Oral care implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11071854-B2
Application number	US-201715634936-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2017
Priority date	Jun 27, 2017
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

An oral care implement having electrodes thereon. In one aspect, the oral care implement may include a handle and a head, the head having a transverse through hole defined by an upper surface and a lower surface. A first electrode and a second electrode are located on the head and operably coupled to a power source to have opposite electrical charges. At least one of the first and second electrodes may be located on one of the upper and lower surfaces of the transverse through hole. In some embodiments, the first electrode is located on the upper surface of the transverse through hole and the second electrode is located on the lower surface of the transverse through hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oral care implement comprising:
a handle;
a head coupled to the handle and extending from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis, the head comprising a front surface, a rear surface opposite the front surface, and a side surface extending between the front and rear surfaces;
a plurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from the front surface of the head the side surface being free of tooth cleaning elements;
a transverse through-hole extending from a first opening in the side surface of the head to a second opening in the side surface of the head along a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the transverse through-hole forming a passageway through the head, the passageway being defined by an upper surface and a lower surface; and
a first electrode and a second electrode operably coupled to a power source and located on the head;
wherein the first electrode is located on the upper surface of the passageway so that an exposed outer surface of the first electrode faces the passageway and the second electrode is located on the lower surface of the passageway so that an exposed outer surface of the second electrode faces the passageway; and
wherein each of the first and second openings define a closed shape.

2. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes is a sacrificial electrode.

3. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the exposed outer surface of the first electrode is recessed relative to the one of the upper and lower surfaces of the passageway on which it is located.

4. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the exposed outer surface of the first electrode is recessed relative to the upper surface of the passageway and the exposed outer surface of the second electrode is recessed relative to the lower surface of the passageway.

5. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the exposed outer surface of the first electrode comprises a first portion that is exposed within the passageway and a second portion that is exposed on the front surface of the head, and wherein the exposed outer surface of the second electrode comprises a first portion that is exposed within the passageway and a second portion that is exposed on the rear surface of the head.

6. The oral care implement according to claim 5 wherein the second portion of the first electrode is recessed relative to the front surface of the head and wherein the second portion of the second electrode is recessed relative to the rear surface of the head.

7. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the first and second electrodes are axially offset such that a plane that is perpendicular to the front surface of the head and to the longitudinal axis intersects one of the first and second electrodes without intersecting the other one of the first and second electrodes.

8. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the side surface of the head comprises a first lateral portion, a second lateral portion, and a distal portion extending between the first and second lateral portions, and wherein the first opening of the transverse through-hole is located on the first lateral portion of the side surface of the head and the second opening of the transverse through-hole is located on the second lateral portion of the side surface of the head.

9. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein one of the first and second electrodes is a cathode and the other of the first and second electrodes is an anode.

10. The oral care implement according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of the first electrodes located on the upper surface of the passageway and a plurality of the second electrodes located on the lower surface of the passageway.

11. The oral care implement according to claim 10 wherein each of the first and second electrodes extend across the head in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, each of the first electrodes being spaced apart from one another in an axial direction and each of the second electrodes being spaced apart from one another in the axial direction.

12. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the passageway extends from the first opening to the second opening along an axis that is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the head.

13. An oral care implement comprising:
a handle;
a head coupled to the handle and comprising a front surface, a rear surface opposite the front surface, and first and second lateral surfaces extending between the front and rear surfaces;
a plurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from the front surface of the head the first and second lateral surfaces being free of tooth cleaning elements;
a through-hole formed through the head from the first lateral surface of the head to the second lateral surface of the head, the through-hole being defined by an upper surface and a lower surface and having a closed shape on both the first and second lateral surfaces of the head;
a first electrode operably coupled to a power source and located on the upper surface of the through-hole; and
a second electrode operably coupled to the power source and located on the lower surface of the through-hole;
wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes is a sacrificial electrode.

14. The oral care implement according to claim 13 wherein one of the first and second electrodes is an anode and the other of the first and second electrodes is a cathode.

15. The oral care implement according to claim 13 wherein the first electrode has an exposed surface that is recessed relative to the upper surface of the through-hole and the second electrode has an exposed surface that is recessed relative to the lower surface of the through-hole, the exposed surfaces of the first and second electrodes facing one another within the through-hole.

16. The oral care implement according to claim 13 wherein the head extends from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the first and second electrodes are axially offset with one another along the longitudinal axis, each of the first and second electrodes being elongated in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis.

17. An oral care implement comprising:
a handle;
a head coupled to the handle and extending from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis, the head comprising a front surface, a rear surface opposite the front surface, and a side surface extending between the front and rear surfaces;
a transverse through-hole extending from a first opening in the side surface of the head to a second opening in the side surface of the head along a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the transverse through-hole forming a passageway through the head, the passageway being defined by an upper surface and a lower surface and having a cross-sectional profile perpendicular to the transverse axis, the cross-sectional profile being a closed shape;
a first electrode and a second electrode operably coupled to a power source and located on the head; and
wherein the first electrode is located on one of the upper and lower surfaces of the passageway so that an exposed outer surface of the first electrode faces the passageway.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Wainless Daniel
• Johansson Patrik
• Khan Soniya

Classifications

• A46B9/04 Primary

  {Arranged like in or} for toothbrushes · CPC title

• A46B11/0068

  Brushes where the reservoir is specifically intended for solid substance that dissolves gradually · CPC title

• A46B11/0003

  containing only one dose of substance, e.g. single-use toothbrushes · CPC title

• A46B2200/1066

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

• A61C19/002

  Cleaning devices specially adapted for dental instruments · CPC title