Oral care implement

An oral care implement comprising:

• a handle portion, a container located in the handle portion and containing an oral care fluid;
• a head portion including a plurality of tooth cleaning elements, a fluid outlet in the head portion for outputting the oral care fluid into the vicinity of at least one of the tooth cleaning elements;
• and
• a manually actuatable pump mechanism located in the handle portion between the container and the fluid outlet, the pump mechanism being connected to the container and the fluid outlet by respective first and second conduits;
• wherein the pump mechanism comprises a chamber having an inlet connected to the first conduit and an outlet connected to the second conduit, an actuatable valve mechanism for selectively opening the inlet and outlet respectively to cause fluid flow into the chamber from the first conduit and out of the chamber into the second conduit, the actuatable valve mechanism comprising a first valve element for selectively closing or opening the inlet, a second valve element for selectively opening or closing the outlet and a deformable actuator connected to the first and second valve elements, and a wall which defines at least a part of the chamber and is adapted to be manually moved to operate the actuatable valve mechanism;
• wherein the first valve element is located within the chamber and opens the inlet by being moved away from the inlet towards a center of the chamber and the second valve element is located externally of the chamber and opens the outlet by being moved away from the outlet and the chamber;
• wherein the deformable actuator comprises a compressible and expandable mechanism, the first and second valve elements being mounted at respective longitudinal ends of the deformable actuator;
• wherein the deformable actuator is movable between an expanded first position, in which the inlet is opened by the first valve element and the outlet is closed by the second valve element, and a compressed second position, in which the inlet is closed by the first valve element and the outlet is opened by the second valve element;
• and
• wherein the expanded first position and the compressed second position constitute the lateral expansion and compression of the deformable actuator, and when the deformable actuator is laterally expanded the longitudinal ends of the deformable actuator are retracted longitudinally towards each other and when the deformable actuator is laterally compressed the longitudinal ends of the deformable actuator are extended longitudinally away from each other.

An oral care implement comprising:

• a handle portion, a container located in the handle portion and containing an oral care fluid;
• a head portion including a plurality of tooth cleaning elements, a fluid outlet in the head portion for outputting the oral care fluid into the vicinity of at least one of the tooth cleaning elements;
• and
• a manually actuatable pump mechanism located in the handle portion between the container and the fluid outlet, the pump mechanism being connected to the container and the fluid outlet by respective first and second conduits;
• wherein the pump mechanism comprises a chamber having an inlet connected to the first conduit and an outlet connected to the second conduit, an actuatable valve mechanism for selectively opening the inlet and outlet respectively to cause fluid flow into the chamber from the first conduit and out of the chamber into the second conduit, the actuatable valve mechanism comprising a first valve element for selectively closing or opening the inlet, a second valve element for selectively opening or closing the outlet and a deformable actuator connected to the first and second valve elements, and a wall which defines at least a part of the chamber and is adapted to be manually moved to operate the actuatable valve mechanism;
• wherein the deformable actuator comprises a spring mechanism comprising a diamond-shaped frame having a first pair of laterally opposite apexes and a second pair of longitudinally opposite apexes, the laterally opposite apexes respectively engaging the wall and a further wall of the chamber and the longitudinally opposite apexes being respectively coupled to the first and second valve elements.