Toothbrush with long tapered bristles and short non-tapered bristles

Abstract

Toothbrush heads with bristle tufts comprised of longer tapered bristles and shorter non-tapered bristles in respective embodiments comprising tufts which include both tapered and non-tapered bristles, and comprising an outer ring of tufts of non-tapered bristles round an inner region of tufts of longer tapered bristles.

1 . A toothbrush head having a bristle surface from which tufts comprising plural bristles extend in a bristle direction, each tuft comprising shorter bristles having a cross section which does not taper from their lower end toward their upper end and longer bristles which taper from their lower end toward their upper end, the taper of the longer bristles commencing above the upper ends of the shorter bristles, characterized in that the length of the longer bristles above the upper ends of the shorter bristles is from 4 mm up to 7 mm. 
   
   
       2 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 1  characterised in that the length to which the shorter bristles extend from the bristle surface is 9+/−1 mm and length to which the shorter bristles extend from the bristle surface is 13+/−1 mm. 
   
   
       3 . A toothbrush head having a bristle surface from which tufts comprising plural bristles extend in a bristle direction, each tuft comprising shorter bristles having a cross section which does not taper from their lower end toward their upper end and longer bristles which taper from their lower end toward their upper end, the taper of the longer bristles commencing above the upper ends of the shorter bristles, and wherein each said tuft is set in a tuft socket having a minimum dimension across the longitudinal direction of the bristle filaments in the range 1.7-2.4 mm. 
   
   
       4 . A toothbrush head having a bristle surface from which tufts comprising plural bristles extend in a bristle direction, each tuft comprising shorter bristles having a cross section which does not taper from their lower end toward their upper end and longer bristles which taper from their lower end toward their upper end, the taper of the longer bristles commencing above the upper ends of the shorter bristles, each tuft containing 2-12 longer filaments extending from the bristle surface. 
   
   
       5 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 4  characterised in that there are 20-30 shorter bristle filaments and 2-12 longer filaments extending from the bristle surface. 
   
   
       6 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 4  characterised in that there are 5-7 longer filaments. 
   
   
       7 . A toothbrush head having a bristle surface from which tufts comprising plural bristles extend in a bristle direction, each tuft comprising shorter bristles having a cross section which does not taper from their lower end toward their upper end and longer bristles which taper from their lower end toward their upper end, the taper of the longer bristles commencing above the upper ends of the shorter bristles, characterized in that the length of the longer bristles above the upper ends of the shorter bristles is from 4 mm up to 7 mm, and each tuft contains 2-12 longer filaments extending from the bristle surface. 
   
   
       8 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 7  characterised in that there are 20-30 shorter bristle filaments and 2-12 longer filaments extending from the bristle surface. 
   
   
       9 . A toothbrush head having a bristle surface from which tufts comprising plural bristles extend in a bristle direction, each tuft comprising shorter bristles having a cross section which does not taper from their lower end toward their upper end and longer bristles which taper from their lower end toward their upper end, the taper of the longer bristles commencing above the upper ends of the shorter bristles, and wherein the length of the longer bristles above the upper ends of the shorter bristles is from 4 mm up to 7 mm, wherein each said tuft is set in a tuft socket having a minimum dimension in the range 1.7-2.4 mm, and wherein each tuft contains 20-30 shorter bristle filaments and 2-12 longer filaments extending from the bristle surface. 
   
   
       10 . A toothbrush head having a bristle surface from which tufts comprising plural bristles extend in a bristle direction, the tufts being disposed in a pattern on the bristle surface comprising a relatively inner cluster of plural tufts each of which contains relatively longer bristles which taper from their lower end toward their upper end, and plural relatively outer tufts of relatively shorter bristles. 
   
   
       11 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 10  characterised in that tufts in the relatively inner cluster consist entirely of the relatively longer bristles which taper. 
   
   
       12 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 10  characterised in that the plural relatively outer tufts are disposed as outer perimeter tufts along two or more outer sides of the pattern of tufts. 
   
   
       13 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 12  characterised in that the plural relatively outer tufts are disposed as a ring of perimeter tufts around all sides of the relatively inner tufts. 
   
   
       14 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 10  characterised in that the difference between the length to which the relatively longer bristles and the relatively shorter bristles respectively extend from the bristle face is 2-7 mm. 
   
   
       15 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 14  characterised in that the difference between the length to which the relatively longer bristles and the relatively shorter bristles respectively extend from the bristle face is 2-4 mm.