Oral care implement with product applicator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9839283-B2
Application number	US-201214650827-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2012
Priority date	Dec 12, 2012
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

An oral care implement with product application. In one embodiment, the implement is a fluid dispensing toothbrush having a body comprised of a handle, a head, and an internal cavity containing an oral care material. The head includes tooth cleaning elements and an applicator in fluid communication with the internal cavity. In one embodiment, the applicator includes at least one spring-actuated valve operable to dispense the fluidic oral care material upon engagement with a user's oral tissue. The oral care material is delivered from the internal cavity upon applying a pressing force to a moveable sealing element of the valve. In certain embodiments, a pressurizer may be provided to pressurize the oral care material for positive dispensing. In one embodiment, the applicator is disposed in a soft tissue cleaner on the toothbrush head.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A toothbrush comprising:
a body comprising a handle, a head coupled to the handle, and an internal cavity containing an oral care material;
a plurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from a front surface of the head; and
an applicator disposed on a rear surface of the head opposite the front surface, the applicator in fluid communication with the internal cavity;
the applicator comprising at least one spring-actuated valve movable from a closed non-dispensing position to an open dispensing position upon applying a pressing force against an externally exposed portion of the valve wherein oral care material is dispensed from the internal cavity.

2. The toothbrush according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one spring-actuated valve includes a linearly moveable sealing element and a spring member biasing the sealing element into the closed non-dispensing position.

3. The toothbrush according to claim 2 , wherein the toothbrush further defines a longitudinal axis, the sealing element being linearly moveable in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis.

4. The toothbrush according to claim 3 , wherein the sealing element is both rotatable and linearly moveable.

5. The toothbrush according to claim 2 , wherein the sealing element has an externally exposed portion accessible from an outer surface of the toothbrush and an internal portion in contact with the oral care material contained in the internal cavity.

6. The toothbrush according to claim 2 , wherein the sealing element is a spherical element mounted in the at least one spring-actuated valve.

7. The toothbrush according to claim 2 , wherein the sealing element is mounted in a socket disposed in the head of the toothbrush and the socket defines a seating surface configured for engaging the sealing element.

8. The toothbrush according to claim 1 , wherein the applicator includes at least a second spring actuated valve.

9. The toothbrush according to claim 1 , wherein the internal cavity is located within the head.

10. The toothbrush according to claim 1 , further comprising a pressurizer that pressurizes the oral care material within the internal cavity for dispensing through the applicator.

11. The toothbrush according to claim 1 , further comprising a reservoir in the body containing the oral care material, the reservoir being in fluid communication with the internal cavity.

12. A toothbrush comprising:
a body comprising a handle, a head coupled to the handle, and an internal cavity containing an oral care material;
a plurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from the head;
an applicator disposed in the head and in fluid communication with the internal cavity; and
a soft tissue cleaner comprising one or more protuberances, the applicator positioned within the soft tissue cleaner;
the applicator comprising at least one spring-actuated valve movable from a closed non-dispensing position to an open dispensing position upon applying a pressing force against an externally exposed portion of the valve wherein oral care material is dispensed from the internal cavity.

13. A toothbrush comprising:
a body defining a longitudinal axis and comprising a handle, a head coupled to the handle, and a pressurized internal cavity containing an oral care material;
a plurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from the head;
an applicator disposed in the head and in fluid communication with the pressurized internal cavity;
the applicator comprising a plurality of spring-actuated valves, each of the spring-actuated valves movable from a closed non-dispensing position to an open dispensing position upon applying a pressing force against an externally exposed portion of the spring-actuated valves, the spring-actuated valves dispensing the oral care material as a result of the pressing force applied directly to the spring-actuated valves; and
wherein each of the spring-actuated valves includes a depressible sealing element and a spring member biasing the sealing element into the closed non-dispensing position, the sealing element being linearly movable.

14. The toothbrush according to claim 13 , wherein the sealing elements comprise the externally exposed portions of the spring-actuated valves, the externally exposed portions being accessible from an outer surface of the toothbrush, and the sealing elements further comprising an internal portion in contact with the oral care material contained in the internal cavity.

15. The toothbrush according to claim 13 , wherein each of the sealing elements is mounted in a socket disposed in the head of the toothbrush, each of the sockets defining a seating surface configured for engaging one of the sealing elements.

16. The toothbrush according to claim 13 , wherein each of the sealing elements is integrally formed with a respective one of the spring members such that there is no relative movement between the sealing elements and the respective one of the spring members.

17. The toothbrush according to claim 13 , wherein each spring member is disposed on a common base mounted in the head of the toothbrush.

18. The toothbrush according to claim 13 , wherein the applicator comprises a spring plate mounted in the head of the toothbrush, the spring members being disposed on the spring plate, a plurality of sockets disposed in the head of the toothbrush, and the depressible sealing elements engageable with the plurality of sockets, each one of the spring members, sockets, and sealing elements collectively defining the spring-actuated valve, each of the sealing elements being linearly movable from the closed non-dispensing position to the open dispensing position upon applying the pressing force against the sealing element.

19. The toothbrush according to claim 18 , wherein each of the sealing elements are spherical elements linearly moveable into and out of engagement with a respective one of the sockets in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush.

20. The toothbrush according to claim 18 , wherein the spring members are configured as cantilevered arms disposed on the spring plate.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Tatu Francis
• Neal Kathryn
• Kennedy Sharon
• Worthington Brian G
• Jimenez Eduardo J

Classifications

• A46B15/0081

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

• A46B11/0079

  Arrangements for preventing undesired leakage or dispensing · CPC title

• A46B11/0017

  with pre-pressurised reservoirs, e.g. aerosols · CPC title

• A46B11/0041

  Flexible or deformable reservoirs, e.g. resilient bulbs, compressible tubes · CPC title

• A46B11/001 Primary

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