Oral care implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9872558-B2
Application number	US-201715491315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2017
Priority date	Sep 20, 2002
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

An oral care implement comprising tooth cleaning elements and a tissue cleanser. In one aspect, the invention can be an oral care implement comprising: a head and a handle, the head having a first face, a second face, and at least one port extending through the head from the first face to the second face; a plurality of tufts of bristles extending from the first face of the head; a soft tissue cleanser positioned on the second face of the head, the soft tissue cleanser comprising a pad formed of an elastomeric material and a plurality of tissue engaging elements extending from the pad; and an elastomeric tooth cleaning element extending from the first face of the head, the elastomeric tooth cleaning element integrally formed with the pad and extending through the port in the head.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oral care implement comprising:
a body comprising a handle and a head, the head having a first face, a second face, and at least one port extending through the head from the first face to the second face;
a plurality of tufts of bristles extending from the first face of the head;
a soft tissue cleanser positioned on the second face of the head, the soft tissue cleanser comprising a pad formed of an elastomeric material and a plurality of tissue engaging elements extending from the pad; and
an elastomeric tooth cleaning element extending from the first face of the head, the elastomeric tooth cleaning element integrally formed with the pad and extending through the port in the head.

2. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein the soft tissue cleanser is injection molded onto the second face of the head.

3. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein the plurality of tufts of bristles and the elastomeric tooth cleaning element collectively form a field of tooth cleaning elements, and wherein the elastomeric tooth cleaning element is located inboard of one or more of the plurality of tufts of bristles.

4. The oral care implement of claim 3 wherein the first face of the head has a peripheral portion and a central portion that is inboard of the peripheral portion, wherein the elastomeric tooth cleaning element extends from the central portion of the first face of the head and a subset of the plurality of tufts of bristles extend from the peripheral portion of the first face of the head.

5. The oral care implement of claim 4 wherein the subset of the plurality of tufts of bristles surrounds the elastomeric tooth cleaning element, the peripheral portion of the first face of the head being free of elastomeric tooth cleaning elements.

6. The oral care implement of claim 4 wherein the head extends from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the plurality of tufts of bristles comprises a distal bristle tuft positioned on the peripheral portion of the first face of the head adjacent the distal end of the head and a proximal bristle tuft positioned on the peripheral portion of the first face of the head adjacent the proximal end of the head.

7. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein the pad has a bottom surface that is in contact with the second face of the head and an opposite top surface, and wherein the plurality of tissue engaging elements extends from the top surface of the pad.

8. The oral care implement of claim 7 wherein the body comprises a raised portion, the raised portion having an upstanding wall and a top surface that is flush with the top surface of the pad.

9. The oral care implement of claim 1 further comprising:
a plurality of the ports extending through the head from the first face to the second face; and
a plurality of the elastomeric tooth cleaning elements extending from the first face of the head, each of the elastomeric tooth cleaning elements integrally formed with the pad and extending through one of the ports in the head.

10. The oral care implement of claim 9 wherein each of the bristles of the plurality of tufts of bristles extends a greater distance from the first face of the head than each of the plurality of elastomeric tooth cleaning elements.

11. The oral care implement of claim 10 wherein each of the plurality of elastomeric tooth cleaning elements extends the same distance from the first face of the head.

12. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric tooth cleaning element forms an elastomeric wall extending from the first face of the head, the elastomeric wall having a first major surface and an opposite second major surface.

13. The oral care implement of claim 12 wherein the first and second major surfaces of the elastomeric wall are substantially parallel to one another.

14. The oral care implement of claim 12 wherein the elastomeric wall has an arcuate shape.

15. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein the pad of the soft tissue cleanser covers a substantial entirety of the second face of the head.

16. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein the pad has a top surface from which the tissue engaging elements extend, a periphery of the top surface of the pad being flush with an exposed surface of the body.

17. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein the head extends from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis, and wherein a first subset of the plurality of tissue engaging elements is located axially between the elastomeric tooth cleaning element and the proximal end of the head and a second subset of the plurality of tissue engaging elements is located axially between the elastomeric tooth cleaning element and the distal end of the head.

18. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein the head extends from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis; and wherein a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the head and that intersects the first and second faces of the head also intersects the elastomeric tooth cleaning element and at least one of the tissue engaging elements of the soft tissue cleanser.

19. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein the head extends from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis, and wherein at least one of the plurality of tissue engaging elements of the soft tissue cleanser is intersected by a plane that includes the longitudinal axis of the head and that is perpendicular to the first face of the head.

20. An oral care implement comprising:
a body comprising a handle and a head, the head having a first face, a second face, and a plurality of ports extending through the head from the first face to the second face;
a plurality of tufts of bristles extending from the first face of the head; and
a monolithic mass of elastomeric material coupled to the head, the monolithic mass of elastomeric material comprising:
a pad having a bottom surface in contact with the second face of the head and an exposed top surface;
a plurality of protrusions extending from the exposed top surface of the pad; and
a plurality of elastomeric walls protruding from the first face of the head, each of the plurality of elastomeric walls integrally formed with the pad and extending from the bottom surface of the pad through one of the plurality of ports.

21. The oral care implement of claim 20 wherein the first face of the head has a peripheral portion and a central portion that is inboard of and surrounded by the peripheral portion, wherein at least a portion of each of the elastomeric walls is located on the central portion of the first face of the head, the elastomeric walls at least partially surrounded by a subset of the bristles that are located on the peripheral portion of the first face of the head.

22. The oral care implement of claim 21 wherein the head extends from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the subset of the bristles comprises a distal bristle tuft positioned on the peripheral portion of the first face of the head adjacent the distal end of the head and a proximal bristle tuft positioned on the peripheral portion of the first face of the head adjacent the proximal end of the head.

23. The oral care implement of claim 20 wherein each of the bristles extends a greater distance from the first face of the head than each of the plurality of elastomeric walls.

24. The oral care implement of clai

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Hohlbein Douglas J

Classifications

• A46B9/005

  where the brushing material is not made of bristles, e.g. sponge, rubber or paper · CPC title

• B29C45/1671

  with an insert · CPC title

• A46B15/0002

  Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process · CPC title

• A46B9/026

  where the surface of the brush body or carrier is not in one plane, e.g. not flat (A46B9/005 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A46B15/0032

  with protrusion for polishing teeth · CPC title