Oral care implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10842255-B2
Application number	US-201816225509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2018
Priority date	Dec 20, 2017
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

An oral care implement comprises a head and a handle, the head being repeatedly attachable to and detachable from the handle. The head is made from a non-magnetic and/or non-ferromagnetic material, while the handle is at least partially made from a magnetic and/or ferromagnetic material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oral care implement ( 10 ) comprising a head ( 14 ) and a handle ( 12 ), the head ( 14 ) being repeatedly attachable to and detachable from the handle ( 12 ), the head ( 14 ) being made from a non-magnetic and/or non-ferromagnetic material, and the handle ( 12 ) being at least partially made from a magnetic and/or ferromagnetic material, wherein the magnetic and/or ferromagnetic material comprises about 27.5 weight percent of an amorphous thermoplastic resin, about 17 weight percent of aluminum oxide, about 51 weight percent of iron oxide, and about 4.5% glass fiber.

2. The oral care implement ( 10 ) of claim 1 , wherein the amorphous thermoplastic resin is selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polystyrene, styrene acrylonitrile, and any mixture thereof.

3. The oral care implement ( 10 ) of claim 1 , wherein the amorphous thermoplastic resin comprises about 17% weight percent styrene acrylonitrile, and 10.5 weight percent of a mixture comprising polybutylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate.

4. The oral care implement ( 10 ) of claim 1 , wherein the handle ( 14 ) comprises a thumb rest ( 16 ) being made from thermoplastic elastomer material and/or from polypropylene material.

5. The oral care implement ( 10 ) of claim 1 , wherein the oral care implement ( 10 ) is a manual toothbrush ( 10 ).

6. The oral care implement ( 10 ) of claim 1 , wherein the handle ( 12 ) is formed of at least two different parts ( 12 , 16 , 18 ) made of different materials.

7. A kit ( 22 ) comprising the oral care implement ( 10 ) of claim 1 and a magnetic holder ( 24 ) for attaching and holding the oral care implement ( 10 ).

8. A method for manufacturing an oral care implement ( 10 ) of claim 1 , the method comprising steps:
providing an amorphous thermoplastic resin;
providing aluminum oxide, boron nitride or aluminum silicate;
providing iron oxide;
mixing the amorphous thermoplastic resin, aluminum oxide, boron nitride or aluminum silicate and iron oxide into a magnetic and/or ferromagnetic molding material so that the magnetic and/or ferromagnetic molding material comprises about 27.5 weight percent of an amorphous thermoplastic resin, about 17 weight percent of aluminum oxide, about 51 weight percent of iron oxide, and about 4.5% glass fiber;
heating the molding material mixture into a flowable molding material;
molding the flowable molding mixture into a handle ( 12 ) or part of a handle ( 12 );
providing a non-magnetic and/or non-ferromagnetic material; and
molding the non-magnetic and/or non-ferromagnetic material into a head ( 14 ) or part of a head ( 14 ).

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the amorphous thermoplastic resin comprises at least one of styrene acrylonitrile, polybutylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate.

10. The method of claim 8 , comprising a step of electroplating the handle ( 12 ) with a thermoplastic elastomer or a polypropylene material.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the head ( 14 ) and/or handle ( 12 ) is molded by injection or extrusion molding.

Assignees

• Gillette Co Llc

Inventors

• Görich Gerald
• Morgott Markus
• Jungnickel Uwe

Classifications

• A46B5/0095 Primary

  Removable or interchangeable brush heads · CPC title

• A46D3/005 Primary

  by moulding or casting a body around bristles or tufts of bristles · CPC title

• A46B2200/1066

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

• A46B5/02

  specially shaped for holding by the hand · CPC title

• A46B9/04

  {Arranged like in or} for toothbrushes · CPC title