Improvements in the design of toothbrushes

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(11)

EP 1 661 486 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	23.08.2006 Bulletin 2006/34

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	31.05.2006 Bulletin 2006/22

(21)	Application number: 05106549.8

(22)	Date of filing: 15.07.2005

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International Patent Classification (IPC):

A46B 5/00^(2006.01)

A46B 9/06^(2006.01)

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
	Designated Extension States:
	AL BA HR MK YU

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Priority:

22.10.2004 GB 0423423
12.04.2005 EP 05102888

(71)	Applicant: Dooley, Dr. Peter
	Otford near Sevenoaks 10th TN14 5QJ (GB)

(72)	Inventor:
	Dooley, Dr. Peter Otford near Sevenoaks 10th TN14 5QJ (GB)

(74)	Representative: Tolfree, Roger et al
	Tolfree Patents and Trademarks, Toll Drove Manea, Cambridgeshire PE15 0JX Manea, Cambridgeshire PE15 0JX (GB)

(54)	Improvements in the design of toothbrushes

(57) A toothbrush is formed with an angled extension (2) at one end carrying a small brush, not substantially longer than about 12mms, for cleaning lingual tooth surfaces. By designing the geometry of the brush handle (1) and extension (2) so that they define an angle of between 100 and 150 degrees and so that the brush is displaced from the handle axis by at least 20mms, it becomes possible to clean effectively the surfaces which are rarely cleaned well using a conventional brush. Other tooth surfaces are cleaned using a conventional brush (3) at the opposite end of the handle.

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