A toothbrush with a novel bristle configuration.

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a toothbrush head and a toothbrush having an improved toothbrush bristle configuration including different types of bristle filaments in a specified arrangement. A toothbrush head (10) connected or connectable to a handle (20) is disclosed so as to define a head-handle longitudinal direction (L-L) and a width direction (W-W) orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (L-L), the head (10) having a tufting surface (12), the tufting surface (12) having a distal end (12A) farther from the handle (20), a proximal end (12B) closer to the handle (20), a left side (12C), and a right side (12C), and tufts of bristles extending from the tufting surface (12). The tufts of bristles include a first tuft (14) including first bristles (141) having rounded tips and a second tuft (16) including tapered second bristles (161), some of the first tufts (14) being arranged in a most outer circular nest (15) closest to the distal end (12A), the second tufts (16) being arranged on the left side (12C) and the right side (12D) of the tufting surface (12), and the first tufts (14) being arranged between the second tufts (16). A toothbrush comprising the toothbrush head is also provided. The toothbrush achieves excellent plaque removal in all risk areas.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a toothbrush, and more particularly to the configuration of the bristles of a toothbrush head. In particular, the present invention relates to an improved bristle configuration of a toothbrush including different types of bristle filaments in a specified arrangement.

Background Art

[0002] Toothbrushes are well-established devices for oral hygiene. Toothbrushes are used to polish teeth, remove debris between and on teeth, and remove dental plaque adhering to the tooth surfaces. Dental plaque is one of the main causes of tooth decay as well as periodontal problems such as gingivitis and periodontal disease, such as periodontitis.

[0003] Toothbrushes generally comprise a toothbrush head and a handle. The toothbrush head is generally an oval, elliptical, or rectangular plate, and tufts of bristles extend from one surface. This bristled surface of the toothbrush head is referred to in the art as the tufting surface. The bristles are the part of the toothbrush that polishes the teeth. Depending on the material of the bristles and the toothbrush head, a number of techniques are known for attaching the bristles or tufts of bristles to the tufting surface. For example, polymer plastic filaments can be cut, folded into a U shape to form double-ended bristles, bundled, and bound to small metal anchors to form tufts. The anchors can be press-fitted into recesses provided for the tufts on the tufting surface of the toothbrush head, which are often referred to as tufting holes. The toothbrush head can be injection molded from a thermoplastic elastomer so as to have the aforementioned tufting holes predicted on the tufting surface. Due to the elasticity of the thermoplastic elastomer of the toothbrush head, the anchors, and thus the tufts of bristles, are fixed to the tufting surface.

[0004] The toothbrush head is connected to, or can be connected to, a handle, which often has an ergonomic gripping section. The gripping section is used to grasp and hold the toothbrush with one hand and to guide the brushing motion of the toothbrush head in the mouth during brushing. In the art, the connection between the handle and the toothbrush head is often referred to as the neck or neck area. The neck may have a flexible area, as disclosed in, for example, WO12120014A1. If the user brushes with too much force, the flexible section bends. This prevents excessive pressure from being applied to the teeth and gums.

[0005] Manual toothbrushes require manual movement. Electric toothbrushes perform automated bristle movements, such as rotational or back-and-forth vibrations. There are also semi-electric toothbrushes that are designed like manual toothbrushes but have a means for vibration in the toothbrush head.

[0006] Toothbrush bristles are filaments made primarily from polymer plastic materials. Many different types of filaments are known for toothbrush bristles. Single bristles are made from a single polymer material filament, typically polyamide (e.g., PA10.10, or nylon such as nylon 6.12), such as Medex or Tynex bristle materials, or polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). These bristles generally have a uniform circular cross-section and are usually rounded at the tip; that is, the ends of the bristles away from the bristle surface are rounded to prevent damage to soft oral tissues such as the gums. Filaments of different cross-sectional diameters are available, ranging from soft bristles (e.g., 0.15 mm in diameter) to hard bristles (e.g., 0.38 mm in diameter). Hard single bristles provide good cleaning of the exposed tooth surface. Because hard single bristles are less flexible than soft bristles, they can cause gum inflammation, damage, and bleeding. Furthermore, stiff bristles are too thick to penetrate the interdental spaces between teeth and remove residue within those spaces, and to remove plaque from the mesial or distal surfaces of teeth. Soft bristles are thinner and therefore less stiff. This reduces the risk of damaging the gums. Soft bristles also penetrate interdental spaces better than stiff bristles. However, soft bristles are less durable due to bending, curving, and wear. Also, because soft bristles are more prone to bending under brushing pressure, brushing with a toothbrush with soft bristles requires longer brushing times to thoroughly clean and remove plaque.

[0007] Tapered bristles are made from a single filament, tapering at the free end of the bristle, i.e., the end away from the bristle surface that contacts the tooth when used for brushing. Tapered bristles can be made from polyamide (such as nylon 6.12) or polyester filaments such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). In the art, mechanically tapered bristles, in which the end of the filament is mechanically polished to a single point, and chemically tapered bristles, in which the end of the filament is chemically eroded to a single point, are used. PBT bristles are preferably chemically eroded to a tapered end. Chemically tapered bristles typically tape to a finer point than mechanically tapered bristles. Tapered bristles have different bending properties and flexibility than non-tapered bristles. Tapered bristles penetrate particularly well into the adjacent space. Tapered bristles achieve good plaque removal on the mesial and distal surfaces of the tooth and at the subgingival margin. Tapered bristles, with their fine ends, cause less irritation to the gums, making them particularly preferable for patients with periodontitis and other conditions. However, because tapered bristles are soft and limit brushing force, longer brushing times are required for effective plaque removal. Tapered bristles are also more susceptible to wear from bending, breaking, and snapping.

[0008] Therefore, there is a continued need for toothbrushes that combine effective and rapid brushing of teeth, especially the exposed surfaces, while still allowing for good penetration into the adjacent spaces and subgingival margins to effectively remove plaque in those areas and reduce the risk of gingival inflammation. Toothbrushes that strike this balance are particularly suitable for preventing gingivitis and periodontal disease, such as periodontitis. Such toothbrushes are also particularly suitable for preventing further deterioration and progression of disease and supporting gingival regeneration in situations where such periodontal problems already exist. [Overview of the project]

[0009] This disclosure provides a toothbrush head connected to or connectable to a handle so as to define a head-handle longitudinal direction and a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, wherein the head has a bristle surface, the bristle surface having a distal end further from the handle and a proximal end closer to the handle, on the left and on the right. Tassels of bristles extend from the bristle surface, the bristle surface comprising a first tuft containing first bristles having rounded tips and a second tuft containing tapered second bristles. According to the present invention, some of the first tufts are arranged in a circular nest at the outermost edge closest to the distal end, the second tufts are arranged on the left and right sides of the bristle surface, and the first tufts are arranged between the second tufts.

[0010] In one embodiment, the second tuft consists only of the second hair.

[0011] In one embodiment, the first tuft of the nest has an oblique cut where the length of the hairs increases toward the distal end of the grafted surface.

[0012] In one embodiment, there are 6 to 16 second clusters, preferably 8 to 12, and most preferably 10 second clusters.

[0013] In one embodiment, there are 15 to 23 second clusters.

[0014] In one embodiment, the second hair has a length measured from the point where the second hair protrudes from the grafted surface, and this length is uniform for all second hairs.

[0015] In one embodiment, the length of the second hair is longer than the length of any other hair on the grafted surface.

[0016] In one embodiment, the length of the second hair is greater than 12 mm, and the length of the first hair is in the range of 9 mm to 11.5 mm.

[0017] In one embodiment, the first hair is a soft, rounded-tip hair that is not tapered, and has a circular cross-section with a diameter of approximately 0.15 mm.

[0018] In one embodiment, the second bristles are chemically tapered PBT bristles having a circular cross-section with a diameter of approximately 0.15 mm.

[0019] In one embodiment, only a first and a second tuft are present on the grafted surface, and on the grafted surface, some of the first tufts are arranged in a row extending in the width direction closest to the proximal end, and some of the first tufts are arranged inward and centrally from the second tuft. Preferably, this row extending in the width direction consists of four first tufts. Preferably, the first tuft arranged inward and centrally from the second tuft on the grafted surface includes two longitudinal rows consisting of at least three tufts each.

[0020] Toothbrushes equipped with the toothbrush head disclosed herein are also provided.

[0021] The bristle surface is preferably flat. The hairs are bundled into tufts and protrude from the bristle surface in the direction of the hair. The direction of the hairs may be uniform for all hairs or may differ for different tufts. It is preferable that the direction of the hairs be uniform for all hairs. The direction of the hairs may be perpendicular to the bristle surface or may be inclined with respect to the head-handle longitudinal or width direction. Preferably, the direction of the hairs of the first tuft is perpendicular to the bristle surface. Preferably, the direction of the hairs of the second tuft is perpendicular to the bristle surface. It is most preferable that the direction of the hairs of all first and second tufts is perpendicular to the bristle surface. In embodiments having a flat bristle surface, it is most preferable that all first and second tufts extend from the bristle surface in a direction of hair perpendicular to the head-handle longitudinal and width directions. In embodiments including other types of tufts in addition to the first and second tufts, it is preferable that all tufts extend from the bristle surface in a direction of hair perpendicular to the bristle surface.

[0022] Typically, 20 to 38 tufts are present in the toothbrush head. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, 29 tufts are present. In addition to the first and second tufts, additional types of tufts may be present. However, it is preferable that only the first and second tufts are present, with the first tufts being greater than the second tufts.

[0023] These tufts can be fixed to a toothbrush head by methods known in the art. Preferably, these tufts are implanted in the toothbrush head by a metal anchoring technique. Small metal anchors are used to bind individual bristles to the tuft. These metal anchors are then inserted into bristle holes on the bristle surface. The elasticity of the plastic material of the toothbrush head holds the metal anchors in place. However, it is emphasized that the specific beneficial bristle arrangements disclosed herein are not limited to any tuft and / or implantation method. The bristle arrangements disclosed herein can be achieved by any tuft and / or implantation method. For example, in another well-known process, the ends of the tuft can be supported so that they extend into the mold cavity in which the toothbrush head is to be molded, and molten plastic material can be injected around these ends in a fluid state, so that as the injected plastic material hardens, these ends are firmly embedded in the toothbrush head.

[0024] There are 15 to 23 first tufts. Preferably, there may be 16 to 22 first tufts, most preferably seven, and 10 to 12 additional first tufts, forming a circular nest at the proximal end of the grafted surface. In embodiments having a total of 29 tufts, preferably there are seven first tufts forming a circular nest and 12 additional first tufts, i.e., a total of 19 first tufts. Some first tufts may be located directly above or near an axis along the longitudinal direction of the head-handle, or to the left and right of the axis. Some first tufts may be arranged in rows extending in the width direction closest to the proximal end of the grafted surface. Preferably, the first tufts are arranged on the grafted surface along an axis symmetrical to the axis along the longitudinal direction of the head-handle. The first tufts have a substantially circular cross-section and typically have a diameter of about 1.0 mm to about 2 mm. The first tuft contains first hairs. The first tufts may further contain other hairs. However, it is preferable that the first tuft be made entirely of first bristles. The first bristles are uniform and have rounded tips. The first bristles can be made from polyamide filaments, such as nylon 6.12, or from polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Preferably, the first bristles are made from polyamide filaments, i.e., PA10.10. Preferably, the polyamide material is made from a biological material, such as lysine plants. The first bristles generally have a uniform circular cross-section, are not tapered, and have rounded tips; that is, the ends of the first bristles away from the bristle surface are rounded to prevent damage to soft oral tissues such as gums. The first bristles typically have a diameter of about 0.12 mm to about 0.18 mm. A diameter of about 0.15 mm is most preferred. This strength provides good elasticity to the bristles, making them suitable for sensitive gums. At the same time, these bristles still ensure satisfactory brushing and plaque removal.

[0025] Preferably, the first lobe of the circular nest at the distal end of the toothbrush end has an inclined cut where the hair length increases towards the distal end of the tufting surface. This inclined cut improves the brushing performance in areas that are difficult to access, such as molars or wisdom teeth.

[0026] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are 6 to 16 second lobes, preferably 8 to 12, and most preferably 10 second lobes (16). For example, five or six second lobes can be arranged in longitudinal rows on the outer left and outer right of the tufting surface, and the first lobe is arranged between these two rows of second lobes. Preferably, a row of first lobes extending in the width direction is arranged at the proximal end of the toothbrush head.

[0027] According to a preferred embodiment, the second bristles have a length greater than the length of any bristles on the tufting surface to ensure access to the interdental spaces.

[0028] Preferably, the second bristles have a diameter of 0.15 mm at their axis. Larger diameters were tested, but it was found that they did not improve the brushing results and caused discomfort in the user's mouth. Some users clearly reported a stabbing or itching sensation, presumably due to the increased stiffness of the tapered bristles with a larger diameter.

[0029] The toothbrush head of the present disclosure can be the head of a manual toothbrush that is moved in contact with the user's teeth by only hand movement, or the head of an electric toothbrush in which the head is moved by an electric motor in the handle, such as a battery-powered motor. In the case of an electric toothbrush, the toothbrush head of the present invention can be permanently connected to a toothbrush handle including a drive motor adapted to move the toothbrush head in a Bass-type motion under the action of the drive motor, which is well known in the technical field of toothbrushes, or can be connected in a replaceable manner.

[0030] The toothbrush head can optionally further include a tongue cleaner. The tongue cleaner can be realized on the surface of the toothbrush head on the side opposite to the bristle surface and can be made by injection molding from a thermoplastic elastomer. Since the tongue cleaner is efficient in removing bacteria from the tongue, it is particularly suitable when combined with the hair arrangement of the present invention to provide a toothbrush that is particularly suitable for preventing and reducing gum problems and periodontal diseases.

[0031] The toothbrush head can optionally further include a shock protector. The shock protector can cover a portion of the outer surface of the toothbrush head and can mitigate the impact of the toothbrush head on the teeth and gums that can occur during rapid brushing. In addition, the shock protector generally gives the toothbrush head a soft and comfortable mouthfeel. The shock protector can be made by injection molding from a thermoplastic elastomer. Preferably, the shock protector covers the lateral edge of the toothbrush head and, optionally, also covers the surface on the side opposite to the bristle surface in embodiments without a tongue cleaner. Thus, the risk of damaging the gums is further reduced, and the shock protector is particularly suitable for combination with the hair arrangements disclosed herein.

[0032] The present disclosure further provides a toothbrush comprising the toothbrush head disclosed herein. The toothbrush can optionally include a handle tool in order to reduce excessive brushing force. Examples of such tools are ball joints or flexible links in the neck region. Those tools mitigate the excessive pressure that a user can apply to the teeth by bending and further reduce the risk of gum damage due to excessive brushing force.

[0033] The present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0034] [Figure 1] [[ID=,20]]Perspective view of a toothbrush according to the present invention. [Figure 2] Perspective view of a toothbrush head according to the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a side view of the toothbrush head. [Figure 4] Figures 2 and 3 are top views of the toothbrush head. [Figure 5A] This is a diagram showing the index for automatic plaque area measurement on the buccal side. [Figure 5B] This is a diagram showing the lingual automatic plaque area measurement index. [Figure 5C] This is a diagram showing the automated plaque area measurement index on the mesial side. [Figure 5D] This is a diagram showing the index for measuring the distal side of the automated plaque area. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0035] definition The term "tapered bristles" or "tapered filaments" is a technical term for toothbrush bristles, and synonyms include "pointed bristles" or "needle-shaped bristles."

[0036] The terms "soft bristles" or "soft filaments" are known to those skilled in the art who develop, design, and manufacture toothbrushes.

[0037] Unless otherwise specified, hair length is measured from the point where the hair extends from the implanted surface.

