Oral care devices

Abstract

Various oral care devices and bristle patterns for oral care devices are disclosure herein, including bristle patterns for toothbrush heads, finger toothbrushes, and tongue cleaning devices. A bristle pattern of brush head can include a first bristle region having a first bristle core and a first outer bristle layer disposed at least partially around the first bristle core; and a second bristle region disposed proximal the first bristle region, the second bristle region having a second bristle core and a second outer bristle layer disposed at least partially around the second bristle core. As viewed in a top plane, the first bristle region can have a first convex outer boundary, the second bristle region can have a second convex outer boundary, and the transition region can comprise an inflection between the first and second convex outer boundaries.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A toothbrush head comprising:
 a base having a width along a transverse direction of the toothbrush head and a length along a longitudinal direction of the toothbrush head that is non-parallel to the transverse direction, the base having a proximal portion and a distal portion opposite the proximal portion along the longitudinal direction; and   a plurality of bristles extending from the base along a bristle direction of the toothbrush head that is non-parallel to the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction, the plurality of bristles arranged in a bristle pattern comprising:
 a first bristle region having a first bristle core and a first outer bristle layer disposed at least partially around the first bristle core, the first bristle core having a first core contact surface as viewed in a cross-sectional side plane defined by the bristle direction and the longitudinal direction; 
 a second bristle region disposed proximal the first bristle region, the second bristle region having a second bristle core and a second outer bristle layer disposed at least partially around the second bristle core, the second bristle core having a second core contact surface as viewed in the cross-sectional side plane; and 
 a transition region between the first and second bristle regions, 
 wherein, as viewed in a top plane defined by the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction, the first bristle region has a first convex outer boundary, the second bristle region has a second convex outer boundary, and the transition region comprises an inflection between the first and second convex outer boundaries. 
   
     
     
         2 . The toothbrush head of  claim 1 , wherein the first core contact surface is non-concave and wherein the second core contact surface is non-concave. 
     
     
         3 . The toothbrush head of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bristles comprises a first peak disposed in the first outer bristle layer proximate the distal portion of the base, a second peak disposed in the transition region, and a third peak disposed in the second outer bristle layer proximate the proximal portion of the base. 
     
     
         4 . The toothbrush head of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of bristles has a first valley in the first outer bristle layer disposed between the first peak and the second peak, and a second valley in the second outer bristle layer disposed between the second peak and the third peak. 
     
     
         5 . The toothbrush head of  claim 4 , wherein the first core contact surface comprises one or more bristles that are shorter than bristles at the first and second peaks but longer than bristles at the first valley in the bristle direction, and the second core contact surface comprises one or more bristles that are shorter than bristles at the second and third peaks but longer than bristles at the second valley in the bristle direction. 
     
     
         6 . The toothbrush head of  claim 5 , wherein the first outer bristle layer has a first concave outer contact surface as viewed in the cross-sectional side plane, and the second outer bristle layer has a second concave outer contact surface as viewed in the cross-sectional side plane; and wherein at least 75% of a total surface area of the first and second concave outer contact surfaces is non-parallel to the top plane. 
     
     
         7 . The toothbrush head of  claim 1 , wherein the first bristle region comprises a brushing surface comprising the first core contact surface and defined at least in part by distal ends of the plurality of bristles in the first outer bristle layer, the brushing surface having a first curvature at a distal end region and a second curvature at an inner region between the distal end region and the transition region, the second curvature greater than the first curvature. 
     
     
         8 . The toothbrush head of  claim 7 , wherein a first brushing angle between the brushing surface and the longitudinal direction at the distal end region is greater than a second brushing angle between the brushing surface and the longitudinal direction at the inner region. 
     
     
         9 . The toothbrush head of  claim 1 , further comprising a first gap between the first bristle core and the first outer bristle layer, the first gap being greater than a maximum spacing between two adjacent bristles in the plurality of bristles; and a second gap between the second bristle core and the second outer bristle layer, the second gap being greater than the maximum spacing between two adjacent bristles in the plurality of bristles. 
     
     
         10 . The toothbrush head of  claim 1 , wherein, as viewed in a top plane, the first bristle region has a first concave inner boundary, and the second bristle region has a second concave inner boundary. 
     
     
         11 . The toothbrush head of  claim 10 , wherein the first convex outer boundary is continuous with the second concave inner boundary, and wherein the second convex outer boundary is continuous with the first concave inner boundary. 
     
