Oral care implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9445660-B2
Application number	US-201113979629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2011
Priority date	Jan 12, 2011
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

An oral care implement comprising at least one tapered bristle. In one embodiment, the invention can be an oral care implement comprising: a handle; a head having a face; a tuft hole in the face, the tuft hole having a polygonal transverse cross-sectional profile; and a bristle tuft mounted in the first tuft hole and extending from the face of the head, the first bristle tuft comprising a plurality of tapered bristles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oral care implement comprising:
a handle;
a head having a face;
a first tuft hole in the face, the first tuft hole having a longitudinal axis and a transverse cross-sectional profile comprising a minor axis and a major axis, the major axis of the first tuft hole being longer than the minor axis of the first tuft hole; and
a first bristle tuft mounted in the first tuft hole and extending from the face of the head, the first bristle tuft comprising a first plurality of tapered bristles, wherein an entirety of a perimeter of the bristle tuft is abutted against a wall of the tuft hole without gaps;
wherein each of the first plurality of tapered bristles comprises a longitudinal axis and a transverse cross-sectional profile having a minor axis and a major axis, the major axes of the first plurality of tapered bristles being longer than and perpendicular to the minor axes of the first plurality of tapered bristles, the major axes of the first plurality of tapered bristles and the minor axes of the first plurality of tapered bristles intersecting at center points of the transverse cross-sectional profiles of the first plurality of tapered bristles;
wherein the major axes of the first plurality of tapered bristles extend between first pairs of opposing apexes of the transverse cross-sectional profiles of the first plurality of tapered bristles and the minor axes of the first plurality of tapered bristles extend between second pairs of opposing apexes of the transverse cross-sectional profiles of the first plurality of tapered bristles; and
wherein the major axes of the first plurality of tapered bristles are substantially parallel to the major axis of the first tuft hole.

2. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein adjacent bristles of the first plurality of tapered bristles are positioned within the first tuft hole so that their edges are aligned and abutted against each other.

3. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein the transverse cross-sectional profiles of the first plurality of tapered bristles is selected from a group consisting of a diamond, an elongated rectangle, and an elongated oval.

4. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein each of the first plurality of tapered bristles comprises a tapered longitudinal section and a non-tapered longitudinal section.

5. The oral care implement of claim 4 wherein the non-tapered longitudinal sections of the first plurality of tapered bristles extend from the face of the head to transition points of the first plurality of tapered bristles and the tapered longitudinal sections of the first plurality of tapered bristles extend from the transition points to free ends of the first plurality of tapered bristles, the tapered longitudinal sections of the first plurality of tapered bristles extending at least one-third of the lengths of the first plurality of tapered bristles, the lengths of the first plurality of tapered bristles being measured from the face of the head to the free ends of the first plurality of tapered bristles along the longitudinal axes of the first plurality of tapered bristles.

6. The oral care implement of claim 5 wherein the tapered longitudinal sections of the first plurality of tapered bristles extend at least one-half the lengths of the first plurality of tapered bristles.

7. The oral care implement of claim 1 further comprising:
a second tuft hole in the face, the second tuft hole having a longitudinal axis and a transverse cross-sectional profile comprising a minor axis and a major axis, the major axis of the second tuft hole being longer than the minor axis of the second tuft hole;
a second bristle tuft mounted in the second tuft hole and extending from the face of the head, the second bristle tuft comprising a second plurality of tapered bristles; and
wherein the major axis of the first tuft hole is non-parallel to the major axis of the second tuft hole.

8. The oral care implement of claim 7 wherein the tapered bristles of the first and second pluralities of tapered bristles are tapered along at least one third of their length.

9. The oral care implement of claim 7 wherein the major axis of the first tuft hole is substantially perpendicular to the major axis of the second tuft hole.

10. The oral care implement of claim 7 wherein each of the second plurality of tapered bristles comprises a longitudinal axis and a transverse cross-sectional profile having a minor axis and a major axis, the major axes of the second plurality of tapered bristles being longer than the minor axes of the second plurality of tapered bristles.

11. The oral care implement of claim 10 wherein the major axes of the second plurality of tapered bristles are substantially parallel to the major axis of the second tuft hole.

12. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein the head further comprises a tuft plate, the first tuft hole extending from an upper surface of the tuft plate to a lower surface of the tuft plate, the first bristle tuft mounted to the tuft plate by a melted portion of the first bristle tuft protruding from the lower surface of the tuft plate, the first bristle tuft extending from the upper surface of the tuft plate, and the tuft plate mounted to a body of the head.

13. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of tapered bristle are formed of polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, or nylon.

14. An oral care implement comprising:
a handle;
a head having a face;
a tuft hole in the face, the tuft hole defined by a wall and having a diamond shaped transverse cross-sectional profile; and
a bristle tuft having a perimeter mounted in the tuft hole and extending from the face of the head, the bristle tuft comprising a plurality of tapered bristles;
wherein the bristle tuft has a diamond shaped cross-sectional profile that corresponds to the diamond shaped transverse cross-sectional profile of the tuft hole in size and shape; and
wherein each of the plurality of tapered bristles has a diamond shaped transverse cross-sectional profile that corresponds to the diamond shaped transverse cross-sectional profile of the tuft hole in shape; and
wherein an entirety of the perimeter of the bristle tuft is abutted against the wall of the tuft hole without gaps.

15. The oral care implement of claim 14 wherein the packing factor of the tuft hole is greater than 90%.

16. The oral care implement of claim 14 wherein the packing factor of the tuft hole is greater than 95%.

17. The oral care implement of claim 14 wherein the packing factor of the tuft hole is approximately 100%.

18. The oral care implement of claim 14 wherein each of the plurality of tapered bristles comprises a tapered longitudinal section and a non-tapered longitudinal section.

19. The oral care implement of claim 18 wherein the non-tapered longitudinal section extends from the face of the head to a transition point of the tapered bristle and the tapered longitudinal section extends from the transition point to a free end of the tapered bristle, the tapered longitudinal section extending at least one-third of the length of the tapered bristle, the length of the tapered bristle measured from the face of the head to the free end of the tapered bristle along a longitudinal axis of the tapered bristle.

20. The oral care implement of claim 19 wherein the tapered longitudinal section of the tapered bristle extends at least one-half the length of the tapered bristle.

21. The oral care implement of claim 14 wherein

Assignees

• Mintel Thomas
• Hohlbein Douglas
• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Mintel Thomas
• Hohlbein Douglas

Classifications

• A46B3/06

  by welding together bristles made of metal wires or plastic materials · CPC title

• A46D1/0238

  Bristles with non-round cross-section · CPC title

• A46D1/0276

  Bristles having pointed ends · CPC title

• A46B9/04 Primary

  {Arranged like in or} for toothbrushes · CPC title

• A46D1/00

  Bristles; Selection of materials for bristles (making artificial bristles D01D, D01F) · CPC title