Brushing mouthpiece including a tray driven in a cervical-occlusal direction

Abstract

A mouthpiece toothbrush includes a tray and a drive system. The tray includes an arch configured to extend over occlusal and incisal surfaces of the user's teeth, outer fingers arranged on buccal and labial sides of the arch, outer bristle tufts respectively extending from the outer fingers toward the user's teeth, inner fingers arranged on a lingual side of the arch, and inner bristle tufts respectively extending from the inner fingers toward the user's teeth. The drive system is configured to drive the tray repeatedly in at least a cervical-occlusal direction within an optimal performance region to enable cleaning of the user's teeth by the outer and inner bristle tufts, where the optimal performance region is above a line defining a minimum tray displacement of the tray relative to force applied to the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction in order to move the tray over the minimum tray displacement.

Description

BRUSHING MOUTHPIECE INCLUDING A TRAY DRIVEN IN A CERVICAL-OCCLUSAL DIRECTIONCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This present application claims priority under 35 U.S. C. § 119(e) from U.S. Provisional Application 63 / 631,535 filed on April 9, 2024. The entire disclosure of U.S. Provisional Application 63 / 631,535 is specifically incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention generally relates to the field of dental hygiene, and more specifically to enhanced cleaning of teeth using a powered toothbrush with a mouthpiece.BACKGROUND

[0003] Brushing mouthpieces are a positive development in the oral healthcare market, reducing required brushing time and allowing for a simplified brushing technique with consistent cleaning results. Powered brushing mouthpieces in particular enable the users to place the brushing mouthpieces over their teeth, and allow the repetitive motion of bristles to perform the plaque removal operations.

[0004] The effectiveness of brushing mouthpieces depends in part on the force with which the bristles are applied to the surfaces of the teeth. This force is dependent on a number of factors including the size of the user’s teeth, and the number, length and stiffness of the bristles contacting the tooth surfaces, and the force applied by movable portions of the mouthpiece to the teeth during the brushing operation. Currently, the effects of such factors are not precisely controlled, particularly the amount of force applied by the movable portions of the mouthpiece, and are determined primarily through trial and error. Further, the amount of force changes in response to environmental factors, such as the size of a particular user’s teeth, so the boundaries of effectiveness are largely unknown. As a result, conventional brushing mouthpieces fail to uniformly and consistently clean the user’s teeth. Because the brushing mouthpieces may inadequately clean or entirely miss one or more areas, the user may develop plaque and / or local gum health problems.SUMMARY

[0005] According to a representative embodiment, a mouthpiece toothbrush includes a tray configured to receive teeth of at least one of an upper jaw or a lower jaw of a user and a drive system, where the tray is J-shaped or U-shaped. The tray includes an arch configured to extend over occlusal and incisal surfaces of the user’s teeth; multiple outer fingers arranged on buccal and labial sides of the arch with multiple outer bristle tufts respectively extending from the outer fingers toward the user’s teeth, and / or multiple inner fingers arranged on a lingual side of the arch with multiple inner bristle tufts respectively extending from the inner fingers toward the user’s teeth. The drive system is configured to drive the tray repeatedly in at least a cervical- occlusal direction.

[0006] According to another representative embodiment, a drive system is configured to drive the tray repeatedly in at least a cervical-occlusal direction within an optimal performance region to enable cleaning of the user’s teeth by the pluralities of outer and inner bristle tufts, the optimal performance region is above a line defining a minimum tray displacement of the tray relative to force applied to the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction in order to move the tray over the minimum tray displacement. When the tray is J-shaped, the minimum tray displacement (x) of the tray in millimeters in the cervical-occlusal direction may be defined by x = -0.461 *Fz + 2.087, in which Fz is minimum force in Newtons to be applied to the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction in order to move the tray over the minimum tray displacement (x) when the outer and inner bristle tufts are engaged with the user’s teeth.

[0007] According to another representative embodiment, an arch width of the arch between opposing fingers of the pluralities of outer and inner fingers ranges from about 8.2 mm at an anterior end of the tray to about 20.6 mm at a posterior end of the tray, and a tuft-to-tuft gap between opposing bristle tufts of the pluralities of outer and inner bristle tufts ranges from about 1.1 mm at the anterior end of the tray to about 7.1 mm at the posterior end of the tray. The minimum tray displacement (x) in the cervical-occlusal direction ranges from about 0 mm to 2.0 mm and the force (Fz) applied to the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction is less than 5.0 Newtons. In an embodiment, the minimum tray displacement (x) of the tray in the cervical- occlusal direction ranges from about 0 mm to about 1.0 mm as a function of the force (Fz), andthe force (Fz) applied to the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction ranges from about 2.5 Newtons to about 3.8 Newtons, respectively. The tray further comprises, an upper portion configured to receive upper teeth in the upper jaw of the user, and a lower portion configured to receive lower teeth in the lower jaw of the user simultaneously with the upper portion receiving the upper teeth. The drive system is a pneumatic drive system comprising: a diaphragm pump driven by a motor to perform positive and negative cycling of air pressure; and a flexible bladder positioned between the upper and lower portions of the tray, where the flexible bladder is in fluid communication with the diaphragm pump, causing the flexible bladder to expand and contract in response to the positive and negative cycling of the air pressure by the diaphragm pump, respectively, to repeatedly move the tray between no displacement and the minimum tray displacement (x) in the cervical-occlusal direction. In addition, the force is a function of respective widths of the user’s teeth, such that the force increases with increases in the respective widths of the user’s teeth. In an alternative embodiment, the force is further a function of at least one of numbers, lengths or stiffnesses of outer and second bristles in each of the outer and inner bristle tufts, such that the force increases with increases in the at least one of the numbers, lengths or stiffnesses of the outer and second bristles in each of the outer and inner bristle tufts. The outer and second bristles in each of the outer and inner bristle tufts bristles are formed of nylon or an elastomer material. A length of each of the outer and second bristles is between about 1 mm to about 7.5 mm. The drive system is also configured to drive the tray repeatedly in at least a direction perpendicular to the cervical-occlusal direction. The pneumatic drive system comprising: a diaphragm pump driven by a motor to perform positive and negative cycling of air pressure; and a flexible bladder, which is configured in an asymmetric structure to drive the tray repeatedly in at least a direction perpendicular to the cervical-occlusal direction. The force is a cumulative force comprising a sum of a lingual force and a buccal force respectively applied to lingual and buccal surfaces of the tray.

