Toothbrush

Abstract

A toothbrush head with having elongated projections made of an elastomer material, having an integral resiliently flexible elastomeric material wiper blade at the end remote from the head. Suitable constructions of projections and wiper blades are disclosed, and combinations with bristles. The wiper blades enhance oral hygiene.

1 - 20 . (canceled)  
   
   
       21 . A toothbrush head, having a face from which projects at least one projection elongated in a length direction generally perpendicular to the face and made of an elastomer material, the projection characterized by; 
 having an integral resiliently flexible wiper blade of elastomer material at its end remote from the head, the wiper blade extending in a length direction generally parallel to the length direction of the projection, the wiper blade having a width direction generally perpendicular to the length direction of the projection and extending in its width direction across at least 50% of the cross section of the projection and having a thickness dimension in a thickness direction perpendicular to its width direction which is 50% or less of its width dimension.    
   
   
       22 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 21  characterized in that the projection comprises an elongated cylindrical or frustro-conical body extending in a length direction from the face of the toothbrush head in a direction generally perpendicular to the face and terminating in an end surface remote from the face, the end surface being substantially planar or shallow convex, and the wiper blade is integrally formed with the body and extends in the length direction of the body from the said end surface.  
   
   
       23 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 21  characterized by an end surface of shallow cone shaped, shallow pyramidal shaped, shallow gable shaped, shallow polyhedral shaped or shallow domed.  
   
   
       24 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 21 , characterized by a body of length ca. 0.8-1.2 cm, and a cross section of 0.5-4 mm.  
   
   
       25 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 21  characterized by a wiper blade of a generally planar blade, with an edge remote from the face, a length dimension being the greatest dimension of the wiper blade and extending across the end surface of the body perpendicular to the length direction of the body, and having a width dimension parallel to the length direction of the projection which is less than the length dimension, and a least dimension being the thickness perpendicular to its length and width.  
   
   
       26 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 25  having a width: length ratio in the range 1:3 to 1:20 and a thickness:width ratio in the range 0.5 to 0.1.  
   
   
       27 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 21  characterized by a shape as viewed in side view perpendicular to the length direction of the body and along the thickness direction of the wiper blade which is generally rectangular.  
   
   
       28 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 21  made of a thermoplastic elastomer material having a hardness of 10 to about 90 Shore A.  
   
   
       29 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 21 , characterized by one or more projection arranged along one or more of the sides of the toothbrush head.  
   
   
       30 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 21 , characterized by one or more projection arranged at the end of the head remote from the handle.  
   
   
       31 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 21 , characterized by projections arranged in rows oriented across the width of the head.  
   
   
       32 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 21 , characterized by projections arranged in lines oriented along the length of the head.  
   
   
       33 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 21 , characterized by projections arranged in polygonal clusters.  
   
   
       34 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 21 , characterized by projections arranged with width direction of their wiper blade oriented generally parallel to the length direction of the head.  
   
   
       35 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 21 , characterized by projections arranged with the width direction of their wiper blade oriented generally perpendicular to the length direction of the head.  
   
   
       36 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 21 , characterized by projections arranged with the width direction of their wiper blade oriented at an angle between 0° and 90° to the length direction of the head.  
   
   
       37 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 21 , characterized by two or more of the projections with their wiper blades oriented differently to each other.  
   
   
       38 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 21  characterized by projections combined with bristles.  
   
   
       39 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 38  characterized by projections arranged around the edges of the head, with bristles extending from the central area of the face between the projections.  
   
   
       40 . A toothbrush head according to  claim 38  characterized by rows, lines and/or clusters of projections combined with rows, lines or clusters of tufts of bristles.