Oral care implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9848693-B2
Application number	US-201415101920-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2014
Priority date	Dec 5, 2013
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

An oral care implement and a method of forming the same. In one aspect, the invention can be an oral care implement having a handle and a head. The head has a basin cavity formed therein which includes a basin floor and a basin sidewall and which has an open top end. An aperture is formed into the basin floor or the basin sidewall. An applicator is positioned within the basin cavity so that a delivery portion of the applicator protrudes through the aperture. The oral care implement also includes a head plate with a plurality of tooth cleaning elements mounted thereon. The head plate is coupled to the head and encloses the open top end of the basin cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oral care implement comprising:
a handle;
a head coupled to the handle, the head comprising a base portion comprising a basin cavity, the basin cavity comprising a basin floor and a basin sidewall and having an open top end;
an aperture in at least one of the basin floor or the basin sidewall that defines a passageway from an outer surface of the head into the basin cavity;
an applicator comprising an anchor portion and a delivery portion, the anchor portion disposed in the basin cavity and the delivery portion extending through the aperture so that a portion of the delivery portion is exposed on the outer surface of the head, the applicator formed of a first capillary material and loaded with an oral care material; and
a cleaning element assembly comprising a head plate and a plurality of tooth cleaning elements mounted to the head plate, the cleaning element assembly coupled to the base portion of the head to enclose the open top end of the basin cavity.

2. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of tooth cleaning elements comprises a plurality of bristle tufts; wherein the head plate comprises a lower surface, an upper surface, and a plurality of tuft holes extending from the lower surface to the upper surface; wherein each of the bristle tufts comprises a first portion and a second portion; wherein the second portions of the bristle tufts protrude from the lower surface of the head plate and are melted together to form a melt matte that is located between the lower surface of the head plate and the basin floor.

3. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the anchor portion comprises a cross-section that cannot pass through the aperture.

4. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the anchor portion comprises an annular flange that extends from and circumscribes the delivery portion.

5. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the anchor portion abuts a first shoulder of the base portion that defines the aperture.

6. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the aperture is located in the basin floor, the passageway extending from the basin cavity to a rear outer surface of the head, the plurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from a front outer surface of the head that is opposite the rear outer surface.

7. The oral care implement according to claim 1 further comprising:
a store of the oral care material in one of the head or the handle; and
the applicator fluidly coupled to the store of oral care material so that the oral care material in the store is delivered to the applicator by capillary action.

8. The oral care implement according to claim 7 further comprising:
a delivery member formed of a second capillary material, a first end portion of the delivery member in contact with the oral care material in the store and a second end portion of the delivery member in contact with the applicator, the delivery member transporting the oral care material from the store to the applicator;
the delivery member and the applicator being separate components; and
wherein the store is located within the handle;
wherein the delivery member is in surface contact with the anchor portion of the applicator.

9. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the basin cavity comprises an upper chamber and a lower chamber, each of the upper and lower chambers defined by a floor and a sidewall, an opening formed into the floor of the upper chamber that provides a passage between the upper and lower chambers, and wherein the aperture is formed into the floor of the lower chamber.

10. The oral care implement according to claim 9 wherein the cleaning element assembly is located entirely within the upper chamber of the basin cavity, wherein the anchor portion of the applicator is located entirely within the lower chamber of the basin cavity, and wherein a first portion of the delivery portion of the applicator is located in the passageway and a second portion of the delivery portion of the applicator protrudes from the outer surface of the head.

11. The oral care implement according to claim 1 further comprising:
a divider member dividing the basin cavity into an upper chamber and a lower chamber; and
the anchor portion of the applicator located in the lower chamber.

12. The oral care implement according to claim 11 wherein the base portion of the head, the head plate, and the divider member are separate components.

13. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the basin cavity extends from the open top end in a front outer surface of the head to the aperture in a rear outer surface of the head thereby forming a passageway entirely through the head from the front outer surface of the head to the rear outer surface of the head.

14. A method of forming an oral care implement comprising a head and a handle, the method comprising:
a) forming a base portion of the head, the base portion comprising a basin cavity, the basin cavity comprising a basin floor and a basin sidewall and having an open top end, an aperture in at least one of the basin floor or the basin sidewall that defines a passageway from an outer surface of the head into the basin cavity;
b) inserting an applicator into the basin cavity so that an anchor portion of the applicator is disposed within the basin cavity and a delivery portion of the applicator extends through the aperture so that a portion of the delivery portion is exposed on the outer surface of the head;
c) forming a cleaning element assembly comprising a head plate and a plurality of tooth cleaning elements mounted to the head plate; and
d) coupling the cleaning element assembly to the base portion of the head so that the cleaning element assembly encloses the open top end of the basin cavity.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein step d) further comprises:
d-1) inserting a divider member into the basin cavity that divides the basin cavity into a lower chamber and an upper chamber, the applicator located in the lower chamber; and
d-2) coupling the cleaning element assembly to the base portion of the head so that the cleaning element assembly encloses the open top end of the basin cavity.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the applicator, the divider member, and the cleaning element assembly are inserted into the basin cavity through the open top end of the basin cavity in sequential order such that the applicator is inserted into the basin cavity first, the divider member is inserted into the basin cavity second, and the cleaning element assembly is inserted into the basin cavity third.

17. The method according to claim 14 wherein step c) comprises:
c-1) inserting a plurality of bristle tufts through a plurality of tuft holes in the head plate so that a plurality of second portions of the plurality of bristle tufts extend from a lower surface of the head plate while a plurality of first portions of the plurality of bristle tufts extend from an upper surface of the head plate; and
c-2) fusing the second portions of the plurality of bristle tufts together to form a melt matte.

18. The method according to claim 14 wherein step b) comprises inserting the applicator into the basin cavity through the open top end of the basin cavity.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the basin cavity comprises an upper chamber and a lower chamber, each of the upper and lower chambers defined by a floor and a sidewall, an opening formed into the floor of the upper chamber

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Jimenez Eduardo
• Fattori Joseph

Classifications

• A46B9/04

  {Arranged like in or} for toothbrushes · CPC title

• A46B15/0097

  Self supporting, e.g. brushes that stand upright or in other particular ways · CPC title

• A46B2200/1066

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

• A46B15/0091

  Container, e.g. bag or box with a collection of various devices · CPC title

• A46B11/0062 Primary

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