Device with multi-structural contact elements
View Patent ↗A contact device with resilient contact elements is disclosed. The resilient contact elements have primary structures and secondary structures. The primary structures and secondary structures have contact surfaces for engaging a working surface. The primary structures are preferably molded structures with hardness value between 10 to 90 Shores A. The secondary structures are nodules, squeegees, arrays of nodules or squeegees and matrices but are preferably bristle structures formed from plastic resins, wherein the device is configured clean dentition.
1. A device comprising at least one resilient contact element comprising:
a) a squeegee structure with protruding squeegee walls to form a top wiping edge wherein the top wiping edge of at least one squeegee wall is contoured to form teeth separated by depressions such that a widest part of each tooth is longer along the length of the top wiping edge than transverse to the top wiping edge and
b) bristles coupled to the squeegee such that the bristles are anchored in the squeegee wall and protrude from the depressions in the top wiping edge of the squeegee structure; and wherein there are a plurality of distinct clusters of bristles or a plurality of unclustered individual bristles in each depression.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the squeegee structure comprises a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, silicone, polyurethane, latex, rubber and elastomer.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a dentition cleaning device.
4. A device comprising:
a) a support structure;
b) a squeegee structure with protruding walls that form a top wiping edge; wherein the top wiping edge of at least one squeegee wall is contoured to form teeth separated by depressions such that a widest part of each tooth is parallel to a length of the support structure; and
c) bristles coupled to the squeegee structure such that the bristles are anchored in the squeegee wall and protrude from the depressions in the top wiping edge of the squeegee structure; and wherein there are a plurality of distinct clusters of bristles or a plurality of unclustered individual bristles in each depression.
5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the squeegee structure comprises a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, silicone, polyurethane, latex, rubber and elastomer.
6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the squeegee structure has a hardness in a range of 10 to 90 Shore A and protrudes from the support structure a distance in the range of 0.2 to 6.0 mm.