[0008] According to another representative embodiment, a brushing mouthpiece includes a tray configured to receive teeth of at least one of an upper jaw or a lower jaw of a user and a drive system, where the tray is U-shaped. The tray includes an arch configured to extend over occlusal and incisal surfaces of the user’s teeth, multiple outer fingers arranged on buccal and labial sides of the arch, multiple outer bristle tufts respectively extending from the multiple fingers towardthe user’s teeth, multiple inner fingers arranged on a lingual side of the arch, multiple inner bristle tufts respectively extending from the multiple inner fingers toward the user’s teeth. The drive system is configured to drive the tray repeatedly in at least a cervical-occlusal direction within an optimal performance region to enable cleaning of the user’s teeth by the multiple outer and inner bristle tufts, where the optimal performance region is above a line defining a minimum tray displacement of the tray relative to force applied to the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction in order to move the tray over the minimum tray displacement. The minimum tray displacement (x) of the tray in millimeters in the cervical-occlusal direction may be defined by x = -0.461 *2Fz + 2.087, in which Fz is minimum force in Newtons to be applied to the tray in the cervical- occlusal direction in order to move the tray over the minimum tray displacement (x) when the multiple outer and inner bristle tufts are engaged with the user’s teeth.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The example embodiments are best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawing figures. It is emphasized that the various features are not necessarily drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions may be arbitrarily increased or decreased for clarity of discussion. Wherever applicable and practical, like reference numerals refer to like elements.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mouthpiece with a posterior extension, according to a representative embodiment.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a brush head positioned in the user’s mouth for performing a brushing operation in accordance with a minimum force requirement, according to a representative embodiment.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an inflatable bladder within the brushing mouthpiece used with a pneumatic drive system for performing a brushing operation in accordance with a minimum force requirement, according to a representative embodiment.

[0013] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a tray of a brushing mouthpiece, according to a representative embodiment.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a graph showing a performance curve for driving the brushing mouthpiece at a target cleaning performance, according to a representative embodiment.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, representative embodiments disclosing specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of an embodiment according to the present teachings. Descriptions of known systems, devices, materials, methods of operation and methods of manufacture may be omitted so as to avoid obscuring the description of the representative embodiments. Nonetheless, systems, devices, materials and methods that are within the purview of one of ordinary skill in the art are within the scope of the present teachings and may be used in accordance with the representative embodiments. It is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for purposes of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. The defined terms are in addition to the technical and scientific meanings of the defined terms as commonly understood and accepted in the technical field of the present teachings.

[0016] It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements or components, these elements or components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element or component from another element or component. Thus, a first element or component discussed below could be termed a second element or component without departing from the teachings of the inventive concept.

[0017] The terminology used herein is for purposes of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. As used in the specification and appended claims, the singular forms of terms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include both singular and plural forms, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Additionally, the terms “comprises” and / or “comprising,” and / or similar terms such as “includes” and / or “including,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and thus should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and / or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present otherthan the elements specifically identified by the “and / or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified.

[0018] The term “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and / or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and / or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of’ or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e., “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.”

[0019] Unless otherwise noted, when an element or component is said to be “connected to,” “coupled to,” or “adjacent to” another element or component, it will be understood that the element or component can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or component, or intervening elements or components may be present. That is, these and similar terms encompass cases where one or more intermediate elements or components may be employed to connect two elements or components. However, when an element or component is said to be “directly connected” to another element or component, this encompasses only cases where the two elements or components are connected to each other without any intermediate or intervening elements or components.

[0020] As used in the specification and appended claims, and in addition to their ordinary meanings, the terms “substantial” or “substantially” mean to within acceptable limits or degree. As used in the specification and the appended claims and in addition to its ordinary meaning, the term “approximately” means to within an acceptable limit or amount to one having ordinary skill in the art. For example, “approximately the same” means that one of ordinary skill in the art would consider the items being compared to be the same.

[0021] As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements andnot excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified.

