Oral care implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11350732-B2
Application number	US-201916354261-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2019
Priority date	Mar 15, 2019
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

An oral care implement including a handle and a head. The oral care implement may be formed entirely out of a resilient or flexible material. The head may include a base structure and a monolithic cleaning unit. The monolithic cleaning unit may include a block portion extending from a front surface of the base structure and a plurality of protuberances extending from a distal end of the block portion. The block portion may have a greater height than the protuberances. The protuberances may include central protuberances that extend from a distal surface of the block portion and peripheral protuberances that surround the block portion and extend from the front surface of the base structure. The monolithic cleaning unit may include ribs extending between adjacently positioned protuberances. The oral care implement may be suitable for babies.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oral care implement comprising:
a handle;
a head coupled to the handle, the head comprising a base structure and a monolithic cleaning unit, the monolithic cleaning unit comprising;
a block portion extending from a front surface of the base structure to a distal surface of the block portion, the block portion having a first height measured from the front surface of the base structure to the distal surface; and
a plurality of protuberances extending from the distal surface of the block portion, at least one of the plurality of protuberances having a second height measured from the distal surface of the block portion to a distal end of the at least one protuberance, the second height being equal to or less than the first height;

wherein the monolithic cleaning unit comprises a plurality of ribs extending from the distal surface of the block portion, each of the ribs of the plurality of ribs extending between two of the plurality of protuberances that are adjacent to one another.

2. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of protuberances comprises the second height measured from the distal surface of the block portion to the distal end of the protuberance so that the distal ends of the protuberances form a flat trim profile.

3. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the block portion comprises an outer surface extending from the front surface of the base structure to the distal surface of the block portion, and wherein the plurality of protuberances comprises a plurality of peripheral protuberances that surround the block portion, the plurality of peripheral protuberances comprising a first portion that protrudes radially from the outer surface of the block portion and a second portion that protrudes from the distal surface of the block portion.

4. The oral care implement according to claim 3 wherein an outer surface of the monolithic cleaning unit is formed by the outer surface of the block portion and outer surfaces of the plurality peripheral protuberances.

5. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the ribs have a third height measured from the distal surface of the block portion to a distal end of the ribs, the third height being less than the second height such that the plurality of protuberances protrude beyond the distal ends of the ribs and the distal ends of the ribs are recessed relative to the distal ends of the plurality of protuberances.

6. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the head comprises a longitudinal axis, and wherein each of the plurality of ribs is elongated in a direction that is generally transverse to the longitudinal axis.

7. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of protuberances and the plurality of ribs collectively form walls extending from the distal surface of the block portion, and further comprising a plurality of channels located between adjacent ones of the walls.

8. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the base structure and the monolithic cleaning unit are integrally formed as a single monolithic structure.

9. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of protuberances comprises a plurality of peripheral protuberances that extend directly from the front surface of the base structure to distal ends of the plurality of peripheral protuberances and a plurality of central protuberances that extend directly from the distal surface of the block portion to distal ends of the plurality of central protuberances.

10. An oral care implement comprising:
a handle;
a head coupled to the handle, the head comprising a base structure and a cleaning unit, the cleaning unit comprising;
a block portion extending from a front surface of the base structure to a distal surface of the block portion; and
a plurality of protuberances extending from the distal surface of the block portion;

wherein the head, including the base structure and the cleaning unit, is a monolithic structure formed from a flexible material; and
wherein the plurality of protuberances comprises a plurality of central protuberances that extend directly from the distal surface of the block portion to a distal end and a plurality of peripheral protuberances that extend directly from the front surface of the base structure to a distal end, the plurality of peripheral protuberances coupled to an outer surface of the block portion and protruding beyond the distal surface of the block portion.

11. The oral care implement according to claim 10 wherein an entirety of the oral care implement including the handle and the head is a monolithic structure formed out of the flexible material.

12. The oral care implement according to claim 10 wherein the plurality of peripheral protuberances surround the block portion and the plurality of central protuberances.

13. The oral care implement according to claim 10 wherein the cleaning unit further comprises a plurality of ribs extending from the distal surface of the block portion, each of the ribs extending between two of the plurality of protuberances that are adjacent to one another, wherein the plurality of ribs are recessed relative to distal ends of the plurality of protuberances.

14. An oral care implement comprising:
a handle;
a head coupled to the handle, the head comprising a base structure and a monolithic cleaning unit, the monolithic cleaning unit comprising;
a block portion extending from a front surface of the base structure to a distal surface of the block portion;
a plurality of central protuberances extending directly from the distal surface of the block portion; and
a plurality of peripheral protuberances extending from the front surface of the base structure and surrounding the block portion, the plurality of peripheral protuberances comprising a first portion that extends from an outer surface of the block portion and a second portion that protrudes beyond the distal surface of the block portion.

15. The oral care implement according to claim 14 wherein an outer surface of the monolithic cleaning unit is formed by the outer surface of the block portion and outer surfaces of the plurality of peripheral protuberances.

16. The oral care implement according to claim 14 wherein the head, including the base structure and the monolithic cleaning unit, is a monolithic structure formed from a flexible material.

17. The oral care implement according to claim 14 wherein each of the plurality of central protuberances and each of the plurality of peripheral protuberances has the same height measured from the front surface of the base structure to distal ends of the plurality of central and peripheral protuberances.

18. The oral care implement according to claim 14 wherein the monolithic cleaning unit comprises a plurality of ribs, each of the plurality of ribs extending from one of the plurality of central protuberances to one of the plurality of peripheral protuberances, wherein the plurality of ribs are recessed relative to distal ends of the pluralities of central and peripheral protuberances.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Jimenez Eduardo
• Hohlbein Douglas

Classifications

• A46B15/0097

  Self supporting, e.g. brushes that stand upright or in other particular ways · CPC title

• A46B15/0087 Primary

  Brushes with decoration on or in the handle · CPC title

• A46B9/04

  {Arranged like in or} for toothbrushes · CPC title

• A46B5/023

  Grips or handles specially adapted for children · CPC title

• A61J17/02

  Teething rings · CPC title