Concurrently Brushes Plural Tooth Surfaces Patents (Class 15/167.2)
  • Publication number: 20040074035
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a toothbrush and method of manufacturing the same, wherein the toothbrush comprises an arced tray comprising a base and sidewalls defining a length of the arced tray, a first longitudinal edge of each sidewall perpendicularly coupled to opposing longitudinal edges of the base to define a channel between the sidewalls, the channel adapted to receive teeth therein. The toothbrush further includes flexible flanges perpendicularly coupled to corresponding second longitudinal edges of each of the corresponding sidewalls opposite the corresponding first longitudinal edges, the flanges extending over a portion of the channel, a first end of the channel having a first width smaller than a second width at a second end of the channel. The toothbrush also includes a handle coupled to a side of the arced tray opposite the channel and extending therefrom, the curvature of the arced tray curving away from the handle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Inventor: Chen-Shen Huang
  • Publication number: 20030226224
    Abstract: A toothbrush design which more effectively permits bristle penetration into the spaces between tooth and gum for removal of plaque and food debris lodged within these spaces. The toothbrush design incorporates a rotatable brush disc having a plurality of radially outward extending bristles but where the width of the bristle disc and number of bristles are preferably limited so that the bristle tips can penetrate into the space between tooth and gum and preferably be of sufficient length to penetrate to the bottom of the space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventor: Soo-Woong Lee
  • Patent number: 6658686
    Abstract: A toothbrush design which more effectively permits bristle penetration into the spaces between tooth and gum for removal of plaque and food debris lodged within these spaces. The toothbrush design incorporates a rotatable brush disc having a plurality of radially outward extending bristles but where the width of the bristle disc and number of bristles are preferably limited so that the bristle tips can penetrate into the space between tooth and gum and preferably be of sufficient length to penetrate to the bottom of the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Inventor: Soo-Woong Lee
  • Publication number: 20030196283
    Abstract: A powered toothbrush include a head containing a rotating or oscillating first bristle carrier and also containing a second bristle carrier movably connected to said head, which second bristle carrier may include elastomeric walls for enhanced cleaning and may include a weakened section to permit it to at least partially collapse during a brushing motion to couture to the teeth in use for enhanced cleaning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2002
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Inventors: Eyal Eliav, John J. Gatzemeyer
  • Patent number: 6625834
    Abstract: A preferably non-electric, non-mechanically actuated toothbrush is provided having a generally U-shaped appearance with a rotary brush located, during use, on each side of a tooth to be cleaned. The brushes are configured to rotate about an axis which is parallel to the long axis of the tooth to be cleaned, and essentially perpendicular to the buccal and lingual gum line, of the user. The brushes are preferably held in contact with the teeth and gum tissue by a resilient section of the toothbrush. In this fashion, a pushing and pulling motion during brushing results in a rotational motion of the brushes. An improved method for cleansing teeth, cleaning the opening to the gingival crevice area, and stimulation of the gingival tissue is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Inventor: Peter W. Dean
  • Publication number: 20030126705
    Abstract: A toothbrush for use on humans and pets, comprising a toothbrush head with each end curved upward at 90 degree angles; said toothbrush head further comprising four sets of soft bristles. Three sets of bristles are attached to the front face of the brush head, with two sets positioned opposite each other on each upward curved end of the head and the third set of bristles positioned in the center, perpendicular to the other two sets, thereby providing coverage of the mesial, distal and occlusal surfaces of the teeth simultaneously. The fourth set of bristles is attached to the back side of the toothbrush head, thereby cleaning and massaging the opposing teeth at the same time that the other three sets of bristles are doing the primary cleaning. The toothbrush handle is attached to the center of the head for ease of use and the ability to reach the back molars.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2002
    Publication date: July 10, 2003
    Inventor: Barbara Hanlon
  • Publication number: 20030066146
