Head for an oral care implement

Abstract

A head for an oral-care implement has at least one tuft extending from a mounting surface of the head. The tuft comprises a first group of filaments having a first length and at least a second group of filaments having a second length wherein the first length is different from the second length. The tuft is inclined with respect to the mounting surface at an angle of from about 65° to about 80°.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A head for an oral care implement comprising:
 at least one tuft extending from a mounting surface of the head,   the tuft comprising a first group of filaments having a first length and at least a second group of filaments having a second length, the first length being different from the second length,   wherein the tuft is inclined with respect to the mounting surface so that an inclination angle α between the tuft and the mounting surface comprises from about 65° to about 80°.   
     
     
         2 . The head according to  claim 1 , wherein the inclination angle α is from about 74° to about 78°. 
     
     
         3 . The head according to  claim 1 , wherein the inclination angle α is from about 74° to about 75°. 
     
     
         4 . The head according to  claim 1 , wherein a difference in length between the first length and the second length is from about 1 mm to about 3 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The head according to  claim 1 , wherein a difference in length between the first length and the second length is from about 1 mm to about 2 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The head according to  claim 1 , wherein a difference in length between the first length and the second length is about 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The head according to  claim 1 , wherein the filaments of the first group have a greater length and the first group at least partially abuts the second group. 
     
     
         8 . The head according to  claim 1 , wherein the filaments of the second group have a shorter length and define an upper top surface, the upper top surface being substantially parallel to the mounting surface. 
     
     
         9 . The head according to  claim 1 , wherein the tuft comprises at least a third group of filaments, the first group of filaments being sandwiched between the second and third groups of filaments. 
     
     
         10 . The head according to  claim 1 , wherein the tuft is inclined in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal extension of the head. 
     
     
         11 . The head according to  claim 10 , wherein the head comprises at least two tufts, one of the at least two tufts being inclined in a direction toward a distal end of the head and the other of the at least two tufts being inclined in a direction toward a proximal end of the head. 
     
     
         12 . The head according to  claim 1 , wherein the head comprises at least a first row of tufts and a second row of tufts, each row being arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal extension of the head, the tufts of each row being inclined and aligned substantially in one direction. 
     
     
         13 . The head according to  claim 1 , wherein the head comprises at least three rows of tufts, each row being arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal extension of the head, the tufts of each row being inclined and aligned substantially in one direction. 
     
     
         14 . The head according to  claim 12 , wherein the tufts the first row of tufts are inclined in a direction toward a proximal end of the head and the tufts of second row are inclined in a direction toward a distal end of the head. 
     
     
         15 . The head according to  claim 12 , wherein the filaments of the group having a greater length define an upper top surface, the tufts of each row being arranged in a manner that the upper top surfaces of the groups of the filaments having a greater length define at least one row being substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal extension of the head. 
     
     
         16 . The head according to  claim 13 , wherein the filaments of the group having a greater length define an upper top surface, the tufts of each row being arranged in a manner that the upper top surfaces of the groups of the filaments having a greater length define at least one row being substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal extension of the head. 
     
     
         17 . The head according to  claim 1 , wherein the filaments having a greater length comprise tapered filaments, each of the tapered filaments having a pointed tip. 
     
     
         18 . The head according to  claim 1 , wherein the filaments of the first group differ from the filaments of the second group in at least in one of characteristic selected from the group consisting of diameter, bending stiffness, material, texture, cross sectional shape, color, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The head according to  claim 1 , wherein the tuft is attached to the head by a hot-tufting process. 
     
     
         20 . An oral-care implement comprising a head according to  claim 1 .