Oral care implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11896117-B2
Application number	US-202117248412-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2021
Priority date	Apr 16, 2018
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

An oral care implement used for treatment of a user's oral cavity. The oral care implement may include a body having a longitudinal axis, a first hard plastic component, and a second hard plastic component. The first hard plastic component may have a front surface having a perimeter portion and a central portion that is surrounded by the perimeter portion, the central portion being recessed relative to the perimeter portion. The second hard plastic component may be positioned on the central portion of the first hard plastic component and surrounded by the perimeter portion of the first hard plastic component. The second hard plastic component may have an outer surface with a plurality of grooves that are elongated in a direction of the longitudinal axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oral care implement comprising:
a body comprising:
a longitudinal axis;
a first hard plastic component comprising a front surface having a perimeter portion and a central portion that is surrounded by the perimeter portion, the central portion being recessed relative to the perimeter portion; and
a second hard plastic component positioned on the central portion of the first hard plastic component and being surrounded by the perimeter portion of the first hard plastic component, the second hard plastic component comprising an outer surface comprising a plurality of grooves that are elongated in a direction of the longitudinal axis;

wherein the first hard plastic component comprises the front surface and a rear surface opposite the front surface, the central portion comprising a first recess cavity in the front surface and a second recess cavity in the rear surface, and wherein the second hard plastic component is disposed within each of the first and second recess cavities, an outer surface of the second hard plastic component protruding from the front and rear surfaces of the first hard plastic component; and
wherein the first recess cavity comprises a first floor and the second recess cavity comprises a second floor, and further comprising at least one aperture extending from the first floor to the second floor, the second hard plastic component disposed within and extending through the at least one aperture so that a portion of the second hard plastic component located in the first recess cavity is integral with a portion of the second hard plastic component located in the second recess cavity.

2. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the body is free of thermoplastic elastomer.

3. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the body comprises a proximal end and a distal end, and wherein a distance measured between adjacent ones of the plurality of grooves increases moving from the proximal end of the body towards the distal end of the body.

4. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the first hard plastic component comprises the front surface, a rear surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface, and wherein the first and second side surfaces of the first hard plastic component and the front and rear surfaces of the first hard plastic component located along the perimeter portion of the first hard plastic component are exposed.

5. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the body further comprises a head portion having a front surface and a rear surface opposite the front surface, wherein the front surface of the head portion is formed entirely by the first hard plastic component and wherein the rear surface of the head portion is formed collectively by the first and second hard plastic components, and further comprising a plurality of cleaning elements coupled to the head portion and extending from the front surface of the head portion.

6. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the second hard plastic component comprises a concave finger depression, and wherein the plurality of grooves extend along the concave finger depression.

7. An oral care implement comprising:
a body comprising:
a first component comprising a front surface having a first recess cavity, a rear surface having a second recess cavity, a support layer positioned between the first and second recess cavities, at least one aperture in the support layer that extends between the first and second recess cavities; and
a second component comprising a first portion disposed within the first recess cavity, a second portion disposed within the second recess cavity, and a third portion disposed within the at least one aperture in the support layer of the first component, an outer surface of the first portion of the second component protruding from the front surface of the first component and an outer surface of the second portion of the second component protruding from the rear surface of the first component;

wherein the body comprises a head portion and a handle portion, wherein the first component forms a part of the head portion and a part of the handle portion, wherein the first portion of the second component extends along the handle portion and not the head portion, and wherein the second portion of the second component extends along the handle portion and the head portion.

8. The oral care implement according to claim 7 wherein the first and second components are both formed from a hard plastic material.

9. The oral care implement according to claim 7 wherein the second component comprises a first finger depression in the outer surface of the first portion of the second component and a second finger depression in the outer surface of the second portion of the second component.

10. The oral care implement according to claim 9 further comprising a first plurality of elongated grooves formed into the outer surface of the first portion of the second component and extending along the first finger depression and a second plurality of elongated grooves formed into the outer surface of the second portion of the second component and extending along the second finger depression.

11. The oral care implement according to claim 10 wherein the body comprises a proximal end and a distal end, and wherein at least one of the first plurality of elongated grooves and at least one of the second plurality of elongated grooves extends along: (1) a first axial portion of the body located between the first and second finger depressions and the proximal end of the body; (2) a second axial portion of the body located along the first and second finger depressions; and (3) a third axial portion of the body located between the first and second finger depressions and the distal end of the body.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Hohlbein Douglas
• Wong Chi Shing

Classifications

• A46B5/026 Primary

  Grips or handles having a nonslip section · CPC title

• A46B9/04

  {Arranged like in or} for toothbrushes · CPC title

• A46B2200/1066

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

• A46D3/005 Primary

  by moulding or casting a body around bristles or tufts of bristles · CPC title

• A46B5/00 Primary

  Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware · CPC title