    Abstract: A preferably non-electric, non-mechanically actuated toothbrush is provided having a generally U-shaped appearance with a rotary brush located, during use, on each side of a tooth to be cleaned. The brushes are configured to rotate about an axis which is parallel to the long axis of the tooth to be cleaned, and essentially perpendicular to the buccal and lingual gum line, of the user. The brushes are preferably held in contact with the teeth and gum tissue by a resilient section of the toothbrush. In this fashion, a pushing and pulling motion during brushing results in a rotational motion of the brushes. An improved method for cleansing teeth, cleaning the opening to the gingival crevice area, and stimulation of the gingival tissue is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Inventor: Peter W. Dean
  • Publication number: 20020157202
    Abstract: A toothbrush, for contacting multiple dental surfaces simultaneously, comprising a handle and a head assembly. The head assembly includes a head junction, and a plurality of heads attached to the head junction. The heads include a pair of side heads having opposed bristles, and a forward head. The side heads substantially perpendicularly downward from the head junction, and the forward head extends at an obtuse angle from the head junction. A middle head is located immediately beneath the head junction. Both side heads and the forward head are each attached to the head junction with a U-joint which allows each head to flex with respect to the head junction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Inventor: David Hartel
  • Publication number: 20020152563
    Abstract: Various embodiments of novel toothbrush bodies are provided. In one embodiment, a first toothbrush body has a handle, while two other toothbrush bodies are attached are attached to the first toothbrush body by curved stainless steel arm pins disposed on opposite sides of the first toothbrush body. Removable nuts are provided to allow the other two toothbrush bodies to be replaced. In another embodiment, three toothbrush bodies have fitting grooves in their outer surfaces, and stainless steel joints having a channel shape are fitted in the grooves. In another embodiment, three toothbrush bodies are integrally joined to each other by a curved stainless steel enclosing plate that is fastened to the bodies by screws. A hard sponge cushion, rather than a bristle assembly, is attached to the lower surface of the toothbrush bodies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2001
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventor: Masanori Sato
  • Patent number: 6453501
    Abstract: A toothbrush for pets and animals, which easily conforms to compound and complex shapes of an animal's teeth, and which cleans substantially all surfaces of an animal's tooth at the same time, during brushing. The toothbrush is capable of being used with minimum visibility of the animal's teeth, as the animal may not always be cooperative during the teeth brushing process. The toothbrush is durable, long lasting, easy to manufacture, light weight, inexpensive, safe to use, attractive, sturdy, and of simple construction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Inventor: Theresa Della Bella
  • Publication number: 20020083539
    Abstract: A toothbrush for pets and animals, which easily conforms to compound and complex shapes of an animal's teeth, and which cleans substantially all surfaces of an animal's tooth at the same time, during brushing. The toothbrush is capable of being used with minimum visibility of the animal's teeth, as the animal may not always be cooperative during the teeth brushing process. The toothbrush is durable, long lasting, easy to manufacture, light weight, inexpensive, safe to use, attractive, sturdy, and of simple construction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2000
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Inventor: Theresa Della Bella
  • Patent number: 6401288
    Abstract: An electric toothbrush is provided with an electric motor and a driving mechanism. The driving mechanism includes a motion translation means to convert rotary motion to oscillatory movement of a drive shaft adapted to be received on the brush head portion of the electric toothbrush, so as to impart an oscillatory movement of the head portion about its longitudinal axis. A particular driving mechanism includes a flywheel having a drive pin which is received in a cam block secured to the drive shaft. The brush head portion comprises a pair of opposed bristle head portions arranged so as to present two groups of opposed bundles of bristles disposed substantially perpendicularly each to the other. Each of the groups of bundles of bristles comprises a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of bristle bundles, where the rows aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the brush head portion, and the columns are aligned perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the brush head portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Inventors: Robert P. Porper, Robert G. Dickie
  • Patent number: 6381794