[0038] Detailed description of the drawing Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a toothbrush with a toothbrush head 10, which is shown in more detail in Figure 2. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the toothbrush head 10 is made from two materials, namely polypropylene and thermoplastic elastomer. Figure 1 also shows that the toothbrush head 10 is molded integrally with the toothbrush handle 20. Between the head 10 and the handle 20, a neck with a ball joint 15 is formed. The ball joint 15 reduces the risk of damage to teeth or gums due to excessive brushing pressure. Further away from the head 10, within the handle 20, a flexible section 22 is formed in the area adjacent to the neck and ball joint 25. The flexible section 22, also called an S-bend, bends when pressure is applied by the user, thus equally reducing the risk of damage to teeth or gums due to excessive brushing pressure 15.

[0039] Figure 2 shows the toothbrush head from Figure 1 in more detail. The toothbrush head 10 has a flat bristle surface 12 (shown in Figures 3 and 4), which has a trapezoidal contour with rounded edges and is approximately 26 mm long in the head-to-handle longitudinal direction (LL). In the width direction (WW), the proximal end of the toothbrush head 10 is wider than the distal end, with a maximum width of approximately 13 mm. The head 10 contains a total of 29 bristle tufts 14, 16 protruding from the bristle surface 12. The first tuft 14 consists of soft, standard bristles 141 with rounded tips, and the second tuft 16 consists of tapered bristles 161, which are shown in Figures 1 to 3 to have tapered tips.

[0040] A total of seven tufts 14, each consisting of 141 soft hairs, are arranged in a circular pattern, also called a nest 15, at the distal end 12A of the grafting surface 12. The side view in Figure 3 shows that the hairs 141 of this nest 15 have oblique cuts, with the hairs being longer at the distal end 12A of the nest 15 and shorter at the proximal end. The length l2 of the longest standard soft hair 141 within the nest 15 is approximately 11 mm, and the length l1 of the shortest hair 141 within the nest 15 is approximately 10 mm.

[0041] Furthermore, four first tufts 14, each consisting of equally standard soft hairs 141, are arranged in a row in the width direction at the proximal end 12B of the bristles implanted surface 12. The shortest length l1 of all these other standard soft hairs 141 outside the nest 15 is also 10 mm.

[0042] On the left side 12D and right side 12C of the grafted surface 12, five second tufts 16, each consisting of tapered hairs 161, are arranged in a row and extend in the longitudinal direction L of the head. Between these two outer rows of the second tufts 16, each consisting of tapered hairs 161, are eight more first tufts 14, each consisting of rounded, soft hairs. Six of these first tufts 14 form two rows of three tufts 14 in the proximal area between the outer rows of the second tufts 16, and two of the first tufts 14 are positioned in front of these two rows of three tufts toward the distal end of the head 10. The shortest length l1 of these hairs 141 in these eight first tufts 14 is also 10 mm.

[0043] The soft, standard hairs 141 of the first tuft 14 are filaments based on bio-derived polyamide material, namely a polymer mixture based on PA10.10 poly(decamethylene-sebacamide), which may contain functional additives and ultimately colorants. These are commercially available as Medex® Green Line filaments manufactured by Pedex GmbH / Perlon and have a diameter of 0.15 mm.

[0044] As can already be seen in Figures 1 and 2, and as shown in the side view of Figure 3, the tapered hairs 161 of the second tuft 16 are longer. The length l3 of these tapered hairs 161 is approximately 12.5 mm, and thus extends beyond all of the standard soft hairs 141. The tapered hairs 161 are tapered filaments of PBT, consisting mainly of poly(1,4-butylene terephthalate), and are commercially available from BBC Co., Ltd. of South Korea. These also have a diameter of 0.15 mm.

[0045] Figure 4 shows a top view of the toothbrush head 10 and the bristle surface 12, the bristle surface 12 having a uniform and flat surface. The bristle surface 12 has 29 indentations, also called bristle holes, into which tufts of bristles are implanted. The tufts are implanted using the metal anchor technique, which is known in the field of toothbrush technology. The bristle holes have a diameter of approximately 1.7 mm.

[0046] In the case of the first tuft 14, each tuft contains 72 ± 4 hairs 141 or filaments. In the case of the second tuft 16, each tuft contains 80 ± 10 hairs 161 or filaments.

[0047] Outside the nest 15, which has a diagonal lateral cut, the length of all hairs within a single cluster 14, 16 is always the same.

[0048] [Examples] The manual toothbrush of this disclosure, equipped with the toothbrush head shown in Figures 1 to 4, was evaluated in terms of its effectiveness in removing plaque. The test was conducted using a clinically certified brushing robot test equipped with a human tooth model. The effectiveness of plaque removal was evaluated using an automated area measurement plaque assessment that analyzes 30 fields per tooth, as shown in Figures 5A to 5D.

[0049] Figure 5A shows the buccal APP index, and Figure 5B shows the lingual APP index. Figure 5C shows the proximal APP index for the mesial, anterior interdental spaces, and Figure 5D shows the proximal APP index for the distal, posterior interdental spaces.

[0050] Human tooth models were stained with artificial plaque and subjected to defined robotic brushing with horizontal, vertical, and rotational movements, as well as a brushing force of 3.5 N in anatomical positions. The reduction in staining was evaluated from 30 predefined areas on the surface of each tooth using an automated optical method. Particular emphasis was placed on "high-risk" areas of teeth, especially the root surface or root region in the interdental region, just above the root surface, and areas close to the gum line, which are difficult to remove plaque from and are of paramount importance for the prevention and mitigation of periodontal disease. The toothbrush according to the present invention was compared with two reference toothbrushes. Reference toothbrush 1 was a commercially available toothbrush (Curaprox CS 1560) with standard soft filaments that were flat-cut and had rounded tips, similar to the standard filaments 141 used in the first cluster 14 of the toothbrush of the present invention. Reference toothbrush No. 2 was a commercially available toothbrush (Meridol Sanft) having only chemically tapered filaments similar to the tapered filaments 161 used in the second cluster 16 of the toothbrush according to the present invention. Brushing was performed with a brushing force of 3.5 N, corresponding to a moderate brushing force. Three tests were performed using horizontal, rotational, and vertical brushing movements, each repeated seven times.

[0051] [Table 1]

[0052] The plaque reduction rates shown in Table 1 correspond to the average of the buccal and lingual surfaces for EGHI and ABCDF, and the average of the mesial and distal surfaces for XY. The plaque reduction rates were averaged over seven trials for each movement.

[0053] Statistical analysis was performed by applying the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (KS test, one-sample test) to examine the normal distribution of toothbrushing effectiveness / plaque removal values ​​for 11 tooth surface variables: "buccal," "lingual," "mesial," "distal," "buccal risk field ABCDF," "lingual risk field ABCDF," "buccal W," "lingual W," "mesial W1+W2," "distal W1+W2," and "total," comparing two toothbrushes each time.

[0054] Using a significance level α = 0.10 (10%), we tested this crucial assumption of arithmetic mean calculation and parametric t-tests. The results clearly rejected, i.e., the null hypothesis of normality, for all 11 toothbrushing parameters / tooth surface characteristics, i.e., it was not accepted.

[0055] As a result, all the parameters mentioned above were analyzed using a non-parametric Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney U test (WMW test or U test) to evaluate whether the rank sums and medians of the two tested toothbrushes (toothbrush according to the present invention vs. Reference 1, and toothbrush according to the present invention vs. Reference 2) were statistically different.

[0056] For both two-tailed tests of the difference in toothbrushing effectiveness between the two brushes, namely between the toothbrush according to the present invention and Reference 1, and between the toothbrush according to the present invention and Reference 2, the significance level is set to a base p-value of 0.05 (5%) ("significant") (*). Significant differences in significance levels at higher levels are specifically shown in Table 1 as p-values ​​of 0.01 (1%) ("very significant") (**) and 0.001 (1‰) ("highly significant") (***).

[0057] This experiment demonstrated that the toothbrush of the present invention achieved a significantly higher total plaque removal rate than the two reference toothbrushes in all three brushing motions, for both the gingival risk field (ABCDF) and the interdental risk field (XY). Even in the case of vertical brushing on smooth surfaces (EGHI), the toothbrush of the present invention achieved better results, and high brushing effectiveness (equivalent to the reference toothbrushes) was also demonstrated on smooth surfaces with horizontal and rotational brushing.

