Title (en)

Toothbrushes

Title (de)

Zahnbürsten

Title (fr)

Brosses à dents

Publication

EP 1074200 A3 20030212 (EN)

Application

EP 00203299 A 19960809

Priority

• EP 96931374 A 19960809
• US 202695 P 19950822
• US 518496 P 19960227

Abstract (en)

[origin: EP1074200A2] A toothbrush is disclosed having a handle portion and a head portion carrying or adapted to carry a bristle configuration. The handle has an end portion, a waist, a shoulder portion and a neck connecting the shoulder to the head. The waist is narrower, at least in plan view, than the end portion or the shoulder, and the end portion, preferably, is rounded. The bristle configuration is such that the teeth engaging ends of the bristles do not lie in a plane parallel to the surface of the head of the handle in which the bristles are embedded. In a first embodiment, the teeth engaging ends of at least a proportion of the bristles lie in a curved line when the toothbrush is viewed in side elevation. The curved line is provided by a mixture of concave groups of bristles and convex groups of bristles. In a second embodiment, the bristle configuration falls into at least two groups of bristles. The teeth engaging ends of the bristles of the first group, and the teeth engaging ends of the bristles of the second group, lie in curved lines when the toothbrush is viewed in side elevation. In a third embodiment, the teeth engaging ends of the bristles form a continuous wavy line. In a fourth embodiment, the teeth engaging ends of the bristles fall into two groups, a rearwardly located group, the castellated group, made up of transversely extending rows of bristles, the rows alternating in height, and a forwardly located group having at least some bristles extending further from the surface of the toothbrush head than any of the bristles of the castellated group. <IMAGE>

IPC 1-7

A46B 5/02; A46B 9/04; B25G 1/10

IPC 8 full level

A46B 5/02 (2006.01); A46B 9/04 (2006.01)

CPC (source: EP)

A46B 5/02 (2013.01); A46B 9/045 (2013.01); A46B 2200/1066 (2013.01)

Citation (search report)

• [XY] US 4780924 A 19881101 - HANSEN PAUL D [US], et al
• [X] US 5398369 A 19950321 - HEINZELMAN BERT D [US], et al
• [X] EP 0580406 A1 19940126 - JOHNSON & JOHNSON CONSUMER [US]
• [XY] US 5392483 A 19950228 - HEINZELMAN BERT D [US], et al
• [XY] FR 792476 A 19351231 - THIBAUD
• [XY] US 4031587 A 19770628 - DIETRICH URSULA
• [Y] US 5201092 A 19930413 - COLSON EDWARD L [US]
• [A] GB 2052347 A 19810128 - HOLLAND LETZ H
• [A] US 5369835 A 19941206 - CLARKE A R HYDE [US]
• [A] US 3067446 A 19621211 - MCGAULEY WALTER G
• [PA] US 5511276 A 19960430 - LEE KUO-MING [US]
• [A] WO 9409678 A1 19940511 - GILLETTE CANADA [CA], et al
• [A] US 5305489 A 19940426 - LAGE GREGG L [US]
• [A] DE 9404639 U1 19950713 - LINGNER & FISCHER GMBH [DE]
• [A] DE 7926156 U1 19800221
• [A] GB 2282959 A 19950426 - ADDIS LTD [GB]

Designated contracting state (EPC)

AT BE CH DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI NL PT SE

DOCDB simple family (publication)

EP 1074200 A2 20010207; EP 1074200 A3 20030212; EP 1074200 B1 20060524; EP 1074200 B2 20150909; EP 1097655 A2 20010509; EP 1097655 A3 20030212

DOCDB simple family (application)

EP 00203299 A 19960809; EP 00125873 A 19960809