    Abstract: A brush head portion for an electric toothbrush is adapted to be removably connected to a power handle. The brush head portion comprises a pair of opposed bristle head portions. A longitudinal hollow shaft and terminates at a fixed cover portion which is shaped and dimensioned so as to overlie the pair of opposed bristle head portions, which are mounted on a stem. A longitudinal drive shaft extends through the hollow shaft, and transmits rotational driving force to a crank formed at the outer end of the drive shaft. A drive means is located between each of the bristle head portions and the underside of a respective region of the fixed cover portion, and is mounted on the crank so as to have reciprocating motion imparted thereto as the crank is driven. A wedge is formed on the underside of the fixed cover portion in the region overlying each respective bristle head portion, or on the top surface of each respective block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Inventors: Robert P. Porper, Robert G. Dickie
  • Patent number: 6353956
    Abstract: A U-shaped, ultrasonic toothbrush module to be used with currently available ultrasonic toothbrush hand pieces made of soft thermoplastic, silicone, or latex material with upper and lower bridge receiving spaces formed on opposite sides. The receiving spaces are designed to receive a user's upper and lower bridges when placed into the user's mouth. Disposed on the three inside surfaces of each receiving space are a plurality of bristles which completely contact the exposed surfaces of every tooth when the device is used. The module includes a housing with a pivoting T-shaped member and magnets attached at one end that connects to a standard ultrasonic toothbrush hand piece. Motion generated by the hand piece is transmitted through the T-shaped member and to the U-shaped member. The movement of the U-shaped member generates ultrasonic waves that are transmitted to the surfaces of the teeth and move the brushes when teeth are placed into the upper and lower bridge receiving spaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Inventor: Jason Berge
  • Patent number: 6343396
    Abstract: A tooth cleaning device having (a) a tooth cleaning head, including: (i) a housing with sides that straddle the tooth along both long faces and defining a longitudinal axis extending between the sides thereof and along the long faces; (ii) gears affixed along respective inner surfaces of the sides of the housing; (iii) tooth cleaning elements affixed along the inner side of the gears and being operatively spaced apart from one another, along the longitudinal axis of the tooth cleaning head, to form a gap therebetween; and (iv) a drive mechanism including: a drive shaft affixed to the inner surfaces of the sides of the housing and spanning the housing, a drive wheel connected to the drive shaft, and transfer gears affixed near ends of the drive shaft and aligned with the gears; and (b) a handle connected to the tooth cleaning head, wherein as the tooth cleaning device travels along a row of teeth, the drive wheel rotates along the biting surface of the teeth, thereby rotating the drive shaft and the transfer g
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2002
    Inventors: Marius Simovitz, Zeev Sade, Eran Front
  • Patent number: 6334232
    Abstract: A toothbrush for removing plaque, tarter and calculus from teeth. The toothbrush includes an elongated grip handle having a plurality of toothbrush bodies mounted on an end. The toothbrush bodies are adapted to clean various surfaces of teeth simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Inventor: Masanori Sato
  • Patent number: 6254390
    Abstract: An oral burnisher includes a “U” shaped head at one end of the handle. The head includes a pair of substantially parallel side panels and a back panel covered by a thermoplastic elastomer sheath. The side panels include inwardly facing arrays of thermoplastic elastomer projections which extend from the sheath and the back panel includes an array of thermoplastic elastomer projections which extend from the sheath on its inner face. The outer face of the back panel is also provided with an array of thermoplastic elastomer projections which extend from the sheath. The thermoplastic elastomer sheath may be molded over the surface of the panels which are formed in one piece with the handle of a suitable plastic such as polypropylene. The projections of each array extend in the order of 1-2 mm. and have generally hemispherical tips such that the transverse dimension of the head is relatively small and can easily be accommodated in the oral cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Inventor: Eugene C. Wagner
  • Patent number: 6209164
    Abstract: A toothbrush for removing plaque, tartar, and calculus from teeth. The toothbrush includes an elongated grip handle having a plurality of toothbrush bodies mounted on a an end. The toothbrush bodies are adapted to clean various surfaces of the teeth simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Inventor: Masanori Sato