Oral treatment device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9913992-B2
Application number	US-201514979115-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2015
Priority date	Dec 22, 2015
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

An oral treatment device that emits light onto surfaces of a user's teeth. In one aspect, the oral treatment device includes an intraoral mouthpiece comprising: a lamp support surface; and a lamp. When the lamp is mounted to the lamp support surface, a first contact surface of the lamp contacts a first contact surface of a first electrical contact element of the lamp support surface; and (2) a second contact surface of the lamp contacts a second contact surface of a second electrical contact element of the lamp support surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oral treatment device comprising:
an intraoral mouthpiece comprising:
a lamp support surface;
first and second electrical contact elements electrically coupled to a control circuit having a power source, the first electrical contact element comprising a first contact surface and the second electrical contact element comprising a second contact surface, each of the first and second contact surfaces of the first and second electrical contact elements forming a portion of the lamp support surface;
a lamp comprising: a plurality of light emitters that generate light which is emitted from a rear surface of the lamp; first and second electrical contacts, the first electrical contact having a first contact surface that forms a first portion of a front surface of the lamp, and the second electrical contact having a second contact surface that forms a second portion of the front surface of the lamp; and a flexible sheet body having a front surface and a rear surface, the rear surface of the flexible sheet body forming the rear surface of the lamp, and the front surface of the flexible sheet body forming the front surface of the lamp; wherein the plurality of light emitters are embedded within the flexible sheet body; and
the lamp mounted to the lamp support surface so that: (1) the first contact surface of the first electrical contact of the lamp contacts the first contact surface of the first electrical contact element; and (2) the second contact surface of the second electrical contact of the lamp contacts the second contact surface of the second electrical contact element;
wherein the lamp is mounted to the lamp support surface so that the rear surface of the flexible sheet body of the lamp assumes a concave curvature; and
wherein each of the first and second electrical contacts of the lamp are in the form of elongated strips that extend along a length of the flexible sheet body from a first side edge of the lamp to a second side edge of the lamp.

2. The oral treatment device according to claim 1 wherein the lamp comprises an upper edge and a lower edge, the first electrical contact of the lamp adjacent to the upper edge of the lamp and the second electrical contact of the lamp adjacent the lower edge of the lamp.

3. The oral treatment device according to claim 1 wherein the portions of the lamp support surface formed by the first and second contact surfaces of the first and second electrical contact elements are located in a central portion of the lamp support surface.

4. The oral treatment device according to claim 1 wherein the lamp support surface has a concave curvature.

5. The oral treatment device according to claim 1 wherein the intraoral mouthpiece comprises a guard component comprising a frame portion defining a window through which the rear surface of the flexible sheet body of the lamp is exposed.

6. The oral treatment device according to claim 5 wherein the frame portion of the guard component seals a perimeter of the rear surface of the flexible sheet body of the lamp.

7. The oral treatment device according to claim 5 wherein the intraoral mouthpiece further comprises a lamp support structure that comprise the lamp support surface, the lamp support structure and the lamp collectively forming a lamp assembly, the guard component being an integrally-formed monolithic mass of elastomeric material that is overmolded to the lamp assembly.

8. The oral treatment device according to claim 5 wherein the guard component maintains the lamp so that: (1) the first contact surface of the first electrical contact of the lamp is in surface contact with the first contact surface of the first electrical contact element; (2) the second contact surface of the second electrical contact of the lamp is in surface contact with the second contact surface of the second electrical contact element.

9. The oral treatment device according to claim 1 further comprising:
a housing containing the control circuit, the intraoral mouthpiece coupled to and extending from the housing; and
wherein the intraoral mouthpiece further comprises:
an anchor element that mates with the housing to fix the light assembly to the housing; and
an electrical contact component that comprises the first electrical contact element, the second electrical contact element, and a base section extending from a front surface of the mouthpiece, the base section comprising exposed portions of the first and second electrical contact elements for electrical coupling to the control circuit.

10. The oral treatment device according to claim 1 wherein the flexible sheet body of the lamp comprises a flexible lens plate having a front surface and a rear surface; and wherein the plurality of light emitters are light emitting diodes printed to the front surface of the flexible lens plate, the rear surface of the lens plate forming the rear surface of the flexible sheet body of the lamp.

11. The oral treatment device according to claim 10 wherein the flexible sheet body of the lamp further comprises a flexible reflective layer, the plurality of light emitters disposed between the flexible lens plate and the flexible reflective layer.

12. The oral treatment device according to claim 10 wherein the light emitting diodes are printed to the front surface of the flexible lens plate with an electrically conductive ink.

13. The oral treatment device according to claim 10 wherein the flexible lens plate is formed of a biocompatible material.

14. An oral treatment device comprising:
an intraoral mouthpiece comprising:
a lamp support surface;
an electrical contact component comprising an integrally formed monolithic base structure comprising: a base section; and first and second electrical contact elements extending from the base section, the first and second electrical contact elements electrically coupled to a control circuit having a power source, the first electrical contact element comprising a first contact surface and the second electrical contact element comprising a second contact surface, each of the first and second contact surfaces of the first and second electrical contact elements forming a portion of the lamp support surface;
a lamp comprising: a plurality of light emitters that generate light which is emitted from a rear surface of the lamp; and first and second electrical contacts, the first electrical contact having a first contact surface that forms a first portion of a front surface of the lamp, and the second electrical contact having a second contact surface that forms a second portion of the front surface of the lamp; and
the lamp mounted to the lamp support surface so that: (1) the first contact surface of the first electrical contact of the lamp contacts the first contact surface of the first electrical contact element; and (2) the second contact surface of the second electrical contact of the lamp contacts the second contact surface of the second electrical contact element.

15. The oral treatment device according to claim 14 , wherein the base structure comprises a dielectric material.

16. The oral treatment device according to claim 14 , wherein the base structure comprises a first tab and a second tab, the first tab comprising the first electrical contact element and the second tab comprising the second electrical contact element, and wherein the first and second tabs are provided with an electrically conductive material.

17. The oral treatment device according to claim 16 , wherein the base structure comprises a third tab, the third tab comprising a third electrical contact eleme

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Demarest Scott
• Tatu Francis
• Bartlett Mark
• Mosby Scott
• Lowenthal Mark

Classifications

• A61N5/0603 Primary

  for treatment of body cavities · CPC title

• A61N5/0613

  Apparatus adapted for a specific treatment · CPC title

• A61N2005/0644

  Handheld applicators · CPC title

• A61N2005/0663

  Coloured light · CPC title

• A61C5/90

  Oral protectors for use during treatment, e.g. lip or mouth protectors (A61C5/82 takes precedence) · CPC title