Oral care implement having multiple soft tissue cleaner components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9586350-B2
Application number	US-201313948546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2013
Priority date	Dec 18, 2009
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

An oral care implement with a soft tissue cleaner. The inventive oral care implement comprises different kinds of soft tissue cleaners that offer expanded in-mouth cleaning. In one aspect, the invention can be an oral care implement comprising: a handle; a head having a structural body having a front surface and a rear surface opposite the front surface; a basin formed into the rear surface of the structural body, the structural body comprising a protuberance extending upward from a recessed floor of the basin, the basin surrounding the protuberance; a first cleaner formed of a resilient material for cleansing soft oral tissue located within the basin, the protuberance of the structural body extending through a central hole of the first cleaner; and a second cleaner formed of a resilient material for cleansing soft oral tissue, the second cleaner located on the protuberance of the structural body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a head of an oral care implement, the method comprising:
a) forming a structural body of the head out of a hard plastic, the structural body having a front surface, a rear surface, a basin formed into the rear surface, and a protuberance extending upward from a recessed floor of the basin, the basin surrounding the protuberance;
b) injecting a first shot of thermoplastic elastomer via a first port into the basin of the structural body of the head to form a first cleaner for cleansing soft oral tissue surrounding the protuberance; and
c) injecting a second shot of a thermoplastic elastomer via a second port into the protuberance of the structural body of the head to form a distinct second cleaner spaced and isolated from the first cleaner for cleansing soft oral tissue.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first shot is a first type of thermoplastic elastomer and the second shot is a second type of thermoplastic elastomer.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first and second types of thermoplastic elastomer are different colors.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the structural body of the head is formed of polypropylene or SAN.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the structural body of the head constructed in step a) further comprises a peripheral surface, a channel extending along the peripheral surface from a first lateral side of the head to a second lateral side of the head, and one or more grooves in the rear surface extending between the channel and the basin; and step (b) further comprises injecting the first shot of thermoplastic elastomer via the first port through the grooves to form a third cleaner for cleansing soft oral tissue in the channel.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the third cleaner is in the form of an elongated strip comprising a plurality of spaced grooves formed into the strip.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein step a) comprises injecting the hard plastic in liquid form.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first cleaner is in the form of a pad having a plurality of projections extending upward from the rear surface.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the second cleaner nests within channels formed within a top surface of the protuberance.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the second cleaner comprises wall-like rings connected by linear walls, the rings having a plurality of grooves formed in top surfaces thereof.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Jimenez Eduardo J
• Rooney Michael C
• Moskovich Robert
• Pringiers Jacob
• Casini Luca
• Storz Joachim
• Klausegger Raimund

Classifications

• A46B15/0081 Primary

  Brushes with a scraper, e.g. tongue scraper · CPC title

• B29C45/1676

  using a soft material and a rigid material, e.g. making articles with a sealing part · CPC title

• A46B15/0055

  Brushes combined with other articles normally separate from the brushing process, e.g. combs, razors, mirrors · CPC title

• B29C45/14336 Primary

  Coating a portion of the article, e.g. the edge of the article (B29C45/14573 and B29C45/14598 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29C2045/14352

  injecting into blind holes · CPC title