Oral care implement with fluid applicator and method of assembling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9603442-B2
Application number	US-201113983285-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2011
Priority date	Feb 1, 2011
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

An oral care implement, such as a toothbrush, having a wick applicator and a method of assembling the same. The implement includes a head, a handle connected to the head by a neck portion, and a recess. The recess is arranged for receipt of the wick applicator. The handle includes an internal fluid reservoir holding a fluid in communication with the recess. The wick applicator is arranged to enable a fluid to pass therethrough by capillary action and has a first end portion and a second end portion. The second portion of the wick applicator comprises at least one projection for engaging at least one cooperating portion of the recess to secure the wick applicator in the recess at an operative position, whereupon the wick applicator is in fluid communication with the fluid in the reservoir.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oral care implement comprising:
a head;
a handle connected to the head by a neck portion, said handle including an internal fluid reservoir for holding a fluid therein; and
a recess including a first portion extending along said head and a second portion extending into said neck portion and in fluid communication with said fluid reservoir, wherein said second portion of said recess includes an opening and a wall portion, said wall portion being contiguous with said opening;
a wick applicator comprising:
a member comprising a material arranged to enable a fluid to pass therethrough by capillary action and having a first end portion and a second end portion;
wherein said first end portion of said member is arranged to be located within said first portion of said recess and said second end portion of said member is arranged to be located within said second portion of said recess; and
wherein said second end portion of said member comprises at least one projection for engaging said wall portion of said recess to secure said wick applicator in said recess at an operative position in which said wick applicator is in fluid communication with said internal fluid reservoir;

wherein said at least one projection is compressible to pass through said opening and then to decompress, whereupon said projection engages said wall portion to secure said wick applicator in said operative position; and
wherein the wick applicator comprises a central longitudinal axis and the at least one projection of the wick applicator has an undercut surface, the at least one projection is radially compressible to pass through the opening, and the undercut surface of the at least one projection engages the wall portion when the wick applicator is in the operative position.

2. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein said wick applicator is movable along said central longitudinal axis of said recess to said operative position.

3. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein said second portion of said member includes a free end and wherein said at least one projection includes a tapered surface which tapers downward from the undercut surface in the direction towards said free end.

4. The oral care implement of claim 3 , wherein said tapered surface of said at least one projection is arranged to pass through said opening whereupon said undercut surface of said projection engages said wall portion to secure said wick applicator in said operative position.

5. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein said at least one projection comprises a pair of barbs extending in a radial direction from said central longitudinal axis of said wick applicator, the barbs being circumferentially spaced apart from one another about the central longitudinal axis.

6. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein said recess comprises at least one undercut portion, and wherein said wick applicator includes at least one rib, said at least one rib being arranged to cooperate with said at least one undercut portion to enable said wick applicator to be moved along said recess to said operative position.

7. An assembly of a wick applicator and an oral care implement, wherein the wick applicator is secured to the oral care implement, the oral care implement comprising a head, a handle, and a recess, the handle being connected to the head by a neck portion and including an internal fluid reservoir for holding a fluid therein, the recess including a first portion extending along the head and a second portion extending into the neck portion and in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir, the wick applicator being received in the recess, said wick applicator comprising:
a member formed of a material arranged to enable a fluid to pass therethrough by capillary action and having a first end portion and a second end portion;
wherein said first end portion of said member is located within the first portion of the recess and said second end portion of said member is located within the second portion of the recess;
wherein said second end portion of said member comprises at least one projection engaging at least one cooperating portion of the recess to secure said wick applicator in the recess in an operative position in which said wick applicator is in fluid communication with the internal fluid reservoir;
wherein said second portion of said recess includes an opening and a wall portion, said wall portion being contiguous with said opening; and
wherein said at least one projection is compressible to pass through said recess, and said projection decompresses upon said at least one projection passing through said opening with said projection engaging said wall portion to secure said wick applicator in said operative position.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein said second end portion of said member includes a free end and wherein said at least one projection includes a tapered surface which tapers downward from an undercut surface in the direction towards said free end.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said undercut surface of said projection is engaged with said wall portion to secure said wick applicator in the operative position.

10. The assembly of claim 7 wherein said wick applicator comprises a central longitudinal axis and wherein said at least one projection comprises a pair of barbs extending in a radial direction from said central longitudinal axis.

11. The assembly of claim 7 wherein said recess comprises at least one undercut portion, and wherein said wick applicator includes at least one rib, said at least one rib cooperating with said at least one undercut portion.

12. A method of securing a wick applicator to an oral care implement, said method comprising:
providing an oral care implement comprising a head, a handle and a recess, said handle being connected to said head by a neck portion and including an internal fluid reservoir for holding a fluid therein, said recess including a first portion extending along said head and a second portion extending into said neck portion, wherein said second portion of said recess includes an opening and a wall portion, said wall portion being contiguous with said opening;
providing a wick applicator formed of a material arranged to enable a fluid to pass therethrough by capillary action, said wick applicator comprising a member having a first end portion, a second end portion and at least one projection extending outward from said second end portion, wherein said at least one projection is compressible; and
inserting said wick applicator into said recess, said at least one projection compressing to fit through said opening and then decompressing after said at least one projection has fully passed through said opening such that said first end portion of said member is in said first portion of said recess and said second end portion of said member is in said second portion of said recess, wherein said at least one projection engages said wall portion of said recess to secure said wick applicator in said recess at an operative position in which said wick applicator is in fluid communication with said internal fluid reservoir.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said recess has a central longitudinal axis and wherein inserting said wick applicator into said recess comprises moving said wick applicator along said central longitudinal axis of said recess to said operative position.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said at least one projection compresses in a radial direction with respect to the central longitudinal axis to pass through said opening when said wick applicator is moved along said central longitudinal axis o

Assignees

• Jimenez Eduardo J
• Kennedy Sharon
• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Jimenez Eduardo J
• Kennedy Sharon

Classifications

• B23P11/02

  by first expanding and then shrinking or vice versa, e.g. by using pressure fluids; by making force fits · CPC title

• A46B11/001 Primary

  with integral reservoirs (A46B11/0003, A46B11/0006 take precedence) · CPC title

• A46B2200/1066

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

• A46B15/0081

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

• A46B11/0062

  Brushes where the reservoir is specifically intended for being refilled when empty · CPC title