Oral care implement
First Claim
1. An oral care implement comprising:
- a handle;
a head attached to the handle and having a first face;
a proximal fixed pod and a distal fixed pod extending from said first face, said pods further comprising a plurality of cleaning elements; and
at least one central pod disposed between and supported above said first face by said pair of fixed pods by at least one suspension member so that a gap exists between a bottom surface of the at least one central pod and the first face, said at least one central pod further comprising a plurality of cleaning elements;
wherein at least a portion of said at least one central pod is movable in a direction normal to said first face.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An oral care implement is provided having a handle and a head with tooth cleaning elements extending from fixed pods. Additional tooth cleaning elements extend from one or more central pods suspended between the fixed pods via a bridge. The bridge may be formed from an elastomer and permit the one or more central pods to move from an initial position toward the head during use. The central pods, the bridge and outer portions of the fixed pods may be formed as a unitary structure. When a single central pod is employed, a flexible section may be disposed in the middle of the central pod so that cleaning elements extending from either end of the central pod can move toward one another during use.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An oral care implement comprising:
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a handle; a head attached to the handle and having a first face; a proximal fixed pod and a distal fixed pod extending from said first face, said pods further comprising a plurality of cleaning elements; and at least one central pod disposed between and supported above said first face by said pair of fixed pods by at least one suspension member so that a gap exists between a bottom surface of the at least one central pod and the first face, said at least one central pod further comprising a plurality of cleaning elements; wherein at least a portion of said at least one central pod is movable in a direction normal to said first face. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An oral care implement comprising:
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a handle; a head attached to the handle, the head having a base structure having a first face; a proximal pod extending from the first face of the base structure, the proximal pod being substantially non-movable with respect to the base structure, a plurality of cleaning elements extending from the proximal pod; a distal pod extending from the first face of the base structure, the distal pod being substantially non-movable with respect to the base structure, a plurality of cleaning elements extending from the distal pod; at least one central pod disposed between and supported above the first face by the proximal and distal pods by at least one suspension member, a gap existing between a bottom surface of the at least one central pod and the first face of the base structure, a plurality of cleaning elements extending from the at least one central pod; and the at least one central pod being movable with respect to the base structure. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An oral care implement comprising:
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a handle; a head attached to the handle, the head having a base structure having a first face; a proximal pod and a distal pod extending from the first face and being static with respect to the base structure, said proximal and distal pods comprising a plurality of cleaning elements extending therefrom; at least one central pod disposed between and supported above the first face by the proximal and distal pods by a resilient member so that a gap exists between a bottom surface of the at least one central pod and the first face, the at least one central pod comprising a plurality of cleaning elements extending therefrom; and the resilient member forming a first loop that peripherally surrounds the proximal pod and a second loop that peripherally surrounds the distal pod, the resilient member attached to the at least one central pod. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification