Patents by Inventor Ulrich Storkel

Ulrich Storkel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20190125065
    Abstract: A brush head for an oral care implement includes at least one (first) group of tufts extending from a mounting surface of a tuft carrier having a rotation axis. The tufts have a base end and a free end. The tufts of the first group are tufts having an extension in a circumferential direction about the rotation axis exceeding an extension in a radial direction. The tufts of the first group may be inclined with respect to the mounting surface in at least one direction. Each of the first-group tufts may comprise a first group of filaments and a second group of filaments, wherein the second-group filaments' free ends protrude beyond the first-group filaments' free ends.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Niclas ALTMANN, Ulrich STÖRKEL, Bianka BECKER-SALZSÄULER, Siegfried BAUERNFEIND
  • Publication number: 20180021116
    Abstract: A brush head for an electric toothbrush comprises an attachable housing and a carrier having a mounting side and mounted for driven oscillatory rotational motion around a rotation axis that extends through a center point on the carrier's mounting side. Each of the tufts has a tufting area of at least about 2.0 mm2. Filaments in each of the tufts have a cross-sectional area perpendicular to their length extension direction that corresponds to a circular cross sectional area having a diameter in the range of between 140 ?m and 102 ?m, wherein the brush head comprises only tufts of the defined type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Inventors: Ulrich STÖRKEL, Heidrun SCHMELCHER, Niclas ALTMANN, Anke RENZ
  • Publication number: 20170065071
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a toothbrush includes steps of providing a carrier having at least a first through hole extending from a front side to a backside of the carrier and at least a first wall element integral with the carrier and extending from the back side in a vicinity of the through hole; introducing a first cleaning element into the first through hole such that an end portion of the first cleaning element is exposed on the backside of the carrier; treating the end portion of the first cleaning element such that it deforms and becomes wider than the first through hole; and deforming the first wall element until it at least partially extends over the deformed end portion of the first cleaning element such that the first cleaning element is effectively retained in its axial position. A brush having structural features resulting from the manufacturing method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Thomas FRITSCH, Ulrich Störkel
  • Publication number: 20160367022
    Abstract: An oral hygiene implement, in particular a replacement brush head, that has a carrier assembly mounted at a housing part for movement relative to the housing part. The carrier assembly has at least two carriers arranged at a distance therebetween and an elongated, shaft-like connector element connected to the at least two carriers. The connector element has undercut sections at the locations where the carriers are connected to the connector element. The carriers are plastic-injection molded parts extending around the connector element so that the carriers are non-detachably connected to the connector element by a positive-fit connection. A method of assembling an oral hygiene implement is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas FRITSCH, Ulrich STÖRKEL
  • Publication number: 20130227804
    Abstract: A brush section for use with an electric toothbrush includes a movable contact element holder and a fixed contact element holder. The movable contact element holder is driven to move relative to the fixed contact element holder by an electric drive in a handle section which is coupled to the movable contact element holder. The risk of oral mucosa being pinched by the movement is minimized by any one of several methods, such as for example reducing the width of the gap between the two holders, adding a cover member, reducing the movement of the movable contact element holder, and the like. In addition, a low profile brush section is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: Braun GmbH (a German Corporation)
    Inventors: Thomas Fritsch, Ulrich Storkel
  • Patent number: 8453288
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a tooth cleaning bristle, which is configured as a monofilament and has a outer surface having a contour that is structured preferably in the shape of a longitudinal flute and that has projections and depressions, alternating in the peripheral direction. The invention further relates to a toothbrush head having a bristle holder to which at least one such tooth cleaning bristle is fastened, and finally to a preferably electric toothbrush having such a toothbrush head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Georges Driesen, Ivo Kunath, Ulrich Störkel, Michael Schmid
  • Patent number: 8434184
    Abstract: This application relates to electric toothbrushes and in particular to a brush section for an electric toothbrush. The brush section may include static contact elements and movable contact elements to perform a cleaning operation. A head portion of the brush section is resistant to fractures or other material damage which might result from impacts, such as for example caused by dropping the toothbrush. It is structured to transmit forces from the impact away from an interior region of the head portion, to pass through the side portions of the head portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Fritsch, Ulrich Störkel