[0058] Therefore, a toothbrush having the bristle configuration of the present invention is ideal for plaque control in all risk areas and contributes to the prevention of tooth decay and gingivitis. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 10 heads 12 Hair transplant surface 12A Distal end of the bristles implanted surface 12B Proximal end of the grafted surface 12C Left side of the grafted surface 12D Right side of the hair transplant surface 14 The first tuft of the first hair 141 First hair 15 Nest 16 The second tuft of the second hair 161 The second hair 20 handles 22 Flexible section (S-bend) 25 Ball joint W (width direction) L (Length direction) l1 Minimum length of the first tuft l2 Maximum length of the first cluster l3 Length of the second cluster

Claims

1. A toothbrush head (10) connected to or connectable to a handle (20) so as to define the head-handle longitudinal direction (LL) and the width direction (WW) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (LL), wherein the head (10) has a bristle surface (12), the bristle surface (12) having a distal end (12A) further from the handle (20), a proximal end (12B) closer to the handle (20), a left side (12C), and a right side (12C), and tufts of bristles extending from the bristle surface (12), the bristles The tuft includes a first tuft (14) containing first hairs (141) having rounded tips, and a second tuft (16) containing tapered second hairs (161), some of the first tufts (14) being arranged in the outermost circular nest (15) closest to the distal end (12A), the second tufts (16) being arranged on the left side (12C) and the right side (12D) of the grafted surface (12), and some of the first tufts (14) being arranged between the second tufts (16). The direction of all the first hairs (141) and the second hairs (161) is perpendicular to the grafted surface (12), The first tuft (14) arranged in the circular nest (15) has an oblique cut where the length of the first hair (l1, l2) increases toward the distal end (12A) of the grafted surface (12), The first hairs (141) included in the first tuft (14) that are not placed in the circular nest (15) have the same length (l 1), The first hair (141) included in the first tuft (14) located closest to the proximal end (12B) among the first tufts (14) arranged in the circular nest (15) has the same length (l 1) as the first hair (141) included in the first tuft (14) not arranged in the circular nest (15), The second hair (161) has a length (l3) greater than the lengths (l1, l2) of any other hair on the grafted surface (12), Toothbrush heads (10).

2. The toothbrush head (10) according to claim 1, wherein the second tuft (16) consists only of the second bristles (161).

3. The toothbrush head (10) according to claim 1, wherein there are 6 to 16 of the second clusters (16).

4. The toothbrush head (10) according to claim 1, wherein 15 to 23 of the first clusters (14) are present.

5. The toothbrush head (10) according to claim 1, wherein the length (l3) of the second bristles (161) is greater than 12 mm, and the lengths (l1, l2) of the first bristles (141) are in the range of 9 mm to 11.5 mm.

6. The toothbrush head (10) according to claim 1, wherein the first bristles (141) are soft bristles with rounded tips that are not tapered, and have a circular cross-section with a diameter of approximately 0.15 mm.

7. The toothbrush head (10) according to claim 1, wherein the second bristles (161) are tapered PBT bristles having a circular cross-section with a diameter of approximately 0.15 mm.

8. The bristled surface (12) is such that the proximal end (12B) is wider than the distal end (12A) in the width direction (WW), The toothbrush head (10) according to claim 1, wherein only the first tuft (14) and the second tuft (16) are present on the bristle surface (12), and on the bristle surface (12), some of the first tuft (14) are arranged in rows extending in the width direction (WW) closest to the proximal end (12B), and some of the first tuft (14) are arranged inward and centrally from the second tuft (16).

9. The toothbrush head (10) according to claim 8, wherein the row of first tufts (14) extending in the width direction (WW) closest to the proximal end (12B) consists of four first tufts (14).

10. The toothbrush head (10) according to claim 8, wherein the first tuft (14) positioned inward and centrally from the second tuft (16) on the bristle surface (12) includes two longitudinally extending rows consisting of at least three tufts (14).

11. A toothbrush comprising the toothbrush head (10) according to claim 1, further comprising a flexible section (22) in the upper region of the handle (20).

12. The toothbrush according to claim 11, further comprising a ball joint (25) in the neck region.

Images