Oral care device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11019918-B2
Application number	US-201916436295-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2019
Priority date	Jun 11, 2018
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

An oral care device may include: a body including a head; a plurality of teeth cleaning elements extending from the head; a first electrode on the head; a second electrode on the head and spaced apart from the first electrode, wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes is a sacrificial electrode; a power source; and a controller configured to operably couple the power source to the first and second electrodes to create an electric potential between the first and second electrodes so that ions are released from the sacrificial electrode during a brushing session; wherein the controller is configured to change a magnitude of the electric potential the brushing session ends.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oral care device comprising:
a body comprising a head;
a plurality of teeth cleaning elements extending from the head;
a first electrode on the head;
a second electrode on the head and spaced apart from the first electrode, wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes is a sacrificial electrode;
a power source;
a controller configured to operably couple the power source to the first and second electrodes to create an electric potential between the first and second electrodes so that ions are released from the sacrificial electrode during a brushing session;
wherein the controller is configured to change a magnitude of the electric potential before the brushing session ends; and
wherein the controller is configured to change the magnitude in a plurality of discrete steps during at least one part of the brushing session.

2. The oral care device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to change the magnitude to zero within a time period which is up to a user brushing period.

3. The oral care device of claim 2 , wherein the time period is less than half of the user brushing period.

4. The oral care device of claim 1 , wherein both the first and second electrodes are sacrificial electrodes.

5. The oral care device of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to alternate the electric potential between a positive polarity and a negative polarity during the brushing session.

6. The oral care device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises zinc.

7. An oral care process comprising:
generating an electric potential between a first electrode and a second electrode on a head of an oral care device and positioned spaced apart from each other, wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes is a sacrificial electrode, the electric potential resulting in ions being released from the sacrificial electrode during a brushing session;
changing a magnitude of the electric potential before the brushing session ends; and
wherein the magnitude is changed in accordance with a polynomial function.

8. The oral care process of claim 7 , wherein the magnitude is changed to zero within a time period which is up to a user brushing period.

9. The oral care process of claim 8 , wherein the time period is less than half of the user brushing period.

10. The oral care process of claim 7 , wherein both the first and second electrodes are sacrificial electrodes.

11. The oral care process of claim 10 , further comprising alternating the electric potential between a positive polarity and a negative polarity during the brushing session.

12. The oral care process of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first sacrificial electrode and the second sacrificial electrode comprises zinc.

13. An oral care device comprising:
a body comprising a head;
a plurality of teeth cleaning elements extending from the head;
a first electrode on the head;
a second electrode on the head and spaced apart from the first electrode, wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes is a sacrificial electrode;
a power source;
a controller configured to operably couple the power source to the first and second electrodes to create an electric potential between the first and second electrodes so that ions are released from the sacrificial electrode at a release rate during a brushing session;
wherein the controller is configured to change a magnitude of the electric potential before the brushing session ends; and
wherein the release rate is highest at an end of the brushing session.

14. The oral care device of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to change the magnitude to zero within a time period which is up to a user brushing period.

15. The oral care device of claim 14 , wherein the time period is less than half of the user brushing period.

16. The oral care device of claim 13 , wherein both the first and second electrodes are sacrificial electrodes.

17. The oral care device of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to alternate the electric potential between a positive polarity and a negative polarity during the brushing session.

18. The oral care device of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises zinc.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Johansson Patrik
• Davies-Smith Leighton

Classifications

• A61C17/32

  reciprocating or oscillating · CPC title

• A61C17/222

  Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle · CPC title

• A61C17/221

  Control arrangements therefor · CPC title

• A61N1/0548

  Oral electrodes · CPC title

• A46B11/002

  pressurised at moment of use manually or by powered means · CPC title