# US 10,500,023 B2 · Refill head and oral care implement including the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,500,023 B2 - Document ID: US10500023B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/361,991 - Filed: 2016-11-28 - Published: 2017-06-01 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-01 - Assignees: Colgate-Palmolive Company - Applicants: Colgate-Palmolive Company - Inventors: Takahide Okai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10500023B2 ## CPC - A61C 17/222: {Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle} - A46B 5/0095: {Removable or interchangeable brush heads} - A46B 9/04: {Arranged like in or} for toothbrushes - A61C 17/22: with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like (brush bodies, e.g. arrangements of the bristles A46B) - A61C 17/3481: {Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights} - A46B 2200/1066: Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures (A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04) - A61C: DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE (non-driven toothbrushes A46B; {tongue scrapers A61B17/24;} preparations for dentistry A61K6/00; preparations for cleaning the teeth or mouth A61K8/00, A61Q11/00) - A46B: BRUSHES (handles not integral with brushware B25G) ## Abstract An oral care implement and a refill head therefor. The refill head may include a sleeve portion and a head portion, a passageway extending through the head portion from a rear surface of the head portion to a front surface of the head portion, a plurality of bristle tufts mounted to the head portion and extending from the front surface of the head portion, and an integrally-formed monolithic mass of an elastomeric material comprising: (1) an elastomeric pad portion located on the rear surface of the head portion; (2) an elastomeric tooth contact element extending from the front surface of the head portion; and (3) an elastomeric anchor portion in the passageway connecting the elastomeric tooth contact element and the elastomeric pad portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An oral care implement comprising: a handle component comprising: a gripping section extending from a proximal end to a distal end; a stem extending from the distal end of the gripping section, the stem comprising a stem cavity and terminating in a sealed distal end; a power source; and a vibratory source disposed in the stem cavity and operably coupled to the power source; a refill head comprising: a sleeve portion having a sleeve cavity extending along a longitudinal axis from a blind top end to an open bottom end located at a proximal end of the sleeve portion; a head portion located at a distal end of the sleeve portion, the head portion and the sleeve portion formed of a rigid material; a passageway extending through the head portion from a rear surface of the head portion to a front surface of the head portion; a plurality of bristle tufts mounted to the head portion and extending from the front surface of the head portion; and an integrally-formed monolithic mass of an elastomeric material comprising: (1) an elastomeric pad portion located on the rear surface of the head portion and comprising a plurality of elastomeric protuberances extending from the elastomeric pad portion; (2) an elastomeric tooth contact element extending from the front surface of the head portion; and (3) an elastomeric anchor portion in the passageway connecting the elastomeric tooth contact element and the elastomeric pad portion; and the refill head alterable between: (1) a decoupled state in which the refill head is separated from the handle component; and (2) a coupled state in which the stem of the handle component is disposed within the sleeve cavity of the refill head such that vibrational energy generated by the vibratory source imparts vibrational movement to the bristle tufts and the elastomeric tooth contact element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein in the coupled state, vibrational energy generated by the vibratory source imparts vibrational movement to the plurality of elastomeric protuberances. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the integrally formed monolithic mass of elastomeric material further comprises an elastomeric ring portion that circumscribes the sleeve portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The oral care implement according to claim 3 wherein the elastomeric ring portion is connected to a proximal end of the elastomeric pad portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The oral care implement according to claim 4 wherein an annular centerline of the elastomeric ring portion is oblique to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve cavity. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The oral care implement according to claim 3 wherein the elastomeric ring portion nests within an annular depression formed in an outer surface of the sleeve portion, an outer surface of the elastomeric ring portion being substantially flush with the outer surface of the sleeve portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The oral care implement according to claim 3 further comprising: the stem comprising: a body portion comprising the stem cavity; and an engagement portion at a distal end of the stem that engages an inner surface of the sleeve portion of the refill head; and wherein in the coupled state, the engagement portion and the elastomeric ring portion are transversely aligned so that a transverse plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve cavity intersects both the engagement portion of the stem and the elastomeric ring portion of the refill head. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The oral care implement according to claim 3 wherein the elastomeric ring portion has a maximum thickness that is greater than a maximum thickness of the elastomeric pad portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the bristle tufts form a bristle field, the elastomeric tooth contact element located within the bristle field. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The oral care implement according to claim 1 further comprising: the refill head comprising a plurality of the passageways; and the monolithic mass of the elastomeric material comprising a plurality of the elastomeric tooth contact elements and a plurality of the elastomeric anchor portions. ### Claim 11 A refill head for an electric toothbrush handle, the refill head comprising: a sleeve portion having a sleeve cavity extending along a longitudinal axis from a blind top end to an open bottom end located at a proximal end of the sleeve portion; a head portion located at a distal end of the sleeve portion, the head portion and the sleeve portion formed of a rigid material; a passageway extending through the head portion from a rear surface of the head portion to a front surface of the head portion; a plurality of bristle tufts mounted to the head portion and extending from the front surface of the head portion; and an integrally-formed monolithic mass of an elastomeric material comprising: (1) an elastomeric pad portion located on the rear surface of the head portion and comprising a plurality of elastomeric protuberances extending from a rear surface of the pad portion; (2) an elastomeric tooth contact element extending from the front surface of the head portion; and (3) an elastomeric anchor portion in the passageway connecting the elastomeric tooth contact element and the elastomeric pad portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The refill head according to claim 11 wherein the integrally-formed monolithic mass of elastomeric material further comprises an elastomeric ring portion that circumscribes the sleeve portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The refill head according to claim 12 wherein the elastomeric ring portion is connected to a proximal end of the elastomeric pad portion, and wherein an annular centerline of the elastomeric ring portion is oblique to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve cavity. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The refill head according to claim 12 wherein the elastomeric ring portion nests within an annular depression formed in an outer surface of the sleeve portion, an outer surface of the elastomeric ring portion being substantially flush with the outer surface of the sleeve portion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The refill head according to claim 12 wherein the sleeve cavity comprises: an entry section having a first minimum diameter and comprising the open bottom end of the sleeve cavity; and an engagement section having a second minimum diameter that is less than the first minimum diameter, an inner surface of the sleeve portion that defines the sleeve cavity comprising an annular transverse shoulder located between the entry section and the engagement section. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The refill head according to claim 15 wherein the engagement section of the sleeve cavity and the elastomeric ring portion are transversely aligned so that a transverse plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve cavity intersects both the engagement section of the sleeve cavity and the elastomeric ring portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The refill head according to claim 15 wherein the sleeve cavity comprises an uppermost section located above the engagement section, the uppermost section having a transverse cross-sectional area that decreases with distance from the engagement section. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The refill head according to claim 12 wherein the elastomeric ring portion has a maximum thickness that is greater than a maximum thickness of the elastomeric pad portion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The refill head according to claim 11 wherein the elastomeric tooth contact element extending from the front surface of the head portion is aligned with and has the same shape as one of the elastomeric protuberances extending from the rear surface of the pad portion.