[0022] While several inventive embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and / or structures for performing the function and / or obtaining the results and / or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and / or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the inventive embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and / or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the inventive teachings is / are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific inventive embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and / or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure.

[0023] In view of the foregoing, the present disclosure, through one or more of its various aspects, embodiments and / or specific features or sub-components, is thus intended to bring out one or more of the advantages as specifically noted below. For purposes of explanation and not limitation, example embodiments disclosing specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of an embodiment according to the present teachings. However, other embodiments consistent with the present disclosure that depart from specific details disclosed herein remain within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, descriptions of well-known apparatuses and methods may be omitted so as not to obscure the description of the exampleembodiments. Such methods and apparatuses are within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0024] As discussed above, the amount of force applied by a brushing mouthpiece changes in response to environmental factors, such as the size of a particular user’s teeth. That is, a brushing mouthpiece encounters jaws and teeth of a variety of shapes and sizes for different users. The bristle interference variation that results from tooth width variation, for example, creates different brush stiffnesses and amplitudes for different users (for given drive forces). Additionally, tooth width variation results in different bristle tip pressures for different users. As amplitude and bristle tip pressure both depend on tooth interference, minimum brush performance parameters must be defined to ensure effective plaque removal in the majority (e.g., 95 percent) of users.

[0025] Therefore, according to various embodiments, a mouthpiece toothbrush is provided that has a tray with a specified tray width range and tuft-to-tuft gap range for accommodating the user’s teeth, and a drive system that drives the tray in a cervical-occlusal direction at a minimum force specification. The drive system may a mechanical or pneumatic system, for example. The minimum force requirement is provided in terms of a minimum force displacement curve, which defines the minimum performance required for effective cleaning. The full performance, minimum force displacement curve is parabolic and the minimum force requirement is based on a linear asymptote of that curve, as discussed below with reference to FIG. 5.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a power mouthpiece toothbrush configured to operate in accordance with a minimum force requirement, according to a representative embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1, mouthpiece toothbrush 100 includes a handle 110, a drive system 120 disposed within the handle 110, and a brushing mouthpiece 130 operationally coupled to the drive system 120. The handle 110 provides an ergonomically designed grip for the user to comfortably hold and maneuver the mouthpiece toothbrush 100. Notably, for ease of description herein, it is assumed that the user of the mouthpiece toothbrush 100 is the same person whose teeth are being cleaned by the brushing mouthpiece 130. However, it is understood that a person other than the user, such as a dental hygienist or a parent of a young child, may actually be operating the mouthpiece toothbrush 100 without departing from the scope of the present teachings.

[0027] The drive system 120 is depicted as a pneumatic drive system for purposes of illustration,although any type of drive system capable of driving the brushing mouthpiece 130 in accordance with the minimum force requirement, as described herein, may be incorporated without departing from the scope of the present teachings. The drive system 120 includes a pneumatic diaphragm pump 122, a manifold 124, and an air conduit 126 coupled to the manifold 124 within the handle 110. The diaphragm pump 122 is operable by a DC motor 127, also within the handle 110. A switch 128 positioned on the handle 110 is operable by the user to power the DC motor 127 of the mouthpiece toothbrush 100 on and off. The diaphragm pump 122 is an air compressor, such as a piston air compressor, for example, configured to provide compressed air to the manifold 124, which acts as an interface between the diaphragm pump 122 and the air conduit 126.

[0028] The DC motor 127 includes a cam / lever arm that cyclically displaces a shell of the diaphragm pump 122 as the DC motor 127 spins. This displacement causes pressure differential and fluid motion to inflate and deflate an inflatable bladder in the brushing mouthpiece 130, an example of which is shown as bladder 135 in FIG. 3, discussed below. Essentially, the diaphragm pump 122 acts as a bellows to inflate and deflate the bladder. The drive system 120 also includes a power source (not shown), such as a rechargeable battery, for providing electric power to at least the DC motor 127. According to some embodiments, the pneumatic system may be closed, except for a small amount of air intake used to make up for air leakage. According to some alternative embodiments, the pneumatic system may not be closed, but instead includes at least one pressure relief valve (not shown) for releasing pressure from the drive system 120.

[0029] Other types of drive systems may include a mechanical drive system, for example, capable of providing the same displacement of the brushing mouthpiece 130, as discussed below. In a mechanical drive system, the diaphragm pump 122 may be replaced by an electric motor and the air conduit 126 is replaced by mechanical linkage coupled to the brushing mouthpiece 130, as would be apparent to one skilled in the art.

