Toothbrush with light transmissive handle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10966516-B2
Application number	US-201415525726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2014
Priority date	Nov 10, 2014
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

A toothbrush handle includes a support structure formed of clarified polypropylene and a body formed of thermoplastic elastomer disposed on the support structure. The support structure includes a web having a thickness in a first direction orthogonal to an axis of the toothbrush handle of less than 2 millimeters and at least one rib depending from the web and having a thickness in a second direction, orthogonal to the axis and angled relative to the first direction, of less than about 2 millimeters. The body at least partially covers the web and the at least one rib. The handle has a light transmissivity of greater than 40% through a portion of the handle at which the body covers the web and the at least one rib.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A toothbrush handle comprising:
a support structure formed of clarified polypropylene, the support structure comprising a web having a thickness in a first direction orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the toothbrush handle of less than 2 millimeters between first and second sides of the web and a plurality of ribs depending from the first and second sides of the web, the plurality of ribs extending parallel to the first direction and having a thickness in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction of less than 2 millimeters; and
a body formed of thermoplastic elastomer disposed on the support structure to at least partially cover the web and the plurality of ribs;
wherein the plurality of ribs comprises a central rib and at least one outer rib, the central rib being longer than the outer rib along the longitudinal axis.

2. The toothbrush handle of claim 1 , wherein the handle comprises a a neck and a gripping region, the neck coupled to a distal end of the gripping region, the central rib extending from the head to a proximal end of the gripping region, and the at least one outer rib extending from a distal end of the neck to the proximal end of the gripping region.

3. The toothbrush handle of claim 1 , wherein the web lies in a first plane coincident with the longitudinal axis, the first direction perpendicular to the first plane.

4. The toothbrush handle according to claim 1 , wherein the central rib of plurality of ribs has a height which is greater than a height of the at least one outer rib as measured from the web to a distal end of each of the central rib and the at least one outer rib.

5. The toothbrush handle of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ribs further comprises a second central rib, the central rib extending in the first direction and the second central rib extending in a direction opposite the first direction, the central rib and the second central rib being coplanar.

6. The toothbrush handle of claim 1 , wherein the central rib extends from the first side of the web and a second central rib extends from the second side of the web.

7. A toothbrush comprising:
a handle; and
a head connected to a distal end of the handle by a neck,
wherein the handle comprises a plurality of support structures extending generally along a longitudinal axis of the handle from a position proximate a proximal end axially opposite the distal end toward the head, each of the support structures having a thickness of less than 2 millimeters in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis;
wherein the plurality of support structures comprise a plurality of spaced-apart elongate ribs that include a central rib and at least one outer rib, the central rib extending from the head to a proximal end of the handle and the outer rib extending from a distal end of the handle to the proximal end of the handle.

8. The toothbrush of claim 7 , wherein the support structures further comprise a web and the plurality of spaced-apart elongate ribs extend from a surface of the web in a first direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the thicknesses of the spaced-apart elongate ribs measured in a direction that is orthogonal to the first direction and the longitudinal axis and the thickness of the web being measured in the first direction.

9. The toothbrush of claim 7 , wherein the support structures are formed of a material having a light transmissivity of at least 85% determined using ASTM D1003.

10. The toothbrush of claim 7 , wherein the handle further comprises a body covering the support structures.

11. The toothbrush of claim 10 , wherein the body is formed from a material having a light transmissivity of at least 85% determined using ASTM D1003.

12. The toothbrush of claim 7 , further comprising a plane coincident with the longitudinal axis, wherein the plurality of spaced-apart elongate ribs extend from the plane in a first direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a second direction opposite the first direction.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Hohlbein Douglas
• Wong Chi Shing

Classifications

• A46B15/0087 Primary

  Brushes with decoration on or in the handle · CPC title

• B25G1/10

  characterised by material or shape (B25G1/01, B25G1/02 take precedence {; for hand tools comprising coating rollers B05C17/0205}) · 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

• A46B5/026

  Grips or handles having a nonslip section · CPC title