Oral Care Device with Sacrificial Electrode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019110876-A1
Application number	US-201816215236-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 10, 2018
Priority date	Dec 30, 2015
Publication date	Apr 18, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A container, a toothbrush, or a device including at least one sacrificial electrode. In one aspect, the container may include a body adapted to contain an oral care solution and a cap selectively removable from the body. The cap may include a cavity configured to contain a fluid, a first electrode comprising a sacrificial metal, a second electrode spaced from the first electrode, and an electrical connection electrically connecting the first electrode and the second electrode to a power source. Activation of the power source may generate an electric field between the first and second electrodes, thereby causing the sacrificial metal of the first electrode to release ions into the fluid in the cavity of the cap.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A container comprising;
a body adapted to contain an oral care solution; and a cap selectively removable from the body, wherein the cap comprises:
a cavity configured to contain a fluid;
a first electrode comprising a sacrificial metal;
a second electrode spaced from the first electrode; and
an electrical connection electrically connecting the first electrode and the second electrode to a power source; and
wherein activation of the power source generates an electric field between the first and second electrodes, thereby causing the sacrificial metal of the first electrode to release ions into the fluid in the cavity of the cap.

2 . The container according to claim 1 , wherein the cap comprises a base surface and an annular sidewall extending from the base surface, and wherein the first and second electrodes comprise metallic wire coupled to an inner surface of the annular sidewall in a spaced apart manner.

3 . The container according to claim 2 further comprising threads on the inner surface of the annular sidewall for coupling the cap to the body.

4 . The container according to claim 1 , wherein the cap comprises a base surface forming a closed end of the cap and an annular sidewall extending from the base surface, and wherein the first and second electrodes extend from the closed end of the cap into the cavity.

5 . The container according to claim 1 wherein the cap comprises a closed end and an annular sidewall that extends from the closed end to an open end, the closed end and the annular sidewall collectively defining a cavity configured to hold a volume of the fluid, the closed end of the cap being flat so that the cap may be placed on a flat surface with the closed end resting on the flat surface.

6 . The container according to claim 1 wherein the fluid is the oral care solution or water.

7 . The container according to claim 1 wherein the cap comprises a closed end, an inner sidewall extending from the closed end to an open end, and an outer sidewall extending from the closed end to the open end, wherein the first and second electrodes are located in a space defined between the inner and outer sidewalls, and further comprising holes in the inner sidewall that permit fluid flow from the space between the inner and outer sidewalls into the cavity.

8 . The container according to claim 1 wherein the sacrificial metal is zinc.

9 . An oral care device configured for placement in an oral cavity comprising:
a base layer having a longitudinal axis; a power source disposed on a surface of the base layer; and an electrode layer disposed on the surface of the base layer or on a surface of the power source, the electrode layer comprising a first electrode comprising a first metallic strip electrically connected to the power source and a second electrode comprising a second metallic strip electrically connected to the power source and substantially parallel to the first metallic strip, wherein the electrode layer is disposed such that a length of the first electrode and a length of the second electrode are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base layer.

10 . The oral care device according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a sacrificial metal that degrades upon application of current to the first electrode and the second electrode to release ions into the oral cavity.

11 . The oral care device according to claim 10 wherein the sacrificial metal comprises zinc, and the zinc oxidizes upon application of current to the first electrode and the second electrode to release zinc ions.

12 . The oral care device according to claim 9 further comprising a covering disposed over the electrode layer, the covering comprising pores or openings through which fluids can flow.

13 . The oral care device according to claim 9 further comprising an adhesive layer configured to retain the oral care device in a position in the oral cavity and a removable release layer positioned over the adhesive layer.

14 . The oral care device according to claim 13 , wherein the release layer controls activation of the oral care device such that when the release layer is positioned over the adhesive layer current is prevented from flowing from the power source to the first and second electrodes and upon removing the release layer from the adhesive layer current can flow from the power source to the first and second electrodes.

15 . A toothbrush comprising:
a head; a plurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from the head; a first pair of electrodes coupled to the head, the first pair of electrodes comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, at least one of the first and second electrodes being a first sacrificial electrode; a second pair of electrodes coupled to the head, the second pair of electrodes comprising a third electrode and a fourth electrode, at least one of the third and fourth electrodes being a second sacrificial electrode; a power source operably coupled to the first and second electrodes and to the third and fourth electrodes to supply a current to the first and second electrodes and to the third and fourth electrodes, thereby causing the first and second sacrificial electrodes to release ions; and wherein the first sacrificial electrode comprises a first sacrificial metal and the second sacrificial electrode comprises a second sacrificial metal.

16 . The toothbrush according to claim 15 wherein the first and second sacrificial metals are different from one another.

17 . The toothbrush according to claim 16 wherein the first sacrificial metal is zinc and the second sacrificial metal is iron.

18 . The toothbrush according to claim 15 wherein the head comprises a cavity, and wherein each of the first and second pairs of electrodes is located in the cavity.

19 . The toothbrush according to claim 18 further comprising an aperture in the head fluidly connecting the cavity to an external environment so that the ions released from the first and second sacrificial electrodes can flow from the cavity to an external environment.

20 . The toothbrush according to claim 15 further comprising a controller operably coupled to the power source and/or to the first and second pairs of electrodes, wherein the controller is configured to individually power the first and second pairs of electrodes.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Johansson Patrik
• Gontarz Gerald

Classifications

• C25B1/00

  Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals · CPC title

• A61C19/066

  Bleaching devices; Whitening agent applicators for teeth, e.g. trays or strips · CPC title

• A61C17/005

  Devices for dental prophylaxis · CPC title

• C25B11/02

  characterised by shape or form · CPC title

• A46B15/0024 Primary

  with means generating ions · CPC title