[0030] In the depicted embodiment, the brushing mouthpiece 130 is coupled to the air conduit 126. The brushing mouthpiece 130 includes a first tray 131 and a second tray 132 (not shown in FIG. 1) opposing the first tray 131. The first tray 131 includes a first set of cleaning elements, such as bristles or brush pads, for simultaneously cleaning multiple surfaces of a set of upper teeth in the upper dental arch of the user, and the second tray 132 includes a second set of cleaning elements for simultaneously cleaning multiple surfaces of a set of lower teeth in thelower dental arch of the user, as discussed in detail below.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the brushing mouthpiece 130 positioned in the user’s mouth for performing a brushing operation in accordance with a minimum force requirement, according to a representative embodiment. Referring to FIG. 2, the first tray 131 is shown engaged with the set of upper teeth 141 in the upper dental arch 143 and the second tray 132 is shown engaged with the set of lower teeth 142 in the lower dental arch 144. In the depicted embodiment, each of the first and second trays 131 and 132 of the brushing mouthpiece 130 is J- shaped (quarter mouthpiece), meaning that they are intended to cover the upper and lower teeth in one half of the user’s mouth in order to clean half the user’s teeth simultaneously. In an alternative embodiment, the each of the first and second trays 131 and 132 of the brushing mouthpiece 130 may be U-shaped (half mouthpiece), meaning that they are intended to cover the upper and lower teeth in the user’s entire mouth and in order to clean all of the user’s teeth simultaneously. In other alternative embodiments, the mouthpiece 130 may include only one J- shaped (e.g., the first tray 131 or the second tray 132, but not both) or one U-shaped tray for cleaning either the upper teeth 141 or the lower teeth 142 simultaneously, but not both, without departing from the scope of the present teachings.

[0032] For purposes of illustration, a cut-away view of a coupler 125 is shown, where the coupler 125 operatively connects the brushing mouthpiece 130 to the drive system 120 in the handle 110 via the air conduit 126. The drive system 120 drives the first and second trays 131 and 132 to move repeatedly in a cervical-occlusal direction (up and down) via the coupler 125 to enable cleaning of the user’s teeth by outer and inner bristle tufts. A minimum tray displacement of the first and second trays 131 and 132 in the cervical-occlusal direction is a function of the amount of force applied by the drive system 120 in the cervical-occlusal direction, as discussed below. The amount of force applied by the drive system 120 is directly proportional to the interference between the outer and inner bristle tufts and the teeth at the toot surface, which depends on the width of the user’s teeth, as well as various secondary factors such as the number, length and stiffness of bristles in the outer and inner bristle tufts. The length of each of the bristles in the outer and inner bristle tufts may be between about 1 mm to about 7.5 mm, for example.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an inflatable bladder within the brushing mouthpiece130 used with a pneumatic drive system for performing a brushing operation in accordance with a minimum force requirement, according to a representative embodiment. Referring to Fig. 3, the first and second trays 131 and 132 of the brushing mouthpiece 130 include cleaning elements, indicated by representative outer bristle tuft 354 and inner bristle tuft 364 in the first tray 131 and representative outer bristle tuft 356 and inner bristle tuft 366 in the second tray 132.

[0034] In the depicted embodiment, the brushing mouthpiece 130 includes one or more inflatable bladders, indicated by representative bladder 135, positioned between the first and second trays 131 and 132. The inflatable bladder 135 is in fluid communication with the diaphragm pump 122 and the manifold 124 via the coupler 125 and the air conduit 126 of the drive system 120. The diaphragm pump 122 alternately provides pressure to inflate the bladder 135 and suction to deflate the bladder 135, as discussed above. The inflation of the bladder 135 causes the first and second trays 131 and 132 to move away from one another, and the deflation of the bladder 135 causes the first and second trays 131 and 132 to move toward one another in the cervical-occlusal direction. The bladder 135 is thus configured to expand and contract in response to the positive and negative cycling of the air pressure by the diaphragm pump 122, respectively, to repeatedly move the tray between no displacement and the minimum tray displacement (x) in the cervical-occlusal direction. Repetition of this motion cyclically moves the cleaning elements in the first and second trays 131 and 132, e.g., the outer bristle tufts 354 and 356 and the inner bristle tufts 364 and 366, along the surfaces of the first and second sets of teeth, e.g.,. tooth 342, in the cervical-occlusal (up and down) direction for cleaning.

[0035] The user is instructed to hold the handle 110 parallel to their jaw, and not to bite down on the first and second trays 131 and 132 once they are placed over the user’s teeth. The alternating movement of the first and second trays in the cervical-occlusal direction by the cyclical inflation and deflation of the bladder 135 results in a motion that mimics brushing motions of the well- known Bass Method. In some embodiments, the inflation and / or deflation of the bladder 135 also imparts a side-to-side motion to the trays, which mimics a the semi-circular brushing motion of the well-known Modified Bass Method. In other words, the drive system 120 may be configured to further drive the trays repeatedly in at least a direction perpendicular to the cervical-occlusal direction. For example, the bladder 135 has an asymmetric structure, resulting in at least partially relative side-to-side movement between the upper surface and the lower surface of the bladder135 in at least part of the process of from inflation to deflation, or from deflation to inflation. However, it is possible to achieve the side-to-side motion in other approaches without departing from the scope of the present teachings. Thus, the powered first and second trays 131 and 132 automatically provide a compliant brushing technique recommended by dental professionals without requiring the user to master complex brushing motion.

[0036] In general, a brushing mouthpiece must achieve a particular displacement amplitude and bristle tip pressure to effectively remove plaque. For a one-size-fits-all application, the brushing mouthpiece 130 will encounter jaws and teeth of a variety of shapes and sizes. The bristle interference variation that results from tooth width distribution of the general population will create a different brush stiffness for each user, and thus a different amplitude for a given drive force. Additionally, tooth width variation results in different bristle tip pressures for each user. As amplitude and bristle tip pressure are both dependent on tooth interference, minimum brush performance parameters must be defined to ensure that effective plaque removal occurs in the majority (e.g., 95 percent) of users.