     
         12 . The toothbrush head of  claim 1 , wherein the bristle pattern comprises a brace-receiving recess extending along the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         13 . A toothbrush head comprising:
 a base having a width along a transverse direction of the toothbrush head and a length along a longitudinal direction of the toothbrush head that is non-parallel to the transverse direction, the base having a proximal portion and a distal portion opposite the proximal portion along the longitudinal direction; and   a plurality of bristles extending from the base along a bristle direction of the toothbrush head that is non-parallel to the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction, the plurality of bristles arranged in a bristle pattern comprising:
 a first central occlusal surface cleaning region extending from the distal portion; 
 a first annular section at least partially surrounding the first central occlusal surface cleaning region, the first annular section configured to overlap at least buccal and lingual surfaces of a first tooth in use; 
 a second central occlusal surface cleaning region extending from the proximal portion; 
 a second annular section at least partially surrounding the second central occlusal surface cleaning region, the second annular section configured to overlap at least buccal and lingual surfaces of a second tooth in use, the first tooth being distal the second tooth. 
   
     
     
         14 . The toothbrush head of  claim 13 , wherein the first annular section comprises a first outer bristle layer and the second annular section comprises a second outer bristle layer, the plurality of bristles comprising a first peak in the first outer bristle layer, a second peak in a transition region between the first and second outer bristle layers, and a third peak in the second outer bristle layer. 
     
     
         15 . The toothbrush head of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of bristles comprises a first valley between the first and second peaks and a second valley between the second and third peaks. 
     
     
         16 . The toothbrush head of  claim 14 , wherein the transition region comprises an inflection between the first and second bristle regions. 
     
     
         17 . The toothbrush head of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second annular sections connect at the second peak. 
     
     
         18 . The toothbrush head of  claim 14 , wherein the first central occlusal surface cleaning region comprises a first bristle core having a first non-concave core contact surface and the second central occlusal surface cleaning region comprises a second bristle core having a second non-concave core contact surface. 
     
     
         19 . The toothbrush head of  claim 18 , further comprising a first gap between the first bristle core and the first outer bristle layer, the first gap being greater than a maximum spacing between two adjacent bristles in the plurality of bristles; and a second gap between the second bristle core and the second outer bristle layer, the second gap being greater than the maximum spacing between two adjacent bristles in the plurality of bristles. 
     
     
         20 . The toothbrush head of  claim 13 , wherein, as viewed in a top plane, the first annular section has a first convex outer boundary and a first concave inner boundary, and the second annular section has a second convex outer boundary and a second concave inner boundary; and wherein the first convex outer boundary is continuous with the second concave inner boundary, and wherein the second convex outer boundary is continuous with the first concave inner boundary. 
     
     
         21 . A toothbrush head comprising:
 a base having a width along a transverse direction of the toothbrush head and a length along a longitudinal direction of the toothbrush head that is non-parallel to the transverse direction, the base having a proximal portion and a distal portion opposite the proximal portion along the longitudinal direction; and   a plurality of bristles extending from the base along a bristle direction of the toothbrush head that is non-parallel to the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction, the plurality of bristles arranged in a bristle pattern comprising:
 a first bristle region having a first bristle core and a first outer bristle layer disposed at least partially around the first bristle core, the first outer bristle layer shaped to clean at least convex side surfaces of at least a first tooth, the first bristle core shaped to clean at least occlusal surfaces of the first tooth; 
 a second bristle region having a second bristle core and a second outer bristle layer disposed at least partially around the second bristle core, the second outer bristle layer shaped to clean at least convex side surfaces of at least a second tooth, the second bristle core shaped to clean at least occlusal surfaces of the second tooth; and 
 a transition region between the first bristle region and a second bristle region, 
 wherein plurality of bristles has a first peak in the first bristle region proximate the distal portion of the base, a second peak in the transition region, and a third peak in the second bristle region proximate the proximal portion of the base. 
   
     
     
         22 . The toothbrush head of  claim 21 , wherein the transition region comprises an inflection between the first and second bristle regions. 
     
     
         23 . The toothbrush head of  claim 21 , wherein the plurality of bristles comprises a first valley between the first and second peaks and a second valley between the second and third peaks. 
     
     
         24 . The toothbrush head of  claim 21 , wherein the first bristle region comprises a first bristle core having a first non-concave core contact surface and the second bristle region comprises a second bristle core having a second non-concave core contact surface. 
     
     
         25 . The toothbrush head of  claim 21 , further comprising a first gap between the first bristle core and the first outer bristle layer, the first gap being greater than a maximum spacing between two adjacent bristles in the plurality of bristles; and a second gap between the second bristle core and the second outer bristle layer, the second gap being greater than the maximum spacing between two adjacent bristles in the plurality of bristles. 
     
     
         26 . The toothbrush head of  claim 21 , wherein, as viewed in a top plane, the first outer bristle layer has a first convex outer boundary and a first concave inner boundary, and the second outer bristle layer has a second convex outer boundary and a second concave inner boundary; and wherein the first convex outer boundary is continuous with the second concave inner boundary, and wherein the second convex outer boundary is continuous with the first concave inner boundary.