Toothbrush

Abstract

A toothbrush includes a handle, a head, and a neck extending between the handle and the head. The head has a first portion and a second portion defining a gap of less than about 3.5 mm between a lower surface of the first portion and a top surface of the second portion. Each of the first portion and the second portion have a plurality of cleaning elements.

1 . A toothbrush comprising a handle, a head, and a neck extending between the handle and the head, the head comprising:
 a first portion and a second portion defining a gap of less than about 3.5 mm between a lower surface of the first portion and a top surface of the second portion, each of the first portion and the second portion comprising a plurality of cleaning elements.   
     
     
         2 . The toothbrush of  claim 1  wherein the first portion is flexible with respect to the second portion. 
     
     
         3 . The toothbrush of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion comprises a top surface and side surface, the side surface extending between the top surface and the lower surface, and wherein an intersection between the side surface and the lower surface has a radius of less than about 2.5 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The toothbrush of  claim 1 , wherein the gap between the first portion and the second portion is in the axial direction. 
     
     
         5 . The toothbrush of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion comprises a first area and a second area defining an opening there between such that the plurality of cleaning elements in the second portion extend through the opening. 
     
     
         6 . The toothbrush of  claim 5 , wherein the first area and the second portion define a second gap in the transverse direction, and wherein the second gap is less than about 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The toothbrush of  claim 6 , wherein the second gap is less than about 0.8 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The toothbrush of  claim 1 , wherein the gap is less than about 0.3 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The toothbrush of  claim 1 , wherein the second portion comprises wings such that the lower surface of the first portion and the upper surface of the second portion overlap by at least 25 percent. 
     
     
         10 . The toothbrush of  claim 5  wherein the first area comprises a top surface and an interior side surface, the interior side surface extending between the lower surface and the top surface, the interior side surface being disposed adjacent the second portion, and wherein an intersection between the interior side surface and the lower surface has a radius of greater than about 0.05 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The toothbrush of  claim 5 , wherein the first area and the second area are attached to the toothbrush adjacent a distal end of the toothbrush, the distal end being furthest from the handle, the first area and the second area having free ends which are disposed inboard of the distal end, the free ends defining a opening therebetween of less than about 10 mm. 
     
     
         12 . The toothbrush of  claim 11 , wherein the first area comprises a top surface and an interior side surface, the interior side surface extending between the lower surface and the top surface, the interior side surface being disposed laterally inboard of an exterior side surface. 
     
     
         13 . The toothbrush of  claim 12 , wherein an intersection between the interior side surface and the lower surface has a radius of greater than about 0.05 mm and wherein the intersection is adjacent the free end of the first area. 
     
     
         14 . The toothbrush of  claim 5 , wherein the first area and the second portion overlap each other by at least about 0.05 mm. 
     
     
         15 . A toothbrush comprising a handle, a head, and a neck extending between the handle and the head, the head comprising:
 a first portion and a second portion, each of the first portion and the second portion comprising a plurality of cleaning elements, the first portion being attached to the toothbrush at a distal end of the toothbrush, the distal end being furthest from the handle, the first portion having a free end disposed inboard of the distal end, the free end being unattached to the toothbrush, and the second portion having a cross sectional area of between about 10 mm 2  to about 75 mm 2 .