[0037] Accordingly, the mouthpiece toothbrush 100 has a specified tray width range and tuft-to- tuft gap range that is driven in the cervical-occlusal direction at a minimum force specification. The brush may be J or U-shaped and can be driven by a pneumatic system or otherwise. The minimum force requirement is provided in terms of a minimum force displacement curve which defines the minimum performance required for effective cleaning.

[0038] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a tray of a brushing mouthpiece, according to a representative embodiment. Referring to FIG. 4, brushing mouthpiece 400 is configured for oral cleaning of a user’s teeth. In the depicted embodiment, the brushing mouthpiece 400 includes a tray 403, which is J-shaped and configured to receive teeth in the right upper jaw, the left upper jaw, the right lower jaw, or the left lower jaw of the user. In an alternative embodiment, the tray 403 may be U-shaped to fit all of the teeth of the upper jaw or all of the teeth of the lower jaw at the same time. The tray 403 may be an embodiment of the first tray 131 or the second tray 132 of the brushing mouthpiece 130, discussed above. It is understood that the tray 403 may be paired with an opposite facing tray of the brushing mouthpiece 400 so that that the teeth in both the upper and lower jaws may be cleaned at the same time, as discussed above.

[0039] The tray 403 includes an arch 405 configured to extend over occlusal and incisal surfacesof the user’s teeth. The tray 403 has a labial portion 411 arranged on the labial (lips) side of the tray 403, a buccal portion 412 arranged on the buccal (cheek) side of the tray 403, and a lingual portion 413 arranged on the lingual (tongue) side of the tray 403. The labial portion 411 and the buccal portion 412 are on an outer side of the arch 405, and the lingual portion 413 is on an inner side of the arch 405. Flexible “fingers” or “platens” are formed along the opposing outer and inner sides of the arch 405, forming a channel configured to receive the user’s teeth. In the depicted embodiment, on the outer (labial / buccal) side of the tray 403, the labial portion 411 includes first outer finger 421, second outer finger 422 and third outer finger 423, and the buccal portion 412 includes fourth outer finger 424, fifth outer finger 425, sixth outer finger 426 and seventh outer finger 427. On the inner (lingual) side of the tray 403, the lingual portion 413 includes first inner finger 431, second inner finger 432, third inner finger 433, fourth inner finger 434, fifth inner finger 435 and sixth inner finger 436. The first to seventh outer fingers 421 to 427 may be collectively referred to as “outer fingers,” and the first to sixth inner fingers 431 to 436 may be collectively referred to as “inner fingers.” An arch width AW of the arch 405 is defined by the distance between opposing outer and inner fingers.

[0040] The tray 403 further includes bristle tufts (cleaning elements) extending from the inner and outer fingers, respectively, toward the user’s teeth. Each bristle tuft includes one or more bristles configured to contact the user’s teeth for cleaning. The bristles may be formed of nylon, an elastomer, or other suitable material, such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or pig hairs, for example. In the depicted embodiment, on the outer (labial / buccal) side of the tray 403, first outer bristle tuft 451 extends from first outer finger 421, second outer bristle tuft 452 extends from second outer finger 422, third outer bristle tuft 453 extends from third outer finger 423, fourth bristle tuft 454 extends from fourth outer finger 424, fifth outer bristle tuft 455 extends from fifth outer finger 425, sixth outer bristle tuft 456 extends from sixth outer finger 426, and seventh outer bristle tuft 457 extends from seventh outer finger 427. Likewise, on the inner (lingual) side of the tray 403, first inner bristle tuft 461 extends from first inner finger 431, second inner bristle tuft 462 extends from second inner finger 432, third inner bristle tuft 463 extends from third inner finger 433, fourth bristle tuft 464 extends from fourth inner finger 434, fifth inner bristle tuft 465 extends from fifth inner finger 435, and sixth inner bristle tuft 466 extends from sixth inner finger 436. A tuft-to-tuft gap TG is defined by the distance betweenbristle tips of opposing outer and inner bristle tufts.

[0041] In order to accommodate the sizes and shapes of the typical user’s teeth, each of the arch width AW and the tuft-to-tuft gap TG is narrower at the anterior end of the tray 403 than at the posterior end of the tray 403. That is, each of the arch width AW and the tuft-to-tuft gap TG is narrowest at the anterior end of the tray 403 and gradually widens to the posterior end of the tray 403, as would be apparent to one skilled in the art. As mentioned above, the tray 403 is configured to be one-size-fits-all. Therefore, the arch width AW of the arch 405 between opposing inner and outer fingers ranges from about 8.2 mm at the anterior end of the tray 403 to about 20.6 mm at the posterior end of the tray 403, and the tuft-to-tuft gap TG between opposing inner and outer bristle tufts ranges from about 1.1 mm at the anterior end of the tray 403 to about 7.1 mm at the posterior end of the tray 403. Thes spacings include a tolerance of about 0.25 mm, and enables effective plaque removal in about 95 percent of users.

[0042] As discussed above, the drive system 120 is configured to drive the tray repeatedly in at least the cervical-occlusal direction, e.g., in accordance with the Bass Method, within an optimal performance region to enable cleaning of the user’s teeth by the inner and outer bristle tufts. The optimal performance region is above a line defining a minimum tray displacement of the tray relative to force applied to the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction in order to move the tray over the minimum tray displacement. The upper limit of the optimal performance region may be determined as a practical matter (e.g., empirically or analytically). For example, the upper limit of the optimal performance region may be identified as the boundary of diminishing returns to tooth cleaning beyond 2 mm, for example, from the line defining the minimum tray displacement. Alternatively, or in addition, the upper limit of the optimal performance region may be identified by a maximum force, such as 5N, for example (above which the user may experience discomfort). Further, negative displacement or negative force cannot be applied to the tray. An example of the optimal performance region line is discussed below with reference to FIG. 5. As mentioned above, the drive system 120 may be further configured to also drive the tray repeatedly in the side-to-side direction, e.g., in accordance with the Modified Bass Method.

[0043] In an embodiment, the minimum tray displacement (x) (i.e., amplitude) of each of the J- shaped first tray 131 and second tray 132 in millimeters in the cervical-occlusal direction is defined by a predetermined performance curve, indicated by Equation (1):x = -0.461*Fz + 2.087 (1)

[0044] In Equation (1), Fz is the minimum force in Newtons to be applied to the first and second trays 131 and 132 in the cervical-occlusal direction in order to move each of the first and second trays 131 and 132 over the minimum tray displacement (x) when the inner and outer bristle tufts are engaged with the user’s teeth. In other words, Equation (1) defines the minimum output amplitude for the drive system 120 given an input force Fz. The input force Fz displaces the brushing mouthpiece 130 against the fit of the outer and inner bristle tufts on the user’s teeth to overcome the pressure created by compression of the outer and inner bristle tufts against the user’s teeth. This pressure is primarily a function of the width of the user’s teeth, but is also influenced by the number, length and stiffness of bristles in the outer and inner bristle tufts (defining the tuft-to-tuft gap TG). The input force Fz may be cumulative force including the sum of a lingual force and a buccal force respectively applied to lingual and buccal surfaces of the tray.

[0045] Driving the first and second trays 131 and 132 by the minimum tray displacement (x) ensures that the brushing mouthpiece 130 has sufficient amplitude and thus successful plaque removal for the majority of the expected user population. This allows for the one-size-fits-all solution, as opposed to providing a number of different size offerings, resulting in a number of benefits with regard to consumer experience, supply chain management, stock keeping unit (SKU) management, and the like.

[0046] FIG. 5 is a graph showing a performance curve for driving the brushing mouthpiece at a target cleaning performance, according to a representative embodiment. Referring to FIG. 5, a minimum efficiency requirement curve 510 shows the minimum tray displacement on the y-axis (in millimeters) as a function of force on the x-axis (in Newtons).

[0047] A straight-line performance curve 520 is fit to the minimum efficiency requirement curve 510, where the performance curve 520 is substantially tangential to an initial portion of the minimum efficiency requirement curve 510. The initial portion of the minimum efficiency requirement curve 510 is a downslope, such that the performance curve 520 indicates that the magnitude of the minimum tray displacement (x) generally decreases as the magnitude of theforce (Fz) applied to the brushing mouthpiece increases. The remainder of the minimum efficiency requirement curve 510 may be disregarded. The performance curve 520 is an optimal performance region line that defines the lower end of an optimal performance region for the minimum tray displacement relative to the force applied to the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction in order to move the tray over the minimum tray displacement.

[0048] In the depicted embodiment, the target cleaning performance is 60 percent, for example, although other target cleaning performance percentages may be applied without departing from the scope of the present teachings. As a practical limit, the minimum tray displacement (x) in the cervical-occlusal direction ranges from about 0 mm to about 2.0 mm and the force (Fz) applied to the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction is less than 5.0 Newtons. In a preferred embodiment, the minimum tray displacement (x) in the cervical-occlusal direction ranges from about 0 mm to about 1.0 mm as a function of the force (Fz), and the force (Fz) applied to the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction ranges from about 2.5 Newtons to about 3.8 Newtons, respectively. The minimum efficiency requirement curve 510 and the performance curve 520 may change somewhat to reflect different target cleaning performance percentages, as would be apparent one skilled in the art.

[0049] Pressure at the surfaces of the user’s teeth is created by interference between the bristles of the outer and inner bristle tufts and the user’s teeth. The more compressed the bristle are, e.g., caused by wider teeth and / or the longer the bristles, the greater the pressure at the teeth surfaces, and thus the higher the input force Fz and the lower the tray displacement (x) (amplitude) required to achieve the target cleaning performance. For example, if 3.3 N of force is applied to overcome the interface between the bristles and the user’s teeth, a minimum tray displacement of 0.5 mm is required to achieve the target cleaning performance. The force and displacement performance of the drive system 120 is configured to follow the performance curve 520, such that the brushing mouthpiece 130 is driven to perform along the performance curve 520 in response to the interference between the bristles of the outer and inner bristle tufts and the user’s teeth. For example, for a pneumatic system, configuration of the drive system includes design of the diaphragm pump and bladder (e.g., size and material properties), specifying the stroke volume of the motor-driven diaphragm pump (e.g., volume of air displaced and pressure differential created), as would be apparent to one skilled in the art. For a mechanically drivensystem, configuration of the drive system includes providing specifications for motor performance curve (e.g., torque versus load) for optimal operating conditions, as well as determining losses through mechanical motion conversion and advantages through gearing and the like, as would be apparent to one skilled in the art.

[0050] Equation (1), above, is applicable when the first and second trays 131 and 132 are J- shaped, covering about half the user’s teeth during the brushing operation, as discussed above. In an embodiment where the first and second trays are U-shaped, covering about half the user’s teeth during the brushing operation, the minimum force (Fz) required to move each of the first and second trays 131 and 132 over the minimum tray displacement (x) effectively doubles. Again, the drive system 120 is configured to drive the U-shaped trays repeatedly in at least the cervical-occlusal direction within an optimal performance region to enable cleaning of the user’s teeth by the inner and outer bristle tufts. The optimal performance region is above a line defining a minimum tray displacement of the tray relative to force applied to the tray in the cervical- occlusal direction in order to move the tray over the minimum tray displacement, where the line has a slope that is effectively twice the slope of the line defining the minimum tray displacement for J-shaped trays.

[0051] Therefore, the minimum tray displacement (x) of each of the U-shaped first and second trays in millimeters in the cervical-occlusal direction is defined by another predetermined performance curve, indicated by Equation (2): x = -0.461*2Fz + 2.087 (2)

[0052] In Equation (2), Fz is the minimum force in Newtons to be applied to the first and second trays in the cervical-occlusal direction in order to move each of the first and second trays over the minimum tray displacement (x) when the outer and inner bristle tufts are engaged with the user’s teeth. In other words, Equation (2) defines the minimum output amplitude for the drive system 120 (e.g., pneumatic pump) given an input force Fz. Referring again to FIG. 5, the performance curve 520 correlates to J-shaped first and second trays. Therefore, as mentioned above, use of the U-shaped first and second trays would double the slope of the performance curve 520.

[0053] Although the present specification describes components and functions that may be implemented in particular embodiments with reference to particular standards and protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards and protocols. Such standards are periodically superseded by more efficient equivalents having essentially the same functions. Accordingly, replacement standards and protocols having the same or similar functions are considered equivalents thereof.

[0054] The illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of the various embodiments. The illustrations are not intended to serve as a complete description of all of the elements and features of the disclosure described herein. Many other embodiments may be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the disclosure. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived from the disclosure, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Additionally, the illustrations are merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions within the illustrations may be exaggerated, while other proportions may be minimized. Accordingly, the disclosure and the figures are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0055] One or more embodiments of the disclosure may be referred to herein, individually and / or collectively, by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any particular invention or inventive concept. Moreover, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that any subsequent arrangement designed to achieve the same or similar purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all subsequent adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the description.

[0056] The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b) and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, various features may be grouped together or described in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimedembodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter may be directed to less than all of the features of any of the disclosed embodiments. Thus, the following claims are incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as defining separately claimed subject matter.

[0057] The preceding description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the concepts described in the present disclosure. As such, the above disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, and not restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments which fall within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Thus, to the maximum extent allowed by law, the scope of the present disclosure is to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the foregoing detailed description.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A brushing mouthpiece comprising: a tray configured to receive teeth of at least one of an upper jaw or a lower jaw of a user, wherein the tray is J-shaped or U-shaped and comprises: an arch configured to extend over occlusal and incisal surfaces of the user’s teeth; and a plurality of outer fingers arranged on buccal and labial sides of the arch with a plurality of outer bristle tufts respectively extending from the plurality of outer fingers toward the user’s teeth, and / or a plurality of inner fingers arranged on a lingual side of the arch with a plurality of inner bristle tufts respectively extending from the plurality of inner fingers toward the user’s teeth; and a drive system configured to drive the tray repeatedly in at least a cervical-occlusal direction.

2. The brushing mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein the drive system is configured to drive the tray repeatedly in at least the cervical-occlusal direction within an optimal performance region to enable cleaning of the user’s teeth by the pluralities of outer and inner bristle tufts, the optimal performance region is above a line defining a minimum tray displacement of the tray relative to force applied to the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction in order to move the tray over the minimum tray displacement.

3. The brushing mouthpiece of claim 2, wherein when the tray is J-shaped, the minimum tray displacement (x) of the tray in millimeters in the cervical-occlusal direction is defined by: x = -0.461*Fz + 2.087, wherein Fz is minimum force in Newtons to be applied to the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction in order to move the tray over the minimum tray displacement (x) when the pluralities of outer and inner bristle tufts are engaged with the user’s teeth.

4. The brushing mouthpiece of claim 3, wherein: an arch width of the arch between opposing fingers of the pluralities of outer and inner fingers ranges from about 8.2 mm at an anterior end of the tray to about 20.6 mm at a posterior end of the tray, and a tuft-to-tuft gap between opposing bristle tufts of the pluralities of outer and inner bristle tufts ranges from about 1.1 mm at the anterior end of the tray to about 7.1 mm at the posterior end of the tray.

