Oral care implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10076180-B2
Application number	US-201214650803-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2012
Priority date	Dec 10, 2012
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

An oral care implement having a grip component. In one embodiment, the invention can be an oral care implement comprising: an elongated body comprising a head portion and a handle portion, the handle portion comprising a socket; at least one tooth cleaning element mounted to the head portion of the elongated body; and a first grip component comprising: an annular rim defining a central opening, the annular rim formed of a rigid material; and a resilient body mounted to the annular rim that covers the central opening, the resilient body formed of a resilient material; the first grip component mounted within the socket.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oral care implement comprising:
an elongated body comprising a head portion and a handle portion, the handle portion comprising a socket;
at least one tooth cleaning element mounted to the head portion of the elongated body; and
a first grip component comprising:
an annular rim defining a central opening, the annular rim formed of a rigid material; and
a resilient body mounted to the annular rim that covers the central opening, the resilient body formed of a resilient material;

the first grip component mounted within the socket; and
wherein the resilient body comprises a dome shaped outer surface protruding from an upper edge of the annular rim, the upper edge of the annular rim and the dome-shaped outer surface of the resilient body forming a continuous, uninterrupted and smooth surface with an outer surface of the handle portion.

2. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the handle portion is formed of a rigid material, the annular rim thermally fused to the handle portion.

3. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein an annular interface is formed between the annular rim and the handle portion, and wherein a hermetic seal is formed along the annular interface so that an air-tight pocket is formed below the resilient body.

4. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the resilient body is molded to the annular rim.

5. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the resilient body further comprises a plurality of protuberances protruding from the dome-shaped outer surface.

6. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the handle portion comprises a neck section, a thumb-grip section and a finger grip section, the thumb-grip section located between the neck section and the finger grip section, the socket located within the thumb-grip section.

7. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the socket is a through-hole extending through the handle portion, the through hole terminating as a first opening on a first side of the handle portion and terminating as a second opening on a second side of the handle portion opposite the first side, the first grip component mounted within the through-hole to enclose the first opening.

8. The oral care implement according to claim 7 further comprising a second grip component mounted within the through-hole to enclose the second opening, the second grip component comprises a second resilient body formed of a resilient material.

9. The oral care implement according to claim 8 wherein the second resilient body of the second grip component is molded directly to the handle portion.

10. The oral care implement according to claim 8 wherein the second grip component comprises an annular rim formed of a rigid material, the second resilient body of the second grip component molded to the annular rim of the second grip component, the annular rim of the second grip component thermally fused to the handle portion.

11. The oral care implement according to claim 9 wherein an air-tight pocket is formed between the first and second grip components.

12. The oral care implement according to claim 8 wherein the resilient body of the first grip component comprises a first projecting portion extending from an inner surface of the resilient body into the through-hole, and wherein the second resilient body of the second grip component comprises a second projecting portion extending from an inner surface of the second resilient body into the through-hole.

13. The oral care implement according to claim 12 wherein the first projecting portion of the first resilient body is in contact with the second projecting portion of the second resilient body.

14. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the resilient body of the first grip component is compressible in a direction towards a longitudinal axis of the handle portion and biases back to an uncompressed state.

15. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the annular rim of the first grip component comprises a tapered outer surface, the socket comprising a section having a tapered sidewall, the tapered outer surface of the annular rim in abutment with the tapered sidewall.

16. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the resilient body of the first grip component comprises one or more apertures, the one or more apertures forming passageways to a space beneath the resilient body.

17. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the annular rim of the first grip component further comprises a strut extending from a first side of the annular rim to a second side of the annular rim opposite the first side of the annular rim.

18. An oral care implement comprising:
a head having at least one tooth cleaning element;
a handle coupled to the head, the handle comprising at least one through-hole extending through the handle, the through-hole terminating as a first opening on a first side of the handle and terminating as a second opening on a second side of the handle;
a first grip component coupled to the handle to enclose the first opening, the first grip component comprising an annular rim defining a central opening and a first resilient body mounted to the annular rim that covers the central opening, the annular rim formed of a rigid first material and the first resilient body formed of a resilient second material, wherein the resilient material of the first resilient body comprises a dome shaped outer surface protruding from an upper edge of the annular rim, the upper edge of the annular rim and the dome shaped outer surface of the resilient body forming a continuous, uninterrupted and smooth surface with an outer surface of the handle; and
a second grip component coupled to the handle to enclose the second opening, the second grip component comprises a second resilient body formed of a third material;
wherein the first resilient body comprises a first projecting portion extending from an inner surface of the first resilient body into the through-hole, wherein the second resilient body comprises a second projecting portion extending from an inner surface of the second resilient body into the through-hole, wherein the first projecting portion of the first resilient body is in contact with the second projecting portion of the second resilient body, and wherein the inner surface of the first resilient body and the inner surface of the second resilient body are spaced apart so that a cavity is formed between the first and second resilient bodies.

19. The oral care implement according to claim 18 wherein the cavity is air-filled.

20. The oral care implement according to claim 18 wherein the first resilient body is molded to the annular rim and the annular rim is thermally fused to the handle.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Hohlbein Douglas

Classifications

• B25G1/102

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

• A46B5/021

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

• A61C17/225

  Handles or details thereof · CPC title

• Y10T16/476

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y10T16/498

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic