Oral care implement

An oral care implement including a handle and a head. The oral care implement may be formed entirely out of a resilient or flexible material. The head may include a base structure and a monolithic cleaning unit. The monolithic cleaning unit may include a block portion extending from a front surface of the base structure and a plurality of protuberances extending from a distal end of the block portion. The block portion may have a greater height than the protuberances. The protuberances may include central protuberances that extend from a distal surface of the block portion and peripheral protuberances that surround the block portion and extend from the front surface of the base structure. The monolithic cleaning unit may include ribs extending between adjacently positioned protuberances. The oral care implement may be suitable for babies.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to oral care systems, and particularly to an oral care implement suitable for use with babies. Oral care implements such as toothbrushes are susceptible to bacterial contamination resulting from normal use and handling. Bacterial accumulations may be especially prevalent on the head portion of the toothbrush, particularly within the tooth cleaning elements such as bristles and/or elastomeric cleaning elements. The bacteria can contribute to tooth decay and gum disease. Bacterial contamination of the toothbrush head which poses a general health risk is also a concern considering the head is placed in the oral cavity. Such contamination may be transferred from various hard surfaces on which the toothbrush might be placed or accidentally dropped. It is desirable therefore to minimize bacterial contamination from various environmental sources. It is further desirable to construct a toothbrush for use with babies (infants or toddlers) that is soft and pliable to prevent injury while also ensuring that no parts thereof, such as the bristles, can be detached which could pose a potential choking hazard.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to an oral care implement including a handle and a head. The oral care implement may be formed entirely out of a resilient or flexible material. The head may include a base structure and a monolithic cleaning unit. The monolithic cleaning unit may include a block portion extending from a front surface of the base structure and a plurality of protuberances extending from a distal end of the block portion. The block portion may have a greater height than the protuberances. The protuberances may include central protuberances that extend from a distal surface of the block portion and peripheral protuberances that surround the block portion and extend from the front surface of the base structure. The monolithic cleaning unit may include ribs extending between adjacently positioned protuberances. The oral care implement may be suitable for babies.

In one aspect, the invention may be an oral care implement comprising: a handle; a head coupled to the handle, the head comprising a base structure and a monolithic cleaning unit, the monolithic cleaning unit comprising; a block portion extending from a front surface of the base structure to a distal surface, the block portion having a first height measured from the front surface of the base structure to the distal surface; and a plurality of protuberances extending from the distal surface of the block portion, at least one of the plurality of protuberances having a second height measured from the distal surface of the block portion to a distal end of the protuberance, the second height being equal to or less than the first height.

In another aspect, the invention may be an oral care implement comprising: a handle; a head coupled to the handle, the head comprising a base structure and a cleaning unit, the cleaning unit comprising; a block portion extending from a front surface of the base structure to a distal surface; and a plurality of protuberances extending from the distal surface of the block portion; and wherein the head, including the base structure and the cleaning unit, is a monolithic structure formed from a flexible material.

In yet another aspect, the invention may be an oral care implement comprising: a handle; a head having a longitudinal axis coupled to the handle, the head comprising a base structure and a monolithic cleaning unit, the monolithic cleaning unit comprising; a block portion extending from a front surface of the base structure to a distal surface; a plurality of central protuberances extending directly from the distal surface of the block portion; and a plurality of peripheral protuberances extending from the front surface of the base structure and surrounding the block portion, the plurality of peripheral protuberances comprising a first portion that extends radially from an outer surface of the block portion and a second portion that protrudes from the distal surface of the block portion.

In a further aspect, the invention may be an oral care implement comprising: a handle; a head coupled to the handle, the head comprising: a base structure; and a monolithic cleaning unit coupled to the base structure, the monolithic cleaning unit comprising; a plurality of protuberances, each of the protuberances having a first height measured from a front surface of the base structure to a distal end of the protuberance; and a plurality of ribs, each of the ribs having a second height measured from the front surface of the base structure to a distal end of the rib, the second height being less than the first height, and wherein each of the ribs extends between and is coupled to two of the protuberances.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring first toFIG. 1, an oral care implement100is illustrated in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The oral care implement100generally comprises a handle110and a head120coupled to the handle110. In the exemplified embodiment, the oral care implement100is, in its entirety including both the handle110and the head120, formed out of a single material. Thus, the oral care implement100is a monolithic structure. In the exemplified embodiment, the oral care implement100is formed from an injection molding process, but it could be formed in other ways such as extrusion, 3D printing, or the like. In the exemplified embodiment, the oral care implement100is formed from a flexible or resilient material, such as an elastomeric material including without limitation thermoplastic elastomers such as food-grade silicone or other rubber-like materials. However, the invention should not be so limited in all embodiments and in other embodiments the handle110may be formed of a different material than portions of the head120. Thus, for example, the handle110and a base structure of the head120could be formed of a rigid material (e.g., hard plastic) and a cleaning unit of the head120could be formed of one of the flexible materials noted above. In still other embodiments, the handle110could be formed of a rigid material (e.g., hard plastic) and the head120could be formed of a flexible material. However, in the exemplified embodiment the entire oral care implement100is a monolithic structure formed of a single elastomeric material.

In the exemplified embodiment, the handle110comprises an elongated gripping portion111and first and second appendages112,113extending from opposing sides of the elongated gripping portion111. The oral care implement100, in the exemplified embodiment, is intended to have the appearance of a butterfly. Thus, the first and second appendages112,113have the appearance of butterfly wings. The first and second appendages112,113may help to support the oral care implement100on a horizontal surface without the head120contacting the horizontal surface to avoid contamination. Furthermore, the first and second appendages112,113may ensure that a baby cannot insert too much of the oral care implement100into his/her mouth, thereby avoiding choking. Finally, the first and second appendages112,113may enhance the ability of the oral care implement100to be gripped by an adult who is assisting a child in using the oral care implement100to clean oral surfaces and teeth. The first and second appendages112,113can be bent relative to the elongated gripping portion111which can enable the handle100to be more easily gripped by an adult.

The head120comprises a base structure130and a monolithic cleaning unit140. As noted above, in some embodiments the base structure130and the monolithic cleaning unit140are formed together as a monolithic structure. In other embodiments, the base structure130and the monolithic cleaning unit140may be separately formed and later coupled together. For example, the base structure130may be formed from a hard plastic and the monolithic cleaning unit140formed from a flexible or elastomeric material that is coupled to the base structure130. However, in preferred embodiments the base structure130and the monolithic cleaning unit140are part of a monolithic, unitary, integral structure formed from a flexible or otherwise resilient material. In still other embodiments, the base structure130and the monolithic cleaning unit140may be formed separately, but both formed out of flexible or resilient materials such as a thermoplastic elastomer.

Referring toFIGS. 2-8, the head120of the oral care implement100will be described in greater detail. The base structure130comprises a front surface131, a rear surface132opposite the front surface, and a side surface133extending between the front and rear surfaces131,132. In the exemplified embodiment, the rear surface132is smooth and has no features extending therefrom. However, in other embodiments the rear surface132could have protruding features, such as nubs or the like that are generally used for tongue and soft tissue cleaning.

In the exemplified embodiment, the monolithic cleaning unit140extends from the front surface131of the base structure130. The monolithic cleaning unit140is generally comparable to the bristles or other cleaning elements used on a conventional oral care implement. Thus, conventional oral care implements use nylon or other material to form bristles that are clustered together into tufts that are attached to a base structure. Such conventional oral care implements may also include rubber elements known as lamella. However, in such conventional oral care implements the bristles may detach from the base structure during normal use and even more so if the head is used as a chew toy as may occur when the oral care implement is intended for use by a baby (infant or toddler). Bristles detaching from the base structure can be a choke hazard for a baby and are therefore undesirable.

Thus, many baby toothbrushes use only rubber features extending from a base structure as the “cleaning elements” or “bristles.” However, when such rubber features are elongated in their extension from the base structure, they may still be detached from the base structure when extensively chewed by a baby or young child. The monolithic cleaning unit140described herein is intended to avoid any possibility of the baby or child detaching the “bristles” or “cleaning elements” from the remainder of the toothbrush.

In that regard, the monolithic cleaning unit140comprises a block portion141and a plurality of protuberances150. The plurality of protuberances150form the “cleaning elements” of the oral care implement100. Specifically, the plurality of protuberances150are the portion of the monolithic cleaning unit140that come into contact with a user's teeth (or gums, particularly for babies that likely do not yet have teeth) during use. Thus, the plurality of protuberances150are intended to resemble the cleaning elements or bristles on a more traditional toothbrush while removing any potential choke hazards. In this way, a child can get used to the concept of using a toothbrush without fear of choking on any of its components. Even if the oral care implement100is used as a baby chew toy, it is extremely unlikely that any part of the oral care implement will become detached and form a choke hazard.

