POWERED ORAL CARE IMPLEMENT

• US 20160184065A1
• Filed: 12/21/2015
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Original Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Inventors: Johansson, Patrik, Wainless, Daniel, Xu, Guofeng, Gontarz, Gerald, Moskovich, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 10,390,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/0003 containing only one dose of substance, e.g. single-use toothbrushes
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/002 pressurised at moment of use manually or by powered means
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/0055 with a reciprocating piston or plunger acting as the pressurising means
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/023 with means for inducing vibration to the bristles
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/04 with reservoir or other means for supplying substances
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0002 Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0022 with an electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0024 with means generating ions
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0026 with a magnetic means
• 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: A61C 17/22 with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like brush bodies, e.g. arrangements of the bristles A46B
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/32 reciprocating or oscillating
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3481 Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/00 Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/26 Chlorine; Compounds thereof by simultaneous production of alkali metal hydroxides and chlorine, oxyacids or salts of chlorine C25B1/34
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 9/17 Cells comprising dimensionally-stable non-movable electrodes; Assemblies of constructional parts thereof

Abstract

A powered toothbrush includes a handle, a power source disposed in the handle, a head including a cavity disposed at a distal end of the handle, an electrically conducting element disposed in the cavity and electrically connected to the power source, and a movable cleaning element connected to the head and movable relative to the cavity. The movable cleaning element includes a tooth cleaning support member, a tooth cleaning element mounted on the support member, and a ferromagnetic member. Application of an electrical current to the electrically conducting element generates a magnetic field at the electrically conducting element. The magnetic field selectively at least one of attracts and repels the ferromagnetic member to move the movable cleaning element relative to the electrically conducting element.

Claims

1. A powered toothbrush comprising:

a handle;

a power source;

a head including a cavity and disposed at a distal end of the handle;

an electrically conducting element disposed in the cavity and electrically connected to the power source, wherein application of an electrical current from the power source to the electrically conducting element generates a magnetic field; and

a movable cleaning element connected to the head and movable relative to the cavity, the movable cleaning element comprising a bristle support member disposed at least partially over the cavity, a plurality of bristles extending from the bristle support member in a direction away from the cavity, and a ferromagnetic member,

wherein the magnetic field selectively at least one of attracts and repels the ferromagnetic member to move the movable cleaning element relative to the electrically conducting element.

2. The powered toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the electrically conducting element comprises an electrical winding disposed about a ferrite core.

3. The powered toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the electrically conducting element comprises an electrical coil and the ferromagnetic member is disposed in the electrical coil.

4. The powered toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the bristle support member and the cavity define a volume containing one or more of the electrode and the ferromagnetic member.

5. The powered toothbrush of claim 4, further comprising a channel extending between the volume and an exterior of the head.

6. The powered toothbrush of claim 1, further comprising a dentifrice slurry in the cavity.

7. A powered oral care implement comprising:

a housing including a cavity;

one or more electrically conducting elements disposed in the cavity;

a power source electrically connected to each of the one or more electrically conducting elements, wherein applying a current to individual of the one or more electrically conducting elements generates a field at the individual of the electrically conducting elements; and

a cleaning element disposed on the housing to at least partially cover the cavity.

8. The powered oral care implement of claim 7, further comprising a ferromagnetic member at least one of selectively attracted to and repelled by the field of at least one of the one or more electrically conducting elements.

9. The powered oral care implement of claim 8, wherein the ferromagnetic member is fixed to the cleaning element and the cleaning element is configured to move relative to the one or more electrically conducting elements.

10. The powered oral care implement of claim 7, further comprising a dentifrice slurry in the cavity.

11. The powered oral care implement of claim 10, wherein the dentifrice slurry comprises one or more precursors converted by the electrically conducting elements to active species.

12. The powered oral care implement of claim 11, wherein the active species include at least one of a whitening agent, an enamel modifier, or an anti-bacterial.

13. The powered oral care implement of claim 7, wherein the cleaning element is movable relative to the cavity, the movable cleaning element and the cavity define a volume, and the movement of the movable cleaning element varies the volume.

14. The powered oral care implement of claim 13, further comprising a channel fluidly connecting the volume with an exterior of the head, and wherein varying the volume causes selective ingress and egress of material into and out of the volume through the channel.

15. The powered oral care implement of claim 14, further comprising a valve regulating the ingress and egress of material into and out of the volume through the channel.

16. The powered oral care implement of claim 14, wherein the channel extends between the volume and an opening in the movable cleaning element.

17. The powered oral care implement of claim 7 wherein at least one of the plurality of electrically conducting elements comprises a coil disposed around a ferrite core.

18. The powered oral care implement of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of electrically conducting elements is spaced about a periphery of the cavity.

19. The powered oral care implement of claim 8, wherein the ferromagnetic member is movable along a plane extending between magnetic fields of the plurality of electrically conducting elements.

20. The powered oral care implement of claim 19, further comprising a controller for selectively applying the current to individual of the electrically conducting elements.

21. A method of treating an oral cavity comprising:

providing a powered oral care implement comprising a head including a cavity, a cleaning element disposed to at least partially cover the cavity, and an electrically conducting element disposed in the cavity; and

applying a current to the electrically conducting element to at least one of (1) impart a motion on the implement and (2) generate active oxygen species and/or therapeutic molecules.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the cleaning element comprises a ferromagnetic material,

applying the current to the electrode moves the ferromagnetic member, and

the movement of the ferromagnetic member varies a volume defined by the cavity and the cleaning element.