Oral care implement having multi-component handle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10010164-B2
Application number	US-201715831429-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2017
Priority date	Dec 18, 2009
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

An oral care implement having a multi-component handle. The oral care implement may include a head and a handle. The handle may include a transparent component and an opaque component. The transparent component may have a front surface, a rear surface opposite the front surface, a first lateral surface, and a second lateral surface opposite the first lateral surface. The opaque component may at least partially cover the front and rear surfaces of the transparent component while leaving the first and second lateral surfaces of the transparent component exposed. Thus, the transparent component may form a window through the lateral surfaces of the handle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oral care implement comprising:
a head having a front surface and a rear surface opposite the front surface, a plurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from the front surface of the head;
a handle coupled to the head, the handle comprising:
a transparent component constructed of a first hard plastic material, the transparent component having a front surface, a rear surface opposite the front surface, a first lateral surface, and a second lateral surface opposite the first lateral surface;
an elongated handle body constructed of an opaque second hard plastic material; and
a grip cover constructed of an opaque resilient material;

wherein the front and rear surfaces of the transparent component are at least partially covered by at least one of the elongated handle body and the grip cover, and wherein the first and second lateral surfaces of the transparent component are exposed; and
wherein the grip cover forms: (1) a portion of an exposed rear surface of the handle; (2) a portion of an exposed front surface of the handle; and (3) a proximal end of the handle.

2. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the handle comprises the exposed front surface, the exposed rear surface opposite the exposed front surface, a right lateral surface, and a left lateral surface opposite the right lateral surface, and wherein the transparent component provides a window into and through the handle from the right lateral surface to the left lateral surface.

3. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the handle extends along a longitudinal axis and comprises a proximal section, a middle section, and a neck section, and wherein within the proximal section the transparent component has a first maximum width measured transverse to the longitudinal axis and the elongated handle body has a second maximum width measured transverse to the longitudinal axis, the first maximum width being greater than the second maximum width.

4. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the grip cover is in contact with and covers at least a portion of the elongated handle body.

5. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the handle further comprises a grip body comprising a front surface that forms a portion of the exposed front surface of the handle and a rear surface that forms a portion of the exposed rear surface of the handle, wherein the front surface of the grip body is surrounded by a first annular portion of the elongated handle body.

6. The oral care implement according to claim 5 wherein the first annular portion of the elongated handle body is surrounded by the grip cover.

7. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the elongated handle body is integral with the head.

8. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the handle extends along a longitudinal axis and comprises a proximal section, a middle section, and a neck section, the handle comprising a grip body constructed of a resilient material located within the middle section, the neck section extending between the middle section and the head and the proximal section extending between the middle section and the proximal end of the handle, and wherein the front and rear surfaces of the transparent component are covered by at least one of the elongated handle body and the grip cover along the proximal section of the handle, and wherein the first and second lateral surfaces of the transparent component that are exposed at an outer surface of the handle are elongated in a direction of the longitudinal axis of the handle.

9. An oral care implement comprising:
a head having a front surface and a rear surface opposite the front surface, a plurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from the front surface of the head;
a handle coupled to the head, the handle having a front surface, a rear surface, a right lateral surface, and a left lateral surface, the handle comprising;
a core structure constructed of a first hard plastic material and being transparent, the core structure comprising a front surface, a rear surface opposite the front surface, a first lateral surface, and a second lateral surface opposite the first lateral surface;
an elongated handle body constructed of a second hard plastic material, the elongated handle body in contact with and covering at least a portion of the front surface of the core structure and being integrally formed with the head; and
a grip cover constructed of a resilient material, the grip cover in contact with and covering a portion of the elongated handle body;

wherein the first and second lateral surfaces of the core structure are exposed to form portions of the right and left lateral surfaces of the handle, the core structure forming a window through the handle from the right lateral surface of the handle to the left lateral surface of the handle; and
wherein the grip cover forms a proximal end of the handle.

10. An oral care implement comprising:
a head having a front surface and a rear surface opposite the front surface, a plurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from the front surface of the head;
a handle coupled to the head, the handle having a front surface, a rear surface, a right lateral surface, and a left lateral surface, the handle comprising;
a core structure constructed of a first hard plastic material and being transparent, the core structure comprising a front surface, a rear surface opposite the front surface, a first lateral surface, and a second lateral surface opposite the first lateral surface;
an elongated handle body constructed of a second hard plastic material, the elongated handle body in contact with and covering at least a portion of the front surface of the core structure and being integrally formed with the head;
a grip cover constructed of a resilient material, the grip cover in contact with and covering a portion of the elongated handle body; and
a grip body constructed of a resilient material;

wherein the first and second lateral surfaces of the core structure are exposed to form portions of the right and left lateral surfaces of the handle, the core structure forming a window through the handle from the right lateral surface of the handle to the left lateral surface of the handle; and
wherein each of the front and rear surfaces of the handle comprises a portion of the elongated handle body, a portion of the grip cover, and a portion of the grip body.

11. The oral care implement according to claim 10 wherein the handle extends along a longitudinal axis and comprises a proximal section, a middle section, and a neck section, the grip body located within the middle section and the proximal section extending between the middle section and a proximal end of the handle, and wherein the front and rear surfaces of the core structure are covered by at least one of the elongated handle body and the grip cover along the proximal section of the handle.

12. The oral care implement according to claim 11 wherein within the proximal section of the handle the core structure has a first maximum width measured transverse to the longitudinal axis, the elongated handle body has a second maximum width measured transverse to the longitudinal axis, and the grip cover has a third maximum width measured transverse to the longitudinal axis, the first maximum width being greater than each of the second and third maximum widths such that the first and second lateral surfaces of the core structure are visible within the proximal section when the handle is viewed from the front surface and the rear surface.

13. The oral care implement according to claim 12 wherein the first

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Rooney Michael
• Jimenez Eduardo
• Bohner Marco
• Moskovich Robert

Classifications

• A46B5/026 Primary

  Grips or handles having a nonslip section · CPC title

• A46B5/021

  Grips or handles specially adapted to conform to the hand · CPC title

• B25G1/102

  the shape being specially adapted to facilitate handling or improve grip · CPC title

• Y10T16/476

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• A46B5/02

  specially shaped for holding by the hand · CPC title