Oral care implement and handle thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12458479-B2
Application number	US-202018256714-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2020
Priority date	Dec 10, 2020
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

An oral care implement handle ( 200 ) having a gripping portion ( 210 ) and an oral care refill head ( 300 ) that is detachably coupled thereto. The oral care implement handle ( 200 ) may include the gripping portion ( 210 ) and a rocker unit ( 400 ) which includes a stem ( 250 ), a motor ( 224 ), and a motor chassis ( 410 ). The rocker unit ( 400 ) may be pivotably mounted within the gripping portion ( 210 ) so that upon pressure being applied an oral care refill head ( 300 ) which is coupled to the stem ( 250 ) that exceeds a pressure threshold, the rocker unit ( 400 ) may be altered from a normal position to an excessive pressure position. When in the excessive pressure position, the rocker unit ( 400 ) may actuate an actuator element ( 265 ) of a control unit ( 260 ) to initiate generation of a user perceptible signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An oral care implement handle comprising:
a gripping portion having a housing defining an internal chamber and a distal end surface; a rocker unit comprising:
a stem extending from the distal end surface of the gripping portion and configured to be detachably coupled to an oral care refill head;
a motor operably coupled to the stem to impart movement to the stem, the motor having a motor axis; and
a motor chassis supporting the motor and comprising a contact element; and
a power source positioned within the internal chamber; a control unit operably coupled to the motor and the power source, the control unit comprising an actuator element, the control unit configured to initiate generation of a user perceptible signal upon the actuator element being actuated; and a first resilient element operably coupled to the motor chassis that biases the rocker unit into a normal position; the rocker unit pivotably mounted within the internal chamber so as to be pivotable relative to the housing about a fixed pivot axis so that upon a pressure being applied to the oral care refill head that exceeds a pressure threshold, the bias of the first resilient element is overcome and the rocker unit is altered from the normal position to an excessive pressure position in which the contact element actuates the actuator element.

2 . The oral care implement handle according to claim 1 wherein the motor chassis comprises:
an upper portion extending beyond a top end of the motor and comprising a first pivot mounting means that mates with a second pivot mounting means to accomplish the pivotable mounting of the rocker unit within the internal chamber, the second pivot mounting means being fixed relative to the housing; and
a lower portion extending beyond a bottom end of the motor and comprising the contact element.

3 . The oral care implement handle according to claim 2 further comprising:
wherein the first pivot mounting means is axially spaced a first distance above the top end of the motor; and
wherein the contact element is axially spaced a second distance below the bottom end of the motor.

4 . The oral care implement handle according to claim 3 wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance.

5 . The oral care implement handle according claim 2 further comprising:
the upper portion of the motor chassis comprising: an upper sleeve section in which a top portion of the motor nests; and an upper hub section through which the stem extends, the upper hub section comprising the first pivot mounting means; and
the lower portion of the motor chassis comprising: a lower sleeve section in which a bottom portion of the motor nests; and a body section protruding below the bottom end of the motor, the first resilient element operably coupled to the body section.

6 . The oral care implement handle according to claim 2 wherein one of the first and second pivot mounting means comprises a pair of bosses aligned along the pivot axis and the other one of the first and second pivot mounting means comprises a pair of depressions aligned along the pivot axis and configured to mate with the pair of bosses.

7 . The oral care implement handle according to claim 2 wherein the upper portion of the motor chassis is a first component and the lower portion of the motor chassis is a second component that is separate and distinct from the first component.

8 . The oral care implement handle according to claim 2 wherein the rocker unit further comprises a second resilient element compressed between the bottom end of the motor and the lower portion of the motor chassis, the second resilient element aligned along the motor axis in both the normal and excessive pressure positions.

9 . The oral care implement handle according to claim 1 wherein the first resilient element has a first end coupled to the motor chassis and a second end fixed relative to the housing.

10 . The oral care implement handle according to claim 9 wherein the motor chassis comprises a post that extends along the motor axis and terminates in a free distal end, the first end of the first resilient element coupled to the post.

11 . The oral care implement handle according to claim 10 wherein the first resilient element comprises a coil spring; and wherein, when the rocker unit is in the normal position, the coil spring is aligned along the motor axis.

12 . The oral care implement handle according to claim 11 wherein the coil spring is a conical coil spring.

13 . The oral care implement handle according to claim 1 wherein the control unit comprises a printed circuit board and the actuation element is a trigger switch on the printed circuit board.

14 . The oral care implement handle according to claim 1 further comprising a light source operably coupled to the control unit, and wherein, upon actuation of the actuator element, the control unit is configured to: (1) illuminate the light source; and (2) alter an operating characteristic of the motor.

15 . The oral care implement handle according to claim 1 wherein the contact element comprises a protuberance that protrudes transversely to the motor axis.

16 . An oral care implement comprising:
the oral care implement handle according to claim 1 ; and the oral care refill head, the oral care refill head comprising a head portion having an oral care treatment tool and sleeve portion configured to be detachably coupled to the stem of the oral care implement handle.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Zhou Jiang
• Ji Yanmei
• He Tonny

Classifications

• A46B15/0012

  with a pressure controlling device · CPC title

• A61C17/222

  Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle · CPC title

• A61C17/221 Primary

  Control arrangements therefor · CPC title

• A46B5/0041

  Mechanical joint or hinge, made up of several components · CPC title

• A46B5/0095

  Removable or interchangeable brush heads · CPC title