In the exemplified embodiment, the monolithic cleaning unit140is a single, monolithic structure that includes the block portion141and the protuberances150. The monolithic cleaning unit140may be formed from a resilient, flexible material such as a thermoplastic elastomer including without limitation food-grade silicone or the like.

The block portion141of the monolithic cleaning unit140extends from the front surface131of the base structure130to a distal surface142. As seen in the cross-section views, the block portion141is a solid block of material that extends from the base structure130. In this embodiment, the distal surface142of the block portion141is a planar surface. The distal surface142of the block portion141forms a platform that is elevated relative to the front surface131of the base structure130. The block portion141also comprises an outer surface143that extends from the front surface131of the base structure130to the distal surface142. The block portion141may take on any of a number of different shapes, including being square, rectangular, triangular, hexagonal, octagonal, circular, or arch-shaped (which is the shape of the block portion141of the monolithic cleaning unit140in the exemplified embodiment).

The plurality of protuberances150of the monolithic cleaning unit140extend or protrude from the distal surface142of the block portion141of the monolithic cleaning unit140. In the exemplified embodiment, the monolithic cleaning unit140comprises twenty-five of the protuberances150including fourteen peripheral protuberances151and eleven central protuberances156. Of course, the invention is not to be particularly limited by the number of protuberances150in all embodiments and this can be modified in many ways including adjusting the diameter of the protuberances150, adjusting the spacing between the protuberances150, and adjusting the surface area of the front surface131of the base structure130of the head120. Each of the protuberances150comprises a maximum diameter D1that is between 1 mm and 3 mm, more specifically between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm, and still more specifically approximately 2 mm.

As mentioned above, the plurality of protuberances150comprises a plurality of peripheral protuberances151and a plurality of central protuberances156. Each of the peripheral protuberances151extends directly from the front surface131of the base structure130to a distal end152. However, the peripheral protuberances151are coupled to the outer surface143of the block portion141along a portion of their length. Thus, although the peripheral protuberances151extend directly from the front surface131of the base structure130, each of the peripheral protuberances151also extends directly from the outer surface143of the block portion141in a direction away from a longitudinal axis A-A of the head120.

The peripheral protuberances151are arranged in a circumferentially spaced apart manner about the outer surface143of the block portion141such that the peripheral protuberances151collectively surround the block portion141. The peripheral protuberances151comprise a first portion153that extends radially from the outer surface143of the block portion140and a second portion154that extends upwardly from the distal surface142of the block portion140. Thus, the peripheral protuberances151are positioned alongside of the outer surface143of the block portion140and are in fact coupled to the outer surface143of the block portion140. Stated another way, the peripheral protuberances151are not spaced apart from the block portion140but the peripheral protuberances151are coupled to the outer surface143of the block portion140along the entire height of the block portion141.

The peripheral protuberances151have a height measured from the front surface131of the base structure130to the distal ends152that is greater than a height of the block portion141measured from the front surface131of the base structure130to the distal surface142of the block portion141. As a result, the second portion154(which is a distal portion) of the peripheral protuberances151protrude beyond the distal surface142of the block portion141. This makes the second portion154of the peripheral protuberances151available to contact a user's gums and other oral surfaces when the head120is placed into the user's mouth. Furthermore, by maintaining the peripheral protuberances151in a coupled relationship with the block portion141, it would be extremely difficult if not impossible for a baby or toddler to detach the peripheral protuberances151from the remainder of the oral care implement100.

In the exemplified embodiment, the first portions153of the peripheral protuberances151are in the shape of a truncated cylinder that has been cut by a single plane oriented parallel to the cylinder's axis of symmetry. The second portions153of the peripheral protuberances151are cylindrical in shape, although the distal ends152may be rounded. The outer surface143of the block portion141and an outer surface155of the first portions153of the peripheral protuberances151collectively form an entirety of an outer surface145of the monolithic cleaning unit140. As best seen inFIG. 8, the outer surface145of the monolithic cleaning unit140comprises a plurality of linear or arcuate segments formed by the block portion141and a plurality of dome-shaped segments formed by the peripheral protuberances151, arranged in an alternating fashion.

The peripheral protuberances151also serve to hide most of the block portion141from view, which gives the monolithic cleaning unit140an appearance that more closely resembles the appearance of the cleaning elements or bristles of a traditional toothbrush. Specifically, although the peripheral protuberances151are spaced apart about the outer surface143of the block portion141, the spacing is quite close together. As a result, the block portion141is very minimally visible if it is visible at all, particularly when viewed in side profile. Thus, in giving the oral care implement100a quick glance one would not even know that the monolithic cleaning unit140includes the block portion141.

Each of the central protuberances156extends directly from the distal surface142of the block portion141of the monolithic cleaning unit140to a distal end157. The central protuberances156have a cylindrical shape with a nub-like appearance having a rounded distal end157. The central protuberances156are arranged in a spaced apart manner along the distal surface142of the block portion141of the monolithic cleaning unit140. The peripheral protuberances151surround the central protuberances156and the peripheral protuberances151are spaced apart from the central protuberances156.

The central protuberances156and the peripheral protuberances151extend to the same height above the front surface131of the base structure130. Thus, the distal ends152of the peripheral protuberances151and the distal ends157of the central protuberances156form a flat trim profile such that the distal ends152,157of the peripheral and central protuberances151,156lie in a common plane. Of course, the peripheral and central protuberances151,156could extend to different heights in other embodiments and thus the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments. Furthermore, some of the peripheral protuberances151may be taller than others such that the peripheral protuberances151have varying heights and some of the central protuberances156may be taller than others such that the central protuberances156have varying heights.

The plurality of protuberances150are arranged in a plurality of columns and rows. Specifically, the plurality of protuberances150comprise a first column C1of the peripheral protuberances151on a first side of the block portion141, a second column C2of the peripheral protuberances151on a second side of the block portion141, a third column C3of the central protuberances156adjacent to the first column C1and the fourth column C4of the central protuberances156adjacent to the second column C1, the third and fourth columns C3, C4of the central protuberances156being between the first and second columns C1, C2of the peripheral protuberances151. The first column C1is spaced a first distance from the third column C3, the second column C2is spaced a second distance from the fourth column C4, and the third column C3is spaced a third distance from the fourth column C4. In the exemplified embodiment, the first and second distances are the same and are greater than the third distance. The protuberances150are also arranged in seven rows in the exemplified embodiment, although fewer or greater than seven rows could be used in other embodiments depending on the surface area of the head120and the spacing between the protuberances150.

As noted above, the plurality of peripheral protuberances151surround the block portion141of the monolithic cleaning unit140and the plurality of central protuberances156. Furthermore, a peripheral portion134of the front surface131of the base structure130surrounds the block portion141. The peripheral protuberances151extend from the front surface131of the base structure130along the peripheral portion134of the front surface131of the base structure130.

The monolithic cleaning unit140also comprises a plurality or ribs160extending from the distal surface142of the block portion141in the spaces between the protuberances150. The ribs160extend from the distal surface142of the block portion141to a distal end161. Each of the ribs160extends or is elongated in a direction that is generally transverse to the longitudinal axis A-A. As noted above, the protuberances150are arranged in rows. The ribs160extend between protuberances150in the same row, but there are no ribs extending between protuberances150in different rows. Each of the ribs160extends between two of the protuberances150that are adjacent to one another in the same row and every protuberance is connected to at least one adjacent protuberance by one of the ribs160. More specifically, in the exemplified embodiment each protuberance150is connected to at least one but no more than two of the other protuberances150by the ribs160. Each of the ribs160extends between pairs of adjacent protuberances in a single row. By connecting the protuberances150to one another, the ribs160make the monolithic cleaning unit140more robust so that it is quite difficult for one of the protuberances150to become detached from the block portion141. This can be an important feature in some embodiments because it eliminates a potential choking hazard that may exist if any of the protuberances150were to become detached from the block portion141.

When viewed in a top plan view as depicted inFIG. 3, portions of the distal surface142of the block portion141are exposed between the protuberances150and the ribs160. The protuberances150and the ribs160collectively form walls that extend transversely across the distal surface142of the block portion141. The adjacently positioned walls are spaced apart and a channel146exists between the walls. The channels146allow for saliva and other contaminants to be easily washed off of the head120.

Referring toFIGS. 4, 5, and 7, relative heights of portions of the monolithic cleaning unit140will be described. The block portion141of the monolithic cleaning unit140has a first height H1measured from the front surface131of the base structure130to the distal surface142of the block portion141. In the exemplified embodiment, each of the protuberances150has a second height H2measured from the distal surface142of the block portion141to the distal end of the protuberance150. This includes the peripheral protuberances151and the central protuberances156. The second height H2is not the full height of the peripheral protuberances151, but rather the height of the second portion154of the peripheral protuberances151that protrudes beyond the distal surface142of the block portion141.

Although in the exemplified embodiment every one of the protuberances150has the second height H2, in other embodiments at least one of the protuberances150may have the second height H2, such that the protuberances150may have various different heights as mentioned above. This is true of both the peripheral protuberances151and the central protuberances156. The ribs160have a third height H3measured from the distal surface142of the block portion141to the distal end161of the ribs160. In the exemplified embodiment the first height H1is greater than the second height H2, and the second height H2is greater than the third height H3. In some embodiments, the first height H1may be greater than or equal to the second height H2, with the third height H3being less than the second height H2. Thus, the protuberances150extend beyond the distal ends161of the ribs160such that the ribs160are recessed relative to the distal ends152,157of the protuberances150.

In some embodiments, the first height H1may be between 2 mm and 3 mm, the second height H2may be between 1 mm and 2 mm, and the third height H3may be between 0.2 mm and 1 mm. In some embodiments, a ratio of the first height H1to the second height H2may be between 1.0:1 and 2.0:1, and more specifically between 1.5:1 and 2.0:1. In other embodiments a ration of the first height H1to the second height H2may be between 1.3:1 and 1.8:1. These relative heights allow for the monolithic cleaning unit140to have an appearance that closely resembles the cleaning elements of a more conventional toothbrush while ensuring that no part thereof is detached from the remainder of the oral care implement during normal use.

In some alternative embodiments, the block portion141of the monolithic cleaning unit140may be omitted such that the monolithic cleaning unit140may comprise only the protuberances150and the ribs160. In such an embodiment, the protuberances150and the ribs160may all extend directly from the front surface131of the base structure130. In this embodiment, the ribs160will help to ensure that the protuberances150are not easily detached from the base structure130to prevent a choking hazard.

Referring toFIG. 9, an alternative embodiment of an oral care implement200is illustrated. The oral care implement200comprises a handle210and a head220, the head220comprising a base structure230and a monolithic cleaning unit240. The oral care implement200is identical to the oral care implement100except with regard to the structure, shape, and details of the monolithic cleaning unit240. Thus, the description of the handle110and the base structure130of the oral care implement100is applicable to the handle210and the base structure230of the oral care implement200. Those features will not be described herein in the interest of brevity.

Referring toFIGS. 10-13, the monolithic cleaning unit240will be further described. The monolithic cleaning unit240comprises a block portion241and a plurality of protuberances250. The block portion240extends from a front surface231of the base structure230to a distal surface242. The block portion240also comprise an outer surface243. In this embodiment, the block portion241is in the shape of the number eight having a rounded proximal portion247, a rounded distal portion248, and a waist portion249between the proximal and distal portions.

As best seen inFIGS. 12 and 13, the distal surface242of the block portion240is not flat and planar as it was with the earlier described embodiment. Rather, the distal surface242of the block portion241is curved, and more specifically concave. Moreover, in the exemplified embodiment the block portion241comprises two concave sections such that the proximal portion247has a concave distal surface242and the distal portion248has a concave distal surface248. The two concave sections meet at the waist portion249.

The plurality of protuberances250comprises a plurality of peripheral protuberances251that circumferentially surround the block portion241and a plurality of central protuberances251. Each of the peripheral protuberances251extends directly from the front surface231of the base structure230to a distal end252whereas each of the central protuberances256extends directly from the distal surface242of the block portion241to a distal end257. The peripheral protuberances251are coupled to the outer surface243of the block portion241and protrude from the distal surface242of the block portion241.

In this embodiment, each of the protuberances250appears to be tapered as they extend towards their distal ends252,257. However, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments and the protuberances250may have a constant diameter in other embodiments. Moreover, similar to the previously described embodiment, at least one of the protuberances250has a height measured from the distal surface242of the block portion241to the distal end252,257of the protuberance250that is less than the height of the block portion241measured from the front surface231of the base structure230to the distal surface242of the block portion241. In some of the embodiments, each of the protuberances250has a height measured from the distal surface242of the block portion241to the distal end252,257of the protuberance250that is less than the height of the block portion241. As discussed previously, this helps to ensure that the protuberances250do not become detached from the remainder of the oral care implement200during normal use thereof, which could be a choking hazard because the oral care implement200is intended for use by babies and young children.