5. The brushing mouthpiece according to any one of claim 1-4, wherein: the minimum tray displacement (x) in the cervical-occlusal direction ranges from about 0 mm to about 2.0 mm and the force (Fz) applied to the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction is less than 5.0 Newtons.

6. The brushing mouthpiece according to any of claim 1-4, wherein: the minimum tray displacement (x) of the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction ranges from about 0 mm to about 1.0 mm as a function of the force (Fz), and the force (Fz) applied to the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction ranges from about 2.5 Newtons to about 3.8 Newtons, respectively.

7. The brushing mouthpiece according to any one of claim 1 -4, wherein the tray comprises: an upper portion configured to receive upper teeth in the upper jaw of the user, and a lower portion configured to receive lower teeth in the lower jaw of the user simultaneously with the upper portion receiving the upper teeth.

8. The brushing mouthpiece according to any one of claim 1-4, wherein the drive system is a pneumatic drive system comprising: a diaphragm pump driven by a motor to perform positive and negative cycling of air pressure; anda flexible bladder positioned between the upper and lower portions of the tray, wherein the flexible bladder is in fluid communication with the diaphragm pump, causing the flexible bladder to expand and contract in response to the positive and negative cycling of the air pressure by the diaphragm pump, respectively, to repeatedly move the tray between no displacement and the minimum tray displacement (x) in the cervical-occlusal direction.

9. The brushing mouthpiece according to any one of claim 2-4, wherein the force is a function of respective widths of the user’s teeth, such that the force increases with increases in the respective widths of the user’s teeth.

10. The brushing mouthpiece of claim 9, wherein the force is further a function of at least one of numbers, lengths or stiffnesses of outer and second bristles in each of the outer and inner bristle tufts, such that the force increases with increases in the at least one of the numbers, lengths or stiffnesses of the outer and second bristles in each of the outer and inner bristle tufts.

11. The brushing mouthpiece according to any one of claim 1-4, wherein outer and second bristles in each of the outer and inner bristle tufts bristles are formed of nylon or an elastomer material.

12. The brushing mouthpiece of claim 11, wherein a length of each of the outer and second bristles is between about 1 mm to about 7.5 mm.

13. The brushing mouthpiece according to any one of claim 1-4, wherein the drive system is also configured to drive the tray repeatedly in at least a direction perpendicular to the cervical- occlusal direction.

14. The brushing mouthpiece of claim 13, wherein the drive system is a pneumatic drive system comprising: a diaphragm pump driven by a motor to perform positive and negative cycling of air pressure; and 1a flexible bladder configured in an asymmetric structure to drive the tray repeatedly in at least the direction perpendicular to the cervical-occlusal direction.

15. The brushing mouthpiece according to any one of claim 2-4, wherein the force is a cumulative force comprising a sum of a lingual force and a buccal force respectively applied to lingual and buccal surfaces of the tray.

16. The brushing mouthpiece of claim 2, wherein when the tray is U-shaped, the minimum tray displacement (x) of the tray in millimeters in the cervical-occlusal direction is defined by: x = -0.461*2Fz + 2.087, wherein Fz is minimum force in Newtons to be applied to the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction in order to move the tray over the minimum tray displacement (x) when the pluralities of outer and inner bristle tufts are engaged with the user’s teeth.

17. A tray of a brushing mouthpiece, the tray comprising: an arch configured to receive teeth of at least one of an upper jaw or a lower jaw of a user; a plurality of outer bristle tufts extending in a first direction from a first side of the arch toward the user’s teeth; and a plurality of inner bristle tufts extending in a second direction from a second side of the arch toward the user’s teeth toward the outer bristle tufts, wherein the tray is repeatedly driven to move cyclically in a cervical-occlusal direction to enable cleaning of the user’s teeth by the pluralities of outer and inner bristle tufts, wherein the tray is J-shaped or U-shaped, wherein when the tray is J-shaped, a first minimum tray displacement (x) of the tray in millimeters is defined by:x = -0.461*Fz + 2.087, wherein when the tray is U-shaped, a second minimum tray displacement (x) of the tray in millimeters is defined by: x = -0.461*2Fz + 2.087, wherein Fz is minimum force in Newtons to be applied to the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction in order to move the tray over the first or second minimum tray displacement (x) when the pluralities of outer and inner bristle tufts are engaged with the user’s teeth.

18. The tray or claim 17, wherein: an arch width of the arch between opposing fingers of the pluralities of outer and inner fingers ranges from about 8.2 mm at an anterior end of the tray to about 20.6 mm at a posterior end of the tray, and a tuft-to-tuft gap between opposing bristle tufts of the pluralities of outer and inner bristle tufts ranges from about 1.1 mm at the anterior end of the tray to about 7.1 mm at the posterior end of the tray.

19. The tray of claim 18, wherein: the first or second minimum tray displacement (x) of the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction ranges from about 0 mm to about 1.0 mm as a function of the force (Fz), and the force (Fz) applied to the tray in the cervical-occlusal direction ranges from about 2.5 Newtons to about 3.8 Newtons, respectively.

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