ORAL CARE IMPLEMENT

• US 20180140404A1
• Filed: 11/22/2017
• Published: 05/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: SCHAEFER, Norbert, UTSCH, Joern
• Granted Patent: US 10,624,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/02 power-driven carriers
• 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 17/222 Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/225 Handles or details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/34 driven by electric motor

Abstract

An oral-care implement having a housing extending along a longitudinal-extension direction, a functional element mounted at the housing for driven motion relative to the housing, a motion-transmitter element disposed within the housing and extending along the longitudinal-extension direction. The motion-transmitter element has a first coupling portion coupled with the functional element. The motion-transmitter element has a metal-sheet portion made from a punched and bent metal sheet. The metal-sheet portion can have at least one section having a non-flat cross-sectional shape in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal-extension direction, such as an L-shape, or U-shape, or S-shape.

Claims

1. An oral-care implement comprising a replacement brush head of an electric toothbrush, comprising:

a housing extending along a longitudinal-extension direction;

a functional element mounted at the housing for driven motion relative to the housing;

a motion-transmitter element disposed within the housing and extending along the longitudinal-extension direction, the motion transmitter element having a first coupling portion coupled with the functional element;

wherein the motion transmitter element has a metal-sheet portion made from a punched and bent metal sheet, wherein the meta-sheet portion has at least one section having a non-flat cross-sectional shape in a plane essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal-extension direction, said plane being elected from the group consisting of an L-shape, U-shape, and S-shape.

2. The oral-care implement of claim 1, wherein the first coupling portion is essentially L-shaped or T-shaped.

3. The oral-care implement of claim 1, wherein the motion transmitter element comprises a second coupling portion arranged at a second end of the motion-transmitter element.

4. The oral-care implement of claim 3, wherein the second coupling portion comprises a massive metal element comprising a permanent magnet or a magnetizable metal block accommodated in a receptacle formed by the metal-sheet portion, wherein the receptacle comprises at least a top receptacle portion and a sheath portion that has an opening extending along the full length of the sheath portion, and wherein the receptacle has projections suitable for centering a coupling partner with respect to the massive metal element.

5. The oral-care implement of claim 4, wherein the receptacle has a bottom receptacle portion comprising projections extending from a circumference of the bottom receptacle portion, said projections being suitable for centering a coupling partner with respect to the massive metal element.

6. The oral-care implement of claim 1, wherein the metal sheet portion comprises a hinge section defining a pivot axis that extends essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal-extension direction, wherein the hinge section comprises a flat metal-sheet hinge that extends parallel to the pivot axis.

7. The oral-care implement of claim 6, wherein the flat metal-sheet hinge is waisted with respect to the longitudinal-extension direction.

8. The oral-care implement of claim 1, wherein the metal sheet has a thickness 0.10 mm and 0.30 mm.

9. The oral-care implement of claim 1, wherein the first coupling section comprises a massive metal coupling element comprising a metal-rod element connected with the metal-sheet portion, wherein the massive metal coupling element is T-shaped rod, wherein a leg of the T-shaped rod element is accommodated in a receptacle formed by the metal-sheet portion having a U-shaped cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal-extension direction, and wherein the massive metal coupling element has a thickness or diameter in the range from 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm.

10. The oral-care implement of claim 1, wherein the first coupling portion comprises a coupling cylinder made from the punched and bent metal sheet and that extends perpendicular to the longitudinal-extension direction.

11. The oral-care implement of claim 10, wherein the coupling cylinder comprises two essentially semi-cylindrical sections arranged with a gap extending along a length direction of the coupling cylinder, wherein the semi-cylindrical sections have meshing projections alternately arranged in the length direction of the coupling cylinder.

12. The oral-care implement of claim 10, wherein the coupling cylinder has a chamfered front section.

16. The oral-care implement of claim 1, wherein the metal sheet has a thickness between 0.15 mm to 0.25 mm.

17. The oral-care implement of claim 1, wherein the metal sheet has a thickness of about 0.20 mm.

13. A method of making an oral-care implement, the method comprising steps of:

providing a housing extending along a longitudinal-extension direction;

providing a functional element;

providing a metal sheet;

punching and folding the metal sheet to form a metal-sheet portion of a motion-transmitter element;

disposing the motion-transmitter element within the housing;

connecting the functional element with the housing and coupling a first coupling portion provided at a first end of the motion-transmitter element with the functional element.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of punching and folding comprises folding the punched-metal sheet such that a receptacle is formed at a second end of the motion transmitter, disposing a massive metal block in the receptacle, and fixedly securing the massive metal block in the receptacle, wherein the massive metal block has an essentially cylindrical form.

15. The method of claim 13, comprising a step of welding a T-shaped metal-rod element into the metal-sheet portion to form the first coupling portion at the first end of the motion transmitter, the step of welding comprising welding a leg of the T-shaped metal-rod element into a receptacle formed by the metal-sheet portion, wherein the receptacle has a U-shaped cross-section.