Granted Patent B2

US 12,745,835 · App. 16/898,313 · Granted Sep 29, 2026

Inventors: Jochen Ganninger (Eschborn, DE); Ulrich Störkel (Bad Nauheim, DE); Holger Schulz (Frankfurt, DE); Niclas Altmann (Niddatal, DE); Uwe Tretrop (Frankfurt, DE); Stefan Triebig (Birkenfeld, DE); Stefan Scheurich (Triefenstein, DE)

Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company

A46B9/04A46B3/06A46B7/00A46B9/065A46B2200/1066

Abstract

Claims (26)

1 . A toothbrush head ( 12 , 16 ), comprising:

at least two bristle tufts ( 20 ), each consisting of a plurality of bristle filaments ( 22 ) connected at their respective ends to a fuse ball ( 24 ) formed by molten filament material connecting the bristle filaments ( 22 ) in a single bristle tuft ( 20 ), wherein each fuse ball ( 24 ) is associated with only one bristle tuft ( 20 );

a cleaning element carrier ( 30 ) comprising a front surface ( 31 ), a back surface ( 32 ) opposite to the front surface, and a thickness (T) therebetween, wherein each fuse ball ( 24 ) is overmolded by and embedded in a plastic material of the cleaning element carrier ( 30 ) such that each fuse ball ( 24 ) is completely enclosed by the overmolded plastic material and the bristle filaments ( 22 ) protrude from the front surface ( 31 ) of the cleaning element carrier ( 30 );

wherein at least two fuse balls ( 24 ) are located at different levels in the cleaning element carrier ( 30 );

wherein the cleaning element carrier ( 30 ) comprises at least two voids ( 38 ) structured and configured to receive at least one elastomeric element ( 40 );

wherein the back surface ( 32 ) comprises at least one groove ( 39 ) that connects the at least two voids ( 38 ) to one another;

wherein the cleaning element carrier ( 30 ) comprises a first central depression ( 35 ) having a depth of from 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm in the back surface ( 32 ),

wherein the cleaning element carrier ( 30 ) comprises a second central depression ( 36 ), in the middle of the first central depression ( 35 ), the second central depression ( 36 ) having a depth of from 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm in the back surface ( 32 ); and

wherein the depth of the first central depression is greater than the depth of the second central depression.

2 . The toothbrush head of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning element carrier ( 30 ) comprises an edge ( 34 ) having a thickness of from 0.2 mm to 3.0 mm at a periphery of the back surface ( 32 ).

3 . The toothbrush head of claim 2 , wherein the toothbrush head comprises a cover ( 46 ) located inside the edge ( 34 ), wherein a back surface ( 47 ) of the cover ( 46 ) forms a planar surface with the edge ( 34 ).

4 . The toothbrush head of claim 3 , wherein the cover ( 46 ) has a color that is different from a color of the cleaning element carrier ( 30 ).

5 . The toothbrush head of claim 4 , wherein the cover ( 46 ) is made of a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), Polyoxymethylene (POM), and any mixture thereof.

6 . The toothbrush head of claim 5 , wherein the cover ( 46 ) is made of a material used for the cleaning element carrier ( 30 ).

7 . The toothbrush head of claim 1 , comprising a drive part ( 44 ) located in the first central depression ( 35 ).

8 . The toothbrush head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one elastomeric element ( 40 ) is connected to at least one other elastomeric element with elastomeric material located in the at least one groove ( 39 ).

9 . The toothbrush head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one elastomeric elements ( 40 ) is made of a material selected from the group consisting of rubber, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and any mixture thereof.

10 . The toothbrush head of claim 1 , wherein the thickness (T) of the cleaning element carrier ( 30 ) is selected from the group consisting of a range of from 2.0 mm to 4.0 mm, a range of from 2.2 mm to 4.0 mm, and a range of from 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm.

11 . The toothbrush head of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning element carrier ( 30 ) is made of a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), Polyoxymethylene (POM), and any mixture thereof.

12 . The toothbrush head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one groove ( 39 ) comprises a network of grooves ( 39 ).

13 . The toothbrush head of claim 12 , wherein the network of grooves ( 39 ) comprises an X-shaped network of interconnected grooves ( 39 ).

14 . The toothbrush head of claim 1 , wherein the depth of the first central depression in the back surface is from about 1 mm to about 2 mm.

15 . The toothbrush head of claim 1 , wherein the depth of the second central depression in the back surface is from about 0.2 mm to about 0.8 mm.

16 . The toothbrush head of claim 1 , wherein the second central depression covers at least 40% of the area of the first central depression.

17 . The toothbrush head of claim 1 , wherein the second central depression covers from about 40% to about 50% of the area of the first central depression.

18 . The toothbrush head of claim 1 , wherein the second central depression covers form about 40% to about 50% of the area of the first central depression.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (198)