Oral care toothbrush

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9265337-B2
Application number	US-201414320504-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2014
Priority date	Sep 5, 2002
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A toothbrush including a handle and a head mounted to one end of said handle, the head having a cleaning block forming a front surface of the head. A plurality of cleaning elements extend outwardly from the front surface of the head. A depression is formed into the front surface of the head, the depression having a floor. A dispenser is at least partially disposed within the depression. The cleaning elements and the cleaning block are unitarily formed of the same material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A toothbrush comprising:
a handle;
a head mounted to one end of said handle, the head having a cleaning block, a top surface of the cleaning block forming a planar front surface of the head;
a plurality of cleaning elements extending outwardly from the front surface of the head;
a depression having a floor formed into the front surface of the head;
a dispenser at least partially disposed within the depression; and
wherein the cleaning elements and the cleaning block are unitarily formed of the same material.

2. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the dispenser has an outer surface that is in surface contact with the floor of the depression.

3. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of cleaning elements extends a first distance from the front surface of the head thereby forming a flat cleaning surface.

4. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the plurality of cleaning elements surround the depression.

5. The toothbrush of claim 4 wherein the plurality of cleaning elements are arranged in a ring that surrounds the depression.

6. The toothbrush of claim 5 wherein the plurality of cleaning elements are arranged in a plurality of concentric rings surrounding the depression.

7. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the floor of the depression is hemispherical.

8. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the plurality of cleaning elements are individual bristles extending from the front surface of the head in a spaced apart manner along the length and width of the head.

9. The toothbrush of claim 8 wherein the bristles are tapered.

10. The toothbrush of claim 8 wherein each of the bristles has a cylindrical shape.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Hohlbein Douglas J

Classifications

• A46B2200/1066

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

• A46B11/0003

  containing only one dose of substance, e.g. single-use toothbrushes · CPC title

• A46B15/0087

  Brushes with decoration on or in the handle · CPC title

• A46B5/007

  Inserts made of different material, e.g. springs, plates · CPC title

• A61C15/02

  Toothpicks · CPC title