CN110213979B

CN110213979B - Tooth brush

Info

Publication number: CN110213979B
Application number: CN201880008070.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: I·巴比克; G·德索萨梅西亚斯; M·法瓦雷托; C·J·米勒; S·佩雷尼克; C·普尔佐尼
Original assignee: Unilever IP Holdings BV
Current assignee: Unilever IP Holdings BV
Priority date: 2017-01-23
Filing date: 2018-01-17
Publication date: 2022-04-26
Anticipated expiration: 2038-01-17
Also published as: EP3570703B1; WO2018134270A1; CN110213979A; EP3570703A1; BR112019010950A2

Abstract

The present invention is in the field of toothbrushes; and in particular to toothbrushes having improved tooth whitening efficacy. Toothbrushes that provide whitening benefits in addition to cleaning or polishing benefits are well known in the art. While prior art toothbrushes provide for whitening effects, enhanced whitening of teeth is still desirable. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide improved tooth whitening or stain removal efficacy. It has been found that improved tooth whitening or stain removal can be achieved when the tooth whitening elements are in a particular arrangement on the toothbrush head.

Description

Tooth brush

Technical Field

The present invention is in the field of toothbrushes; and more particularly, to a toothbrush having improved tooth whitening efficacy.

Background

In recent years, tooth whitening has become one of the fastest growing branches of oral care due to consumer boost in both health and cosmetically appealing smiles. In fact, the appearance of teeth is very important for most people, and any discoloration or stains that may form on teeth will affect the sensory quality of the teeth. The color of teeth is affected by the combination of the inherent color of the tooth and the presence of discoloration or extrinsic stains that may form in the acquired pellicle of the enamel. The intrinsic color of a tooth is primarily determined by the color properties of the underlying dentin as projected through the relatively translucent outer enamel layer. Extrinsic stains are especially formed on those areas of the teeth that are less accessible to brushing and the abrasive action of toothpaste. In addition, extrinsic staining is often promoted by smoking, dietary intake of dark-colored pigmented foods (e.g., red wine), and the use of certain cationic agents such as chlorhexidine or multivalent metal salts such as tin and iron.

Toothbrushes that provide whitening benefits in addition to cleaning or polishing benefits are well known in the art.

WO03/015575(Unilever) discloses a toothbrush with radially extending rubber cleaning elements. WO11093874(Colgate) discloses a toothbrush having a polishing member dispersed within Y-shaped bristles. WO 01/21036(Unilever) discloses a toothbrush comprising a handle and a head comprising upstanding bristles and at least one upstanding tooth polishing element characterised in that the tooth polishing element is in the form of a resilient wall member flanked by bristles.

WO2008/103598 discloses an oral care implement or toothbrush comprising a head and tooth cleaning elements for enhanced tooth cleaning and whitening. The tooth cleaning elements have a base connected to the head. The base has a concave surface form facing the distal region of the head such that dentifrice applied to the head is adapted to be directed toward the distal region of the head. The protrusion extends from the concave surface toward a distal region of the head. The head may include a plurality of concave surfaces generally aligned along a longitudinal axis of the head, and the protrusion extends from the curved surface.

WO04/026075(Unilever) discloses a toothbrush comprising a longitudinal resilient member comprising perlite for whitening.

While prior art toothbrushes provide for whitening benefits, it is still desirable to enhance the whitening of teeth.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved tooth whitening or stain removal efficacy.

It is a further object to provide a toothbrush having improved tooth whitening or stain removal efficacy and adequate polishing and plaque removal benefits.

Surprisingly, it has been found that improved tooth whitening or stain removal can be achieved when the tooth whitening elements are in a particular arrangement on the toothbrush head.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, the present invention provides a toothbrush comprising a handle (1) and a head (2) comprising bristles and tooth whitening elements (3) in the form of resilient wall members, characterized in that the tooth whitening elements have a central portion (4) extending along the longitudinal axis of the head and at least one lateral portion (5) surrounding the end of the central portion (cup), wherein the lateral portion (5) is shaped with two spokes or the lateral portion is star-shaped with at least 3 spokes (6).

In another aspect, the present invention provides the use of a toothbrush according to the present invention for improved oral hygiene.

These and other aspects, features and advantages will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the following detailed description and the appended claims. For the avoidance of doubt, any feature of one aspect of the invention may be used in any other aspect of the invention. The word "comprising" is intended to mean "including" but not necessarily "consisting of … … or" consisting of … … ". In other words, the enumerated steps or options need not be exhaustive. Note that examples given in the following description are intended to clarify the invention and are not intended to limit the invention to these examples per se. Similarly, all percentages are weight/weight percentages unless otherwise indicated. Except in the operating and comparative examples, or where otherwise expressly indicated, all numbers in this description indicating amounts of material or conditions of reaction, physical properties of materials and/or use are to be understood as modified by the word "about". Numerical ranges expressed in the form "from x to y" are understood to include x and y. When multiple preferred ranges for a particular feature are described in the form of "from x to y," it is understood that all ranges combining the different endpoints are also contemplated.

Detailed Description

The present invention relates to toothbrushes that provide enhanced whitening or stain removal efficacy. The toothbrush of the present invention also provides adequate polishing and plaque removal benefits.

Preferably, the toothbrush is a manual toothbrush. Preferably, the tooth head is substantially rectangular in shape.

Tooth whitening element

The tooth whitening elements are in the form of resilient wall members. The wall members are preferably made of a material sufficiently soft to provide whitening benefits of the teeth, and it is therefore preferred that the wall members are made of a material having a shore a hardness of between 5 and 80, preferably from 15 to 50.

The whitening elements provide a whitening benefit as the teeth whitening elements are brushed along the surface of the teeth during brushing. Due to the walled construction of the tooth whitening element and its elastic composition, the tooth whitening element is capable of elastic deformation.

The tooth whitening elements are embodied as lamellae that are interposed between the bristles of the toothbrush. The tooth whitening elements are preferably made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

Thermoplastic elastomers are made from polymeric materials such as block copolymers. Preferred block copolymers include styrene (e.g., styrene ethylene butadiene styrene, or styrene butadiene styrene), polyolefins (e.g., polypropylene/ethylene propylene diamine modified (i.e., synthetic rubber)), polyamides (e.g., polyamide (2 or polyamide 6), polyesters (e.g., polyester esters or polyether esters), polyurethanes (e.g., polyester urethanes, polyethers, or polyester polyurethanes).

It is also preferred that the whitening element includes perlite particles.

It is contemplated that the whitening element may be made by any conventional method, i.e., die cutting or molding. However, a preferred method of making such a structure would be by injection molding. The material of the wall member may be attached to the toothbrush head in any manner, whether by chemical means, mechanical means, or both.

Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the tooth whitening elements have the advantage of blocking the dentifrice particles against the teeth. These particles will be retained within the contacts when the toothbrush is pulled against the flat surface of the teeth. In addition, bristles in toothbrushes have the advantage of carrying toothpaste particles into the crevices or narrow spaces between teeth, thereby providing a combination of whitening and cleaning benefits. The tooth whitening elements of the present invention have a central portion and at least one lateral portion. Preferably, the central portion (4) of the tooth whitening element (3) extends continuously along the longitudinal axis of the head (2).

The central portion and the lateral portions are preferably separated from each other and are not joined at any point to form a single unit.

The central portion of the tooth whitening elements preferably extends continuously along the longitudinal axis of the head. The central portion preferably has a straight length of 10mm to 15mm, more preferably 10mm to 13mm, still more preferably 10mm to 12 mm.

In the case where the central portion extends for a distance greater than the length of the head, i.e. extends for a length greater than the length of the head, the central portion may need to be bent in some manner. This may be a gentle curve, but it may also be curved in a serpentine, sinusoidal or zig-zag fashion.

The extension length should not be confused with the straight length being the shortest distance between the ends of the central portion.

Preferably, the central portion is in the form of a straight line.

The tooth whitening elements preferably have a central portion.

The tooth whitening element of the present invention has at least one lateral portion that preferably cup-surrounds/cups around the ends of the central portion.

Preferably, there are two lateral portions surrounding each end of the central portion of the cup.

The lateral portions are preferably shaped so as to surround the ends of the central portion. Preferably, the lateral portions have V-shaped, U-shaped or U-V-shaped regions to cup around the ends of the central portion.

Preferably, the lateral portions have V-shaped areas to cup around the ends of the central portion. The lateral portion may be formed with two spokes due to the lateral portion being V-shaped; or the lateral portion may be star-shaped with at least 3 spokes, preferably 3 spokes. The spokes may be of the same or different lengths. The length of the spokes may vary from 1mm to 7mm, preferably 2mm to 6mm, more preferably 3mm to 6 mm. The spokes may also be straight or curved outwardly at the tip.

The toothbrush according to the present invention may be made of any material conventionally used in the art.

Accordingly, the handle and head of the brush may be molded from polyolefins (e.g., polypropylene and polyethylene), polyamides (e.g., nylon), and polyesters (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate). Other suitable materials include polymethylmethacrylate, polyethylene acrylonitrile, and cellulose esters, such as cellulose propionate.

The bristles of the brush may be made of a flexible material suitable for use in oral hygiene. Generally, materials suitable for bristles are polyamides (e.g., nylon) or polyesters (e.g., polybutylene terephthalate).

In a second aspect, the present invention provides the use of a toothbrush according to the present invention for improved oral hygiene.

Drawings

Embodiments of a toothbrush according to the present invention are described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a toothbrush according to the invention. In fig. 1, the toothbrush comprises a head (2) and a handle (1). The head has a tooth whitening element (3) having two sections, a central section (4) and lateral sections (5). The lateral parts have spokes (6). The head also shows a tuft (7) of bristles.

Fig. 2 shows the comparison results of the 3 kinds of toothbrushes of example 3. Blue color (first bar) indicates a toothbrush according to the invention, green color (third bar) indicates Oral B flat top full-edged toothbrush, and red color (second bar) indicates Signal toothbrush.

The invention will now be illustrated by means of the following non-limiting examples.

Examples of the invention

Example 1: effect of the toothbrush according to the invention on whitening

In this example, a toothbrush according to the invention is compared with an existing toothbrush (White System Ex, Italy, 2016) marketed with whitening effect and sold under the brand name Signal.

Equipment:

the equipment used in this example is as follows:

a grinder, a grit paper;

a WIRA scrubber;

the color difference meter Minolta CR321(Minolta Camera, japan) is in CIE L a b mode.

The stain process comprises the following steps:

cleanliness was assessed as described in Stookey GA, Burkhard TA, Schemehorn B R.in vitro removal of stand with dentifres J Dent Res 198261: 1236-. The percent stain removal is given by the equation:

l × Brushed: value of L after brushing time

L Stained: lx value at baseline stain conditions

L × purified: final polished L value by preventive method

And (3) testing a product:

code	Test product
		A	Signal White System toothbrush of Unilever
B	Toothbrush according to the invention

The toothbrush according to the invention used in this example has the following specifications: head with a rotatable shaft

Designing:

bristle cutting profile: multilayer (with power end)

Material

Anchor line:

metal alloy (Nickel/silver wire)

supplier-Berkenhoff

Grade-nickel silver NS 12

Filament:

nylon 6/12

The supplier: DuPont/STP

Grade: PA6.12 filament

+

Nylon 6/12

The supplier: BBC-tbc

Grade: carbon fiber filament

Cluster map:

as in fig. 1

Filament caliper & filament color:

finishing size:

height: higher cluster 12.5 + -0.5 mm

Lower cluster 10.5 + -0.5 mm

Sheet 10.5 + -0.2 mm

As a result:

in this study, toothbrushes A and B were tested using a design of experiments matrix, ensuring that the bristles tested were randomly distributed in 4 slots of the scrubber. The results are summarized in table 1. Statistical analysis of the data was performed via JMP 11 (statistical software from SAS). Comparisons were developed using the Tukey-Kramer HSD test to assess whether differences between products were statistically significant.

Table 1 shows the mean of the percent stain removal with the relative standard deviation values and standard error values for each test product.

TABLE 1

The mean of different letters differed significantly at 95% confidence (p < 0.05).

The above table shows the statistical differences found in stain removal efficacy or whitening. It can be seen that the toothbrush according to the present invention performs better than the Signal toothbrush.

Example 2: effect of the toothbrush according to the invention on plaque removal

In this example, the toothbrush according to the invention was compared with a prior art toothbrush marketed under the trade name Signal to evaluate the cleaning performance by measuring the amount of dental plaque remaining in the interdental spaces after the circular brushing movement.

Equipment:

the equipment used in this example is as follows:

scrubbing unit: with a combination of collinear and intersecting brush patterns, approximately circular brushing motions were observed in the test.

Tooth model:

a colored artificial teethridge made of polyurethane and including four parallel extending slits is used to simulate the interdental space between incisors and molars in a human mouth. The seams filled with the paste mass appeared like a white band of 4mm width; after brushing, the partially cleaned slots are shown as white bands of reduced width. The analysis only considers two central slits.

Apparatus for measuring dental plaque removal: whiteness was measured using a spectrophotometer in which L a b's in the color system were recorded for empty, full and post-brush slits.

Artificial dental plaque:

the slots on the tooth model are filled with a synthetic soft white paste that mimics the physical properties of human dental plaque.

The mass was spread in the slots on the artificial gum (plate) using a toning knife and the excess mass was spread evenly over the surface of the artificial gum.

The testing process comprises the following steps:

the toothbrush was soaked in water for 5 minutes to soften the bristles. The toothbrush head is then placed vertically in the grasping unit of the brusher so that the tufts are not compressed during and after placement. The values of the full and empty prosthetic gums were measured with a colorimeter. Six sets of measurements were made in the two central slits (three sets of measurements for each slit: the middle set and one set on each side) and the average was calculated. A dental denture bed prepared with a plaque filling is placed in a special container and saliva is added to cover the entire denture bed. The container is placed in a machine holder. A load of 190 grams was applied to the brush head by weight and the scrubber was allowed to run for 30 full strokes (frequency 150 double strokes/minute). The gums were then carefully cleaned with distilled water to remove saliva residues and the gums were removed from the container. Plaque removal was assessed photometrically from the slot, as was done for full and empty values. The artificial gums were cleaned and re-analyzed with the same brush head under a load of 275 grams.

The percentage of plaque removal was determined using the following equation:

and (3) testing a product:

code	Test product
		A	Signal toothbrush of Unilever
B	Toothbrush according to the invention

The toothbrush according to the invention used in this example has the same specifications as in example 1.

As a result:

in this study, toothbrushes a and B were tested for plaque removal.

Table 2 shows the mean of the percent plaque removal with the relative standard deviation values for each test product.

TABLE 2

The above table shows that the tested products are statistically equivalent. It can be seen that the toothbrush according to the invention behaves like a Signal toothbrush.

Example 3: effect of the toothbrush according to the invention on polishing

In this example, the toothbrush according to the invention was compared with an existing toothbrush marketed under the trade name Oral B in order to evaluate the polishing capacity of the toothbrush according to the invention.

And (3) testing a product:

	test product
		A	Signal toothbrush of Unilever
B	Toothbrush according to the invention
		C	Oral B Flat Top edge

The materials used were:

scrubbing unit

Black organic glass ceramic tile

155/SO Sheen gloss meter

The testing process comprises the following steps:

the gloss value of each tile was measured at a 60o/60o (incident/measured) angle using a Sheen micro gloss meter. For each tile, an initial gloss measurement was made, then the plexiglass surface was made dull with sandpaper, and the gloss value was measured again. This provides the maximum and minimum gloss values of the tile, from which the gloss percentage is then calculated.

The slurry is prepared as follows:

1 part toothpaste (Signal sensitive toothpaste)

1 part of water

1 part SCMC dilution

More than 10g of slurry was applied to each sample and the tile was brushed. Gloss measurements were taken after 200, 1000, 3000 and 5000 brushing strokes.

As a result:

in this study, toothbrushes A, B and C were tested for polishing ability.

Fig. 2 shows the results at different time points. In general, it can be concluded that the toothbrush according to the invention (indicated by the blue color in fig. 2) outperforms the Oral B flat-topped full-edged toothbrush (indicated by the green color in fig. 2) in polishing action and is statistically similar in performance to the Signal toothbrush (indicated by the red color in fig. 2).

Claims

1. A toothbrush comprising a handle (1) and a head (2), the head comprising bristles and tooth whitening elements (3) in the form of resilient wall members, characterized in that the tooth whitening elements have a central portion (4) extending along the longitudinal axis of the head and at least one lateral portion (5) cup-surrounding the end of the central portion, wherein the central portion (4) has a straight line length of 10 to 15mm and the lateral portion (5) is shaped with two spokes, or the lateral portion is star-shaped with at least 3 spokes (6), wherein the central portion (4) and the lateral portion (5) are separate from each other.

2. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the central portion (4) of the tooth whitening elements (3) extends continuously along the longitudinal axis of the head (2).

3. Toothbrush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each spoke (6) has the same or a different length.

4. The toothbrush according to any of the foregoing claims, wherein the spokes (6) have a length of 1 to 7 mm.

5. Toothbrush according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the spokes (6) are straight or curved.

6. The toothbrush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tooth whitening element (3) has one central portion (4).

7. The toothbrush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tooth whitening elements (3) are embodied as lamellae.

8. The toothbrush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tooth whitening element (3) comprises perlite.

9. Use of the toothbrush according to any one of the preceding claims for improving oral hygiene.