Head for a personal care device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12551003-B2
Application number	US-202217950646-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2022
Priority date	Sep 27, 2021
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

A head for a personal care device having a carrier including a front surface, at least one cleaning element partly embedded in the carrier and thus having an embedded cleaning element portion and a non-embedded cleaning element portion extending from the front surface of the carrier between a base end on the front surface and a free end; the embedded cleaning element portion extending from the front surface between a top end on the front surface and a bottom end, wherein the base end of the non-embedded cleaning element portion has a base end cross-sectional shape and a base end cross-sectional area, and the top end of the embedded cleaning element portion has a top end cross-sectional shape that is different to the base end cross-sectional shape and a top end cross-sectional area that is larger than the base end cross-sectional area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A head ( 1 ) for a personal care device comprising
a carrier ( 100 ) having a front surface ( 1010 ); at least one integral cleaning element ( 200 ) partly embedded in the carrier ( 100 ) and thus having an embedded cleaning element portion ( 220 ) and a non-embedded cleaning element portion ( 210 ), the non-embedded cleaning element portion ( 210 ) extending from the front surface ( 1010 ) of the carrier ( 100 ) between a base end ( 211 ) on the front surface ( 1010 ) and a free end ( 212 ) and the embedded cleaning element portion ( 220 ) extending from the front surface ( 1010 ) between a top end ( 221 ) on the front surface ( 1010 ) and a bottom end ( 222 ), wherein the base end ( 211 ) of the non-embedded cleaning element portion ( 210 ) has a base end cross-sectional shape and a base end cross-sectional area, and the top end ( 221 ) of the embedded cleaning element portion ( 220 ) has a top end cross-sectional shape that is different than the base end cross-sectional shape and a top end cross-sectional area that is larger than the base end cross-sectional area, and wherein an integral arm ( 410 ) connects the bottom end ( 222 ) of the embedded cleaning element portion ( 200 ) with a center point ( 430 ) in the carrier ( 100 ), the center point ( 430 ) being laterally displaced from the bottom end ( 222 ), the integral arm ( 410 ) being completely embedded in the carrier ( 100 ).

2 . The head of claim 1 , wherein the top end cross-sectional area ( 225 A) of the embedded cleaning element portion ( 220 ) is larger by at least about 30% than the base end cross-sectional area ( 215 A) of the non-embedded cleaning element portion ( 220 ).

3 . The head of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning element material is a thermoplastic elastomer.

4 . The head of claim 1 , wherein a material from which the embedded cleaning element portion ( 220 ) is made and a material from which the carrier ( 100 ) is made are chemically and/or physically bonded.

5 . The head of claim 1 , wherein the embedded cleaning element portion ( 320 ) widens from the top end ( 321 ) towards a middle portion ( 323 ) or the bottom end ( 322 ).

6 . The head of claim 1 , wherein the embedded cleaning element portion ( 220 ) comprises a widening step ( 224 ) between the top end ( 221 ) and the bottom end ( 222 ) of the embedded cleaning element portion ( 220 ).

7 . The head of claim 1 , wherein at least one further integral arm ( 420 ) connects the center point ( 430 ) and a bottom end ( 322 ) of an embedded cleaning element portion ( 320 ) of another cleaning element ( 300 ).

8 . The head of one of claim 1 , wherein a retention force of the cleaning element ( 200 ) is at least 3 Newton.

Assignees

• Braun Gmbh

Inventors

• Frey Dominik Julian
• Hess Alexander

Classifications

• A46B3/04

  by mouldable materials, e.g. metals, cellulose derivatives, plastics (A46B1/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29L2031/425

  Toothbrush · CPC title

• B29K2021/003

  Thermoplastic elastomers · CPC title

• B29C2045/1681

  one layer penetrating at one or more areas through another layer · CPC title

• B29C45/16

  Making multilayered or multicoloured articles {(B29C45/0062 takes precedence; feeding colouring materials into the injection unit B29C45/1816)} · CPC title