Oral care agent dispensing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11116617-B2
Application number	US-201816221533-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2018
Priority date	Dec 16, 2018
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

An oral care implement for dispensing an oral care agent includes a housing, reservoir therein containing an oral care fluid, and an electrical circuit comprising first and second electrodes connected to an onboard power source. Each electrode is in contact with the oral care fluid in the housing. An actuator, operably coupled to the power source, is configured to both selectively energize the circuit and activate dispensing of the oral care fluid. An electrical charge is applied to the oral care fluid by activating the actuator when dispensing the oral care fluid. When the fluid comprises a peroxide based tooth whitening agent, the dispensed fluid pH is increased by the electrical charge which improves the efficacy of the whitener. In one embodiment, the implement is a modular system including a powered base unit and one or more interchangeable cartridges each having a reservoir containing an oral care fluid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oral care implement comprising:
a housing comprising a reservoir and a dispensing conduit terminating in a discharge opening, the dispensing conduit fluidly coupled to the reservoir for delivering an oral care fluid from the reservoir to the discharge opening;
an electrical circuit comprising, in operable coupling, a power source, a first electrode electrically coupled to the oral care fluid, and a second electrode disposed in the dispensing conduit and electrically coupled to the oral care fluid in the dispensing conduit;
an actuator operably coupled to the electrical circuit and configured to energize the first and second electrodes upon being actuated, thereby generating an electrical charge at the second electrode to which the oral care fluid in the dispensing conduit adjacent the second electrode is exposed;
wherein the actuator is operably coupled to a dispensing mechanism including an axially movable piston arranged in a proximal end of the reservoir, the piston configured to move axially and dispense the oral care fluid when the actuator is actuated.

2. The oral care implement according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is further configured to dispense the oral care fluid from the reservoir via the discharge opening upon being actuated.

3. The oral care implement according to claim 1 , wherein the second electrode is positioned adjacent the discharge opening; and wherein the electrical circuit is configured so that the electrical charge generated by the second electrode creates a localized change in the oral care fluid that is limited to the oral care fluid in the dispensing conduit.

4. The oral care implement according to claim 1 , wherein the oral care fluid is a tooth whitening fluid which has a higher pH in the reservoir than the whitening fluid being dispensed when the electrical charge is applied.

5. The oral care implement according to claim 4 , wherein the pH of the whitening fluid in the reservoir is about 5.5 and the pH of the whitening fluid exiting the dispensing conduit is at least 10.

6. The oral care implement according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second electrodes is in direct contact with the oral care fluid.

7. The oral care implement according to claim 1 , wherein the second electrode is coupled to the piston and movable therewith.

8. The oral care implement according to claim 1 , wherein the dispensing mechanism is a ratcheting mechanism configured to advance the piston in a distal direction each time the actuator is actuated.

9. The oral care implement according to claim 1 , further comprising a venting system including a distal vent located in a distal portion of the housing and in fluid communication with a distal portion of the reservoir, and a proximal vent located in a proximal portion of the reservoir near the piston, the vents operable to vent gas accumulating in the reservoir to atmosphere, and wherein the vents are formed from hydrophobic gas-permeable membrane filters.

10. The oral care implement according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator and circuit are mutually configured such that depressing the actuator closes an electrical contact to energize the circuit when the actuator is depressed.

11. The oral care implement according to claim 1 , wherein the second electrode is disposed proximate to the discharge opening in the dispensing conduit.

12. The oral care implement according to claim 1 , further comprising a microcontroller operably coupled to the electric circuit and actuator, the microcontroller configured to (1) energize the circuit for a preprogrammed period of time upon detection that the actuator has been activated by a user, and (2) de-energize the circuit after the period of time has expired.

13. An oral care whitening agent dispenser comprising:
a housing including a longitudinal axis, a proximal end, a distal dispensing end, and a reservoir between the ends;
the reservoir containing a flowable tooth whitening agent having a first pH;
an electrical circuit comprising in connected relationship a power source, a distal electrode in contact with the whitening agent located adjacent the distal dispensing end, and a proximal electrode in contact with the whitening agent and spaced apart in a proximal direction from the first electrode;
a dispensing mechanism operable to dispense the whitening agent, the dispensing mechanism including an axially movable piston arranged in a proximal end of the reservoir, the piston configured to move axially and dispense the oral care fluid when the actuator is actuated;
an actuator operably coupled to the dispensing mechanism and the electrical circuit; and
wherein activating the actuator both dispenses the whitening agent and applies an electrical charge to the whitening agent being dispensed causing an electrochemical reaction which increases the pH of the dispensed whitening agent.

14. The dispenser according to claim 13 , wherein the first pH in the reservoir does not increase by the application of the electrical charge to the whitening agent being dispensed.

15. The dispenser according to claim 13 , wherein each of the distal and proximal electrodes is in direct contact with the oral care fluid.

16. The dispenser according to claim 13 , wherein the power source is a battery.

17. An oral care implement comprising:
a housing comprising a reservoir, and a dispensing conduit terminating in a discharge opening, the dispensing conduit fluidly coupled to the reservoir for delivering an oral care fluid from the reservoir to the discharge opening;
an electrical circuit comprising, in operable coupling, a power source, a first electrode electrically coupled to the oral care fluid, and a second electrode disposed electrically coupled to the oral care fluid;
a dispensing mechanism configured to dispense the oral care fluid from the reservoir via the discharge opening when activated;
an actuator operably coupled to the electrical circuit and to the dispensing mechanism and configured so that user actuation of the actuator (i) energizes the first and second electrodes to subject the oral care fluid to an electrical field; and (ii) activates the dispensing mechanism to dispense the oral care fluid via the discharge opening;
wherein the first electrode is disposed in the reservoir and the second electrode is disposed in the dispensing conduit.

18. The oral care implement according to claim 17 , wherein the actuator is further configured to simultaneously energize the first and second electrodes and activate the dispensing mechanism upon the user actuation.

19. The oral care implement according to claim 17 , wherein the actuator is configured so that upon cessation of actuation of the actuator, the first and second electrodes are de-energized at a first time and the dispensing mechanism is de-activated at a second time subsequent to the first time.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Speicher Erin
• Davies-Smith Leighton

Classifications

• A46B15/0022

  with an electrical means · CPC title

• A61C17/227

  with reservoirs, e.g. for toothpaste · CPC title

• A61C19/063

  Medicament applicators for teeth or gums, e.g. treatment with fluorides · CPC title

• A61C19/066 Primary

  Bleaching devices; Whitening agent applicators for teeth, e.g. trays or strips · CPC title

• A61C2204/002

  using batteries · CPC title