Oral care implement and filament therefor

• US 10,278,485 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2016
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Original Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Inventors: Hohlbein, Douglas Joseph, Wong, Chi Shing
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Application Number:
  US15/254,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20180055207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/0003 containing only one dose of substance, e.g. single-use toothbrushes
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1066 Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/028 Bristle profile, the end of the bristle defining a surface other than a single plane or deviating from a simple geometric form, e.g. cylinder, sphere or cone
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/04 Arranged like in or for toothbrushes
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/06 Arrangement of mixed bristles or tufts of bristles, e.g. wire, fibre, rubber
• CPC Class Codes: A46D 1/0207 Bristles characterised by the choice of material, e.g. metal
• CPC Class Codes: A46D 1/023 Bristles with at least a core and at least a partial sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A46D 1/0238 Bristles with non-round cross-section

Abstract

An oral care implement that includes a handle and a head. Cleaning elements are coupled to the head and extend from the front surface of the head. At least one of the cleaning elements is a first type of cleaning element that extends from a first end to a second end along a longitudinal axis and has a polygonal transverse cross-sectional shape. The first type of cleaning element has an outer surface having a plurality of elongated faces and a plurality of elongated edges. The first type of cleaning element is formed from a first component and a second component, the first and second components being different in at least one characteristic. An interface of the first and second components is located along at least one of the elongated edges.

Claims

1. An oral care implement comprising:

a handle;

a head coupled to the handle and having a front surface;

a plurality of cleaning elements extending from the front surface of the head;

wherein at least one of the plurality of cleaning elements is a first type of cleaning element that extends from a first end to a second end along a longitudinal axis and comprises a polygonal transverse cross-sectional shape, the first type of cleaning element having an outer surface comprising a plurality of elongated faces and a plurality of elongated edges; and

wherein the first type of cleaning element comprises a first component and a second component, the first and second components being different in at least one characteristic, and wherein every one of the plurality of elongated edges is formed by an interface of the first and second components.

2. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of cleaning elements are arranged into a plurality of tufts such that each of the tufts is inserted into a single tuft hole in the head, and wherein at least one of the tufts consists only of the first type of cleaning element.

3. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein adjacent elongated faces of the first type of cleaning element are formed from different ones of the first and second components.

4. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the first component forms a spine of the first type of cleaning element having a plurality of elongated channels and wherein the second component is disposed within each of the elongated channels of the spine.

5. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the at least one characteristic comprises color.

6. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the at least one characteristic comprises an additive carried by at least one of the first and second components, and wherein the second component comprises an additive and the first component is free of additives.

7. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the at least one characteristic comprises an additive carried by at least one of the first and second components, wherein the first component comprises a first additive and the second component comprises a second additive that is different than the first additive.

8. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the at least one characteristic comprises material, and wherein the first component is formed of a first elastomeric material and the second component is formed of a second elastomeric material, the first and second elastomeric materials being different.

9. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the at least one characteristic comprises material, and wherein the first component is formed of a non-elastomeric material and the second component is formed of an elastomeric material.

10. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the first type of cleaning element is extruded from one or more thermoplastic elastomers and has an outer diameter between 0.25 mm and 1.0 mm.

11. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein an interface of the first and second components is located along each of the elongated edges.

12. An oral care implement comprising:

a handle;

a head coupled to the handle and having a front surface;

a plurality of cleaning elements extending from the front surface of the head;

wherein at least one of the plurality of cleaning elements is a first type of cleaning element that extends from a first end to a second end along a longitudinal axis and comprises a polygonal transverse cross-sectional profile, an outer surface of the polygonal cross-sectional profile defined by a plurality of sides and a plurality of corners; and

wherein the first type of cleaning element comprises a first component and a second component, the first and second components being different in at least one characteristic, and wherein every one of the plurality of corners is formed by an interface of the first and second components.

13. A filament comprising:

a body extending from a first end to a second end along a longitudinal axis, the body comprising a polygonal transverse cross-sectional shape and an outer surface comprising a plurality of elongated faces and a plurality of elongated edges; and

wherein the body comprises a first component and a second component, the first and second components being different in at least one characteristic, and wherein every one of the plurality of elongated edges is formed by an interface of the first and second components.

14. The filament according to claim 13 wherein an interface of the first and second components extends along each of the elongated edges.

15. The filament according to claim 13 wherein the elongated faces of the body alternate between being formed from the first component and the second component such that none of the adjacent elongated faces are formed from the same one of the first and second components.

16. The filament according to claim 13 wherein the second component forms a plurality of distinct sections of the body that are wholly spaced apart from one another by the first component, and wherein each section of the body formed by the second component has a triangular cross-sectional shape.

17. The filament according to claim 13 wherein the at least one characteristic is selected from the group consisting of color, additives, and material.

18. The filament according to claim 17 wherein the second component comprises a first additive and the first component either comprises a second additive that is different than the first additive or is free of additives.

19. The filament according to claim 17 wherein the first component is formed of a first elastomeric material and the second component is formed of a second elastomeric material, the first and second elastomeric materials being different.

20. The filament according to claim 17 wherein the first component is formed of a non-elastomeric material and the second component is formed of an elastomeric material.

21. The filament according to claim 13 wherein the body is extruded from one or more thermoplastic elastomers and has an outer diameter between 0.25 mm and 1.0 mm.