  • Patent number: 8434183
    Abstract: A brush section for use with an electric toothbrush includes a movable contact element holder and a fixed contact element holder. The movable contact element holder is driven to move relative to the fixed contact element holder by an electric drive in a handle section which is coupled to the movable contact element holder. The risk of oral mucosa being pinched by the movement is minimized by any one of several methods, such as for example reducing the width of the gap between the two holders, adding a cover member, reducing the movement of the movable contact element holder, and the like. In addition, a low profile brush section is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Fritsch, Ulrich Störkel
  • Publication number: 20120036656
    Abstract: This application relates to electric toothbrushes and in particular to a brush section for an electric toothbrush. The brush section may include static contact elements and movable contact elements to perform a cleaning operation. A head portion of the brush section is resistant to fractures or other material damage which might result from impacts, such as for example caused by dropping the toothbrush. It is structured to transmit forces from the impact away from an interior region of the head portion, to pass through the side portions of the head portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Inventors: Thomas Fritsch, Ulrich Störkel
  • Publication number: 20120036655
    Abstract: A brush section for use with an electric toothbrush includes a movable contact element holder and a fixed contact element holder. The movable contact element holder is driven to move relative to the fixed contact element holder by an electric drive in a handle section which is coupled to the movable contact element holder. The risk of oral mucosa being pinched by the movement is minimized by any one of several methods, such as for example reducing the width of the gap between the two holders, adding a cover member, reducing the movement of the movable contact element holder, and the like. In addition, a low profile brush section is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Inventors: Thomas Fritsch, Ulrich Störkel
  • Publication number: 20090158538
    Abstract: An electric toothbrush with a grip section, a brush head which is mounted for movement relative to the grip section and a drive mechanism for driving the brush head in an oscillatory and/or orbital motion. The brush head includes a cleaning fork having legs lined with a piece of plush or velvet on their insides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2005
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Bernhard Boland, Armin Schwarz-Hartmann, Ulrich Störkel, Uwe Bielfeldt
  • Publication number: 20090151101
    Abstract: A toothbrush head including multiple elastic cleaning elements attached to a holder in clusters. Each elastic cleaning element includes film strips, which can be manufactured, for example, from a sheet of film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: BRAUN GMBH
    Inventors: Uwe Bielfeldt, Silvia Stange, Ulrich Storkel, Frank Gliemroth, Ralph Macho
  • Publication number: 20080201886
    Abstract: A toothbrush head with a bristle support member on which a bristle zone with a plurality of bristle tufts is arranged. The bristle tufts include three differently inclined groups of bristle tufts of which a first group is arranged essentially perpendicular to the plane of the bristle support member, a second group is inclined in a direction transverse to the toothbrush head longitudinal axis towards a first side, and a third group is inclined in a direction transverse to the toothbrush head longitudinal axis towards an opposite second side, with the inclined bristle tufts of the second and third group being arranged in transverse rows on the bristle support member. In each transverse row of inclined bristle tufts, all the bristle tufts are inclined towards the same side, with the bristle inclined from the outside inwards.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Inventors: Uwe Bielfeldt, Alois Koppl, Ulrich Storkel, Michael Waldmeier
  • Publication number: 20070289078
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a tooth cleaning bristle, which is configured as a monofilament and has a outer surface having a contour that is structured preferably in the shape of a longitudinal flute and that has projections and depressions, alternating in the peripheral direction. The invention further relates to a toothbrush head having a bristle holder to which at least one such tooth cleaning bristle is fastened, and finally to a preferably electric toothbrush having such a toothbrush head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Inventors: Georges Driesen, Ivo Kunath, Ulrich Storkel, Michael Schmid
  • Patent number: D642801
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Fritsch, Rory McGarry, Ulrich Storkel
  • Patent number: D690941
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Fritsch, Rory McGarry, Ulrich Storkel
  • Patent number: D846881
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: BRAUN GMBH
    Inventors: Niclas Altmann, Anke Renz, Bianka Becker-Salzsäuler, Heidrun Schmelcher, Fritz Schubert, Ulrich Störkel, Ansgar Hübner, Anke Roder