Oral care system, implement, and/or kit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12569324-B2
Application number	US-202218059598-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2022
Priority date	Dec 17, 2021
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

An oral care device having a head with cleaning elements and a handle coupled to the head. The handle may include a selectively rotatable ring arranged between the head and a distal end of the handle that is configured to allow a user to select a desired mode of operation of the oral care device. The handle may include a selectively illuminated light that is configured to display at least one color that visually indicates that certain behaviors, patterns, and/or consistent habits have been performed successfully. The handle may include a processor configured to track a duration of a user's brushing session, a light ring on a bottom surface of the handle, and a pressure sensor. Respective portions of the light ring may be selectively illuminated by the processor to visualize progress toward achieving a predetermined brushing routine time and/or to visualize an over-pressure condition sensed by the pressure sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An oral care implement comprising:
a handle comprising a gripping portion defining a cavity, the gripping portion comprising a longitudinal axis; a motor located in the cavity; a power source located in the cavity and operably coupled to the motor; a mode selection unit coupled to the gripping portion of the handle, the mode selection unit comprising a ring element that is rotatable about the longitudinal axis relative to the gripping portion of the handle to alter a mode of operation of the oral care implement between a plurality of modes including: (1) a first mode whereby the motor operates in accordance with a first mode of operation; and (2) a second mode whereby the motor operates in accordance with a second mode of operation that is different than the first mode of operation; an actuation element located on an exterior surface of the handle, wherein activation of the actuation element powers the motor to operate in accordance with a selected one of the plurality of modes; and a refill head detachably coupled to the handle, the refill head comprising a head portion and a plurality of tooth cleaning elements coupled to the head portion, wherein the plurality of tooth cleaning elements are configured to vibrate or oscillate when the motor is powered.

2 . The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the handle comprises a bottom end and a top end, the ring element of the mode selection unit forming the top end of the handle.

3 . The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the ring element comprises an outer surface that is flush with a portion of the exterior surface of the gripping portion of the handle that is immediately adjacent to the ring element.

4 . The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the mode selection unit comprises a protrusion extending from an outer surface of the ring element, wherein the gripping portion of the handle comprises mode indicia markings associated with each of the plurality of modes, and wherein one of the plurality of modes is selected by rotationally aligning the protrusion of the mode selection unit with one of the mode indicia markings associated with the one of the plurality of modes.

5 . The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the first mode of operation comprises a first speed and the second mode of operation comprises a second speed that is greater than the first speed.

6 . The oral care implement according to claim 5 wherein the gripping portion of the handle comprises a first mode indicia marking having a first length and being associated with the first mode, a second mode indicia marking having a second length and being associated with the second mode, and a third mode indicia marking having a third length and being associated with a third mode of the plurality of modes, the third length being greater than the second length and the second length being greater than the first length.

7 . The oral care implement according to claim 6 wherein the mode selection unit comprises a protrusion extending from an outer surface of the ring element, and wherein one of the plurality of modes is selected by rotationally aligning the protrusion of the mode selection unit with one of the first, second, and third mode indicia markings on the gripping portion of the handle.

8 . The oral care implement according to claim 7 wherein the protrusion is elongated in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis.

9 . The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the ring element of the mode selection unit is located between the actuation element and the refill head when the refill head is coupled to the handle.

10 . The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the gripping portion of the handle comprises a top end and the ring element of the mode selection unit is rotatably coupled to the gripping portion of the handle adjacent to the top end of the gripping portion of the handle.

11 . The oral care implement according to claim 10 wherein the mode selection unit comprises a lock magnet facing downwardly towards the top end of the gripping portion of the handle, and further comprising a plurality of mode magnets located at the top end of the gripping portion of the handle and facing upwardly towards the ring element of the mode selection unit, wherein the lock magnet has a first polarity and each of the plurality of mode magnets has a second polarity which is opposite the first polarity to magnetically lock the mode selection unit in the selected one of the plurality of modes due to magnetic attraction between the lock magnet and one of the plurality of mode magnets.

12 . The oral care implement according to claim 1 further comprising a light feature having an arcuate shape representative of a smile located on the exterior surface of the handle, the light feature being located between the actuation element and the ring element, wherein the light feature is illuminated after termination of a brushing session to provide a user with feedback regarding the user's brushing trends.

13 . An oral care implement comprising:
a handle comprising:
a longitudinal axis;
a gripping portion having a bottom end and a top end; and
a mode selection ring element rotatably coupled to the gripping portion adjacent to the top end of the gripping portion;
a motion inducing unit; and a power source operably coupled to the motion inducing unit; and a refill head having tooth cleaning elements that is detachably coupled, directly or indirectly, to a drive shaft operably coupled to the motion inducing unit; wherein the mode selection ring element is rotatable about the longitudinal axis relative to the gripping portion to alter a mode of operation of the oral care implement.

14 . The oral care implement according to claim 13 wherein the mode of operation of the oral care implement is alterable between a plurality of modes comprising: (1) a first mode whereby the motion inducing unit operates at a first speed; and (2) a second mode whereby the motion inducing unit operates at a second speed that is greater than the first speed; and (3) a third mode whereby the motion inducing unit operates at a third speed that is greater than the second speed.

15 . The oral care implement according to claim 13 wherein the mode selection ring element comprises a top surface that forms a top surface of the handle.

16 . The oral care implement according to claim 13 wherein the mode selection ring element comprises a lock magnet facing downwardly towards the top end of the gripping portion of the handle, and further comprising a plurality of mode magnets located at the top end of the gripping portion of the handle and facing upwardly towards the mode selection ring element, wherein the lock magnet has a first polarity and each of the plurality of mode magnets has a second polarity which is opposite the first polarity to magnetically lock the mode selection ring element in a selected mode due to magnetic attraction between the lock magnet and one of the plurality of mode magnets.

17 . The oral care implement according to claim 13 wherein the drive shaft protrudes from the top end of the gripping portion, the mode selection ring element having a through-hole through which the drive shaft extends, the drive shaft protruding from a top end of the mode selection ring element.

18 . The oral care implement according to claim 17 wherein the mode selection ring element is rotatable about the longitudinal axis relative to the gripping portion and the drive shaft.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Bloch Brian
• Okai Takahide
• Baldwin Geoffrey
• Denis Danielle
• Curtis Kimberly

Classifications

• A46B5/0095

  Removable or interchangeable brush heads · CPC title

• A46B15/0036

  with a lighting means, e.g. laser, bulb (A46B15/0034 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A46B15/0012

  with a pressure controlling device · CPC title

• A46B15/0008 Primary

  with means for controlling duration, e.g. time of brushing · CPC title

• A61C17/224

  Electrical recharging arrangements · CPC title