Personal care implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11877645-B2
Application number	US-202117320511-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2021
Priority date	May 14, 2021
Publication date	Jan 23, 2024
Grant date	Jan 23, 2024

Abstract

A personal care implement that uses less plastic by removing material from a handle of the oral care implement while maintaining a comfortable grip which is similar to a normal grip that a user associates with a personal care implement. That is, the handle has a recess in a rear surface thereof, such that the handle or a portion thereof has a U-shaped transverse cross-sectional area. Portions of the handle may be covered with an elastomeric material to increase gripability and comfort. The handle may also include various rib structures elongated along the recess to increase the strength of the handle so that it does not significantly deform during normal use.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A personal care implement comprising:
a body extending along a longitudinal axis and comprising a head configured to perform a personal care function and a handle configured to be gripped by a user during performance of the personal care function, the handle comprising a thumb grip portion and a finger grip portion that extends from the thumb grip portion to a distal end of the handle that is located furthest from the head;
wherein the finger grip portion of the handle has a generally U-shaped transverse cross-sectional area that defines a recess in a rear surface of the finger grip portion, the recess being elongated in a direction of the longitudinal axis;
wherein the finger grip portion of the handle comprises a first portion formed of a hard plastic material and a second portion formed of an elastomeric material, the first portion being generally U-shaped and comprising a convex front surface, a concave rear surface, and a distal edge that extends between the convex front surface and the concave rear surface, the distal edge and the concave rear surface facing in a same direction, the second portion covering and protruding from the distal edge of the first portion; and
wherein the second portion of the finger grip portion does not cover the convex front surface of the first portion of the finger grip portion.

2. The personal care implement according to claim 1 wherein the recess has a width measured in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, the width decreasing moving in a direction from the distal end of the handle towards the thumb grip along at least a portion of the finger grip portion.

3. The personal care implement according to claim 1 wherein the rear surface of the finger grip portion forms a floor of the recess along an entirety of the recess.

4. The personal care implement according to claim 3 wherein the second portion of the finger grip portion has a height measured from the distal end of the first portion of the finger grip portion to a terminal end of the second portion of the finger grip portion, the height being in a range of 2.5 mm to 5.0 mm.

5. The personal care implement according to claim 1 wherein the recess is open at the distal end of the handle.

6. The personal care implement according to claim 1 wherein the first portion comprises a first color and the second portion comprises a second color that is different than the first color.

7. The personal care implement according to claim 1 wherein along the rear surface of the finger grip portion of the handle, the elastomeric material of the second portion forms a closed loop that surrounds an exposed portion of the rigid material of the first portion.

8. The personal care implement according to claim 1 wherein the second portion of the finger grip portion of the handle covers a substantial entirety of the distal edge of the first portion of the finger grip portion of the handle.

9. The personal care implement according claim 1 wherein the second portion of the finger grip portion of the handle comprises a first portion located on a first side of the longitudinal axis and a second portion located on a second side of the longitudinal axis, each of the first and second portions of the second portion of the finger grip portion of the handle being arcuate and curved inwardly towards the longitudinal axis.

10. The personal care implement according to claim 1 further comprising a longitudinally elongated rib protruding from the rear surface of the finger grip portion of the handle, the longitudinally elongated rib being aligned with the longitudinal axis of the personal care implement.

11. The personal care implement according to claim 1 wherein the finger grip portion of the handle comprises a front surface and the rear surface and a thickness measured between the front and rear surfaces, the thickness being between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm.

12. The personal care implement according to claim 1 wherein the convex front surface of the first portion forms an entirety of an exposed front surface of the finger grip portion of the handle.

13. A personal care implement having a longitudinal axis and comprising:
a head configured to perform a personal care function;
a handle coupled to the head and configured to be gripped by a user during performance of the personal care function, the handle comprising a distal axial portion that comprises a distal end of the handle that is located furthest from the head; and
wherein the distal axial portion of the handle comprises:
a recess that is elongated in a direction of the longitudinal axis;
a first portion formed from a rigid material and comprising a front surface, a rear surface opposite the front surface, and a distal edge extending between the front and rear surfaces that at least partially surrounds the recess, the front surface being convex in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis and the rear surface being concave in the direction transverse to the longitudinal axis and forming a floor of the recess, wherein the distal edge and the rear surface face in a same direction; and
a second portion formed from an elastomeric material that covers the distal edge of the first portion; and

wherein the front surface of the first portion of the distal axial portion of the handle is not covered by the second portion such that the front surface of the first portion of the distal axial portion forms an entirety of an exposed front surface of the distal axial portion of the handle.

14. The personal care implement according to claim 13 wherein the first portion of the distal axial portion of the handle is free of any apertures extending between the front and rear surfaces.

15. The personal care implement according to claim 14 wherein the first portion comprises a rib protruding from the floor of the recess, the rib being located on and elongated along the longitudinal axis.

16. The personal care implement according to claim 13 wherein the second portion of the distal axial portion of the handle surrounds an exposed portion of the rear surface of the first portion of the distal axial portion of the handle, the exposed portion of the rear surface of the first portion forming at least a portion of the floor of the recess.

17. The personal care implement according to claim 13 wherein the first portion of the distal axial portion of the handle has a generally U-shaped transverse cross-sectional area comprising a first sidewall located on a first side of the longitudinal axis and a second sidewall located on a second side of the longitudinal axis, terminal ends of the first and second sidewalls forming at least a portion of the distal edge of the first portion of the distal axial portion of the handle, and wherein the second portion of the distal axial portion of the handle comprises a first sidewall that extends from the terminal end of the first sidewall of the first portion of the distal axial portion of the handle and a second sidewall that extends from the terminal end of the second sidewall of the first portion of the distal axial portion of the handle, the first and second sidewalls of the second portion of the distal axial portion of the handle located on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis.

18. The personal care implement according to claim 17 wherein the first and second sidewalls of the second portion of the distal axial portion of the handle are arcuate and curved inwardly towards the longitudinal axis.

19. A personal care implement comprising:
a body extending along a longitudinal axis a

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Jimenez Eduardo
• Wainless Daniel

Classifications

• A46B5/021 Primary

  Grips or handles specially adapted to conform to the hand · CPC title

• B25G1/102

  the shape being specially adapted to facilitate handling or improve grip · 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 Primary

  Grips or handles having a nonslip section · CPC title