Oral care implement having a turbine-like arrangement of cleaning elements
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An oral care implement comprising:
- a handle;
a head connected to the handle, the head comprising a first surface, the first surface comprising an elliptical zone and a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart reference spirals spreading out from the elliptical zone;
for each reference spiral, an arcuate cleaning element wall extending outward from the first surface of the head coextensively along the reference spiral;
a ring-like wall extending outward from the first surface of the head, the ring-like wall surrounding the elliptical zone; and
wherein the arcuate cleaning element walls are integral with and extend from the ring-like wall.
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Abstract
An oral care implement having an turbine-like arrangement of cleaning elements. In one aspect, the invention is an oral care implement comprising a handle: a head connected to the handle, the head comprising a first surface, the first surface comprising an elliptical zone and a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart spirals spreading out from the elliptical zone; and for each spiral, an arcuate cleaning element wall extending outward from the first surface of the head along the spiral. In another aspect, the invention may be an apparatus for incorporation into an ansate oral care implement that utilizes the aforementioned arrangement of cleaning elements.
105 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An oral care implement comprising:
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a handle; a head connected to the handle, the head comprising a first surface, the first surface comprising an elliptical zone and a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart reference spirals spreading out from the elliptical zone; for each reference spiral, an arcuate cleaning element wall extending outward from the first surface of the head coextensively along the reference spiral; a ring-like wall extending outward from the first surface of the head, the ring-like wall surrounding the elliptical zone; and wherein the arcuate cleaning element walls are integral with and extend from the ring-like wall. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An oral care implement comprising:
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a handle; a head connected to the handle, the head comprising a first surface, the first surface comprising an elliptical zone and a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart reference spirals spreading out from the elliptical zone; for each reference spiral, an arcuate cleaning element wall extending outward from the first surface of the head coextensively along the reference spiral; and wherein the plurality of circumferentially spaced apart reference spirals comprise a first array of reference spirals and a second array of reference spirals, and wherein the arcuate cleaning element walls located along the reference spirals of the first array are constructed of densely packed bristles and the arcuate cleaning element walls located along the reference spirals of the second array are constructed of an elastomeric material. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. An oral care implement comprising:
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a handle; a head connected to the handle, the head comprising a first surface having a first whirl of reference spirals spreading out from a central zone; for each reference spiral in the first whirl, an arcuate cleaning element wall extending outward from the first surface of the head along the reference spiral; the first surface having a second whirl of reference spirals spreading out from the central zone; for each reference spiral in the second whirl, an arcuate cleaning element wall extending outward from the first surface of the head alone the reference spiral of the second whirl; wherein the arcuate cleaning element walls located along the reference spirals of the first whirl are constructed of densely packed bristles and the arcuate cleaning element walls located along the reference spirals of the second whirl are constructed of an elastomeric material; and wherein the arcuate cleaning element walls of the first and second whirls circumferentially surround the central zone in an alternating manner. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. An oral care implement comprising:
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a handle; a head connected to the handle, the head comprising a first surface having a first whirl of reference spirals spreading out from a central zone; for each reference spiral in the first whirl, an arcuate cleaning element wall extending outward from the first surface of the head along the reference spiral; the first surface having a second whirl of reference spirals spreading out from the central zone; for each reference spiral in the second whirl, an arcuate cleaning element wall extending outward from the first surface of the head along the reference spiral of the second whirl; wherein the reference spirals of the first whirl are defined by a first set of geometrical characteristics and the reference spirals of the second whirl are defined by a second set of geometrical characteristics that are different than the first set of geometrical characteristics; and wherein the arcuate cleaning element walls of the first and second whirls circumferentially surround the central zone in an alternating manner.
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16. An oral care implement comprising:
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a handle; a head connected to the handle, the head comprising a first surface having a first whirl of references spirals spreading out from a central zone; for each reference spiral in the first whirl, an arcuate cleaning element wall extending outward from the first surface of the head along the reference spiral; the first surface having a second whirl of reference spirals spreading out from the central zone; for each reference spiral in the second whirl, an arcuate cleaning element wall extending outward from the first surface of the head along the reference spiral of the second whirl; wherein the arcuate cleaning element walls located along the reference spirals of the first whirl have a first height and the arcuate cleaning element walls located along the reference spirals of the second whirl have a second height that is greater than the first height; and wherein the arcuate cleaning element walls of the first and second whirls circumferentially surround the central zone in an alternating manner.
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17. An oral care implement comprising:
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a handle; a head connected to the handle, the head comprising a first surface having a central zone; a first array of arcuate cleaning element wails extending from the first surface, each of the arcuate cleaning element walls in the first array comprising a convex peripheral surface and a concave peripheral surface; the first array of arcuate cleaning element walls arranged so as to circumferentially surround the central zone in a spaced-apart manner and oriented so that the convex peripheral surface of each cleaning element wall in the first array opposes the concave peripheral wall of an adjacent cleaning element wall in the first array; a second array of arcuate cleaning element, walls extending from the first surface, each of the arcuate cleaning element walls in the second array comprising a convex peripheral surface and an concave peripheral surface; the second array of cleaning element walls arranged so as to circumferentially surround the central zone in a spaced-apart manner and oriented so that the convex peripheral surface of each cleaning element wall in the second array opposes the concave peripheral wall of an adjacent cleaning element wall in the first array; wherein the arcuate cleaning element walls of the first and second arrays are arranged in a circumferentially alternating arrangement; and wherein the arcuate cleaning element walls of the first array are constructed of densely packed bristles and the arcuate cleaning element walls of the second array are constructed of an elastomeric material. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. An apparatus for an ansate oral implement comprising:
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a ring-like wall having an outer surface and an inner surface forming a cavity about a central axis; an array of arcuate cleaning element walls extending radially outward from the outer surface of the ring-like wall, the array of arcuate cleaning element walls being located about he circumference of the ring-like wall in a spaced-apart manner; and wherein the ring-like wall has a first height and the array of arcuate cleaning element walls have a second height that is greater than the first height. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. An oral care implement comprising:
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a handle; a head connected to the handle, the head comprising a first surface, the first surface comprising an elliptical zone and a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart reference spirals spreading out from the elliptical zone; for each reference spiral, an elongated cleaning element wall extending outward from the first surface of the head along the reference spiral; and wherein the purality of circumferentially spaced apart reference spirals comprise a first array of reference spirals and a second array of reference spirals, and wherein the cleaning element walls located along the reference spirals of the first array are constructed of densely packed bristles and the cleaning element walls located alone the reference spirals of the second array are constructed of an elastomeric material. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification