Method of providing a visual indication of depletion of a fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10076182-B2
Application number	US-201615340494-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2016
Priority date	Apr 29, 2011
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

A method of providing a visual indication of depletion of an oral care fluid. In one aspect, the method provides a visual indication of depletion of an oral care fluid contained within a reservoir of an oral care implement having a delivery member formed of a capillary material. The method includes: a) providing an indicator fluid in the reservoir with the oral care fluid, the oral care fluid being a different color than the indicator fluid and immiscible with respect to the indicator fluid; and b) upon depletion of the oral care fluid from the reservoir, delivering the indicator fluid to a visible portion of the deliver member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of providing a visual indication of depletion of an oral care fluid contained within a reservoir of an oral care implement having a delivery member formed of a capillary material, the method comprising:
a) providing an indicator fluid in the reservoir with the oral care fluid, the oral care fluid being a different color than the indicator fluid and immiscible with respect to the indicator fluid; and
b) upon depletion of the oral care fluid from the reservoir, delivering the indicator fluid to a visible portion of the deliver member;
wherein the delivery member is in fluid communication with the oral care fluid only at a bottom portion of the reservoir; and
wherein one of the oral care fluid or the indicator fluid is hydrophobic and the other one of the oral care fluid or the indicator fluid is hydrophilic.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the oral care fluid and the indicator fluid have different densities.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the indicator fluid is delivered to the visible portion of the delivery member solely by capillary action of the capillary material.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the visible portion of the delivery member changes color upon delivery of the indicator fluid to the visible portion.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the oral care implement is a toothbrush.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the visible portion of the delivery member appears a first color when adsorbed with the oral care fluid and a second color when adsorbed with the indicator fluid, the first color being different than the second color.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein a substantial amount of the indicator fluid is not delivered to the visible portion of the delivery member until the oral care fluid within the reservoir is substantially depleted.

8. A method of providing a visual indication of depletion of an oral care fluid of a first color contained within a reservoir of an oral care implement having a delivery member formed of a capillary material of a second color, the oral care implement having a head at a distal end and a handle at a proximal end, the reservoir being located within the handle, the method comprising:
a) changing the appearance of a visible portion of the delivery member from the second color to the first color by adsorbing the oral care fluid into the visible portion of the delivery member; and
b) upon depletion of the oral care fluid from the reservoir, changing the appearance of the visible portion of the delivery member from the first color to a third color, wherein the first, second and third colors are different from one another;
wherein the reservoir has a bottom portion and a top portion, the bottom portion of the reservoir being adjacent the proximal end of the oral care implement and the top portion of the reservoir being closer to the distal end of the oral care implement than the bottom portion of the reservoir; and
wherein the delivery member is in fluid communication with the oral care fluid only at the bottom portion of the reservoir.

9. A method of providing a visual indication of depletion of an oral care fluid of a first color contained within a reservoir of an oral care implement having a delivery member formed of a capillary material of a second color, the method comprising:
a) changing the appearance of a visible portion of the delivery member from the second color to the first color by adsorbing the oral fluid into the visible portion of the delivery member; and
b) upon depletion of the oral care fluid from the reservoir, changing the appearance of the visible portion of the delivery member from the first color to a third color, wherein the first, second and third colors are different from one another;
wherein the third color is a resultant color of the combination of the first and second colors.

10. The method according to claim 8 wherein the third color is a secondary color and the first and second colors are primary colors.

11. A method of providing a visual indication of depletion of an oral care fluid contained within a reservoir of an oral care implement having a delivery member formed of a capillary material, the method comprising:
a) providing an indicator fluid in the reservoir with the oral care fluid, the oral care fluid being a different color than the indicator fluid and immiscible with resect to the indicator fluid; and
b) upon depletion of the oral care fluid from the reservoir, delivering the indicator fluid to a visible portion of the delivery member;
wherein the delivery member is in fluid communication with the oral care fluid only at a bottom portion of the reservoir; and
wherein the delivery member has a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being disposed within the reservoir, the first portion of the delivery member within the reservoir disposed within a sheath.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the sheath has an opening at the bottom portion of the reservoir.

13. The method according to claim 11 wherein the sheath is formed of a fluid impermeable material.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Patel Madhusudan
• Chopra Suman
• Boyd Thomas J

Classifications

• A46B11/0096 Primary

  Indication of the level of the remaining fluid, e.g. through transparent walls · CPC title

• A46B11/0082 Primary

  Means for closing, sealing or controlling the flow using capillary action · CPC title

• A46B11/001 Primary

  with integral reservoirs (A46B11/0003, A46B11/0006 take precedence) · CPC title

• A46B9/04

  {Arranged like in or} for toothbrushes · CPC title

• A46B2200/1066

  Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures (A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04) · CPC title