of the tuft zone closest to the twist wire. This angle creates a scoring effect and improves the cleaning effect in removing dental plaque, such as around dental appliances like bridges, implants, orthodontic braces, and between teeth and gums.

[0023] According to some embodiments, the implementation of the interdental brush head 952 alternates the type of cleaning material in the twist wire. For example, the interdental brush head 952 of the interdental brush 950 can be formed by inserting a set of nylon filament (e.g., a 1 / 16-inch bundle), then an adjacent set of monofilament bristles (e.g., a 1 / 16-inch bundle), then another set of nylon filaments, and so on. As described for some embodiments, nylon filaments (e.g., textured filaments) are hydrophilic and absorb liquids. Therefore, by using textured filaments as alternating bands of the brush head, it is possible to deliver any type of liquid, such as chlorhexidine, fluoride, or other orally administered drugs delivered locally, into the tooth spaces.

[0024] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, as described above, the interdental brush 950 may be manufactured in a twist wire brush structure. In an example of the manufacturing process, 6 to 20 reels of supplied nylon yarns and / or long elements of monofilament hairs are supplied to a portion that has been previously cut with a wire and forms a U-shape. These elements are preferably supplied in a direction perpendicular to the wire, or in a direction that is not parallel to the wire but crosses the wire. In one example, the material is supplied only to the closed end side, leaving a length that functions as the dimple brush system 958 on the open end side. The inserted elements are then cut into strands of a desired length (e.g., 1 inch). The closed end of the wire is held by a device such as a rotating vice, and the open end of the wire is also held by a similar device such as a vice. The two vice-like devices rotate in opposite directions until the wire is twisted and the material is firmly fixed between the wires.

[0025] In one or more embodiments, the wire used to manufacture the interdental brush head 952 may be a steel wire (e.g., SUS304 stainless steel wire) with a diameter of 0.25 to 0.35 mm.

[0026] According to some embodiments, the interdental brush head 952 may be of any shape and may include strands of any thickness and / or any diameter. For example, the shape of the interdental brush head 952 may be curved, straight, conical, bent into a U-shape, or circular.

[0027] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the material of the interdental brush head 952 (e.g., nylon filament yarn strands) may have hydrophilic properties. For example, the substrate of the nylon yarn is easily wetted by any type of liquid. In this way, the yarn strands can supply a meaningful amount of liquid. Drugs, hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine, fluoride, etc. can be applied to the brush yarn strands, directly targeting the areas of the dentition where these types of materials can obtain optimal benefits. According to some embodiments, the liquid coating is applied and dried during manufacturing in the factory. Thereafter, since the user can "rehydrate" the coating during use, the advantages of the coating medium can be reproduced. This can be done using tooth whitening agents, any powder drugs, and / or other types of powder materials.

[0028] In the manufacture of the present invention, any combination, denier, diameter or texture of the hairs and / or yarn strands is arbitrary as long as it is considered appropriate for the desired implementation.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the type of wire used for the interdental brush is a plastic-coated stainless steel alloy. The general range of the thickness of the wire used for interdental applications is 0.2 mm to 1.5 mm.

[0030] According to some embodiments, in addition to the compression memory properties, the nylon filament yarn strands in the brush head (e.g., the interdental brush head 952) do not simply bend or flatten (like monofilament hairs) when inserted into the interdental space, but "become tufted" and can provide a gentle resistance.

[0031] Interpretation This patent application describes a number of embodiments, but these embodiments are presented for illustrative purposes only. The described embodiments are not limiting in any sense and are not intended to be limiting. As can be readily understood from this disclosure, the invention of this disclosure is widely applicable to a number of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosed invention can be implemented with various changes and modifications, such as structural, logical, software, and / or electrical changes. Specific features of the disclosed invention can be described with reference to one or more specific embodiments and / or drawings, but it should be understood that such features are not limited to their use in the one or more specific embodiments or drawings that describe them, unless otherwise specified.

[0032] This disclosure is not a literal description of all embodiments nor a list of features that must exist in all embodiments.

[0033] Neither the title (described at the beginning of the first page of this disclosure) nor the abstract (described at the end of this disclosure) should be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosed invention.

[0034] Throughout this specification, unless otherwise expressly stated, the following terms may include and / or encompass the following exemplary meanings. These terms and exemplary meanings are provided to clarify the language selected to describe embodiments in both this specification and the appended claims and are not intended to be limiting.

[0035] Terms such as "an embodiment", "embodiment", "embodiments", "the embodiments", "the embodiments", "one or more embodiments", "some embodiments", "one embodiment", etc., unless otherwise specified, mean "one or more (but not all) of the disclosed embodiments".

[0036] Terms such as "invention" and "the present invention" mean "one or more embodiments of the present invention".

[0037] A reference to "another embodiment" in the context of describing an embodiment does not, unless otherwise specified, mean that the recited embodiment is mutually exclusive with another embodiment (e.g., an embodiment described prior to the referenced embodiment).

[0038] The terms "including", "comprising" and their variations mean "including but not limited to", unless otherwise specified.

[0039] The terms "a", "an" and "the" mean "one or more", unless otherwise specified.

[0040] The term "a plurality" means "two or more", unless otherwise specified.

[0041] The term "this specification" means "including what can be incorporated by reference in the present disclosure", unless otherwise specified.

[0042] The phrase "at least one of" means, when such phrase modifies a plurality of things (such as a list of recited things), one or any combination of more than one of those things, unless otherwise specified. For example, the phrase "at least one of widget, car, and wheel" means (i) widget, (ii) car, (iii) wheel, (iv) widget and car, (v) widget and wheel, (vi) car and wheel, or (vii) widget, car, and wheel.

[0043] If the limitation of the first claim encompasses one of the features and two or more of the features (for example, a limitation such as "at least one widget" encompasses one widget and two or more widgets), in a second claim that depends on the first claim, if the second claim uses the definite article "the" to refer to the above limitation (for example, "the widget"), this does not mean that the first claim encompasses only one of the above features, nor does it mean that the second claim encompasses only one of the above features (for example, "the widget" can encompass both one widget and two or more widgets).

[0044] Each process (regardless of what it is called, such as a method, algorithm, or otherwise) essentially includes one or more steps. Thus, all references to "steps" or "a plurality of steps" of a process have an inherent antecedent in the mere recitation of the term "process" or a similar term. Therefore, references to "steps" or "groups of steps" of a process in a claim have a sufficient antecedent.

[0045] When an ordinal number (such as "first", "second", "third", etc.) is used as an adjective before a term, that ordinal number is used (unless expressly specified otherwise) merely to identify a particular feature, for example, to distinguish that particular feature from another feature described by the same or a similar term. For example, a "first widget" may be so named merely to distinguish it from, for example, a "second widget". Thus, the mere use of the ordinal numbers "first" and "second" before the term "widget" does not indicate any other relationship between the two widgets, nor does it indicate any other characteristics of either or both widgets. For example, the mere use of the ordinal numbers "first" and "second" before the term "widget" does not indicate (1) that either widget comes in order or position before or after any other, (2) that either widget occurs or operates before or after any other within time, and (3) that either widget is ranked above or below any other in terms of importance or quality. Additionally, the mere use of an ordinal number does not define a numerical limitation on the feature identified by the ordinal number. For example, the mere use of the ordinal numbers "first" and "second" before the term "widget" does not indicate that there must be no more than two widgets.

[0046] As used in this disclosure, "user" may generally refer to any individual and / or entity that operates a user device.

[0047] The description of embodiments having several components or features does not mean that any particular one of such components and / or features is necessary. Rather, various optional components are described to illustrate the many and varied possible embodiments of the invention. Unless expressly specified otherwise, components and / or features are not essential or necessary.

[0048] Furthermore, while process steps, algorithms, etc. may be described or depicted in a sequential order, such processes may be configured to function in one or more different orders. In other words, any sequence or order of steps that may be explicitly described or depicted does not necessarily imply the requirement that the steps be performed in that order. The steps of the processes described in this disclosure may be performed in any practical order. Additionally, although some steps may be described or implied as occurring non-simultaneously (e.g., because one step is described after another), they may be performed simultaneously. Further, the illustration of a process by its depiction in the drawings does not mean that the illustrated process excludes other variations and modifications, nor does it mean that any of the illustrated processes or steps thereof are necessary for the present invention, nor does it mean that the illustrated process is preferred.

[0049] The present invention has been illustrated by the description of various embodiments, and these embodiments have been described in considerable detail. However, it is not the intention of the applicant to reduce or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Further advantages and modifications will readily become apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the broad aspects of the present invention are not limited to the specific details, representative devices and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Therefore, departures from such details can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept.

[0050] This disclosure provides those skilled in the art with several embodiments and / or enabling descriptions of the invention. Some of these embodiments and / or inventions may not be claimed in this application, but may nevertheless be claimed in one or more continuing applications claiming the benefit of the priority of this application. The applicant reserves the right to file additional applications for patents on subject matter disclosed and enabled in this application but not claimed herein.

Claims

1. An interdental brush system including an interdental brush and a receiver handle for the interdental brush, wherein the receiver handle for the interdental brush, comprises a handle portion, and a head portion attached to the handle portion for holding the interdental brush and the head portion has a groove portion for receiving the interdental brush, the groove portion has at least one curved portion, the interdental brush, comprises a brush head, and a dimple brush system having at least one curved portion along the groove portion of the receiver handle for the interdental brush An interdental brush system.

2. An interdental brush, comprising a brush head, and a dimple brush system having at least one curved portion configured to be along the groove portion of the receiver handle for the interdental brush to fix the brush head to the receiver handle for the interdental brush An interdental brush.

3. The brush head comprises at least one nylon filament strand, The interdental brush according to claim 2, wherein each said strand has a plurality of filaments.

4. The interdental brush according to claim 2, wherein the brush head is formed by alternately arranging a set of nylon filament bundles and a set of monofilament hairs.

5. The interdental brush according to claim 2, wherein the brush head and the dimple brush system are formed using a core material made of a twisted wire.

6. The interdental brush according to claim 2, wherein the brush head comprises filaments having hydrophilicity.

7. The interdental brush according to claim 2, wherein the shape of the dimple brush system includes three curved portions.

8. A device, comprising a handle portion, and a receiver head attached to the handle portion for holding an interdental brush and the receiver head has a groove portion for receiving the interdental brush, the groove portion has at least one curved portion. A device.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the handle portion is made of an ergonomic handle.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the ergonomic handle includes at least two curved portions configured to respectively place the fingers of a user.

11. The device according to claim 8, wherein the receiver head has a first opposing surface, and the first opposing surface has a groove portion for receiving the interdental brush.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the receiver head further comprises a second opposing surface that is removably fixed to the first opposing surface. **Claim 13** The device according to claim 12, wherein the first opposing surface and the second opposing surface are further connected by a living hinge.

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